This spinoff probably has my favourite depiction of Gruvia. 

Juvia’s love for Gray continues to be treated as a ‘running joke’ rather than the core of Juvia’s character. After Gray’s very cute rebuttal, it’s quickly pushed aside in favour of the mission/exposition, because despite her joy at this opportunity, she does understand this job is important. She does go back into a joking mood very often, but when things are serious, she is a very competent wizard that does not cite she is ‘doing this for Gray-sama’ or whatever. 

And they even slip in a moment where she goes deadpan like ‘yeah no, Gajeel is definitely involved,’ because she’s also exasperated by the coincidence. It’s personality. It’s a subtle sprinkle of personality. 

Juvia’s role in this spinoff is mainly to accompany Gray as he does the more investigative and technical talk, but she’s still necessary here because she puts in the important parallel between her and Levy in regards to Gajeel. 

Also, she allows the story to continue feeling light and slightly humourous, not simply because of the ‘we’re on a date’ ‘NO!’ dynamic, but because this also brings back one of Gray’s forgotten personality traits...

I am talking about Gray’s part-time Tsukkomi schtick. 

Along with the advancement of Gruvia, Gray completely forgot that he was the assigned Tsukkomi when Lucy wasn’t around, and this was important because it shows him as the ‘competent and smart’ one of the group without taking away from his fun-loving side. Juvia’s the type to be exasperated in silence, which is a fun contrast to Gray’s explosive exasperation. Once again, it’s personality. it’s a sprinkle of personality between their ‘ship moment’ panels, personality that’s forgotten about in canon. 

Every time a Gruvia moment is on screen in 100yq, Gray is just the Tsundere and Juvia is just the lovestruck Gray fangirl. Whilst when Gray is with Natsu or Lucy, his loving, slightly stern big brother personality actually exists. And when Juvia is with the girls or with Gajeel, she gets up to goofy shenanigans like protecting Levy’s pursuit of love at the start of this spinoff. I miss their personalities! This spinoff literally proves that it doesn’t need to be one or the other, they can coexist!

I like it when Gruvia enriches each other as characters, instead of taking away from each other’s personality like it’s in canon. So this spinoff probably has my favourite depiction of Gruvia of all time.

This might be mean of me to say, but I truly think this spinoff does a better characterisation of Jellal than canon, because it’s not centered upon his love story and his guilt toward Erza. Instead it’s on how he’s changed as a person, and his guilt toward his actions as the tyrant of the Tower of Heaven. (You know, the real reason he decided to lead an independent guild?)

“I don’t intend to be a chain on them,” he says. That’s such a powerful line to me. 

Jellal’s feelings in regards to how much Crime Sorciere means to him is not emphasized much in canon. Jellal, much like Mystogan, has the deep and mature insight of a natural leader. This spinoff allows us to see how Jellal has come in redemption-- in terms of being a leader. 

I mean, I still think Ultear should have been the leader of Crime Sorciere, but honestly, I feel it was because this kind of development was meant to happen onscreen in canon for Jellal’s development, but Mashima just never did it because all Jellal’s screentime is spent on Jerza now. 

Rather than letting his conscience and guilt trip him up like all of his interactions with Erza, I like this depiction of him allowing himself to have friends, and go about without being weighed down by his crimes. 

Another thing I love about spinoffs. There is actual, plot-significant relevance to the fact that Juvia and Gajeel are close friends and Juvia cares for gajeel enough to call him with a nickname. In canon it’s a little more than trivia that never really meant anything after Gajeel joined, but here, look! Their old bond is significant to actually move the plot along!

And the best thing about this? My baby shy Juvia is back!

Juvia used to be shy. Even Mashima forgot that, but here she is, slightly bashful to speak up to Levy, it is actually cute. 

Honestly, I love this portrayal of Juvia, because thankfully, the fake misunderstanding schtick is a humour panel that is secondary to Juvia’s actions. Juvia told Levy about this information because she wanted to. It has nothing to do with Gray, she did it because she wanted to help Levy. 

