#'zutara was never canon' yeah we know but it should have been and the fact that you named your entire blog after them....

[firelxdykatara]

it really is genuinely so funny how obsessed zk antis actually are with the ship. like there's a lot of embarrassing shit i'll get up to on main but one thing you'll never catch me dead doing is wasting the energy to create an entire blog and maintain it for over a year, dedicated to nothing but talking about a ship i allegedly hate.

and if i had a nickel for every zutara hate blog i've seen over the years, i might not have a lot of nickels, but i'd definitely have more than a handful, and it's very weird that it happened a lot more than once lmao

#atla #yes this is a vague post bc i just found another one it's so funny #'zutara was never canon' yeah we know but it should have been and the fact that you named your entire blog after them.... #fan behavior if you ask me! #zutara #ohhhh fandom never change lmao

[tiny-katara]

Let’s be real. I bet that if Aang looked like Zuko, you all would ship Kataang. Just admit that you think Zuko is attractive and not Aang. And Zuko may be your type, but he isn’t Katara’s. She never expressed any attraction towards Zuko, not even a subtle attraction like she did towards Haru. You may not think Aang is attractive but Katara obviously does. She has her own taste.

Uhhnmm????

Excuse you???

No. Even if Aang looked like Zuko I wouldn’t ship it because my problem with their relationship has literally nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with the fact that Aang doesn't respect Katara's boundaries.

It also has to do with the fact I personally identify with Katara's passion and have been with a partner who hated conflict/confrontation like Aang, which wasn't a great time for me. It is a deeply personal dislike based on my struggle to make my feelings more palatable and toned down for my male counterpart in the relationship. It was painful and I see that part of myself in Katara, who handles all of the attempts to get her to calm down and do the easy thing with a grace and strength I can only aspire to.

Also it's a bit disgusting to assume some random person's type. It's at the very least rude. You know absolutely nothing about me and the argument that you're insinuating is that I want to "fuck Zuko." Whether that's your intention or not, that is the implication and it's completely disrespectful of the aspec Zutara shippers, which I personally identify with, and any Zutara shipper that is not attracted to men. Please take a solid look in the mirror and think about that.

And you know what, yeah. I don't think Aang is attractive because he is a literal child. No one except maybe other children should be finding him attractive!!! That's weird.

Additionally, Katara literally tells us her type in "The Fortune Teller" if you missed it. She specifically mentions that she hopes her partner will be tall and handsome. Aang is neither of these things in the show, and he shouldn't be because he is a 12-year-old child.

And yeah, Katara doesn't express any interest in Zuko but literally what does that have to do with the conversation? This about Kata*ng and how a lot of the scenes in the show make some women uncomfortable. Zuko does not fit into this equation at all.

I also noticed you mention Haru and not Jet, someone Katara is most definitely interested in. Jet and Zuko look strikingly similar and if Jet is Katara's type, I see no reason why Zuko wouldn't be, although I will admit this is speculation, but it's pretty well founded if you just... look at both of them lol.

Katara is welcome to have her own taste. I have no issue with that, but what I find odd is that the guy she ends up with is one she shows little to no interest in during the show and the ones she explicitly shows interest in look nothing like her canon love interest and are instead tall and handsome. Your argument could carry some weight if she actually ends up with Aang when she's older, but she doesn't.

And also we don't need to see her express any canonical interest in Zuko to ship it. We're here for concepts and the chemistry, although I can see how that can be confusing to someone who's main argument for their ship is that its canon and everyone else should just move on.

Please go enjoy canon on your own. You're more than welcome to, anon. I encourage you to do so and to block any tags that may upset you in the future.

#anti kataang #anti aang #zutara #pro zutara #anti bryke #katara #seriously katara is awesome #she is such an amazing role model #i know i only talked about it a little #but i mean it #she is great #i want to handle the discouragement of my passion the way she does #bc she always sticks up for what she believes in #we could all use a little katara

[southslates]

I'm a Zutara stan but I sometimes think Aang and Mai were what Katara and Zuko needed at one point. I just refuse to believe those relationships were a complete disaster for the both of them. I sometimes laugh/cringe at how salty some fics are towards their exes (because Zutara is canon!!) but I get it.. Zutara is treated much worse.

I get it and I would actually agree that there was merit to having them date at some point.

I graduated high school last week and with adulthood on the horizon, almost every single couple I know has broken up or is on the verge of breaking up. Sure, there are a few that are sticking it out and I'm sure that a few will make it past college and whatever comes next, but that amount will definitely be minuscule. The reality is most couples from grade school don't end up together--but that doesn't mean that those relationships are pointless, right? There's fundamentally a lot you can learn in a young relationship about yourself and what you want in your other relationships as you become an adult.

What bothers me about the endgame couples in ATLA is how young they are and how quickly they dedicate themselves to each other. Katara and Aang are generously the equivalents to a thirteen and fifteen-year-old, and Zuko and Mai are more like seventeen-year-olds. Because of that, I'd say the latter had more of a shot at making it, but still, that's super young.

And the fact that Katara is like, fifteen or sixteen in the comics and running around the world fully dedicated to her fourteen-year-old boyfriend? She's fifteen, her boyfriend should be secondary to her own growth.

But yeah, I agree that there was never anything wrong with Katara dating Aang and Zuko dating Mai. They were caught up in a war and maybe at some point Katara needed to date someone who gave her hope, and Zuko needed to be with someone who understood the societal pressure of being Fire Nation nobility. But that doesn't mean that they were compatible life partners, you know?

The most common criticism I see of Zutara that isn't flat out your ship is for teenage girls who love bad boys is that they wouldn't work because they're too similarly passionate. I think that this stems from The Southern Raiders which most Zutarians interpret as Zuko helping Katara get the revenge she needed, but a lot of other people see him encouraging her tendency to get carried away.

Katara and Zuko both often make brash decisions based on their own moral compasses and I like that. I think that similarity might have been an issue over some of ATLA and while they're young but as they grow (because they're literal young teens in ATLA) it could have been exactly what the world needed from young leaders.

And that's really why I believe they should be endgame because the whole opposite-personalties attract and "Aang and Mai keep Katara and Zuko in check" thing might be important and relevant when they're young but in the long run, matching personalities can compromise and understand each other better.

I'm not wholly Anti-Kataang and Anti-Maiko from what we see in the show, but I don't like the way the relationships are seen to progress. Aang is pushy with Katara in ATLA and then he never grows out of it and Katara just accepts it. And Zuko and Mai start to break apart and don't reconcile their differences (all this to say I haven't read the comics entirely and I do think Mai and Zuko definitely could have grown into a healthier relationship, we just don't see that). Maybe if the show had ended with Zutara I wouldn't have liked it because Zuko and Katara weren't ready to date at the end of ATLA. None of these characters were, they needed to deal with the trauma of the war and build healthy friendships and relationships with their families.

I'm sorry this answer is so ranty, I'm just getting out my feelings. I really hope the live action ATLA ends with no established relationships for any of these characters so that it's all open to interpretation. I just can't see how a bunch of relationships forged in wartime between twelve to sixteen-year-olds supposedly were all meant to be.

#zutara #AGAIN IM SO SORRY FOR RANTING #i have so many feels about all of this stuff #zuko #katara #antimaiko #antikataang #atla

[whentheynameyoujoy]

So the ATLA Movie Is... Good, Actually?

Just kidding, of course it’s not, it’s so bad it sucked the paint off my walls. But after ten years of people pointing out its glaring flaws, why would anyone bother talking about this garbage heap if not to go the other direction? So here’s a very brief and very superficial list of things the movie does get kinda... not atrociously wrong.

And they won’t be fake hipster pokes, like “It’s fun to laugh at”, “The Rifftrax for this is OK”, or “Kudos to the actress for managing to say we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs with a straight face”.

(though now that I mentioned it, it is fun to laugh at, the Rifftrax for this is OK, and massive props indeed.)

Rasta Iroh

Yes, I know it’s not exactly the aesthetic of the real Iroh or that it makes no cultural sense for him to sport this do when no one else in the racebended Indian “OMFG what were you thinking Shyamalan” Nation does but goddamn, long-haired dudes are my one mortal weakness and I will ogle the hell out of him.

Jesus is that a man bun I see that’s it mum I’ve been deaded

Yue’s hair

No.

Now we’re talking. Yue’s hair turned white when the Moon spirit gave her life, so it makes sense for it to go black again when she sacrifices herself to revive the koi fish. It’s a neat detail I find myself expecting whenever I rewatch the scene in the show. Yes, I realize it’d be a pointless hassle to animate since she, unlike in the movie, immediately goes on to become the Moon herself but still. I like.

