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Interview: Hiro Mashima [2011-11-08]


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Divineking



Joined: 03 Jul 2010
Posts: 1293
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:56 pm Reply with quote
Well I personally wouldn;t call it a masterpiece but I think the series is pretty fun overall. It;s a pretty interesting little adventure romp and the characters are more or less likeable. However between the manga and anime I would say to watch the anime. The anime has managed to fix a lot of the writing issues that occasionally plague the manga
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One-Eye



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Posts: 2260
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:11 pm Reply with quote
blackseer wrote:
I tried to read this series years ago and gave a chance to the first episode of the anime, but never got interested.

Now that it has become a somewhat trend, can anyone recommend it? How does this series deserve to be watched/read, when there are so many other shonen series out there and One Piece is the greatest of them all (IMO)?

I just want to know if I should give another try, no malicious intent here. And don't say that everyone should just try everything and decide afterwards; I don't have the time and this is the worst argument ever.

I had also tried to read the manga a while back, but dropped it because it also failed to grab me. On the other hand, I tried the anime at a later date and found it to be much better. I think somethings work better in an anime and other times somethings are stronger in a manga. However, I pretty much have to agree with a lot that's been posted by other people. Its pure shonen and if you like that (or for some people if you can stomach it) then it may appeal to you. I watched something like 60 to 70 episodes before I eventually dropped it. It seemed like every single character in the Fairy Tail universe had a tragic history and after awhile it started to feel formulaic and grate. It also hit the whole "friends and friendship" thing a bit too often for me. Of course, its shonen so its to be expected. Mashima believes in redemption as it says in the interview and it plays out in Fairy Tail, while I believe there are somethings that can't be forgiven. I also think that when some characters die they should stay dead as it robs from the drama. All that said Fairy Tail the anime may not be a masterpiece but its still a fun show. For the most part I enjoyed the episodes I watched and if you are not too picky you might too. However, if you want a meatier story or more depth then you may have to look elsewhere.
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tobeast777



Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 68
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:58 am Reply with quote
I love Fairy Tail! Great interview, I thought there were some good questions asked in there.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 6:29 am Reply with quote
Lord Geo wrote:
Well prepare to be thrown for a loop, as calling Dragon Ball "the base of shonen manga" is incorrect, as titles like Fist of the North Star, Kinnikuman, and Ring ni Kakero were doing the same things years before Dragon Ball broke away from its gag roots and started doing crazy action. In fact, Toriyama was doing gag manga Dr. Slump during each of those titles runs at some point (one of Ring ni Kakero's last chapters even has Arale's hat shown as a cameo), so Dragon Ball probably took from those titles when Toriyama had to make it more action-oriented.

You could argue that Dragon Ball maybe refined those elements into the way shonen action manga works now, but to say that Dragon Ball started it all is just plain wrong.


Pardon me for questioning your infinite wisdom your highness. I am aware of those shows, but haven't really seen them so I was not aware they had that much influence. I was referring to how Dragon Ball set the stage for the current modern shonen series that are now the centerpiece of tournaments and power levels. -.-
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Thallium



Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 40
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:08 am Reply with quote
Back when the anime started i watched the first 9 episodes or so, but i stopped because it felt the show was uninteresting and forced (and i actually like shounen-shows, including their formulaic behaviour). So I too was curious about this show now and if it would be 'worth it' to start investing my time in it.

Luckily that question was asked and answered here, thanks guys.


Last edited by Thallium on Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:50 am; edited 1 time in total
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daichi383



Joined: 16 Sep 2009
Posts: 313
Location: England
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:24 am Reply with quote
Now i own the first 11 volumes of the manga and keep up with both that and the anime every week but i wouldn't say this series is an amazing work. i enjoy it thoroughly and like it but more so because (along with one piece and reborn) its one of the currently running shows that doesnt irritate me to no end. bleach should have ended when spoiler[aizen died] and naruto is taking its sweet time ending. too bad fairy tail will never air on any major networks because of the way mashima draws teh galz though. also i like how mashima says ideas come to him spontaniously which reminds me of the infamous nirvana 8-6 legs fiasco. oh mashima, when will you learn. also ANN should probably change the banner image and use one of the more recent color images from the manga or use an anime image cause early fairy tail looks so similar to one piece its not even funny Rolling Eyes
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KLAC
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 1120
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:39 am Reply with quote
i'm bit still huh no one asked if him there ever plan to bring back rave master anime?

