#people would actually see the chemistry between him and katara

[k8lynjoy]

What annoys me the most about the "kataang has no chemistry" argument is that they do have chemistry, but people choose to ignore it because it's not the chemistry they're used to seeing/expecting. There isn't going to be an underlying tension or yearning that speaks to a more physical attraction to one another, these are kids for Christ's sake. Their chemistry is soft and sweet and romantic and - most importantly - age-appropriate. Not only that, but I think what a lot of people who hate on them like to forget is that their romantic relationship has always been secondary to their friendship. Katara and Aang kissing at the end of the show signifies the start of their romantic journey, not the end of it. Yes, they obviously have feelings for one another throughout the show (and I am saying obviously because it was obvious that Katara had feelings for Aang considering he was literally the only person who received that kind of treatment from Katara, like literally nobody else was treated by Katara the way that Aang was, nobody) but their romance doesn't truly start until they kiss on the balcony. Everything before that is the basis for which their relationship bloomed, but more than anything - more than the kisses on the cheek, the hugs, the blushing - their deep trust, respect, and admiration for one another is what brought them to that balcony. If you spend too much time focusing on whether or not Katara and Aang seemed like they were attracted to one another (which there is also ample evidence of, people just once again ignore it and write it off as "childish crushes" because it's not over the top dramatic mature romance) you ignore the fact that their chemistry lies in how they work seamlessly as a team, how they support one another, and how they share a deep, unspoken connection as two genocide survivors - and children - stuck in a war. Katara and Aang have chemistry, but they're also best friends, and that has always been the most important part of their relationship.

[rifari2037]

What’s . , your Opinion On Katara. And Aang relationship, with each other.?

Short answer :

In my opinion, Katara and Aang's relationship would more beautiful and healthy as very good friends, because they support each other way better in friendship-relationship.

Long answer :

Kat/ang as couple wasn't build up with a good storyline even from the start. Their relationship felt and looked like siblings, Katara even acted motherly to him - many proof for that and the writers said so.

So, there's no reason for me to see them as lovers in the future but just supportive good friends with a crush. But a crush - even in real life - isn't a deep feeling and it's very easy to fade away. A strong feeling needs bond, chemistry, sometimes needs twist and turns to understand each other better and strengthen the foundation of their relationship.

Katara and Aang didn't have much chemistry, just physical contact (kisses on the cheek and hugs) and blushing. But for me, chemistry is not just about physical contact, chemistry and bond is about relationship development - it's Maiko problem as well.

Actually, the writers had so many opportunities to make Katara and Aang's relationship well-written - especially since the writers worship this ship - but instead they built up the conflicts between Aang and Katara in the last few episodes.

Well, at least, Aang and Katara's conflicts was resolved in season 1, but I can say that they were forced to end up together, even though their conflict wasn't resolved in season 3.

Conflict 1 : Aang kissed Katara without consent, then Katara acted like nothing happened in the next episode.

Conflict 2 : Aang yelled at Katara, even though she wasn't mocking him like the others, and she just wanted to help him, then they separated and there wasn't even a single conversation at all until they kissed in the end of the story.

Yes, the kiss was canon, but only because the writers forced it, not because Aang and Katara - both of them - deserved it.

The writers tried hard to keep Kat/ang as the winners in post ATLA. But, the more the writers fix Kat/ang the more the writers failed to make them better in their relationship, in fact the writers even ruined some of the characters - especially my lovely Katara, whose role was increasingly decreasing.

That would happen if two characters are forced to become lovers without being built with a good storyline and the writers don't care about female characters.

I don't read the comic and I don't want to read it. But I read quite a lot of criticism about it, especially how Katara's role was nothing more than just the Avatar's girlfriend.

Also, writing them calling each other 'sweetie' all the time is so cringe. I mean, look at Suki and Sokka, most people said they were the best canon pairing, I said the same. They never called each other 'sweetie', they called each other by name and they were still romantic.

Do you know what I felt when I saw this?

Katara sat alone in the corner, looked sad watching her boyfriend having fun with his fans. I could almost feel what Katara was feeling. Katara was angry, of course, but Aang couldn't understand her feelings. In the end, Katara was the one who understood Aang and let it go. Why is it always Katara who understands Aang? She deserved an apology!

Once again, the writers tried hard to keep Kat/ang as the winners in TLOK by writing them as a married couple with three children. Avatar's girlfriend changed to avatar's wife, but the writers still failed to convince people that Kat/ang was a healthy and happy couple.

Instead, Aang was written as a bad father who only favours his air bending child, while Katara had no role, no statue to honour her, and even her grandchildren didn't recognise her.

Actually, even though I am Zutara shipper, but sometimes I'm glad that they weren't canon. I mean, the writers worship Kat/ang but they failed to convince a lot of fans how good this pair - except the shipper only.

I can't imagine Zutara was canon while the writers hated it, the would ruin Zutara badly!

And since the writers are on board in The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie next year, I'm guessing they'll try to win Kat/ang over (again) and I wouldn't be surprised if it fails (again).

That's why I'm not waiting for the movie.

Katara and Aang don't need to be lovers to be great characters, they can have a sweet relationship as friends and family. All the crush scenes between them could be removed and it wouldn't change the storyline one bit - maybe just annoy the shippers.

NATLA proved that. Aang and Katara had a family-relationship and it was very very sweet. NATLA removed all the scenes of Aang having a crush on Katara, even the Cave of the Two Lovers scene was replaced with Sokka and Katara. Did the main storyline changed? Not at all.

I once read an opinion from a Zutara shipper. The point is, when Aang and Katara are together, Katara has to stay away from Zuko (because their chemistry is stronger). It happened in TLOK, when Katara didn't show up to her granddaughter's coronation because Zuko was there.

Meanwhile, if Zuko and Katara are together, while Aang mature enough to accept his destiny, they will be forever great friends. He also will be a very very very sweet uncle and steam babies' favourite person. It happened in Zutara fanfics and fanart.

I agree 1000000%!!

[mood-2017]

initial thoughts after finishing the first three episodes of the atla netflix adaptation bc I have thoughts in my brain (contrains spoiler)

first, things I really liked and appreciated so far:

KYOSHI BC HOLY SHIT

the cgi looks GOOD, the animals actually look like they belong in this world

the bending looks insane (it actually has impact other than.. yk)

combat choreography and costume design is also a 10/10

idk a lot about score but I like what I hear lol

story progression is also interesting, of course they had to combine 2-3 episodes worth of information to fit their format and I feel like they put a lot of thought into that (it's more of a 50/50 tho)

starting the show with the air normad genocide was cruel but it really set the mood (I may have cried over that one aang and gyatso scene)

the actors actually look like the kids they are portraying

got nothing to complain about zuko, iroh, suki, zhao, etc.

I actually think that they portrayed zuko very well with him being very grumpy and goal driven but also has his awkward moments

I still have hope that they bring out irohs personality more

next, the bad and the ugly oof:

line delivery and interaction between the main characters feel a little stiff and awkward (might get better idk but where is the chemistry??)

I'm sorry but they sucked the life out of katara. If I didn't know the original character, I would find her really boring?? No hate to the actress tho, the lines she was given are just not it imo she did what she could with what she had

NO relationship building between katara and aang?? (they basically cut every important scene of their relationship out? like her being the one who breaks aang out of the ice, her being the first person he sees, her being the one calming him down after he goes into avatar mode at the southern air temple and probably more that I missed) > kind of makes me think that they're actually gonna go for zutara and idk what to feel (we all saw that scarf scene)

still don't know how to feel about them introducing azula, ty lee and mai so early? why introduce them so early when you already have to cut so much from the original to fit the 8 episode format? (their actresses slayed tho)

pacing lacks now and again and makes the flow a bit awkward (probably bc of how compressed it is)

I feel like the adaptation relies on the knowledge of their viewers who know the original a lot, especially when it comes to the main characters bc if this was my first introduction to atla I wouldn't feel connected to any of these characters YET

mind you, I still have 5 more episodes to watch so maybe this will turn around idk

I'd give it a 6,5/10 SO FAR but only bc I'm SO attached to the original so therefore I'm probably not as open minded as someone who hasn't watched the show 17 times

the original is a near perfect show and I think everyone knew, that there was nothing that the adaptation could do much better but you can still tell, that the people behind the scenes have a real passion for the original so I still appreciate everything that turns out better than the movie that shall not be named

[hxhhasmysoul]

Sorry if I'm late for the ship ask game. Can I ask for these ships :

- Killua/Gon (my fav non canon ship from any shounen until now)

- Zuko/Sokka (my fav ship from ATLA, and they're also my top 5 fav characters from that series)

- Gojo/ Getou (sorry, I know you dislike those two, but I want to know your opinion on this ship. Also, they're my main reason to enter JJK fandom)

Thx if you want to answer

KilluGon

Absolutely ship it!

What made you ship it?

Canon, they're prone to these very romantic moments.

What are your favourite things about the ship?

How devoted they are to one another. They meet by accident and get entangled with each other so quickly. Killua follows Gon around during the exam, then Gon goes to save him and since then it becomes a duh for them that they do everything together. And then the trauma they both endure puts a strain on their bond and we see in real time how their relationship partially sours because they are too young and they don't know how to deal with the trauma and the stress. They make each other better and worse, and it just feels so real. It's just amazing.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Idk how unpopular it really is but Gon isn't abnormally selfish, and he's not some villain in their relationship. They both contribute to it hurting them both. People getting hurt in relationships and still fighting for them and working on them is just so normal. I think also that people who dislike Gon or have no interest in him should no be shipping this. And Killua isn't a soft uwu boi. He's got a mean streak, is petty and prone to addiction, the soft boi outfits are a lie.

Zuko/Sokka

I don't ship it.

Why don’t you ship it?

In a previous ask reply I talked about how much I like MaiKo. And that's just my default ship for Zuko. The thing with Sokka is that his heterosexuality forces him to reconsider his misogyny, it's not ideal that this is what makes him start respecting women but honestly, who cares as long as he doesn't act like sad loser towards women in the end. And I'm saying this because having a sister who was his life line and his keeper for years after they lost their mother and were left behind by their father, did nothing to make him not a dick to women. And I think that if Sokka'd been gay, he'd've never changed. He'd've been one of those gays who look down at women. What if he lead Zuko there too? Like Azula makes Zuko's life quite awful, so some bigoted takes about women could've made him a misogynist and feel justified for it too.

What would have made you like it?

If they had more chemistry in canon. I just can't imagine an exciting dynamic between them to engage in shipping it? Nothing about this ship makes me think they could make each other better and that's a must for me to ship anything, really.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

I'm sorry but not really. I have barely seen this ship around because I don't go to the ATLA fandom, I don't think even fanart for it has ever crossed my dash. I mean it's marginally better than Zuko/Katara, because that one is just toxic heterosexuality the ship.

Gojo/ Getou

omg, not really.

Why don’t you ship it?

Like with HisoIllu, I accept that this is a logical ship and it's likely canon. But unlike HisoIllu, I actually actively can't stand it.

Generally, considering how toxic Gojou's personality is, I consider all his het ships misogyny and all his queer ship, queerphobia, even such absolutely toxic shit like SukuGo, even GoKen, even Gojou/Touji. I don't even like Touji but not even he deserves that. Apart from SatoSugu. Getou was a truly disgusting fascist adult and a condescending fuck as a teen, I think they can have each other.

Why I actively despise it, is because of the fandom. The fans of these two characters separately and those of this ship are some of the loudest and most obnoxious in this fandom. They will literally take panels, scenes or chapters that are about other characters and unleash some truly unhinged word vomit to make it seem like there's some connection to Gojou, Getou or their ship. Usually it's either complete misrepresentation of what is in the manga or pure untagged fanfiction. But the tags of other characters get regularly flooded by this kind of shit. They act as if they couldn't stand there being parts of the JJK fandom where their favs are not worshiped, where their ship is not the most important thing.

What would have made you like it?

Nothing. If it weren't for the fans, I would've been neutral about it. I wouldn't have cared about it because a thought about any dynamic between these two assholes leaves me completely cold. But I wouldn't've cringed when I saw it in the tags to the fics in my tags. I wouldn't've cringed writing the single Gojou involving scene I've ever written.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

No, I'm still sad that the most awful fans of these two and their ship haven't rage quit the fandom when Sukuna finally reduced Gojou to tolerable portions. Honestly it seems to be getting worse. Despite how liberally I block, it still often feels, even on some leaks days, that there's more about this ship in the JJK tags than of the actually relevant stuff.

[natlacentral]

Interview: Gordon Cormier on Bringing Aang to Life in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

Avatar: The Last Airbender kept viewers from all over the world on the edge of their seats when it premiered earlier this year, as an animated Nickelodeon classic made the jump to live-action thanks to Netflix. But the story of how Aang began to prepare for his destructive battle against Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim) couldn’t have been told without Gordon Cormier, the actor who stepped into the shoes of the titular hero. 

Awards Radar had the opportunity to interview Cormier, who was more than excited to talk about how the Netflix series was a challenge for him as a performer. With a combination of digital and practical effects, the team behind the streaming platform’s latest hit creatively gave new meaning to the bending performed by people from the Four Nations, as Aang continued to learn how to master his powers in order to save the world. 

Awards Radar: What was it like to see yourself in costume for the first time for Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Gordon Cormier: Seeing myself in costume for the first time was crazy. I was just bald! (laughs) It was awesome. I didn’t have the arrow at the time, so it wasn’t the full thing. 

AR: Did you picture it in your head?

GC: Yeah! (laughs) I was like: “That arrow will be on. Give it three more days!”

AR: Could you talk about the challenges related to the physicality of the role of Aang?

GC: All the fight scenes were really complicated. I remember when I watched action fight scenes when I was younger. I thought it looked super cool, but I never thought that it would’ve taken them five days of preparation. (laughs).

AR: The friendship between Aang, Katara and Sokka had a lot of chemistry on the screen. How did the performances from your co-stars affected yours?

GC: While shooting, we were all really close. We were basically family. Bringing our lives from outside of work to inside of work was actually really easy. It made my character, and everyone else’s, really real. 

AR: When Avatar: The Last Airbender is done, you’ll find yourself at a very different point of your career. What would you like to work on next?

GC: I heard Naruto was making a live-action, and I thought that would’ve been really sick. But I think they’re shooting somewhere around the time when we’ll be shooting. I’m not sure that’s something I’d be able to do. But I’ve been bingeing it lately, so if they ever want to delay it… (laughs). But doing two live-action animes would be pretty crazy. Starting with Avatar and then immediately jumping to Naruto would be fun. 

AR: I spoke to Jabbar Raisani (director and future co-showrunner of Avatar: The Last Airbender) recently, and he said that you’re a brillant kid and that you have tons of imagination to work with things that aren’t present on set, but will later be inserted as digital effects. Can you talk more about your experience working with such additions?

GC: First things first, thank you, Jabbar! As a twelve-year-old, I had a pretty big imagination. I almost thought about everything like it was real. It was interesting because things like Appa were a huge upper body portion of him. And we had the giant Volume, so it felt like I was flying on top of him. 

AR: What was your acting technique for the object that weren’t physically present on set?

GC: For some of the Momo scenes, we had a big green box. For others, we had a live-action doll of him. Interacting with those wasn’t really hard for me because we pictured the animated characters with the green dolls. 

AR: Have you read any scripts for the second season?

GC: Netflix has my mouth sealed. But I haven’t really gotten my hands on anything yet. Hopefully, I can do that soon. But, as of now, I’m just as in the dark as you are. 

AR: As a performer, what are your expectations for Aang’s emotional arc moving forward?

GC: This is all theoretical, because I don’t have any of the scripts yet. But I really want Aang to realize, from beginning to end, that he’s the Avatar. I want to see him taking care of his responsibilities. But who knows? The writers are very smart and creative, they might find something new to do. Or they might do exactly what I guessed. It’s all up in the air.

AR: This has been the biggest role of your career. What was it like for you to find out you were going to play Aang?

GC: It was huge because I was a little twelve-year-old. This was my first ever big role. To take on something so big with a beloved fan base was really interesting, life-changing and awesome because it’s a huge role to take on. I’m kind of just realizing that now. 

AR: Throw someone under the bus. Who was the smelliest person on set. Because those wear heavy outfits in hot temperatures outdoors and in the studio.

GC: I’ll tell you who smelled really good! (laughs) Almost everyone had amazing fragances. The first time that we did an event together was TUDUM, and my dad picked up on Dallas’ cologne, he immediately got it. And I think Ian was wearing something, I don’t know. But the whole crew and cast is crazy with their fragances, and they got me on it now. They recruited me. They got hooked on everything. Now I go to cologne stores sometimes (laughs). 

AR: After you got the role, how did you perfect all the mannerisms and ways of presenting yourself that became very tied to Aang in this series.

GC: It was a lot of stage directions. Because in the script, we have little thingies under our lines telling us what oiur characters do and how they’re reacting. I kind of went off of those a lot. But it was also some of my creativity depeding on what happened in the scenes. It was cool figuring it all out. 

AR: We all know how Aang’s love life goes in the animated series. But if you could ship him from any character from this world, who would it be and why?

GC: Oh! That’s gotta be a no comment! (laughs). I’m sorry, man! Netflix has my hands tied! 

AR: Have you played the Fortnite Avatar: The Last Airbender update?

GC: Actually, not yet! I had to stop gaming because, when I was really young, I was really obsesed with Fortnite. A lot of friends are telling me that they’re buying the Avatar skin, so it’s been really interesting!

AR: You were addicted to it, and now that you’re in it, you can’t play it?

GC: Yeah! It’s kind of those things, almost ironic, because I was so into it and I realized that I almost had a problem. Because I wasn’t submitting my homework. Now it’s the time when I should be playing, but I’m not playing Fortnite. 

AR: Do you think your interest in colognes is filling the void left by Fortnite?

GC: I’m not going to say anything specific, but yes, a little. (laughs).

AR: Can you talk about your impressions when it comes to the writing on Avatar: The Last Airbender? Do you rely more on the stage directions given to you by directors or on what’s written on the page?

GC: On the table reads, everyone gets together and we read the scripts while getting familiarized with the stage directions. But on set, the directors sometimes tell me if I misinterpreted something, ot if a creative decision isn’t going as well as I thought I would go in my head. 

AR: When you had scenes with Dallas, who plays Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender, what was that relationship like on set?

GC: Dallas told me his experience for this, because it was really funny. I remember that, on the day, he would just be giving me the cold shoulder. As a twelve-year-old, I didn’t know what it was. But it really helped him get into character. I was trying to talk to him and, at the same time, I was bringing out my Aang. I was trying to reach out while Zuko tries to shove Aang away. I think that worked out really well and it helped with our performances. 

AR: Netflix owns live sports now. You should settle your differences by wrestling. 

GC: (laughs) Dallas would crush me with his pinkie, I would walk in, extremely confident, after a six-week boot camp. And he’d say: “Hey, look over there!” Pow! (punches the air). I’d go out like a light.

[theowritesfiction]

‘The Ember Island Players’

This is such a weird episode to me, in that it even exists. Books 1 and 2 had exactly 20 episodes each, but Book 3 has 21. If I could think of one episode to cut from Book 3, it would most certainly be this, just because it contributes the least to the overall narrative. Also, it kneecaps and sabotages the romance between the main leads which already is not working, not to mention it introduces a ton of Zutara bait. On the other hand... I'm always happy to be provided more evidence of Kataang non viability, so this isn't me complaining that the episode exists.

Right away we have Katara not giving a shit that she doesn't get to sit next to Aang. (thanks, Zuko) Like why would you have that scene if you wanted me to believe that Katara is romantically interested. If anything, the Zuko and Katara chemistry during the play is... yeah, sorry, it's far more convincing than anything I've seen from Kataang.

The play itself is actually hilarious. Katara from the play is the exact copy of Katara from the comics, so I definitely see where the comics writers are drawing their influences from. Toph having a ball with everyone's portrayals is amazing - she clearly has the healthiest attitude when it comes to separating truth from reality. And yes, obviously Katara is correct when she says that she isn't a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving over emotional speeches all the time - but it's still kind of a funny joke, right? Aang's dismissive 'yeah, that's not you at all' kind of pisses me off, so you want to get with this girl, but you also want to mock her? Okay, here, have 30 Jerk Points.  

I have to wonder though - who the hell wrote this play? Who has this kind of firsthand knowledge of  the group's adventures, starting with Sokka and Katara being on their own when they found Aang? Here's my theory. This Pu-On Tim who supposedly wrote the play is an alias of none other than... Sokka! Who was the one who was most interested in the play and wanted to push the Gaang to see it? Sokka. Who has been with the group from the very start and is one of the two (with Katara) who could have this kind of knowledge? Sokka. Case closed.

Okay, building on this theory: Katara helped with writing the play, and she snuck in all the Zutara moments and the line about not being romantically interested in Aang and seeing him only as her little brother, because she wanted to discourage Aang without straight up breaking his heart.

