#Azula/Kei Lo

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Honey Lemon (Part 7)

Pretty sure that I forgot to post this the other day.

It doesn’t last.

She should have known that it wouldn’t.

She did know–isn’t that why she had been so afraid and weary.

She still remembers it so vividly. As vividly as when it had first happened; Michiaki leaning and and whispering. “I know who you are, princess.” It still makes her shiver. “And I am going to ruin you.”

“For what?” She had asked with more bravado than she ought. 

“For using me. I had a perfectly good career as a Dai Li agent. Until you came about. I liked Long Feng. He was like a dad to me.” The man had said. “But I couldn’t really go against every single other agent. So I had to follow you.”

Azula remembers sniffing and telling him something akin to how he should have grown a pair and stood up for what he believed in. 

“What then?” He had asked. “Would you have let me stay a free man?” 

He knew the answer.

And she did.

“Well now you will know what it’s like.” He had vowed. “You’re going to help me make a name for myself or everyone is going to know your real one.”

Her stomach still lurches. She can’t name any other time when some had–for poetry’s sake–beaten her at her own game. 

He has something to hold over her head. 

He can ruin her.

He will.

With just one messenger hawk she could be deported back to the Fire Nation. Back to whatever her dear brother has in mind for her. He doesn’t even need a messenger hawk, just word of mouth. All he has to do is say her name to the right person. 

Rohime is known to engage in ruthless gossip. It would be him. He and his chatty wife who run the bakery down the block.

She could risk it, claim that Michiaki is delusional and that she has no idea what he is going on about. She is not naive, she knows well that they will take the word of an earthbender over a firebender’s.

And so her stomach sinks and her bright, peaceful world begins to darken just as she knew it would. 

Nobody is looking at her any differently yet. Nobody is glaring at her. Nobody has come to vandalize their shop. So maybe it is safe. Maybe her secret is still safe.

Kei Lo is glum these days; she knows that he blames himself. What’s more is the sense of betrayal. “I feel like an idiot.” He remarks again. “Why don’t you just say it already!?” He is yelling at her and she tries not to take it personally. 

Agni knows how many times she has yelled at him simply because she had been stressed and he had been in her line of sight.

He isn’t angry at her, she repeats to herself. He is angry at the situation, at himself.

At Michiaki.

“Say what?”

“That you were right and I was wrong!” He slaps his palms upon the tabletop. He bunches them into fists and clenches them. “Just say it, already and get it over with!”

“I wasn’t going to.” Azula mumbles. 

“But you want to!” He accuses.

She shakes her head. Truthfully she had been hoping that he would be the one to hand out the ‘told you so’s’. 

“You’re always right and I’m always wrong.” He continues to mutter. “I’m always wrong…everyone always says that.”

“I didn’t.” Azula replies quietly. 

For once in her life she hasn’t said anything to warrant getting scolded. 

“You did! You make me feel stupid all the time.” 

Azula flinches and grits her teeth. She feels sick. “I…how? When?” But there are many moments, in retrospect, that come to mind. Moments she hadn’t thought anything of at the time; when she’d snatched honey harvesting tools out of his hands, when she’d rolled her eyes and told ‘no, this is how you arrange the jars’...she has a way of making people feel dumb even when she isn’t trying to. “I’m doing it right now, aren’t I?” She mumbles. 

“Yes!”

She knows that he isn’t being fair. She doesn’t think that she deserves it this time around. Not entirely. But she lets him lay into her. Maybe that will make him feel better. “I’m going to go to Senlin.”

“You always do that.” He grumbles. “You always run away instead of talking things out and you wonder why you don’t get anywhere?”

She doesn’t want to cry tonight. 

Especially not during an argument.

Usually she is good at keeping it inside; Kei Lo has a special way of coaxing emotions out of her. 

“If we talk things out right now we’ll make them worse.”

Kei Lo sniffs. “That’s the problem–things settle down and then they don’t get brought up again until the next argument.”

So that’s what this is then, every grievance he’d ever had with her coming forth. But she has her own grievances. “Well then I hope that you’re ready to talk about how you’re a hypocrite.” 

“I’m a hypocrite!?”

Azula nods. “You always complain about me taking my stress out on you. You do the same thing. I didn’t say a thing to you about your absolutely terrible decision to let Michiaki into our home.” Her voice is frostier than it has been in quite a long time.

“I knew it! I knew you were going to say it!” He declares. And she realizes that, like a fool, she had walked right into that. It is exactly what he wanted her to say.

This isn’t like any of their other arguments.

Not the more recent ones. 

No. This is more like their old arguments. 

The ones where Kei Lo told her that he hated her.

He had meant it too.

[thena0315]

Plot Twist Idea - Azula and Kei Lo Cross Paths with Each Other in the Future

I get the feeling that Kei Lo left the Royal Capital to avoid running into Mai again in the future

[likeadragonfruit]

Ship Stats for Mai (Updated)

During October, I took a survey of Mai ship stats and promised I would do an update in the new year.  And after weeks of delays work, it’s finally happening. The finalized 2022 ship stats for Mai.

Methods

On January 1, 2023, I took a survey of 24 Mai ships from 01/01/2013 to 12/31/2022: the same 21 ships surveyed previously as well as two ships previously overlooked and one new ship posted after the previous survey.

Data 

This chart is for the totals of the sample surveyed. And the other is a table of the chart’s raw numbers.

This is the chart of the total Mai ship fics broken down by year. It included the top 10 ships (Maiko, MaiLee, Maizula, Maitara, MaiAang, Maikka, Maiyue, Maiki, Jet/Mai and Mai/Kei Lo), the same as in October.

And here’s the table for the both the 10 ships in the chart, as well as one showing all 24 ships in the sample

Then there’s this chart that shows the year to year output of works rather than the total. It features the same 10 ships as the previous chart.

And then the raw data tables for this chart

And finally the annual output by partner gender

Observations

Total sample of works by year

Before 2020, the growth of the sample never exceeded 150 works

2020 was the year where the most Mai ship works were added

As previously predicted, 2022 became the third most productive year, behind 2020 and 2021

Compared to October, over 100 Mai ship works were added. 

2022 saw the addition of two new Mai ships to AO3: Hakoda/Mai and Lu Ten/Mai

Cumulative count by year

in terms of total fic count, maiko has consistently remained the Mai ship with the most works.

MaiLee has been in second place for every year except 2016. That year, Maizula held second place.

In 2013 and 2014, Maitara held third place. In 2015, Maizula took third and in 2016 MaiLee took third place when Maizula was in second place that year. Since 2017, Maizula has held third place.

Annual output by year

Maiko has consistently not only held first place, but each year the majority of Mai ship works were Maiko.

Starting in 2020, Maiko’s majority dipped to 61%, and below 60% since then.

Maiko’s output by percentage for 2022 is the lowest it’s ever been (54%)

MaiLee’s highest output year was 2020, at 32%. This has slightly declined to 27%, but is far and above pre-2020 performance.

The Mai ships who currently have the second and third highest output of works for 2022 are MaiLee and Maizula

Despite appearances based on percentages, MaiAang and Maitara’s 2022 output are behind their 2021 output.

The Mai ships that outperformed their 2021 numbers in 2022 are: Maizula, Jet/Mai, Jin/Mai, Kei Lo/Mai, Mai/Piandao, Maikka and Mai/Toph

Other observations 

Every year, the annual output of M/F Mai works is greater than the output of  to F/F Mai works

Before 2020, the M/F Mai works to F/F Mai works output was usually 80% M/F to 20% F/F

Since 2020, the M/F Mai works to F/F Mai works ratio has hovered between 65% M/F to 35% F/F and 60% M/F to 40% F/F

[justanotherthrowaway1950]

Why Azula Staying a Villain Will Only Lead To Bad Stories Part 2: Negative Effects on Other Characters, World Building, Lore, and Thematic Expression

I know how in part 1 I briefly mentioned how keeping Azula a villain causes everyone to start acting stupid and incompetent, thus denigrating them and their arcs/character growth, whenever Azula is involved so she can remain a credible threat despite the Gaang all being masters in their respective fields and having the resources of several nation-states at their beck and call plus a PMC (the White Lotus).

But I understand that I didn’t go into detail, and so my analysis was lackluster at best, and probably very controversial at worse. So I am going to go into detail based on importance, and with that said, here I go.

Zuko (The Search)

Realistically, other than some minor complaints, most people agree that TV!Zuko’s arc is one of the greatest in Western Animation. For his tale is that of someone who almost gave into his abuse and conditioning, but, with the help of his loving uncle, his travels, and mercy/compassion showed to him by his enemies/future friends, managed to overcome it and start the journey of not only becoming a better person, but also help his country heal after several decades of propaganda and brainwashing,

And part of said arc is what he comes to realize about Azula: that she is not worth emulating; that she is abusive to him and the people he cares about like Mai and Ty Lee; and that she, a genocidal, authoritarian colonizer, needs to be stopped and locked up by any means, even if it hurts him. For it is the only way that the world and his country can achieve peace and balance once again...that is until Azula starts showing signs that either she has realized the error of her ways or that she wants to take a new path, but needs help finding it.

But, in an effort to allow Azula to become a villain again, Bryke has Zuko engage in several actions that not only betray his character growth, but also aren’t really explained and negatively reflect on him.

Like, during that conference concerning Yu Dao where Zuko “realizes” that the sorry state of his nuclear family negatively reflects on him, why would Zuko care suddenly about what his subjects think of him? 

Did Zuko forget that he not only betrayed his nation and basically caused them to lose a war they had already won, but also is forcing them to pay reparations (as is said in North and South)? 

And that he is going to remain a pariah in his subject’s eyes until he manages to undo decades of brainwashing considering his only real allies are foreigners; Iroh, who is just as much of a traitor in the Fire Nation's eyes as Zuko; Mai, who committed treason that led to the Fire Nation's lost; and Ty Lee, who did commit a less extreme version of treason, but immediately left the Fire Nation after getting out of prison to join a foreign PMC, which would look suspect in the populace’s eyes to say the least?

But things really start to go sideways when he goes to Azula’s asylum to get Azula to extract intel from Ozai about Ursa, allows the two to talk alone, and foolishly wheels Azula alone while promising to move her back into the palace.

Like when he went to the asylum, how come he didn’t ask them about Azula’s treatment, and whether it was safe to take her out to see Ozai, her abuser and co-conspirator, let alone take her back to the palace? For if he did, maybe he would have found out she was being abused in the asylum, and therefore could have done something about it so Azula and her fellow inmates could be treated better.

But maybe not considering it is Azula, and she deserves to be abused for making Zuko’s life hard from the moment she was born./s

Like why would he allow Azula and Ozai to talk alone considering their conniving natures and the fact that they are the two biggest threats to his regime, at least politically?

Why would he wheel Azula alone, especially after Ty Lee told him that the chi-blocking is wearing off? For I know this depends on how much Ty Lee knows about chi-blocking and its effects (I’ll talk about this more in Ty Lee’s section), but Azula has already shown that she is still hostile/violent towards Zuko. That, in combination with her previous showings of being able to escape nearly any situation she finds herself in, should have made Zuko wary of being alone with Azula when the chi-blocking wears off instead of trying to have a soft brother-sister moment.

And then that whole sequence where Azula breaks free and manages to burn every single letter in Ozai’s chest, save for the “Zuko is Ikem’s bastard” letter before blackmailing him into going on the search for Ursa free, unbound, and with dignity. *Sigh*

Like why would Zuko shoot a fireball of the perfect size and speed that would allow Azula to break free of the chains on her legs, instead of, I don’t know, calling the rest of his elite guard to subdue her? Especially after she managed to bullshit instant lightning out of nowhere, and thus has tricks that Zuko does not know about?

After Zuko had caught up to her and found out that she had supposedly burned every single letter and tried blackmailing him into going on the search for Ursa free and unbound, how come he didn’t pat her down? For even if he had no way of knowing that she had that “bastard” letter, wouldn’t it be wise to check if she hid any letter on her body? 

I mean this is one of the most trickiest characters in the franchise, so why not be extra cautious?

And the whole blackmail situation? Look, I understand why Zuko agreed to Azula’s terms, for who doesn’t want to find out what happened to their beloved mother? But doesn’t Zuko have a duty to the world and his subjects to make sure that Azula remains in jail until she at least tries to reform herself? 

(Yes, I know Azula was involuntarily psych warded, but considering Suki in The Search calls both Ozai and Azula Zuko's prisoners, and Mai in Smoke and Shadow laments Zuko taking Azula out of her "prison", it seems pretty obvious that whole point of sending Azula to the asylum was to lock her up while getting her medical treatment as far as everyone was concerned. Hence, why I at times refer to Azula's involuntarily psych warding, or potentially getting involuntarily psych warded again, as jailing.)

I know this sounds callous, but the moment Azula tried blackmailing him, he should have told her that finding Ursa was not worth letting her free before jailing her again. For why run the risk that Azula could do something horrible or escape? I mean what could go wrong if she escaped…?

Also, even if she had to be free, unbound, and travel with dignity, why didn’t Zuko have a small platoon with him? For even if he did have the Avatar and the world’s greatest waterbender by his side, shouldn’t Zuko have taken precautions in the event that Aang and Katara got separated from them, thus leaving just him and Sokka with her?

(In my opinion, Zuko is stronger than Crazy!Azula, but not to the point that she couldn’t cheap shot him. And yes, I know Sokka is a badass, but I think as of current canon he is still weaker than Crazy!Azula.)

But most galling is the fact that he made this decision unilaterally without asking Mai and Ty Lee for their opinion, or, if he was adamant about agreeing to Azula’s terms, not providing them with 24/7 security until Azula was safely back in the asylum and/or prison.

For Azula was not just Zuko’s abuser, but also Mai and Ty Lee’s abusive friend and commander before almost killing Mai and then jailing them for life.

