English Dub Review: Fairy Tail “The Door of Vows”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

A lot of bad things are going down in the realm, and Natsu and co. have their hands full. Wendy and Erza are being chased in the Blue Pegasus by Acnologia, while Natsu is getting his butt kicked by Zeref. Luckily, Lucy, Gray, and Happy are nearby with his special bonded book to back him up, though.

In an effort to stall for time, Jellal leaves the ship to try and distract Acnologia.When the time rift is opened by Zeref, Jellal decides that the only way to trap the great dragon is to push him in himself, no matter the cost.

Our Take:

As we’re approaching the end of Fairy Tail, things are rapidly descending into darkness. Acnologia and Zeref are mega-powered malevolence embodied, and even with all their love and friendship, Natsu and Fairy Tail fall down pretty far in this episode. There was a lot of dramatic action and high stakes this week, and it was a lot of fun to watch.

The arc I’m least excited by was Wendy and Erza and the whole crew of the Blue Pegasus. It seems like they’ve been doing the same thing for ages now, just getting chased by Acnologia without actually having to come up with plans or fight. Thankfully, things get changed up a bit this episode, as the great beast actually attacks them and causes Jellal to go out and distract him. This creates a lot of tension, because even if you don’t care much about Jellal, it’s clear Erza does, and her concern is channeled clearly.

Back on the ground, everything going on between Zeref and Natsu is a lot more entertaining. Mavis seems to have failed, and Zeref steals her power. I have to say, I wasn’t very impressed with Mavis in recent episodes. This might just be a ruse, but it sure felt like she let her feelings for Zeref overshadow stopping him and his evilness. After he gains the power of the Fairy Heart, he basically kills Natsu. His blood is pooling around him and everything! But wait, remember that weird book Mavis gave Lucy, Gray, and Happy? Apparently it’s somehow connected to Natsu’s life, and when Lucy rewrites characters that are disappearing, it restores Natsu’s health! It’s all very strange, but great news for Fairy Tail. However, it doesn’t come without a price, as Lucy collapses with violent red streaks running across her body

The dub this week was fine, but there were a few moments where the dialogue felt a bit stilted. “I’ll ensure humankind has a future.” I like how Zeref doesn’t necessarily seem like he’s trying to do evil, but more like trying to put himself first. “We’ve seen that before, but never one this strong.” I love that Lucy just casually drops that she’s seen bodies linked to books before like it’s no big deal. “Who in the hell else would I be talkin’ about?” This line from Natsu is very awkwardly worded. “What a stud. That’s how it’s done, boys.” Is Jellal going to survive? If they do kill someone off, he might be a good choice, as he doesn’t seem like a main character, but is still more than a background character. “I won’t stop until I destroy everything in this world.” Is Acnologia out to destroy dragons, or the entire world? Make up your mind, dude! “Holy crap.” Gray’s astonishment at Lucy’s air writing was hilarious.

The Door of Vows sets a lot of pieces into motion to wrap up this season of Fairy Tail. And it managed to do it in some entertaining ways, while also creating a good amount of tension that worked to enhance the drama of the episode. Parts of the show are starting to feel dragged out, like the Blue Pegasus flight, but it certainly seems like things are going to be moving along now that the rift is open and Zeref has come into his full powers.