Житомирська

Українки та Українці, робіть реблог і пишіть з якої ви області 💙💛

Закарпатська 🌲

NaLu isn’t “canon” - an unpopular NaLu shipper opinion

So I’ve had these certain ideas floating around in my head for a while now, and I felt it was time to share with the rest of the fandom my thoughts on NaLu and whether or not they are truly “canon”.

Before the final season of the anime aired, and before the 100 year quest spinoff came out, I began to slowly drift away from the fandom a bit. It wasn’t that I stopped liking Fairy Tail, it was merely a case of there was no new content to keep me amused, if that makes sense. Because of this, I began looking at Natsu and Lucy’s relationship in a more realistic manner, rather than a more biased NaLu shipper, like I used to be.

*side note I am not here to bash shippers or say that we’re all biased and crazy, I am simply here to roast myself and my own beliefs*

During the time of the Alvarez arc and as the final chapter drew near, it’s safe to say I was a pretty crazy NaLu shipper; any interaction between them I would obsess over, and I would constantly be searching for signs that they were canon. I still love NaLu with all my heart and soul, however taking a small break from the fandom made me realise something that was probably one of if not the most problematic parts of the final chapter: is NaLu canon?

People were saying there were canon, people were saying they weren’t, the fandom wikipedia pages were constantly being changed to prove people wrong. Let’s be honest, it was a mess. At the time, I gave my opinion on the final chapter and what Natsu and Lucy’s interactions meant, and I still stand by my claims to this day, (if you want to read that analysis, click here).

After calming my shipper heart down for a while, I came to the conclusion that NaLu is not canon. As much as it would have pained my NaLu obsessed heart to hear, I believe it’s true. Now, this may seem an odd thing to say considering I’m a pretty heavy NaLu shipper, so let me explain:

When I say NaLu isn’t canon, I mean that they are not in a relationship. In no way am I saying that is no romantic feelings or connections, because I would be totally lying to myself. We all know that Natsu and Lucy have been endgame since they first met, and the Alvarez arc along with the final chapter really put emphasis on this. The romantic feelings are clear as day, however by the end of the series, they are not canon, because I don’t believe they are in a relationship.

Some fans, including myself at the time, believed them to be canon, but not in a conventional “I love you” “I love you too” kind of way (as quoted from my chapter 545 analysis). Where this is true, Natsu and Lucy certainly are not a conventional pair, this still doesn’t mean they are in a relationship.

I believe that Natsu did confess his feelings that day/chapter, to an extent. As most shippers, including myself, believe, Natsu was planning to admit his feelings to Lucy, after saying:

However, he pussied out of it at the last second, because he was scared. I’m not going to talk about this, as I did a full analysis already, but this chapter and these words are key in figuring out both Natsu and Lucy’s feelings and determining whether or not they are canon.

In all honesty, I just cannot picture Natsu and Lucy in a relationship.

Hear me out.

Of course I can picture them being in love, after all we’ve pretty much seen this within the entirety of the Alvarez arc, however what I cannot picture is them calling each their boyfriend and girlfriend, and being entirely open about their relationship. The reason I cannot picture this, is because this a conventional relationship I am picturing, and NaLu is the complete opposite of that. It is so difficult to comprehend a non-conventional relationship for Natsu and Lucy because of how complex their dynamic is. They aren’t exactly secretive characters, it’s not as if Natsu hides his feelings for Lucy, (after all, everyone in the guild knows them as “Natsu and Lucy”), however he doesn’t go screaming from the rooftops that he is in love with her, nor does he make grand, dramatic gestures to express his love in an obvious, conventional manner. This doesn’t mean to say Natsu doesn’t make gestures though, as demonstrated with the rainbow cherry blossom tree:

NaLu is an incredibly complex ship to deconstruct and figure out, however with careful consideration and analysis from the viewpoint of a crazy shipper to a more realistic shipper, I feel I have figured it out.

In chapter 545, I strongly believe that Natsu and Lucy both made their feelings towards each other clear. Lucy thanked Natsu for all that he had ever done for her, and Natsu, although not explicitly revealing his feelings like he may have planned, reassured Lucy that they would be together forever. Now, this now means that both Natsu and Lucy are aware of one another’s feelings, (to an extent, as I said before they are a complex pair to analyse fully), however, neither of the two are in a state of “okay, let’s become boyfriend and girlfriend”. It simply isn’t in Natsu and Lucy’s nature to do something like that, or more, it isn’t in Hiro Mashima’s nature to make Natsu and Lucy do something like that. Mashima has always kept NaLu’s relationship open to interpretation, and has always told us he views them as “more than friends, less than lovers”, and I feel as though this is the first time I truly understand where he is coming from with that statement.

Natsu and Lucy are way more than friends, that much is obvious to anyone that has seen a single interaction between the pair. They both have these deep feelings towards each other that, despite not letting the world know, don’t do a whole lot to hide it. However, they are not lovers. They don’t kiss, they don’t call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, because it is not in their nature to do so.