Aang's reaction to the play reminds me of some people in fandom who also struggle to separate fiction from reality. At least Aang has the excuse of being a 12 year old. Still, saying that he's so angry he would be in the Avatar State because of this? And we all know the stupid thing Aang does next. I'm sorry, but Kataang died on this day. Also, Aang got 250 Jerk Points.

I guess the Toph and Zuko heartfelt conversation was a substitute for Toph's field trip with Zuko. I'll take it. It's not often we get to see Toph dropping her attitude and being real with someone. <3

Reality or fiction, I think it must have been very disturbing for Zuko and Aang to see their on stage deaths. Yikes? Also, pay attention to the reaction of the crowd. Ozai and his war have widespread popular support... because the Fire Nation is winning. But it's a compelling argument against leaving Ozai alive...

Jerk Points for Book 3:

Zuko - 700 Aang - 620 Yon Rha - 400  Ozai - 250 Sokka - 110 Roku - 100 Hide - 80 King Kuei - 60 Toph - 50 Haru - 30

And what do you know, look at Aang closing the gap like a champ! With 4 episodes to go, I think the Book 3 Jerk title is still up for grabs. :)

[pokckygamewithbatman]

Live Action ATLA.... was not a show

I didn't get past the first episode, I stopped watching after Zuko somehow knew to go to the Water Tribe to get the Avatar. How would he magically know that if he was following the ice ball light and they cut the scene where Aang and Katara go to the battleship and accidently set off the flare? Like sure, maybe he just wants to fuck with the Water Tribe, but then he would've come from the ice ball, probably on land right? If he was following the ice ball light, and had no indicator that he should change course and go straight to the Water Tribe then why does he just show up, no change in angle of approach or anything, almost like the writer's didn't think it was an important scene to include because they assumed the audience had already watched the show and knew that the battleship shenanigans were supposed to happen.

Seems like that happened a lot. The dynamic between Aang and Gyatso was so bland, almost like they didn't think they had to show them being close friends as much because the audience already knew about the character chemistry because they had watched the original show.

Kids can't act, we as a people know this. This extends to teenagers (that's why adults play teens in teen movies), so I shouldn't be surprised that the teen acting in the show was trash, but it was so held back, it was insulting. If I hadn't watched the original show I honestly don't think I would've known Sokka and Katara were siblings. I'd have assumed they were at most acquaintances. Maybe awkward friends?

Having older kids in Sokka's soldier unit in the Water Tribe kinda defeats the point of him? He has a lot of pride as the sole protector of the Tribe, and in the original show this is highlighted by him literally being the only one old enough to protect because the others are *tiny* children. In the live action there's like, another 14-yr-old who's taking orders, but they don't seem to be friends despite being close in age and with the same responsibilities. If they wanted to have some older kids they should've given more time to engrave Katara and Sokka more into their community. They did not do this. Gran Gran gives some horrible exposition (aka says the opening theme (which by the way sounds awful in the context she's saying it in (I know it's supposed to sound more like a legend but it's too casual to be a legend, or even paraphrasing a legend, she's literally just doing exposition))) and there were no hugs, or sly words between a grandmother and her grandchildren. IN THE ORIGINAL SHOW THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN YES but that's because we're actively focusing on Aang and Zuko, and are, for the most part out of the village doing penguin sledding and stuff.

Quick PSA to greedy corporate bastards. If your CGI tech can't do the penguin sledding, rethink making a 1:1 adaptation to ATLA. Appa looks scary, not cute. Momo is never not a blur (to mask how bad his CGI looks), and the kids don't know how to act with CGI. Tell me, how many times does Appa lick someone in the live action? Y'know, the thing he does to show affection? I count zero times so far. If your lazy tech can't cut it, don't just change a beloved character, either make it work or don't make the show.

Don't call it a 1:1 adaptation if you're going to change all the characters and their motivations? Why ever would you even want to do that? To make up for the crappy CGI that warrants darker scenes to cover up the mistakes so now the whole tone of the show has to be changed? That's a common thing nowadays. Do kids not deserve colour?

People keep comparing it to the movie, as if that's supposed to make it good. Now, I haven't seen the movie, but I don't have to to know that it's bad. That doesn't make the live action show good though. Comparing an adaptation to another adaptation is bullshit? Compare it to the source material cowards, and see how crud it actually is. Rewatch the show, use both of your eyes this time, and purposefully be as critical as possible. Honestly. "Why are they giving us the Air Nomad Fire Nation fight? It's a "noodle incident" there's no need" "why isn't Gyatso any fun in this version? He's supposed to be a goof" "why do Aang and Gyatso have such a stale dynamic?" "Why is Gyatso serious when shit goes down? Wouldn't it be truer to his character if he was trying to lighten the mood so the kids don't get scared?" "Wouldn't it have been more impactful if he was goofy then turned serious instead of being serious the whole time?" "Why does he call Aang's name so loudly when it's obvious he's trying to be stealthy and quiet to get the kids to safety?" "Why did they change the opening monologue?", etc. etc.

Watching this show was not fun, it made me appreciate the original show yes but less as a nice memory to occasionally reference, and more as a safe haven to go back to and cleanse myself.

1/10 it reminded me once again that Netflix is a blackhole of greed and terrible actors LEAVE THE CHILDHOOD SHOWS ALONE IF YOU TRULY WANT TO REVAMP THEM OR REINTRODUCE THEM TO KIDS DO A SIMPLE RERUN OF THE SHOW ON WHATEVER CHANNEL OR APP YOU USE, OR A CUTE ANIMATION THAT INTICES KIDS TO WATCH THE ORIGINAL SHOW but that was never the goal, you wanted the adults to cream their pants because their "childhood is back". Honestly, Disney could teach a class on soulless live action adaptations of beloved classics (except Cinderella 2015 that movie is a gem) and Netflix would be listening with bated breath, taking notes like their lives depend on it.

[naruhinalife555]

AVATAR WIKI

AVATAR WIKI

Anti-Zutara I Guess...

User blog

Hello everyone who decided to stop by to see what I have to say. First of all, before I get into anything I want to say I am a big Kataang person. I get it, Anti-Zutara in 2020 isn't really, well... Kataang won. And I have to say it fills me with... joy? Honestly, whenever there is a Kataang moment it just makes me happy. Anyways, back to the important part. One big argument I've come across from Zutara shippers is that Aang is 12. Now this doesn't seem very big but accompanied by some evidence its actually a strong argument. Katara is 14. Girls generally tend to go through the early teenage time period faster than guys and are more mature at a younger age (generally). Girls of around Katara's age tend to like guys that are a bit older than themselves as these guys will be mature. Zuko is 16. Aang acts too much like a kid which wouldn't attract Katara in a romantic way. And there you have it. That is the argument. However, it does come with weaknesses. Throughout the show there is a LOT of character development. From the beginning of the show to the end Aang changes a lot. Katara even remarks this saying "I've seen you grow up so much. You're not that little goofy kid I found in the iceberg anymore". Some people also accompany the above argument with their belief that Zuko and Katara have more chemistry than Aang and Katara. It's the same bs, opposites attract or good girls and bad boys. First of all, that is weak af. Second, Aang and Katara DO have chemistry. They work very well together in many situations AND they better each other. Katara will help Aang, Aang will help Katara so on and so forth. Moving on... Another point to bring up is what would have happened if Zuko and Katara fell for each other. Lets just, for a moment, say that that happened. First of all, what would the effects on Aang be? He would most likely be heartbroken and considering he's the avatar there COULD be problems. He would probably leave everyone and go into hiding to be alone. I understand how it feels to lose your first love, even at a young age. It hurts. You don't want comfort. You just want to be alone. Even guys are like that although they are usually much better at recovering. And shown in the comics, problems arise and he is there to stop them. But if he wasn't there was the possibility of another war starting. Another big point is if Katara wasn't around Aang, who would have talked him out of the Avatar State? Nobody. She was the only one that was able to. To summarize: If Katara left Aang for Zuko he would either not be there to help or be the one causing the problem and nobody would be able to stop him. And if Katara left, who knows, there is the possibility that not even Katara could talk him out of the Avatar State at that point. While some people can argue "Aang can control the Avatar State because of that Chakra shit" it is pretty much shown in the comics and the show that he can't. The only reason he went into the Avatar State when fighting Ozai was because a rock hit the scar on his back. In the comics he can't control the Avatar State and it is exactly like when he finds Monk Gyatso's skeleton. Katara talks him out of doing anything rash or anything at all while in the Avatar State. So between the end of the show and comics (1 year passes) Aang still has not mastered the Avatar State. Therefore if Katara had a relationship with Zuko... yeah. My final point altough there are a lot more that I could make is that bs that some Zutarans say: *annoying teenage girl voice* "Nickelodeon said Zutara was suppose to be endgame". Nickelodeon trolled your ass. Bryan Konietzko literally says that was not the plan at all. Anyways thats all, I know theres no real point in bringing any of this up because Kataang sailed and it was pretty epic. But yeah. If you have any other stuff you want to add about why Zutara is stupid, totally add it below. Add anything I'm missing if you feel like it. Thanks!

Why People Hate Momtara/Dadko

I was in the Momtara/Dadko tag and I was surprised how many people are disgusted by it. But I have a theory on why it bothers some people.

It’s a tag that references the fact that both Katara and Zuko act as the Gaang’s kind-of-parents in the show. But it also points out the glaringly obvious difference in emotional maturity in the group. I think that when people start to acknowledge this difference, it might make shipping either Katara or Zuko with the other members of the Gaang feel kind of gross.

Because Aang and Toph both act very much like children (they’re like 11, so I get it) but, despite the fact that Katara is only 3 years older than Aang, she is MILES ahead of him in terms of emotional maturity. Aang deals with his emotions similarly to someone of his own age, like when Katara yells at him in the Waterbending Scroll and he immediately starts getting teary. That’s a normal reaction for a child, but Katara never yells at him again and shoves her own feelings aside for the better of the group (The Western Air Temple). She is constantly having to calm him down when he gets angry or goes into the Avatar State and always supports him emotionally (despite getting none of that back from Aang). On top of that, Aang doesn’t take responsibilities regarding the domestic chores, so it really makes Katara seem like more of a mother or older sister. 

I also know that people ship Zukka (I don’t, but I know it’s popular) and, while Sokka acts close to his actual age, Zuko has a bitterness to him that came because of his banishment. Zuko even said in The Beach (S3 E5) that he doesn’t deal with the same problems that normal teenagers have. His trauma made him into someone who doesn’t see himself as a normal teen and we see how Iroh’s influence shaped Zuko whenever he is doing something good. Think about how he interacted with Lee (Zuko Alone) or the emotional maturity he shows when he apologizes to the Gaang (Western Air Temple) or when Katara blames him for her mother’s death (The Southern Raiders).

I just thought about that because it would make sense why it seems to disgust people. Because it’s seen as cute or a way for Katara and Zuko to support each other for a lot of Zutara fans (I’m not making a blanket statement, but there is a reason why it’s popular with a lot of us). 

Just a theory.

[dylanaz]

I was thinking about that, "loving someone as they are" trope and was comparing it to "judging someone and helping them grow" trope.

I always had a hard time deciding which one was better.

And some of the A/nti-Zutara arguments were heading to this direction and said, "Mai loved Zuko as who he was. Katara accepted him after he redeemed himself"

I agree with it to some extent, but disagree with it mostly.

"Loving someone as who they are" trope is actually really powerful one. It requires them to UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER and love someone WITHOUT CHANGING WHO THEY ARE deep inside.

One of the best examples I can think of right now is Rachel and Jesse's relationship from Glee.

(If you haven't watched it at all, skip the spoilers)

If you need something to remind you about them, here's one of my favorite fanvideos:

St.Berry is one of my ships. People dislike it and try to use it as a proof Rachel and Finn were better match, just because Jesse threw eggs at Rachel ONE TIME. (It's kind of a friends to lovers to enemies to lovers trope)

Whatever, I don't agree with the "they're impossible to ship" statement people hold, because they clearly had chemistry and more. (Because Jonathan and Lea are besties in real life)

Anyway, if you watched the video, you would know Jesse cared for Rachel. Though he was used as a character that got between Rachel to Finn. Or something Rachel used to make Finn jealous. 🙄 Should've had more screentime, tbh.

No disrespect towards Finn/Cory(rip), but Jesse and Rachel were soulmates and they should've been together throughout the series. Not be a second choice.

Ok, enough ranting. Now, let's get back to our talk.

When Rachel was with Jesse, she never cared for her looks. (When she was with Finn, she always compared herself to Quinn. And Finn made statement about her 'boobs' when he was PRAYING!)

We never see Jesse obsessing over Rachel's body. He stopped when Rachel didn't want to do something. And asked her to sing about it if she couldn't talk (🥺 that is real husband material there)

If you watched Glee, at least one episode, you would know how much of an annoying person she is. Most of the people hate her. And even in the show, people let her know they think she sucks.

When Rachel said, "I thought you'd never come back", Jesse replied, "Miss all of your drama?"

It's like they understand each other at another level because of how similar they are. If someone understands how Rachel feels like most of the times (even Kurt sometimes thinks of her in bad angle), it's Jesse, since he is also a very dramatic person (I mean, he is a theater dork) and has a big ambition to reach his dreams.

Eventhough he is talented, he works hard for what he wants.

JUST LIKE RACHEL BERRY.

He just loves Rachel, even if she is considered to be the worst by others. Loving her doesn't make him a different person. It doesn't take away what he wants in life. Loving her is not a sacrifice. It just makes him who he is. Rachel can be the best person according to HIS OWN value. That is just beautiful to me.

Now, let's talk about Mai and Zuko's relationship. Did Mai understand Zuko or accepted him for who he was? Was loving Zuko a sacrifice? Is Zuko the best person according to her own values?

I don't even think it applies other way around. I mean, I have no disrespect towards either M/ai or Zuko. But they are the worst.

Mai having crush on Zuko when she was younger was cute. Maybe she loved Zuko for who he was. But... after Zuko changed into a different person, her view towards him became different. She tried to stop Zuko from changing. (I had similar experience with my childhood bestie and now we are not even in speaking terms. She told me she will always remember me as who I was in 2018, because that was the version of me she loved. Can't blame her. I will probably always see her as who she was in 2018.)

We sometimes hold images of a person and try to hold them in one place, because we don't like the uncertainty. We don't like what the change brings. But it's the best for us to try to understand. Also, it is one of the biggest reasons some couple don't divorce. They just play the good times they had in their head over and over again, thinking either of them would change. But it just pushes them farther away from each other. (It's just sad 😔)

Zuko's journey was what made him stronger. It pushed him to the right direction. I can't see him waste all of that for a person who doesn't want him for who he is NOW.

Now, let's talk about Katara and Zuko's relationship.

We always say "Zuko accepted Katara who she was", but I actually see that as a mutual thing.

When Katara forgave Zuko, she accepted who he was in the past AND who he is NOW.

If you see, M/ai tried to hold the image of him as a different person. And tried to push him to be his old self.

Katara STOPPED holding that image AGAINST him and accepted the new him.

You see the symmetrical pattern?

M/ai's acceptance of Zuko is his old self. Katara's acceptance of Zuko is everything Zuko was/is.

Katara accepting Zuko for who he was also lead to Katara being true to herself and her emotions. Their relationship doesn't require sacrifice that either of them are unwilling to take. And it doesn't change who they are deep inside. It is part of who they are inside. It is a good example of, "loving you as you are" trope.

K/ataang is the good example of the opposite of it. A/ang is the one who holds the image of perfect Katara. And Katara gives up on herself in order to be with A/ang. It invalidates her feelings/emotions and her own values as a person/character.

Acceptance is love. But it expires, just like credit cards do. In order to use them again, you have to renew them.

Some people never get it and they just lose their own colors in order to please others.

[forever--rain]

I wanted to create a separate post for this, @thebansheeandherboy, because it’s a topic that is near and dear to my heart as a little sister with an older brother. (And this got...LONG. So I've hidden part of it under the cut.)

My brother used to be very set in his patriarchal ways. Certain things were "a woman's job." He was absolutely convinced there was something wrong with every guy who miraculously took interest in me. For a long time, we had a very Sokka-and-Katara-Book-1 relationship. Antagonistic yet fond. Full of conflict yet protective.

As we grew up, he dated some girls who were very strong-willed and courageous. They didn't take his crap. They were my earliest feminist influences and I love them all for it. Without them, I may not have found my voice and become the person I am today. And they changed him, too.

He's very supportive of my independence now. He thinks I kick ass and is extremely proud of who I am, even if we don't always see eye to eye. And as the years have passed, he's learned that my judgement in regard to friends and significant others is pretty good. Sure, I made my youthful follies, but so did he.

Though I know he'll never admit it out loud because it would mean admitting that he likes someone whose views directly oppose his, he actually likes my S.O. and he's glad that we finally found our way to one another. And though I know I'll never hear the precise words, "I like him," I see it in a myriad of little ways which I won't delve into now because it's not pertinent.

"Ever," you may be asking. "What does any of this have to do with fictional characters?"

Well, Sokka learned from strong female influences as well. He shed his misogynistic views and embraced Katara, Suki, and Toph for who they were--strong women. He learned not to underestimate them. I've seen that in real life and I can relate to it.

It's my personal headcanon that Sokka and Zuko become lifelong best friends after everything that happened during the war. Zuko would come to admire Sokka's ingenuity and Sokka would appreciate Zuko's sense of duty and honor. They'd both respect each other's leadership skills and be in constant communication about inventions or laws or anything else under the sun. They'd be good sounding boards for one another. (And they'd also really grow to appreciate each other's senses of humor.)

(Truly, these two are my brotp.)

In a universe where Zuko and Katara get together, I actually see Sokka catching on long before either of them do. Maybe Suki would have to clue him in, but I don't think so. I think he'd catch on to their chemistry at the Western Air Temple during the war. And I think that he'd sit down with Zuko to talk to him after the war. Not in an "over protective big brother" kind of way or anything. He'd definitely just want to thank Zuko for saving Katara's life since she's always been the one to sacrifice for everyone else. He'd make sure to tell Zuko what that means to him and how much he respects him for it. He might even tell Zuko that he's like a brother to him.

That would be the beginning of it, though.

Sure, maybe a part of Sokka would find it weird because it's his little sister and his best friend (and, honestly? I'd find it weird at first if my best friend liked my sibling), but he'd kind of get it. Zuko and Katara push one another. They complement one another. They have a selfless and unconditional give and take that somehow always remains equal. Plus, Sokka knows Katara better than anyone. She's strong-willed and determined. Even if he hated the idea of her and Zuko getting together, that wouldn't stop her. He knows, too, that Zuko has always seen Katara for who she is. Zuko's not once underestimated her. He'll remember when Zuko and Katara went to track down Yon Rha and that memory will reinforce in his mind that Zuko is willing to provide Katara with unwavering support no matter the decision she makes.

And when he notices them looking at each other when the other has no clue, he'll realize he's seen that look before. Katara looks at Zuko the way Suki looks at him. And Zuko might be better at hiding his emotions than Sokka ever could be, but he can't completely disguise the way his eyes go soft when Katara walks into a room. (Don't forget: Sokka trained with Piandao. He has higher observational skills than most people give him credit for.)

And he'd just kind of watch over the years as Zuko and Katara sit in denial and dance around it. But he'd also definitely tease them both about it relentlessly, don't get me wrong! He'd make kissy faces at Zuko behind Katara's back. He'd walk around after Katara mimicking her voice as he says, "Oh, Zuko's so handsome. Zuko's such a powerful bender. Zuko has such nice, shiny hair." (Until Katara bends a snowball into his face, of course.)

Maybe Katara would try dating other people. Sokka would say things like, "You know, this guy doesn't make you laugh. Even Zuko makes you laugh." Or, "This guy can't even sling a boomerang! At least Zuko can wield two swords at once. You should find someone like that." Or, "You should be with someone who's unafraid to give you autonomy and likes your political ideas."

And if Zuko looked like he was about to give in to an arranged marriage, Sokka might step in in a subtler way. "You know, you should find someone who challenges you and inspires you to be a better person. Someone with aspiration who isn't afraid to speak her mind. Especially if she's speaking up for the average person. And you should really try to find someone you love because leading a nation seems like a lonely thing and you don't deserve to be alone."

When they finally decided to try to be together, the two of them would keep it under wraps at first. People might suspect, but there'd be no concrete evidence. Toph would claim she's noticed a difference in the energy between them. And Suki might say Katara's letters suddenly contain a little too much Zuko. But Sokka, ever the skeptic, wouldn't buy into it because his best friend and his sister are dense.

Maybe Sokka stumbles across them snuggled under a tree by the turtleduck pond one day. Or maybe he catches them kissing during the winter solstice celebration in the Southern Water Tribe. And he definitely pulls something melodramatic because, let's face it, he's Sokka. Plus, he just wants to give them shit because he's still Katara's brother and Zuko's best friend and he's obligated.

