User blog comment:Ncduru/Alvarez Empire Arc: Recap/@comment-5303512-20160229002158

I would say that this Arc is not my top favorite, but it may yet prove me wrong since it is not over yet. My favorite is the Tartaros Arc, but like I said, this arc has potential, because the threat is bigger than before, entire Empire with overwhelming numbers and powerful wizards under the leadership of Zeref the legendary Black Wizard and potential final enemy of the series. This arc has pushed everyone to the limits of the powers that they have been training for the year. This makes them ready to face their greatest challenges yet, and even Acnologia is present and becoming more active than before, also it is very nice to see Natsu's new power which was awe-struck, and it was nice that it didn't managed to kill Zeref in the end, that means they have to find a new way to beat him. The situation is dire and there is still more to come. And there was Aquarius coming back which may have caused people some anger but if people have read the afterword of one of his volumes, Hiro stated that he did wanted Lucy and Aquarius to eventually see each other again so it was to be expected, and that to me does not take away from anything Hiro wrote in the Tartaros Arc.

But if I had to choose which is the worst arc in the series, I would have to say it is the Battle Festival Arc since for a few reasons, the fights were short as hell and either too overwhelmingly unfair (Erza vs Evergreen/Mira vs Freed)or just like what the fudge? (Namely the Lucy & Loke vs Bixlow), also Mystogen's only purpose for actually being there was just to show his face to the readers, not doing anything else, also Laxus' reason for doing all this just to take over Fariy Tail? Seems very underwhelming, plus major flaw in his plan is to keep any of the guild mages alive when they are fighting each other. Also when during Laxus' final fight it is revealed that he really cared about his comrades despite his state of self-denial, this led me to believe that this entire arc is just because Laxus wanted to have fun and thus making it entirely pointless. Natsu not treating the situation seriously until the very end, that is when he actually did something useful in the arc. Not to mention the Thunder God Tribe staying in FT while Laxus was exiled? Not really convincing.