User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 499: Gray and Juvia, Review./@comment-4449950-20160830081738

Okay, y'all are probably expecting me to rip into this chapter, and trust me, I will, but maybe not for the reasons you think.

I mean, I could go on about the nonsense that is Juvia suddenly knowing blood transfusion magic, or that she could damage her own water body, or that Gray decided to "kill" himself too at the same time as her despite that being seriously the most ILLOGICAL thing anyone could do in the given circumstances, but heck, I'm willing to overlook it because I get what Mashima was trying to achieve. This chapter really was just about making emotions fly.

I am, however, going to complain that this chapter was ruined because of the entire story of Fairy Tail so far. I didn't hate this chapter; in fact, it could have been amazing, but it simply isn't. And that's because death in Fairy Tail means nothing. Every chapter before this chapter is the reason this chapter sucked.

Now, I hear some of you saying "But Carrot, Juvia's actually dead, so you can't say this chapter was bad because you think she'll just come back and render this drama all pointless", and to that I say that you are making my point.

Because, there are two outcomes here: either Juvia is dead, or she isn't. If she isn't, this chapter is ruined, because (as always) Mashima ruins this kind of moment by rendering it pointless later on. On the flipside, if Juvia is dead, this chapter is still ruined, because I am not the least bit saddened or moved because I don't expect her to be dead. Death at this point in Fairy Tail is so pointless. We have been presented with it and had it reversed SO MANY TIMES that it is not important any more. It is a silly drama device that adds nothing to the plot. And as such, I didn't read this chapter and cry or get upset that Juvia might be dead. I just kept thinking "Nah, she'll come back... right?"

And that's why this chapter is bad. I shouldn't go into an emotional chapter like this totally immune to the idea of death because of the previous "deaths" in the story. I SHOULD be moved and I SHOULD be sad that a character is lost, but because death means nothing in FT anymore, Juvia's death, whether real or not, means nothing anymore. If she is dead and doesn't come back before the end of the series then I'll likely look back and, despite it being too little too late, regard this as a good chapter. But, as it stands, I don't, because I don't think she is gone. And that's really sad for me, because if she is gone I'd feel sad. Yeah, she is DEFINITELY not my favourite character any more, but she is a nice person none-the-less. And it's sad that I can't appreciate what she gave up in this chapter because I'm too busy going "Nah, she'll make it somehow". And this is a bad thing, because if she isn't going to make it then DAMN, what a great thing I missed because I was too busy thinking Mashima would reverse her death too because that's what he's set us up to always expect.

If death in Fairy Tail meant something, this chapter would mean something and have been great. But death in Fairy Tail doesn't mean anything given that we have seen death reversed SO MANY TIMES for our protagonists in the past, so this entire set up is ruined.

End of story.

P.S: Yes, I'll get hate for this, but I STILL don't see how Gray loves Juvia in a romantic way, even after this chapter. I don't get that feeling from him at all. Sure, she is important to him, but the way he expresses his feelings is a way I'd see him expressing his feelings about any guild member. With Natsu, Gajeel and Jellal I can feel more emotion for their love interest dripping out of them at times, but with Gray I just can't. It's just not there for me, but whatever. They're going to get together no matter how poorly written it is, so there's no point complaining.

P.P.S: More hate for me incoming maybe, but I found the cover really creepy. I've said this for a while, but Mashima's gone overboard with Juvia's love. Carrying around a life-sized doll of the man you're crushing on to me is not cute... it's kinda creepy .-.