#Yukka meta

[zuko-always-lies]

Shower thought about Sokka/Yue

Maybe we should see their canon story in the context of a princess who is forced into a political, arranged engagement with a guy she doesn't love and who she knows is kind of a jerk, who has mixed feelings, at best, over this situation, and then, as a reaction, proceeds to become infatuated with a somewhat funny, foreign and exotic guy who shows up out of nowhere and who she barely knows. Maybe it's not a coincidence that the guy she shows romantic interest in is the outsider with zero knowledge of her circumstances and zero understanding of why she has to marry Hahn.

And for Sokka's side, maybe we should pay attention to the fact that he's an emotionally immature boy with near zero experience with women who sees one sight of a pretty girl, decides based on that alone "she's the one for me," lies about his background in an attempt to romance her, brushes aside her concerns and her attempts to end the emotional affair between them, and persistently and consistently shows zero understanding of the social and cultural context surrounding Yue and her decisions, just like he shows zero understanding of or respect for her sense of duty.

I don't mean to criticize Yue or Sokka here, but they're both acting like idiotic teens who barely know each other and are more in love with the idea of each other than with the actual person they're supposedly infatuated with. I think this is good writing and makes them very real and realistic characters, but I also think this means that, had Yue survived, Sokka and Princess Yue would not have had a stable or long-lasting relationship even with Yue's betrothed Hahn, the alleged obstacle between them, dead and gone. It probably would have fallen apart shockingly quickly.

P.S. One thing I love about "The Serpent's Pass" is that it shows that Sokka completely misunderstood how and why Yue died.

[yourhighness6]

A Yue Stan's Thoughts on Yue's Character in NATLA

As much as I appreciated what NATLA was trying to do and think it is worth a rewatch, can I just say as an unapolagetic Yue stan that they completely ruined her, and Yukka by extension.

And say whatever you want about her scenes leading up to the sacrifice (which did make me cry, I'll admit, her speech about living was actually a nice addition), but it was actually this line that left me absolutely seething and in my opinion proves that the writers completely misunderstood what made the sacrifice so powerful:

I actually had to pause the television and collect myself after this one because holy fuck is this the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The entire point in the animated show was that she didn't get to make her own choices before this point. She didn't get to choose who to marry, she didn't get to choose her role in society, she didn't get to choose basically anything about her life besides maybe how to style her hair or something. Yue was a character who was extremely dutiful, but also extremely boxed in by her duty. It was both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness, a parody of itself, just as her mere existence was a parody: while she was saved by the moon spirit as a child and allowed to live on, it was that very reason that she eventually gave up her life. And the very fact that she was given these choices in the first place in the LA seriously undermined the idea of her sacrifice. Yue was told her entire life what to do, and although she did manage to find a bit of freedom through her brief romance with Sokka, ultimately, she still didn't get to publicly be with him or reject Hahn or anything similar. Her sacrifice was what she saw as her duty, yes, but her sacrifice for her people was also a way of standing up for herself and finally resolving to make her own choices. In that moment, she not only saved her people, but she finally made a decision for herself instead of doing something someone else told her to, even going against Sokka's wishes to do what she thought was necessary. So in the LA, with her having a place of influence in her community, with her being able to call off her engagement, with her being told that she could one day be chief, to that stupid fucking line implying that she was in no way ever repressed and free to make her own decisions the entire time, removing all of her character growth and any character significance to her actions, it was all basically pointless. It made Yue into a plot device for Sokka to bond with and to move the Aang-and-Kuruk plotline forward. In the animated series, Yue was not a plot device, and she was extremely well written, whereas in NATLA, her character fell completely flat. She talks about responsibility and pressure in her first scene with Sokka, but other than that, she has no depth. In other words, she has no depth besides her relationship to him.

Anyway, I hope we can all agree that her characterization and a lot of the decisions made in the last two episodes of NATLA were nothing but a pile of bulshit. From Iroh killing Zhao to Yukka having zero chemistry to Katara just magically becoming a master to Zuko being shelved to the plotline about Aang not feeling like he belonged having absolutely no buildup beyond a throwaway line in the second episode to everything about Yue I spelled out above, I would go as far to call it just plain bad. Again, I'm glad it got renewed, and I'll be the first to say a lot of other episodes get unnecessary hate, as well as that we are working with slightly different characters (especially Azula) in this version than the first, but I was really disappointed with seeing Yue in LA for a second time.