(The Boiling Rock Part 2 script said Azula was going to generate lightning.)

Considering that Mai saved Zuko’s life, that Ty Lee saved Mai, the love of Zuko’s life, and is part of Zuko’s current protection team, and that the both of them are closest thing to childhood friends that Zuko has, why didn’t Zuko treat them with the respect they deserved? Especially since post-redemption Zuko is someone who is supposed to be empathetic and caring?

But moving on to the rest of The Search, how come after Zuko found out about the “bastard” letter, he didn’t burn it? For even if he did want to find out the truth, isn’t it more important that he prevents a civil war by not allowing his “illegitimacy” to become public knowledge, at least until he can give power to Iroh in the case that he was truly a bastard?

Or, even if he didn’t want to burn the letter until Ursa confirmed the accuracy of it, why would he allow Azula to keep it on her person? I mean, what would have happened if she had managed to escape with it on her person? 

Sunshine and roses, or a bloody civil war that threatens to undo everything Zuko and his friends fought for in the war?

Which ties into my last point about Zuko’s behavior in The Search, which also serves segue into Smoke and Shadow: why the hell did Zuko not chase after Azula?!

For even if he would be risking his life and potentially Noriko’s, couldn’t Zuko have seen the danger in letting Azula free? Especially considering as far as he knew she still had the letter on her person?

Or, once Ursa had her face and memories restored, how come he didn’t leave Katara with Ursa and her family and search for Azula with Aang and Sokka?

Did Zuko forget that it was all his fault in the first place that his life, as well as Noriko’s, was in danger, and that he had a responsibility to the world, his country, and his friends to make sure Azula got back into his custody?

But anyway, even if Azula managed to free herself, at least she was no longer a threat to Zuko, his regime, and/or anyone he cares about? 

Right?

Zuko (Smoke and Shadow)

After searching for Azula for a couple of weeks, he goes home and tells Ursa that he “tried".

But did he really? Cause if we take his word at face value, do you know what that means?

(Note: I think his statement could be interpreted to mean that him, Aang, Katara, and Sokka spent weeks searching the old fashioned way. But if that was the case, then in my opinion, he really didn’t try considering all the options he had. So I am taking Zuko’s statement at face value since it is the most positive interpretation of his statement.)

That means a mentally broken Azula with no allies or resources managed to avoid an Avatar State powered seismic sense, June’s shirshu, and Toph’s seismic sense, as well as anyone Iroh and/or the White Lotus sent over to help Zuko find his sister.

Do you know what that implies about the competency of everyone involved? How bad that makes them all look?

Anyway moving on, it appears that not only did Zuko fail to issue a public proclamation that Azula had escaped, but also failed to give Ty Lee and Mai, along with their families, protection. 

For if he had issued a proclamation, maybe Azula would have been found earlier, instead of being able to break six girls out of her asylum, or manipulate the New Ozai Society (NOS)/Safe Nation Society. And in regards to Ty Lee and Mai, even if he felt they didn’t need protection while Azula was free, but by his side, the moment she managed to escape his custody, he should have given them and their families protection.

For Zuko didn’t know that Azula wasn’t seeking revenge. No, as far as Zuko knew, she probably was going to kill everyone between her and the throne, including everyone who "betrayed" her. And even if Zuko hadn’t seen Mai since their break up, Ty Lee is part of his protection detail, and thus he should have realized how paranoid and scared she was and asked her what he could have done to alleviate her fears, as well as her best friend Mai’s fears as well.

And Zuko still makes similar grave errors even after he finds out that Azula is behind the kidnappings, and that she had been manipulating the NOS/Safe Nation Society as part of a long-term plan to turn him into a tyrant.

For after Kiyi’s kidnapping, instead of issuing curfews, searching Caldera City citizens' homes without cause, and engaging in mass jailing of anyone who was on the streets when the Safe Nation Society was rioting, he instead should have called all of the Gaang and had Iroh call the White Lotus before starting an all out manhunt for Azula and her followers.

And he especially should have done this after she told him his plan and he found that Aang had gotten knocked out by Azula’s henchwomen.

For not only has Azula gotten rid of his trump card over her (lightning redirection), but also has become the GOAT lightning manipulator and H2H fighter in ATLA. That, combined with her and her Fire Warriors' smokebending abilities, makes her the biggest threat to Zuko’s throne and world peace. 

Thus, Zuko should have spent every waking moment hunting down Azula instead of doing stupid shit like going on a diplomatic trip to the South Pole. 

For I admit the image of the leaders and the most important people in the four (United Republic still not a thing as of North and South) nations eating with each other is a powerful one, but it is still hollow as long as the biggest threat to the post-world order is still roaming free and plotting to bring it to an end.

Aang (The Search)

Right off the bat, when Zuko told him about the whole blackmail situation, he should have either said ok, but call in Toph, as well as anyone else who he thought was needed, or told Zuko that finding his mother was not worth it since their was a chance, no matter how small, that Azula could escape before putting her back in the asylum himself.

For yeah, I know the first point sounds OOC, but Aang out of all people should know how dangerous Azula is (the lightning wounds on his left foot and back say hi), and therefore take proper precautions. 

And yes, I know the second point sounds really OOC, but doesn’t Aang know that his duty isn’t to his friends, but to the world? And thus, even if it hurts, he has to prioritize the world’s safety over his friend’s well-being, and therefore not allow arguably the most dangerous, both politically and bending wise, non-Avatar person in the world any chance of escaping?

Especially when it appears the only thing Azula regrets is losing, and not any of the actions she took during the war?

But alas, this blatant disregard towards his duty as an Avatar continues not only when he finds that “bastard” letter with Zuko, but also when he fails to give chase to Azula after helping Ursa restore her face and memories.

For even after Zuko refused to burn the letter because he wanted to find out the truth, Aang should have taken the letter and burned it, or at least not let the letter get back into Azula’s hands.

For if that letter ever became public, it would ruin everything that Aang fought for in the war, for either Iroh, an old man who has no inclination to produce heirs as far as canon is concerned, would have to take the throne to prevent Ozai and/or Azula from taking it, or it would cause a massive civil war considering Zuko is already on thin ice with his subjects.

And once he helped Ursa restore her face, he should have entered the Avatar State and used his seismic sense before entering his elemental shield to look for Azula. 

For even if Azula is mentally broken at that point, she is still a Top 4 fire-bender in the world with a strong claim to the throne, and thus getting her back into Zuko's custody should have been his highest priority. Not staying by Zuko’s side, especially now that he has been reunited with his mother and can adequately protect Ursa and her family now.

Aang (Smoke and Shadow)

Assuming that we take Zuko’s comments at face value about how he tried, what does that say about Aang that Azula not only managed to escape his Avatar State powered seismic sense, but also couldn’t find her, even with his elemental shield providing unmatched mobility?

But moving onto something that requires no assumptions: what he did, or didn’t, do after finding out that Azula was behind the Kemurikage kidnappings as well as in league with the New Ozai Society.

Why didn’t Aang call in the rest of the Gaang and/or the White Lotus to help him apprehend Azula? For the worst case scenario has happened, and Azula is actively working to restore the old regime, as far as Aang knows at this point, has become the strongest firebender and H2H fighter in the world, and has regained her sanity as far as he knows.

Considering all the harm Azula has caused, and is currently causing, how come Aang didn’t take every measure to make sure that Azula would get back into their custody as well as make sure the kidnapped kids were in no danger whatsoever?

How come when he went into that room to help rescue the kids, he didn’t have his guard up or enter the room with his elemental shield up?

For Aang knows that the Fire Warriors have smokebending abilities, it was smoke, combined with volcanic gases, that killed his predecessor, and that the Fire Warriors are seditious, mass child kidnappers in league with Azula. 

So why didn’t Aang take them seriously?

For if Aang wasn’t protected by the fact that he has to die as a 66 year old man (LoK), after the Fire Warriors knocked him out, they would have killed him instead of monologuing just long enough for Mai and Kei Lo to save him by knocking out them.

And then what? A world without a fully realized Avatar that is liable to fall back into war long before his successor could be identified and become a fully realized Avatar. Especially if Azula killed Zuko after their crypt shuffle, therefore leaving no one really able to fight back against the Fire Warriors as they consolidate power and restart the Hundred Year War as far as Aang knows.

But most galling in my opinion is how Aang doesn’t drop everything and lead an all out manhunt for Azula and the Fire Warriors, especially once he found out that their true goal is to break Zuko and make him into a tyrant. For Aang out of all people should know what Azula is capable of when she is “sane."

So why does he fuck off?! 

What is he going to say when the Fire Warriors do something irredeemable and/or unfixable, and so him and Zuko have to explain to the world why Azula got free in the first place, why they lied about her involvement with the Kemurikage kidnappings, and why she managed to avoid getting captured despite no longer having a nation-state backing her, her lack of resources in general considering she is a homeless, penniless fugitive, and the fact that she is no match for the Avatar State, or even a bloodlusted four element Aang?

Mai

A lot of people hate on Mai, calling her a bad, high-maintenance girlfriend who doesn’t understand Zuko and is an undeveloped character, among other things.

But I think TV!show Mai was a loving girlfriend who was trying her best with a boyfriend dealing with his severe trauma on top of his precarious position in court before ultimately betraying her and their country without any warning from her POV.

Moreover, for a tertiary character, I think her arc is short, sweet, and powerful. This is because Mai was a girl who was heavily implied to be forced into an abusive friendship for the sake of her father’s political career in addition to having to suppress her true emotions. But, thanks to her boyfriend having the courage to stand up against their abusers, she learns to stand up against her abuser while also helping her real best friend find the courage to also stand up against their mutual abuser, and is on the path to healing and learning how to establish healthy relationships.

In other words, Mai learns that she doesn’t have to put her head down and ignore her emotions or capacity for love. And it is this realization that allows her to help create a better world for herself, her boyfriend, her best friend, and the rest of the world, including her own nation once they come to the same realizations as she has.

But instead of continuing on that path, the comics have her completely forget the realization she had and have her behave OOC, in my opinion, in several contexts.

For even if she, like Ty Lee, were completely done dirty by Zuko in that he let Azula free without asking them how they felt about it before losing her and having the gall to not assign 24/7 protection to them and their families until he recovers her, it doesn’t excuse the fact that she hid from Zuko/the proper authorities the existence of the New Ozai Society, and the fact that her father and “boyfriend” were members of it, with her father leading and funding it as well.

For it is quite obvious what are the out-of-universe explanations for why Mai didn’t go straight to the palace after The Rebound and tell Zuko, but there is no good-in universe answer that is inline with her previously established character.

(In my opinion, the out-of-universe explanations for why Mai didn't go straight to the palace after The Rebound was so that Azula, who no longer has a nation-state backing her, would have the means and funds to manipulate terrorist groups, as well as house her kidnapped kids as part of her longer plot to make Zuko snap.)

For when did Mai suddenly care about her father to the point that she was willing to commit treason by supporting, or at least covering up, his seditious plot? 

For didn’t Mai, when she committed treason at in Boiling Rock, essentially betray her father and the rest of her family in favor of Zuko?

Moreover, why would she prioritize her father and his potential political power considering what would happen if Ozai ever got back into power? For I know Avatar is a children’s franchise ,but I am pretty sure one of Ozai’s first acts once he got back on the throne after he killing Zuko, Ursa, Iroh, Noren, and Kiyi would be killing Mai and Ty Lee for their treason. 

Especially considering that if she hadn’t turned when she did, half the Gaang would have died and Ozai would have very likely won the war. For without Aang learning lightning redirection, unless rock-kun (rock-kun is the younger cousin of Naruto’s swing-kun) intervenes much earlier, Aang dies to Ozai’s lightning spam, and no one else on the remaining Team Avatar is a match for Comet!Ozai except in the very unlikely chance Katara manages to develop 24/7 bloodbending in the aftermath of Aang's lost.

But alas, Mai decides to act in an OOC manner and hides from Zuko the existence of the New Ozai Society/Safe Nation Society until her Zuko’s half-sister, along with her brother, have been kidnapped by the Fire Warriors after Zuko, Ursa, Noren, and Kiyi barely survived a New Ozai Society ambush.

And by barely, I mean if it wasn’t for the combination of Ukano’s monologue, Kei Lo’s last minute heel-face turn, and Zuko managing to bullshit the greatest non-Avatar fire redirection feat in the franchise, Zuko and his family would have been burned to death and/or brutally stabbed to death.

But even more galling, when confronted with her treason, Mai claims that Zuko out of all people should know how hard it is to betray your father, as if there wasn’t a difference between betraying the all powerful ruler of your country who has a cult of personality, has burned you before, can quickly fire off lethal amounts of lightning on command, and has said before he wanted to kill you, versus betraying your mentally and physically weak father who rejected being integrated into the new government and seeks to put someone back in power who would likely kill you for committing treason against him.

Especially since Zuko accepts her explanation, and no one in-universe or the narrative ever again challenges Mai on why she committed treason.

For I understand that Mai is a tertiary character, and thus can’t have the same narrative focus in regards to her redemption arc like Zuko. But if the narrative is going to treat Mai as a hundred percent redeemed good guy, she should be held to the same standards and be criticized when she acts in a villainous manner.

But yet again, the comics fail to challenge Zuko for almost restarting the Hundred Year War instead of calmly showing Aang and Kuei why he revoked his unconditional support for the Harmony Restoration Movement, so why should we expect any “hero” to face any criticism?

Ukano

How come Ukano was willing to work with Azula to restore Ozai for the sake of his nation and family when not only is Fire Lord Zuko indebted to him for life due to Mai saving him at the Boiling Rock, not to mention the fact that Zuko offered him a job when his governorship disappeared after Bumi retook Omashu, but also when one of the first things Ozai would do after taking back power is killing Mai for her treason?

