NaLu analysis: if he wasn't there...

I know the question may confuse some readers, specially those who know Natsu is one of my favorite characters. But, I'll put it into context:

Some shippers said something along the lines of "if only Natsu wasn't there"

Why? Mainly because they want to hype other characters as "love interests" for Lucy, but have enough awareness to realize Lucy's bond with Natsu is a cut above the rest. So, the best way these shippers find to hype a premise that contradicts the story, characterization, and NaLu, is to remove Natsu out of the equation.

But, is Natsu truly the only obstacle for other characters to get as close as he is to Lucy?

Let us look at some key moments to find out if Natsu's absence would make a real difference.

First moment we're going to consider is taken from the sequel...

...while both Gray and Erza are quick to join Natsu's attack on the water dragon god, Lucy is the only one who noticed something was wrong with Natsu and his behavior after he got his new power-up. Seeing Natsu's character change, while Gray and Erza didn't even notice, shows us how she has a remarkable understanding of Natsu's personality, which proves how close she got to him, how much she focuses on him, and how he can have a notable effect on Lucy

Was Natsu taking attention Lucy would give to other character if he didn't exist there? Context says otherwise, because none of the characters present did something that could affect Lucy in the same way Natsu did.

Now, let's go way back to the post-Tartaros plot...

...do you remember Lucy's insecurities about the future of their disbanded guild. Who dragged her along to reunite Fairy Tail? Who kept her doubts at bay by constantly reassuring they'll get the guild back together? It was Natsu

But, how would've this played out if Natsu didn't exist? Was Natsu being an obstacle for another potential love interest? Lucy would track her guildmates, but before getting hope from Natsu's impetus, she didn't try to seek them out herself. And none of her guildmates motivated her to take the trip to find them. Only Natsu could give her the push she needed to go on that journey.

We go back to the Grand Magic Games, and we find two moments I'd like to highlight...

...this one is pretty straightforward. A display of emotional chemistry in which Natsu comforts Future Lucy. She felt so insecure that she doubted people would take her words seriously, but Natsu reassured her that no matter what they would believe in her, and went the extra mile to give her the relief and support that she neeeded so much

Now, how would've this played out if Natsu wasn't there? Was he being an obstacle for someone else to have that moment with Future Lucy? This one is a little difficult, some shippers may argue there are guys who have a "spark" with Lucy who could reassure her too. And other more reasonable fans would say Mira or Wendy could tell Lucy they believe her words. But, the guys hyped up by shippers and Mira/Wendy wouldn't have the same potent effect on Lucy. How do we know this?

Recall when Natsu was about to stomp two Dragon Slayers for what their "comrade" did to Lucy. Pay attention to who's among the crowd watching, and how she reacts...

...Natsu is the one who prompts the emotional response highligthed by the manga. So, narratively speaking, Future Lucy is going to respond strongly to the person she watched in that moment. Did the manga highlighted such a response to any of the "love interests" shippers overhype? No, her chemistry with Natsu is part of the reason why that moment is so memorable

The other GMG scene we'll mention is the aftermath of Lucy Vs. Flare...

...right after Lucy breaks down in the middle of the field, the only one who approached her and gave her both comfort and encourage her was Natsu. Another display of emotional chemistry, a partner providing with emotional support when needed.

Was Natsu taking another character's spotlight in this scene? Would someone with a "spark" with Lucy be there to pull this off?

There's no manga evidence suggesting that would be the case. Natsu wasn't being an obstacle, the scene played out in this way because that's the relationship he has with Lucy. Claiming that other character could replicate this moment, and the consistent bonding that serves as a foundation for it, it would be like saying "I want NaLu, but slap the face of my favorite character in Natsu's during their moments"

That would prove NaLu is unmatched in this scene, and the only way other premises have to keep up is do exactly what NaLu pulled off in this moment

Before this post becomes too long, I'll bring up one last moment...

...those who know me probably saw this coming. Lucy was excited to see the rainbow cherry blossom trees, but got sick at the time of the festival so she couldn't go a see it. We then see a contrast between all of her guildmates having a good time and Natsu, who was the most affected by Lucy's situation. And we all know what he did to make Lucy happy.