The Blue Spirit’s mop

Zuko, hun, what’s with the dance-off?

First of all, I want to imagine that Zuko the Theatre Nerd was about to leave his ship with just the mask like in the show but then stuck his head into the cleaning cupboard and went, “Yeah, more coverage might be good, even though it do seem mighty fried to shit”.

Which makes me giggle. I like to giggle.

And secondly, the hair’s movement is what makes the static mess of the Blue Spirit’s solo fight scene appear at least bit more dynamic because God knows the cinematography isn’t doing it.

Any particular reason why it’s at the edge of the action, shot all boring-like?

Now, I get why circular shots would be reserved for Aang while he’s in the practice area and then used once the two join forces. What I don’t get is why Aang’s part of the action scene has a defined visual style while Zuko’s delegated to a few stationary wide shots from afar as though he’s a tertiary goon, meaning that when the time comes to combine the respective pieces of cinema language and visually convey collaboration, there’s not really much to combine.

But as long as Zuko is stuck in this static mess, it’s that awesome disaster on his head flopping about that draws the eye, helping me understand that something even is going on over there.

It also prevents me from paying much attention to how the extras are mostly just staying put and a lot of the hits don’t land, so that’s good.

The music slaps

James Newton Howard is too good for this.

Pls ignore that the word “gods” is used in the ATLA universe

I can’t be the only one who constantly uses this piece to daydream about writing specific fanfic scenes instead of, you know, actually sitting down and writing them. It’s just so good at communicating a sense of sorrow while speaking of rebirth that I find myself getting misty-eyed whenever I listen to it. Unfailingly, the soundtrack as a whole manages to break through the mile-thick crust of horrible acting, confusing writing, and uninspired cinematography and make me feel things. And considering how everything on screen is working against it, that’s no small feat.

Imagine what a powerful experience it would be if the score was used in service of an actual movie.

Dev Patel

No wonder since he’s the only one in the film occupying that crucial intersection between “is a good actor” and “was given something to work with”. It also doesn’t hurt that he breaks with the trend of actors starring in martial arts flicks despite never having done any martial art.

And all EIP-jokes about “stiff and humorless” aside, he’s a pretty decent Zuko considering how abridged this version of the character is. A while ago, I remember hearing a reviewer say that with his comedic chops, Patel should have been cast as Sokka. And on one hand, yes, god, absolutely, I need to see that asap. But on the other? He captures all layers of Book 1!Zuko, the desperate obsession, rage, and self-loathing, and at the same time gives you a peek at the soft momma’s boy dork that’s buried underneath. For Christ sakes, he exudes intensity and ambivalence even when acting against an emotionless hunk of wood that’s giving him nothing in return.

Oh, and I guess there’s a tree in the frame.

Ba dum tss

What can I say, the guy’s good.

Showing vs telling

OK, so this movie is all tell and no show, except for one single moment. And it’s the exact moment where the original goes in the other direction in terms of how information is conveyed.

See, I never liked this. The revelation is preceded by Iroh giving advice to Zuko who scolds him for nagging. Iroh then apologizes, moves in to say the line above, and is interrupted by Zuko who seems rather uncomfortable with Iroh laying his feelings out like this. And once they’re out, Zuko verbally confirms that he knew already and Iroh didn’t need to bother.

All this extraneous information and pussyfooting ends up weakening what should be a profound scene that reveals to us, the viewers, how deep the relationship between these two in fact runs.

Compare to the movie where Dadroh acts like a parent by fussing and worrying, with Sonion needing a single look to tell him and us that he understands what it’s all really about.

It’s genuinely efficient and just good.

No Cataang

Fine, a bit mean-girl bitchy from me since I only start minding the ship in Book 3. And probably unintentional on the part of the creators since there are moments where I think they’re trying to set the romance up? There’s a, well, an attempt to recreate the famous introductory shot of fateful meaningful destiny of meaningness, there’s some slight note of saving each other’s bacon going on, I’m pretty sure they’re the only ones in the film who smile, and oh, right, Katara’s shoved into her post-canon useless role where she doesn’t ever do anything, and is all about Aang right from the get go.

Yes, I will blame the “executive producers” because a) I’m incredibly petty, and b) it’s perfectly in line with their vision of the character so why the hell not.

Hilariously, none of it reads on screen because the actors are just... yeah. These poor kids are struggling so much with delivering their own lines and portraying their own characters they don’t seem to have any strength left to create something between them. To be fair, the bare-bones shot-reverse shot style of their scenes doesn’t exactly lend itself to the idea they occupy the same universe, let alone are friends or each other’s crushes.

And I enjoy this immensely because it allows me to forget the depressing horror show Katara’s life turns into post ATLA.

Yes Zutara

I need to delve into this because it’s fucking hilarious. So in a movie which fails to establish the original’s central romance so spectacularly that if Aang got lost in a crowd I don’t believe Katara would notice, SomEOnE thought it’d be a good idea to add an utterly unnecessary non-canon moment where Zuko for some reason feels the need to pause his character-defining hunt for the Avatar which otherwise has him ignore everything and snap at everyone, and explain his central conflict to an unconscious peasant he doesn’t know, complete with gently pushing the hair from the pretty girl’s the soulmate’s the Water Tribe Ambassador’s the Fire Lady’s the love of his life’s her face away, AFTER his uncle nagged him twice to find a girl and settle down.

I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page and this is what we really saw.

Celibate Avatars

I have no idea why the decision was made, if TPTB thought expecting viewers to understand the story through the lens of Buddhism would be too much, or if the “executive producers” already worked their retconny magic. What I do know, however, is that there’s a big shift in worldbuilding and Aang’s struggle with his role as the Avatar stops being a personal conflict defined by a) his grief for Air Nomads, b) his notion of being robbed of the loved ones in his life, and c) the selfish attachment to Katara he confuses with true love. Instead, what he has a difficulty to accept is apparently a general notion of who Avatars are supposed to be, i.e. a fantasy version of Catholic monks, no family and worldly relations, period.

I guess either someone understood the original’s portrayal of de/attachment as “hermit no freaky”, or thought the audience would so why not go there outright.

Now, do I like this on its own? No, God no, it makes the world infinitely poorer and changes the story from an exploration of ideas which aren’t all that ingrained in the West, to a cliché tropester about a Catholic priest going Protestant so that he could be with a girl.

At least I assume that’s where they were going to take this eventually.

I mean, I think the direction was “look conflicted, this isn’t the final stage of your journey”?

But consider this—the show went there, it built on the concepts of Eastern philosophy and touched upon the ideas of spiritual awakening, only to swerve in the end and strongly imply they’re bullshit and Aang should have never wasted his time with them.

So honestly, I much prefer scanty worldbuilding to an insulting retcon by a damn rock.

Multiracial Air Nomads

Probably the most substantial “no hint of irony” point on this list and a genuinely good addition to the universe’s worldbuilding.

See, the notion of the elemental nations being perfectly separate and never mingling before Sozin has always been sketchy but it’s especially ridiculous in the case of airbenders. It never made sense to me for all airbenders to be Air Nomads and for all Air Nomads to be monks and for all monks to be chilling at the temples all the time to facilitate a quick everyone-dies genocide should an imperialistic warlord ever decide to commit one.

Because committing everyone to a single way of life at a handful of places kinda goes against the central philosophy behind airbending. Like the freedom and nomadism part.

Instead, there should be more variety to the airbending culture, with some staying at the temples as monks, hermits, and teachers while others live as nomads, travelling the world and creating more airbenders, with the resulting children in turn being influenced by the non-airbending cultures they grew up in.

And thus, not only should airbenders not be modeled after a single culture to create a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, but they should have the most diverse and dynamic culture out of the four nations.

And it’d be precisely this diversity which would pave way for an eventual reveal that some of them survived, that their complete extermination is impossible.

Because they’re everywhere.

You know.

Like air.

#atla #atla movie #zutara #anti bryke #dev patel #the last airbender #anti-kataang

[jasmine-tea-latte]

(Some of) My Favorite Zutara fics

Warning, looong post ahead!

Zutara Fanworks Appreciation Week snuck up on me, so sadly I haven’t had time to properly contribute anything. I’d love to participate next year or maybe even before then (I play by my own rules, folks!)

Still, though. I wanted to at the very least pay tribute to some of my all-time favorite Zutara fanfics that I’ve enjoyed and have inspired me over the years.

(Click here for my post on Self-Love Saturday, where I shamelessly promote my series The Phoenix and the Dragon and share a bit of backstory behind how it came to be in the first place.)

I’ve shipped Zutara ever since Fall 2006, and I have been fortunate to read so many excellent fanfics since then.

Some have made me laugh, others made me sob, others straight up made my heart burn like it was shot full of lightning:

So in honor of @zkfanworkweek​, below are 13 of my favorite Zutara fanfics, in no particular order:

~*~*~

Rated G(eneral)/T(een)

Engulfed by Luaburachid

Zuko finds himself engulfed by love.

A sweet one-shot of our favorite firebender discovering how deep his feelings are for a certain waterbender. It’s just pure fluff and always brings a smile to my face.

 we hold our hearts in silence by psychedelic_aya

Seventy years later, Korra tries to figure out Zuko and Katara.

Oh, this one is so bittersweet but oh so good. It alternates between flashbacks and Korra’s POV watching an older Zuko and Katara interact. Just… ugh. My heart.

 Day 6: Found by SooperSara

When Sokka comes up with an idea to get rid of Joo Dee, Katara finds herself in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se with a tea server she did not expect to meet.

I love a good Jasmine Dragon AU where Katara / the Gaang actually interacts with Zuko while he’s undercover as Lee from the tea shop instead of what happened in “The Guru.” This is so much fun to read, and my only complaint is that it’s not longer.

 Celestial by SooperSara

An unexpected dip into the koi pond at the North Pole brings Zuko in contact with the spirits and grants him insight to his destiny. A destiny he isn’t sure he wants.

Another by the talented SooperSara! Actually, you should check out all of her stuff. It’s all so good, and I absolutely adore this one. It’s pretty canon-compliant and the ending… oh, the ending makes me tearbend. Ma’am, I’m still weepy.

 this little fuse we lit made something in you by SecondStarOnTheLeft

There's a secret door in the wall of Katara's room. Things go a little further than planned, once she opens it.

What happens when Katara discovers a secret tunnel (secret, secret, secret tunnel, yeah!) that leads directly to the Fire Lord’s bedroom? Reading this fic is like settling down to drink a hot cup of Iroh’s tea – it’s soothing, sweet, and thoroughly warms the soul.  

 Dancing in the Dark by damagectrl

Post-Season 2 AU: While in Ba Sing Se, Katara and Toph hear a rumor about two tea servers in the lower tiers of Ba Sing Se and sneak away go to investigate only to have their suspicions confirmed. On her personal time, Katara tries to teach herself to dance and fails so badly, a masked man takes pity on her to try to help.

This is one most OGs will probably remember. It’s also one of the first ZK fics I ever read, back when I was a wee lil bb Zutarian! It was originally posted in Oct. 2006 and takes place between “Appa’s Lost Days” and “Lake Laogai.” One of my all-time favorite Bluetara AND Jasmine Dragon AUs. Heck, all of damagectrl’s works are fantastic reads, for that matter. I highly recommend checking them out, especially this classic.

 such selfish prayers by andromeda3116

Katara's ambition, so long set aside for the good of others, breaks free and sets fire to her soul. Or, Katara has a vision of her canon future, casts it aside, and becomes a world-changing politician instead.

There’s a reason why this fic is one of the highest rated on AO3, if not THE highest. It does right by Katara and gives her the ending she deserves. 10/10 would recommend.

 better than things dreamed of in the forest by catie_writes_things (SERIES)

As a child, Bumi knew: his mother was a waterbender, his father was an airbender, and he was a firebender. Something about these facts did not add up, but it would take him a long time to understand.

Hands down, one of the most heartbreaking fics / series I’ve ever read. The author describes this as the adultery fic for people who hate adultery fics, and it certainly packs an emotional punch in the gut. Personally, I’m not one for the “Zuko and Katara have an affair while she’s with Aang” fics in general, but this one examines the fallout caused by a single night of passion and all of the consequences that stem from it, especially how the ripple effect of their choices impacts everyone. Even though it breaks my heart all over again every time I reread it, I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

  ~*~*~

(More fics, several with high ratings, are listed below the cut)

Rated M(ature)/E(xplicit)

Moonlight and Sunshadow by GrapefruitTwostep

The dragon offered Katara a deal: protection for her family and tribe if she lived with it for a year and a day. And she said yes. Because what other way was there to save her people? But there was more to the dragon than Katara bargained for. An "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" retelling.

A fairy tale AU in which Zuko is cursed to live as a dragon and Katara is certainly no damsel in distress. You’ve probably heard some version of the original fairy tale before that this fic is inspired by, and it’s such a delight to read.

 The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama

Katara grew up in the Southern Water Tribe under the tutelage of Hama, the only waterbender ever to have escaped Fire Nation captivity. When Zuko arrives at the South Pole, seeking the Avatar, they are more than ready to defend him. Then one day, the Southern Water Tribe receives a petition for peace, and a proposal of marriage.

One of the best arranged marriage AUs I’ve come across. Iroh is crowned Fire Lord after defeating Ozai, and Katara must find some way to peacefully coexist with her hotheaded new husband as she also finds a place for herself in the Fire Nation.

 Confused by thispieceofwork

Zuko stood. "You told Aang you were confused. Are you confused because of me?" Katara was silent, arms crossed in front of her. "Don't make me answer that."

Starts during “The Ember Island Players” where Zuko overhears Aang and Katara’s private conversation on the balcony. This is another fic that will shatter your heart into a million pieces but it’s oh so worth it in the end.

 A Heated Exchange by Smediterranea (SERIES)

Katara had not considered herself to be someone who would have earth-shattering sex with a guy whose name she didn’t even know. But here she was, certain that she had never made a better decision in her life.

An AU two-part series of Katara getting familiar with a certain handsome guy who lives down the hall in her college dorm. It’s funny, cute, and cuddling while watching Planet Earth has never been hotter.

 Bonus day: Tea Shop by cincilin

"Hello and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Today's special is—" he cut himself of with a sharp intake of breath, at the same moment that Katara placed the voice and looked up.

'He has hair.' was her first thought. Then the rest of her brain caught up with her and she started to get up, sending Momo scrambling to hide under the table. Season 2 AU, during "The Guru."

I told y’all, I *LOVE* a good Jasmine Dragon AU fic, and this one-shot checks all the boxes: heart-to-heart conversations? Witty dialogue and banter? Bending match that turns into a makeout and something steamier? It’s got it all.

~*~*~

This was only going to be a list of maybe 5-7fic recs, but well… oops. I also kept the above list to completed works only, just because this post is already long enough.

Several of my other favorites that get honorable mention include:

Thinking Out Loud (WIP)

The Summit (WIP)

Sparrowkeet (Series)

Purr

The Nature of the Blue Spirit

Rhythm of the Rain

Fault Lines

Clarity

Seriously, there are just SO MANY good Zutara fics out there. I had to cut myself off from adding even more, because I could go on and on and on. Much like Admiral Zhao, I have no. self. control. 

I love you all, my fellow Zutarians ❤️💙💜 Mwah! Happy ZFAW! 

#Zutara Fanworks Appreciation Week #zkfanworkweek #zutara #zuko x katara #zuko #katara #zfaw2020 #also i apologize if the formatting is being weird on mobile #it looks fine on desktop but that's tumblr for ya

[halfpint55]

A Defence of Kataang with regards to how they are portrayed in TLoK (it’s long but there’s headcanons at the end)

Note: This is not about shipping wars. This is a safe zone. This is not about Zutara vs Kataang. This is me defending Kataang and the characters themselves...from the writers. 

I initially wrote this as a response to a post that got me heated. My reblog just made it too long so here it is as its own post. 

Now this post ripped apart Kataang as a couple but more than that said some stuff about Aang himself that hurt my heart. I didn’t really want to pick on this post but its condemning of Kataang was based almost entirely in what we know of them as parents in TLoK and honestly it’s that lil nugget of canon that I take issue with. It has bothered me from the get go because it doesn’t make sense from a writing and story perspective, and it’s been pissing me off since I watched it.

TL;DR nice and early bc this post is gonna be a long one:

This particular condemnation of Kataang rests almost entirely on the SHITTY way they were portrayed as parents by the writers of LoK, and in all honesty, on this particular topic, canon should be ignored.

Overall Kataang parenting is of my biggest gripes with LoK because in terms of writing it’s totally incongruous - it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t align, and it makes zero sense for what we know of those characters, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive the showrunners for allowing it to be written it into canon.

