No, actually the friendship stuff started in the Oracion Seis arc, when Natsu beat Zero. The anime looks fine to me, I don't know, but you know what I miss? The old manga style. Like, there used to be a lot more detail in backgrounds and the characters, and besides that the women did not all look like beach bunnies, and I could tell men apart easily. And you know, back when every character was useful and not just the mains.