Fairy Tail -

Fairy Tail isn't the smartest anime. It isn't the darkest. It isn't the most complex.

The magic works because the bonds are real. That’s not a plot hole. That’s the premise. Can we take a second to appreciate Yasuharu Takanashi? Put on "Dragon Force" while you’re doing dishes and tell me you don’t feel like you could run through a brick wall. Or listen to "Kizuna" (the slow piano piece) and try not to think about Lisanna waving goodbye from the afterlife. Fairy Tail

But here’s the thing: Fairy Tail never pretended to be a hard magic system like HxH or FMA. It’s an emotional shonen. The magic literally comes from emotion. The source code of the universe in this show is love, rage, and loyalty. Fairy Tail isn't the smartest anime

Fairy Tail argues that no one is beyond saving. That’s naïve in the real world, but in the world of magic? It’s beautiful. Look, I get the criticism. There are moments where Natsu should be a pile of ash, but he thinks about his guild and suddenly punches a god into the stratosphere. The magic works because the bonds are real

So here’s to the loudest, most destructive, most lovable family in anime.

Ultear’s story is the pinnacle of this. A child manipulated and abandoned, who spent decades trying to turn back time to fix a past that wasn’t even her fault. Her final sacrifice ( "Arc of Time... Last Age" ) still makes me tear up. She didn't get a happy ending. She got a meaningful one.