I will also preface this by saying I like LoK - love it. I had a scroll through the comments and reblogs on this post, and a lot of the hate towards this portrayal of Kataang ended up being blamed on the “terrible writing of LoK” which is not where I stand at all. That being said I am so angry at the writers for this one.

The other portion of the concurring comments that were very hateful towards Kataang came from Zutara shippers and honestly for me, although I do ship Kataang, this not a just a Kataang issue. I’m of the belief that Zutara would’ve just as easily been written to have similar issues due to very similar dynamics - Zutara also would have been two powerful benders from very different cultures, and with Zuko/Aang (whoever you ship w her) having a massively important global leadership role that is embedded in who they are, and therefore impossible to ignore as a factor in their relationship.

Now let me be clear, my desire to reject canon on this front is by no means me wanting to believe the best of my faves, and not wanting to hear a word against Aang. It’s not even necessarily a defence of Kataang bc I ship it that hard (I mean I do but I can set that aside for the sake of argument if that’s what you need from me here). 

The first, and main issue people have with Aang/Kataang in Korra, is the first point of the original post:

So why in hell would [Katara] be okay with Aang ignoring TWO of their children’s complete existence once he found out they had an airbending son?

And I agree with the post on this front; Katara would not have allowed her children to each be treated differently by their father. I had the same initial thought when watching LoK, and it’s the reason I hate and want to ignore the canon of LoK so badly. 

As much as it hurts to think of, we have to accept that Aang wouldn’t have been able to stop his preferential treatment for Tenzin from bleeding through into his parenting just out of a desperate desire to save his culture (which is absolutely understandable - doesn’t make it okay, but it’s understandable; Aang suffered an incredible loss, a massive cultural trauma which he alone carries the burden of). So of course he wasn’t able to hide how excited he was, and forgot to be mindful of his attitude and behaviour towards Kya and Bumi. So this aspect of canon Kataang? Yeah, I’m with it. So far so good. EXCEPT the most unrealistic element of canon is now that Katara would let him. I simply do not believe for a second that Katara would’ve allowed Aang to be the kind of parent LoK painted him to be.

However, I do not think it would’ve been a point of contention between the two of them! Katara would pull him aside, Katara would gently (but firmly) point out what Aang mightn’t be able to see for himself - he’s focusing too hard on Tenzin.

And Aang would listen.

All throughout A;tLA the two of them often help the other sort through their stuff. Aang has a great track record of being receptive to Katara’s advice and help (calming him down when discovering Monk Gyatso’s body, The Desert when he Appa is stolen, Serpent’s Pass when he’s bottling his feelings about Appa being missing). He’s also just so receptive to others’ ideas - he just goes with it and trusts in his friends (think of his trust in Katara’s plan to rescue Haru, his trust in staying behind with Sokka in the library to get the eclipse info). Aang’s humility is one of the most incredible things about him and it’s at the core of who he is. He would absolutely be able to hear Katara telling him he’s focusing too hard on one child - he would be open, and he’d listen.

So to me now canon just does not make sense at all. it does not align with their established character traits. And yes, people change as they get older and grow into adulthood but honestly, the elements of their respective personalities that we’re talking about here are pretty core elements of who these two people are.

Katara has always been fiercely protective of those she loves, strongwilled, stubborn, and ready to (vocally or physically) fight for what she believes is right and that wouldn’t disappear as she gets older. She wouldn’t let Aang’s preferrential treatment slide.

Aang has always been, and chose to be despite his loss, an optimistic, kind, believe in the best of humanity kind of person. He’s open to all points of view, he’s a good listener, he always tries his absolute best to find solutions that are good for everyone. And again his humility, his willingness to love, is who he is.  He believes all humans (including fkn OZAI) and all life are sacred, he believes in the absolute right to life. The kid is a vegetarian for crying out loud.

Now the parts of the take in the post that hurt my heart to read about what OP thinks of Aang:

“Aang never made an attempt to establish anything resembling a real familial unit with Katara, basically just stayed around until she popped out an Airbender [...] she was treated like some trophy wife to give birth to airbenders and that’s it!”

I wasn’t going to address this in this post until I read the comments in the notes, because people seem to agree. They share the sentiment that Katara was reduced to “just a love interest” by the two ending up together.

However I do very much take issue w the notion that Aang “basically just stayed around until she popped out an Airbender” (and honestly that entire paragraph - we don’t actually know that Aang didn’t make an effort to establish a family unit). As much as the LoK writers fucked up in their portrayal of Kataang as parents, this is a much harsher judgement of Aang’s character as a husband and father than anything implied by Aang and Katara’s children. I just don’t buy that Aang would view Katara (or anyone he married, even if you don’t ship Kataang) as a trophy wife, whose only role is to have airbender children. He never has viewed her that way - he has always looked at her like she’s the sun, and the most important person to him after she pulled him out of the iceburg. He loves her the most of anyone on the planet. It does not align with his character, his values or beliefs that he’d think of her (or any partner) that way. He is so besotted with Katara for who she is it HURT me to read that part of your take. Aang simply would never. Look at how he looks at her! 

What’s more is the unwavering respect and deference he shows Katara as his waterbending master - he recognises and loves her as the whole, complete, three dimensional, TALENTED POWERFUL INCREDIBLE WOMAN that she is. She is NEVER “just” a love interest for Aang. (But ALSO, do we respect Suki any less for being Sokka’s obvious love interest??? No. suki is written to be so badass that Sokka is HER love interest and I think Katara has equally badass energy but I digress).

Moving on!

OP made an excellent point that there would’ve been culturally different values between the two but I don’t think it would’ve been family that was the clashing point. Yes the airbenders value spirituality and enlightenment. But they lived together in massive communities! They supported and raised one another. Their community and culture was strong, and they were bonded in their spirituality! They value love, as well as enlightenment, peace, and the lives of all.

Now, again the points they made about the cultural divides within the Kataang family unit are valid, but also again I dislike how they chose to portray this in LoK. It would definitely be a struggle they faced as a couple. However I think they really missed an opportunity here with where they took it. Because they do at one point in the comics have Katara bring up the fact that their family will be a blend of two cultures, and she brings it up because Aang is trying so hard to bring balance back to the world by means of seperation.

They’ve known from the get go of being a couple that they’re going to have to navigate being a culturally blended family unit.

So I find it so shitty that they wrote it so that Kya got to learn the waterbending culture, Tenzin got Air and bumi got…nothing? It’s dangerously close to the way Disney does the “the girls are carbon copies of mum, and the boys are carbon copies of dad” thing (think Lady and the Tramp). It’s lazy. Especially when we had that “separation is an illusion” episode, AND things like Zuko learning different nation’s styles and applying them to his firebending, and Sokka learning an element of strategy or fighting from every nation. 

So give us Kya using Airbending moves with her waterbending (maybe she invents the water scooter)! Give us Tenzin doing more grounded moves that Aunty Toph (or Lin, while they were together) taught him from earthbending.

There are much more creative ways to illustrate the bumps and troubles Kataang might have run into in trying to navigate incorporating equal parts of their cultures in their children and family unit. Even just smaller scale issues like food and meals - how do they figure out how to do mealstimes with Aang’s vegetarianism with Katara’s culturally significant Water Tribe meat dishes? And then even taking into account how picky little kids can be!

Give me a scene where they literally just ate moon pies for a week because toddler Kya would scream if you put anything else down in front of her.

Maybe Bumi demanded sea prunes over and over but Katara and Bumi are the only ones who like them, and Bumi bonds with his mother this way - they go on little one-on-one outings to water tribe restaurants in Republic City, searching for the most authentic sea prunes!

Kya maybe likes the water tribe fashions the most because it helps her connect with her namesake BUT Kya also has a playful sense of humour - not unlike Monk Gyatso - Aang sees how much she loved moon pies and teaches her to throw them with waterbending.

We know Tenzin was a calm, quiet, and possibly shy child. Maybe he loved to hole himself away learning crafts. Give me Tenzin learning to tattoo, Tenzin learning to carve (and carving his first glider - it crashes of course), but also Tenzin learning to carve water tribe adornments and necklaces. Katara tries at first but when she gets busy Sokka comes in and teaches Tenzin to break all the carving rules Katara has laid down (”it doesn’t need to be perfect my little pupil - let the creativity flow!”)

Tenzin may not be able to waterbend but that doesn’t mean he can’t learn other means of healing. As the littlest he spent a lot of time watching Katara work - she teaches him to tie splints, dress wounds, and yes deliver babies.