[sokkastyles]

An Analysis of Consent in Yue and Sokka and Katara and Aang’s relationship

Because I’ve seen some people make some false equivalences.

So here we have our pining hero. It’s nighttime, and this show LOVES to set stormy personal confrontations between two characters at night, particularly ones dealing with the romantic department (psst, it’s the moon symbolism).

In “The Waterbending Master,” Sokka engages in a tentative courtship with Yue, who returns his affections, but sends him some mixed signals. This culminates in the moment when she suddenly bursts into tears and runs away upon witnessing Pakku talk about his arranged marriage to Kanna. Sokka then goes after her so that he can comfort her and they talk about their relationship.

In “Ember Island Players,” Aang gets increasingly angry about his onscreen portrayal in the play, until he suddenly stands up and rushes outside. Katara goes to find and comfort him, and they talk about their relationship.

Yue: What do you want from me?

Sokka: Nothing. I just want you to know, I think you're beautiful, and, I never thought a girl like you would even notice a guy like me.

Yue: You don't understand.

Yue asks Sokka what he wants, and Sokka says he wants nothing. He wants to know her, and obviously he is hoping for more, but he doesn’t impose anything on her. He is modest and humble, straightforward and honest, and doesn’t assume that she should return his affection for her.

Aang: Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?

Katara: In where? What are you talking about?

Aang: On stage, when you said I was just like a ... brother to you, and you didn't have feelings for me.

Katara: I didn't say that. An actor said that.

Aang: But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not.

In the scene between Aang and Katara, in contrast, Aang immediately confronts Katara and places the burden of his feelings on her. He accuses her of saying something she didn’t say and Katara at first doesn’t even know what she is being accused of. He then makes assumptions about her feelings and their relationship, putting the onus on her to be responsible for his hurt feelings. I never thought a girl like you would even notice me vs I thought we were gonna be together. 

Both Aang and Sokka misunderstand their love interests in this situation, but the difference is that Sokka makes no assumptions about Yue’s feelings, and she actually reciprocates. Aang makes accusations towards Katara and she does not reciprocate.

Sokka: No, no. See, that's the thing. I think I do understand now. You're a Princess, and I'm ... I'm just a Southern peasant.

Yue: No, Sokka ...

Sokka: It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I'll see you around, okay?

Sokka is fully prepared for Yue to say no, and tells her that it’s okay if she does. He accepts whatever reason she wants to give for turning him down, even if it’s a bad reason.

Katara: Aang, I don't know.

Aang: Why don't you know?

Katara: Because, we're in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time.

Aang: Well, when is the right time?

Katara: Aang, I'm sorry, but right now I'm just a little confused.

Sokka tries to understand Yue’s perspective, while Aang can’t seem to understand Katara’s. Whereas Sokka gives Yue room to say no, Aang puts pressure on Katara, which naturally makes her feel less sure about her feelings for him and less inclined to reciprocate. You don’t have to say anything vs Why don’t you know? And I’ll see you around vs Well, when is the right time?

And then there’s the kiss.

Neither Yue nor Aang asked for consent. Both their partners are surprised. But body language and dialogue and actual clarity about what the two characters feel for each other make all the difference.

Katara’s body language during the conversation with Aang before the kiss is very closed-off and uncomfortable. She has her arms crossed, she’s fidgety, she’s turned away from Aang or only half turned towards him. And after the kiss, she pulls away immediately and looks visibly uncomfortable.

Then angry.

Katara: I just said I was confused!

Contrast that with Yue and Sokka:

Sokka: Okay, now I'm really confused. Happy, but confused.

Do we really need to explain the difference between angry confused and happy confused? Kissing Yue was clearly something Sokka wanted, and he doesn’t pull away from Yue afterwards. Contrast that with Katara immediately pulling away, putting her hand over her mouth like she’s shocked at what Aang just did, and running away in anger and hurt.

What Aang did was a violation of Katara’s consent, and is treated like one. Katara is upset afterwards, Aang reprimands himself afterwards, and they become more distant with each other afterwards until the finale when they suddenly decided they lurve each other. Yue explains to Sokka that she does like him a lot but that they can’t be together, although their feelings for each other only continue to grow from there.

Yue also shows an incredible amount of maturity when she tells Sokka that they can’t just be friends, because she has romantic feelings for him and it’s too confusing for her, and because she knows that even though Sokka is willing to be friends, he is hoping for something more. Contrast that with Aang being unwilling to accept Katara seeing him as a friend or little brother and seeing those statements as the worst thing in the world, vs his onstage actor declaring that he’s perfectly content with Katara’s friendship and that being treated like an insult.