I don't think we need to ask if Natsu prevented someone else from comforting Lucy and drawing closer to her; because we get a pretty clear panel of most of the guild partying without worries, while Natsu doesn't stop thinking about Lucy.

If we were to remove him we wouldn't have another guy having a "spark" with Lucy, or someone else comforting her. It was always meant to be Natsu

There are many other moments, and I'm sure some NaLu fans out there can point them out, but that's all I'm going to bring for now. And now, a little bonus before going to the conclusion: if Natsu wasn't there in the first chapter, Lucy wouldn't be in Fairy Tail.

Shippers may say Lucy has a "spark" with someone else, and Natsu is the obstacle that prevents the other character from getting Lucy. They could say or imply that NaLu is only a thing because they're the hero and the heroine, and their relationship is lacking, unlike the other choices Lucy has

Those people ignore how the story crafts and highlights the solid chemistry and emotional attachment that makes the bond between Natsu and Lucy a potent relationship with the capability to grow into something stronger. Their best moments show they're each other's best choice.

Analysis of shipping: breaking down inter-series comparisons

My last analysis focused on in-universe pairing comparisons, and now we'll talk about a similar topic: inter-series comparisons made by LuHan wankers.

This is a variation of the argument "every is Dragon Ball," or its more modern iteration "every anime is Naruto." This kind of statements ignore the fact a lot of anime series have an identity of their own, as well as how each author has a different focus and offers his/her own takes on story/character tropes. I briefly mentioned this argument in a previous post.

Before delving a little deeper into this subject, I'll to clear up a few things.

I know I rarely mention any other pairings in my analyses aside from LuNa and NaLu. I typically avoid talking about other pairings from series such as Naruto, Bleach, My Hero Academia, etc. because there's no consensus among LuNa and/or NaLu fans on which premise is the better in each of these manga series, and I'd like to avoid getting involved in any potential drama coming from those fandoms.

I know it sounds somewhat contradicting, given I've been very vocal when critiquing several shippers' "sacred cow," and the people who claim to support potent relationships while actively endorsing nonsense. But, the difference here is the fact other series' pairings do not necessarily contradict or downplay the premise of LuNa/NaLu, nor negatively impact Oda's and Mashima's works.

Fans who consistently support LuNa and/or NaLu either love or hate some of the relationships I'll be mentioning, so I'll try to use the elements that are less likely to produce controversy (or stick only to the most important aspects), while still helping us to make our point.
 
With that out of the way, let's get started

Dragon Ball: Goku and Chichi
 
Our first stop is Dragon Ball. Shallow shippers claim Hancock is Chichi, so she'll end up with the hero, just like Chichi did. People who use this argument ignore a couple of important things.

First fact: Hancock is also known as the "Snake Princess" (Jap: 蛇姫, Hebihime), and DBZ had one of their own long before Oda began his manga career:

This character is also known as the "Snake Princess" (Jap: 蛇姫, Hebihime), even though the dub went with "Princess Snake." To make things short, as Goku was making his way to King Kai's planet, he meets this snake lady who becomes smitten by him, tries to seduce Goku, and ultimately fails because he already had a wife and a kid.

It's interesting that a lot of shippers, which include fandom wiki editors and twitter users, actively ignore the existence of this character and her more than obvious connection to Hancock. But, that's not the only thing they ignore

Over the course of the series, we see that Chichi is not the cute subservient waifu shippers try to sell. She openly and passionately questions Goku's actions and antics: 

img]https://i.imgur.com/GVM1wJL.jpg[/i

Her temper and attitude are not consistent with the submissive and unquestioning person Hancock becomes when she goes lovestruck mode. They're more consistent with someone who challenges and openly questions their partner. Similar to a fiery character we all know...

Note: while Hancock is usually more composed, impervious to most things, and seemingly ready for anything while boasting her status and power (something that makes her quite appealing to fans), she becomes a subservient and overly compliant girl when it comes to the hero. Which, as explained here, is not consistent with the comparison they try to make

Third, both snake princesses likely take inspiration from the same yokai: Kiyohime

Art by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1890)

There are multiple versions of this folk tale, some of even them include a lot of details exclusive to them, but to keep things easy to understand, here's the basis of the story:

A woman who falls in love with a monk, but when he rejects her, she becomes a serpent creature to kill the monk. 

