The Series:

Fairy Tail is a popular action-adventure-comedy series which follows a group of wizards who are all a part of the renowned Fairy Tail guild. These wizards work on various missions for the non-magic folk of the world. Additionally, these talented wizards work together to face enemy guilds (the type who use their magic without a positive approach), and prepare new skills as they train to become S class wizards (the top ranking of guild members across the world). From saving the day to being hilarious, these wizards are a familial bunch that represent the world's best in magic guilds.

A huge reason for the show's success is it's wonderful cast of characters. It's the joy of the lovable and entertaining group that the show retains such a strong sense of humor and an impressive storytelling quality.  The series is infinitely more enjoyable through the use of wonderful goofballs who are a part of the magical guild. Characters include a descendant connected to dragons named Natsu, the incredibly powerful Erza, who is one of the strong warriors of the bunch and always someone looking to help keep the guild running smoothly, Gray, who happens to be a hands-on fighter who regularly misplaces his shirt, Lucy, who can call upon magical spirits to help at any time, and the talking and flying cat by name of Happy (who is besties with Natsu).

From a production standpoint, the animation on Fairy Tail is easily one of the aspects that is most impressive. The series looks finely polished and designed with strong detail and art of consistently high quality. The character designs are impressive and the background art does manage to remain lush and creative whenever need be. Whether the show is focused on an important dramatic moment, comedic sketch, or action-packed sequence, the artwork does consistently work (and remarkably well).

One of the most popular ongoing anime series of the moment, Fairy Tail is a series which has already had a second extension on life after a four season run and is currently in its fifth year.  Based upon the similarly popular manga series from artist Hiro Mashima, which began to be published in 2006 in Japan, the manga was adapted into this similarly successful anime with a premiere arriving in October 2009. The anime series production became such a huge success in Japan and was licensed and released by Funimation to great response in North America, where the series now arrives on Part 18 of the ongoing saga.

The Set:

Following the conclusion of the Grand Magic Games (which became one of the longest story arcs on Fairy Tail) the last batch of episodes in Part 17 focused on a standalone story arc involving time travel and dragons. Part 18 delves into the start of another brand new arc. Following the shorter arc contained on the last set of episodes, Part 18 contains only the beginning part of another new story arc.

The first few episodes of Part 18 are standalone episodes which follow the conclusion of the previous storyline. The series takes a small break from focusing on a story arc for comedic character-focused episodes. Part 18 then delves into a new storyline involving the celestial spirits.

The Fairy Tail Guild finds themselves in a crazy new situation when the mystical celestial spirits Lucy works with start to reject working with her and the Fairy Tail guild. Not only do they stop working with the guild members, but it's as though all of the celestial spirits personalities have changed and they have become total opposites of their normal selves. What has gone wrong in the celestial world? Can the Fairy Tail guild stop the celestial sprits and set things right?

The mysterious change in the celestial spirits has caused Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, and others in the Fairy Tail guild to spread out and find the spirits and return them to the spirit realm. They have to duel with the spirits and find a way to fix things following the chaos that has ensued. Wendy must stop a celestial spirit causing chaos at a theme park, Natsu must defeat one of his strongest opponents to date, and Gray even becomes an expert dancer in order to win a dance-off which will help to stop a celestial spirit. The entire guild is faced with different challenges to try and return the spirits to their normal selves.

The arc on this set is only just beginning and it isn't as developed in Part 18 as some fans might hope. The arc is just starting and the mystery behind the change in the celestial spirits is still a element to be continued in future parts. This set also isn't as exciting or fun as the previous collection (which was an absolute blast with its strong time-travel plot). The current arc definitely seems more action-focused.

Part 18 isn't one of the strongest collections of episodes to date but Fairy Tail continues to be an entertaining series which is well worth continuing. The series continues to be an exciting blend of comedy, action, fantasy, and adventure. Fans of Fairy Tail will certainly want to check out Fairy Tail - Part 18.

The Blu-ray:

Video:

Fairy Tail Part 18 arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p High Definition presentation. As with other sets (beginning with Part 11), the show receives native high-def encoding. As with Part 17, the series now seems to look the best it ever has in its entire run. The color and clarity impress and the animation seems to be even sharper and more detailed than previous releases of the show. The production quality is excellent and this is a great presentation. This season of Fairy Tail offers superb picture-quality.

Please Note: This release is a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack.

Audio:

Funimation's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English dub audio is still a impressive selection that I have a personal preference towards during my listening experience. The series is provided with both English dub and Japanese dub lossless audio options which is a nice feature. The work of the English dub team remains absolutely stellar during this batch of episodes. Fairy Tail now has one of the best English dubs in Funimation history.

Please note that the original Japanese audio is 2.0 Dolby TrueHD stereo and it will not be as dynamic as the English dub option.

Extras:

This release is a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack.

Includes select episode commentaries (with English dub voice-actors), U.S. Trailers, textless opening/closing themes, and trailers for other Funimation releases. Includes a Guild Promo Video.

The release also contains the standard inclusion of reversible cover art and a beautiful slip (o-card).

 Final Thoughts:

Fairy Tail - Part 18 contains the beginning of a new story arc. The new storyline involves the celestial spirits. The set isn't as strong as Part 17 but will remains a must-see for fans of the anime series. It is worth a purchase for fans of the series.

Recommended.

Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema. He aspires to make movies and has written two screenplays on spec. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas.