As a reader of comic books and manga, I'm no stranger to the end-of-issue or even end-of-trade cliffhanger. But as many times as I see them, there's one sort that I like better than all the rest, is the joyful cliffhanger - and if there's one series I'm reading that does that better than most, it's probably Fairy Tail.
As always, spoilers may be beyond the cut so proceed at your own risk!
Fairy Tail has a weird habit of ending things just when everything is clearly going to be all right. You know how the fight ends, you know how they get out of the trouble they were in, and now all that's left is the fun or funny denouement.
They did one in the most recent issue, with everyone being freed from the lacrima crystal, the exceed being saved and even a new course starting to be charted for the world they all got sucked into. The cliffhanger comes as Natsu and friends interfere with the plans the prince of the kingdom has for becoming the "bad guy" on whom everyone can blame their misfortune. He thinks that his people, glad to have someone to blame and punish, will have an easier time then banding together and moving forward.
Now that Natsu and co have stepped into that role, all that's really left is to see what hilarity ensues - and I love it.
The benefit to this sort of cliffhanger - as opposed to the sort that ends on a dramatic sort of "will he die? Will she be left behind? Will the plan fail? sort - is that it manages to make me look forward eagerly to the next issue without the feeling of dread that can come. Dread can be good, but when you get it too often - and in comics especially you get it ALL the TIME - it starts to lose its impact and I think less "What will happen?" and more "If they do X I'm done."
Plus, I think the impact and power of fun or funny moments is a bit of plotting and development too often overlooked. :)
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