While Boa Hancock's appearance matches the traditional depiction of this yokai, or at the very least Tsukioka's depiction, DBZ's princess snake is the one who follows the most similar story (Goku will never return her feelings, so she ends up transforming into a serpent to attack the hero). The most notable similarity between the 3 characters is the theme of unrequited love

Lastly, some people already know Oda's comments, but it seems we need to word them out in way they get the point they've been missing:

Oda told one of his editors that he doesn't intend to follow the same overly simplistic story that Dragon Ball is known for in Japan. That is consistent with his previous statement of writing a dramatic story because he knew One Piece wouldn't stand a chance against the likes of Dragon Ball as a mere fighting manga.

In fact, by his own admission, the author wants to "focus on the human relationships and emotions of the characters." Which can be seen in how the series handles actual romance to enhance the emotional narrative and add layers of depth that make the character's struggles a lot more compelling. Instead of something simplistic or childish, we get something deep and meaningful. Running gags and jokes don't hold enough weight to replicate this effect, let alone build up or deepen a bond.

Still, sticking to the idea of inter-series comparisons in this regard is like saying that if One Piece is merely doing what DBZ did in its time, then the hero won't end with the snake lady. So, no matter how you look at it, any time LuNa detractors use DBZ as an argument, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

Bleach: Ichigo and Orihime

More often than not, a manga hero ends up with the character filling the role of heroine for the story. It's something so common in japanese storytelling, that the Viewtiful Joe anime even highlights this trope.

In the case of Bleach, shallow shippers claim that Luffy is Ichigo, and Orihime is Hancock. One of the comparisons made between the girls is that their names include an "H." As if that's something important for an official shonen couple... Yoh/Anna, Kenshin/Kaoru, and  Edward/Winry sent their regards

Also, there's the problem with the personalities. Orihime is an energetic, air-headed, kind and polite young girl. While Ichigo's character is defined by his chronic hero syndrome

The difference is clear, when you see Hancock is both arrogant and petty, and she's less likely to be polite and friendly with anyone not named Luffy and her sisters. Meanwhile, Luffy's character is defined by his neverending search for freedom and adventure.

The only similarities between them is Ichigo being the protagonist, and Orihime's "interest" in Ichigo.

However, people who make this argument, forget another important detail: what's the role of Orihime's character according to the author?

As explained in the post linked earlier, while Rukia was deemed as a "pal," Orihime was considered the "heroine."

So, even if we were to ignore the flaws in this argument and say that Oda would follow the same path as Kubo, we would be making the statement of the One Piece hero ending up with the "heroine." Oda gave a character the role of "heroine" of his manga, and he confirmed that fact twice. Spoiler alert: that "heroine" is not Boa Hancock

So, this argument is actually detrimental to the shallow pairing some shippers want to promote.

Naruto and Hinata

I've been avoiding this one for years, and I'll finally let it out of my system. This part was going to be a short analysis on the movie "The Last," but I repurposed it to fit this post.

I won't waste time debunking the so-called "similarities" between the characters. Instead, we're going to focus on the game-changer: 

To craft a relationship, any decent writer would have to rely on impactful moments as motivation for the characters to grow closer to each other. This is the bare minimum for good writing

Keeping that in mind, what's the catalyst for the relationship between Naruto and Hinata? The genjutsu lake that trapped the movie cast in their memories...

 

The writer used this plot device so the moments the characters had, and their shared experiences, could have an impact powerful enough for Naruto to fall for Hinata. Regardless of how effective it was from a storytelling standpoint, that was the writer's intent

How is this relevant to the comparison LuNa detractors make? Well, think about the moments the writer used. Are they part of an actual emotional narrative or mere jokes to make readers laugh? Are they significant moments or gags that have little to no weight in the story and characters?

 

Even if we were to include anime filler, LuNa detractors have no moments that could fit into those memory orbs. And regardless of what critics think of Naruto, the movie acknowledged you need impactful moments to build a relationship, and that's something a shallow pairing lacks.

So, arguing that NaruHina is the "precedent" the One Piece author will follow is like arguing that the pairing that can better fit those orbs is the right choice for Luffy. Paradoxically, Luffy had moments with Nami that are deep and impactful, while he lacks such interactions with the snake princess.

So, what's the conclusion of this analysis?

Relying on inter-series comparisons is something that shippers do when their home series doesn't offer anything substancial for their pairing; it ignores how not every author writes the same story and characters; and even if we were to humor them, using these comparisons is more of a harm than a benefit to their cause. In fact, we could argue some of them can actually back up LuNa as the most logical and realitistic outcome.

Unlike shallow pairings carried by hype, LuNa does have the moments, and the actual chemistry, to get a relationship upgrade that feels both earned and real without unsettling neither character or story.

So, next time you see someone justifying a pairing by using other series instead of moments or actual bonding, you know that person doesn't have a real argument.

LuNa analysis: parallels in-universe

Some people have been making some ridiculous comparisons between pairings in an attempt to justify incredibly shallow premises

So, with a little help from experienced readers, I bring to you a small analysis on 3 different relationships that have several parallels with LuNa, you may take it as counter-argument to shippers

LuNa and Saboala:

This one is the easiest to break down because it showcase the dynamic favored by the author in the case of certain characters. Despite being far smarter than Luffy, Sabo is still quite reckless and impulsive, mirroring Luffy's own reckless and hasty attitude:

Something interesting is that Koala's background is like an subversion of Nami's past: while Nami was enslaved and tormented by fishmen (Arlong Pirates) and freed by humans (Luffy and the crew), Koala was enslaved and tormented by humans (Celestial dragons) and freed by a fishman (Fisher Tiger); while Nami was forced to join Arlong's crew, Koala traveled with the Sun Pirates only due to a request to take her home; and both of them ended up with a permanent mark replacing a former mark of enslavement as a result of their interaction with fishmen.

However, their personalities seem to be somewhat similar as in both of them have quite a temper, which shows itself in their dynamic with Sabo and Luffy. Koala is the one trying to keep Sabo's own recklessness in check, and function as a voice of reason challenging his decisions. Similar to what Nami does with Luffy:

Even if they scolds their respecitve partners, they still care a great deal about them, and can still display through their physical language how comfortable they are with each other, and how much trust they put in one another.

One of the issues here is that while LuNa had hundreds of chapter worth of bonding at this point, we're introduced to Saboala without prior build-up. Instead we just get a dynamic similar to LuNa... However, some may not like this comparison because Saboala (just like LuNa) is a potent relationship as of now. Do we have a canon relationship similar to LuNa?

LuNa and ToDen

I thank my pals (loyal One Piece fans) for helping with this one, because I had a hard time finding the similarites by myself. The comparison personality-wise works with Luffy and Oden, how so?

While there some differences, both share a strong adventurous spirit. Evidence of this can be found in Oden's multiple attempts to set sail away from Wano because the country felt too "cramped" for him; his dream was to venture the world, see and experience everything outside Wano.

Similar to Luffy, Oden's intense desire for adventure often led him to recklessly run straight into danger without thinking. And while they both seem selfish in some of their actions, at the end they're kind and compassionate individuals who help those in need when given the chance.

However, the rest of this comparison is mostly situational. Instead of relying on character dynamics, it calls back to similar moments found in LuNa, you may find it odd, but Oda opened that door years ago as you'll see in the bonus.

The girls having a moment in which they doubt these guys are human, when seeing and constrasting the shape of the guys' bodies and the way they recover, is one of those similar situations. But, the most notable would be this one...

...when both girls felt remarkably ill, in order to not hold the crew back, they prioritized the journey of heroes over their condition. While the context and decisions taken may be different, the situation is kind of similar: the resolve of both women was to keep the guys moving forward to complete their goal, no matter what.

Bonus points for including both girls scolding their partners...

...something they share with Koala as we've seen before; they're not accepting every stupid or reckless the guys do, they'll voice their objections and even question their choices when necessary. That is something important because many people still think a pairing dynamic requires a woman to become extremely subservient instead of being an actual partner.

