User blog:Ash9876/Ship Analysis by Ashy

Hey everyone! Ashy here! Why? Well, as the title suggests, today I'll be doing a rather interesting blog: Ship Analysis. By this I mean analysis of "ships" [romanticizing a pair of individuals in a series based on canon interaction]. Why? Because I figured ships are some of the healthiest (although sometimes the most volatile) topics in any anime fanon. The blog will simply be analysing popular ships in canon and how I believe they have developed over the course of the series and my opinion on whether they should be "canon" or not.

P.S This is Fairy Tail ship territory! Sorry for any confusion.

Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia (NaLu)
This ship, NaLu, is perhaps the most widely known ship in the fandom due to the fact that both the characters are the main characters of the series. As a result, their interactions have lead several people to ship them in various ways; sexual and romantic are but two of many. But why is this ship so popular and what do people see in this ship? Let's investigate!

Fangirls and fanboys squeal!

In my personal opinion, that image right there summarizes the relationship between Natsu and Lucy. At this point in time, I highly doubt that the two have romantic feelings for one another. Lucy sees Natsu as her savior, in a sense; a prince charming that rescues her simply because she couldn't rely on anybody else. From the first chapter this is made quite clear. Natsu, on the other hand, sees Lucy as a very close friend. Someone who will support Natsu in dire times and someone that Natsu should fight for. Or at least...that's how their relationship started off.

Over the course of the series, we see Natsu and Lucy's relationships with others develop in various ways. But what keeps the two of them together? In my opinion, it is a simple, but truthful, longing for a companion. Natsu has been alone ever since he was a child and, given Lisanna's disappearance for so long, never had a companion to lean on and express his emotions with. In the case of Lucy, who has been victimized to a childhood that lacked any good parenting figure due to her mother's passing, Natsu makes up for the years of tears she shed to herself. Given their mutual understanding of each other's loneliness, let's analyse how this ship has developed from the beginning of the series to its current, apex point.

Dammit Happy you're in the way!

Natsu and Lucy's relationship is defined by their friendliness towards each other in the opening arcs. They are constantly together as Natsu introduces the world of mages to a new Lucy. Lucy, on the other hand, is fascinated by Natsu and his world. Over the course of the introductory series, particularly in Phantom Lord, Natsu sees Lucy as a companion worth fighting for. While this isn't exactly any different from how he'd treat any others, Lucy, for the first time in forever (yay song references!) also sees a companion in Natsu. But, on the flipside, doesn't wish to burden Natsu either. We can specifically see this in the Phantom Lord Arc where she, quite brutally, kicks Jose in his private parts and jumps off the building. While she desperately hopes for Natsu to save her...she does seem fully willing to part with her life as well.

And this relationship continues to blossom throughout the arcs. Not too much changes until the Grand Magic Games, however. The two begin to be more intimate. Natsu sees her as a little more than just a comrade, but what exactly? He doesn't know. The anime expands on this part a little bit, specifically after Lucy got defeated by Minerva. The two completely trust one another and appear to share secrets that the other Guild members don't know about (nor do they divulge them either; sneaky!) In any case, Natsu and Lucy's intimacy has comically grown to the point where Natsu actually grabs Lucy's arms while she's naked and talks to her as if nothing happened (although later grabs her breasts much to the girl's chagrin). That, and the fact that Natsu constantly sneaks into Lucy's room also implies a very deep level of trust between the two. Oh, and the fact that Lucy has picked up on Natsu's condescending habits is also another thing to note between them. Oh, and the fact that Lucy cannot bear to see Natsu away from her is another point to make.

A shoulder to lean on.

So yeah, that's NaLu for you. To be frank with you, this ship doesn't have much to it besides very close friendship at this point (for me). If any of you have a different viewpoint, feel free to express it! But, in my honest opinion, the relationships between other characters are done a lot more nicely. So, let's move onto our next ship. My personal favorite, Gruvia!

Gray Fullbuster x Juvia Lockser (Gruvia)

 * More Coming Soon

Gajeel Redfox x Levy McGarden (Gale)

 * More Coming Soon

Jellal Fernandes x Erza Scarlet (Jerza)

 * More Coming Soon

Elfman Strauss x Evergreen (Elfgreen)

 * More Coming Soon

Alzack Connell x Bisca Connell (Alca)

 * More Coming Soon

Ren Akatsuki x Sherry Blendy (Renry)

 * More Coming Soon