フェアリーテイル

Warning: Slightly NSFW language

I’ll be honest, there are a few reasons why I’m leaving for a bit? or forever I really don’t know. First of all; I’m just bored with the series. Yeah, it happens, even to series I’ve loved for years (exhibit A: Naruto). I can’t tell you why I’m bored reading it now, I just am. I tried to read a chapter today and found myself rushing through it. But that’s why I say I don’t know if this is just a temporary or permanent goodbye, because I might get back into it one day. 

There’s just one huge reason that prevents me from enjoying this series anymore.

Before I get into this reason, let me say going into Fairy Tail, I knew there was going to be fanservice. I knew that and was okay with it. But it has gotten so severe lately I can barely stand it anymore.

I get A LOT of whoop for this, and that is the fanservice and extreme sexualization of all the women/girls in Fairy Tail (yes, even the minors such as Wendy and Chelia which I find absolutely appalling and reason enough alone to drop this series. but I’m not gonna get into that because if you think that’s okay at all, you disgust me.) and before any of you cavemen start sending me more hate mail for this, at least hear me out and let me explain myself. Despite what most of you think, I’m not doing this because I “hate Fairy Tail” and want to “Bash Mashima”

First of all, YES, you CAN be a fan of a series while still recognizing its flaws and having issues with how they handle things! AMAZING. So to anyone (particularly a certain gruvian) who calls someone who ever has a problem with something in Fairy Tail a fake fan (this applies to anything someone has a problem within ft, not just fanservice), they are still very much a fan as much as anyone who worships the series and finds no flaws with it. 

Something I hear a lot is “The men get sexualized too!! Half of them walk around with their abs out! But no one says anything about that!” Ok, let me tell you, I would NOT have a problem if Lucy, Erza or Juvia walked around with their abs showing. In fact, I’d love that! But they don’t have any abs. Why not? They are just as tough and train just as much as the guys do. It’s clear Mashima avoids drawing them as muscular because that’s not what’s generally “sexy” or attractive on a girl. And if the fanservice is so equal, why do we never see the male characters donning tight booty shorts? Ones that show off their bulge and the curve of their butt? No, they are never paraded around like that. BUT we get plenty unnecessary shots of the ladies wearing tiny tight shorts (or something akin to full on underwear). They are almost always in barely-there clothing that show off their big ass and full thighs(yet somehow manage to have a thigh gap. huh.). We also get intentional shots from behind or below of their vaginas. Tell me when a panel was drawn SPECIFICALLY so we could see Natsu’s penis bulge and his curvy ass. Oh, there’s never been a panel like that? Gee.

And then we come to the “battles”. THIS is what gets most on my nerves. Every time one of the ladies is thrown into the ring, I think to myself “Finally I get to see one of my favorite girls whoop ass and save the guild!!” Oh ....wait her clothes just got cut off by that sword... and by some miracle her clothes are the only thing that manage to get cut up. Ah, wait this villain has magic that removes people’s clothing...of course he does. And of course Lucy and Chelia’s clothing got removed.  Oh yes,  and we must not forget the battle between Brandish and Lucy that happened in the bath!  Yeah, you guys remember the chapter titled “naked battle”? Where the selling point was two chicks fighting naked? No worries though, this “shocking” turn of events was ABSOLUTELY necessary and positive for Lucy and Brandish’s character development.

Please show me a battle where one of the males gets stripped naked. Where their penis are barely covered by ‘steam’. Where their asses are glistening and their soft skin is shining as they battle and sweat.

And if clothes getting ripped in battle is “realistic”, (which I want to point out, the places they are ripped is not a coincidence. it’s always an excuse for a cleavage shot or an upper thigh glimpse. so please stop trying to make this a legit reason to support the claim you’re trying to make.) then why don’t the men’s clothes get ripped in the same places the women’s do. 

Another gripe I have. Carla. Tell me I’m not the only one who facepalmed when we saw her ‘incredible’ ability to turn into a sexy cat girl. It is so typical of Mashima. First we sexualize the women, then the minors, now the animals? Isn’t it funny how Carla can transform into a hot girl who wears skimpy outfits yet Happy hasn’t gained this power? Didn’t they both go through extensive training for a year? Why isn’t Happy turning into a sexy man-cat hybrid who wears crop tops and tight pants? You all know why.

Please explain to me how this is equal fanservice. It isn’t. I wouldn’t be complaining if it was.

People have used the argument “it’s easier to fight in skimpy clothes because you have more flexibility” against me. This is just a complete lack of logic and common sense. ONCE AGAIN, if this is true, why don’t the guys wear barely any clothes? But most importantly; this makes absolute zero sense. Do you see us putting our women in the force into tube tops and shorts and sending them out to fight? No because that would be just plain idiotic. Trying to make this logical really isn’t working. They wear heavy duty, full coverage clothes for the utmost protection. JUST like the men do.

Last argument I’m going to point out, and oddly enough the one I see the most is the one “Girls can wear whatever they want! The girls in ft are just confident in their bodies!” OK this is probably the most embarrassing argument used, even more than the “the less clothes you wear the easier it is to fight” argument. Let me remind you of something I guess you aren’t aware of before. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. FICTION, AS IN NOT REAL. FAKE. MADE UP. BY A GROWN ASS MAN. As much as you and I both love the characters they AREN’T real and they DO NOT have minds of their own! If you truly believe that they are in fact real and individual persons then you need to talk to someone about this. It feels ridiculous that I have to even tell you why this argument doesn’t make sense or work. These women cannot choose what they wear because they are not real. This is simply a sad story of a man using women and their bodies to sell issues at these character’s expense. I believe Erin, the author of gaggingonsexism.wordpress.com, said it best. “I know that in the past, some readers have argued that attacking the sexy way in which female manga/anime characters dress reminds them of slut slamming or that it seems like I am making fun of women with large breasts so, I will state my distinction now: if a creator of a fictional female character decides to present her in a hyper sexual fashion, complete with over-emphasized breasts, I must address how that person has chosen to depict women. Rather than thinking of these characters as women choosing to present themselves a certain way, compare it to how media such as Playboy make conscious choices in the clothing, positioning, and, in all likelihood, photoshopping of female models to make them appealing to male consumers. If a real woman has large breasts or makes the decision to dress in a revealing manner, that is a different matter.”

I’m not trying to be mean, I just want to be blunt and get all my feelings out before I go, and honestly, I feel better after typing all this and letting everyone know how I feel and have felt for quite a while. I’m tired of seeing these characters I love being treated as mere ornaments. A pair of tits and ass to look at and not much else. I’m tired of the unfairness. If Mashima or you guys would like examples of shounen manga that manage to have many strong female characters who DON’T wear bras and panties on the daily(Shocking, right?), I’d recommend Gintama or Naruto.