Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Fairy Tail: Final Season - Part 25 Blu-ray Movie Review

Fairy Tail: Part 25 is another must-own set for series fans.

Fairy Tail: Part 25 amps up the action-packed adventure in the final season of the beloved anime. The last season continues to unfold. The series is based on the original manga by Hiro Mashima. Fairy Tail: Part 25 includes episodes 304-316. The series was originally broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan. The hit series has been licensed by Funimation Entertainment for distribution in North America.

Produced by Akiko Nabeiwa (Convenience Store Boy Friends, The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments), Aya Yoshino (Soul Eater, Sgt. Frog), and Naritoshi Sato (Fairy Tail x Rave, Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious), Fairy Tail: Part 25 offers fans more exciting and thrilling episodes in the long-running franchise. The animation is produced by A-1 Pictures, CloverWorks, and Bridge.

The final season explores the manga storyline known as the “Alvarez” arc, exploring the final moments of the story from the 51^st volume onward of the manga series. The last season of Fairy Tail is focused primarily on the Fairy Tail guild waging war against the ruthless Alvarez empire. Can Natsu (Tetsuya Kakihara) defeat Acnologia (Kousuke Toriumi) and Zeref (Akira Ishida)? Lucy (Aya Hirano), Happy (Rie Kugimiya), and the other guild members are in for the battle of a lifetime.

Zeref (Akira Ishida) continues to wage a war against the entire Fairy Tail guild. Determined to overtake the guild and gain the sacred power within the Fairy Heart, providing Zerek with complete power over all magic, the stakes continue to rise. Natsu (Tetsuya Kakihara) takes on a leadership role in the magic confrontation and even face down a former ally of his: Gray (Yuichi Nakamura). Friendships turn in to dueling adversaries and all is not as it once seemed as hidden secrets start to be revealed. Can the Fairy Tail guild survive?

The animation is outstanding on Fairy Tail: Part 25. The series is one of the best looking anime series ever produced. The series manages to have an outstanding aesthetic throughout the production. The series has fantastic background art. The art direction by Masaaki Kawaguchi (Engaged to the Unidentified, Plastic Memories) makes the production all the more impressive to behold.

The character designs by Shinji Takeuchi and Toshihiko Sano enhance the storytelling. Each of the central protagonists has a distinctive character design and the anime does a great job showcasing the cast of characters. From Natsu and his hold aesthetic to Lucy and her hip attire, the cast looks phenomenal.

The epic continues to unfold.

The action scenes in Fairy Tail: Part 25 are enticing. The action-packed fun of Fairy Tail is certainly one of the reasons the series became such a mega-hit. The last season of the series showcases more entertaining battles with the core cast of characters. The Fairy Tail guild is faced with even more exciting twists and turns as the heroes duke it out against Zeref and his army.

The cinematography by Atsushi Iwasaki (Digimon Adventure, Wolf's Rain) is visually arresting and engaging. The aesthetic is top- notch throughout the production. Iwasaki does such a solid job with showcasing the beauty of the landscapes on Fairy Tail. The series has good lighting and detail. A wonderful showcase of cinematography well implemented on an anime production.

The original score composed by Yasuharu Takanashi (Naruto Shippūden, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal) is top-notch, too. The music helps the storytelling excel in all the right ways. The fight scenes are expertly enhanced by the score. The characters are well highlighted.

Written by Masashi Sogo (Bleach, Hunter X Hunter), Fairy Tail: Part 25 manages to make the stakes even higher and the action becomes even more intense as a result. Much of this is owed to the expert screenwriting by Sogo. Not only does Sogo masterfully handle the dialouge, the action-scenes are terrific: well-written and engaging.

Shinji Ishihara (Tokyo Majin, Sasaki and Miyano) directs. Ishigara continues to be the perfect director for the production. Fairy Tail just wouldn't be the same without Ishihara in the director's chair. This is certainly the best accomplishment of Ishihara's career. Fairy Tail continues its final season with the energy and resourcefulness necessary to make audiences cheer. The endgame is on: audiences will enjoy the ride.

Fairy Tail: Final Season - Part 25 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, Fairy Tail: Part 25 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release has a beautiful HD presentation. Unlike the earliest sets in the series run, the release features native high-definition visuals. The set does not simply present a simple upscale of standard-definition material. The visual upgrade is terrific – and the animation has arguable never looked better. A superb presentation by Funimation.

Fairy Tail: Final Season - Part 25 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless, high-resolution audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The release has two great options for fans of the series. While purists might want to opt for the lossless Japanese audio presentation, the dub is well reproduced. English dub fans will be especially impressed with the implementation of the surround channels. The 5.1 sound mix on the English dub option is great.

Fairy Tail: Final Season - Part 25 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fairy Tail Final Season: For the Love of Fairy Tail (HD, 14:03)

Textless Opening Song Ver. 1 (HD, 1:32)

Textless Opening Song Ver. 2 (HD, 1:31)

Textless Closing Song Ver. 1 (HD, 1:46)

Textless Closing Song Ver. 2 (HD, 1:43)

Fairy Tail: Final Season - Part 25 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fairy Tail: Part 25 continues to showcase why the series became one of the most beloved anime series of all time. The final season unfolds with more action-packed excitement. The stakes are higher than ever before. The last battle wages on. Can the Fairy Tail guild emerge victorious? Fans will want to experience this chapter in the final season. The Blu-ray release features a native high-definition presentation and high-resolution audio. The release includes a selection of exclusive extras. Highly recommended.