(In my opinion, it is clear that after Zuko’s defection, the only acceptable punishment for treason under Ozai's regime was death, with no chance for life in prison like Iroh had.)

What is Ukano’s plan for dealing with a fully realized Avatar considering that Ozai with Sozin’s Comet got utterly stomped by Aang? I don’t think it is wise, or in line with someone leading a vast seditious conspiracy, to rely on Azula getting another cheap shot on Aang, or the Fire Warriors managing to get one over Aang using their smokebending.

Also, as a matter of storytelling, why should I root for his heel-face turn and acceptance of his prison sentence when one of the last things he does before being sent to prison is subtly imply that he was manipulated/coerced by Azula?

For in-universe, didn’t Ukano have several opportunities to tell Aang and Zuko about the kidnapped kids? And out-of-universe, even if Azula is extremely dangerous, it is kind of pathetic to hear a grown-ass man essentially be bullied by a bunch of mentally ill teenagers.

I mean, how would you react if someone in a similar situation tried pulling Ukano’s excuse? 

Would you show sympathy towards them, or instead viciously mock them?

But in any case, how am I supposed to feel that, even if Ukano has to go to jail, he at least did good by standing up to Azula and her followers, if Ukano tries to deflect blame by blaming Azula?

I mean, would Zuko's apology to the Gaang during The Western Air Temple feel as sincere if he blamed Azula’s manipulations and the promise of his father’s love for why he acted the way he did during The Crossroads of Destiny, even if they were valid explanations for his behavior? 

Would the audience have so readily accepted Zuko into the Gaang if Zuko didn’t take sole responsibility for his actions?

Ozai and Ursa (The Letter)

Note: Ursa is a kidnapping victim who is highly implied to never had consensual sex with Ozai, and thus her kids were highly likely to be conceived without her consent. All that trauma, combined with the fact that Ozai had all the power in the household in addition to his emotional and, heavily implied by the artwork, physical abuse, explains almost all of her bad parenting decisions and behavior towards Azula and Zuko...except for what I am going to describe below down below in my opinion. So the point of this is just to make it clear that I don’t blame Ursa for what went wrong in Zuko’s or Azula’s life, for the responsibility solely lies on Azulon and Ozai’s shoulders. I am just criticizing one particular choice she made in-universe and the creators’ out-of-universe decision to make her act in that fashion.

Most people talk about the letter in relation to Zuko and how it affects him, but I have a very hot take: the letter only really exists to allow Azula to be a credible antagonist during The Search considering her still mentally broken state and the fact that Zuko, Katara, and/or Aang were keeping eyes on her at all times. 

That and to also facilitate a means for Azula to get free of her restraints and eventually escape Zuko’s custody, because without blackmailing Zuko, Azula would have never been free, unbound, and treated with dignity.

Also, the letter serves to unnecessarily woobify Zuko, but that is not the focus of this post.

So with that in mind, let's delve into what that letter implies Ursa and Ozai’s characters.

In regards to Ursa, I find it hard to believe that someone who basically begged for her son’s life and constantly shielded him to the best of her abilities would reckless endanger his life by writing a letter that claimed Ikem, not Ozai, was his father.

For Ursa, out of all people, should know that she, along with Zuko, only have value to the Royal Family if Zuko is Ozai’s kid. And that if Ozai was so inclined, he could have used the letter to kill her and/or Zuko.

And even if it is a hundred percent Ozai’s fault that he used the letter as an excuse to essentially treat Zuko as a bastard, though personally I think Ozai just continued treated Zuko the way he previously did and just said that to further emotionally abuse Ursa, why would Ursa ever give Ozai the means to (further) torment her beloved son? Especially when she knows Ozai, and most likely Azulon considering how quick he was to order Zuko’s death to punish Ozai, has it out for Zuko?

In regards to Ozai, the letter, and what he did and didn’t do with it, makes him even more incompetent than what previous canon suggested.

For even if he couldn’t have used the letter during Azulon’s reign to get rid of Zuko and/or Ursa due to, for example, fear of retaliation from Azulon due to being a “cuck”, how come he didn’t use the letter to disinherit Zuko, instead of burning Zuko and having to cover it up?

Or, after Zuko went full traitor, how come Ozai didn’t use the letter to ensure that Zuko could never inherit the throne...at least through his claim as Ozai’s son (Iroh could have adopted Zuko and then abdicated in favor of him)?

Iroh

I understand that Iroh is technically retired and doesn’t have to do anything. Moreover, I understand that the adults in child/teenage led action-adventure series can’t really be as proactive and/or responsible as IRL adults due to the constraints of the genre.

But Iroh is still involved in politics as seen by his willingness to serve as Zuko’s temporary Fire Lord when Zuko is gone. Moreover, Legacy of The Fire Nation does say that Iroh is still a White Lotus Grandmaster during the period the White Lotus becomes the Avatar world’s version of the UN Peacekeepers.

So with that in mind, we can criticize his lack of proactiveness in regards to Azula. For even taking away the assumption that Iroh offered the White Lotus’ help to find Azula after she ran into the Forgetful Valley, how come after Azula has been found to be masterminding the Kemurikage kidnappings, or after Azula revealed her plan to turn Zuko into a dictator, Iroh didn’t drop everything, call up the White Lotus, and lead a manhunt to find the Fire Warriors?

For not only is Azula the biggest threat to world peace and balance in their world, but also is the biggest threat to Zuko's throne and safety. Especially after she eliminated Iroh and Zuko’s one trump card over her (lightning redirection) and is arguably way stronger, at least as a combatant, than Ozai ever was.

For someone who lost his son and watched his beloved nephew get abused due to the effects of the Fire Nation’s imperialism and authoritarianism, why doesn’t Iroh make sure that the horrors of the past stay in the past? Especially when he has the power, means, and connections this time around to make sure no one ever gets hurt again due to the Fire Nation's imperialist and authoritarian ideologies?

Ty Lee

In regards to The Search, Ty Lee was mistreated by Zuko when he first took Azula out without asking her or Mai about their feelings, and then further mistreated when he had the gall to lose her without granting her and Mai, along with their families, 24/7 protection.

Though if Ty Lee is as much of a chi-blocking master as the narrative implies, when she warned Zuko that Azula’s chi-blocking was wearing off, she should have also warned him that there would be a period of time that Azula would be super flexible and have full control of her muscles and chi.

For even if Ty Lee had no idea that Azula had apparently learned instant lightning in the time she spent in the asylum, Azula is still capable of short bursts of fire that could have disoriented Zuko, leading to a similar outcome as to what actually happened in canon once Azula had the above period of time.

But moving on to something much more concrete, Ty Lee remembering the Fire Nation Palace’s secret tunnels and being able to locate the one leading to Azula’s secret lair has some very negative implications about her.

For even if she says it in a really roundabout way, The Sisters comics has Ty Lee say that the reason she joined the Kyoshi Warriors was to make up for the imperialism she helped perpetuate under Azula’s command.

Moreover, the Kyoshi Warriors agreed to be Zuko’s bodyguards in order to help protect the fragile peace that the Gaang helped establish at the end of the war. And in order to do that means that they have to be able to secure the Fire Nation Royal Palace to the best of their abilities.

However, despite knowing about the secret tunnels, Ty Lee apparently never mentioned them in the year that the Kyoshi Warriors had been in the Fire Nation.

(The Promise takes place one year after Sozin’s Comet Part 4; The Kyoshi Warriors become Zuko’s bodyguards during The Promise; The Search takes place one year after The Search with the main plot of Smoke and Shadow taking place a couple of months after the climax of The Search).

And this leads to not only the Fire Warriors being able to walk into the palace and almost kidnap Kiyi unmolested (in fact, if it wasn’t for their smoke, the Fire Warriors would have kidnapped Kiyi without anyone being wiser), but also for an entire conspiracy to operate right under their noses.

Not to mention what could have happened if the Fire Warriors were a little less mentally ill and used the fact that they had access to secret tunnels that no one knew about to do the obvious: carry out covert assassinations of all their enemies, which, depending on the time, could include important foreign figures like Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

Making things worse is that just like Mai really wasn’t challenged narratively or by anyone in-universe for her treason, Ty Lee is never challenged by the narrative or by her fellow Warriors, Zuko, and/or Aang for knowing about a gaping security hole and not telling anyone about it earlier.

I mean, the lack of knowledge of the secret tunnels could help, partially at least, explain why Zuko faced so many assassination attempts like Kori’s that got frighteningly close to killing him. 

For instead of his original guard being disloyal and/or incompetent, they instead could have had a lack of knowledge about the tunnels, and thus didn’t know how to properly seal them off and/or monitor them for threats.

Like I understand Azula being free probably impacted her ability to think rationally, for Ty Lee all but says she hasn’t had a peaceful night of sleep ever since Azula got out, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that she forgot to tell anyone about this security gap beforehand.

For doesn’t Ty Lee have a professional and moral duty to protect the Fire Nation Royal Palace and the Fire Nation Royal Family to the best of her abilities?

Kei Lo

I don’t hold him to the same standards as the heroes and outright adults in this analysis since most of Rebound and Smoke and Shadow was about his heel-face turn and redemption arc.

But there is one thing that does bother me about post-redemption Kei Lo’s actions, and that is when he attacked Azula in the Garden of Tranquil Souls without any apparent plan and got himself turned into a (brief) hostage.

For I understand that it was a moment to not only show how much far Kei Lo had changed, but also to showcase Azula's evilness by mocking Mai’s taste in men and implicitly threatening his life for daring to touch her/interrupt her bullying, assault, and psychological torture of Mai “dialogue” with Mai.

But looking at Kei Lo’s actions from the bigger picture, they don’t really make sense, or paint a good picture of Kei Lo at all.

For Kei Lo had not only seen Mai defeat an entire NOS hideout with a toddler strapped to her back, but also was the last person she fought before she left (spoiler alert: it was a total curb stomp battle).

Moreover, during the time he spent dating Mai and spent with Zuko and Aang, it is highly unlikely that the topic of Azula didn’t come up, even if there were no comic panels showing us this (when you have limited space, you can’t waste panels on “superfluous” dialogue), and therefore should have known that, just like Mai is way out of his league in terms of combat prowess, Azula is similarly beyond his abilities.

In addition, even if he didn’t believe what people mostly likely told him about Azula, he should have believed his own eyes as he watched Azula basically toy with Mai despite Mai actually fighting with true lethal intent.

(I know some people might disagree with me, but I think the art makes it clear that Mai was trying to kill Azula, and not just pin her).

And finally, instead of rationally thinking and trying to get Zuko and/or Aang’s attention so someone way more equipped could rescue Mai, he instead charges at Azula. But instead of using his knife, or trying to get Azula into a chokehold, Kei Lo instead just shoves her, allowing Azula to not only shoot him with concussive lightning, but also then hold him at firepoint, thus forcing Mai, who had been able to stand up to Azula, albeit terribly, to basically beg for Kei Lo’s life and leave herself vulnerable to Azula’s attacks as well.

For I know they are not analogous situations, but what Kei Lo did reminds me of dumbasses who try to intervene in active shooter situations, thinking they can be the hero, but end up making things worse due to being taken hostage, if they aren’t outright killed, making a peacefully resolution that much harder for the relevant authorities.

Likewise, Kei Lo, by getting himself taken hostage, could have, and should have as far as he knew, led to a nasty outcome. 

For as far as he knows, Azula is a sadistic, seditious, child killing, child kidnapping, genocidal domestic terrorist who has no qualms about killing or cruelly treating “friends” and family. And so what is not to say that Azula wouldn’t have tortured him to get back at Mai and/or tortured Mai in front of him, forcing Mai to take her cruel punishment in order to prevent Azula from killing her boyfriend?

Kei Lo is very lucky that Zuko intervened when he did, and is even more lucky that Azula was more interested in making her brother “strong” than really hurting anyone.

But instead of showing everyone berating him after the kids had been rescued, there instead was no narrative time spent at all. 

Which leads me to believe that that particular moment happened, in part, just to showcase how vile Azula is, despite in not being in line, in my opinion, with the conscientious and aware person Kei Lo seemed to be growing into, as seen when he broke up with Mai when he realized that, despite her words otherwise, she could never get over Zuko.

Sokka and Katara

There isn’t much to say other than they were the only ones who interacted with Comics!Azula who treated her like the threat she.

That and it was obvious they were written out of Smoke and Shadow before Azula's involvement with the kidnappings was revealed because if they were still in the Fire Nation when it happened, Azula and her girl gang would be back in jail instead of remaining menaces to society. 

Or at least they would have had to work much harder during the climax (ex. The Fire Warriors, including Azula, would have had to fight with lethal intent).

Toph

Other than the assumption that Toph helped Zuko search for Azula after the climax of The Search, all I have to say is that there is a good reason why Toph has not really shown up in any of the comics Azula has been in. 

And that is because Toph would have never tolerated any of Azula’s bullshit, or treated her with kid gloves instead of the genocidal war criminal who is still trying to negatively influence Fire Nation politics that she is as of current canon.

Other World Leaders

Note: Yes, there is no evidence that Azula was part of the war council meeting that ordered the attack on the Northern Water Tribe. But considering how comfortable Azula was in the “let's burn down the Earth Kingdom” war council meeting, plus the fact that Iroh thought it was appropriate for a 13 year old Zuko to partake in a war council meeting, I don’t think it is that much of a leap to assume that Azula was part of the war council meeting that ordered the Northern Water Tribe attack.

From Kuei’s perspective, Azula led a coup that ended with him in exile before suggesting and helping plan a genocide of his people. From Hakoda’s perspective, Azula almost killed both of his children several times. From Chief Arnook’s perspective, Azula was part of the war council that decided to not only invade his country, but also kill the Moon Spirit, which indirectly forced his beloved daughter to sacrifice her life to restore said spirit.