give i'm still one of those who been waiting a continue of it since anime still look incomplete.

yet whole manga of it finish what about anime version?

come on it been like over 9yrs since anime end yet still left like that?

give this still more why i'm NOT watching this fairy tail til rave master get anime be continue & pure true 100% complete version.
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Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 2532
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:29 am Reply with quote
belvadeer wrote:
Pardon me for questioning your infinite wisdom your highness. I am aware of those shows, but haven't really seen them so I was not aware they had that much influence. I was referring to how Dragon Ball set the stage for the current modern shonen series that are now the centerpiece of tournaments and power levels. -.-


No need to be rude, as I'm just trying to correct a commonly-made mistake. But, just to correct another mistake, Kinnikuman and Ring ni Kakero were doing tournaments as a focus long before Dragon Ball as well; Kinnikuman had multiple Chojin Olympics story arcs, and Ring ni Kakero had both the Champion Carnival Chapter as well as the World Tournament Chapter. Both of these titles were based around sports (pro-wrestling & boxing, respectively), which can be tournament-based, and Dragon Ball simply took that idea and went on with it.

Also, Kinnikuman had power levels before DB, with characters actually being mentioned as having specific power ratings; for example, I believe Buffaloman has a power rating of 1,000,000, and that was a big deal at the time... And Dragon Ball also made a big deal of that number when Freiza revealed that he had a power level of the same number. Toriyama was more than likely influenced by Yudetamago in this aspect.
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samuelp
Industry Insider


Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 2228
Location: San Antonio, USA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:51 am Reply with quote
Lord Geo wrote:
belvadeer wrote:
Pardon me for questioning your infinite wisdom your highness. I am aware of those shows, but haven't really seen them so I was not aware they had that much influence. I was referring to how Dragon Ball set the stage for the current modern shonen series that are now the centerpiece of tournaments and power levels. -.-


No need to be rude, as I'm just trying to correct a commonly-made mistake. But, just to correct another mistake, Kinnikuman and Ring ni Kakero were doing tournaments as a focus long before Dragon Ball as well; Kinnikuman had multiple Chojin Olympics story arcs, and Ring ni Kakero had both the Champion Carnival Chapter as well as the World Tournament Chapter. Both of these titles were based around sports (pro-wrestling & boxing, respectively), which can be tournament-based, and Dragon Ball simply took that idea and went on with it.

Also, Kinnikuman had power levels before DB, with characters actually being mentioned as having specific power ratings; for example, I believe Buffaloman has a power rating of 1,000,000, and that was a big deal at the time... And Dragon Ball also made a big deal of that number when Freiza revealed that he had a power level of the same number. Toriyama was more than likely influenced by Yudetamago in this aspect.

Um, powerlevels started with Astro boy.

The famous "world's strongest robot" arc of astro boy has astro (horsepower 100,000) eventually fighting Pluto, who was built with 1,000,000 horsepower.
Before that pluto goes around the world fighting the world's top 10 strongest robots (with various horsepowers from ~80,000-500,000 or so if I recall) and destroying them all.
Not only that, but it ends in a befriending and then heroic sacrifice by Pluto.
Shounen manga's tropes all started with Tezuka. They've been re-arranged and refined but nearly all of them started with Tezuka.

Now, back on topic, Mashima was influenced by Dragonball because that's the age he is. He wasn't even born when Astroboy was being published.
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Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 2532
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:52 am Reply with quote
samuelp wrote:

Um, powerlevels started with Astro boy.

The famous "world's strongest robot" arc of astro boy has astro (horsepower 100,000) eventually fighting Pluto, who was built with 1,000,000 horsepower.
Before that pluto goes around the world fighting the world's top 10 strongest robots (with various horsepowers from ~80,000-500,000 or so if I recall) and destroying them all.
Not only that, but it ends in a befriending and then heroic sacrifice by Pluto.
Shounen manga's tropes all started with Tezuka. They've been re-arranged and refined but nearly all of them started with Tezuka.


