Gray’s love for Juvia developed gradually throughout the entire Fairy Tail series
Most of the time, those who dislike Gruvia are quick to say Gray was “constantly rejecting” and “constantly annoyed” by Juvia, and now “all of a sudden” he loves her, so it’s OOC. But that’s not true. Gray was not constantly annoyed by Juvia, nor did he constantly reject her. More over, he cannot be “forced” to love her. He isn’t so weak willed, and will say no to things he doesn’t like. He chooses to be with Juvia himself. Juvia is Gray’s 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.
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 troupe. He is shy when it comes to romance, like most Japanese people are. Humor is subjective, but what falls under the umbrella of humor is not. You don’t have to think it’s funny, as long as you know it’s a joke. No, Gruvia is not toxic. Mashima likes humor, and that absolutely includes Juvia’s silly antics and Gray’s 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. If the manga itself for some odd reason hasn’t shown you why, this post surely will. After all, I am using the manga to prove my point.
Before I begin showcasing Gray’s development, I’d like to recommend everyone read this post: Juvia isn’t a stalker. The message of Gruvia is not “stalk someone so much until they love you back”. Rather, it’s more along the lines of “love can turn someone’s life around”. Mashima has only ever portrayed Juvia’s love for Gray as a positive thing for both characters.
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 Gray’s 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, it’s further proof that Gruvia isn’t all humor.
Now, let’s take a look at how Gray’s 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 long… ^^’
How Gray Fullbuster fell in love with Juvia Lockser.
Self explanatory—Gray 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.
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 doesn’t 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 the “element 4″ girl at the end, and Gray responds, “Oh, Juvia. She went home.” as well as mentioning she wants to join Fairy Tail.
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.
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 didn’t 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 Acnologia’s attack. And of course, Meredy’s sensory link would not have worked if they weren’t close; she even comments to Ultear that Juvia is close to Gray. Like clockwork, Gray swoops in and saves Juvia from Ultear’s 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 Juvia’s strong bond and teamwork that is unmatched. Gray would have accepted Juvia’s lunch date request if not for Lyon and his ridiculous bet that Gray didn’t 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 it’s warm with a smile, one of the biggest signs his romantic feelings for her are growing.
When Juvia offers Gray her “Gray-bread”, the only reason he didn’t want to eat it was because it had his face on it, hence why Juvia also made “Juvi-bread” too. Watching the interaction, Cana comments that she thought Gray shot Juvia down before, a reminder of his so called “rejection” right after the GMG. She notes that Gray’s actions (eating the bread Juvia made and being affectionate with her) contradict that “rejection”. Mirajane also affirms this, stating it’s back to status quo, confirming the “rejection” was indeed a red herring as nothing negative has changed between Gray and Juvia. Basically, Mashima was telling us to forget that “rejection” even happened. Further evidence that “rejection” meant nothing includes what happened following the bread scene; everything in the Tartaros arc and beyond. Gray holding Juvia’s hand stating “I’m here with you” is very intimate. Juvia having a significant panel/presence in Gray’s mind before attempting iced shell. Gray’s father, Silver, asked if Juvia was Gray’s 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 “stalker” would ever do. But he didn’t 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 the “friends” 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 other’s 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 that’s 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 Gray’s 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 she’s always with him. “I’m grateful to have you. You’re always by my side”. 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 an “answer” (which is presumed to be about his feelings for her) after the battle is over. He would not be saying this if his answer was “no” or if he didn’t have feelings for her. He would not make Juvia wait around for another “rejection”, that makes no sense whatsoever. Anyway, most people agree at this point Gray loves Juvia romantically.
