User blog comment:MiraMajin/Now that FT is about to end.../@comment-24039234-20170602053307

For me, the start of the downfall was Lisanna's return, then subsequent uselessness. Now, I don't mind that Lisanna is not a strong fighter and "useless" from an in universe, practical perspective. My problem is that she just vanished from the story, and got degraded into a third-grade cheerleader to Elfman and Mira. Her character was important. She was the most important past trauma of arguably two of the most interesting side characters, she had a strong emotional connection to the main lead. She was basically Happy's mother, ffs! Her return should have shattered all established emotional balance the four people closest to her had. What we got was one measly crying scene in the graveyard. Natsu&Happy barely even noticed her existence.

I mean, I know the childhood friend never wins. But at least you show her some damned respect.

Long story short, for me this was the moment when I noticed that Mashima blindly follows a hype-conflict-resolution-happy tears writing style and that he will force everything to fit this mold, and he will never evolve the story to actual consequences and real emotional character development. He just does not really care about the insides of his characters, everything is just for the show. Looking back, FT was the same from the beginning. However, up to that point the show was good enough to carry its weight and it was short enough that the cracks were not showing yet.