User blog comment:Artemika/Your thoughts on Avatar arc and Alvarez Empire arc/@comment-3441749-20150901040535

The Avatar arc struck me as something Mashima wanted to get out of the way as soon as possible. That's part of the reason two chapters were released a week for a time. I got the impression he had other, larger plans, but was pressured into continuing with the main story, which is to say, the Alvarez Arc.

Obviously, Alvarez is shaping up very good, and it good easily be just as good, if not better, than Tartaros.