So once Azula gets into Zuko’s custody, shouldn’t they have established monitoring protocols to make sure that Zuko, who had less than six months ago willingly worked with her to conqueror Ba Sing Se, as well help her kill Aang, keeps one of the most dangerous war criminals in their world locked up while also establishing contingency plans to deal with scenarios in which Azula escapes?

Especially since Aang took mercy on her and didn’t remove her bending, meaning that Azula could grow stronger if she ever escapes (though I guess being in an asylum does allow for exponential growth anyway...) and eventually be able to get a cheap shot on Aang again before violently retaking the throne and restarting the Hundred Year War?

But instead of doing that, they instead naively trust that Zuko will keep Azula locked up without any check-ups (none of Zuko’s interactions with Kuei or Hadoka ever imply the topic of Azula’s status ever comes up). And while I understand the meta-reason for this (so it is more believable that Azula could remain an undetectable fugitive), it still has the potential to make them all look really, really bad.

For what happens, for example, if the Fire Warriors create an international false flag terrorist attack that gets people from the other nations killed, in addition to Fire Nationals, that leads to a short skirmish that gets even more people killed before the Fire Warriors are found to be the true culprits and dealt with?

For even if they manage to capture the Fire Warriors, how are the world leaders going to explain to their subjects/citizens the lack of security measures they took in ensuring that Azula stayed in jailed, or, if she ever escaped, the lack of plans to make sure she was apprehended as swiftly as possible?

Moreover, how are they going to explain the fact that they naively wholeheartedly trusted Zuko to make sure that Azula remained in prison, or, if she escaped, that he would tell them and ask for their help if needed in apprehending her, instead of trying to cover up the fact that it was his selfish desire to find Mommy that gave the most dangerous person on the planet the means to escape? 

Especially after the Yu Dao fiasco showed that Zuko might not be the most trustworthy or reliable partner?

Do any of them take their responsibilities seriously!? No, and that is why the Red Lotus had a point, for why should a bunch of clowns be in charge of nation-states if they can’t even use state power to properly protect people?

Bending and Combat

One of the more endearing things about Avatar is the fact that its combat and magic system is based on IRL martial arts. And this is reflected in the fact that all of the named prodigies except for Katara and Sokka, who likely the greatest prodigies in the franchise in terms of speed of skill acquisition and mastery, have undergone years of rigorous training to be the master benders and fighters that they are shown to be in the show.

Moreover, the show explains that bending and fighting are not just martial arts, but also are spiritual practices as well, and that the more spiritually in tune you are, the stronger your combat prowess will be. And that the less spiritual and/or the more out of balance you are, the weaker your combat prowess will be. 

For not only does your mental state affect things like your breathing or tactics, but also your willingness to incorporate other styles of bending/fighting into yours as well.

And the show makes it very clear that the strongest and best benders/fighters incorporate all the other styles of bending.

Finally, the show, whenever it introduced new bending/fighting techniques and/or power ups, made sure they didn’t contradict what was previously established (ex. metalbending is possible only because most metal still has pieces of unrefined earth in them; chi-blocking is possible because everything has chi in it; etc.), or gave them logical weaknesses to make sure they weren’t completely game breaking (ex. Lightning redirection does negate lightning generation, but you need to be in the proper stance and make sure the lightning never touches your heart, or else you will still die; chi-blocking only works if you can touch someone; etc.).

But the comics, in an effort to keep Azula a credible threat, seem to disregard all of the previously established rules and themes about bending, and in doing so leaves the Avatar franchise in a worse off state.

For why was Azula, after spending at least a year in an asylum where it can be presumed she wasn’t able to train like she used to, didn’t have anywhere near the same resources, and went further into psychosis, able to retain her physicality and remain the hyper-athletic fighter she was during the war?

Moreover, how did Azula get so strong and fast during her time in the asylum, and later in the wilderness as a fugitive, to the point that she is arguably the best H2H fighter in Avatar?

For not only did Azula manage to hold off a serious and in armor post-war Suki and Ty Lee despite wearing a billowing cape and a mask that blocked vision in her left eye, but also managed to consistently and causally dodge Mai’s knives despite the latter actually trying to kill her.

Not to mention how she managed to overpower Zuko, who was arguably the second best sword fighter in the franchise before having two years to add to his sword fighting prowess, in their short fire-sword fight in the crypt to the point that Zuko thought he could only prevent his death by convincing Azula that no one would ever accept her on the throne.

Zuko! You know, the person who literally has to be knocked out and/or dying before giving up in a fight, did not believe he could get out of Azula’s hold before she presumably stabbed him to death.

How come Azula’s fire managed to not only get stronger (ex. during the war, if she released her fire from her control, it became orange, but after the asylum, it stays blue), but also why was she able to develop several new lightning techniques, several of which where completely unseen in the franchise, or hadn’t been seen for centuries as far as the reader was concerned (ex. concussive lightning; instant lightning; quick charge lightning; lightning sphere; a bootleg chidori; instant area of effect lightning; lightning zaps; the ability to split and control her stream of lightning after she has fired it; lightning redirection)?

And speaking of new lightning techniques, how did Azula manage to learn the lightning redirection technique on her own? For none of Iroh, Zuko, and Aang ever showed her the technique, and Azula only saw the technique like four times (Iroh on the ship during The Avatar State; Zuko during Sozin’s Comet; Zuko twice during The Search).

And as far as I remember, the TV show never implied or showed that Azula was a Goku-level prodigy in that she only had to look at technique only a handful of times to completely master it and/or develop a counter to it.

Not to mention the fact that Azula is still a hyper-nationalist who still has no respect for the other nations, let alone their bending arts.

Like have you seen all the times she calls Sokka and Katara snow peasants, despite the two of them technically being her equal politically and Katara not only defeating her during Sozin’s Comet, but also almost defeating her during The Crossroads of Destiny as well? Does comics!Azula seem like the person to willingly incorporate waterbending principles into her bending, which is necessary to redirect lightning?

Also, what the hell is smokebending?! For I know in the Kyoshi novels, Kyoshi bends smoke as part of her first attempt at firebending, and that Aang generated smoke during The Firebending Master, so smokebending is a subset of firebending as the seeming precursor to firebending itself.

But how did the Fire Warriors manage to learn how to psychically generate and manipulate smoke?

Moreover, how did the Fire Warriors manage to learn how to use smokebending while also using their firebending at the same time? 

For as far as I know, other than Azula in the Smoke and Shadow Omnibus Cover, there is no other instance as far as I know of a non-Avatar bending an element and a sub-element at the same time. So how were they able to do so?

And how come Aang and Zuko, two master firebenders, one of which is also a master airbender, were not able to do anything about the Fire Warrior’s smoke? 

For shouldn’t they have been able to use their bending to clear the smoke instead of either choking on it (Aang) or allowing Azula to escape despite being a crypt with only one exit (Zuko)?

But I think the most frustrating thing is how strong the Fire Warriors are. For yes, I understand that the Gaang aren’t the only prodigies in the world, and that for a children’s action-adventure series, it is hard to write conflicts if the heroes face no physical challenges whatsoever.

But there is no justification both in-universe or out of it for why the Fire Warriors are so strong both in terms of bending and athleticism. Especially considering the fact they were heavily implied to have been kept in the same conditions that Azula was, and thus shouldn’t have been able to train to an elite master level, and the fact that they too were wearing long billowing capes with their left eyes blocked by their wood masks.

In fact, this ties into my next point...

Fire Warriors and the Asylum System

How was Azula able to break out six girls from her old asylum without Zuko finding out? For even assuming that Azula killed everyone there, eventually someone had to have come and find out about the slaughter. Especially when, assuming he really did try to find Azula, one of the things Zuko would have done is put extra guards there since it was likely that Azula would try to return there.

But instead of getting an answer on how Azula was able to break them out without anyone finding out, other than the meta-textual answer of Azula needed a new girl gang and the only people who she could have plausibly convinced considering her living conditions of the past year were her fellow asylum inmates, instead all we are left with is speculation, some of which implies some very nasty things about Zuko’s reign and the Fire Nation. 

Like the idea that the asylum system remained in control of Ozai loyalists and are currently weaponizing the inmates to create a shadow army to overthrow Zuko using the group of people Zuko and his regime would be least likely to suspect.

And speaking of speculation, what are the Fire Warriors’ motivations and/or goals in regards to joining Azula’s ongoing seditious domestic terrorism plot? For I understand that Azula needs new henchwomen in order to carry out her plots since it would break suspension of disbelief to have Azula carry them out by herself, but neither non-ableist explanation I could think of makes any sense.  

For either they are scared of her and/or being manipulated, but that doesn’t make sense since Azula no longer has any political power, and thus they can ignore her once she breaks them out. Not to mention Azula doesn’t seem to have regained all of her mental faculties (ex. her Mochi rant during Smoke and Shadow and how her eyes bulge out like crazy!Azula in The Search at the end of it). 

Or because she became non-ironic friends with them, which doesn’t make sense since Azula during her time in the asylum was clearly not in the mental state to take care of herself, let alone make friends not relying on her status or fear mongering. Especially when The Search has Azula blame “Ursa” for making Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee stop fearing her, heavily implying Azula still thinks fear is a good way to maintain relationships.

Which leaves us with the ableist answer (sorry for the language, it is to get my point across): they are crazy bitches, and crazy bitches don’t need any reason to do harm!

And do you know how harmful that is to IRL mentally ill people? For mentally ill people have had to fight really, really hard to fight the association that being mentally ill makes you evil or prone to evil. And it is only recently they have been able to fight back against such associations thanks in part due to positive representations in various artistic works.

So it makes me really disappointed that Avatar, a franchise that handles several difficult topics (ex. child abuse, rescue parents, imperialism/colonialism, child soldiers, physical disabilities, war orphans, sexism, misogyny, hyper-nationalism, genocide, abusive sibling relationships, abusive friendships, etc.) with such grace that even children can clearly understand and learn from them, engaged in such harmful stereotyping. Especially when one of the most highly regarded arcs in LoK is Korra overcoming her PTSD from being poisoned with mercury over the course of several years and with the help of several people.

For at least Azula, with all the cries of ableism about her treatment in the comics and other post-canon works like Legacy of The Fire Nation, has reasons for being evil other than her mental illness. 

Like the fact that she was indoctrinated and groomed from birth to be an active member of the ruling family of an authoritarian, genocidal, imperialist empire.

But what are the Fire Warrior’s reasons for helping Azula outside of being mentally ill?

Themes (The Search)

To be quite honest, I really don’t think The Search has a theme since it mostly exists to answer the question of what happened to Ursa. So I don’t think there is much to analyze or criticize in terms of themes.

Themes (Smoke and Shadow)

However, Smoke and Shadow does have a central theme: fear, or more specifically, getting over the fear of: Ozai (for Ursa), Azula, and/or being a tyrant (in Zuko’s case).

And in regards to Ozai, I think Smoke and Shadow actually did a good job of showing Ursa getting over her fear of Ozai. In fact, I think their confrontation in Ozai’s jail cell, with Ozai being reduced to a mad dog after seeing he has no hold on Ursa anymore, is one of the few good things that come out of the comics.

But in regards to the other two themes, which are heavily tied to each in my opinion, are butchered by the need to keep Azula a credible villain.

For I think fear does serve a valid purpose: to make sure we avoid situations and/or people that are likely to put ourselves or the people we love in danger. 

And boy do a lot of people have a lot to fear about post-Smoke and Shadow.

Mai and Ty Lee have every reason to continue to fear Azula after Azula basically humiliated them in combat and made it very clear that they are only still alive because she wants them to be. Not to mention in Mai’s case, Azula basically bullied Ukano into action, causing her father to eventually have to go to jail for a long time, and kidnapped her brother before put him in a holding cell for a good period of time.

Aang has ever reason to continue to fear Azula considering she has several lightning attacks that can bypass lightning redirection, the fact that Azula herself knows lightning redirection, the fact that Azula has smokebending powers similar to the Fire Warriors that knocked him out cold, and that Azula has successful shown that she can cause Zuko to fall down the path of his ancestors, meaning that Azula could eventually succeed and indirectly wipe out everything Aang and his friends fought for during the war.

Zuko has ever reason to fear Azula considering that: she basically broke into the palace and operated a conspiracy right under his nose; she kidnapped a bunch of kids, including their half-sister, and he could do nothing about it until Ty Lee remembered the secret passageway; that she has taken away his trump card over her and has essentially become the strongest firebender in history; that he is only alive because Azula has plans for him; and that she is still loose and plotting the next step in her dastardly plot to remake him in her image.

Moreover, Zuko has every reason to fear turning into a tyrant since he not only has he failed to capture the Fire Warriors post-Smoke and Shadow, but also failed to show that he won’t fall prey to the Fire Warriors manipulations and assaults other than give a flowery, but ultimately meaningless, apology speech at the end of Smoke and Shadow.

For he doesn’t order a sweep of his government to make sure that there aren’t any more mavericks like Constable Sung in his ranks. 

He doesn’t try to craft policies to ensure the various Ozai loyalists groups can’t take advantage of alienated people like Kei Lo to fill their ranks with people willing to die since they have nothing in life. 

He doesn’t institute any safeguards or protocols to make sure that if he has to ever institute authoritarian measures ever again, he does so because it was the best and logical decision possible, and not out of fear. 

He hasn’t undergone training (ex. combine his firebending with his sword skills as is implied in the “Old Friends” artwork) to close the gap that has once again opened between him and Azula so that if he ever encounters her again, his life won’t be in her hands once again.

Hell! People like Iroh, Noren and Ursa have a lot to fear considering that Azula easily breached the palace, one of the most secure places in the world, and probably has other means of getting in undetected, even if the tunnels are now known, since she was responsible for evacuating Caldera City during the The Day of Black Sun, and has demonstrated continued willingness to not only hurt Zuko, but also Kiyi as well.