The thing is, that this doesn’t even have to be a contest. Aang knew he was in the wrong for kissing Katara in that scene. He could have apologized, he could have decided that he was happy with being friends with Katara because his relationship with her was more important than his attraction to her. He could have made the decision that it would be too confusing and upsetting to be friends with her if he couldn’t be in a relationship with her. Imagine that playing a part in Aang’s path to enlightenment in the finale. Imagine him reaching a purer love for Katara and then Katara choosing to be with him romantically after they both have a stronger understanding of their relationship.

“Ember Island Players” just...really drops the ball in the romantic department, and craps on both Yukka and Sukka at the same time, by making a cheap joke out of Sokka’s grief over Yue.

I love Sukka, and one of the things that is great about it is that they actually communicate well and their relationship is not written as a source of drama. Most of the time. In “Ember Island Players,” though, we get this scene where Sokka shushes Suki, who obviously has no idea why Sokka is mooning (heh) over this other girl and gets offended by it, while Sokka is clearly upset. This is an especially weird scene since Sokka and Suki had a conversation about Yue and Sokka’s grief previously. Suki’s comment that she didn’t know Sokka made out with the moon spirit shows that she clearly didn’t know that Yue was the girl that he lost before. Suki is painted as a jealous, jilted caricature and Sokka’s grief is made fun of.

When I first noticed this, I looked through the transcript of the episode, because surely Sokka and Suki have a conversation about it later. They do talk later, but do they talk about this? No, they talk about Suki sneaking Sokka backstage to give jokes to his actor. Of course.

[itsadesignfeature]

Don't mind me, just thinking about how Sokka could probably empathise with his father falling in love with Bato while still missing Kya, because Sokka's love for Yue is not diminished by anyone else he came to love after her.

[tourmei]

literally no one asked but a few people called the “sokka’s first love” gifset a yukka gifset and like (1) valid (2) it’s meant to be a sokka gifset (via the narration and the chosen scenes). the title “sokka’s failed first love” is supposed to make it even less of a yukka set and more of a sokka one.

obviously, sokka is doubly burdened by how his relationship with yue ended. the protector role he grew up in makes him carry the burden of failing to save yue (despite knowing that her fate was inevitable) and the circumstances that he met her in (few friends, poorly understood by her parents) burden sokka with carrying on the memory of her carefree side. sokka‘s situation is made even more painful by the romantic nature of their relationship, but that’s icing on the cake. the strongest thing he feels afterward is guilt, which is clear in his narration to suki (and not exactly prime material for shipping imo).

the gifset is captioned “sokka’s failed first love” because the “first love” part is what sokka really holds onto. “my first girlfriend turned into the moon” and etc. his first love (初恋, if that’s meaningful) is simple and innocent, yet it also failed in a way that a normal first love never should; instead of nostalgia, sokka gets a heaping of trauma. that’s why the caption is “sokka’s failed first love” -- it steals his own words. it’s not really a yukka gifset. the gifset is filled with a lot of sokka struggling and very little of yue.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

atla - an older then dirt topic

Here is a list of atla pairings I view from best to worst in my own personal opinion. This list might infuriate some people and I apologize for it.

1: Sukka. Probably the most unproblematic and well-developed pairing period. Maybe we could know more about Suki, but she has enough characterization outside of Sokka and vice versa.

2: Yukka. Also fantastic. Just imagine how poetic it be if Sokka gave his soul to become the ocean spirit.

3: Azulaang. It deserves to be with the big leagues such as Kataang and Zutara. Aside of it giving Azula her well-deserved redemption. Aang and Azula have the potential to be more spiritually connected and bonded due to Azula being a descendent of Aang’s past life Roku. This bond can begin right after Aang let’s go of Katara and opens his last chakra gaining true freedom, mastery over the avatar state. (Before you ask, this’ll be after the season 3 finale, not season 2 where Azula zaps him because while he did open it that time, it ended up getting reblocked again.) I’ve read multiple Azulaang AUs where Aang is temporarily a guru and he gets Azula to open and master her chakras, adding strength to there already strong bond. It doesn’t have to be just Aang helping her, it can be the other way around. Azula can give proper insight on her experience on the fire nation, she can teach him the advance forms of firebending and give him pointers about strategy, calculation and charisma. I imagine these two will take up nomadic roots and roam the earth but unlike Aang’s ancestors, they will serve people of all nations, working wherever there is corruption and discord to restore balance and peace. Aang being the avatar, he and Azula can draw wisdom from many different places as possible as Iroh recommended and Aang shares his crazy freelancing avatar adventures with Azula. It’s well balanced, unique and they help each other grow. What’s not to like?

