Fairy Tail 275-282. With Volume 33, I’m getting a little closer to catching up with this weekly title that’s slipped away from me. I enjoy it, but it’s clear why it’s always on the back burner – it still just feels too derivative and too by-the-numbers, especially with this tournament being played out in full, with the big game-changer being made so explicit there’s no chance of a twist when it appears. Still, the cat mascots get cuter and cuter, Elfman’s performance against Bacchus was a highlight of the series – never mind the arc – and there were some laugh-out-loud moments. Also some cool new female characters, even if just like Oda, Hiro suffers from making his girls all look too alike. The fanservice also goes a bit far, though the subversion in the omake with Blue Pegasus’ male members was absolutely hilarious. They’re probably the funniest thing in the manga and I’m happy they keep on coming back.