NaLu Analysis: Delusions Vs. Realities

 Original post: August, 2018

There was a time when Juvia’s fantasies fueled other people’s fantasies. The irony was abundant in this matter because it happened in the same arc that provided with a lot of NaLu material from start to finish

But if we look back at it, one of her most notable paranoid delusions gave us an interesting contrast as well as some points of comparison that shows how some NaLu moments stand out from other premises

First, we see how Lucy had no problem in dismissing claims of some deeper affection for someone like Gray but gets all flustered when someone talks about her relationship with Natsu

Reaction to Juvia’s delusion…

…Lucy’s reaction to someone talking about the depth of her feelings for Natsu…

Lucy’s response shows she indeed has deeper feelings for Natsu. Although most readers don’t need to be told about it as sometimes the manga and the author’s works provide with enough material for anyone to reach that conclusion on their own

Shippers usually avoid talking about such contrast because it shatters their expectations regarding Lucy falling for some cool good-looking guy aside from Natsu, or getting multiple partners (something like a harem). As of now it also serves as a reminder of how the arguments and commonalities many wankers relied on led absolutely nowhere when it came to bonding or development.

The next bit is a comparison between a scene from Juvia’s delusion and something that actually happened in the story.

Juvia pictured the dreamy expression Lucy would have if she were to try stealing her beloved’s heart

As shown in the manga, the scenario in Juvia’s mind never happened and the characters aren’t interested in making it happened. However, Lucy made a similar dreamy expression in chapter 545 when having a moment with Natsu…

This ties into something we recently saw in the Fairy Tail sequel. When Virgo questioned Lucy about her reasons to follow Natsu and get involved in the 100-years quest, she gave us an interesting answer:

She claimed she joined Natsu’s journey due to a sudden impulse or desire without putting too much thought on the matter. She acted on a whim that was born from an emotional moment she was having with Natsu…

The bond we’ve seen in NaLu proves to have far more meaning and substance than the delusional premises several fans still promote to this day

Hopefully, we’ll get more deep and emotional moments between them in the current story

BONUS:

I want to take this opportunity to address the girl I haven’t mentioned yet: Touka. Some people who support NaLu seemed to be nervous about her, while others see her as the element that could give NaLu the final push it needs.

The story itself is not giving us any reasons to say she could rival the 400+ chapters worth of moments NaLu had. But, I found something worth mentioning about her, and nope! It’s not about the theory of her being a wolf in sheep’s clothing

When she starts “bickering” with Juvia, the water woman list the names of several girls usually shipped with Natsu…

…when Lisanna hears her name in the list, her reaction is somewhat similar to Lucy when she dismissed Juvia’s delusions

So, even when some people still uphold the nostalgia factor and anime filler as something greater than NaLu, the story itself doesn’t even bother to take seriously those less substantial premises, all while the author actively shows his support for the NaLu bonding