30 DAY ANIME CHALLENGE | 08

This couple was one that I instantly thought of for this prompt. But as I was sitting down to set up my blogs for the week – two others popped up; then I started contemplating and doing a bit more reading on the couples I had chosen. Then it dawned on me – this couple wasn’t considered “canon”; they’re only considered semi-canon. That then triggered the other two I thought of – one was canon and the other one was also semi-canon. Then I just decided it doesn’t matter; it’s heavily implied that they would be a couple.

I decided to go with Ezra and Jellal because they aren’t officially together. They’re love story is heartbreaking because they are so well suited for one another in the grand scheme of it all but due to circumstances they can’t. But you can definitely tell the both of them love each other immensely – whether that be as lovers, friends, comrades.

Why I love these two together:

From the beginning it was clear that they just seem to fit each other perfectly – they are each other’s better halves. They grew up similarly and know how the other thinks – so when the opportunity to battle together arises, they are completely in sync. Despite the time and the distance and whatever conflicts have arisen, they truly had each others’ backs and respected one another.

As mentioned in a previous post about Erza (found here), she and Jellal were enslaved by cultists. The two quickly become close friends and he gives Erza her last name since she had none. In an attempt to escape the island, in which they were being used as labor to construct the “Tower of Heaven’, they are caught and Erza is taken away, tortured and maimed. Jellal sneaks around to find her and set her free and is furious to find Erza injured. He then takes her place for punishment. While in captivity Jellal becomes possessed by a dark wizard called Zeref. Unfortunately this is the pivotal point for these two. As another revolt comes to head – Erza fights to find Jellal only to see it’s no longer him and he forces her to abandon the island and leave everyone behind if she wants everyone left to live.

 

Under this dark wizard Jellal does some terrible deeds; and once he’s beaten in a battle against Natsu, he wakes up with Amnesia and the only thing he can recall is Erza’s name and along with it the feelings of warmth, kindess and brightness. When his memories come back – he wishes he could just die as that would be the best way to justify what he’s done to the world. But a chance encounter with Erza forces him to stay alive and to find another way to make up for those mistakes. He creates a guild of his own to defeat dark magic guilds. The theme of his guild is “punishment” as this is his punishment for all his wrongdoings. Amongst his punishment is that he tries to castaway his feelings for Erza. He believe he doesn’t deserve her, as she is someone who represents the light and good of the world and he’s the opposite. They are the yin and yang of one another. Since they have such a strong history together; they’re able to sync to one another easily despite how much time or distance has come between them. It’s seriously like they’re soulmates.

These two have always been so close to expressing how the other feels about one another until there is some interruption that causes them to stop and allows Jellal an escape route. Erza doesn’t deny her feelings for Jellal and has already forgiven him; but he refuses to let himself feel happiness with Erza because of his overwhelming guilt. Whenever they do run into one another Jellal’s only wish is to protect Erza from any harm; and Erza in turn would do the same for Jellal.

Erza is also known to be rather serious and almost stone-cold with her emotions. But Jellal brings out the other side of her.Another important note: After her escape from the tower of heaven; her right eye is replaced with an artificial eye, and whenever she teared up; only her left eye would have tears.  It wasn’t until she was reunited with Jellal and she recalls her childhood memories of Jellal do tears fall from both her eyes. Another random note, I love how Jellal’s tattoo is the color of Erza’s hair, and Erza’s fairy tail tattoo is the color of Jellal’s hair; an homage to their better half maybe? Anyways…

In this clip – these two almost finally kiss! But Jellal lies and says he has a fiance. One of his acts of punishment. He thinks he’s hurting Erza – but Erza knows he’s lying to her face.

These two continue to suppress their feelings for one another and try as hard as they can to be “normal” whenever they run into one another.. But the tension is clear as day when they run into each other. As the story develops – I really hope that Jellal and Erza have some kind of resolution and become a canon couple. They both have had enough hardships in life and they both deserve a shot at happiness. It’s clear that they provide what the other lacks and represent what an unconditional love is all about: forgivness and compassion.