leantailean

[leantailean]

Mai and Zuko🖤

I love them

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[leantailean]

I think what i like about Toko is the way the too off them play off each other. Both are stubborn, blunt, loud and insensitive to others. Both came from a posh upbringing. Among other things it leaves them both a bit self-centred, which they both struggle with. Toph wants nothing but move away from home, while Zuko does everything to return to it. Toph hates rules, while Zuko is a stickler for honor (unless the ends justify the means, which usually benefits himself). Zuko is a terrible liar while Toph can turn into a doll on a dime while also being a human lie detector. They have one good eye between the two of them. They both have so much room to grow as people. There's billion things more like that really.

I can't tell you what specifically made me interested in romance between them. I think i just already read a few fics about them being friends it made curious how those dynamic would play out in a romance.

It's funny to see you liken Kataang to Toko. Since despite it's ubiquity if never really felt one way or the other for the former, nor do i think much about it. My guess the appeal of the ship would be what those too represent to each other, which would be quite different from the more interpersonal dynamic appeal of toko. But you point i out there some interesting parallels there.

I don't really hate season 3 myself, though i'd call it probably the weakest of all the seasons. Funnily enough the Zuko gaang interactions are something i'm mostly fine with. I mostly just find the way they team up a little clunky, as well as Zuko being unable to imagine why Katara would still be mad at him and the general asspullery of the finale. So i'm curious what you think about that.

Hello! Happy Holidays and thank you for our question! And sorry for a very late answer, I really want to start answering on time next year! You showed me at the the very interesting parallels between Toph and Zuko, and I’m entirely agree with you. I’m gonna repeat what I was saying in my last answer to you. I think that the reason of why Toko is not so popular is that fandom doesn't see them right. Fandom always tries to see Zuko as super restrained, manly and steady grown up guy loaded with mature decisions and endless amount of altruism. Meanwhile Zuko is just traumatised kid, and his trauma is what dictates a lot of his character traits that fandom refuses to see. His impetuosity, impulsiveness, anger, egoism, and tunnel vision. And his sometimes happening disregard of other people. And all this melts unites with his kind heart and moral compass. And all that mess is what making him so interesting and appealing character. But unfortunately all these traits are seen as “problematic” and even ugly, and fanom just tries to ignore all of this. As a result the real and complex Zuko's character always is out of any discussion.

Toph is, usually, completely disregarded and ignored by fandom at all.She is being seen as a “gremlin” or “little bratty sister”, and people refuse to see that she is one of the most complex and well-written member of gaang. She has lots of conflicts and difficulties. (I’m telling about all this very mess, hope I’ll have enough time one day to develop this idea better)

She and Zuko are very close in the very same traits that fandom tends to deny in Zuko. Egoism, stealthiness, disability to trust, stubbornness and arrogance. They would be a great pair because their basic character traits are so similar and it would be easier for them to understand each other.

I also always loves how atla narrative connects Toph and Zuko with Aang. Aang sees Toph in the vision, so their meeting was predisposed, and Aang and Zuko’s arcs similarity is basically the heart of the show.

As you noticed, Toph leaves her home for Aang, for Zuko Aang is a way home. And later Toph and Zuko’s stories mirror each other, because, like Toph did, Zuko leaves his cruel family to join the gaang as an avatar teacher.

I really like how toko is similar to canon ship that plays the key role in the whole storytelling, Kataang. As well as Kataang, Toko grows from support and friendship, develops for a long time. It’s 100% “friends to lovers” trope. As well as in Kataang, one of the pairing starts feeling some romantic feelings from the very beginning (It’s canon that Toph feels romantically about Zuko, it’s clear in many scenes, “That’s how I show affection” is one of the most prominent) while another partner have only friendly-platonic feelings. And also Toph was the first from the whole gaang who trusted Zuko and even almost argued with others standing out for him. This is very clear similarity to Katara who always eagerly protects Aang, attacking anyone who can harm him.

Another moment that will never stop to amaze me in relation between Kataang and toko is their colour schemes that are built on complementary colours.

Complementary colours are the ones that placed opposite one another on the colour wheel. They empower and supplement each other. In visual arts, and especially in animation and character design colour schemes are one of the essential tools of the storytelling. Complementary colours are emotionally appealing, they show to the viewer connection and harmony between characters. Orange and blue - colours of Aang and Katara are complementary to one another as well as red and green - colours of Zuko and Toph.

As for Third season I think that it was the weakest and terrible. It almost ruined characters of Aang, Katara, and, especially, Zuko and Iroh, transformed their complex and dynamic personality into two dimensional cliches. Lots of people complaining about comics for ruining characters, but actually it all originates in how third season destroyed lots of things. So called Zuko's redemption arc was lazily written, he was descended  from the most complex and interesting character into the rather boring banality. Honestly after that "redemption" Zuko became much worse person them he had been before it. Again very composite and ambiguous Iroh was transformed into some mix of Dumbledore, Gandalf and stereotypical and racist type of "asian wiseman". he was stripped of anything that was making him interesting and unique. And that terrible westernised redesign of Katara and Zuko, complete rethinking of clothes and armor of fire nation warriors that was obviously stolen from some RPG?

I can discuss why 3rd season is terrible for long time. that my super unpopular opinion

Thank you once again for sharing your thought about toko! I always happy to discuss these wonderful characters with you🖤

[leantailean]

"@kataang-week Day 7 "Proposal"

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[leantailean]

Mind you, these are the people who say that zutara is a “female gaze”

[leantailean]

Village Cemetery in the Moonlight, Alexei Savrasov

[leantailean]

Fritz Hegenbart (Austrian, 1864 - 1943)

[leantailean]

i love them you know 🪨🔥

[leantailean]

Honestly every time when I remember that Zuko loved one girl for all his life, it makes me SO HAPPY. The Girl, with who they were in love since childhood, with who they were separated.. separated for forever as it seemed at the moment, and they tried to put up with the idea that they probably would never see each other again (and Zuko were lying to himrself that he would return and everything would be as it had been, but Mai had a more sober look at things and understood that she had little to zero chances to see Zuko again). The Girl with who he was separated the second time after their reunion, again risking to lose each other. The Girl who sacrificed herself to save him. The Girl who in the end became his wife, his Fire Lady, mother of his kid. Only Girl who made him smile. No other girl or a guy in the whole show can even compare with her and what she was to Zuko. Nor Ty Lee, nor Katara, nor Aang, Sokka, Song or Jun.. Only Mai. They never hated each other.

[leantailean]

🥺

[leantailean]

My inspiration right now🍂

[leantailean]

Don't piss me off, Greg Baldwin. You are not blocking people over politics, you have literally welcomed T*ump supporters in your page

But you are blocking atla fans over a fucking fictional ship??!!

You are a grown ass man and this is not funny, fuck you man 🤦‍♂️

[leantailean]

Mai and Zuko🖤

I love them

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Please, follow me on my TWITTER

[leantailean]

Some early sketches with Toph and Zuko

[leantailean]

Mai for @tortizgryazi228 🖤🗡️

[leantailean]

Found it between my unfinished arts, and now I'm too lazy to actually finish it, but here we have a pregnant Toph ready do kiIl some bad guys with a boulder, and Zuko who is up to watching it😅

[leantailean]

Health Update

Gallstones confirmed, I'll probably need surgery. Gonna find out tomorrow if there's a stomach issue too. Any support of 5 or 10 dollars on ko-fi to help with the medical bills will be greatly appreciated.

Now I shall indulge on lots of tumblr nonsense, talking about Zucest and dunking on zutarians, to distract myself from my fear of hospitals/surgeries XD

[leantailean]

Blind bandit, earth bending prodigy, war hero, first metal bender and now best Firelady and most politically powerful woman in the world.

Toph is practicing her earthbending somewhere near the Royal palace, and she’s wearing official Fairlady robe on purposebecause she likes when all the court looks at her with confusion.

Bonus:

Zuko was just passing by, but stopped to gaze at his wife.