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Fairy Tail base published some reviews on the previous few episodes.

133

Spoiler:

Fairy Tail episode 133, Traveling Companions, came out back on Friday, June 2nd, and continues the story of the Key of the Starry Sky arc.


This review contains minor spoilers.

The episode begins with Fairy Tail recovering from the losses of their previous two battles with Legion, trying to figure out their next move. The guild enjoys poking some fun at the now chibi-sized Natsu, while Lucy is hard at work, focusing on what their enemies want and what her father Jude tried to tell her.

Unlike episodes 130 and 132, this episode takes a break from the action and fighting to bring in more plot details, establish motives, and push the story along. Trying not to spoil too much, Fairy Tail split into five main teams, each searching for pieces of a clock before Legion acquires them. The splitting of the group sets up the possibility of wonderful interactions between some of the characters, which can't be seen in larger settings. Watching Wendy, Cana, Carla and Erza hold a conversation together is a rarity and seeing more of Jet and Droy helped develop their character.

On the subject of characters, however, many of the heroes' personalities felt a little off. This wasn't because their behavior and actions didn't fit them, but they just seemed oddly exaggerated. Juvia, Erza, Mira and Lyon all acted how they would normally, but to the tenth power. Erza's personality seemed to swing from one extreme to the other, which was lampshaded by Cana and Wendy.

All of Fairy Tail's groups took their time while getting to their destinations, with some enjoying a little time off. This felt a bit out of place given the urgency of finding the clock pieces, something which was stressed at the beginning of the episode. That, coupled with Natsu returning to his normal size in a sudden manner which wasn't thoroughly explained, left me scratching my head at times. All of this might be elaborated on in future episodes, but as is now, it leaves me wondering.

Overall, the episode started off great with the plot moving along at a good pace, but that pace somewhat mellowed out as the episode went on. The humor was hilarious at some points and trite at others. It's an episode needed to explain a turn in the story, but probably not one someone would go back to watch out of sheer enjoyment.

Positives
Lots of plot aspects explained and continued
An air of mystery is starting to swirl around

Negatives
Exaggerated behaviors of characters
Slightly odd pacing

134

Spoiler:

Fairy Tail episode 134, Labyrinth Rhapsody, came out back on Friday, June 9th, and continues the story of the Key of the Starry Sky arc, with Lucy’s team searching for the key part in a mysterious locale and Gray’s team encountering some trouble at theirs.



The episode focuses on two of the five teams, Lucy’s and Gray’s, scouring for two of the clock pieces the guild set out to find in the previous episode.

This episode is more action-filled than the previous one; however, comedy and dialogue still fill the show from the start, showcasing the unique dichotomy this series has between action and humor.

One of the strengths of this episode was in the characters. Now, while the action in this episode was not the typical all-out brawl the series is sometimes known for, the action in this episode helped expand on some of the character traits of our heroes, and showed them off using their head a bit more than their brawn. Seeing Juvia use her mind to solve multiple puzzles, Lucy use Cancer to resolve a lock and Romeo’s use of his fire showed them in ways we don’t always see Fairy Tail’s members.

Juvia’s personality is usually written to be very Gray-obsessed, and while there was some of that too, it wasn't at the forefront of her characterization. The relationship between her, Gray and Lyon was nicely and slowly expanded; nothing really felt forced or out of place. Other characters and enemies that made appearances had some of their traits expanded as well, demonstrating a wider array of personalities.

While the puzzles and character development were strong points in this episode, the battle left me wanting a bit more action. The battle felt short and was resolved somewhat comically, making it a bit disappointing, albeit humorous.

Overall, the episode was a step up from the previous one. Much of this episode will not make sense if one has not watched episode 133, but this episode on its own is fulfilling enough and has some very bright spots here and there.

Positives
Evolving characters
Adding some minor mysteries and puzzles was refreshing

Negatives
The battles in this left a bit to be desired

135 (Max might like the pic in this one)

Spoiler:

Fairy Tail episode 135, Footprints of Myth, aired on Saturday, June 16th, and continues the search and mystery involving the clock parts for the Key to the Starry Heaven that Lucy has set out to find.


The episode focuses primarily on Lucy and her team and their trials with Coco and Dan Straight, occasionally breaking from them to show the audience what Erza and Levy’s groups are up to.

While the previous episode, Labyrinth Rhapsody, focused a bit more on the action, this episode takes it in the opposite direction, focusing more on the comedy and characterization.

The comedy came across as funny and refreshing without becoming vulgar or crude. Certain running gags were revisited from before, with new ones established, such as Happy's clumsiness, and Dan’s immense infatuation with Lucy. Some of the humor and gags are lampshaded by characters like Happy and Romeo, adding a touch of comic irony.

Romeo enjoyed some nice characterization in this episode, transforming from a minor figure with little personality shown to a more fleshed-out character. Before this arc began, all we were really shown of Romeo in the manga and anime was limited to a few scenes, and in many of them it seemed as if he was just trying to emulate Natsu. This portrayal wasn’t made much better after the 7 year time skip when Romeo adapted a clothing style similar to Natsu. However, in this arc and this episode in particular, we see more of Romeo’s personality. For example, we get to see how he tends to think things through, that he is keen, and a bit calmer than Natsu.

Probably one of the nicest scenes of the episode and possibly the arc, in my opinion, was Lucy and Coco’s interaction. It came across very natural and not forced, unlike many instances in television where two presumed enemies are interacting with each other. Their dialogue seemed to flow well while still giving more insight into the two ladies, their motives, and a tiny bit of plot. Nothing really seemed out of place, yet little was typical. Just when you think you know what Lucy or Coco will say or how they might respond, they don’t. Not in the presumed way. The conversation continues without sudden interruptions or dramatic pauses, making it feel less scripted. The last part of their scene was a moment where things were brought together nicely, with the music working well with the scene and the audience seeing what makes Lucy... Lucy.

The negatives in this episode are relatively minor. The fight in this episode wasn’t significant, which is not unusual for this arc, save for a few exceptions like episode 130. Also, the moments of cutting away to Erza and Levy’s groups seemed to come at inopportune times, at least towards the end.

Overall, this episode was one of the strongest ones thus far in the arc. It wasn’t strong for elaborate battles or for huge plot details, but for its take on comedy and characters. We got to see some of the cast, both old and new, becoming more dynamic and round characters, slowly but surely.

Positives
Very good characterization
Refreshing comedy

Negatives
Certain scenes and breaks seemed a bit misplaced
A lack of action may not appeal to some viewers