Grayās love for Juvia developed gradually throughout the entire Fairy Tail series
*Note:Ā I plan to update this post gradually as new moments are released, including the images. So please keep checking back here. :) Last update: November 28th 2021.
Most of the time, those who dislike Gruvia are quick to say Gray was āconstantly rejectingā and āconstantly annoyedā by Juvia, and now āall of a suddenā he loves her, so itās OOC. But thatās not true. Gray was not constantly annoyed by Juvia, nor did he constantly reject her. More over, he cannot be āforcedā to love her. He isnāt so weak willed, and will say no to things he doesnāt like. He chooses to be with Juvia himself. Juvia is Grayās main partner; someone who stands proudly by his side, and he wants her there. She is the only girl that he has romantic development with.
How many times will Gray be āOOCā until some certain individuals see thatās not the case, and itās actuallyĀ character development? Did some people expect Gray to never grow up? Even their guild mates have noticed the change, and have verbally commented on it. Itās sad if you want him to remain the same forever. Furthermoreā¦ Gray holding Juviaās hand multiple times, hanging out with her casually of his own accord, comforting her, being affectionate with her, dying for her on multiple occasions, wearing the scarf she made for him, crying into her chest, hugging her, thanking her, living with her, promising her an answer, crying over her ādeadā body, holding her in his arms, saying she (and her body) is his, wanting to protect her, declaring he will make her his and that sheās his power to live, having concrete romantic feelings for her, wanting a happy life with her and Greigeā¦ all of this is OOC? According to those who dislike the ship, Gray has been OOC since the GMG/Tartaros arc! From then on, every romantic gesture heās made towards her is āOOCā, which is hilarious in itself because thatās the same thing as claiming you know Gray more than Mashima, which is false. How can the majority of his character be OOC?! Hint: Itās not. This is the real GRAY. The Gray that continues to evolve. In chapter 499, while he held her in his arms, desperately begging her to wake up, Gray said he would be/is serious about Juvia now. It certainly shows in the sequel. He is keeping his word.
All art by the author, Hiro Mashima. Gray and Juvia spend time together of their own accord. Furthermore, these people are focusing way too much on the comedic moments, that are meant to be laughed at, and ignoring the ones that really matter. They also fail to remember that Gray falls under the tsundere character trope. He is shy when it comes to romance, like most Japanese people are.Ā Humor is subjective, but what falls under the umbrella of humor is not. You donāt have to think itās funny, as long as you know itās a joke. No, Gruvia is not toxic. Mashima likes humor, and that absolutely includes Juviaās silly antics and Grayās reactions to them. These things are exaggerated on purpose for dramatic effect. Japanese love this type of humor use in their mangas. This is also a fantasy manga, meaning it does not have to meet real life standards. Most of the characters have quirks that would not be acceptable in real life.
Gruvia is one of, if not the most romantically developed couple in Fairy Tail. All on panel. Gray being more open about his love for Juvia in the sequel, 100 Years Quest, makes complete sense. IfĀ the manga itself for some odd reason hasnāt shown you why, this post surely will. After all, I am using the manga to prove my point.
Before I begin showcasing Grayās development, Iād like to recommend everyone read this post: Juvia isnāt a stalker. The message of Gruvia is not āstalk someone so much until they love you backā. Rather, itās more along the lines of ālove can turn someoneās life aroundā. Mashima has only ever portrayed Juviaās love for Gray as a positive thing for both characters. Real cases for stalking often involve the stalker having control over their victim, sometimes employing fear in a desperate attempt to maintain control, which Juvia has NEVER done. Admiring someone from afar is not the same as stalking them, especially when you donāt have the courage to talk to them. A real stalker would not throw their life away for their victim either. By contrast, they would TAKE their victimās life away. Furthermore, someone comparing Juvia to a stalker, and claiming they āunderstandā because they have been stalked before (aka self inserting in a fantasy manga), is an insult to those who are real stalking victims. Donāt do it.