4: Zutara. It shouldn’t come as a surprise it’s this high on the list. I’m sure every ‘pro zutara’ person has listed every reason and meta better than I could. There is one downside though. Not enough screen time. I’ve seen fan-art of agni kai where Zuko and Katara smooch it up after she heals Zuko. As heartwarming as it looks in concept, if it happened in canon, it’d come off rushed and out of nowhere. That’s one of the reasons why atla deserved a book 4: Air. I know that I’ve jotted down headcannons about Ozai being the dark avatar and harmonic convergence arrived in Aang’s time, but alternatively, the comet finale and happy ending can be cut and moved over to the end of season 4. What goes on in season 4 can just consist of tying up all lose ends until there’s absolutely nothing left but the final battle at hand. Aang could learn nuanced and maybe dark secrets of the air nomad culture, including one of his past lives learning to fly due to Guru Lagima's teachings because we've seen Aang fly whenever he was in the avatar state, he then can also discover more about lion turtles and the secrets of energybending, all by himself without the help of a random lion turtle. Perhaps, Oza be rewritten to take Sozin’s place in time of birth. He’d betray Roku, he’d destroy most of the air nation and he’d start the war. But, unlike Sozin, Ozai lives through 100-year-war and all the atrocities, experiences, and firebending levels from the 3 fire lords will all belong to Ozai only. Iroh would need to be Ursa’s older brother for this to work. As Aang masters energybending, he uses it to purify all of Ozai’s chakras and restore his internal balance for good. What happens to him afterward can vary. Other than that, Zutara is iconic and makes the best sense. Katara is the daughter of the chief which gives Katara a level of authority and royalty. Right?

5: On Jaang. A criminally underrated pairing that deserves more love.

6: Korrasami. The best gay ship there is. Despite what others might say, I think they had built-up and the pay-off was done in a more plot-twisty way. Enough teases to where it makes sense but not too much where you’d predict it happening. It’s what a “will they or won’t they” should be.

7: Korvira. Gives an Azulaang vibe but not as impactful but does get me interested.

8: Wuko. Would be the best male gay ship and I don’t think we have enough of those.

9: Sokkla or Azukka. Another fascination of mine that can easily exist in the kataang timeline.

10: Maizula. It makes the best sense. They get along best out of everyone, there similar personalities seem to match perfectly, they seem to understand each other the best, Mai was the only one who was never afraid of Azula and Azula has never had to use manipulation or fear tactics to control Mai.

11: Ty Luko. I can’t help but be drawn to this. I’ve been wishing constantly that they have positive screen time together. The way she says “I know you” sticks with me. Zuko hired her along with the rest of the kyoshi warriors as guardsmen, or as Ty puts it, “gaurdswomen.” This gives them plenty of chances for them to bond and raise the possibility she could be the mother of Zuko’s daughter Izumi. Zuko has a thing for women who express there emotions as well has be self-sufficient. Which is why Zuko was frustrated with Mai even if she herself is self-sufficient. Since Ty Lee is like the polar opposite of Mai and harbors a similar personality to Aang, whom by the way Zuko seemingly gets along with the best, Ty Luko seems logical and at least the next best thing compared to Zutara.

12: Zuki. Almost the same reasons as Ty Luko. The chemistry was fascinating and there seems to be a lot of trust between them. This leaves me conflicted with Sukka as it I said it was the best of the best.

13: Taang. I’ve been intrigued on this for quite a long time before Azulang and I used to think that Aang seeing her from the swamp meant something considering that the swamp shows people visions of of loved ones and that it would easily coexist with Zutara. Some fans speculated that Toph may have been the reincarnation of Ummi who was the love of Aang's past life Kuruk. Many felt that Ummi losing her face would explain why she was born blind in a future life. While I’ve grown to like Azulaang more, I can see this being a well thought out match.

14: Tokka. It’s been slowly growing on me and it’s very clear Toph has a thing for Sokka. A lot of fans hoped that Sokka was Lin's father and were disappointed when it was revealed that she dated Sokka's nephew, Tenzin. However, when it was revealed that Toph had another daughter with a different father, the fans regained hope. I personally don’t mind if Sokka was Su’s father.

