Exploring the Ur/Juvia parallels
I went back to chapter 38 of the manga and noticed the parallels between Ur’s sacrifice and Juvia’s sacrifice were too similar to not be intentional. It’s actually scary how much they match, almost like Mashima must have had the Ur chapter open while drawing the Gruvia one. Between the dialogue, the panels, and Gray’s reaction…. It’s most definitely not a coincidence.
So here we have Gray realizing what both Ur and Juvia are doing–sacrificing their lives for him. His tears start flowing, as he does not want to lose either them. His words are almost exactly the same: “Wait/don’t… No…”
Gray tries to bargain with both Ur and Juvia, because he knows he hasn’t been honest with them. In fact, one could argue he messed up with them both. He was nasty to Ur, and made Juvia wait too long (while trying to push his feelings for her away). As I said in this post, it’s not that Gray wasn’t serious about Juvia before (that was the point of chapter 453 where he promises her an answer), he just wasn’t always earnest with her (which is understandable considering his history). He will be more honest with her now that he got a taste of what life would be like without her. He almost lost her, and so when Gray does see Juvia again, he won’t hold back. He will show Juvia just how serious he is about her as a person and their relationship. The literal translation of his line is roughly “About you… more serious I/I’ll (think) be…”
I don’t think much needs to be said here. Ur and Juvia’s parting dialogue to Gray is eerily similar. Both of them tell him he has no reason to be sad, because they will both live on despite their bodies not being physically there.
Same as above. Their facial expressions and gentle smiles are the same. Except that Ur is disappearing, whilst Juvia is not. That is because Ur was doomed from iced shell, meanwhile Juvia’s beautiful form is most likely Gray’s envision of her speaking to him. The fact that she didn’t fade away was a sign that he will have another chance to make things right.
Gray’s reaction is self explanatory. He is in the same position, screaming in agony up towards the sky. Mashima even made sure to draw the landscape during the aftermath.
The tears just don’t stop. But again, Juvia’s body is there, so Gray was able to hold her and grieve.
In the end we know Gray loved Ur (he even admitted it in the silly FT christmas omake). She was his mother figure. Gray loves Juvia too, but it’s romantic love. That’s the difference. I really love the comparison drawn between the two. Ur was such an important figure in Gray’s life, and we see Juvia being presented on the same level as her. Ur represents his past, and Juvia represents his present and future. This isn’t the first time Juvia has been paralleled to Ur:
During the special chapter 413 DAYS, Juvia made Gray a scarf for their ‘anniversary’ which was ironically the anniversary of Ur’s death. She had mentioned the weather would turn cold soon, but Gray said he is an ice mage (the cold doesn’t bother him). Later on, Gray is reminded of when Ur wrapped a scarf around him to help him warm up. That’s where Mashima first paralleled Ur and Juvia–when Gray ran back to dig up her scarf. He wore it of his own accord, commenting that it’s warm. We then see him walking with a smile on his face; therefore Juvia made him happy on a day he usually mourns. Gray has always shunned people because of his past, but Juvia is the one breaking that wall down. She’s showing him that he doesn’t need to isolate himself from people and does not have to hide his emotions. The whole “cold->warm” theme is a metaphor for the coldness Gray holds in his heart, as he starts to become more open.
In order to complete Gray’s character story in a satisfying way, Juvia had to be the one who came back to him and lived for him, where as everyone else died. As expected:
Juvia is alive. Her dying or staying dead would have regressed Gray’s character. This is not about history repeating itself–it’s about moving forward. Gray has lost far too many people, losing Juvia would only continue this endless circle of trauma.
Gray only realized he should have been honest with Ur after she died, and we found out how much he really did/does love her. The same thing happened with Juvia, except this time he’s getting a second chance. The fact that Gray’s reaction to Juvia’s death is so similar to Ur’s highlights how important she is to him.
And of course, Gray not showing any mercy on Invel speaks volumes. He will never, ever forgive him. I think it’s important to note that even Invel lumped Juvia in with Gray’s parents and Ur. As I said in this post, these panels are extremely telling. Gray was literally silent throughout his battle with Invel, and the only time he speaks is in relation to Juvia. Mashima made sure to pound it through our heads, the source of Gray’s power and motivation is Juvia.
The last thing I want to briefly touch on is this notion that chapter 499 is somehow negated because Juvia didn’t die. That isn’t true–just because a character survives doesn’t render everything meaningless. The sacrifice, impact, development, etc, all still happened. The chapter also served as a way to give us answers to how Gray feels about Juvia (in which he absolutely returns her love, that is why their actions are mirrored; double suicide). Gray and Juvia did the exact same thing, for the exact same reason, because they feel the exact same way about each other.
Chapter 499 show cases how strong their bond is, and how far they are willing to go for each other. Gray is very blatant on his desire to protect Juvia specifically, and that she is more than a friend to him. He knows he cannot lump her in with his group of friends, hence him correcting his statement (”A comrade… no… I didn’t want to hurt you!!”), he caught himself. Juvia was happy because she understood his words. Chapter 500 cements his feelings further.
Gray is broken; still crying even after the fact. There’s a reason Mashima is letting us know she is okay, but not Gray. He believes she is dead, so their reunion will be huge. I also expect this information to be used for plot purposes. Juvia is the source of happiness for Gray. Fairy Tail’s theme is about living for those you love, not dying for them.