As you read through, notice how the scenes I chose (and it was hard, Gruvia has way too many panels) are mainly, if not all, from Grayās side. The scenes displayed here are almost entirely serious ones, not comedic. Nor are they just panels of the two standing next to each other (in which there are also a lot of in the series, might I add, but I am focusing on moments that are actually meaningful). And looking at the amount of panels, itās further proof that Gruvia isnāt all humor.
Now, letās take a look at how Grayās love for Juvia progressed throughout the series, step by step in the most simple way possible. I say simple, but the truth of the matter is this post is pretty longā¦ ^^ā
How Gray Fullbuster fell in love with Juvia Lockser.
I. Enemies
Phantom Lord.
Self explanatoryāGray and Juvia were enemies when they first met. Juvia was shunned her entire life, and was once a character who had forsaken love until she met Gray, who took away her rain and showed her the sunny sky. This is where their love story began.
II. Allies
Tower of Heaven.
When Juvia appears before Gray for the first time since their fight, he already knew who she was, her name, and that Phantom Lord had been disbanded. He personally doesnāt mind Juvia joining Fairy Tail, though he wonders what the master will say. The two now become allies, protecting/defending each other from Simon and when the blackout happens. They work together throughout the entire arc. Erza asks about theĀ āelement 4ā³ girl at the end, and Gray responds,Ā āOh, Juvia. She went home.ā as well as mentioning she wants to join Fairy Tail.
III. Guild mates
Fighting Festival, Edolas.
Gray is happy about Juvia joining Fairy Tail, and the two are now officially guild mates. Makarov even thought it was good for them to go on a mission alone together. Plenty of small interactions between them occur throughout these arcs, but the notable ones are of the two making an ice water castle together, and Gray teaching Juvia how to eat caramade franks. Alzack and Bisca, a canon couple, note that Gray and Juvia are being lovey dovey. At that time, Alzack and Bisca actually wished they could be more forward, like the two they were watching.Ā
IV. Friends
Tenrou Island, Grand Magic Games/Dragon Invasion, Tartaros.
Gray and Juvia undeniably became close throughout these arcs. Gray thought about Juvia multiple times during the S-class exam, especially after she didnāt make it back to camp. He wanted to have a battle with her, therefore he was disappointed she lost to Erza. He was worried about her after sending her off to chase Zeref, and protected her during Acnologiaās attack. And of course, Meredyās sensory link would not have worked if they werenāt close; she even comments to Ultear that Juvia is close to Gray. Like clockwork, Gray swoops in and saves Juvia from Ultearās deadly attack. This is likely the moment that showcased Gray could eventually fall for Juvia. The two are no doubt, good friends. The Grand Magic Games was a long arc that showcased Gray and Juviaās strong bond and teamwork that is unmatched. Gray would have accepted Juviaās lunch date request if not for Lyon and his ridiculous bet that Gray didnāt even agree to. During the fight with Lyon and Chelia, Gray comforts Juvia by placing his hand on her shoulder, and she returns his touch. They do a unison raid, winning the battle, and both smiling at each other as they hold hands after. And of course, when the dragons attack, Gray sacrifices his life for Juvia without hesitation. Bonus: 413 Days special shows Gray, blushing and accepting the scarf Juvia made for him, commenting that itās warm with a smile, one of the biggest signs his romantic feelings for her are growing. When Juvia offers Gray herĀ āGray-breadā, the only reason he didnāt want to eat it was because it had his face on it, hence why Juvia also madeĀ āJuvi-breadā too. Watching the interaction, Cana comments that she thought Gray shot Juvia down before, a reminder of his so calledĀ ārejectionā right after the GMG. She notes that Grayās actions (eating the bread Juvia made and being affectionate with her) contradict that ārejectionā. Mirajane also affirms this, stating itās back to status quo, confirming theĀ ārejectionā was indeed a red herring as nothing negative has changed between Gray and Juvia. Basically, Mashima was telling us to forget thatĀ ārejectionā even happened. Further evidence that ārejectionā meant nothing includes what happened following the bread scene; everything in the Tartaros arc and beyond. Gray holding Juviaās hand statingĀ āIām here with youā is very intimate. Juvia having a significant panel/presence in Grayās mind before attempting iced shell. Grayās father, Silver, asked if Juvia was Grayās woman and then said to take care of him. At the end of the arc, Juvia confessed to Gray it was her that killed the necromancer controlling his father, and said she had no right to love him anymore. She was about to walk away from Gray forever, a selfless act that no crazy āstalkerā would ever do. But he didnāt let her. He grabbed her, and sobbed in her chest, thanking her for what she did. The two share an intimate hug as the snow falls. While I placed the Tartaros arc under theĀ āfriendsā section, you could argue it became obvious Gray started to love Juvia romantically by the middle, or end of it. At the very least, it was clear if they were to end up with someone, it would be each other, no one else.