Moreover, assuming they ever find out where the other Fire Warriors came from, they will, and should considering their eras’ lack of knowledge on mental health, fear the inmates in the asylum system. 

For if six of them were willing to join Azula and were really strong benders who could even knock out a fully realized Aang, what will happen, hypothetically, when Azula builds herself an army out of the asylum inmates she and her warriors break out of the various asylums in the country?

So I guess what I am trying to say is that, by keeping Azula a villain, Smoke and Shadow undermined its own theme of “we have to learn to live with fear and never let it rule us”.

For only fools would not live in fear of Azula and the Fire Warriors until they are apprehended, and I don’t think any of the characters mentioned in this section are big enough fools to underestimate what Azula and the Fire Warriors can do and what they are willing to do to achieve their goals.

Conclusion

Azula was one of the best villains in Western Animation, and part of that is because the characters and the narrative treated her like the threat she was, and that, even if her schemes did need some good fortune (ex. Sokka vouching for the Kyoshi Warriors before leaving with Aang to go his father), they still relied on various characters acting like they did normally, and not in OOC fashion (ex. Kuei is an airheaded fool, and so it is not out of character for Kuei to forget that he told Azula about the DoBS invasion plan and/or tell anyone associated with the plan that he spilled the beans before going on exile) just so she could win. 

Moreover, Azula doesn’t display new abilities when the plot demands it just to remain a threat; all she does is exploit her previously established abilities and intelligence/cunning.

For example, the Avatar is slowly floating up in the air in his Avatar State that is previously established to turn him into a berserking force of nature. Ok. I’ll just take advantage of the fact that he is exposed to shoot him dead with lightning before he can harm my allies, my friends, my brother, and/or me.

However, in the comics, Azula, despite remaining just as big as a threat, if not bigger, is not treated as such by either the narrative or the characters she interacts with. Moreover, Azula and her henchwomen frequently come up with new powers just so they remain a credible threat. And it not only ruins Azula as a villain, but also the characters that she has the misfortune of interacting with directly or indirectly.

For it really hurt to see a fully realized Aang essentially get knocked out by some faceless goons.

It really hurt to see Mai break up with Zuko because he visited Ozai without telling her, and then hide from him the existence of the New Ozai Society and the fact that her father was leading it. Not to mention, when confronted for her treason, seeing her avoid owning her mistake before everyone unceremoniously dropped the subject.

It really hurt to see post-war Suki and Ty Lee, two of the best H2H fighters who have learned each other's techniques, essentially get fodderized by a half-blind Azula. Or to see Azula learn lightning redirection with no indication of how she managed to learn the technique. Or to see her invent concussive lightning because the comics want her to spam her iconic lightning at everyone like the villain she is, but don’t want to deal with the consequences previously established in the TV show or in LoK.

It made me angry to see Zuko keep giving Azula second chance after second chance when Azula deserves no chances as long as she is on her current path. Especially when she keeps on hurting the people Zuko supposedly loves, and the subjects he supposedly cares about.

Anyway, before my rant gets too long, the point is that not that Azula can’t remain a good villain. For even I, as someone who believes an Azula redemption would be compelling, believe there are ways to keep Azula a credible antagonist in line with what was shown in the TV show.

But if this is the way Azula is going to be continued to be written as a villain, as a living plot device, I don’t want her to remain a villain. 

Especially when the bad writing surrounding villain!Azula starts to ruin other characters' previously established characterization, as well as previously established world building and lore.

[melzula]

Smoke and Shadow

part two

pairing: Zuko x Princess!reader

notes: final part is here! hope you guys enjoy and thank you for being patient as always

summary: the group is one step closer to finding the missing children and Azula, but that doesn’t mean all of their problems will be solved

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

“We decided to do some investigating after Zuko kicked Aang out of the throne room,” Suki explains to you as your trio runs after the Avatar and Fire Lord. “We wanted to see if there were any clues left behind from Kiyi’s kidnapping or Azula’s Kemurikage attack on the palace last night.”

“And even though we couldn’t find anything, I realized there was something fishy about the way she was able to escape so quickly!” Ty Lee adds with a keen smile. “When we used to play hide-and-seek as kids, she’d always manage to win by hiding in this secret passage way tucked into the palace walls. It must be how the Kemurikage were able to escape so quickly.”

“Good thinking, Ty Lee. Although, I still can’t believe she kidnapped her own sister,” you note with a disgruntled shake of your head. “That’s low even for her.”

“This is Azula we’re talking about,” Suki reminds you, and that in itself is enough of an explanation for her behavior.

You finally skid to a stop after reaching the palace rooftops where Aang and Zuko land. The Avatar carelessly drops your boyfriend on the tile, and you wince on his behalf before offering Zuko your hand to help him back up onto his feet.

“Did you have fun?” You ask with a teasing smile only for the Fire Lord to scowl.

“Don’t ever do that again!” He scolds Aang whilst dusting off his robes.

“Okay, okay, but look!” the boy insists before pressing down on a loose brick that opens up a hidden doorway.

“A secret passageway! So you think this is how Azula and the other Kemurikage escape? How did you figure this out?”

“They searched for clues after you kicked them out of the throne room,” you tell him with a pointed look that has him shrinking guiltily under your gaze. “I think you owe Aang an apology.”

“You’re right,” he murmurs sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I should have been more open to your ideas.”

“Apology accepted!” Aang chirps happily. “Now what’s our next move?”

“Well… Kiyi could be on the other side.”

“Tom-Tom, too. I’m coming along,” Mai interjects firmly, seemingly forgetting Kei Lo’s presence until he corrects her statement with a “We’re coming along.”

Zuko instructs Suki and Ty Lee to stay back and guard the palace, so you bid your friends goodbye before beginning your descent into the narrow passageway. The hallway is cold and claustrophobic, but Aang and Zuko lead the way with their fire bending, cautioning you to watch your step behind them.

You’re quiet for the most part, mulling over your thoughts and insecurities now that you’re given a moment’s silence to think. You’re still feeling a bit insecure about walking in on him with Mai and about his animosity towards Kei Lo, but you haven’t had the chance to talk to him yet. The long distance has been hard on your relationship, and sometimes it’s hard to keep consistent communication when both of you have duties to tend to and entire nations to run, but you never thought it would be a problem. Now, you’re not so sure.

You recall what Azula had told you during your time in the Forgetful Valley, how you and Zuko were an “unnatural” pair that would never work. You hate to admit it or even think it, but what if she’s right? What if you’re just kidding yourself? Maybe Mai really has been the right girl for him all along. After all, she is Fire Nation, and she certainly is more qualified to be dating the Fire Lord than you are. You wish Suki were here to talk to, surely she’d know just what to say and could stop you from spiraling like you are now, but without her it seems it’s just you and your thoughts for now.

“Hey, I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier,” a voice says, pulling you out of your thoughts. “I’m Kei Lo, Mai’s boyfriend.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, everything’s just been so chaotic. I’m y/n, Zuko’s girlfriend.”

“That’s right, Mai told me. Say, aren’t you a Chief? Should I be calling you Chief y/n instead?”

“Just y/n is perfectly fine,” you correct him with an awkward laugh. Unbeknownst to you, Zuko is listening in on every word. He doesn’t trust Kei Lo, not one bit, and he doesn’t want him roping you into any trouble. He doesn’t care if he really isn’t in cahoots with the Safe Nation Society, if Kei Lo so much as looks at you in a way Zuko doesn’t like he’ll be tossed into a cell immediately.

“So how’s a Chief of a water tribe end up dating the Fire Lord?” He asks with a laugh.

“It’s a very long story.”

“Please spare me the details,” Mai says with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, it may not be the best time for that story,” you note with an apprehensive smile.

“You’re probably right. Still, it’s a pretty awkward situation we’ve all found ourselves in.”

“You can say that again.”

After some time group is finally able to reach the end of the passageway, and the only thing standing in your way from the other side is a solid wooden door.

“This must be it,” Zuko announces hopefully. “Behind this door could be Kiyi and Tom-Tom.”

“And Azula,” Aang adds apprehensively before helping the Fire Lord push the heavy wood open. The creak of the old hinges is deafening, echoing in the silent hallway, and you watch with bated breath as the light from the other side slowly begins to seep in. Carefully, you follow the two out the door only to be met with a disappointing site.

There are no missing children and there is no Azula. Instead, you’re faced with a gloomy and desolate graveyard.

“What is this place?” You murmur in awe, your eyes scanning across the expanse of withered headstones. You’ve never seen anything like it.

“I’ve been here before,” Zuko notes thoughtfully, “this is the royal family graveyard.”

“I thought that’s what the Dragonstone catacombs were for,” Aang questions with furrowed brows.

“No, the catacombs are only for Fire Lords. This place is for everyone else. It’s called the Garden of Tranquil Souls.”

“Really? Well, I hate to break it to you, Zuko, but…” the Avatar begins uneasily, and you follow his shifting gaze towards the clouds of smoke that begin to surround the graveyard. Taking a step back, you reach to unclip your water pouch as the dark figures begin to close in on your group. “The souls here don’t seem all that tranquil!”

The group of Kemurikage don’t hesitate to attack, and immediately your group is split apart as you all begin to defend yourselves against their assault. Blasts of fire are shot your way left and right, but you’re able to deflect it every time with your water bending. You manage to take down two of the spirits by encasing them up to their necks in ice, but your progress only seems to make a dent in their ambush. Zuko and Aang are still corned back to back, and Azula has managed to single out Mai and Kei Lo. She holds the boy by the collar of his shirt, eyes full of malice and hand ready to strike him with her blue flames despite Mai’s pleas for her to leave her boyfriend alone.

Before she can harm him, you send a blast of water towards her with an effortful grunt that shoots her across the graveyard and into one of the pillars. The impact is forceful enough to put a crack in the tombstone and disorient Azula momentarily to allow Kei Lo and Mai the chance to escape.

“Are you alright?” You ask him after rushing towards the couple. Mai helps him to his feet before looking to you, her eyes full of gratitude and sincerity.

“Thank you,” she says earnestly, and you give her an appreciative nod in return.

Rising from the ground with a grunt of pain, Azula is filled with rage at your assault on her. How dare you think you can beat her at her own game?

“Helping out your competition? That’s pathetic even for you, dearest,” she insults, irises aflame with fury. “Perhaps you and Zuko are more compatible than I thought.”

“What’s pathetic is the fact that you’re still obsessed with becoming Fire Lord,” you spit back, water cloaking your arms to form tentacle-like limbs for attack.

“Oh, I’m much past that now. I have a new mission,” she notes airily with a passive wave of her hand. Her eyes harden suddenly then and electricity begins to spread across her fingertips. “One that simply won’t work with you in the picture.”

Before she can raise her hands to strike you with her lightening blast, Zuko is quick to send a hail of flames her way to distract her. “Leave her out of this! It’s me you want!”

“Oh, Zuzu, always so dramatic,” she mocks before creating a cloud of smoke to cover her as she runs away.

“You have to go after her!” You exclaim urgently. “I’ll stay back and help Aang handle the rest of the Kemurikage.”

After ensuring you’ll be fine without him, Zuko gives you one final nod before chasing after his sister. You, on the other hand, rush back towards Aang to see if he needs any help. However, it seems he’s been able to manage the assailants just fine on his own.

“Princess! Where’d everybody go?” He asks, perplexed at the sudden disappearance of your group.

“Zuko went after Azula. I’m not sure where Mai and Kei Lo are,” you note as you scan the garden for any sign of them. “What do we do now? We still haven’t found the missing children.”

As if on cue, a shrill voice coming from the passageway calls out for help. You exchange an alarmed glance with Aang before immediately sprinting back into the doorway. A breath of relief leaves you at the sight of Mai’s father with the children in tow, but your ease is short lived at the sight of the two Kemurikage that hold them captive.

“Look!” One of the kids exclaims. “It’s the Avatar and Chief y/n!”

“Hi kids, we’ve been looking all over for you!” Aang says with an overjoyed wave.

“Are you guys alright?!” You call out protectively. “Is anyone hurt?”

“We’re great!” Kiyi calls back prompting you to let out a relieved laugh. You’re so happy to see her and see that she’s okay, but your joyous reunion is quickly cut short by the two spirits who begin to approach the two of you with whips of fire.

“Hang on, kids!” You tell them before beginning to take on the Kemurikage. There’s two of them, so you and Aang each take on one. They’re powerful fighters, but the safety of the children is on the line, so you use all of your might to fight them off as best as you can.

You counter their whip with one of your own, slicing through their weapon each time before it can strike you. While one of your hands controls the water whip, the other sends constant shards of ice hurtling toward the cloaked woman. You can tell she’s beginning to tire, your attacks too much for her to keep up with, but you’re too focused to notice the second figure approaching closely behind you. The Kemurikage’s whip is raised to strike you in the back, but their attack is halted by the blade that slices through the air and pins their hand against the wall.

“What-!” You exhale in surprise, turning just in time to see Mai swoop in and finish the job. The last two spirits have been apprehended, and you’ve been spared a wound that surely could have been fatal.

“Someone had to watch your back,” Mai explains with a faint smile. “You had ours.”

“Thank you,” you utter with a breathless grin. It feels nice to not hate each other for once, and you actually seem to work quite well together.

“Y/n! Y/n!” A voice calls, stealing your attention away from the girl and back to the children. Kiyi sprints towards you with a gleeful smile, and you’re quick to scoop her up into your arms and give her the tightest hug. “You came back!”

“I promised, didn’t I?” You say with a playful smile, carefully pushing back the hair from her face. “I’m so relieved to see you’re okay, and I know Zuko will be too.”

