Episode 73

Rainbow Sakura is the 73rd episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on April 2, 2011.

It's the blooming season of cherry blossoms in Magnolia Town and so Fairy Tail takes a few days off to celebrate and party. This is Lucy Heartfilia's first Hanami and she is excited. However, due to a mishap on a job, she misses the party but is still able to view the popular rainbow sakura tree with Natsu Dragneel's and Happy's help.

Synopsis
In the Fairy Tail guild, Makarov is lecturing his guild members about what it is to be a Fairy Tail Mage and to celebrate their work done for the past year, they will hold the long-awaited Hanami Party. A pre-celebration begins, and Mirajane tells everyone to take it easy. All over the guild, everyone is excited for the Hanami party and about the annual Bingo. There is a shortage of jobs since clients also know of Fairy Tail's resting period during the Sakura season. However, Team Natsu along with Wendy and Carla are gone since they accompanied Wendy on a job, much to Juvia's dismay.

Meanwhile, Team Natsu is walking down Mt. Hakobe, looking for an herb that can supposedly magnify the magical power of a Mage when eaten or drank as it is their job to collect a number of those. As they travel, Lucy and Wendy talk about the upcoming Hanami inside Horologium while the other three, Natsu, Gray and Erza, beat up the Vulcans that ambush them. While exploring, Natsu picks up the scent of the herbs and runs toward them, only to find a Blizzardvern there. It turns out that the Blizzardvern is a herbivore and its favorite food is the herb that they needed to collect. Natsu, Gray, and Erza then decide to draw its attention to them, leaving Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla to gather the herbs.

Natsu, Gray, and Erza attack and distract the Blizzardvern, and Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla crawl towards the herbs. The Blizzardvern manages to reflect Natsu’s flame and Gray’s ice and even dodge Erza’s lightning. As they battle, Lucy gets her hands on some herbs when an avalanche suddenly starts. The avalanche sweeps them away but Lucy is successfully able to hold on to the herbs.

The next day is the day of the Hanami. Lucy caught a cold from being buried in the avalanche and so she isn't able to attend.. Natsu and Happy leaves Lucy’s house to let her rest. They feel bad for Lucy since she was really looking forward to the festival. Later, the festival starts. Everyone is having fun, drinking, eating, and laughing. Natsu explains Lucy's condition to the others. Happy suggests that Wendy should cast a healing spell on her but it turns out Wendy already did and Lucy should be fine by tomorrow. After a while, the traditional Hanami Bingo tournament begins. Everyone except Natsu is participating and attempting to win. Happy tries to persuade Natsu to play Bingo, but he refuses.

During this time, Lucy lies in her bed at home, thinking about all the experiences she had since the day she met Natsu back at Hargeon Town. She wishes that she attended the Hanami. Before she falls asleep, she thanks Natsu and the entire guild for being there for her and concludes that she joined a really great guild. Later that night, Lucy wakes up due to a commotion outside.. Lucy opens the window to check what is going on and is surprised to see a Rainbow Sakura tree floating on a boat at the river right in front of her house.

The next day, Natsu and Happy are happy to hear that Lucy’s cold is cured. Makarov is asking who was responsible for digging up the Rainbow Sakura tree, saying that the Mayor is really mad about it. Lucy realizes that it was Natsu and Happy who were responsible and thanks and hugs them. Meanwhile, the people of Magnolia look in wonder at the Rainbow Sakura tree that seemed to be replanted.

Fights

 * Team Natsu vs. Blizzardvern (started & concluded)

Magic used

 * (Summoned the Clock, Horologium)

Spells used

 * Lightning Cyclotron
 * Lightning Barrier
 * Lightning Cyclotron
 * Lightning Barrier
 * Lightning Barrier

Abilities used

 * Enhanced Smell
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat
 * Swordsmanship

Weapons used

 * Swords
 * Spear of Lightning

Items used

 * Gate of the Clock Key

Manga & Anime Differences

 * In the manga, Rainbow Sakura is simply a short story. It only shows Lucy catching a cold and resting during the Hanami Festival, the floating Rainbow Sakura tree outside Lucy's house and the day after the Hanami.
 * The anime greatly lengthens this story, adding the following details:
 * A pre-hanami party occurs in the guild.
 * Team Natsu, Wendy and Carla go on a job to Mt. Hakobe where Lucy catches her cold.
 * The participants and the winners of the bingo game are shown as well as a few comedic acts.
 * Natsu is shown sad and demotivated throughout the whole festival due to Lucy's absence.
 * Lucy recalls all her remarkable memories from the time she met Natsu up to the present while she rests in her house.
 * Natsu and Happy return the uprooted Rainbow Sakura tree to where it used to be afterwards.