NaLu is not a canon ship, because at the end of the series, they are not in a relationship. They are very much in love with each other, I strongly believe that, however they are not in a relationship. I don’t mean for this to come across in a rude way, and in no means am I trying to prove people wrong in their own personal beliefs, I am simply sharing my own opinion on the matter.

Natsu and Lucy are more than friends, but less than lovers, and only time will tell whether it stays that way. We’ll all just have to wait and see how the 100 year quest plays out, and I for one am incredibly excited to see new development within Natsu and Lucy’s relationship. :)

tl;dr: NaLu isn’t canon because they aren’t in a relationship, however they do still hold very romantic feelings towards one another.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I would really love to hear everyone else’s thoughts! :)

188 notes View Post

vilshyk-ft

2 years ago

Late!

Happy Birthday to my precious boy!

43 notes View Post

vilshyk-ft

2 years ago

波に鶴図 Crane and Waves, Edo period, latter half of the 18th century - Tsuruzawa Tansaku Morihiro

2K notes View Post

vilshyk-ft

2 years ago

Natsu, Lucy & The People Around

Remake(updated) of a wonderful post. Unfortunately they've deleted their blog so I couldn't link the main post, instead I'll just link the one I came across with. The original post was probably made prior to the final arc started, judging from the panels used. I'll be adding a lot to this. Let's dive in!

Natsu and Lucy are often called out for being more than best friends by people around them. Their strong connection has always been a highlight, regardless of friends and foes. It's completely natural at this point, it's not just about teasing for fun but what those people interprete Natsu and Lucy's actions towards each other as, what they perceive their connection to be.

The physical aspect of Natsu and Lucy's relationship has earned them the most teasing. Both have showcased clear attraction for each other, with Natsu expressing his desires with actions more often and Lucy being timid about it.

The emotional aspect is heavier though.

They're the centre of each other's attention. Ranging from the weirdest things on earth to his biggest accomplishments, Natsu wants Lucy to know everything about him. He'd bring her greasy food, a frog from Edolas, act like a child while showing her a dragon statue. Uproot an entire tree and flow it down the stream in front of her house. He'd remember the day she joined the guild, remember her favorite color, food and the names of her each spirit and the number of keys she has. In danger his first instinct is to quickly stand before her and make sure she's safe.

Lucy is no different. In any situation Natsu is her top priority. She'd risk her life and push herself to her limit to keep him safe, hold him back from doing anything reckless. She'd rush to catch him when he falls, carry him to the safety forgetting about all other people and all other things.

If one is in pain, the other notices first. Whenever Lucy feels down, Natsu instantly calms her down. Whether it's Lucy doubting herself, feeling sad or scared of anything, crying in pain for loss of someone, Natsu is always there for her. Vice-versa. when Igneel returns, Lucy notices Natsu's distress first. When he worries himself after his sudden transformation against Animus, it's Lucy who comforts him.

They hang out with each other all the time with Natsu openly stating that he loves Lucy's smell and her house. Lucy adores his company too, feels obligated to do jobs with him. They both lean towards each other a lot.

There's a lot of eye-contact and physical contact between Natsu and Lucy, regardless of place. To the point where they can't distinguish between casual talk and flirtation. Looking at each other with flirty eyes, Natsu resting his arm above Lucy's shoulder, laying his head on her lap while nauseous or the other way around, holding her hand to drag her with him to anywhere, warm forehead touches are their language.

They take care of each other outside of physically protecting them, in more than one way. If one is sick, the other sits at their bedside to look after them. Natsu gets Lucy something interesting to write for her story, he picks up jobs on time so her rent isn't due. He shows her stars to make her happy. Lucy lets Natsu sleep in her bed, she takes care of the scarf he cherishes so much, she treats him to meals often and shares her own.

Lucy mirrors Natsu's actions from time to time. She often acts like him. Does soap surfing, draws on his face the way he draws on hers, teases him. She uses his catchphrase too.

All of this doesn't simply go unnoticed by other people, especially those who are close to Natsu and Lucy. They know both of them inside out, hence their remarks are sometimes indication towards what isn't explicitly exposed to us readers.

Starting off with Natsu's family :

Happy and Zeref

Happy has teased Lucy about Loke and Gray (filler), and Natsu about Lisanna (filler) before. When Loke confessed his feelings for Lucy during the Bixlow fight, Happy teased them. I think it's pretty natural, as well as when Gray followed Lucy home to make sure her safety and Happy said he liked Lucy.

In the childhood flashback, Lisanna was pretty vocal about her feelings, that's why her and Natsu were teased by little Happy.

However, he never continued them.

Interesting thing to note that, Happy can differentiate between romantic love and platonic love. He has only ever teased people about their possible love interests. He never joked about Natsu and Erza, despite knowing how close they are, yet he made fun of her and Jellal's almost kiss.

