@Thousand:
It's small potatoes but still an annoyance that reflects the problem of a whole (like bat nipples, or Indiano Jones in a fridge). In this case, it makes the main "twist" even more contrived.
How is Indiana Jones surviving a Nuclear Blast in a fridge even remotely the same thing as someone living an exceptionally long period of time (And it's not even really that long… seriously, I knew a guy who lived to be 105 and until the day he died, he would for a 2 mile jog EVERY morning)? Really? The former is completely absurd; the latter is actually plausible.
So you're admitting there were little to no hints? And Dragon did enough. We were informed that he's an extremely important character with ties to the protagonist. For the record, these ties actually mean something and they weren't blurted at the last moment to force-feed drama. Same with Garp, he was hinted at to be a high-ranking marine officer and whilst it wasn't hinted at, it made sense and gave some meaning to the story and was revealed to expand the world a bit rather than just for some cheap drama in the middle of an arc. Familial ties are automatic clinchers when it comes to giving situations meaning opposed to leader of a group which requires history and buildup which Mashima failed to do properly.
It's the same scenario, and it makes perfect to sense to me, honestly. Even the most moral of people can become corrupted when something else is involved: promises of money, power, fame, etc. People become disillusioned with causes they once cherished and rebel. Good people become Evil. We've been told since Chapter 1 that Fairy Tail Mages are powerful, and the guild has produced powerful mages throughout its history. It's not really that implausible that a former member would go off, change their stance on things, and become evil.
What you're basically telling me is that you think every villain, if he has any affiliation with the protagonists, should reveal his history way, way before he's ever introduced. This isn't always the case. Sometimes, you don't necessarily talk about a person you knew until it becomes relevant or someone actually asks. Why would I bother talking about my first cat when I can barely remember her?
I will give you some credit. There could've been something like, "I wonder if Master Purehito is still alive?" or "I know Master Purehito is out there, somewhere… maybe I'll see him again someday..." earlier on in the series. It would've been nice, but honestly, it's not always necessary if that person's actions or departure served (at the time) as nothing more than a "passing of the reins".
What a terrible point. So you're comparing world expansion to giving relevance to a particular plot twist? You're actually saying because the characteristics of the next location aren't hinted at than that justifies not hinting at plot points important to the story structure? What the hell? This doesn't even make sense.
What you're saying is making absolutely no sense and I see now why people never want to even debate with you. You need a serious lesson on comprehending story structure as a whole. If there's a certain plot point that works only with a fair amount of buildup, a plot point with ties to the significance of the entire story as a whole, a plot point which needs to allow a reader to look back and see how it fits in the overall grand scheme of the series to understand why exactly its so powerful and important…you don't reveal it with last-moment build-up for the historical relevance.
Because of this lack of build-up, what could have been and should have been a ground-breaking revelation is just a funny coincidence and that's just bad writing.
I understand story structure very well. What you fail to understand is that Mashima is one person. This isn't Star Wars, or WoW, where multiple contributors have been given permission to and regularly update the lore. The only person that can update Fairy Tail lore is Mashima himself, and possibly his assistants. It's his world, period.
That said, because he's only one person, he can only expand the lore so much without dragging out the story to ridiculous lengths. Even Oda himself has stated that as much as he loves the One Piece world, him expanding the lore so much has put the series almost 4 years behind schedule. It's an inherent problem in any Manga or Comic Fictional World. Some book series even have this flaw, because their Authors don't want contributors expanding their works.
Besides, if Mashima took the time to go over every single piece of lore (Fairy Tail's history, Fiore's history, the world's history, etc.,), This chapter would be in the middle of the Phantom Lord Arc. Honestly, I'll be the first to admit I'm a nerd for Fictional World Lore (I'm reading a WoW Lore book right now, actually), but not everyone is. People want action. They want story progression. They don't want 50 chapters of buildup so the Big Bad has complete, 100% relevance to the current situation.
I don't feel well, and I'm tired, so let's just end it here and agree to disagree. You can post one more final response post, if you want, but I won't respond to it. Today is my night off, so I'm going to relax and read. I respect you as a poster, but I don't agree with your opinion.