“Guess what? I’m a fire bender now!” She boasts proudly. “I burned a hole through the door so we could escape!”

“That’s incredible!” You praise with a laugh. “Wait until your brother hears this.”

Across the way, Mai cradles her little brother in her arms and watches you speak animatedly with Zuko’s sister. Your interest in Kiyi’s story is completely genuine, and she can see just how much the girl values your opinion. It’s so different from the way Azula used to talk about you, speaking poorly of your character and diminishing you to nothing but a weak Princess. Maybe Mai had judged you too harshly. After all, she might not have been able to get her brother back without your help.

“Thank you again for your help,” she tells you after setting Tom-Tom down to allow him to bid his goodbyes to his new friends. “I was wrong about you, and I shouldn’t have let my resentment cloud my judgement the way I did. I guess I really don’t hate you as much as I thought I did.”

“I appreciate you saying that,” you express with a careful smile. Perhaps things will always be awkward between the two of you, but this is at least a good start.

After making sure all of the children are accounted for, your group exits the passageway just as Zuko emerges from one of the mausoleums. Kiyi is quick to sprint towards her brother, and you watch on with a smile at the way his eyes seem to light up while hugging her close.

“Kiyi! I can’t tell you how worried I was about you.”

“I wasn’t worried at all!” She notes with a grateful smile. “You should’ve seen it, Zuzu! Y/n helped the Avatar take those nasty ladies down!”

“She did, did she?” He asks playfully, glancing over to you with a grateful smile. You simply give him a sheepish shrug in return. “I’ll have to be sure to give her my thanks.”

“And Azula?” You ask him, but his solemn gaze is enough of an answer. “She said she had a new mission, did she tell you what it was?”

“She wasn’t interested in becoming Fire Lord, she was interested in turning me into the type of Fire Lord she would be. The type that rules with fear, ruthlessness. Just like my father. Azula says I can’t escape who I am, and it will only be a matter of time before I’m just like her.”

“You don’t believe that, do you? You’re nothing like Azula,” you say earnestly. “You never will be.”

“I know,” Zuko murmurs softly, but you can see the slightest bit of doubt in his eyes and it saddens to you to know he doesn’t fully believe it to be true. “But either way she escaped. I don’t know where she is or when she’ll return.”

“We’ll be there to help you if she does come back, buddy,” Aang consoles with a comforting hand on the Fire Lord’s shoulder. “For now, let’s just focus on returning these kids back to their families.”