Afterward, though, he'd track Zuko down. Zuko might try to explain in his usual fumbling manner, but Sokka would just look at him and say, "You know if you hurt her or leave her or if you don't find a way to make this last forever, she'll kill you, right?" And then he'd pull out a flask of Southern Water Tribe vodka, raise it in Zuko's direction and say, "Flameo, hotman. Flameo." And together they would toast to Zuko and Katara's relationship.

(But Sokka would still lovingly give them shit for the rest of their lives.)

[shinidamachu]

I had no idea that the creators hated zutara. I never got into the atla fambase but i did watch and i kinda shipped zuko and katara together. I guess cause of the last fight scene together and that one part when they were trapped together. I hope shipping wars in atla aren't as bad as what i see in the inuyasha fandom.

I have no issue with aang and katara being canon though. But i would think that the creator would have been aware that not everyone is going to agree with what you do you just have to accept it. Like i don't 100% agree with some of the things RT did in the inuyasha manga but im fine with it.

Crazy, right?

I think the Inuyasha fandom is currently actually pretty chill on the ship wars department (the sᴇssʀɪɴ thing is something else entirely), but the analysis, metas and discussion on the ATLA fandom seem to be still growing strong to this day.

The first time I watched ATLA I was too young and not really interested in the romantic part, so it flew right over my head (to the point I was legit surprised when I learned people actually shipped Zutara). Like, I knew Aang had a crush on Katara and I loved Aang so of course I'd expect them to end up together, but that's just it, isn't it?

The whole ship is based on Aang's feelings while ignoring Katara's or limiting them to "she'll come around." Which she inexplicably does, off screen and after the war is over in the best "hero-gets-the-girl" style. This realization, that only came to me after rewatching, now as an adult, really put me off the ship. Not to mention how much it hurts their individual character developments.

Especially Aang's, who was facing a "Want vs Need" dillema and had the solution handed over to him without actually sacrificing anything to achieve it. It's sad to watch a character I love so much become that possessive, entitled and having the narrative reward him for it, cheating him from the growth he so desperately deserved.

That's my main issue with the ship (that and the way it treats Katara). On paper, it had everything to be friends-to-lovers supremacy, just the most wholesome, healthy, fluffy couple ever... but the execution was very poorly done. So I don't hate it, but I can't get behind it either.

On the other hand, the more I rewatched the show, the more I could see exacly where Zutara shippers were coming from until I became straight up obsessed. The amount of chemistry, understanding and wasted potential between them was just insane.

[rifari2037]

Do , you , Have any Avatar the last Airbender ships that , you like or Dislike.,

Yes, of course I have any ATLA ships that I like and dislike. I've actually written my thoughts about the ships in ATLA that I like and why. Here's the link!

Meanwhile, these are my least favourite ships in ATLA and the reasons why.

Maiko

In general, I dislike Maiko because Zuko is complex character, meanwhile Mai is so flat. We don't know conflicts inside her beside she's bored of being a royal family. And then, we have to believe that she would be happy to be a Fire Lord's wife?

Yes, I believe that Mai loves Zuko, since she was a child she had crush on him, but I doubt Zuko loves Mai that deep. I have reason to say that, actually this thing has been in my head for long time. Maybe later I will write about it.

I don't hate Maiko that much, but I blame the writers for writing this couple poorly and forcefully.

Kataang

I have a lot of reason to dislike Kataang, but the main reason is they have no any chemistry. Aang has crush on Katara since season 1, but looks like puppy love and not that deep. Meanwhile Katara always act motherly toward him, that's makes this couple looks weird.

Even Bryke (the writers who Pro-Kataang number 1) confirming that Katara loves Aang like a "babysitter" or a "younger brother". That's prove any Zutarans points.

Again, this couple written very poorly and forcefully. I never see any chemistry between Aang and Katara, but at least they are written well in season 1. They have conflict and resolved it. But in season 3, their conflict has no solution, and then I forced to see them kiss.

Zukka

I don't mind people ship Zukka just for fun, I have no right to forbid anyone to ship any characters. I just hard disagree when the shipper say that Zukka is solution of Kataang and Zutara ship war. Because no, it's not!

I against Kataang and prefer Zutara because of the storyline and relationship development, so brought me Zukka doesn't mean anything to me. Zukka is just crack-ship, they don't have any chance to be canon.

Some shippers realised that Zukka will never be canon, they ship it for fun without make any meta or analysis Zukka would be canon. Then, they're compare themself with Zutaran.

But, c'mon! Even some ATLA writers fought for Zutara end-game and they expect us to not make any meta and analysis? We have materials from the show, meanwhile they don't. What do they expect?

I dislike Zukka not only because they don't have any chance to be canon in the show, but also some of the shippers behaviour.

[sokkastyles]

You might have talked about this before but after reading a lot of your (really insightful) thoughts on A:TLA and Zutara, I was wondering what your opinion is on the "Would a Zutara kiss have worked in the finale" question? I can understand the feeling behind maybe thinking it'd feel rushed or "forced" but I also know that canon ships have happily sailed on a lot less development than ZK (*cough*), especially considering ZK spend 90% of the finale together, beat Azula together, and mutually saved each other lives', y'know? I don't know, part of me feels like the general/casual audience would've been good with it, it'd just be the ship fandoms up in flames about it if they'd had the spine to do it.

Hi! Thank you! I haven’t talked about it, mostly because I’m not that interested in seeing them kiss onscreen. I’m not the kind of person who cares one way or the other whether what I ship becomes canon. I ship based on whether I see chemistry between characters and whether there is a story there to explore, not whether or not they are likely to get together onscreen. I’m also an adult so I am more interested in relationship dynamics than physical intimacy between adolescent characters. I teach middle school and I have taught high school, I look at these kids and I don’t think any of them are old enough to be dating (although kids do it anyway) much less finding their forever partner.

I actually would have preferred no kiss and an ending that focused on the gaang as friends to the ka kiss we got. And if you can imagine that for a second, you can see where ka goes wrong as a ship, because without the endgame kiss, we leave Katara and Aang on a particularly weird note narrative-wise, because their relationship and Aang’s crush on her becomes a loose plot thread, and the last time they interacted they were fighting. The last time Zuko and Katara interacted, on the other hand, left them closer than ever, and was a resolution to their arc. I feel like that’s part of why the ka kiss feels so rushed and awkward, because it’s like the writers realized that they needed to close that plot thread somehow. A kiss was necessary for ka because of the way the writers wrote themselves into a hole, and the kiss wasn’t enough to get them out of it, either. A kiss was also narratively necessary to make Zuko’s relationship with Mai endgame because I, everyone else in the audience, the show, and Zuko literally forgot about Mai up until that point, and it feels even more forced. But a kiss would not be necessary for zutara because the emotional energy between them speaks for itself.

That said, if I could imagine an ending with a zutara kiss, Zuko and Katara have tons of chemistry and I don’t have a problem believing that they could be attracted to each other given the emotional energy between them in the series, BUT in order to make a kiss work within the timeline of the series they would have to make their feelings for each other more explicit than it is in the series. The show definitely teased the ship, and I’ve spoken a lot on that, but it never moves beyond subtext. Even in “Ember Island Players” when Aang is jealous and worries that Katara doesn’t like him back, he never explicitly worries that there is something going on between Katara and Zuko, even after watching the play tease it, for which I am grateful because I really love the Zuko & Aang relationship and I definitely would not want to see any kind of love triangle angst.

However, there isn’t that much you would have to change to make Zuko and Katara’s feelings explicitly romantic. I mean it when I say there’s obvious romantic coding in many of their scenes. Katara and Zuko’s arc from the crystal catacombs onward is almost identical to a breakup and makeup arc. I joked about Katara being angry that she’s attracted to Zuko post “The Western Air Temple” but that’s because her feelings towards him aren’t that far off, she is mad because she did like him before and doesn’t want to admit it to herself. When he asks her what her problem is with him she makes it clear that her feelings for him are different than the others (”I was the FIRST person to trust you.”) A few tweaks here and there and the subtext could easily be brought to the forefront and developed to the point where a kiss at the end could work. What I would do if I were writing it is introduce it after the play. Maybe Zuko and Katara talk about what really DID happen in the crystal catacombs. (”Wasn’t it ridiculous? The idea of us as a couple!” “Yeah, haha...” *significant look of romantic panic*) Especially since the last five episodes of the show seems to do all it can to nuke Katara’s relationship with Aang. It would feel rushed, but not more rushed than the canon relationships (except Sukka because it wasn’t developed at the last minute) do.

The main thing that they would have to change in order to make zutara really happen though is to give Katara much more romantic agency, and her feelings take more precedence in the narrative. A lot of people can’t imagine Katara with anyone but Aang because Katara’s romantic feelings are never allowed to exist independently of Aang. Even Katara’s crush on Jet is meant to show how much of a nice guy Aang is, the purpose of showing her with Jet and Zuko in the play is for the audience to want Aang to get the girl. Even when Mai showed up in the finale my first reaction was “Oh they have to pair Zuko up with someone because Aang ends up with Katara.” It’s all focused on Aang. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because Aang is the main character, but if you’re not invested in Aang getting the girl then that narrative feels particularly insulting.

[ruhrohimrorny]

What Subjects I Think LOK Characters Would Teach:

Lin: PE, obviously. Dating Kya and all the kids are happy cause there’s a noticeable shift in Lin’s mood once they start dating. She no longer forces kids to run a mile every day and instead does it once a week now, so the kids are hoping her and Kya stay together. She also coaches Golf and Lacrosse.

Kya: Waffled between MILF Math teacher, MILF Science teacher, and hippy/chill Music teacher, but decided on MILF Science Teacher. Getting strong Biology vibes. Very fun labs and not strict at all. Her and Zhu-Li are super passionate about leading the Science Bowl team. Seeing these young people be so passionate about STEM and helping their fellow teammates makes her hopeful for this young generation.

Tenzin: He kinda gives math teacher vibes, but a large part of his character in the show is about him keeping his history alive, and teaching others abut learning and respecting history, so I feel like he’s a History teacher. His class is a lot of notetaking but he plays quiet music and does a five minute meditation in the middle of class to encourage kids to relax, so students really like him and actually listen to him. Also, he’s kind of gullible so they make up fake trends to tell him. He once spent a week addressing people as “brony” cause students told him thats what people say now instead of bro. Kids got a good laugh out of that one. Him and Pema are another favorite teacher couple.

Bumi II: Def gives off eccentric/unhinged English teacher vibes. Very interesting and informative conversations in his class, but things get off topic very quickly. Whenever kids ask about Bum-Ju, he gets distracted and will talk the entire rest of the period about what to dress Bum-Ju up as for Halloween. Probably plays a lot of videos. And students don’t worry about if they read the books Bumi II assigns cause they don’t think he’s even read the books he assigns. When having discussions about the books in class, sometimes kids will make up stuff and say it’s in the book and for the most part, Bumi II goes along with it cause he doesn’t know what actually happens in the books.