V. Lovers (romantic/love interest)
Avatar, Alvarez Empire (war), Fairy Tail Final Chapter. Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest (official canon sequel). By this time, it is absolutely clear that Gray and Juvia are meant to be each otherās love interests in the series. A character such as Gray would not just live with a girl (who is in love with him) if she was only his friend. Gray and Juvia shared a house together for 6 months, which again, is deep for this type of series. As we know, Gray leaves her without a word to infiltrate Avatar. I have my own issues with the Avatar arc, but thatās a different story. When the two reunite, we can see that Gray is truly sorry for leaving, as he has trouble looking at her directly when he apologizes. The two fight together, side by side once again. Juvia also picked up Grayās stripping habit. Before the war, Gray was flirting with Juvia on a balcony, offering her the rest of his candy bar. In this scene, Gray himself trashes all anti-claims about him being annoyed sheās always with him.Ā āIām grateful to have you. Youāre always by my sideā. Yes, Gray wants Juvia there with him. Always. He is not repulsed by her, he does not hate her, she does not annoy him. A strong romantic vibe was felt during this moment, as Gray promises her anĀ āanswerā (which is presumed to be about his feelings for her) after the battle is over. He would not be saying this if his answer wasĀ ānoā or if he didnāt have feelings for her. He would not make Juvia wait around for anotherĀ ārejectionā, that makes no sense whatsoever. Anyway, most people agree at this point Gray loves Juvia romantically. During their fight with Invel is when itās 100% confirmed that Gray loves Juvia, through words AND actions. See the breakdown of the Japanese raw here, including confirmation from a Japanese native. But in sum when Gray saidĀ ć仲éćā¦ććā¦ćåćććŗć¤ććććŖćā¦ć āI donāt want to hurt a friendā¦ noā¦ I donāt want to hurt YOUā,Ā āNakama woā¦ Iyaā¦ Omae wo kizutsuketakunaiā, he starts to say ācomradeā, but then corrects himself (he actually says ānoā), indicating Juvia is more than a comrade. The direct word order would beĀ āA friendā¦ noā¦ itās YOU I donāt want to hurtā. So now we have the word part down, letās talk briefly about Grayās actions. He and Juvia did the same thing (committed suicide) for the SAME reason. They did not want to hurt the person they LOVE. The manga speaks for itself; Grayās screams of agony and tears upon thinking Juvia died, holding her close, begging her to wake up, beating Invelās ass in rage mode, blaming Natsu (the book of demons) for taking Juvia away, and his passing out from relief of seeing her aliveā¦ thatās love. Period.
As for Grayās āanswerā this was it. I truly believe it was chapter 499. But I also believe because of what happened in this chapter, it caused Gray to hold back telling Juvia how he felt, since we learn later he feels guilty about the scar and that heās not strong enough to protect Juvia yet. Onto the final chapter of Fairy Tailā¦ I felt it could have been handled better, but I wonāt get into detail. The point is, in Mashimaās mind, Gruvia was canon. The west and Japan have very different ideas of whatĀ ācanonā is. See post:Ā What the word ācanonā actually means (Japan vs The West).Ā Japanese fans consider ācanonā couples to have clearly defined mutual feelings or are extremely obvious. Meanwhile, the west needs ācanonā to be far more explicit, such as dating, marriage, and/or kids. But this is a Japanese manga, written by a Japanese man, and mainly geared towards a Japanese audience. Therefore, as readers, we must consider the Japanese point of view as the intention. Anyway, Gray and Juvia talk about their respective scars, in which Gray feels guilty for her receiving one. Gray saidĀ āYour body is mineā, but what he meant wasĀ āyouāre mineā, all of Juvia belongs to Gray. You do not say this to a friend. Gray is shy, and his mumbling afterwards is irrelevant. Watch this video by a Japanese native to fully understand what Gray meant in the final chapterĀ and why this means he loves Juvia romantically. Juvia herself knew what Gray meant also, hence her excited reaction. Thus, this was meant to be Gruviaās canon moment, before the sequel arrived that isā¦
100 Years Quest
While it was confirmed in the original that Gray loves Juvia romantically, it became even more clear in the continuation. Those who say Gray did a complete 180 in the sequel and is now tooĀ āloveyā about Juvia must not have paid attention beforehand. Because Gray loving Juvia isnāt out of left field, it makes total sense given the development up til this point. Gray is more open about his feelings now. Itās wonderful character development.
