Fairy Tail - Chapter 528 Review by BrandishThis chapter can be described as random fun. There’s barely anything interesting in it regarding the story. However there were moments that were made for fans – and not the usual fanservice we’re used to or that you might be thinking.
Jellal actually got to fight. Not for too long, though it was enough for fans starving to see something from him to rejoice. And the ‘random’ part of this being he did it against Acnologia in human form. Not Zeref, or August, or Irene; as some may have predicted. Jellal’s magic is aesthetically pleasing and Hiro did well with drawing his newly introduced spells. The rapid sequence was well choreographed to boot, starting with a barrier to protect Erza and then moving to swift attacks.
The only letdown with Jellal (albeit a minor one) was that he’s not fighting Zeref. One could argue that he still can – it was just one chapter; and I wouldn’t disagree. Personally I hope that’s the case, we can’t go flushing his Zeref mission down the drain. But I still can’t shake the feeling that Jellal is being used for shipper service this chapter and it doesn’t sit well with me.
Speaking of ships, there was a truly epic moment involving one in the latter stages of the chapter. What could more random than Jellal fighting Acnologia? Ichiya flying Christina into Acnologia. Yes, the moment Acnologia dragonised it was not Natsu, or Laxus, or any slayer – it was Ichiya who went to work on the King of Dragons with a well-timed interception. Considering the rage and power Acnologia has, for Ichiya to ram him down with Christina is nothing short of astonishing, and perhaps laughable. You do have to wonder how this ship is still operable, but plot. Throughout this scene Ichiya is legendary, it’s been roughly a year since his last significant part in the manga and again he has delivered. Ichiya has been immortalised in this arc.
It wasn’t all ‘smooth sailing’ in this chapter, there were parts I didn’t particularly like. Acnologia was still desecrating the body of Irene Belserion at the beginning of the chapter. It’s a level of brutality one would not associate with Fairy Tail. It was off-putting. And Erza’s request to Acnologia to stop stomping on Irene only exacerbated my discontent with that scene. It was cold and uncharacteristic of this manga.
The revelation of Acnologia being ‘The Dragon of Magic’ is one I found unnecessary, though it was a popular theory within the community that he could eat all elements; essentially making his roar an equivalent of Etherion. It does portray Acnologia to be even more overpowered now, and it gives me the chills how he’ll be dealt with.
To that point, there was another double whammy at the end of the chapter. Aboard the Ichiya Express was a ‘mystery woman’, one who seems to have a way to defeat Acnologia. As Ichiya put it, there’s a ‘certain place’ where the humans have a chance against the King of Dragons. Supposedly Christina will have the capabilities to lure Acnologia out to this ‘certain place’. We should get more details in the next chapter “Teacher”, along with the reveal of the ‘mystery woman’.
Overall the chapter was satisfying for me personally, especially in comparison to recent ones. The art was fantastic. There seems to be a countdown of sorts with the covers of late, and in this chapter we have Erigor featured. Wonder what’s on the next cover, Galuno demons and Lyon perhaps?
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