If you made it here I love you so much for reading. I love sharing my thoughts so HIGH FIVE YOU MADE IT, ur now my friend - the friendship is non-refundable sorry 😌😌

#yeah this part of tlok canon SUCKED #if you stuck it out throughout this rant i love you #kataang #avatar aang #aang #avatar; the last airbender #atla #mine #katara #kya #bumi #tenzin #water tribe #air nation #lok #legend of korra #korra #avatar: the promise #avatar comics #atla headcanons #lok canon #tlok #yeah this was a long one #sorry #rant

[experiment-000]

zuko-is-straight has some pretty good zukka critisism/anti zukka stuff on her blog!

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't really want zukka hate or even criticism. I don't hate zukka as a ship it's just not my cup of tea. I'm just annoyed at how anti zutara the zukka side of the fandom seems to be. And frankly even if I did hate zukka as a ship I know it wouldn't be productive to seek out zukka hate because that would just validate my hatred and likely lead to me resenting people just for shipping it.

We need to be able to separate our feelings about ships from our feelings about the shipper. I know it's difficult there are certain ships that if someone says they ship it I immediately recoil, and even though I think it's because I really dislike the ship, I know in reality it's because of how much fans of that ship have hated on fans of my ship, and therefore how much anti their ship stuff I've seen. Arguments for why that ship is a terrible ship and why my ship us so much better.

But the thing is this is shipping fictional characters. It doesn't really matter which ship has more chemistry or which ship makes more canon sense or which ship is the least problematic because they're not real. People in one fandom likely have so many things in common because they're all in that fandom, yet we divide ourselves by shipping different things. I see so many posts saying don't interact if you ship this, this, this or this. Yet these blogs don't just post ship stuff. Shipping doesn't have to have anything to do with it. Heck I was told not to interact with a blog because I'm neutral to some ships. And this blog didn't even post shipping content generally. And yes these ships are arguably "problematic". And as a result I'm not a big fan of them. However, they're some of the most popular ships in the fandom, so much of the fanfiction features those ships. So if I see a fanfic that happens to have that ship in, but also has a very appealing plot to me, then I'll read it.

To bring it back round to zukka. Yeah I've read some zukka fanfic. If I see cute zukka art I'll like it. Same with kataang or maiko or any other atla ship. And yes I would avoid any incest or large age gaps or pedophilia or abusive relationships, and I'm still conflicted on whether or not people should be condemned for shipping these things. It's not hurting anyone because it's all fictional. But pedophilia especially is very wrong. But I do think we need to think about its definition. Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. "Prepubescent" being a key word.

Shipping a 16 year old and an 18 year old is something I find perfectly ok. They likely have similar levels of maturity, both having reached puberty most likely, and it's perfectly legal in the country I live, where the age of consent is 16. However if someone was shipping a 16 year old with a 40 year old I would avoid it like the plagye because of the power difference, even though it's perfectly legal where I'm from.

So what about shipping those who are underage? This is where we talk about avatar and its ships. Personally I don't have any issues with shipping teenagers. They're growing up, date in real life, and are often portrayed as having romantic relationships in canon. However, I do think we should keep it sfw as a general rule. But guess what, a lot of people in fandom are teenagers. We can say under 18s don't interact with smut or nsfw content but it won't stop them. Certainly didn't stop me. Growing up I wanted smut of these teenage ships because I was their age. Should we really deny teenage shippers the chance to learn about their sexuality through nsfw fandom?

But then what about adults in these fandoms? I'm 18. I'm still learning how to be an adult in fandom. I grew up shipping these teenage ships and yeah reading smut about them. I was their age was that really so wrong? I don't have the answers to this question. Right now I'm still of an age where I feel I'm allowed to find Zuko attractive. But I won't be in a few years, and I don't feel allowed to find the younger characters attractive anymore, even though I did when I was their age. And frankly I'm starting to find them less attractive anyway probably because I'm now considering them young.

But what about shipping? I'm not gonna stop shipping zutara because it's such a nostalgic ship for me. Shipping a 14 year old and a 16 year old I see no moral issues with that according to the law of my country, as even though a 14 year old is below the age of consent, it's generally considered anyone age 13-15 may be in a sexual relationship with someone within two years age of them (but over 13) and the elder will face no legal retribution as long as it's consensual. And of course teenagers often date chastely anyway.

I have no issues with continuing to ship zutara, the question is should I be allowed to consume nsfw zutara content set when they're the canon ages. And I think the answer to that for me is I'm no longer interested in it. I find them too young and in canon they had too much other stuff to think about to be thinking about sex. Would I read aged up zutara smut? Sure why not? Would I read a fic with fade to black sex at the canon ages? Sure I guess as it'd likely have a larger plot of the smut was fade to black. If I encountered a fic that I wanted to read that had some smut scenes at canon ages I would likely skim or skip over it now. And I think that's the answer. Most adults wouldn't want to read smut about teenagers. Smut about teenagers exists for teenagers. Don't condemn them for it.

I don't ship zukka cos I just prefer their dynamic as friends and never really saw the chemistry. That doesn't make me homophobic. I ship zutara because it's what I started shipping when I first watched avatar when I was 13. I think they have a lot of chemistry and are great foils to each other and have similar levels of maturity. Momtara and dadko but as in they're the mom friend and the dad friend is one of my favourite things because he actually helps around camp and frankly parents the younger members of the group just like katara has from the start. That's why I don't ship kataang too. I think aang is too young to be shipped really. Especially not with Katara who mothers him and is much more emotionally mature than him. That doesn't mean I hate aang as a character - I don't. These are just my personal opinions on ships, and they're no more valid than anyone else's.

The fact that I don't ship these ships doesn't mean I hate them. And definitely doesn't mean I hate their shippers. I wish we could all just be friends. We all love avatar yet we've been divided by the fictional relationships. That's why I don't want to see hate for any ship on my blog. Even criticism leads to hatred. I don't think there's anything wrong with hating a ship. The issue lies in letting your hate for a ship become hate for the shippers. That's why I try not to post any hate for ships - it perpetuates an environment of hate.

So thank you for the blog suggestion, but it's just not what I look for in fandom anymore.

#maybe i shouldn't have even mentioned why i dislike other avatar ships #the ships i hate bits were not about atla ships but im not gonna mention what ships they are because i dont want to be attacked by antis #fandom #atla #ask #anon #avatar the last airbender #zukka #zutara #kataang #yeah im tagging them #i think we as shippers need to talk about shipping regardless of what we ship #shipping #i hope i dont get obliterated for this

[asongofhopeandjoy]

Mai and Ty Lee for bingo! Or Zutara if no one has asked that yet 💖

MAILEE!!!

This ship has a lot of nostalgia for me because they were my first femmeslash ship the moment Ty Lee leapt to hug Mai at Ba Sing Se. 🥺

I had never really shipped two female characters before because I was quite young, ATLA was my first real fandom and back then femmeslash shipping wasn't as common as it is now due to heteronormativity, lack of exposure to wlw content and two female characters not getting that much screen time together in kids TV in general (it was the 2000s after all), but I couldn't help thinking "these two are so soft for one another!"

So imagine how delighted I was when Ty Lee risked her life to save Mai's at The Boiling Rock, when it's been established that Ty Lee is deathly afraid of Azula and would do anything to avoid her wrath. I was screaming at the screen guys!

And now... for my feelings about Zutara...

Anyone who follows me knows that I love this ship, but what you might not know is that this was my first serious OTP. Like, reading and writing fanfiction for OTP and hoping that they get to kiss on screen OTP. Because when I saw them on screen together my kid brain was like: "They should kiss. 😍" and would hang out on fanfiction.net to sate that need. I remember those days fondly. <3

During season 1 I shipped Zutara because I thought "these two look cute together" and I enjoyed all the potential drama that could arise from their relationship, but then season 2 happened and I saw the writers developing Zuko and Katara's characters and my kid brain was like "Oh wow... Zuko and Katara sure have a lot in common... I bet if they got to talk about their mums and other stuff in their life these two would get along and maybe get to comfort one another because I'm soft for that shit!"

Boy did my brain explode when the trailer for the Crossroads of Destiny dropped. 😫 I not only got a scene of Katara touching Zuko's scar (THE TRUST! THE INTIMACY!), but of Zuko and Katara being vulnerable and emotionally intimate with each other when they talked about how the war impacted both of them negatively! And to this day I still think that scene is *chef's kiss*.

I will not talk about how disappointed I was when Zuko went back to the Fire Nation because I'm keeping this post a positive one and boy did we get a feast in season three to make up for it!!!