During their fight with Invel is when it’s 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 said 「仲間を…いや…お前をキズつけたくない…」 “I don’t want to hurt a friend… no… I don’t want to hurt YOU”, “Nakama wo… Iya… Omae wo kizutsuketakunai”, he starts to say “comrade”, but then corrects himself (he actually says “no”), indicating Juvia is more than a comrade. The direct word order would be “A friend… no… it’s YOU I don’t want to hurt”. So now we have the word part down, let’s talk briefly about Gray’s 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; Gray’s screams of agony and tears upon thinking Juvia died, holding her close, begging her to wake up, beating Invel’s ass in rage mode, blaming Natsu (the book of demons) for taking Juvia away, and his passing out from relief of seeing her alive… that’s love. Period.
As for Gray’s “answer” 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 he’s not strong enough to protect Juvia yet.
Onto the final chapter of Fairy Tail… I felt it could have been handled better, but I won’t get into detail. The point is, in Mashima’s mind, Gruvia was canon. The west and Japan have very different ideas of what “canon” is. See post: What the word “canon” actually means (Japan vs The West). Japanese fans consider “canon” couples to have clearly defined mutual feelings or are extremely obvious. Meanwhile, the west needs “canon” 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 said “Your body is mine”, but what he meant was “you’re mine”, 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 chapter 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 Gruvia’s canon moment, before the sequel arrived that is…
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 too “lovey” about Juvia must not have paid attention beforehand. Because Gray loving Juvia isn’t out of left field, it makes total sense given the development up til this point. Gray is more open about his feelings now. It’s wonderful character development.
This is the official sequel to Fairy Tail, taking place directly after the original left off. Hiro Mashima writes the story/draws the storyboard, meaning he creates the plot, rough drafts, and character’s lines. Since he’s very busy, he doesn’t have time to ink it too, so Atsuo Ueda does the art, which is very similar to Mashima’s as well. Mashima also promotes/endorses it on twitter and other places. 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 on…
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 was “ren’ai ne…/love, huh…” 恋愛 (ren’ai) = specifically romantic love.
Following this, we see Gray interact with Juvina, Juvia’s doppelgänger from Fairy Nail. The point of this chapter was to take a look inside Gray’s heart, and for him to gain insight on how Juvia might actually feel waiting around for him. Juvina pointed out some key factors: Gray’s unhappy face thinking about her being a topless dancer because he doesn’t want other men seeing the woman he loves naked, the fact that he did not deny he loves Juvia, that Juvia won’t 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 said “I don’t hate you!” (about Juvia) right in this very chapter. He then proceeds to say Juvia means the world to him, but he doesn’t think he’s 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 won’t wait for him forever, Gray says he knows that and so that’s why he wants more confidence in himself. Juvia’s 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, “And then I swear I’ll make her mine/And go get Juvia no matter what” 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 wasn’t 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 of “she’s my power/strength to live” is “because there is you, I am living”. After they win, Gray pulls Juvia in for a hug, saying he’s glad she’s safe while holding that typical Gray pout and tsundere blush. After the battle with Aldoron is over, Gray affectionally returned Juvia’s embrace in front of his guild mates, much to their surprise.
Edo Gruvia has a son, Greige. His name is actually very meaningful, as it’s a color (combines the colors grey and beige) like Gray and Silver, and a combination of Gray and Juvia’s 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 Gray’s heart. He also thought about Juvia before battling neko-Wendy, who teased him about being concerned over her.
Gray’s fantasy speaks for itself. It’s 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 can’t because it’s just a dream. Gray breaks out of that false reality, stating he doesn’t need to be happy. He wants to make JUVIA happy. Gray is saying he doesn’t 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 Juvia’s feelings above his own. Luckily… 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 like… a fool. Gray wouldn’t imagine a happy life with Juvia, and having a son with her if he didn’t love her.
And in this dream, Juvia is completely in character. Even her “love rival” mode. Gray loves Juvia the way she is. She appears in Gray’s 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 his “power to live” 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 returned… but then he vanished. lol. Of course, Mashima/Ueda can’t be that nice, haha.
I know it was very long, but I hope this meta did it’s job of showcasing Gray’s 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 it’s set up that way), and the hopefully eventual arrival of Earthland Greige!
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