Back to Natsu and Lucy! From some unknown point in the story, Happy only called out Natsu and Lucy for liking each other. Whether it's the physical or the emotional side, Happy never missed to point out anything. In the 100yq, when Natsu and Lucy find themselves into a compromising position again, Happy remarks about how it's not the first time.

Happy's viewpoint matters because not only he's Natsu's best buddy, but also he's very close to Lucy, individually. He has spent a fair share of time with her without Natsu being involved, hence his take on their relationship is significant.

Next is Zeref.

Whilst mentioning the people who are close to Natsu, Zeref emphasized on Lucy the most, even more than Happy who has spent all his life with Natsu. As a matter of fact it was roughly only two years since Natsu and Lucy had met, yet she was said to have already made a great impact on Natsu's upbringing.

At that point, Zeref was aware of everything revolving Natsu since it was one of his battle strategies. Intelligence of the enemy, is what he mentioned to Gray. His comment about Lucy wasn't made out of nowhere, in fact it was what he perceived after his study about Natsu.

I don't need to explain why Zeref's point of view matters. He's Natsu's brother and the one who had created him all those years ago and handed him over to Igneel.

Teammates

Erza once remarked that Natsu can always be found in Lucy's apartment. During the christmas party at Lucy's place, when Lucy got all drunk and flirty with Natsu, Erza paralleled them with the other two canon ships and referred to them as a couple.

In Dragon Cry movie, Natsu asked Lucy how he looked like to her all the while being mere inches apart from her face, Wendy assumed that the two were having romance.

Their outlook matters a lot. Besides each other and Happy, Gray, Erza, Wendy are the closest to Natsu and Lucy. Their perception on the topic is one of the most reliable ones.

The Strauss Sisters

Although Mirajane thinking that Natsu and Lucy were dating was for the tease since the next time she guesses the same for Gray and Lucy, she definitely approves the idea of them together.

In earlier days, she got hold of the keys to Lucy's apartment and gave them to Natsu because he loves spending his time at Lucy's. When asked about who the guys wanted to peek on in onsen, Mirajane assumed that Natsu had been there for Lucy. In response to Lucy's denial, she reminded her of the times Natsu had seen her naked.

Now, Lisanna. The most important among the two.

After only a few days of Lisanna's return, even though she didn't get to know Lucy properly, she quickly realised that Lucy is an integral part of Natsu's life. Even in that short amount of time, Natsu and Lucy's strong bond was visible to her.

Lisanna telling Happy to stick by Natsu's side would make more sense, since Happy is Natsu's best friend and she's closer to him than Lucy. But Lisanna chose to tell Lucy only, to stay close to Natsu instead of mentioning all.

Her perspective does hold importance, she was once very close to Natsu. She might not have gotten much time after her return, however she still knows him more than any average guildmate and her judgement about Lucy was made on that basis.

Guildmates and Friends

Natsu became attached to Lucy within a very short time. She had a great impact on his life from a very early point on. Levy's statement further added to that claim. It might not have been said to imply something romantic between them, it still served the purpose of gradual development.

While Cana teased Lucy about Natsu groping her, she brought up the physical aspect of Natsu and Lucy's relationship. Then in 100yq, she also tries to provoke Lucy to make a move on Natsu. With that, she implies that Natsu and Lucy are more than just friends.

Juvia being the love-struck girl she is, imagined Natsu and Lucy as lovers and they were paralled with two other canon ships from her point of view. In 100yq, she mentions Touka as Lucy's love rival, depicting Lucy's romantic feelings for Natsu. Even Gajeel hinted at Natsu having a crush on Lucy, since he had liked Anna back then.

Asuka also thought that Natsu and Lucy were dating each other and their bond was similar to her parents'. It only server to prove that there is more to Natsu and Lucy's relationship than plain friendship.

Evergreen as well as Brandish commented about Lucy being in love with Natsu. Porlyusica also opted for Lucy to warm up Natsu's body, instead of simply asking anyone else.

All of these people clearly understand what Natsu and Lucy are to each other, and what they see between the two is more often than not deemed as outright romantic by the same people.

Virgo and Aquarius, both have witnessed Lucy's bond with Natsu grow gradually since the beginning. Virgo assumed the two were a couple and brought matching dresses for them. Whilst in 100yq, Aquarius emphasized on Natsu's significance in Lucy's life to bring her back to her senses.

Edolas-Lucy naturally assumed that the earthland counter-parts are also romantically involved.

Overall, Natsu and Lucy as a couple have all the support from their near and dear ones. Natsu's family, his best friend, Lucy's spirits and her edo-counterpart, their teammates and friends, little Asuka- almost all of them agree on one thing and that is : there's a romantic tension between Natsu and Lucy, and it would be totally natural for them to end up together.

The enemies too have talked about that :