15: Katoph. Makes sense to me, they seem to get along best and complement each other. Even though Katara acted motherly to Toph.

16: Mailee. Not a bad idea. Mai and Ty Lee both betrayed Azula and were both willing to help the gaang. They’ve never tried controlling or manipulate each other.

17: Kainora. While I had my issues with Kai. He and Jinora look pretty cute, and Kai managed to change his ways so it’s all good.

18: Kataang. It had its moments, they had the most screen time together, Aang and Katara do express some teamwork and its canon, congratulations. But they used almost all of that screen time framing Katara as an authoritive, coddly, big-sister type to Aang and Aang himself just simping for her like crazy, to the point that Aang ended up coming off too strong and his simping often clouds his judgment. He hasn’t gotten much growth from her aside teaching him waterbending and inspiring him to regain his faith in humanity, he also sees her as this perfect angelic figure and gets scared whenever she shows her more flawed side. During Aang’s chakra sessions, we’re given a clear explanation on how Katara is the only to calm Aang down from the avatar state, because she’s the reason why Aang has little control in the avatar state in the first place. Katara is an earthly tether and the only way to better protect her and gain full control over the avatar state, he has to let her go. But the love chakra showed Katara to Aang. Which means two things can happen if Aang opened his last chakra. He can love Katara in a healthier and more balanced way, realize that she’s not the perfect princess Aang made her out to be and actually falls for her harder because of it. Or he could realize his romantic attraction was never real, he lets it go and settles for the family-type of love. You’d think it went the route of the former but...it didn’t. Aang found a random and cheap way to end the great war, he never got around to opening his chakra and still needs Katara to hold his hand so he doesn’t go “incredible hulk” with the avatar state. Aang wasn't really asked to sacrifice much of anything, he blew the whole thing out proportion, making his job more difficult than it needed to be, and Katara could have better things to do then constantly babysit him.

19: Zucest. As strange and taboo as it is. I was indeed drawn by this. I can kinda see why. Azula takes the most risk for him. Saved his life and saved his reputation, the way she acted when Zuko barged into her room but wasn’t fully asleep and somehow knew he was there. With Aaron Ehasz planning on getting these two to reconcile, some may take that as a sign. But the saner side of me says it’s just them acting like the loving siblings they deserve to be.

20: Masami. I felt they hit off to fast in season 1 but when they did hit off, they looked surprisingly good. Season 2 made them look even better. That said, I’ve been conflicted between this and Korrasami.

21: Ty Lokka. Maybe, if Suki doesn’t mind a threesome. Doubt it though, and I wasn’t really feeling it with this one.

22: Urzai. It would honestly add more depth to Ozai as Zuko once stated that their family was once happy.

23: Ozhao or Zhai. It would explain why Zhao gets special treatment from Ozai and he overhypes himself. I theorize Ozai arranged his own nephew to die and Zhao was the shooter.

24: Zukaang. Interesting but has parallels with that of Kataang. As Katara was mother-like, Zuko is father-like, and they appear to be good as friends.

25: Zukka. Meh. Sokka may likely steal some of Katara’s characterization for this to work, and that just kills any originality. They have proven to work well together though.

26: Azutara. Same thing with Zukka. Just use what it is that made Zutara and Azulaang special and this is what you get.

27: Makorra. Season 2 ruined this for me, but even season 1 they didn’t seem all that great. Mako and Korra didn’t seem to have that many sparks between them, Mako from season 1 was framed as level-headed version of Zuko, that infamous love triangle didn’t make anything better.

28: Maiko. Nope. We’ve seen firsthand the dysfunction Maiko has wrought. Zuko tries to be kind and supportive, but Mai just doesn’t appreciate it. Zuko tried pouring his heart out to her, but she basically just told him to shut up. Zuko was already soaked with insecurities and guilt and Mai, intentionally or not, made them worse and that’s when Zuko started getting more impatient and possessive over Mai. Mai intimidated Zuko into never breaking up with her again and yet she felt entitled to do the breaking up herself. Mai is way better off and more likable without Zuko in her life and vice versa.

29: Tyzula. I can’t help but cringe every time I see this. Everything about this just rubs me the wrong way. While Azula wasn’t a threatening control freak towards Mai, she was towards Ty Lee.

30: Boleska. Absolutely not. Eska was nothing but abusive and possessive towards Bolin. He deserves better.

