User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Sorcerer Magazine, Issue 46: October 2015/@comment-25111584-20151101081637/@comment-4449950-20151101092158

Yeah, okay I skimmed this, and I think (duh) that you're being a little harsh in places. I have no say for some of the things, because heck, Mashima is dodgy when it comes to writing things (GMG arc is a good example) but I think you're using these things too much to hate specifically on Jellal when EVERY character in FT suffers from underwriting.

However:
 * Erza being the light. Yeah, she wasn't too strong in TOH and everyone looked up to Jellal. But I think you're forgetting a very critical scene: The one with Rob and Erza where Erza is running around smiling her little heart out and talking about how she wants to fly and will take everyone out of the tower with her. And Rob saying "I never thought I'd see such a beautiful smile in a place like this". Erza wasn't strong, but she was kind-hearted. She smiled despite their awful conditions and that's why Jellal and Simon both felt close to her. She was their positivity.
 * The OS fight. Please don't forget that the OS were locked up for over 7 years in cells where they couldn't use their Magic. No, I do not count the KotSS arc, but I know you'll insist upon it being canon. Even with the KotSS arc, they were only out and using Magic for a short time. Yeah, they could stay physically fit, but not fit in terms of keeping on their toes with their Magic. Combine this with Jellal dropping on them a spell he has been practising for those seven years and I can see why they were taken out. They were confused, out of sync, had no read on Jellal, and Jellal was wigging them out with his words. I don't think they were properly in the fight and Jellal used his trump to win. I don't think it's demeaning to their characters at all tbh .-.
 * You mention Simon and Mils and stuff. First, again... 7 YEARS. When Jellal first meets Erza before the GMG he tells her (and in a cut voice if we look at the anime) that his memories have returned and that he remembers Simon. He then immediately goes on to state that his mind in lost to the entire thing and sometimes he thinks the only way out is death. How does that mean that he's not thinking about Simon?? That to me says one of the only things that's haunted him for that long is Simon. As for Mils, well, I doubt walking up to her on the street when she's in her new guild and living a happy life (as far as he knew - remember, Jellal knows nothing of Kagura) would make her feel good. He likely stayed away for her own good. Not saying it was the right thing, but it makes sense.
 * I agree that he's dropped out of many arcs, but I don't see how using that to say he's a bad character is fair. We've seen drafts of the Tartarus arc which say "CrimeS arrive" and stuff that never happened, so I'm putting it down to the editor and things getting changed as to why Jellal doesn't appear. And you know I HATED how his role ended up in the Tartarus arc. I don't think it demeans him as a character though... it just makes me wish Mashima was more effective with his writing .-.

I dunno, there was probably other things, but I give up at this stage. No point trying to push a cart sideways... *takes waffles*