There's so much I like about their season three interactions that I won't list them all here because I don't want this post getting too long (but let's think about the fact Katara took Zuko's betrayal so personally, how she teases him in the Ember Island players, the fact I KNOW Zuko would have supported whatever decision Katara made in TSR, THE FACT THAT ZUKO AND KATARA RISKED THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT AND SAVE EACH OTHER IN THE FINAL AGNI KAI-), but I'll just say I love it. All of it.

This ship confirmed to me that I don't need a pairing to be "canon" to like it because sometimes I find personal, thoughtful and selfless acts of devotion (whether you think that devotion was meant to be platonic or not) more romantic than what Hollywood tries to sell us and I think that's neat. <3

I've also made a life-long friend from this ship who I wouldn't trade for the world and it ignited a passion for writing and literary analysis that helped me get a English Literature degree, which is an achievement I'm really proud of considering I have a learning disability which used to effect me so bad even my parents wondered if I'd be able to go to a mainstream high school.

So uh... yeah. Zutara as a ship means a lot to me.

#atla #mailee #zutara #mai #ty lee #zuko #katara #asongofhopeandjoy #speaking into the void #watch some idiot zutara anti come to this post and say ha! I knew zutaras only liked zutara for shallow reasons #completely ignoring how my appreciation for the ship became more complex #just watch #because they don't have any reading comprehension #lol #anyways #long post #hope you enjoyed my rambling #and isn't great how wlw ships have become more popular and liked over the years?

[zukoshotleafjuice]

The funniest thing about june teasing katara and zuko about being a couple is that she just sees a pretty girl and an attractive guy, both looking almost the same age which immediately makes her go "you two must be a couple" and it just reminds me of zvtara shippers, you know what i mean? I'm convinced one of the reasons a lot of ppl ship them is bc of their looks. katara being the female protagonist and also a pretty, smart and powerful girl & zuko, despite not being the male protagonist, being the most attractive guy in the gaang. Boom, a "bomb ass ship". It is worth to recall that "people ship zutara bc they projected onto katara and had a crush on zuko". And if they say they don't ship them for that reason, then it's bc they read too much between the lines in every interaction they have. So, back to june, she didn't even care if they had chemistry or if they were friends or anything, she just straight up teased them about being a couple lmao. Because in all honesty zvtara can be an appealing ship in anyone's eyes but THAT'S IT, it doesn't go further than that. I can be testimony of that😅Before even watching the show i was like june, one day i saw a zk fanart and was like "wow aren't those zuko and katara from atla? They look so good, she's gorgeous and he's hot" i already knew kataang was endgame and that mai was zuko's love interest but seeing zuko and katara together was pleasing to my eyes. However once i watched the show for the first time (2 months ago i think) i realized there was really no romantic chemistry between them, nothing, literally nothing, i mean, i wasn't even waiting for the zvtara content in the show that made ppl ship them so much, i was actually very neutral about ships, i couldn't care less about them, but i still realized nothing was happenig between them and that it was obvious since book 1 ep 1 that kataang was endgame. Zuko and katara were two teenagers from opposite sides of a war that tried to kill each other multiple times and when zuko changed sides they developed a completely platonic relationship. As i said, people either ship them because it's an appealing and aesthetically pleasing ship (water/fire, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, the common red & blue ship) or they just love reading too much between the lines, OR BOTH, because they were so thirsty about it they ended up convincing themselves there was romantic tension between them, that they liked each other and that zvtara was scrapped when it was never planned in the first place. Not to mention the reasons why they claim zvtara should've been endgame are based only on symbolism and things they have in common that are just so ??? Random. e.g. (i saw these on a post on facebook and the comment section was hilarious, it was full of ppl being sarcastic about it & making fun of it) saying they should've been canon bc:

1. "They both lost their mothers at a young age" (?)

2. "katara was good but had rage in her heart and zuko was bad but had good in his heart so it was like yin and yang, and that was the main purpose/topic of the show" (?)

3. "they both had alter egos (painted lady and blue spirit)" (???) this one sounds like saying maiko was canon bc zuko worked in a tea shop and mai worked in a flower shop😂

4. "Zuko was the only one who supported katara in taking revenge on her mom's assassin" (?) if you ask me, that just proves zuko is not right for katara, he led her to do something she was gonna regret later (not trying to hate on zuko, i love him, and since i love him i acknowledge his flaws. I understand why he thought it was the best thing to do, he's an impulsive and resentful boy (he would've done the same if it was his mom) and he noticed how thirsty katara was for revenge, ofc he wanted to help her + he wanted her to accept him and thought it was the right thing to do in order to gain her trust, but it wasn't) unlike zuko, aang tried to make katara come to her senses and do the thing that was best for her: forgive and let go, and it was basically what she did at the end. She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.

5. and the most ridiculous one, "they both saved each other's lives in the final agni kai"(???????) and the funniest part is that it was followed by "WHAT MORE PROOFS DO YOU WANT???". Honestly wtf did ppl expect? Did they expect zuko to stand there and watch katara die? Did they expect katara to just stand there and watch zuko lay on the floor & die? And this has been said a million times and i am going to join and say it once again: zuko would've done that for ANYONE from the gaang, he would've done the same for toph, sokka, suki and aang. Because he learned to care about them. As for katara, she would've done that for anyone too wtf she healed aang once too and even brought him back to life. (I wouldn't be surprised if zk shippers used that as a parallel for romantic zvtara proof bc they're just like that💀)

There were more "reasons" but they're just so stupid and taken out of context like "they care for each other" & "katara was the one who encouraged him to talk to his uncle" like yeah that's what friends do. Basically all zvtara shippers do is REACH.

Also, i just can't see it happening. I like the enemies to lovers trope, maybe if the writers really intended to make it canon, i would have been down for the ship, it would've been interesting to see how it developed, but,, they didn't, and later i came to the realization that if it would've really happened, it would've been so... weird. Time to bring up the "colonized and colonizer ship" and how some ppl feel uncomfortable about it. Besides the fact that a relationship between zuko and katara wouldn't have worked (they're incompatible af, katara is a girl with a strong character and zuko is a guy with anger issues that takes everything personal, they'd be at each other's throats 99% of the time) it's just weird to think that katara would choose to marry a man from the fire nation, the nation that caused a big war that traumatized her, the nation that took her mother away from her. Imagine katara ruling along with zuko a nation she despised for years. Fire lady katara doesn't sit right with me, and i'm sure it doesn't sit right with a lot of ppl as well. I don't see katara doing that, and yes, i know she forgave zuko, but still, she would've never done that 🤦🏽‍♀️ i think it would've been so OOC tbh.

Another thing i laugh my ass off at is when they say "zuko should've chosen katara instead of mai" as if they were ever in a relationship for zuko to say "ok imma choose katara i wanna be with her". As if katara was EVER an option for him. They never showed interest in each other, what's not clicking?????? And zuko only had eyes for mai, not to mention that despite zuko and mai had a rough relationship, no girl would've dealed with zuko's bs better than mai. Can you imagine katara dealing with zuko blowing up over everything? Because i can't. Also people saying things like "zuko deserves someone who is always there for him and listens to him" (and ofc they're talking about katara) like, ok, you hate that katara is aang's "therapist" but you want her to be zuko's therapist. Logic? Where? And I do remember mai being a supportive gf and trying to cheer him up multiple times. Did they watch the same show as me?

Zvtarians try to play the victims about how they were "robbed" bc some voice actors shipped them and from what i've read people who worked for the show suggested to go for zk, but that's stupid, it doesn't count as "they planned it but scrapped it, we were robbed". The only word that counts are the creators' voice and they have stated they were always rooting for kataang, so no, you were not robbed.

People are just so in love with the idea of zuko and katara together they really convinced themselves it was likely to happen. Honestly zvtara it's a fine ship as fanon but ppl ruined it for me and what i hate the most is when they ship it and hate on aang and mai at the same time and make them look SO bad to invalidate kataang and maiko. Saying aang is abusive and mai is toxic is complete ✨bullshit✨ and lastly, it's ridiculous when they say the creators were cowards for not making it canon. They're cowards for not fulfilling your greatest childhood wish? Something they never planned? It is THEIR show. If you hate sm how things turned out then quit atla once and for all and go find another show that you know is gonna give you what you expect,,, it's tiring that they've been crying about it for 15 yrs , like, i joined the fandom recently but i can imagine how tired old atla fans must be of this.

OK so I have a lot of thoughts about this and firstly,,,anon I appreciate the dedication that it took for you to write  this, and I agree with many of your points. However, the attitude I have on this blog towards Avatar ships is far more neutral than what you’re saying.