Well, I was admittedly trying to keep this within the confines of Shonen Jump since Dragon Ball was brought up, but if you want to go back that far then it is true that Tezuka created most of the tropes/clichés/traditions of shonen manga.

But, yeah, back to the topic at hand. I actually was keeping up with Fairy Tail when it debuted up until around Volume 9. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy it anymore, though. Quite the opposite, as I really liked the crazy characters and the adventures they went though. I should really get back to it one day...
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:25 pm Reply with quote
Lord Geo wrote:
No need to be rude, as I'm just trying to correct a commonly-made mistake. But, just to correct another mistake, Kinnikuman and Ring ni Kakero were doing tournaments as a focus long before Dragon Ball as well; Kinnikuman had multiple Chojin Olympics story arcs, and Ring ni Kakero had both the Champion Carnival Chapter as well as the World Tournament Chapter. Both of these titles were based around sports (pro-wrestling & boxing, respectively), which can be tournament-based, and Dragon Ball simply took that idea and went on with it.

Also, Kinnikuman had power levels before DB, with characters actually being mentioned as having specific power ratings; for example, I believe Buffaloman has a power rating of 1,000,000, and that was a big deal at the time... And Dragon Ball also made a big deal of that number when Freiza revealed that he had a power level of the same number. Toriyama was more than likely influenced by Yudetamago in this aspect.


I wasn't being rude. Once again, I said modern, in addition to current. Aren't those shows you mentioned pretty old? Besides, I'm not discounting their contribution or anything.
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Ulinox



Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Posts: 687
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:55 pm Reply with quote
Blah blah blah, we all know a lot of the themes and character designs of this manga is blatantly copied out of One Piece anyway. It's like he just saw how well One Piece was doing and decided to make something like it, just a little different.

"It all started with me copying and tracing their works..." He forgot to add Eiichiro Oda's name to that list.
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TitanXL



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 4036
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 4:01 pm Reply with quote
I find Fairy Tail more enjoyable than One Piece.. it's a similar light-hearted adventure series but it cuts out a lot of the bad stuff from One Piece.
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Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 2532
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 4:37 pm Reply with quote
belvadeer wrote:
I wasn't being rude. Once again, I said modern, in addition to current. Aren't those shows you mentioned pretty old? Besides, I'm not discounting their contribution or anything.


Just to finish this up, Dragon Ball debuted in 1984. Fist of the North Star debuted a year before it in 1983, doing a lot of similar things that DB would later do, making it just as influential. As for the other two I brought up, Kinnikuman debuted in 1979 but ran throughout almost the entire 80s, ending in 1987, making it arguably as influential towards today's mangakas as Dragon Ball. Now Ring ni Kakero ran from 1977 to 1981, so out of these four mangas, RnK only shared its serialization with Kinnikuman, making it arguably the "old one" among these titles.

But consider this: Ring ni Kakero was Shonen Jump's first true mega-hit. Kinnikuman originally started off as a gag manga that spoofed things like Ultraman and kaiju movies before turning into an action-packed wrestling manga that mixed in humor. What brought about that change? More than likely Ring ni Kakero's popularity made Shueisha have Yudetamago put more action into Kinnikuman, much like how Dragon Ball, which started off as a comedy manga with action of the side, became more action-focused when titles like Fist of the North Star and Saint Seiya were showing how readers wanted action, and Shueisha in turn had Akira Toriyama focus more on fighting.

Like they say, it has to start somewhere, and Ring ni Kakero arguably started the style of action and fighting that Shonen Jump mangas are now so well-known for.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:24 pm Reply with quote
Anyway, I'd love to start on Fairy Tale myself, but I have about 22 volumes of Rave Master still to read and unfortunately that's money I can't be freely spending. Darn...

Shonen manga's biggest drawback is being incredulously long. Like Union Express long. That's weight I don't think my closet shelves can take (they're already bending a bit from all the manga and graphic novels in there). I wish my room was bigger, so it could accommodate a spacious bookcase of some kind.
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