Gray and Juvia’s Bond Continues Growing in Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest
Even though their relationship had a dramatic start, the relationship between Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser captivated fans with its unique mix of humor, depth, and development. Lovingly dubbed as “Gruvia” by the fans, these two have had many adventures and joint battles, which gave some impressive results. As their powers (ice and water) work well together, they are able to fully support each other in battle and this also extends to their everyday relationship. Although initially avoidant, Gray eventually came around and embraced Juvia as his significant other as evident in the Fairy Tail sequel, the 100 Years Quest. In one of the recent episodes of the currently ongoing anime adaptation, their bond grew even more intense, as they faced Metro, one of Aldoron’s God Seeds.
During the battle, Juvia gets captured and after hearing Gray’s plan she doesn’t hesitate to fully trust him and goes along with it. We all know she is the “pushy” one and one that is “more in love” but it is even more evident that she fully trusts Gray after all this time. She knows that no matter what he does, he will aim to do what is best for them. On his end, Gray tries hard to never fail her trust and he remains a reliable presence in her life, even though he may not always show it.
Their chemistry on-screen is remarkable. I have rarely seen such an amazing and deep bond between two characters, especially in a traditional shonen-action story such as Fairy Tail. When we take into consideration the fact that We can see how well they understand each other now, both in their dialogue and their coordinated moves.
Since their first meeting and their latest fight against Metro, almost 15 years have passed. I believe this is one of the deepest and most developed love relationships we have seen in the anime series so far. Initially, Gray avoided Juvia, keeping his distance from her. Over time, however, he warmed up to Juvia, getting to know her better and learning to trust her enough to let her into his icy heart. It did take a long time but then, love triumphed, as always. They know each other very well now, and their feelings are completely mutual. They indeed each have their own way of expressing their love for each other, but in the end, it’s heartwarming to see them together as they go through Fairy Tail’s adventures.
Their relationship has grown over almost a decade and a half worth of challenges, battles, emotions, and personal moments, making their bond in 100 Years Quest even more strong and impactful for fans.
This is why I love Fairy Tail: you have thrilling adventures, great action mixed with fantasy, true love, ups and downs, good comedy perfectly balanced with the moment, and much more. One thing I was worried about was whether 100 Years Quest still matched the spirit of the original series; not just with Gruvia but in general. And I worried for nothing: the characters are exactly the same in my opinion, we still have funny moments we used to enjoy. Fan service isn’t missing either. You could watch the last episode of Fairy Tail and then immediately continue with the first episode of 100 Years Quest without noticing much of a change, aside from the studio. Speaking of the new studio, J.C. Staff, I’m pretty happy with what they’ve offered so far. Some fans aren’t satisfied, expecting better animation, but on my side, I’m really pleased with what they’ve done (episode 17 is a good example). Character development is on point, and I for one, am especially happy with where Gruvia is now. Hopefully, they keep going in this direction.
Author: Maël Pelletier