To some people, a mostly situational parallel may seem odd, but Oda opened this door with an interesting choice he made, which we're going to highlight in the bonus:

BONUS: LuffyxNami and TesoroxStella

Similar to Toden, this parallel doesn't offer much when it comes to dynamic or characterization. But, it does have something when it comes to similar situations.

I'll give a brief summary for those who are not up to date. Multiple sources, including an interview with the writer and direcetor of One Piece Film: GOLD confirm Oda remade the climax of the movie, which include a situational parallel between LuNa and TesoroxStella...

To have a full context on Tesoro and Stella history and relationship some may need to read Volume 777 (the free volume given to the first japanese attendees of the theatrical release). But, to make things short, Tesoro and Stella were lovers. She was a slave who got taken away by a noble while Tesoro could only watch helplessly

Just as Tesoro took Nami and decided to mock her faith in Luffy, the strawhat captain captain's expression made him recall his past self, making him realize for a brief moment he's putting Luffy in the same situation he was when Stella was sold to the celestial dragons.

So, we got 3 parallels to LuNa: one of them is a potent relationship at best, while the other two are canon relationships; one of these canon relationships was actually compared to LuNa in-universe thanks to Oda. However, relying solely on parallels doesn't cut it. A pairing with the potential to evolve doesn't solely depend on parallels with other bonds. Sure, it helps to solidify their position from meta perspective, but what ultimately makes LuNa so solid is their meaningful moments beyond inconsequential gags, and their consistent growth throughout the story.

Saboala may have a dynamic similar to LuNa; Oden and Toki as well as Tesoro and Stella went through similar scenarios, but the bond between Luffy and Nami is far more than these similarities and comparisons...

...it's the organic development of a strong companionship through shared experiences and solid chemistry.

My next One Piece post will show how inter-series comparison do more harm than good to shallow premises. Not sure, when I'm going to publish it, given I still have a couple of NaLu posts to make, but I'll make that analysis for sure. 

Analysis of shipping: NaLu Vs. Hype II

I've been playing a lot of Genshin Impact, so this post took me longer than anticipated. It also didn't help I had to rewrite it (and remove some pics) to focus more on NaLu instead of Gruvia. My bad!

So, the recent rematches in the Fairy Tail sequel had led several shippers to promote some odd arguments, such as chapter 82 and 85 proving a crack pairing would outmatch NaLu if it wasn't for Gruvia. Do these claims hold up when taking a look at the story? Let's test that:

The argument itself implies two things: 

1) The moments displayed hold more weight than the NaLu bonding as whole

2)  NaLu is completely dependent on Gruvia, as in, without that pairing, NaLu would've never gotten so many moments throughout the story

Are these reasonings factually correct? First, let's see what's the basis of shippers' argument. The first panel hyped by shippers from chapter 82, it's the characters getting ready to engage in battle with their respective opponent. While they ended up fighting solo battles, some people hyped the panel as shipping material and the proof of impactful teamwork

As explained in a previous analysis, this is a huge deal for shippers as one remarkable trait of Gruvia is their cohesive teamwork born out of their strong emotional connection, not to mention the NaLu teamwork, with the way they quickly adapt and respond to one another, actually inspired Mavis to think of romance

So, it's obvious that chapter 82 didn't add anything of substance that would make shippers' premise outmatch NaLu. What about chapter 85? 

The overhyped panels from that chapter were a fan favorite helping a tired Lucy on her feet to return to their guildmates. Shippers claimed these moments show they would be lovers if it wasn't for Gruvia, which also implies these showings not only match every NaLu moment we've seen so far, they're also far more impactful than anything Lucy shared with Natsu. That's what shippers try to sell...

Is it true?

Let's go back to the GMG arc. When Lucy was crying on the ground due to how she was done dirty in her match against Flare, Natsu was the one who went to her not only help Lucy get her back on her feet, but also to comfort her and cheer her up. 

Natsu offered not only physical but also much needed emotional support. Does chapter 85 featured something superior to this moment? Did their chemistry depended on Gruvia being a thing?

Let us go back to another iconic NaLu moment...

