User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 418: Challenger, Review./@comment-4999650-20150202192928

While I enjoyed that the chapter was longer than a regular one, and appreciate Mashima's efforts for putting more work in, I did not quite enjoy the pacing of the chapter. It was simply fixated on Lucy, and I had high hopes for the ending of the chapter to be one that would make starting this arc a great one. All my hopes came crashing down when Natsu turned out to be the Challenger.

It would have been amazing if the Challenger was simply a new character Mashima wants to start building up. A seemingly antagonistic character whom happened to have a clue of the other former Fairy Tail members whereabouts. It would give Lucy incentive to stick by him/her and start the arc fresh.

With the approach that was taken, I feel it is such a weird way to start the arc. As I was telling Mega on Skype, the way this series was written and how they constantly bring up the whole family theme.. its odd for them to not keep in touch. They better have a good explanation for that. I feel as though it may have been just the depressed Lucy who didn't realize the efforts the other members made to keep in contact or something like that, but I'm still interested to see how this will be explained.