Ultimately, romance is not and never was the focus of Avatar. Romantic development was always secondary or tertiary plot, and the entire show was far more focused on platonic relationship development. My attitude towards shippers on here - including Zutara shippers - is that people can ship what they want, as long as they’re respectful of each other and of the other characters that “interfere” with their ship. End of the day, shipping is irrelevant to the core of the show. 

People shipping something because they find it aesthetically appealing is honestly,,,fine. Personally, I think it’s reductionist, but I don’t care if you do because everyone has the right to enjoy media however they want to. 

That being said, we absolutely should call out racist or problematic tropes that we see, including ‘fire lady katara”. I also agree that it’s upsetting when people bash other characters in order to further their ship, as much of the bashing is also pretty racist and/or misogynistic. Calling that out, however, is separate from calling out every single person who happens to enjoy certain ships. 

“She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.”

I understand where you’re coming from, but I honestly disagree with this take. Both Aang and Zuko were approaching the situations from their own life experiences, but Katara didn’t do what either of the boys wanted. She chose her own path, by both sparing Yon Rha’s life but also refusing to forgive him. The episode is about Katara and her personal trauma and its focus should not be on her relationships with either Zuko or Aang. 

When I make posts such as this, it’s less about hating Z*tara and more about how this fandom focuses all its attention on romance and shipping, to the point where if you acknowledge a relationship’s importance it’s assumed you pair the two romantically. I don’t read Zuko and Katara’s relationship as romantic (for reasons that it would take too long to explain here), but their relationship development is extremely important, the two of them share tons of parallels and the final Agni Kai marks the culmination of both of their character arcs. Yes, Zuko would have taken the lightning for any of the characters, but it’s thematically important that it was Katara. None of this inherently means it’s romantic, but refusing to acknowledge the significance of the relationship between them is equally reductionist. 

This isn’t an attack on you, anon, and you’re 100% allowed to have negative feelings about a ship. But at the end of the day, it’s not worth getting this worked up over. If I were you I’d focus more on creating/consuming content for a ship you like than bashing ships you don’t!

#kind of nervous about posting this but oh well #atla #avatar the last airbender #shipping #zuko #katara #aang #asks

[comradekatara]

I asked this question to another blog but never got an answer. I asked google but I couldn't find anything. How in God's name does me being a zutara shipper (and no I'm not sensoring the name bc why the fuck) make me a racist?

i appreciate the active hostility with which this question was asked. you seem to be really steaming right now, which makes me super inclined to answer your question with patience and respect!

by the way you phrased this, you seem to have made shipping a part of your identity. the phrasing of “a ___ shipper” vs “someone who ships ___” really speaks volumes. i’ve noticed this is the case with a lot of insular fan communities that become heavily attached to a specific romance within the show. especially when said relationship is not canon. i know it’s easy to get riled up over nothing, but i promise you this: you are not under attack. bryke did not slight you by not making your ship canon. no fan of atla is under attack for their opinions on atla. it’s a show. these are not real problems. it is perfectly valid to feel upset over the writing of a show (i, too, for example, think the mai/zuko and katara/aang resolutions in the finale were slapdash, poorly-written, and borderline-misogynistic) but at the end of the day, it’s just a show. 

on the other hand, when fans of a piece of media say “hey, this phenomenon (either within the text itself, paratext, or fan engagement) with regards to this thing i like is racist, actually,” they are not just saying “i feel hurt by this fictional narrative,” but they are also saying “this is actively harmful, because even the smallest form of racism is microcosmic of a larger issue that actively gets people killed every day.” (listen. i know this is very obvious to anyone who has ever experienced racism, but i’ve encountered a lot of white people who don’t seem to grasp that racism has explicitly harmful effects, so i thought i would elucidate this matter nonetheless.)

the pairing of zuko and katara, from what i’ve witnessed of fan communities over the past decade, seems to be founded on “the inherent sexiness of antagonism.” i’ve seen people say it’s about the parallels, the yin/yang, the thematic importance of forgiveness, and sure, i’ll give you that. they do parallel each other in resonant, deliberate ways. they are fire and water. katara coming to forgive zuko represents significant growth, and their friendship is poignant and meaningful. but i fail to see how any of this is inherently romantic. it is actually possible to love someone without having sexual chemistry. i know people ship zuko with literally everyone, including twelve year olds, but for a moment let’s put our common sense hats on and assume that it would be absurd to ship him with either aang or toph. shipping him with katara seems just as absurd to me. he certainly comes to respect her a great deal, but at the end of the day, he still regards her as a child. a child whom he loves and respects, but, just like aang and toph, a child nonetheless. katara is fourteen. a grizzled war veteran, yes, but an eighth grader nonetheless. if a junior in high school started dating a fourteen year old, they would be considered a creep. you know why? because it’s creepy! 

so back to what you zoot shippers seem to consider the crux of their chemistry: the antagonism. i could easily pull together eight scenes of them getting along, and yet every single gifset i’ve ever seen compiling moments of the two of them includes at least two or three in which katara still wants zuko dead. doesn’t seem very romantique to me! but what i regard as justifiable rage, a lot of you seem to think denotes sexual tension. the thing is, it’s not sexual; it’s just tension. katara has absolutely no reason to like or trust zuko, as to her, he has done absolutely nothing to prove himself distinct from the people responsible for the destruction of her home, the genocide of people like her, the murder of her mother, the spreading of an imperialist colonialist project. she trusted him to side with good in ba sing se, and nearly cost aang his life, so she knows she can’t afford to make that mistake again and risk aang dying. from her perspective, her rage is one hundred percent reasonable, and she has no plans of trusting him ever again, until he actively works to earn her forgiveness. from zuko’s perspective, he was just staring up at the sky, and now this incessant little five year old won’t stop bullying him, which is really annoying, sokka please get your irritating little sister to cut that out, why’s she being so meannnnn :( 

when zuko uses katara’s necklace as leverage, that is not sexy; that is him threatening katara with a family heirloom, and all that she has left of her mother. when zuko rolls on top of her to protect her from falling rubble, that is not sexy; that is him not trusting katara is capable enough to protect herself. by the end of the episode, he realizes that she is far more powerful and capable than he ever gave her credit for, and he is awed by her power. him treating her like a child (which, frankly, is fair, because she is) is decidedly not sexy. when zuko jumps in front of lightning for katara, that is not inherently romantic; he would have jumped in front of lightning for momo, and you know it. for one thing, he wasn’t risking a single thing; he was confident that he would be able to redirect it, then azula pointed it at the wrong person, but because he is impulsive, he dove in front of it anyway because he thought he still could redirect it, even though his stance was all wrong. but when actually given a moment to think, he chose katara to fight azula with him because she was the obvious person for the job on every tactical level. she is the most powerful bender he knows. period. water extinguishes fire. and fire is at its greatest and most powerful on this day. he’s not going to let toph into the line of fire; even if suki could fight azula, it would be deeply insensitive to make her considering azula tortured her in the past; and sokka has places to be, he doesn’t have time for your sidequest! katara is obviously the person you take. and there is nothing inherently romantic about zuko’s friendship with her. 

ah, but what about that time she touched his scar? was that not an unparalleled act of tenderness? a beautiful moment of gentle caress? i mean, yeah, sure, but i don’t see why that needs to be romantic. i mean, you can read romance into it, if you want to, because, like, i said, sure, but if anything, i think acting like that moment is romantic lessens its impact. this is an important moment for katara; she is humanizing the enemy! this is an important moment for zuko; he is allowing himself to be helped. i could analyze this moment for a writing standpoint endlessly, because it’s beautiful, but i won’t, because that is pointless analysis when i am, instead, trying to explain to you why i think the act of shipping this pairing is more often than not rooted in racism.

i will say this: i don’t think shipping them is inherently racist. i think if you think their friendship has potential for something more, and you think they should have gotten together, you’re not necessarily racist to think so. i think you’re wrong, but racist? well, that’s a different matter. no, i think this ship is rooted in racism for the simple fact that so much fan-generated content i’ve stumbled across over the years has been deeply, horrifically racist. i think this ship also lends itself to that kind of racism because it is so reminiscent of racist tropes that the majority white fans of the ship, either unaware of the harmful connotations of these tropes, or active fans of these tropes, love to employ uncritically. i’ve seen pocahontas aus. i’ve seen beauty and the beast aus (wherein, mind you, katara is the beast...........yes, you read that right). i’ve seen wildly popular fanart that sexualizes katara––who, may i repeat, IS FOURTEEN––in disgusting ways. and most of all, i’ve seen the delegitimization of katara’s anger towards zuko, as if she is simply supposed to “get over” the harm the fire nation has caused her. she is clearly deeply affected by the death of her mother, and zuko used her love for her mother as leverage: first, with her necklace, and second, when he used his empathy over their shared loss as a means of gaining katara’s trust. it’s clear that fans (not all, but many i’ve seen, at least those passionate enough to send me an ask with this phrasing) of this ship don’t actually give a shit about katara’s role as an indigenous woman, or why she would have no desire in dating a colonizer. sometimes it’s clear that people are actually cognizant of this, and even get off on it. they think it’s sexy. they think the racism is hot. 