“Good point, Aang. Now,” you say, looking to the children who stare up at you with tired eyes that immediately brighten when you ask, “who’s ready to go home?”

~~~

Peace has been restored in the Fire Nation; the children have been returned safely to their parents, and Zuko has earned the forgiveness of his people for his mishandling of the situation. Everything is almost perfect.

You lean against the balcony of your room for the night and stare up contemplatively at the moon. Yue shines beautifully as always, and you find comfort in her light as you battle against the darkness clouding your thoughts. Your doubts about your relationship still rage on, and you haven’t been able to fight them off no matter how hard you try. You haven’t mentioned anything to Zuko, not wanting to distract him from his duty to his people, but the suffering in silence act you’ve been pulling all day hasn’t been helping your state of mind. Suki had urged you to talk to him, stating you had nothing to worry about because she’s seen firsthand how much he misses you when you’re away, but you were too anxious to follow through. What if you won’t like what you hear when you finally speak to Zuko?

You’re too engrossed in your thoughts to hear your door open or the quiet footsteps that head towards you, and it isn’t until he’s right beside you that you finally feel the familiar warmth that constantly emanates from his body. You don’t have to look to know that it’s Zuko.

“Suki said I should come to talk to you,” he says softly, golden eyes looking to you inquisitively. “Is everything alright?”

“I… I’m not sure,” you admit quietly, nervously fidgeting with your fingers and refusing to meet his gaze.

“What is it?”

His hand sneaks its way in between your own to halt your fidgeting and reassure that he’s right there with you and ready to listen to whatever it is you have to say. Sighing, you finally look to him with uncertainty swimming in your eyes.

“Do you have feelings for Mai?”

He’s stunned to stay the least, eyes widening slightly in surprise at your question. It’s certainly the last thing he expected you to ask him.

“Is this what you were trying to talk to me about earlier?” He presses gently, frowning at the way you slowly nod your head. “I see…”

“Just be honest with me, Zuko,” you plead desperately. “We promised we’d never keep secret from each other anymore, so if there’s something to tell then tell me. I can handle it.”

“I can’t stand here and tell you that it didn’t look bad when you walked in on Mai and I,” Zuko admits with a sigh. “But I can tell you that nothing was going on.”

“I heard you say you care about her.”

“It was out of context. I was trying to make things right for the sake of finding the children- she was obviously still upset over what went down between us, and I was trying to keep the peace so that we could work together to find our siblings. I’ve known her since we were kids, and if it weren’t for her I never would have been able to escape Boiling Rock and come back to you. So in a way I guess I do care for her, but it’s nothing compared to how much I care for you.”

“What about your animosity towards Kei Lo? You seemed… jealous of him.”

“I wasn’t jealous, I just didn’t trust him. I still don’t,” Zuko says adamantly. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to release him because I didn’t want him to try and pull anything. I didn’t want Mai getting hurt, and I especially didn’t want him putting you in any danger.”

“So… so you don’t have feelings for her?” You ask meekly, the slightest bit of doubt still present in your voice.

“I’ve never had feelings for her,” Zuko says earnestly before gently taking your hands in his own. “You’re the only girl for me, y/n. I was stupid enough to let you go once, but I’m never making that mistake again.”

You can’t help but smile at his admission, tears beginning to well in your eyes as you throw your arms around him in a tight embrace that he immediately returns. It feels like a weight has finally been lifted off your shoulders, and all the worry and self doubt you had is finally beginning to melt away.

“I never want you to feel doubtful or insecure about our relationship ever again. I’m going to do everything in my power to do better,” he professes earnestly. “I love you more than you know, and you don’t ever have to worry about someone coming between us again.”

“I love you, Zuko.”

He pulls you in for a kiss, and with the moonlight shining down upon you both, everything is almost perfect.

For neither of you notice the pair of golden eyes that stare down at you from the rooftops with disdain and disgust before disappearing into the shadows.

“Pathetic.”

| atla tags: @sirkekselord @niktwazny303

| zuko tags: @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @taeeemin

| fire lilies tags: @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @xapham @misnmatchedsox @chewymoustachio @that-bucket-hat-gal @chilifrylizard2 @kyomihann @kaylove12 @kiwihoee @freggietale @moon-spirit-yue @bubblegum-bee-otch

[samtamdan]

Maizulee headcanon

Azula got insomnia after the war, Ty Lee usually sings her songs of "Trustfully in Love" to let her sleep

One time, when they were still kids, Mai confessed her feelings to Azula but she thought she was talking about Zuko

Meanwhile they were on the Earth kingdom Mai and Ty Lee take turns to help Azula with her hair

Mai is actually a really good cook, she can do something that could compete against the palace food, and she enjoys being able to use her abilities with knives on something that gives happiness to her girls; Ty Lee likes baking cute things like cookies and muffins, she can do other stuff but she didn't enjoy making them; Azula is banned from the kitchen

When they were kids Azula watched Mai as her big sister, Azula can barely remember that but Mai remembers the little Azula called her big sister CLEARLY

Before Ty Lee leaves to the circus she and Mai both know that the other has a crush on Azula, they try to fight each other for her for a while but they start growing a crush on each other too

takes too much time for Azula to trust Mai and Ty Lee again but she loves them too much to be resentful forever

The first time Mai notices her crush on Azula is when she defends her love for throw-knife against her mother

After the war neither Mai nor Ty Le wanted to see Azula, both were too angry to see her, they even started to distance each other, Ty Lee got all of herself on her new friends on the Kyoshi warriors, Mai just tried to keep her mind busy to don't think about her, she even date kei lo for a couple of months before Azula escape the asylum.

When they heard about Azula's new little group of mascaraed terrorist friends (?), they couldn't avoid the feeling of being replaced

[phoenix-king-ozai]

You gotta wonder what comic Ozai was thinking when his dad just goes up to him and basically says he has to marry some girl he's never met for the sake of the bloodline and have children with her even though he won't get the throne anyway.

I think it depends on certain factors. According to the ATLA comics, Ozai is at least a decade Ursa's senior. It is possible that Ozai already had a lover who was closer to his age and possibly had to abandon that relationship due to the Fire Sage's prophecy and Fire Lord Azulon's demand. Regardless of Ozai’s own wishes and desires regarding his own marriage and love life.

However, the comics try to make Ozai an irredeemable monster and caricature of a villain. So this interpretation is too sympathetic. Even though the original ATLA creators and OG ATLA Wiki on Nickelodeon stated that Ursa was raised as royalty and was the perfect betrothed and possible wife for Fire Prince Ozai.

However, Zuko’s flashbacks showed that Ozai did make an effort to try to be a good father and husband to Ursa and their children. The good memories of the Fire Nation Royal Family on Ember Island hurt Zuko and Azula during the Beach episode. This is why Zuko desired Ozai's love, respect, and admiration from him. If Ozai was only a cruel bastard to his family and son why would Zuko want to go back to his father and homeland to be abused again?

The Search Comics by Yang just took the most stereotypical, uninteresting, and non-complex lazy route regarding the Urzai relationship. Ursa is a good woman! Ozai is a bad man! She must have been kidnapped and physically, mentally, emotionally, and sexually abused! This is why Yang goes out of his way to demonize Ozai and bastardize his characteristics for his own personal fanfic OOC named Ikem. Yang has a horrible habit of adding new uninteresting characters into other established characters' lives. Yang destroyed Urzai with Ikem and also Maiko with Kei Lo.

Even though I don't think Ozai was Prince Charming regarding Ursa initially due to her being the granddaughter of Avatar Roku and possibly being a non-bender. Ursa possibly could have been seen as a blood traitor by the royal court and Fire Nation nobility and royalty due to Avatar Roku attacking and stopping Fire Lord Sozin during his early stages of imperial conquest until he died on Ember Island giving Sozin the chance to end the Avatar Cycle by killing the Air Nomads. However, I do believe that Ozai eventually warmed up to Ursa and bonded with her by the time they had Zuko and Azula. We even see Ozai be quiet and somber regarding her favorite spot by the Turtleduck pond after her banishment and disappearance.

[julianblackthornlawyer3]

Sooo, I was thinking about Mai and Zuko from atla and why some people don't like them together, but before a disclaimer:

I'm not against shipping whatever you like 'cause shipping is supposed to be fun and you can ship whatever you want, myself included I love all type of ships in atla because I can see why people ship them and it's FUN.

Comeback about why people don't like maiko or to be more clear why a lot of people don't like Mai, and while I was reading the comics after the end of the og atla series I realized why: They don't developed Mai (as a individual character) and her relationship with zuko. Her personality is not the problem here (for me her and zuko are very much similar) but everything is so rushed when it comes to them, we don't have time to see them grow up as a couple, and more important they do Mai dirty, the creators made Mai betrayed Azula and say she love zuko more than her fear for her psychotic friend for absolutely impact value but after they made Mai put all weight of the relationship on zuko back while he is trying with aang rebalence the nations in the comics. For me, it made sense why they break up and come back together after 3 years, but what doesn't make sense is the reason why Mai break things off (saying zuko has to many secrets) to later on keep secrets about the truth about her father being the leader of a society who wants zuko, you know 💀☠️. Everything that have with Mai they rush, her character development, her friendship with Ty Lee, her thing with zuko, her family in general, her thing with that boy Kei Lo (I think thats his name) to later on break things with him out of nowhere and we never see him again, like this boy really said to zuko that Mai chose him (Kei lo) over zuko and zuko needs to get his jealous ass and move on, for later Mai break things off like what was the point to put my girl over all this??? that make no sense.

I like Maiko and a ship them but I just wish they put more effort in make them more developed. I don't know is just my opinion after de comics.

[natlacentral]

Dallas Liu & Elizabeth Yu

On Fire Nation siblings reborn: from animation to live-action

A familiar chime resonates, followed by the words, “water, earth, fire, air”—it's the unmistakable precursor to the iconic opening of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender. When the beloved animated series was released, my brother and I, like countless others, eagerly awaited each new episode, immersing ourselves in the epic saga week after week. We witnessed the characters grow up alongside us, and well into our adulthood, we've revisited the series time and time again. Now, with Netflix's highly anticipated live-action adaptation set to premiere on February 22nd, it's a chance to revisit the beloved characters and stories we've cherished for years, brought to life in a new format.

Sitting side by side, Dallas Liu and Elizabeth Yu warmly greet me over Zoom the day after the premiere event in Los Angeles. With anticipation for the live-action adaptation reaching a fever pitch, Liu and Yu sit down with Timid to delve into their roles as the dynamic Fire Nation siblings, Zuko and Azula. Their excitement is palpable as they reflect on the journey of bringing these beloved characters to life and the profound impact the series has had on their lives and careers.

With my curiosity piqued, I inquire about their personal connections to the show. Without hesitation, Liu fondly discusses his childhood introduction to the series, recalling Zuko's training on the boat with Uncle Iroh as the moment he fell in love with the character. "The show has been a big inspiration to me, influencing my decision to pursue martial arts. So, it was a dream come true, getting to incorporate both acting and martial arts into a childhood series that I loved.”

Yu shares a different reflection and responds, “Avatar was my first introduction to this style of animation. So, it was really cool to see faces inspired by our own in an animated style and in a positive way.” Reflecting on their responses, it becomes clear that for both Liu and Yu, as well as countless fans, Avatar: The Last Airbender holds a special place in their hearts, serving as a source of inspiration and connection.

The deep impact of the show has cultivated a dedicated fan base, and as members themselves, Liu and Yu were beyond excited to play Zuko and Azula. Their eyes light up as they recall key moments, such as joining the cast, and express their gratitude for being part of such an iconic series. "Every single cast member, writer, producer, director, and even our transportation and craft teams deeply loved the series," Yu says, emphasizing the collective passion driving the project. Liu expands on this sentiment, saying, “It’s special! The fans will really appreciate that there's a new level to the story, which is really interesting to watch.”

Amidst the excitement, the duo acknowledges the weight of fan expectations and the responsibility of honoring the beloved characters. “I grew up with a lot of friends whose whole personality is this show, because they love it so much. They grew up with it. So, you definitely don't want to mess it up. You want to do it right,” Yu shares. Liu nods in agreement, recognizing the monumental task of filling the shoes of beloved characters like Zuko, voiced by Dante Basco in the animated series. Despite the pressure, Liu and Yu remain committed to capturing the essence of their characters authentically. Liu describes their approach as taking a “grounded route in our performance, rather than trying to impersonate cartoon characters.”

While watching the show, it became increasingly apparent that while the characters' progression retained a comforting familiarity, there were also instances where the actors infused their own unique essence into their performances. Some moments paid homage to the original, but others showcased the actors' individual interpretations, breathing fresh life into the characters.

In the animated series, Zuko emerges as a dynamic and complex character, navigating his identity as Prince of the Fire Nation while grappling with his personal journey towards redemption and self-discovery. When portraying Zuko in the live-action adaptation, Liu aimed to convey the character's depth and inner turmoil. He explains, “I wanted to make this a real-life person that has experienced real-life trauma. Someone that people could relate to.” 

One scene in particular that stood out to me while I was watching the show was when Zuko returned to his boat and was met with an unexpected welcome from his crew. In that scene, upon Zuko’s face, you could see his inner conflict come into play. Now, as I share with Liu that I got emotional during this scene, he, too, said that it was pretty emotional for him as well. Liu reflects, “In that scene, without dialogue, you can see how much it affects Zuko. You can feel it in your heart.”

For Yu, the slight retelling of Azula’s story in the adaptation provided her with the freedom to explore the nuances of her character. Azula, a formidable antagonist with a complex persona, embarks on her own journey of self-discovery. Yu explains, “I'm not even in the first season of the original series, so my whole character arc in the first season is new, which is cool to see because it adds so much more of a grounding point for the character later on.”

As Avatar: The Last Airbender unfolds, Azula’s complex relationship with her father, Lord Ozai, portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim, begins to unravel as she asserts her dominance in the Fire Nation. Yu’s portrayal delves deeper into Azula's psyche, offering viewers an enriched understanding of the character's evolution. Both Yu and Liu note the distinction between the original series, initially intended for a younger audience, and the live adaptation, which delves into the darker aspects of their characters' pasts and the realities of growing up in the Fire Nation. “We get to see the gravity of their situation,” Liu says. “Neither of our characters are truly evil. They experienced trauma that not everyone goes through.” This is especially true as you see both Zuko’s and Azula’s interaction with Lord Ozai.

A turning point arises when Azula confronts her father, showcasing her capability to follow in his footsteps. Yu describes how she prepared for that scene, saying, “As a fan of the show, I was living vicariously through all of it. We were waiting for that switch, when does she turn into Azula that we all know and love? What shifted inside of her. That scene shows that switch, and you also see what makes her different from Zuko.”

Throughout the first season, there are glimpses of the characters' motivations, shedding light on their intricate bond. Yu offers insight into their dynamic, stating, “They want the same thing at the end of the day, but the way they go about it is different because of who they are.” These motivations are evident, particularly in the characters' quest for their father’s approval and love. However, alongside this desire, there exists a palpable sibling rivalry. This dynamic even extends beyond the screen, as Liu jests about Yu, “She did a great job at being the conniving younger sibling, but as the series continues Azula is like, ‘Oh, this is my dumb older brother.’”

This banter continues as I pose a playful question to both of them, asking, “What type of bender would you consider each other as?” Their eyes met, and with a smile, Liu responds, “She wants me to say water, but when you’re talking about her ambition for Azula and their similarities, it’s fire. For example, her approach to Azula was eye opening because she really cared about the performances that we're giving rather than just stick to the original. I gained respect for her as an artist and it was super sick to see.” Yu laughs and chimes in, “I want to be a water bender so bad, but everyone keeps saying fire.”

For Liu, Yu chooses earth bending. “I feel like you’re an earth bender,” she says to an immediate response of “What makes you think I’m an earth bender?” Yu explains her reason, noting Liu's grounded approach to various aspects of life, coupled with his passion and perseverance, akin to the characteristics of an earth bender.

In the realm of storytelling, Avatar: The Last Airbender has captivated audiences around the world. Dedication permeates every aspect of the first season, from the committed production team to the powerful performances. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the world of bending, the live adaptation offers a fresh perspective while staying true to the essence of the beloved series. "It is fanmade," Yu passionately declares when asked about the message she hopes viewers will glean from the first season.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

“Everything must be about zutara for them” you have no idea, HOW right you are!

Like, there were some posts I saw translated to my mother tongue with titles like “what would Katara/Zuko/Mai/Aang gain from zutara” (really, these last two will be sooooooo happy losing their loved ones, suuuuuure). You can imagine what kind of nonsense they are even without reading them. Just one example: according to them, Mai will gain “a boyfriend who really likes her” – Kei Lo from the comics. Setting aside that the comics are trash, even in them Mai explicitly said that she does not love Kei Lo, so I suppose it doesn’t really matter for her if he loves her or not. She doesn’t even need this “price” that zutarians are pushing down her throat.

After seeing these for the first time, I giggled internally about “where are posts about what Momo/Mechanist/June/the cook/Sparky-Sparky-Boom Man/avatar Kyoshi/Lu Ten/the herbalist/Bosco/Smellerbee gain from zutara” and forgot about it. And recently I came across the post on tumblr where one person seriously asked what will Hakoda gain from zutara, and the other person seriously replied with about ten points of garbage. There are also posts about Kya (two, actually – about Katara’s mother and Katara’s daughter), Suki, Sokka, Toph, Iroh, Azula, Koh, Ozai, the cabbage merchant, Appa and Momo and maybe someone else too. And no, they aren’t joking (well, aside from Koh and the cabbage merchant – I’ll be generous here), people suggest the characters for the posts, like and repost this plenty. And yes, this all is complete bullshit – to say the least, most of the things spoken of the characters can gain just fine without any zutara, and the rest they either have already or don’t care about or don’t want at all. And so, so many characters Katara is supposed to look after and care about… but her caring about Aang is horrible for her, don’t you ever forget it.

They are really doing this, spirits, they are. I only checked it for fun, I did not really want any of it!

Okay, I’m running to get some popcorn and throw up a little. Can’t be late for a “Sparky-Sparky-Boom Man gain” post.

God, I HATE those kinds of posts, not just from Zutarians, but even for some ships I like. Very few ships do genuinely, single-handedly, improve a narrative as a whole AND THAT'S OKAY!

A ship can just be "I think they look good together" or "Their interactions are fun, if they date they're gonna interact more, so I want them together." A ship can make sense narratively AND not be 100% necessary for said narrative to be good and coherent by itself.

And, obviously, as I have said many times, I do genuinely believe Zutara would have made the show worse if it had happened because:

1 - Zuko and Katara are clearly incompatible, so their romance would feel like a waste of time to me, even if it wasn't endgame.

2 - Legend Of Korra more than proved Bryke CANNOT write love triangles well. We really dodged a bullet when they decided "You know what, lets make Toph a badass blind girl instead of a buff dude and cut the love triangle with her, Katara and Aang completely", let's not put ourselves in front of the gun willingly, please.

[3xamenace]

Lo and behold, it's me being low-key called a pedo after trying to be nice. And yeah, I'll not waste my time covering the dumbass' username.

