Gray, Juvia Strip Down in New ‘Fairy Tail’ Artwork

Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail has gained a lot of notoriety over the years for its various relationship teases, as fans have loved pairing characters together that seemed to be heading into a relationship.

So while not fully confirmed in the series (though strongly, strongly hinted at), fans of the Gray and Juvia pairing are having a field day with the new, revealing sketch Mashima shared of the two on Twitter.

Mashima has shared pretty spicy sketches to Twitter in the past, and fans have adored just how much attention the creator’s paid to the series even so long after its official run ended. Gray and Juvia (dubbed “Gruvia” by fans) has been one of the stronger pairings in the series, with the two characters sharing smaller moments throughout the series, but nothing like this was ever given before.

Though fans are used to Gray’s nudity, as it’s a central aspect of his character and where the majority of his humor is drawn from, it’s a much different story for Juvia who was often seen in a large winter coat due to her magic ability.

Mashima’s gone the extra mile, clearly, now that the series has ended, and there are fans who love the idea of these two characters sharing such an intimate embrace. It’s also an extension of a rather spicy moment between the two Mashima shared to celebrate the new year as well.

If you want to check out more Fairy Tail right now, there’s a sequel manga, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, currently running. With original storyboards provided by Hiro Mashima and illustrations by Atsuo Ueda, the series picks up on Natsu, Lucy, and the others’ on a quest that no one has ever completed before.

Fairy Tail was originally created by Hiro Mashima for Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine, running from 2006 to 2017 and selling over 60 million copies. The series is set in a fantasy world full of magic following Natsu Dragneel, a fire breathing wizard with the powers of a dragon who is in search of his missing foster father, the dragon Igneel. As he and his wizarding guild Fairy Tail get into adventures, Natsu always tries to find a way to succeed. The series was later adapted into an anime by A-1 Pictures, Dentsu Inc., and Satelight in 2009 and ended its first run in 2013. A second season ran from 2014 to 2016, and a third season is launching this October.