This is the official sequel to Fairy Tail, taking place directly after the original left off. Even though Ueda draws the art, this is STILL Mashimaās story. It is written completely by him.Ā Hiro Mashima writes the story/draws the storyboard, meaning he creates the plot/story, rough drafts, and characterās lines. Since heās very busy, he doesnāt have time to ink it too, so Atsuo Ueda does the art, which is very similar to Mashimaās as well. Mashima also promotes/endorses it on twitter and other places. And has confirmed in multiple EDENS ZERO volume afterwards (including volume 16, the most recent one) he still writes the 100YQ. Hiro Mashima is also credited with the story(board) in every chapter. There are flashbacks in the sequel that use panels/art directly from the original Fairy Tail. That is only allowed because he is the author of this (sequel) story. Anyway, everyone agrees that this sequel is canon. Continuing onā¦
I have never seen Gray blush so much over Juvia as I have than in this sequel. Even in general, Gray has never been so flustered before. He has really come a long way, and gained so much character development. To put it simply, his goal in the sequel is to be with Juvia, for good. When the topic of romance is brought up, Gray blushes with a dorky, but so-in-love smile thinking of Juvia calling his name. This scene confirms once again that Gray loves Juvia, since his comment wasĀ ārenāai neā¦/love, huhā¦ā ęę (renāai) = specifically romantic love. Following this, we see Gray interact with Juvina, Juviaās doppelgƤnger from Fairy Nail. The point of this chapter was to take a look inside Grayās heart, and for him to gain insight on how Juvia might actually feel waiting around for him. Juvina pointed out some key factors: Grayās unhappy face thinking about her being a topless dancer because he doesnāt want other men seeing the woman he loves naked, the fact that he did not deny he loves Juvia, that Juvia wonāt wait forever, that she feels bad for Juvia, etc. Juvina also told Gray about Glen, and how he acts reminds us of how Gray acts. Although we find out later Juvina and Glen are actually together, it seems like Juvina was simply trying to give Gray some perspective lol. And all those people who still claim Gray hates Juvia, he saidĀ āI donāt hate you!ā (about Juvia) right in this very chapter. He then proceeds to say Juvia means the world to him, but he doesnāt think heās good enough for her right now. We see him thinking of the scar she got from their fight with Invel, feeling guilty about it. While Juvina taunts that Juvia wonāt wait for him forever, Gray says he knows that and so thatās why he wants more confidence in himself. Juviaās smiling image comes to his mind again as he vows to become a man who can protect her, and declares he will make her his. What Gray said,Ā āAnd then I swear Iāll make her mine/And go get Juvia no matter whatā is a set phrase in Japanese with a romantic nuance. See the breakdown of the raw here, along with examples from other manga that use this phrase in romantic context. When Juvia appeared randomly on the train, Gray knew something wasnāt right. he even asked her why she was acting so different. Because Gray knows Juvia. Of course, they are always together throughout the white mage/Aldoron arc. The two fought Metro, and completed another unison raid. Gray saying Juvia is his power to live is also romantic because of the way he said it in Japanese. You do not say this to a friend, but we know at this point Gray is in love with her anyway. And because we know that, we know his line is romantic. Juvia knows as well, hence why she was so happy about it, wanted him to say it again, and teased him afterwards. The meaning in Japanese ofĀ āsheās my power/strength to liveā isĀ ābecause there is you, I am livingā. After they win, Gray pulls Juvia in for a hug, saying heās glad sheās safe while holding that typical Gray pout and tsundere blush. After the battle with Aldoron is over, Gray affectionally returned Juviaās embrace in front of his guild mates, much to their surprise.