[shinidamachu]

I haven't watched anything after ATLA, but I was shocked to find out that Zuko and Mai don't work out. What are your thoughts? Do you think the writers could have gone in a different direction or was it for the best?

I gotta be honest, you're not missing out much by not engaging with the extras. I only watched Legend of Korra and I don't really remember Mai even being mentioned on it.

They did give Zuko a daughter, though. Her name is Izumi. And even though they never explicitly revealed the mother to be Mai (or what was made of her), I just assumed she was the mother due to the remarkable resemblance:

Now, I haven't read the comics (nor will I ever), so if you're actually refering to them, my knowledge is very limited. But it is my understanding, from the metas I've read about them, that Zuko and Mai break up and make up, as it was their modus operandi in ATLA.

Mai not being around in LOK doesn't necessarily mean she's dead or that they broke up for good. The fate of their relationship was purposefully left open and they do end up together at the end of ATLA, so what happens after doesn't really matter since not everybody takes the comics or LOK as canon, anyway.

Now, since you asked for my opinion... I wasn’t shocked to find out about how they were portraying Maiko in the comics at all. First, because Bryke suck at writing romance. Second, because from the interactions in ATLA, this was more or less what I imagined their relationship would play out and that’s why I never shipped them.

MAIKO CRITICISM UNDER THE CUT!

The writers should have gone in a different direction, but in the ATLA finale. I love Zuko. And I love Mai. But I don’t like them as a couple because I think they are not fitted for each other. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Zutara shipper, let’s get this out of the way right here, right now.

I’m saying this because I would rather they had ended up alone than together. Not only them, but Aang and Katara as well. They were all so young I feel like there wouldn’t be any harm for the story if no couples were canonized. 

Especially because, again: Bryke suck at writing love stories (with the notable exceptions being Yukka and Sukka) and romance was actually the less compelling part of ATLA.

More than that, if Zuko and Mai had to end up with a love interest, it shouldn’t have been each other because Maiko is actually a disservice to their characters. In some aspects, it keeps Mai from growing and it regresses Zuko's development.

You see, their relationship always struck me as something they would eventually grow out of. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt they really cared about each other. But the narrative went out of its way to show us that the years they spent apart changed their dynamic fundamentally.

Mai and (especially) Zuko aren’t the same people they were when they first met. And when they finally reunited, no real effort was made to learn who was this new person in fron of them. He tried to open up, but she shut him down. 

Instead of reconnecting, of deepening the relationship, they insisted on jumping head first into dating and picked things up where they left off, desperatelly trying to cling to what they knew and forcing two pieces of a different puzzle to click. Of course it wouldn’t work.

The person Zuko became needed someone passionate by his side. Someone he could open up to and confide in. Someone with the same sense of honor, of justice. Someone who understood him and his actions, who got how important it is for him to take the throne and right the wrongs of his country. Someone he could count on to help him get there. I guess we can all agree that this doesn’t sound like Mai.

The person Mai became needed someone who would focus on her and her needs for once. Someone who would have made her a priority. Someone who could actually see past her poker face. Someone who would take her away from the boring royal stuff she hates so much. I guess we can all agree that this doesn’t sound like Zuko, either.

When he took off to join the Gaang, he left the life style he had always known behind because it didn’t fit who he was anymore. He can’t go back from that. And this includes Mai. She is the personification of that life. And as much as they liked each other, being together just doesn’t make sense anymore. Especially because becoming Fire Lady inevitably traps her in the life she was trying to get away from. It’s one of the worst endings they could have given to these characters.

And the way it was executed? Even worse. They reconciled without as much as a conversation about what happened: his “betrayal”, the end of the war, what it means for their relationship, if their feelings were still the same. In fact, apparently Zuko kind of... completely forgot she was in prison and made no move to get her out because he had been too busy fighting Azula and taking lightning to the chest for Katara.

Mai isn’t even a part of the apotheosis of his arc. He got where he needed to be and she wasn’t one of the characters who activelly help him get there. This is very symbolic. And the apotheosis of her arc? Was saving him from Azula, but she didn’t did it because she understood his reasons and wanted to be supportive. She did it because he is the guy she likes. Which is fine, but not enough to “award” her with Zuko. There were feelings there, but they were never on the same page.

“Mai Alone,” is what she deserved. To travel the world on her own. A different place every day. Never the same, always moving. Maybe that way she would have seen the things Zuko did. Maybe this way she would have understood. And after tasting freedom, she would have realized she would have never want to be confined to palace walls ever again. Not for Zuko, not for anybody.

