NEXT GENERATION

is the 30th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on May 17, 2010.

After the guild has been rebuilt after the war with Phantom Lord, Lucy Heartfilia finds herself needing money. Her team takes up a seemingly harmless job of acting out a play.

Synopsis
The Magic Council has a court meeting regarding the Fairy Tail-Phantom Lord incident where they decide that Jose Porla will be stripped of his status as one of the Ten Wizard Saints and that Phantom Lord will be disbanded. Fairy Tail, on the other hand, has been found totally innocent. This is most likely because elder Yajima, a member of the Council and an old friend of Makarov’s, had spoken on Fairy Tail's behalf. Later, Yajima advises Makarov to retire for the guild.

Meanwhile, back at the guild, Mirajane announces that the request board is back up up. Every member of Fairy Tail runs to get a job. Moments later, Erza is shown to be arguing with Laxus for chastising Jet and Droy for being weak and Lucy for being the reason Phantom Lord attacked. Despite the their arguments, Laxus proceeds to announce how weaklings won't have a place in the guild when he inherits it, as well as those who stand against him. With that said, he disappears using his Lightning Magic. Lucy then discovers that Laxus is Makarov's grandson and so his chances of becoming the next Master are high, to which Lucy and several others are opposed to.

Afterwards, Erza proposes that she, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Lucy go out on a job and decides to officially team up with them. They leave afterwards to go on their first job as an official team.

That night, Makarov meditates upon his options for the next Guild Master. Laxus, Mystogan and Erza all cross his mind, but he finds something in all of them that would make the job a problem for them and for the others. Mirajane then comes and informs him that Erza’s team has gone and destroyed half a city and that the Council wishes him to submit a report. He then decides in anger and panic that it's not yet time to retire.

Down at the guild, Lucy is sad because they lost their reward in order to pay for the destruction they caused. Mirajane then suggests a job that only requires the team to use their magic to attract viewers for a show. However, when they arrive at the site, they learn, much to their annoyance, that the actors have backed out and the show is off. However, the group volunteers to act in the actors' place and the show is back on.

Erza will be the prince, Lucy the princess, Gray the villain while Natsu is the dragon and Happy will be his "wings". The show starts and a lot of people, including past acquaintances, arrive to watch. Lyra sings for the opening. Erza walks out to the stage, but she has stage fright, leaving her paralyzed. Lucy tries to help by manipulating the play with Gray and Horologium. The play slightly progresses with strange plot twists, confusing the audience. Then Natsu comes out, and by an error of Happy’s, he sets Lucy on fire. A huge commotion follows afterwards due to their recklessness, which leaves the theater broken, but the audience pleased. After that, they are shown to have been made to redo the play three times a day for a week. All Lucy wants is to go home...

Fights

 * None

Magic used

 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium
 * Summoned the Clock, Horologium

Spells used

 * Lightning Body
 * Ice-Make: Sword

Items Used

 * Gate of the Clock Key

Manga & Anime Differences

 * The anime shows the scene in which the Magic Council decides to revoke Jose's status as a Wizard Saint.
 * In the manga, Natsu attacks Laxus.
 * In the manga, Makarov wears black clothes without a hat but in the anime, he has his usual clothes and his hat.
 * The anime shows Bozo, Sue, Makarov, Mirajane, Goldmine, Bob, Moka, Lulu, Bora, the chicken-man from Eisenwald and the pirate as part of the audience in the play.
 * In the anime, Horologium and Taurus are summoned (although it is Taurus who summons himself) while the play is in progress.
 * In the manga, Natsu and Gray are seen playing pool.