...Lucy was sad and pained at the loss of her new friend. And who's the person who gave her relief and comfort when she needed it the most? Can we say any of the scenes shippers were hyping so much is above this moment in terms of impact and significance? 

That's the reason why I don't support anyone who rates a crack ship above NaLu, even if said shippers do a lot of END-infected Lucy edits, but I digress. So, if none of these arguments hold up, then why would shippers make such a bold statement? Maybe the reason are not the moments, but the character, shippers want for Lucy, and how his fans percieve him.

Natsu is proving to be more dense and inexperienced, when it comes to romance, than many people expected. So, shippers now don't see him as someone worthy of Lucy. Instead, they choose to hype her interactions with someone who's now far more romantic... for another girl

This also showcase ignorance on readers' part given that the character they're hyping wasn't always a romantic; their guy wasn't very open about romantic love, he usually tried to avoid such a subject, and even got briefly embarrassed into silence because of it during the GMG arc.

It was only due to his beloved's active effort in breaking through his emotional barriers that he became the romantic he is now. Shippers merely assume he would be this romantic with Lucy, without any of the effort needed to get through his emotional walls, which also shows shippers forget how shy and passive Lucy is when it comes to romantic love

However, we should remember that when all is said and done, Lucy would choose Natsu over physical looks or commonalities. Do I need to remind you of how the omake "Day of the Fated Encounter" ended:

Lucy chose Natsu's thoughtfulness and kindness, instead of dating someone who was good-looking and shared similar interests with her. 

Natsu may not be as romantic as the guy shippers love to hype. But, despite all his flaws, he's still Lucy's most consistent choice. 

They bonded and their relationship grew stronger, not because of Gruvia, but because both chose to draw closer and closer to each other.

NaLu analysis: tension and shipping

Recently some shippers brought up an interesting concept: "Tension." Which led to question, what does "tension" means in the context of relationships? Doesn't NaLu have this element in their bonding?

Let's start by answering, what's tension?

It seems some people deliberately leave it vague as they don't specify if it is "romantic tension" or "sexual tension." So, we're going to briefly explore both concepts to see if we find either something from other premises that doesn't belong in NaLu, or something matching their relationship and growth so far.

Let's start by assuming shippers use the term as Romantic Tension

There are a lot of concepts and factors involved, but to make it simple we can define "romantic tension" as the anticipation produced by the way two characters gravitate towards each other before their eventual relationship upgrade. Such interactions usually have some uniqueness to them, and depending on the writer and the characters, it may include a mix of both nervousness and excitement.

We have to make clear appearing in the panel/frame or having the same reaction to certain things or events is not 'gravitating toward each other,' so those scenes don't count as "tension."

What does count as romantic tension?

So, which girl does Natsu gravitate towards the most?

It's kinda hard to miss that since the story started Natsu, slowly but surely, developed a strong attachment to Lucy. It started with Natsu doing what he never did during his whole life in the guild: form a team

They kept growing so close they eventually got the point that he sticks to her, even when having the choice to make up for the lost time with his childhood friend by the time of the GMG arc...

...to the point when having to choose between the thrill of battle in the magic games or going on a secret mission to rescue Lucy, he easily chose Lucy.

Bonus points for Lucy getting both a little blushed while overjoyed when she got to know about it. The story also highlights that the one who, more often than not, stays in Lucy's house and patiently waiting for her return...

He tends to go to Lucy's home more often that anyone else, and that special chapter revealed he just does it because he wants to be her. 

Also, who was the first person he wanted to go with him to battle Hades?

...and as Lisanna predicted, he even drew strength from the fact Lucy was by his side even when everyone else was losing hope

Before the Alvarez battle started, who did Natsu choose to spend the night with?

The one who actually got him to talk about the future and rationalize the thrill he feels in battle was Lucy. More often than not, Natsu tends to gravitate towards her, and that's part of the reason why some of the most meaningful moments come up naturally without any of them being out of character. So, we can say there's some sort of tension there

But, what about Lucy?

Well, after sharing so much with Natsu she began to feel attached to him too. But, the most notable showings are the ones who showcase the emotional chemistry between the characters. Think about this: who did she turned when needing relief...