She would have been much happier as the first woman in the White Lotus or as a Bounty Hunter. A spy who, after seeing what the Fire Nation did to the world, finally found her calling by working on the shadows to make sure nothing will break the peace the Avatar and the Fire Lord managed to achieve.

And Zuko deserved the family he always wanted, with a partner who would not only put up with the political duties, but would have been thrilled to do so. Katara seems like the obvious choice here, but even Jin would have been a better fit.

Sometimes things aren’t meant to be and that’s okay. Zuko and Mai work better as friends.

[marsreds]

What are your top avatar otps and notps?

Zutara is pretty much the only ship I’m actually invested in. They’re genuinely my Avatar One True Pairing.

It’s just?? It’s interwoven into the narrative! The themes! The philosophy of the series! It exemplifies and enhances the values and morals of the show! It contributes to the story in a way that I don’t think any pairing in any other piece of media I ever consumed does! It’s just so good and meaningful and important! The fact that it didn’t happen actively hurts the story!

I will say that I have a soft spot for Yukka though. It’s so?? Poetic? Star-crossed lovers plus martyrdom plus the divine? That’s sooo up my alley.

It’s a real shame that Season 3 downplayed the spiritual aspects of the show, I feel like Yue should’ve showed up some more.

As for the NOTPs, it’s Kataang and Maiko. They’re, on a meta level, the exact opposite of Zutara:They’re superficial and meaningless, actively undermine the show’s themes, and sabotage the show’s philosophy and values.

So, there you go.

[avatarsymbolism]

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This is just a directory for tags that I use either occasionally, or often. These tags are here because they don’t fit into any other tag glossery on my blog. 

These tags include things I might post about every once in a while, art and fan fic related tags, headcanon tags,  as well as tags for things that have happened on this blog that are just so damn memorable or infamous. 

An empty tag means that something is in the queue. 

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[leafartificialplants]

Tropical Realistic Artificial Spiky Yukka Plants in Pots

Tropical Realistic Artificial Spiky Yukka Plants in Pots

Ideal Indoor Artificial Tropical Plants – Artificial Yukka Where is it suited to?

Realistic Spiky Artificial Yukka Plants

This is a lovely spiky artificial plant ideal for conservatories. It is pretty big standing 90cm (3ft) high which looks very impressive and realistic. It is one of the more popular styles of tropical artificial plants we stock. It is ready to use straight out of the box– the…

[caripr94]

And then they have the nerve to spew out this kind of nonsense. What part of "I don't know" and "I'm just really confused" translates to "I definitely like you more than as a brother"? And what part of Katara's body language makes them think that she was okay with him kissing her like that?

An Analysis of Consent in Yue and Sokka and Katara and Aang’s relationship

Because I’ve seen some people make some false equivalences.

So here we have our pining hero. It’s nighttime, and this show LOVES to set stormy personal confrontations between two characters at night, particularly ones dealing with the romantic department (psst, it’s the moon symbolism).

In “The Waterbending Master,” Sokka engages in a tentative courtship with Yue, who returns his affections, but sends him some mixed signals. This culminates in the moment when she suddenly bursts into tears and runs away upon witnessing Pakku talk about his arranged marriage to Kanna. Sokka then goes after her so that he can comfort her and they talk about their relationship.

In “Ember Island Players,” Aang gets increasingly angry about his onscreen portrayal in the play, until he suddenly stands up and rushes outside. Katara goes to find and comfort him, and they talk about their relationship.

Yue: What do you want from me?

Sokka: Nothing. I just want you to know, I think you’re beautiful, and, I never thought a girl like you would even notice a guy like me.

Yue: You don’t understand.

Yue asks Sokka what he wants, and Sokka says he wants nothing. He wants to know her, and obviously he is hoping for more, but he doesn’t impose anything on her. He is modest and humble, straightforward and honest, and doesn’t assume that she should return his affection for her.

Aang: Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?

Katara: In where? What are you talking about?

Aang: On stage, when you said I was just like a … brother to you, and you didn’t have feelings for me.

Katara: I didn’t say that. An actor said that.

Aang: But it’s true, isn’t it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we’re not.

In the scene between Aang and Katara, in contrast, Aang immediately confronts Katara and places the burden of his feelings on her. He accuses her of saying something she didn’t say and Katara at first doesn’t even know what she is being accused of. He then makes assumptions about her feelings and their relationship, putting the onus on her to be responsible for his hurt feelings. I never thought a girl like you would even notice me vs I thought we were gonna be together. 