If one of us is a pedo, it's not the one who knows fictional characters aren't real. I mean, sure, I'm a pedo for knowing that Azula is a not a real person and not you for having a crush on her?

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Honey Lemon (Part 6)

Here’s a link to the fic since it’s been a while.

Azula sits in the garden letting the bees swarm about. They buzz past her head, sometimes they land upon her. She lets them crawl until they lose interest. And she watches them make work of the nearest flowers that they can find. The day is as peaceful and mundane as ever. And that is precisely the problem. 

Things have been going well, very well.

It makes her so jittery and anxious. 

Truthfully she has been waiting for the moment when everything would just come undone. All of the peace she has found for herself, all of the hard work, effort, and love that she has put into her bees, their honey, and the glass jars. It was bound to fall apart eventually just like everything else that she has ever worked for. 

Her downfall has a shape and that shape is human. 

Her downfall has a name and that name is Michiaki.

That man, that Michiaki,  whoever he is, has been lingering about for way too long. He is nothing but smiles and sunshine and Kei Lo likes him. He likes Michiaki and that is the first thread that fringes. All Michiaki has to do is pull and things will begin to come undone. Really, he doesn’t even have to pull. Azula is doing a good job of tugging for herself. 

“I just don’t understand why you won’t let me talk to him!” 

“I…I never said that you couldn’t.” Azula frowns. 

“No. But you always make it some big thing when I do.” Kei Lo huffs. 

“I don’t!”

“Oh? You don’t? Then why do I always see eye rolls and hear sighs whenever I let him browse our shop?”

“You can talk to who you want to converse with.” Azula sighs. Even if it makes her skin crawl and her stomach flutter with dread that she can’t seem to put into words that Kei Lo understands. 

“Yeah? Well I don’t feel like I can.” 

Azula grimaces. “You can talk to Michiaki. I don’t care.” Maybe if she repeats it to herself enough she can convince herself that the man is as harmless as he makes himself out to be. Maybe she can convince herself that she doesn’t think that Michiaki is trying to sabotage things between she and Kei Lo.

Kei Lo who gives her a sigh. “I can see it in your eyes that you’re not okay with it?” 

She rubs her hands over her face. “Then listen to my mouth, not my eyes! What do you want me to do, Kei Lo?” Apparently she can’t even pretend to be comfortable with him getting close to Michiaki. “I don’t have to like your stupid friends and you don’t have to like mine.” Not that she really has any. “You can talk to him, go on outings with him–I don’t care.”

“But, let me guess, you just don’t want me to talk to him around you.” 

“I’m going to visit Dao-Yan, I haven’t been to Senlin in over two weeks now. I want to show her some of my newer jars.”

Kei Lo groans. “So you’re just going to walk away and…”

“And you should let me. I’ll be back for dinner if you still want to have it with me.”

.oOo.

Of course he does. Of course he wants to have dinner with her. “Azula, wait!” But it is no good, he has already angered her…upset her? Sometimes it is hard to tell with her. But no, not this time. This time he knows that she is upset. 

Not just upset. 

Hurt. 

She has gotten so good at it, if he did say so himself, that sometimes he forgets that she struggles with people. With emotions. He is probably confusing the poor woman; he can’t force her to trust Michiaki.

He should have just settled for her tolerance. Right now it is the best she can do. 

He certainly wouldn’t appreciate it if she pretended to like Michiaki to his face only to harbor some secret resentment.

To sink back into a habit of passive-aggressive lies and a string of manipulations even if her intentions aren’t a sinister as they had been in the past. 

He had asked for her honesty and he has it in all of its bluntness. 

She doesn’t like Michiaki, she thinks that he is rude and invasive and she isn’t pretending otherwise. 

And he is fighting with her. 

His stomach sinks. They haven’t had a good fight in ages. Truth be told, he can’t remember the last time. And maybe that is why this petty bickering feels like an all out war. Maybe this is why the slam of the door sounds so explosive. 

They will have dinner and he will make sure that it is a nice one. 

.oOo.

The dinner table is set up when she arrives. Two plates and two sets of silverware with a cluster of pillar candles at the center with a sprinkle of daisies and clovers to make it all pretty. Kei Lo is no chef but his effort is worth something. 

She isn’t particularly the type to fawn over these sorts of things. And maybe she can chalk it up to today’s mood; to feeling like she has taken something perfectly good and made a mess of it with baseless suspicion and her usual high strung nature. 

She had been the one to walk away. 

Yet he is here waiting for her. And he meets her with vegetable soup from their own garden, a loaf of honey bread, and spiced komodo chicken meat. 

And she can’t quite fathom the why’s.

The truth of the matter is that they don’t fight. Not about profound, meaningful things anyhow and not often enough for her to be secure in that he won’t leave her over a disagreement when they do have a serious one.

And yet here he is sitting at the table, grinning and pleased with his work. He gestures for her to sit and she joins him at the table. Very quietly, but still she joins. Mostly he watches her jab at the chicken with her fork.

“Did I do a good job? I added extra spice just for you.”

Azula manages a smile. “It’s very good, Kei Lo.” And she would miss it very much if she let some silly disagreement come between them. 

“Great.” He smiles.

She clears. “So you don’t want to talk about this morning?” 

He shrugs. “There’s not much to talk about.”

“Our conversation went unfinished.” 

“I know that you don’t like leaving things that way.” He rubs the back of his head. “I know that I can’t force you to like Michiaki. But it would be great if you could pretend to, at least while he’s around.”

“I’m not going to pretend to like someone just to make them comfortable.”

He laughs. “I know. I guess that what I mean is, can you be cordial with him?”

“I am cordial!” 

“You told him that you were going to toss him into a vat of uncomfortably hot honey and toss him into our bee garden.” And for greater clarity he reminds her that this was because he had said that his honey tasted better than theirs ever could. 

“I just don’t understand how you can befriend a man who doesn’t even like our honey.”

“He didn’t say that it tasted bad, just that he thought that his honey is better.” Kei Lo shrugs. “Maybe he’s offended that you think that ours is better.” 

“It is.” Azula folds her arms across her chest. “Objectively so. The crowds we draw speak for themselves. He is still limited to selling from a cart.” 

Again Kei Lo chuckles. “And where did we start at? Correct me if I’m wrong but we just bought this shop.”

Azula simply sniffs and takes a bite from her slice of bread.  Rather she is about to when there comes a knock at the door. 

“I got it.” Kei Lo says. 

“It’s Michiaki.” Azula grumbles.

“I haven’t even answered the door.” 

“I am Michiaki!” Shouts the voice on the other side of said door. 

“Was I being loud or do we need to soundproof our house better?” Azula whispers. 

“I think that we should probably consider some soundproofing.” He squeezes her shoulder as he passes. “What can we help you with, Michia?”

“Oh you cute little nicknames now…” Azula mutters. 

“We do indeed, honeysuckle.” He kisses the top of her head as he returns to his seat and her cheeks flare. She distinctly recalls telling him never to call her anything but her false name, Hinayoko, when people are around. And never anything but Azula when they are in the company of people she used to know–not that she has to fret over that.

“This is the first time that you’ve called me honeysuckle and it will be the last.” 

He reaches across the table and ruffles her hair. “Trust me, Michiaki, she’s not so bad once you get to know her. “Anyways, what do you need?”

“Well, actually I was just hoping to join the two of you for dinner.” 

“We’re already in the middle of…”

“It’s fine.” Azula says with an exaggerated sigh. “He can join them for dinner. I’ll…deal with it.” She grits her teeth. 

“Are you sure?” Kei Lo asks.

She nods. “I haven’t really eaten much yet anyhow.”

“I could have sworn that you hated me?”

Azula shrugs. “I did.” She furrows her brows. “I do? Rather, I don’t trust you. But I suppose that I should give you a chance.”

The flood of joy and relief on Kei Lo’s face makes her own discomfort at least a little worthwhile. 

“You’re the best, Hina!”

Agni’s blood, the man even has a nickname for her disguise name. 

“Hina?” Michiaki asks. “That’s an Earth Kingdom name, isn’t it?”

“Hinayoko.” Azula replies. “Yoko is a Fire Nation name.” She clears her throat. “Plenty of Fire Nationals take an Earth Kingdom name when moving here.”

“I’m aware.” Michiaki states. “You just didn’t strike me as the type of person who would. You’re very, headstrong.” 

“And you’re very nosy.” She rebuttals. 

“Hina’s a reserved kind of person.” Kei Lo cuts in. “She likes to keep to herself, she doesn’t mean to be so prickly.”

“It’s actually rather intentional.”

“I can tell.” Michiaki helps himself to a slice of bread. 

Azula helps herself to a very drawn inhale. This is much less than comfortable but Kei Lo seems absolutely delighted. And she realizes that this is the first person who has ever shared a dinner with them. Sure, Yoi is a friend but they have never actually had company before. Not at their house anyhow. 

No wonder Kei Lo has taken so well to Michiaki; he is a lot more social than she. He probably gets lonely when she is off with Dao-Yan.

The two of them jest and laugh over a bowl of vegetable soup and she is content to simply listen to the conversation. Perhaps she doesn’t like Michiaki, but she can’t deny that hosting a guest doesn’t make her feel as though she might truly belong here in Miwu.

[ilikepjo24]

For the character thing, can you do Mai?

It took me so long to find the last time I did this game to find the questions 😭

Sexually headcanon

Zukoromantic lesbian.

(Dates girls and Zuko)

Otp

Maiko!! They are soulmates in my mind, I absolutely adore them!!

Notp

I can't say I really have a notp for Mai. For me, notp means a ship o actively dislike and if I found it in the tags of a fic, it'd be a deal breaker and I wouldn't read that fic. For Mai, while there are a lot of ships I'm indifferent to, I can't say there are any I actively dislike and would ruin a fic for me.

First headcanon that pops into my brain

Mai and Azula shared a summer thing together while Zuko was banished. They were each other's gay awakening, and Azula is one of the only people Mai can talk about her feelings to, because the princess makes her feel comfortable.

Favourite line from this character

The line itself. The delivery. The attitude. Calling Zuko a jerk. Saving Zuko despite him being a jerk because their love is so strong. Everything about this was chef's kiss. 🤌

One way in which I relate to this character

Knife collection!

Thing that gives me second hand embarassment about this character.

Dating that Justin Bieber looking bitch, Kei Lo. Like I believe their break up was necessary and that Zuko needed a reality check on all the ways you can't treat your girlfriend, Kei Lo's design is blander than vanilla.

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave

I have to say problematic fave. She was willing to go on a manhunt and hurt people only out of sheer boredom.

[likeadragonfruit]

Last week I posted an Azula shipping statistics expansion on phantomstatistician’s wonderful post.

When planning ahead for redoing the Azula shipping stats in January, I decided I also want to use the same process for Mai ships then as well. 

But, it’s Mai Week, I’m too impatient to wait three months to start getting answers, plus I’m stuck on the fics I wanted to write for Mai Week, so here’s an early run of Mai shipping stats.

@maiweek

Methods

On October 5, 2022, I started with a list of 34 possible Mai ships (and thank you, fandom friends for the all suggestions). Once I eliminated all the options without any works or even a tag on AO3, I took a survey of works for the remaining 21 Mai ships from 01/01/2013 to 10/05/2022. 

Data 

This chart is for the totals of the sample surveyed. And the other is a table of the chart’s raw numbers.

This is the chart of the total Mai ship fics broken down by year. It included the top 10 ships (Maiko, MaiLee, Maizula, Maitara, MaiAang, Maikka, Maiyue, Maiki, Jet/Mai and Mai/Kei Lo)

And here’s the table for the both the 10 ships in the chart, as well as one showing all 21 ships in the sample

Then there’s this chart that shows the year to year output of works rather than the total. It features the same 10 ships as the previous chart.

And then the raw data tables for this chart

Observations

Total sample of works by year

Before 2020, the growth of the sample never exceeded 150 works

2020 was the year where the most Mai ship works were added

2022 is on track to be the third most productive year, while both down significantly from 2021 and still higher than every pre-2020 year

Cumulative count by year

in terms of total fic count, maiko has consistently remained the Mai ship with the most works.

MaiLee has been in second place for every year except 2016. That year, Maizula held second place.

In 2013 and 2014, Maitara held third place. In 2015, Maizula took third and in 2016 MaiLee took third place when Maizula was in second place that year. Since 2017, Maizula has held third place.

Annual output by year

Maiko has consistently not only held first place, but each year the majority of Mai ship works were Maiko.

Starting in 2020, Maiko’s majority dipped to 61%, and below 60% since then.

Again, the year isn’t over, but Maiko’s output by percentage for 2022 is the lowest it’s ever been (54%)

MaiLee’s highest output year was 2020, at 32%. This has slightly declined to 27%, but is far and above pre-2020 performance.

The Mai ships who currently have the second and third highest output of works for 2022 are MaiLee and Maizula

Speaking of Maizula, while the year isn’t over, 2022 looks to be Maizula’s highest output year since 2016

Other observations 

Every year, the annual output of M/F Mai works is greater than the output of  to F/F Mai works

Before 2020, the M/F Mai works to F/F Mai works output was usually 80% M/F to 20% F/F

Since 2020, the M/F Mai works to F/F Mai works ratio has hovered between 60% M/F to 40% F/F and 65% M/F to 35% F/F

Parting words

So that’s how Mai’s shipping stats are looking currently. I know that with Mai week in progress, not only have new Mai ship works been added, but new Mai ships are being added to AO3. Much like with the Azula ship stats, I’m hoping to update these stats in 2023 with the finalized 2022 numbers, including the new ships that weren’t included this time. 

But I’d also like to say how interesting the data has been. Not only learning about new Mai ships - it’s always surprising what people will come up with - but also how old some ships really are. (For example, Maiki and Jet/Mai have had works since 2013? Impressive!)

[ao3feed-zukka]

Prince Zuko

Read now on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/JCpu1Lt by xox099 Sokka got hired to become The Prince's bodyguard until he gets married and crowned firelord by his arranged marriage of Lady Mai, but soon to figure out that they never loved each other that its all a show to please his father, they loved each other platonically and not like that at all. Sokka started feeling these strange feelings towards him, like a crush? But he's only ever crushed on women in the past why all of a sudden is he falling for a man? Espectually a future firelord to the firenation, the prince isn't suppose to date and love a man spectually a man that wasn't even from the Firenation and from the Southern Watertribe, what should he do? Words: 19005, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Zuko's Crew (Avatar), Ursa (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar), Azula (Avatar), Mai (Avatar), Kei Lo (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Kanna (Avatar), Hakoda (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar) Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Kei Lo/Mai (Avatar) Additional Tags: Gay, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Slow Burn, Slow Romance, There Is No War In Ba Sing Se, Alternate Universe - No War, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Past Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Angst, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, Sokka Loves Zuko (Avatar), bi sokka, Loss of Virginity, No Smut, Mommy Issues, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Bodyguard Romance, Princes & Princesses, Prince Zuko - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Mai/Zuko - Freeform Read it on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/JCpu1Lt

[ministrationz]

azula's psychosis

now that azula in the spirit temple's release is coming soon, i thought i'd talk a little about my thoughts on azula's psychotic break in the show and how it's handled in the comics.

although we aren't given any indication as to whether or not azula had been struggling with psychotic symptoms before the events leading to azula's coronation, let's just assume that this started only when it was made visible to the audience.

although azula does treat her friends very poorly at times, these issues stem from her believing her mother never loved her and her father never truly loving her. ozai controls everyone through fear, even his children. while this doesn't excuse azula's treatment of ty lee and mai, i think it shows that azula doesn't have a good understanding of what a healthy relationship is like. when azula's friends stop following her every word and through their betrayal show that they aren't afraid of her, azula's view of herself and of her relationships collapses and she loses the only people in her life that aren't ozai. i think this was the beginning of her starting to lose her grip on reality, because her core understanding of how both her relationships and the world works had been completely undermined.

when ozai chooses to leave her in the fire nation while he goes to essentially wipe out the earth kingdom, another chip (and perhaps the final one) in azula's confidence and sense of identity is created. although i would not argue that all of azula's actions throughout the show are driven by a desire to please ozai (i think azula enjoys feeling like she has control and that she's winning. she was also deceitful to her father whens he said zuko killed the avatar and raises her voice at him whens he leaves her in the fire nation), i think azula definitely values his opinion of her, and she put in all the work throughout the show envisioning a specific outcome for herself. azula constantly strives for perfection, and her father leaving her behind fundamentally goes against her idea of what the perfect outcome was. furthermore, her father choosing to leave azula with the lackluster excuse that she would be "fire lord" in his stead demonstrates to her that not only did ozai never really care enough about azula to grant her the "honor" of finally concluding the 100 year war with him, but it shows that all her efforts were not been enough to secure ozai's "love". the perfection she strives for so desperately, a key part of her identity, is ripped from her grasp at the last moment.

we see more evidence of azula's struggles with feeling loved and understand what love is during azula's psychotic break, when she sees her mother in her room. her hallucination of ursa tells her that she shouldn't control people through fear, and azula questions what choice she truly has. when ursa asserts that she doesn't fear azula, she loves her, azula reacts in anger. azula doesn't understand how to love people, and she doesn't feel like people can love her. this sense of repressed isolation, caused by both her mother's favoritism for zuko as a child and by her father's generally bad parenting, has haunted her for most of her life, and is finally culminating when she feels that she's completely alone. her mother, her father, her brother, and her two best friends have abandoned her.

azula's sense of identity is completely shattered. cutting her hair is symbolic of her failing to achieve perfection, and of her losing control on both herself and her situation. her deep-rooted feelings of being unlovable reach a boiling point, and the overwhelming sense of isolation causes a break from reality. loneliness and isolation both increase the risk of psychosis and aggravate the symptoms of psychosis even further. we see these symptoms culminate before azula even hallucinates her mother, when she becomes increasingly paranoid of her servants, and li, and lo, and starts banishing them over the most minor of issues. it isn't surprising that once she's pushed essentially everyone around her out of her life that she finally starts having hallucinations.

based on what happens in the search, we can see that these hallucinations continue for years after they start. zuko locks her in an asylum (which clearly only makes her worse) and she starts believing that her mother is collaborating with everyone around her to ruin her life. although i won't go into zuko's decision to put her in the asylum because i think it goes beyond the scope of this post, it's clear that the isolation has not helped her at all. it isn't until azula is actually able to confront ursa in person that her state of mind improves, because someone else (her mother) acknowledges that she didn't feel loved enough.

although i still think azula is struggling with many of the same issues in smoke and shadows (and most likely will continue to struggle with them in azula in the spirit temple), i think it's safe to say the worst of her psychosis is mostly gone. she has people in her life again, although we haven't seen enough of her interactions with them to see whether or not her patterns of behavior have changed. i have a feeling azula's redemption (if it happens) will require her acknowledging and trying to move past the issues that led to her psychotic breakdown.

i think a lot of people disliked how azula was treated in the comics (the asylum), which is understandable. imagery like straightjackets can be very upsetting to some, and for good reason. i personally did not have much of an issue with it because i felt like it was framed as a negative thing that happened to azula and the wrong decision by zuko. regardless, i do find azula's psychosis overall to be very relatable in almost every way, so i may be a bit biased, but i think it's one of the better representations of psychosis in media. the sympathetic lens azula is framed through definitely helps. there's a lot of issues in the fanbase with people calling her "crazy" or boiling her down to just her breakdown, but given that azula was a secondary villain, mental illness is overall poorly understood, and azula is a woman, this is unfortunately bound to happen.

overall i think her psychosis was a necessary step in her character to humanize her and to hopefully lead to her redemption. let me know if you have any other thoughts!