NaLu analysis: What do people want from a relationship?

Original post: October, 2019

Someone, once claimed that NaLu cannot evolve into a canon relationship, because Natsu leaving two years ago changes the context of his words at the end of the Alvarez arc: “We’ll be together forever from now on.” Completely disregarding how attached Natsu and Lucy are to one another

Adding to this argument, others claim Natsu will choose Touka over Lucy despite the fact one relationship is far more developed than the other, or how Natsu and Lucy display actual chemistry, something he doesn’t have with his other “love interest.”

Others probably say that since Natsu isn’t actively seeking “romantic love,” only someone actively seeking his affection can be his wife. However, the argument that baffled me the most was the ‘NaLu shouldn’t happen because Lucy doesn’t want romance from Natsu’

I could cheat my way through this matter by merely posting Mashima’s NaLu twits featuring situations that go beyond what “friends” would do, or behaviors that showcase both characters may want something “more” from each other…

…but a potent pairing only needs what the story shows to prove its worth

So, this time around we have some question to answer: what do the characters seek in their relationship? How those that affect their potential to become a canon pairing?

We already know how Lucy became emotionally attached to Natsu. In fact , @decadus already analyzed the moment that “solidified his role in her life”

And we already saw how the story shaped their chemistry from that poin onwards, so after several shared experiences, what does Lucy often seek in Natsu?

We already know she looks for fun and excitement, which she finds with Natsu due to him being a thrill seeker who loves adventures and actively tries to get Lucy involved in them, which provides Lucy with a lot of excitement and joy

This particular point is not something unique to an adventure shonen setting. Some experts at psychology admit that when women are looking for healthy relationships, most of them tend to seek partners that bring fun and a sense of adventure capable of keeping a lively and interesting dynamic

On the other hand, Lucy also seeks comfort and relief in him…

…this is a very relevant point in the development of emotional chemistry. And it’s something that occurs in real life too.

According to a licensed counselor, good relationships are built on some basic and down-to-earth traits or qualities such as loyalty, trust, kindness, and so on. But, one of the tratis women often want from a relationship with a potential partner is emotional and/or practical support.

That could come in the form of small but thoughtful actions or big yet meaningful gestures…

…a potential partner should not only acknowledge the trials and tribulations the girl goes through, but also take action to bring relief, comfort or even reassure her depending on the circumstances

Something that Natsu had done, both passively and actively, for Lucy throughtout the series.

More importantly, Lucy wants companionship from Natsu! An element that keeps most long-term relationships firm and stable.

Without it, romantic partners are less likely to stick together as time goes by. And NaLu had been displaying a deep and strong companionship for ages. A solid chemistry with a strong emotional attachment

When it comes to Natsu himself, we already saw how Lucy also had a profound and tangible effect on him

He not only expressed how “precious” Lucy is to him, more than that we’ve seen how much Natsu values the way Lucy perceives him…

…we’ve seen how lost he would be if forced to face her death…

…we’ve seen how Lucy can be the driving force behind some of his biggest choices…

…we’ve seen how when he lost himself to power, Lucy was the one who could bring him back

Detractors may argue that none of this is explicitly romantic. All while claiming that someone who actually wants “romantic love” should be with Natsu. Or that Lucy should fall for someone far more interesting and better-looking.

People who makes such arguments against NaLu ignore a lot of details and implications inherent to their claims. But, they also ignore two highly relevant points: the first one being that all the traits described here are essential for a romantic relationship to work out, and the second one is context

In the Fairy Tail manga sequel we had one chapter that allowed us to put all of these showings in a new perspective.

Fairy Tail 100 years quest chapter 25 confirmed that…

…the main cast doesn’t have much experience with “romantic love.” And the ones with literally zero experience are Lucy and Natsu.

So, it’s very difficult for a character with little knowledge and/or experience on this field to actively seek romance

But, this revelation gives us something else to consider. The fact, Natsu and Lucy managed to build a relationship that shares so many traits with a healthy romance proves how effortlessly natural this bond feels to both characters

They’ve been spontaneously growing closer and closer over time without realizing how deep and intimate their connection had become.

Yet, despite their “obliviousness” to romantic love. Lucy gets from her relationship with Natsu nearly everything a woman would ask from a romantic partner. On the other had, we saw how Natsu had been growing so attached to Lucy that not only he sees her as someone “precious” to him, they got to the point in which someone like Zeref could comment on how much of an impact Lucy had on Natsu, characters like Mavis could get inspiration from them to formulate a plan based on love, and Natsu himself gets jealous when people flirt with Lucy…

All is set for this potent relationship to evolve.

So, is it necessary for Lucy go all “Touka” over Natsu so this bond may become something else? Obviously not, without getting all lovey-dovey, or even realizing it, Lucy already finds in Natsu all she needs from a partner.

Does Natsu need to actively try to get into Lucy’s pants for NaLu to be a thing? No, he made note-worthy contributions to their relationship’s growth by being himself, not a Casanova Wannabe or a Mr. Fanservice

Any other choice is pretty much underdeveloped or simply implausible from a story-telling point of view.

As quoted in another post:

“Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.”

- Bruce Lee