Edo Gruvia has a son, Greige. His name is actually very meaningful, as itās a color (combines the colors grey and beige) like Gray and Silver, and a combination of Gray and Juviaās actual names. For a more in depth explanation behind the meaning, see this post. Gray took a liking to Greige, calling him too cute and wanting to take him back to Earthland. And of course, imagining a blissful life with Juvia and his son during his final battle with Hakune. This said enemy brought out Juvia as the woman sleeping in the depths of Grayās heart. He also thought about Juvia before battling neko-Wendy, who teased him about being concerned over her.Ā
Grayās fantasy speaks for itself. Itās a happy life with his loved ones, and he said this is the world of happiness he imagined. That includes being with Juvia and having their son, Greige. Gray states he wants to stay there forever, but he knows he canāt because itās just a dream. Gray breaks out of that false reality, stating he doesnāt need to be happy. He wants to make JUVIA happy. Gray is saying he doesnāt want fake happiness in a dream. He wants to make Juvia happy instead, for real/in reality. When you love someone, you want to make them happy. Also, context. It matters. The whole point of this line was to show Gray being selfless; he is putting the woman he loves FIRST. Placing Juviaās feelings above his own. Luckilyā¦Ā they have the same dream, lol. Juvia definitely wants to be married, and have Greige. At this point, no one can deny Gray loves Juvia without looking likeā¦ a fool. Gray wouldnāt imagine a happy life with Juvia, and having a son with her if he didnāt love her.
And in this dream, Juvia is completely in character. Even her ālove rivalā mode. Gray loves Juvia the way she is. She appears in Grayās head multiple times throughout the story. And through his eyes, she is a gorgeous, loving woman with a bright smile. NOT some crazy stalker or annoyance. The volume 9 omake shows a scene right before Gray and Team Natsu got transported to Edolas. We see Gray apologizing for putting Juvia in danger, and her teasing him about hisĀ āpower to liveā comment. Gray promises he will definitely come back from the quest. He looks very determined, blushing, and was about to confess something about what would happen when he returnedā¦ but then he vanished. lol. Of course, Mashima/Ueda canāt be that nice, haha.
Gray was super happy to see Juvia again when Team Natsu returned to Earthland from Elentir. He smiled shouting her name, and held that smile while she hugged him. Of course, he asked her how sheās been too. Seeing the affectionate interaction, even Warren and Max note that Grayās personality (towards Juvia) has changed,Ā which proves my point. In fact, in the volume version of this scene, itās even more clear.Ā This does happen quite a bit in manga in general. Many mangakka often revise certain things when the volumes come out, including certain kanji and even drawings or extra pages in certain chapters. A lot of the time itās due to limits in the magazine versions though. Original app version: ćŖććć°ć¬ć¤ć®å„“é°å²ę°å¤ćć£ćć? āHas Grayās personality changed somehow?ā Volume 10 version: ćŖććć°ć¬ć¤ć®å„“ćøć„ćć¢ćøć®åƾåæå¤ćć£ććļ¼ āHave Grayās responses to Juvia changed somehow?ā Orā¦ āHas there been some kind of change in the way Gray responds to Juvia?ā
Here, Mashima/Ueda made it clear that the change is about the way Gray responds to Juvia, and not just the way Gray is in general, like before. Hooray for development!!
I know it was very long, but I hope this meta did itās job of showcasing Grayās character development in regards to Juvia, the progression of his feelings for her, and why it makes sense he is now in love with her. I look forward to his confession (of some sort, as itās set up that way), and the hopefully eventual arrival of Earthland Greige!
As I said in the beginning, I will update this post gradually as new moments are released, including the images. So please keep checking back here. :) Last update: November 28th 2021.