Both Aang and Sokka misunderstand their love interests in this situation, but the difference is that Sokka makes no assumptions about Yue’s feelings, and she actually reciprocates. Aang makes accusations towards Katara and she does not reciprocate.

Sokka: No, no. See, that’s the thing. I think I do understand now. You’re a Princess, and I’m … I’m just a Southern peasant.

Yue: No, Sokka …

Sokka: It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I’ll see you around, okay?

Sokka is fully prepared for Yue to say no, and tells her that it’s okay if she does. He accepts whatever reason she wants to give for turning him down, even if it’s a bad reason.

Katara: Aang, I don’t know.

Aang: Why don’t you know?

Katara: Because, we’re in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn’t the right time.

Aang: Well, when is the right time?

Katara: Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m just a little confused.

Sokka tries to understand Yue’s perspective, while Aang can’t seem to understand Katara’s. Whereas Sokka gives Yue room to say no, Aang puts pressure on Katara, which naturally makes her feel less sure about her feelings for him and less inclined to reciprocate. You don’t have to say anything vs Why don’t you know? And I’ll see you around vs Well, when is the right time?

And then there’s the kiss.

Neither Yue nor Aang asked for consent. Both their partners are surprised. But body language and dialogue and actual clarity about what the two characters feel for each other make all the difference.

Katara’s body language during the conversation with Aang before the kiss is very closed-off and uncomfortable. She has her arms crossed, she’s fidgety, she’s turned away from Aang or only half turned towards him. And after the kiss, she pulls away immediately and looks visibly uncomfortable.

Then angry.

Katara: I just said I was confused!

Contrast that with Yue and Sokka:

Sokka: Okay, now I’m really confused. Happy, but confused.

Do we really need to explain the difference between angry confused and happy confused? Kissing Yue was clearly something Sokka wanted, and he doesn’t pull away from Yue afterwards. Contrast that with Katara immediately pulling away, putting her hand over her mouth like she’s shocked at what Aang just did, and running away in anger and hurt.

What Aang did was a violation of Katara’s consent, and is treated like one. Katara is upset afterwards, Aang reprimands himself afterwards, and they become more distant with each other afterwards until the finale when they suddenly decided they lurve each other. Yue explains to Sokka that she does like him a lot but that they can’t be together, although their feelings for each other only continue to grow from there.

Yue also shows an incredible amount of maturity when she tells Sokka that they can’t just be friends, because she has romantic feelings for him and it’s too confusing for her, and because she knows that even though Sokka is willing to be friends, he is hoping for something more. Contrast that with Aang being unwilling to accept Katara seeing him as a friend or little brother and seeing those statements as the worst thing in the world, vs his onstage actor declaring that he’s perfectly content with Katara’s friendship and that being treated like an insult.

The thing is, that this doesn’t even have to be a contest. Aang knew he was in the wrong for kissing Katara in that scene. He could have apologized, he could have decided that he was happy with being friends with Katara because his relationship with her was more important than his attraction to her. He could have made the decision that it would be too confusing and upsetting to be friends with her if he couldn’t be in a relationship with her. Imagine that playing a part in Aang’s path to enlightenment in the finale. Imagine him reaching a purer love for Katara and then Katara choosing to be with him romantically after they both have a stronger understanding of their relationship.

“Ember Island Players” just…really drops the ball in the romantic department, and craps on both Yukka and Sukka at the same time, by making a cheap joke out of Sokka’s grief over Yue.

I love Sukka, and one of the things that is great about it is that they actually communicate well and their relationship is not written as a source of drama. Most of the time. In “Ember Island Players,” though, we get this scene where Sokka shushes Suki, who obviously has no idea why Sokka is mooning (heh) over this other girl and gets offended by it, while Sokka is clearly upset. This is an especially weird scene since Sokka and Suki had a conversation about Yue and Sokka’s grief previously. Suki’s comment that she didn’t know Sokka made out with the moon spirit shows that she clearly didn’t know that Yue was the girl that he lost before. Suki is painted as a jealous, jilted caricature and Sokka’s grief is made fun of.

When I first noticed this, I looked through the transcript of the episode, because surely Sokka and Suki have a conversation about it later. They do talk later, but do they talk about this? No, they talk about Suki sneaking Sokka backstage to give jokes to his actor. Of course.