And the most important part of this ‘Juvia denial’ scene that makes it work for me is that Gray is the one that brings it up, Juvia didn’t jump to a nonexistent conclusion, Gray said it first, and though we can’t see his face, I like to think it’s a lighthearted a tease on his part. 

Anyways, this all gives Juvia that good personal character progression that canon forgot about after Tenrou. 

I miss when Juvia was just an innocent little cutie in love with the idea of love. 

It was what drew Juvia to Aquarius in the Tower of Heaven, and I wish this part of her character continued. It didn’t have to just be associated with Gray, she should continue to be interested in everyone else’s love stories too. 

The main reason why I love the idea of these two interacting is because they’re so similar, down to the way they’re unexpectedly sweet to kids despite being kinda scary-looking. 

I cannot emphasize enough how much I love Cobra’s characterisation in this spinoff. It’s just so powerful, because it’s character progression that matters so much to the story we never get to see about him in canon. 

I wish we saw more of the Tower of Heaven kids and how their experiences have changed them. Cobra gets the better end of the deal in canon, but I do miss Sho, Wally, and Millianna as well. 

Honestly I am SO happy to see Rhodonite give me one thing I was craving in canon-- actually interactions between the dragon slayers not involving Natsu. And YES, we get interactions with Erik and Gajeel! I am so happy about this. 

We don’t get to see Erik interact with any slayer other than Natsu, because other than being in the same general vicinity as Wendy in Nirvana, no one else really has the opportunity to be alone with him without Natsu in the same direction. I loved this all so much, because I feel their personalities clash in such a fun way. 

The best part isn’t even here yet. 

We finally get some much-needed insight on Cobra’s character. I love Cobra so much, and while he’s the most fleshed out of the O6 after Nirvana, I love to see more of his actual caring big brother personality shine through his evil demeanor. 

I love that Gajeel continues to be slightly evil and problematic, while still aligning himself as part of the good guys. 

What I like most about his character, as a member of Fairy Tail specifically, is the fact that he is a redeemed villain. He didn’t turn into a meek housewife of gentle character like Flare or Minerva, he is still ruthless and true to his punk, problematic side that drew him to Phantom to begin with. 

Unhealthily obsessed with how he’s drawn in this panel. 

I’ve dropped my analyses on the dragons having different fighting styles dependent on their upbringing here and there, and I guess this is the most we’ll ever get from Cobra so here I go. 

Cobra’s fighting style is a little more merciless and ruthless. I guess it makes sense because his element is poison. He’s a little more brutal and clear-cut in terms of lethality. 

I do like the detail that Cobra is a little more ‘wild’ than Natsu. He fights, not exactly like a dragon like Natsu (wide, flashy attacks and loud prominent roars), but more like a smaller-scale hunter that waits for the right moment, then leaps and gets you in an instant. Like a snake, I guess. 

If Natsu's a domesticated animal, Cobra's wild!

Cobra is similar to Gajeel in terms of both having violent elements, and both being former antagonists and thus a little crueler. But Cobra doesn’t hesitate to go to lengths Gajeel would usually hesitate to go to (using his poison breath on the kids) because he knows better than anyone how far determination to live can get you. 

I miss when canon actually gave Gajeel personality and characterisation outside of his evil spy schtick and Gajevy importance. Like, this and Ice Road filled one subtle need I needed in FT--- the worldbuilding, and the indication that the world is moving around them, even if we stay in one place. 

Like, just look at that. Minstrel is a whole sea travel away! 

And I like the implication that Gajeel’s funky style of music is weird to people in Fiore (but not to Juvia and Elfman which means it’s an acquired taste for some) because it’s just a foreign music style that is probably not very prominent in this country. Though Gajeel’s got bad execution either way, the style of music with the weird jazz and rap mixture isn’t supposed to be in itself bad in-universe.