User blog comment:FairyRaven/Fairy Tail Chapter 429 & 430: Code Blue & Purification Ritual, Review and Commentary/@comment-4449950-20150421055626

Hmmm, I liked both chapters, but I also have issues with both. Actually, scratch that... it's not so much issues with the chapters, rather the implications they had for the overall arc.

First, Gray. Well, I must say I am more happy that he's good than possessed/staying bad. You all know I thought that that plot point was ridiculous. Good to see that Gray also knows his hair looked bloody ridiculous in his "evil" state, because he got rid of it as soon as his cover was blown. Thumbs up Gray, you looked so silly before~

However, what does this mean for Frosch? Is Gray still responsible for that or was that all some BS to just get the plot point out the way and now it's never going to be covered again - like, they avoided it? Did Gray accidentally kill Frosch because Minerva and Rogue went there in the other timeline and Gray was trying to keep his cover and fucked up? Will this ever be brought up again? Arg!

Second, Goumon. Guy cracks me up so much. He's like one of those weirdo fans who poorly cosplays characters all the time and gets tattoos in languages they can't read assuming what it says is correct XD And his bowing and stuff omg :P Everyone seems a little uptight about the torture? Tbh, I just thought the whole scene was meant to be a joke, like "oh, you thought disgusting torture and weird kinks, but lo behold this is a legit torture device featuring a goat!" I was more "wtf? XD" the entire time than angry/annoyed.

Third, Erza. Nice to see her again. I read a "spoiler" on tumblr that she was with Jellal over the one year and I started to freak because I didn't want that to happen. Luckily it seems to just be a misinterpretation of the fact that she's been helping/getting help from Jellal, which I like. I said earlier that I would have liked it if she was heading to Avatar because she heard about Gray through Jellal. Seems she sent Gray because of Jellal, so I was a little off base, but not too incorrect :)

However, her turning up and revealing that this was all a plan makes me wonder some things, again in the wider picture. Are Levy and Gajeel there for nothing now - what's their purpose in all of this now? Who is Erza working for? - obvs not the Council or Gajeel and Levy probably would not have been sent. So, yeah, that's confuddling me a little. Also, Juvia. I've seen SOOOO many people on tumblr and other sites giving Erza shit because she told Gray not to tell Juvia and she's "getting in the way of Gruvia" and all this shit. See this is why I can't bring myself to like Gruvia, the fans are nuts >__> But, Natsu and Lucy themselves ruined the plan in the same way Erza feared others would if they knew, so she had a legitimate concern. And, if Gray told Juvia I'm 100000% sure she would have asked to go along, or followed him and ruined the plan somehow. Keeping her in the dark was a better idea, and I know it hurt her and blah blah, but come on upset Gruvia fans, we're talking THOUSANDS of people DYING here... give Gray and Erza a break >__> P.S: if Juvia was told we'd have no "Oh noes Gray's evil" tension, so that's another reason no one told her, just sayin' ( .__.)~

Avatar's plan seems... simple? Too plain? Idk, but I'm not too excited about it... it's kinda mundane bad guy stuff .-. Plus, though I did like seeing Team Natsu back together, I didn't get that nostalgia hit. I guess it's because I've seen it too many times in FT... Team Natsu always get this kinda moment and the impact wears off time after time. Erza did look badass though :)

I'm just really hoping that Team Natsu (perhaps with Gajeel and Levy) don't just take out Avatar all by themselves though >__> I'd be a little miffed if so. I'm hoping there's something deeper going on here... I mean, if all they needed for this ritual was for everyone to come together, why did it take a year/longer? Surely there's another factor at play here? Guess we'll have to wait and see...