Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail tells the tale of Lucy Heartfilia as she joins the titular Fairy Tail guild and embarks on grand adventures across the idyllic fantasy nation of Fiore with Natsu Dragneel. The plot pits Lucy and her beloved friends against foes of all shapes and sizes, from flocks of dragons to cunning demons and dark wizards, and the manga and anime are always welcoming new fans.
This series isn't quite as notoriously long as One Piece, but newcomers to Fairy Tail may want some signposts on how they can experience this story at their convenience. There's no wrong way to enjoy the adventure, but here are some ways to dig into either the manga or anime.
Where To Read The Fairy Tail Manga
The Fairy Tail manga series clocks in at an impressive total of 63 volumes, so manga collectors are encouraged to clear up some significant room on their bookshelves for this lengthy story. All 63 volumes are available in English, and there are hardcover omnibuses known as Fairy Tail Master's Edition that collect four volumes each. The individual volumes can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Rightstufanime and other retailers for around $9.99 each, while the omnibus collections will run about $29.99 from the same providers. Fans can also find the sequel series Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest, though those volumes are still releasing.
A potentially more cost-effective alternative could be seeking out the Fairy Tail box sets, which collect 11 volumes each for between $78-$120. There are three box sets currently available, with a fourth to be released on April 27 of this year. The box sets can be found on Amazon, Rightstufanime and Barnes & Noble. The individual volumes of Fairy Tail can be found on Amazon as well, and are available digitally via Kindle and comiXology. The digital versions can be purchased for $7.99, or they are included in a comiXology unlimited account ($5.99/month).
Barnes & Noble offers digital versions of all the Fairy Tail volumes for the NOOK at about $9.99 each. Barnes & Noble's online catalog also provides the Fairy Tail spinoff manga series on NOOK too. That includes Happy's Heroic Adventure and City Hero, in addition to Blue Minstral, Fairy Tail S, and Fairy Tail: Ice Trail -- which is also available in print. There is also a spinoff series known as Fairy Tail: Fairy Girls, with BOKU as the author. The six current volumes of Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest can also be found here, both in print and with NOOK.
Where To Watch The Fairy Tail Anime & Films
Anime fans can try out the lengthy Fairy Tail adventure through several different streaming services or pursue physical copies with DVD or Blu-ray editions. However, they should note that the anime has its fair share of filler episodes, and the animation style changes partway through when the series' animation studio changed.
Fans looking for physical copies of either the Blu-ray or DVD can start the adventure at Amazon or Rightstufanime. They each offer the multi-part Blu-ray collection for roughly $41 each. The two movies, Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Princess and Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry, are available from the same outlets for between $22.99-$26.24 on Blu-ray.
Those who prefer streaming their Fairy Tail content can find all 328 episodes of the anime on Crunchyroll subbed in English. Meanwhile, Funimation offers the entire series in both subbed and dubbed, and the two movies are available too. The series can also be viewed on Hulu from start to finish.