At the finale of the GMG arc, who did she run to when overwhelmed by, according to the narrative, a warm feeling dwelling in her chest?

Her first impulse was going to Natsu, and it doesn't feel forced at all given the context around the moment; feeling trascending space and time, but ultimately Lucy's own feelings, draw her to Natsu. Before the guild disbanded, who did Lucy run after?

Notice that despite having many guildmates, who are practically her family, it's the prospect of Natsu's absence what would make her feel lonely even if the guild were to be there for her. Still, after the disbandment was announced, she didn't run after any other guild member.

Who did she stick to after the events of HEROs? Who did she seek to prank her new friend? And who did she stay with the rest of their time?

It should be clear by now that the one person Lucy gravitates towards the most is Natsu. So, it's only logical to conclude there's "tension" between them as these unique interactions create some sort of suspense or hype around their bond and its potential to grow and evolve.

Still, we have another term to cover: Sexual Tension

It's not the first time I tackled this subject. Sexual tension occurs when two characters have sexual desires for each other, but they either hold back or never act on those urges. It's also used to create anticipation, since the only resolve that tension is for the character to get "intimate" with the person they desire

Ok, it sounds crazy given the manga already told us that neither Natsu or Lucy have much experience with love, as well as how their responses to the subject. E.g. recall how Lucy reacts to the prospect of having a child with Natsu?

But, we can use a loophole: Drunk Lucy. It started in a OVA, made it into the manga, and stayed here with us.

When Lucy gets drunk, the only target of her rather suggestive "affection"  is Matsu

As for Natsu. Oddly enough, it's difficult to find Natsu "horny" even during fanservice involving NaLu. Some omakes may do the trick. But, the closest thing we got in the main storyline is feeling "good" when having Yokai Lucy firmly wrapped around him:

If we were to use those rare moments, we could say Natsu may be attracted to Lucy in more ways than one. So, despite how oblivious Natsu is, and how shy Lucy gets with the subject at hand, it's possible to argue there's some sort of "tension" in this regard

But, this is merely a small bonus. The true strength of NaLu is in the first kind of tension mentioned here, which is further enhanced by the solid chemistry they have

A lively and exciting dynamic made even more special due to the emotional attachment they cultivated for one another

Bonus:

Still, it's actually interesting shippers use similar arguments to promote premises that contradict NaLu. It's not uncommon to find fans claiming that NaLu will be canon because Mashima said so, and because Juvia survived the Alvarez arc, while stating Lucy has "tension" with other guy(s).

So, if Mashima hadn't commented on Natsu and Lucy being the most "suitable" paring, and/or had Juvia died on the Alvarez arc, then NaLu wouldn't have a chance? Does the pairing depends on author's commentary and Juvia's well-being? That makes NaLu sound forced

And when it comes to the claims of tension. Recall the definition(s)? So, according to shippers, Lucy will end up with Natsu, but she gravitates towards someone else, probably because she feels sexual desire for this person, and the only way to resolve that kind of tension is having sex with the other guy... That doesn't make any sense

The issue is that Natsu doesn't fit the romantic cliché several shippers want. He's too quirky and dorky, he doesn't throw corny or cheesy one-liners, and he's not actively seeking romance for he's inexperienced in that particular field. But, even without clichés, he bonded with Lucy to the point of being completely comfortable with the child he could potentially have with Lucy: Nasha

To the point of offering most of what a relationship needs to grow into something stronger and deeper, as explained in another analysis, Natsu provides Lucy with a sense of adventure that brings her joy and excitment as well as giving her both emotional and practical support 

All of these are traits that make romantic relationships prosper. The more you break down the reasoning shippers present, the less sense it makes. For example, did Natsu's meaningful gestures to Lucy depended on Mashima's commentary?

Did their most powerful moments happened only because Juvia served as some sort of deterrent to other premises?

Shippers may say or imply that's case. But, what the author's works convey is something entirely different. Their bond is stronger, not because of Juvia or interviews, its strength comes from the chemistry they built through the profound effect the had on each other. The tension they have, it's only there to keep us waiting for their eventual relationship upgrade.