Varrick: Also gives off eccentric/unhinged English teacher vibes, but because he’s a businessman/war profiteer, I’m gonna have to say he teaches Econ and gives students lots of unsolicited financial advice. Also supervises the Engineering and Robotics Club.

Zhu-Li: Science teacher, probably Chemistry. She’s very good at explaining and getting kids to follow her instructions. Not only is she a co-supervisor for the Science Bowl team, she helps Varrick run Engineering and Robotics Club, cause if it were only Varrick running it, no kids would come. His intensity and eccentricity scares them.

Iroh II: He’s definitely the young Math teacher everyone has a crush on. Very chill and doesn’t give a lot of homework. Kids love when he shows pictures of his dog to the class and eventually he brings in the dog cause admin think the dog is too cute to say no to.

Tonraq: Resident DILF History teacher. Kind of a hardass but also a nice dude so most everyone passes his class. Probably that History teacher that is also a football coach, so during fall he doesn’t give a FUCK about whether anyone actually turns anything in. Him and Senna is the teacher couple that seems like opposites but actually are pretty similar and balance each other out.

Senna: That English teacher that every mentally ill student becomes emotionally attached to. You know what I’m talking about. She’s so sweet, funny, and chill so all the kids love her class. Tries to include memes in her presentations to seem “with it” but they’re like, doge memes from 2014. But the kids appreciate the effort.

Pema: Definitely the sweet English teacher that occasionally has a mental breakdown when the students test her patience. Otherwise very chill. Also teaches the Childhood Education and Development class. Her, Senna, and Bumi II run the school newspaper.

Bataar: Drafting. Pretty chill, very skilled, and def smokes on the weekend. Also, him and Suyin are that teacher couple that everyone likes.

Suyin: Dance. Super nice and always has like to of those smelly plug in things going so her room smells good and has a “good vibe that evokes emotion”. Always plays EDM or weird 80s rock to get the kids moving. She runs the school dance team. When Bataar has prep period, he sometimes drops in to see Su dance, cause she’s mesmerizing to watch. All the kids think that, coupled with the fact that they eat lunch together every day, makes them the cutest couple ever.

Amon: Drama. He loves directing kids on how to totally live a role. If you can imagine, he sometimes gets a little overdramatic about drama, forgetting that these are just highschool kids, not Oscar winners, but his passion makes the class more enjoyable. Runs Drama Club with Tarrlok.

Tarrlok: Probably Physics. A difficult class, but he’s pretty good at explaining so most kids don’t struggle too much. His main focus is running student government, which he takes pretty seriously. Sometimes too seriously.

Unalaq: Teaches Psychology. The most pretentious teacher on campus. It’s literally so bad, that even other teachers avoid him. Amon abandoned his coffee still being brewed in the machine in the staff room cause Unalaq walked in and he didn’t want to be in a room with Unalaq again after he said that Amon’s outfit “looked like something stolen from the lost and found of a funeral home”. Unalaq sees it as “telling it like it is”.

Zaheer: Government and Politics. Tries to teach the class very well but also injects his own opinion into teaching a lot. The students find him scary but some also kinda think he’s hot. Also does Yearbook. Him and Senna run Mock Trial. Replaced the old Government and Politics teacher Hou-Ting after she retired. She was that one old teacher that made it a hobby to harrass students and constantly reminisced about when you could smack students.

P’Li: Math teacher. Much scarier than Zaheer. Plays her trash ass music very loudly while the kids work. Def yells at kids. She’s kind of funny when she’s in a good mood tho, and when she roasts kids it’s really funny cause it’s usually dead on. Her and Zaheer are those teachers that flirt a lot and you know they’re sleeping together.

Ming-Hua: Art. Loves drawing and, you guessed it, watercolor painting. Very chill and plays soft music but lets you listen to your own music. Super sarcastic and all the students eat it up. Literally a universal favorite. She runs Art Club and Fashion Club.

Ghazan: Guitar. Pretty cool teacher that definitely has some weird stories. All the students know he has a crush on Ming-Hua cause they flirt constantly, but he denies it. Runs E-Sports Club. Idk why I think that, it just feels right. Him and Ming-Hua are also the kinds of teachers kids become emotionally attached to.

Kuvira: Government and Politics also. Seems calm and reasonable, but is a total ass. Makes kids give up their phones, allows almost no talking, gives out more detentions a week than most teachers do in one year, and doesn’t allow for much discussion. Everyone wants her class cause she’s hot but most drop within the first week, to the point that counselors have to say no to some kids so they don’t have to get rid of the class altogether.

Bataar Jr.: Computer Lit teacher. None of the students respect him so they’ll play Minecraft the whole time or play inappropriate videos really loud. Doesn’t really put much effort into teaching, which for some kids is a dream, but for others is an annoyance. Him and Kuvira are the teacher couple that makes everyone say “wtf”. Literally no one knows why they’re together.

Izumi: Secretary/Attendance. Pretty much remembers everything and is super organized. She is the glue that holds the school together. Most students don’t know her name though cause she’s super quiet and works mostly behind the scenes. Whenever Zuko sends anyone her way though he reminds them of her name and to say thank you cause he recognizes how hard his daughter works to keep everything running smoothly. Izumi catches on to this and always manages to thank her dad with a nice tea and a hug.

Toph: Vice Principal. Scary as fuck. Doesn’t ever call kids’ parents cause she efficiently scares the shit out of every kid, so they never do whatever bad thing they were doing again. When she has to work dances, Katara always tries to get her to dance with her. She resists every time, but she always gives eventually. She’s happy to though, cause although she’ll never say it out loud, seeing Katara this happy at her old age warms her heart.

Katara: Health Clerk. Very sweet and everybody loves her. Sometimes kids pretend to feel sick just to talk to her. She doesn’t mind though cause a kid that has a tummy ache and a kid that needs to talk are both kids that need help, and she’s happy to offer whatever support she can. She also always offers to supervise dances when the school has them and always manages to bust a move.

Zuko: Counselor. Wants to be to students what his uncle was to him. Aang and Sokka were counselors too, some years ago. And while they could give some good nuggets of advice and offered the kids amazing support, they also would totally fuck up student’s schedules by accident cause those numbskulls were exactly that- numbskulls. So usually Zuko would have to fix that. He misses fixing their messes and, more importantly, he misses them (they aren’t dead, just retired). He hopes to retire soon too, cause he’s getting too old for this, but he secretly doesn’t want to retire just yet cause working at school allows him to see and spend time with Izumi. Since they’re both working, it’s not like they have too much time together, but even just her popping into his office to bring him tea or check in on how he’s doing that day brings a smile to his face that doesn’t leave for the rest of the day.

Raiko: Principal. After Toph stepped down cause she’s “too old for this shit” (her words), Raiko stepped in. The students aren’t a fan of him but he’s not terrible. And since Toph is still Vice Principal, she keeps him in check.

[zutaralesbian]

zutara and bamon!

Zutara:

Why I ship them (or why I do not): Ooooh Zutara. They're one of my oldest ships and one that I ALWAYS drift back to eventually when it comes to phases lol. I started shipping them back when I was about thirteen and they were one of my first major introductions to online fan works. The first time I watched ATLA it was when it was first airing and I was only a young kid, so I naturally just 'shipped' the canon pairings. But when I found out that Zutara was a thing I was intrigued by it and a bunch of meta and fics later, I was hooked. I just love the fire and water symbolism of them and the way they parallel each other. Their relationship development and the mutual understanding and respect they have for each other by the end of the show. There's just....so much interesting storytelling material for Zutara. And I think that's one of the biggest reasons they're so popular.

My favorite moment between them: I feel like this changes all the time but I think right now it would be the cave scene in Ba Sing Se. Despite Zuko's betrayal afterwards I just loved how these two people who were enemies for the entire time they've known each other bonded and found some understanding between each other. Also Katara offering to use the water from the oasis to heal Zuko's scar and Zuko letting her touch the scar???? Kill me. I feel like a lot of what I love about Zutara is represented in that scene alone.

My least favorite moment between them: I don't think there is a ZK scene that I hate. I mean, I don't like the infamous pirate scene in book 1 but I also think people make it out to be a lot worse than it actually was. (I've seen people compare it to the R*ylo scene where Kylo captures and tortures Rey and that is so undeserved and extra.)

The character I prefer: Zuko is my socially awkward son and I have a special love for him so he's definitely my personal fave. There aren't many character arcs that make me as emotional as his. BUT at the same time I know Katara is queen and she's definitely my second fave.

A fanfic idea for them that I would love to read or write: The post-war idea I have where Mai leaves Zuko for Ty Lee, Katara and Aang breakup amicably, and then Zuko and Katara fall for each other on a trip together to visit a healing Azula lives in my mind rent free.

What I would have changed about how canon handled them if I could: As amazing as canon Zutara done right would have been, I'm kind of okay with them not being canon? Mostly because with the exception of Sukka I think Bryke sucks at writing romance lmao. And I have more than enough ZK fanwork to keep me satisfied. BUT in a perfect world I would have had Zutara been implied as a future romance in the end and erased the K*taang and Ma*ko stuff. (The gaang are all literal children. I think it would have been more than fine if they ended the series all single.)

Bamon:

Why I ship them (or why I do not): They had great chemistry and were just a fun dynamic with a lot of potential (especially in the later seasons after they became friends.) I think their development from begrudging allies (and occasional enemies) to friends was fun to see and always an underrated dynamic in TVD and I would have loved to have seen it go all the way to lovers.

My favorite moment between them: Damon reciting the letter he wrote to Bonnie before he put himself in the coffin that she never read always gets me in the feels.

My least favorite moment between them: For some reason I can't really remember a specific scene but I know there were plenty in the early seasons that made me angry lol

The character I prefer: Oh definitely Bonnie. She was a queen that always deserved better than the way that shitty ass show treated her. She's the only reason I stuck with TVD as long as I did. I do admittedly have some kind of soft spot for Damon too though and I prefer him as a character over Stefan. But I completely understand why people hate him lmao 🥴

A fanfic idea for them that I would love to read or write: It's been soooo long since I've even thought about Bamon fic. But back in the day S6 canon divergents were my shit and I'd be down to reading one again if there are new ones out.

