Gruvia: Popularity and aspects of the pairing
Gray x Juvia: Why it’s so popular, and the aspects of the pairing.
Over the recent months, it’s no secret that Gruvia has gained enormous popularity. Not only is this pairing winning the official FT romance poll on Manga Fox, but Hiro Mashima’s twitter pic of the two has over 9,000 favorites. At first glance, this pairing could be taken as a joke. You know, girl obsessed with the cool (no pun intended) guy, a fangirl, tends to stalk at the beginning, and all the while the guy basically ignores her advances. However, the reason Gruvia is so popular is because there is much more to the pairing than just comedy. In fact, Gray x Juvia is the pairing in Fairy Tail that has it all.
Okay. Lets start with the most obvious theme/genre. Gruvia is known for being a silly pairing. It’s quite entertaining. Juvia, a girl who was alone all her life until she met Gray, become high spirited and bubbly. She no longer stalks Gray, but her fangirl side still shows once in awhile. Gray thinking she’s crazy adds to the humor theme. I don’t think I really need to go into details here. This pairing is supposed to be funny.
They believe in each other. Juvia is always cheering for Gray. She always believes in him. Likewise, Gray trusts deeply in Juvia and their team work together. He constantly stresses how well they work together. Remember, only those who have a good connection are able to perform a unison raid together.
If one of them is in trouble, the other comes to the rescue whenever they’re around. Gray has saved Juvia multiple times. He protects her. Juvia always wants to protect Gray as well, especially when his life is in danger (for example – when Meredy targeted Gray and wanted to kill him, Juvia show cased her true power in order to protect him).
Gray and Juvia share a close relationship, despite their humorous interactions. Whenever there’s a guild shot, they are almost always together, side by side. We see them interact a lot at the guild, simply getting along. Gray tries to teach Juvia how to eat caramade franks, Juvia cheers Gray on while he’s wine barrel surfing. They get along very well outside of battles, especially when Juvia is acting normal. When Juvia asks Gray to get lunch with her alone before the Grand Magic Games, and he basically says yes (before Lyon ruined it), it’s evident that the two don’t mind spending time together at all.
The couple with the most “humor” also received the “most intense” pairing moment in the series. Gray literally dies for Juvia. Her and only her. To save her life. There is no other reason. Mashima chose to use Gray and Juvia for a reason. It wouldn’t be as powerful if it was Gray and anyone else. Authors don’t tend to use these types of scenes for characters that will only remain friends forever.
When one is hurt, the other has no problem lending a hand, even without being asked. Gray ensures Juvia’s safety, meanwhile Juvia never lets Gray fall. Not only physically, but they help emotionally as well. Juvia is the only one who notices Gray isn’t happy during the celebration and wastes no time to make him smile again.
And of course… what’s a pairing without love? The main factor is Juvia’s love for Gray. Her fight with Meredy proves that her feelings are genuine. Moreover, Hiro Mashima labels the Gruvia bond as romantic himself; “Gray and Juvia’s synchronized attack of love”. Not just Juvia. Gray and Juvia. So despite what’s happened, it’s clear the bond is meant to be romantic by the author’s own text. And of course, their intertwined fingers; holding hands much longer than needed.
In sum, Gruvia has many different aspects which makes it an enjoyable pairing to ship. There is so much potential for these two. It’s fun to speculate, create theories, and scenarios. Mashima also threw more fun in there by adding a love triangle. Lyon, Gray’s childhood friend/rival, of all people, fell for Juvia. Gray is shown to be protective of Juvia in many of the “Gruvion scenes”. The last Gruvia moment we have is positive. It’s a sign for good things to come for them. These aren’t even all of the Gruvia moments. There are tons more in the manga. I chose to highlight the ones that fit those specific themes. Although take note, the most powerful Gruvia moments actually stem from Gray’s side, not Juvia’s. Gray saves Juvia from Ultear. Gray initiates holding hands with Juvia. Gray dies for Juvia.
Another fun fact is that there are plenty of characters that have commented on Gray/Juvia romance. The list includes Alzack and Bisca (calling them “lovey-dovey”), Lucy (who says Juvia wants to be Gray’s partner), Erza (who tells Gray to make things clear with Juvia), Cheila Blendy (who calls the two “romantic/wonderful”), and even Lyon (who becomes jealous and calls Gray a bastard for being lovey and affectionate with Juvia in front of him). We can throw Meredy in there too while we are at it. She did understand Juvia in the end after their fight, and comments about the relationship right before the GMG. Although she says the relationship hasn’t gone anywhere… yet. Loke gives Gray “the look” when he asks about Juvia during the S-class exam, and he also gives Juvia “the look” on a color spread while she is next to Gray. I stress once more, the biggest comment we’ve had from someone in the manga is Hiro Mashima himself! He states, quote, “The story restarts from Gray and Juvia’s synchronized attack of love!” Out of all the big pairings, Gruvia definitely has the most “outside” comments from other characters. The author is also very blunt as well when he labels the bond romantic.
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