What I would have changed about how canon handled them if I could: Here's how I think I would have made them canon starting in S6: Damon and Bonnie would have had a frenemies with benefits kind of arrangement while they were stuck in the prison world together. (Honestly it's ridiculous to me that they didn't on the show. Two people with chemistry stuck in a prison world together with only each other for company, not expecting to escape and they never once fucked? Fffs). Once they're both free from the prison world there's this lingering Tension between them even though they obviously decided to stop having sex now that they were both free. Bonnie now feels off seeing Damon and Elena together and she eventually realizes it's because she's developed feelings for him. But she keeps it to herself out of loyalty to Elena and Damon has been obsessed with Elena for almost as long as Bonnie's known him so there's no way he'd feel the same anyway.

This would continue on for a while until we got to S7, where Damon decides to put himself in a coffin until Elena wakes up. I would have had part of his decision to do this be because he realized he has feelings for Bonnie and felt like he was betraying Elena by having them, so he ran.

Cut to Damon returning and Bonnie suddenly being in a relationship with Enzo. Damon would have been insanely jealous and this would have kicked off a Damon/Bonnie/Enzo triangle. Maybe Damon has some kind of talk with Stefan that makes him realize it's okay for him to want to be with Bonnie, that Elena wouldn't have wanted him to be miserable while she was gone. The triangle would have eventually ended with Bonnie/Enzo breaking up and Damon/Bonnie getting together. (And the 'Dear Bonnie' scene would have been re-written to be a reveal that Damon confessed to being in love with Bonnie and not knowing what to do about it in the letter). We would have then seen Damon and Bonnie as a couple throughout the entirety of S8, with the finale having the implication that Damon was going to stay with Bonnie throughout her whole human life and then one day in the far future reconcile with Elena. (Basically the same way the Will/Tessa/Jem situation was in The Infernal Devices.) What really sucks is that the TVD writers could have EASILY done something like this if they weren't cowards.

Thanks! :)

[lydia-yougowith-stiles]

My Top Ships of 2020

It’s FINALLY here!! The list of my top ships of 2020. What a year it was and I can’t believe it’s already January 8th as I’m writing this. Just like I mentioned with my 2020 TV Wrap Up, a lot of these ships helped me escape during 2020. I can’t wait to see where they’re headed for 2021. I have also started watching a few things in December, but I will be saving those ships for my 2021 list. (You’ll notice I have already expanded this list from last year.) Last year, I debated about including an Honorable Mentions sections. This year I will be including it because I wanted to still talk about these ships, but found it hard to rank them with the others. Without further ado here we go!  

Oh! One last thing. Compared to previous years Bellarke has not made it on this list. J. Roth did us dirty with this last season of the 100 and I will pretend it didn’t exist. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

~ Anne with an E: Jerry and Diana

These two were SOOO CUTE until Diana started acting rude and left our perfect boy Jerry. Watching this last season back, I grew not to like this couple as much as I did the first time. This most definitely had to do with the fact that I knew the outcome AND I could see Diana using him more earlier. She wanted to experience something different and rebel and Jerry was there. But they were so cute as they walked home together and shared books. I’m also really proud of Anne for sticking by Jerry when she found out the truth about their relationship. (As you probably already know I love Jerry so much and don’t want any harm to come for him, so this was a tough one, but yes I’m still including it.) 

~Umbrella Academy: Klaus and Dave

I started watching Umbrella Academy this year, so I was lucky to not just experience the first season, but also the second. I instantly fell in love with Klaus and Dave and we barely got any scenes with them. (That’s my main reason for making them an honorable mention rather than a permanent spot on this list.) I wish we had more scenes with them in love. We do get some great moments in scene two with a younger Dave, which highlights Klaus’ love for him, but it’s not the same. I really love how much Dave changed Klaus. I would argue they’re my favorite romantic relationship on the show. 

~Walking Dead World Beyond: Hope and Elton

Here’s my classic shipping people together who weren’t technically romantic (but honestly those often make the best and most satisfying ships if the writers open their eyes to the chemistry that is on screen...but I digress). While they technically weren’t “romantic” you could tell that Elton grew to have a crush on Hope as the season went on. There was definitely a lot going on between their characters as Hope ***I’m going to try and avoid a spoiler here*** was one of the last people to see Elton’s mom. I think there’s potential for these two down the road and as there are only 2 seasons slotted for Walking Dead World Beyond, I can only hope this is the path the writers take. 

~Violetta: Angie and Pablo

Okay, so even if you have not heard of the Disney Channel telenovela “Violetta” or seen many of my posts, can you just appreciate the chemistry in the above moment between these two people! For a good amount of season 1 of the show, Angie and Pablo were the couple for me and I was ESTATIC when they finally got together. I anticipated it wouldn’t be for long because of slight spoilers and more intuition, but god were they beautiful together. Friends to lovers to the extreme. Screw Herman! Now as I’m slowing watching season 3, I know these two won’t be OTP, but I can savor in this moment and remember the good times. 

17. Violetta: Violetta and Leon

Two back to back Violetta appreciation posts. This show took up my entire 2020 from awaiting for season 2 (and 3) on Disney Plus, as well as watching the 80 episodes (a piece!). Currently, I’m trying to get back into wanting to watch season 3 (as other shows took precedent). With the amount of Violetta I watched, I couldn’t leave Violetta and Leon off this list. They were the favored ship of the show (and one of the most central). In season 1 it took me a little time to like them together, but by episode 35 I could feel the mutual attraction. I remember the moment of them singing/playing piano together. I knew they’d be endgame. My main complaint is that when these two are a part they are SUPER ANNOYING! Like they (specifically I’m thinking of Leon) say rude things about the other person and I’m like how could you be okay to get back together? Their best moments are definitely in season 2, whether singing to the other person or imagining singing to them. Definitely at the end of the season when they’re in Spain. I still have to watch the end of their love story, so I hope it’s satisfying.

16. High School Musical the Musical the Series: Nini and Ricky 

So I added this ship onto my list long before I knew about any real-life/personal drama that was happening among the cast. I considered taking it off the list, but as I am discussing the fictional characters I decided to leave it. High School Musical the Musical the Series was a very early 2020 watch. I liked the show more than I was expecting and was upset to hear that season 2 wouldn’t include a performance of High School Musical 2. (I mean, Beauty and the Beast...really?) This was one of those extremely rare times where I actually liked a ship that was the main ship. Usually, I favor the other part of the love triangle or the underappreciated part. I was both shocked and happy when Ricky and Nini kissed in the finale and got together. Of course the final episode ended with some hurtles for season 2 (which now I guess there will be even more), but it was good to see them together and happy. 

15. Legacies: Hope and Josie

With all of these shows ending earlier than they should have due to COVID, I feel like I’m going to sound like a broken record when I say I don’t remember a lot of what happened in this last season. (I guess for 2021 I’ll have to take more thorough notes, but then again you can see which ships I like more.) With Hope and Josie, season 2 was a bit of a rough road. I mean, what do you expect when you erase yourself from existence for the greater good, which means that your boyfriend hooks up with your friend/eventual lover? (Yes, I added in that second part.) Josie and Landon felt very awkward in the beginning of this season when they were in “love” and forgot about Hope. (I rarely heard anyone say they liked them together.) It got more awkward when Hope came back in the picture and had to watch them together. Then we had that spill with Josie being evil (which I was surprised they tackled so early on in the show. Feels like a later plot to explore). Due to all these hurtles, there were less opportunities for my OTP of Legacies. The best moment we got was in the above photo when Hope went into Josie’s subconscious and was speaking to Josie as a fictional pig the whole time. We will never forget how the “pig” suggested Hope kiss her awake. Come on Julie! Give us what we want! 

14. Single Parents: Will and Angie

Will and Angie were far down on my Top Ships last year. Another friends to lovers, you could just feel the chemistry between these two and that was strengthened in season 2. (I just loved some couples more this year I guess.) Last year, they couldn’t really act on too much romance between these two because of Poppy and Douglas’ relationship, but as those two had some drama this season, Will and Angie had a greater chance of getting together. We watched moments where the two pretended to be a couple (for the sake of Will’s parents) and eventually Will came to the realization of his feelings for Angie. In a classic season 2 plot device of a sitcom, Angie decided to go with her real-life husband/Graham’s dad at the end of the season. But you could see she also had feelings for Will and they HAVE to act on those next season. I can’t remember if the show got a third season, and I will be crushed if they didn’t. Previously, they’ve been mid-season starts so I feel hopeful.  

13. Emma: Emma and Knightley

The last movie I watched in movie theaters was Emma. While it makes me sad that I haven’t been able to go back since, this film was a great one to hold this memory. As an avid Jane Austen fan (and period drama as you will continue to notice), I LOVED this Emma and Knightley pairing. This couple is one of my favorites of the Austen heroines and heroes and I have many favorite reincarnations from Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller to Joanna Sotomura and Brent Bailey in Emma Approved (still so sad those two broke up). So it was very hard to live up to what I’ve watched and liked before. Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn did not disappoint and will be one of the combos I think of when I re-visit the novel. I love how we didn’t focus on their crazy age difference and really highlighted on their relationship as family friends and going back a long time. I specifically like the decision to bring in some early nods to Knightley admitting his feelings for Emma and then not doing so because of the presence of Frank Churchill. Just talking about all of this makes me want to re-watch the movie all over again. :) **If you’re a fan of this combo or Emma/Knightley in general that you have to watch this video. It is amazing! 

12. Avatar The Last Airbender: Zuko and Katara

Another binge from 2020. I watched Avatar the Last Airbender in the summer and was amazed by the story-telling and how deep they could get for a kid’s program. Despite, being in MS/HS when the show originally aired, I hadn’t watched it before. So many people had told me to do and then with the help of Netflix, I felt the pull to do so during quarantine. When I headed into the show, I thought Zuko and Katara eventually got together. Mainly, because I know the fandom and love for them is so strong. I instantly felt this too. There were so many great parallels between there characters. (I mean clearly we have the whole water and fire dynamic.) Even when these two weren’t in scenes together I was thinking about how well they’d work together. So needless to say I was disappointed when they didn’t get to be endgame. We did a lot of great moments at the end of season two and definitely with season three. The Last Agni Kai scene will forever give me chills and represent how deep Zutara is. The evidence is all right there. Such a great ship. 

11. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Zoey and Max

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was one of my favorite watches of 2020 and such a feel good show for a moment with a lot of uncertainty. (I highly recommend if you haven’t watched it. Season 2 just started on NBC this week.) For a while I felt very on the fence if I shipped Zoey more with Simon or Max. As you can notice friends to lovers has been a common thread with my posts (although I LOVE a good enemies to lovers) and Max was that 100%. Plus, he’s played by Skylar Astin so what’s not to love. Despite, all of that I felt both of the men in Zoey’s life had potential and I could be happy if she ended up with either one. By episode 6 I was leaning towards Max (if I’m remembering correctly this would be the “When I Wake Up” number with the scooter) and then by episode 8 I was all in! I mean she sang “I’m Yours” to him. (Episode 8 was one of my favorites for the whole season. She did a fantastic job singing and I loved the twist of events. Also, Max being there for her was adorable. The “Pressure” song in the conference room OMG, get me a Max!) The only thing that upset me about their relationship and Max’s character was how sudden his emotions were. It became all or nothing and it felt like too much. He shouldn’t have given Zoey an ultimatum like that. Once he went to work upstairs, I grew to not like this character. Luckily by the last episode I saw some of the old Max again. We’ll see what happens with this new season. 

10. Julie and the Phantoms: Julie and Luke

Julie and the Phantoms: I cannot talk highly enough of this show. It is amazing and everyone needs to be watching it. Of course, it was created by Kenny Ortega so need I say more...but there is so much more to appreciate too. The actors are fantastic and I love the characters they portray! I also can’t stop listening to the music. But this moment is for Julie and Luke, sorry, I should stop promoting the show :) It was very obvious that two members of the band should fall in love and with Julie and Luke both writing their own music and being passionate about their craft it became a no-brainer that they should end up catching feelings for one another. Of course, there’s the major hurtle that he’s a ghost, but we can figure that out in season 2. Luke is obviously the better pick for Julie (Nick who?). They are just so adorable together and I can’t get over that moment when he talks to her at school by her locker and she pretends to talk on her phone. The way they look at each other says it all. (Such great acting!) Then there’s Edge of Great and Luke’s guitar solo. OH! They’re so meant for each other. While no season 2 announcement has been realized yet, there’s no way this show does not get renewed. 

9. The 100: Murphy and Emori

Okay, so I know this sounds hypocritical that I said I won’t think the last season of the 100 exists and here are Murphy and Emori. But in my defense they are the best part of this season and my love for them as a couple really came to a head this season. Murphy had so much character growth and I was fearing for his life almost every episode. Same went for Emori especially after her accident I didn’t feel positive. These two (along with Raven) were the shining beacon in a very disappointing and confusing season. I love how close they are and how strong they make each other. They have been through so much and it was nice to see them so happy (despite everything going on). You just knew they’d always have each other’s backs no matter what. 

8. Violetta: Fran and Diego

I feel like I would do anything for this ship and I have so many more episodes of season 3 to go. (So that’s saying something.) Another Violetta ship, but arguably the best and one that I know is endgame because I grew so obsessed that I started searching for spoilers early on. (That’s how you know it’s bad. Especially when you’re watching YouTube videos without subtitles, so you have no idea what they’re saying, but they look happy and therefore you are happy.) Fran and Diego only got together in the third and finale season of Violetta. Previously, they were a part of different romances (Diego a major one with Violetta), but at the start of this season they are put together in a lot of situations and quickly grow a strong relationship. You can feel the chemistry instantly! They just fit each other so well. Their singing voices together-OMG! While it took FOREVER for their relationship to be public knowledge, I really haven’t had any other problems with them together. (And with 80 episodes it could easily be the case.) A positive of having more than 30 episodes to go: I have more opportunity to fall even more in love with these two. 

7. Sanditon: Esther and Babington

I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH! I watched Sanditon so long ago that my memory could get fuzzy, but one thing that stands out clearly is how great it was watching Esther and Babington get together. When thinking about this show people will probably immediately think of Sidney and Charlotte and while they are great and the central couple of the series, these two have my heart. Esther has SO MUCH character growth and development and Babington is a big influence on that. He helps her to see that she can be so much more than what she currently is doing and gets her away from her brother and that lifestyle. For a bit it was touch and go and I wasn’t sure if the two would be endgame, but luckily they were. It appeared to be a marriage out of friendship/necessity. Babington is fine with loving Esther more and hoping she’ll grow to love him. This quickly changes with a scene where we see the two looking very much in love. While this show only used Jane Austen’s unfinished novel as a stepping stone and became a lot more modern (than most fans liked), I thought it did a nice job with several aspects. The main one being Esther’s character. It is a show that I will definitely be re-watching and will always be upset that it did not get a second season. 

6. Legends of Tomorrow: Ava and Sara

A great ship since Ava was introduced. These two balance each other out so well and are one of the most constant ships on the show. (As the Waverider’s doors continue to be revolving in recent seasons.) Each season we watch their relationship deepen and I truly felt that with this most recent season of Legends. Now this might sound super ironic, because from what I can remember (remember 2020 brain, it’s been a while since watching), Sara was off the Waverider a lot, leaving Ava in charge. Sara was away for so many episodes that I started to question (and do a lot of Google searching) if she was leaving the show. Despite the two being a part, I feel we got to know Ava’s character more. She has definitely grown since we first met her all those seasons ago. Due to this development, I felt this couple deserved this spot on the list. When we got to the end of last season ***SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS*** and it looked like Sara (and actually all the Legends) might die, my heart broke for them. Ava and Sara deserve the world. And with the way the finale ended it’s going to be some time till they get it. Once again, Legends is the best CW Superhero show (I said it) and everyone should be watching it.

5. The Spanish Princess: Mary Tudor and Charlie Brandon 

This ship is so underappreciated and deserves to be talked about more!!! (Another common thread in many of these entries.) I have searched for Tumblr posts and YouTube videos and have only found a few dedicated to this couple. There needs to be more!! As the second season of the Spanish Princess dragged for me a bit, once Mary Tudor and Charlie Brandon got more screen time and a plot-line I was instantly sucked in. They nicely balanced the falling out of love of Katherine and Harry. There should have been more scenes with Mary and Charlie. Right away, you could feel some sort of chemistry, but Mary had to be married to the King of France. Then the King dies and she’s promised to pick a marriage of love for her second marriage. Knowing her brother and expecting that she will be married off again she marries the messenger come to get her from France, Charlie Brandon. Super intrigued by their story I looked up the history of the real Mary and Charlie Brandon and their story matches very closely. They got married despite the King’s rules and had many children together. It seems to be a marriage of love like she wanted. This couple will forever be one of my favorites. 

They are also one of my major reasons for wanting to watch the Tudors. While they completely change the Mary and Charles romance (Firstly by naming her Margaret), at least it was very easy to watch. As Charles Brandon is played by the beautiful Henry Cavill. 

4. The Outpost: Talon and Garret

Speaking of underappreciated ships (and TV shows), I present Talon and Garret from CW’s The Outpost. It was SO HARD for me to find a picture from the third (and latest season) of them to put with this post. It’s even hard to watch any scenes of the show on YouTube. Talon and Garret FINALLY got together this season and it was ABOUT TIME! Since season 1 you have felt the tension between these two, but there were always obstacles and people in between them. There seemed to be potential in the first season and by the start of third I was not holding out hope anymore that they would be together. So, it was such a joyous occasion when they became endgame (is that too soon to say? I have no idea if there’s another season on the horizon). This couple solidified my love for a WARRIOR romance. One where, despite being two different genders (and for this show species), both partners are equal in strength and fighting ability. (Well, Talon could take Garret, but they are such a powerful duo!) I now want to read and watch more romances/ships with this trope. [Please let me know if you have any suggestions.] Just talking about them, I can’t help but smile (almost as big as Garret when he saw Talon again before she left for another mission). At the end of the season they might have tried to make it seem like they would pick other partners and I’m so glad they didn’t. You seriously need to watch this show if any of the above sounded appealing/you like high fantasy and maybe a little CGI cheesiest. 

3. The Society: Grizz and Sam

It breaks my heart talking about this ship ever since Netflix released that they were taking back the second season renewal of The Society. I started watching the Society during quarantine (shocking I know), but I do remember a lot from my time watching (more shocking, right?). Hands down the best couple from this show was Grizz and Sam. They weren’t introduced right away and again I might have cheated when I suspected the two might get together, so I looked up some spoilers. (Honestly, that’s the best sign of a ship in my book. If I can’t wait and need to look up spoilers then your show has a good thing going.) Individually Grizz and Sam were my favorite characters and then pairing them together I was dead. So many amazing moments with them. Naturally we didn’t get enough and I will continue to watch fan videos (because there are so many). They are precious and I’m so glad we got some closure at the end of the season because if we didn’t this cancellation would have been even harder. 

2. Nancy Drew: Nancy and Ace

Okay, I’ll try to keep this brief because I know I’ve talked about this couple A LOT on this page in 2020 (but that might be difficult FYI). From an honorable mention thought last year to #2 this year-THAT’S HUGE! But they deserve it, even if they haven’t officially become a couple on the show...well not yet. Early on in the first season I felt a pull between these two characters, which is super ironic seeing as how they had few scenes together and were a part of two different romances. (I mean Nancy had two different love interests.) I thought I was just imagining things (as I do often pair people who barely share plots), but then episode 14 happened and I was sold. Then I came onto Tumblr and discovered the amount of people that felt it too and knew we had something. Shout out to all the other blogs that mention Nace or are made just to honor this amazing duo. I know they will be endgame too and value all your posts that I’m constantly liking and looking for. 

Again, there’s so much I could talk about, but I’ll focus on how much they trust and listen to one another. (I mean Ace drank that stuff because he trusted Nancy!!!) I love how they get paired up on cases and go into investigator mode. They speak SO CLOSE to one another and just all the looks! If we don’t get more moments in the second season I don’t know how I’ll survive. They are just so perfect and I could easily see them become number 1 next year. I cannot wait for the start of season 2 on Jan. 20th!! For now I’ll fast forward through old episodes and watch my favorite moments. Like these:

AND NUMBER ONE.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

1. Anne with an E: Anne and Gilbert

Now I know what you’re thinking...’Stephanie, didn’t you pick Shirbert last year too?’ Why, yes that is true. But back then I had only watched seasons 1 and 2 with some spoiler videos of season 3. The release hadn’t come to Netflix yet. Since then, I have watched the last season (and the show as a whole multiple times). It’s just so good and watching the growth of the characters (not only Shirbert) means so much more when you can watch the episodes back to back. But we’re here for Shirbert and how we watched them rise. Yes, it departed from the novel, but I love the twists and turns it took getting to endgame. So many looks and unspoken feelings. I thought it was great how Anne discovered her feelings. I hated Winifred, but understood her purpose. Anne and Gilbert will always be one of my top OTPs no matter which adaptation. Of course, the book will always be the tops, but so many great representations of it have been done on screen. Ultimate enemies to friends to lovers. I hope to one day create characters that could be so strong and beloved.