katara and zuko have a fascinating dynamic. they are clear foils, and their relationship is poignant and has great depth. of the little we do see of their friendship, it’s clear that they care about each other a lot. but to imply that their relationship is in any way sexual veers into racist territory really, really quickly. now, i have no idea whether you, yourself are racist. i can guess, based on your phrasing of this ask, and knowing that anyone who thinks that “being accused of racism is worse than racism” is definitely racist, but i’m not going to make any assumptions one way or another. i hope you appreciate my taking the time to answer this, because much like that other blog you sent this ask to, i have absolutely no obligation to. it shouldn’t be my role to educate people on why [x thing] is/can be harmful, especially when they are clearly asking me in bad faith and are likely to disregard everything i just wrote. so all that being said, you’re welcome. 

#asks #anon #hot takes #oooh boy #zvtara

[ourimpavidheroine]

First of all, screw Netflix for only having ATLA in the US. I mean, I have a VPN and I know how to use it, but honestly. (Don’t @ me with why they do it; I know why. It’s still bullshit.)

I haven’t watched this show in years. Years! It is so fucking good. Just amazing.

1) Zuko was, is, and will always be my best boy. My best autistic boy. Fight me. Also, not to put too fine a point on it, and I know this show was called ATLA but this entire story is, in some ways, more Zuko’s story than Aang’s. And I love him so much.

2) Telling us that they never planned for Zutara is BS. Come on guys. You did. Fine! You changed your minds! I’m a writer, it happens. I’ve done it! But don’t tell us it wasn’t endgame at one point. Zuko putting Gran-Gran’s engagement necklace on Katara after you’ve set up what that necklace is and the meaning behind it? Uh huh, right. Sure. Kataang was endgame. Yeah. Ooooookay.

3) Sokka is, without any doubt, the smartest of the bunch, hands down. Jesus that kid is smart. In that ADD kind of way where everyone assumes they are a fuckup that doesn’t pay attention when in reality, there’s an entire universe spinning in their brain 24x7. Also, they did the right thing letting Jack DeSena just run his mouth and improvise because it takes Sokka from a good character to a great character. Good voice actors do not get enough credit, and he’s one of them.

4) I do not buy for one second that Toph Beifong grew up to be a police chief. I mean, I write about it because it’s canon and because of Lin, but there’s no way I am headcanoning that she took that job on because she wanted to somehow promote the law and seek justice. That child lives for chaos. I love her. She’s the worst. THE WORST. Also, I get that this was a kid show and they couldn’t do it but sometimes I like to think of the profanity she would have learned hanging around all of those pro-wrestlers earthbenders and how, being Toph and being competitive AF she would have taken intense pleasure in raising the profane bar higher. I watch this show and every single time she speaks I am, in my head, adding all of the profanity I know this twelve year old hellchild would have spewed.

5) You know what, Bryke? Feisty, angry, brilliant, brave and caring girls do not have to grow up to be serene old ladies. In fact, I’d argue that when feisty, angry, brilliant, brave and caring girls do grow up to be serene old ladies, something has gone wrong. You did not do Katara a solid as an old woman, and I am never going to forgive you for that. I have never believed for a single second she would have just sat around with that old cow chewing her cud expression on her face during the South Pole’s Civil War. Seriously. Fuck off, Bryke. (Toph sitting in the swamp and being like, meh, I could care less, I believe 1000%. Katara? No.)

6) Honestly? I’d like to kick Aang in the seat of his pants sometimes. Or send him to his room. There. I said it. I do not hate Aang - not at all! - but there are times when the fact that he’s still only twelve years old is more obvious than others. (Also, I have a LOT OF THOUGHTS about what being a child soldier did to this child avatar and how that reflects in his next incarnation, Korra, and why it addresses so many of the things people didn’t like about her but that’s for another time.) I never want to ground him more than when I see him being romantically pushy with Katara, though. Let me tell you, if I had heard MY twelve year old son being pushy like that with a girl there would have been a big old Come to the Lionturtles talk in this household because that little airbending free love twerp is respecting neither consent nor boundaries.

7) Suki is a great character and they should have done more with her. Also, I am pretty sure that even teenage Suki and Sokka had an open relationship and she would have been down with having a Zuko OT3. That is all.

8) Mai. Still don’t like her. Like canon Huan, I feel she was an in-joke for the writers that got old real quick. I kept waiting for the real Mai to shine through but she never did. Yeah, we get it, Angsty Goth Girl. Hyuck hyuck hyuck. Remember how in Parks and Rec April had beautiful moments of humanization? That’s what made her character likable and relatable. Mai just continues to be a joke through the end. It’s funny when it is a one-off character. But when it happens with a main character, they start to become monotone. I always felt Mai was monotone. Also, not to be rude, but her calling out Zuko by essentially saying shit was hard for her too was BS of the highest caliber. You think that being rich and bored and having to live in the sticks compares with being abandoned by your mother, disfigured and blinded and cast out by your father? Really? Really? Although I guess that was pretty on point for her character. (Also, and I am quite sure this was never the intent of the writers, but how she treated Zuko was very similar to how I was treated as an autistic teenager by people who claimed to be my friend and that can’t help but influence how I see her character. Fair or no.)

9) Azuuuuuuuuuuuuuuula. The first time I watched this with my kids they were little, about seven or eight. Now they are seventeen and so I’ve been the mother to a fourteen year old girl and let me tell you, thinking of the things that her father must have been doing to her behind the scenes makes me feel sick. Because again, kid show. But I think, if we all look at it with adult eyes, we know what was going on there and why she was the way she was. And honestly, I do not like to slag off on mothers, fictional or otherwise, because I’m a mother and it is damn hard work, but fuck Ursa for her little business with Koh and having her memories of them erased and therefore just getting to move on with her life while her husband systematically destroyed her children. Fuck her sideways.

9) Which brings me to Uncle Iroh. I am not shitting around when I say that Uncle Iroh had a direct impact on my own parenting. I took to heart how he loved, supported and treated Zuko. I took to heart his general attitude to the world. Listen, Iroh also had a redemption story: he was the Dragon of the West! He was the Crown Prince, not Ozai! He was a ruthless general and perpetrated who knows what kind of atrocities as such. Then his son was killed and he went to a deep, dark place before he pulled himself out of it. I’ve always thought that if they wanted to do a book series they could do one about Younger Iroh and his redemption story.

#ATLA re-watch #long post

[firelxdykatara]

2 and 16

2. What is your current OTP?

More like what isn’t my current OTP, lmfao I have so many!

But just focusing on ones I’ve been thinking about a lot recently, off the top of my head: Zutara is the big one, obviously. My blog has been themed after them since I remade, and I love them with everything I have–everything they could be and, I’d argue, should have been, but canon can bite me because we have an amazing fandom of fanworks and headcanons and honestly, considering what happened to the canon relationships, that’s preferable to me lmfao.

I’m super invested in RWBY right now as well, and as is probably obvious by my icon, my biggest otp is Renora. Blacksun is a close second, but we haven’t seen Sun in two volumes (though I do miss him) and I spent literal days screeching about finally getting a Renora kiss so they’re definitely the stand-out for me.

And while I haven’t been reblogging as much lately bc I’m waiting for season 4 and have been very RWBY focused, gotta give a shout out to the Love Square of MLB. I love everything about Marinette and Adrien and the four damn relationships they have between the two of them, and I just cannot fucking WAIT to see how they further develop.

16. Are there any ships you just can’t/don’t understand? What are they?

Not typically, at least in terms of fanon ships–usually, even if I don’t ship something, I can at least understand why it gets shipped. Unless it’s some sort of wild crackship, but that in itself is often an explanation–some people are just intrigued by the potentials of a dynamic that was never explored in the source material, and that’s totally valid.

However, in terms of canon ships, there are absolutely some that make zero sense to me. One of the biggest that comes immediately to mind (at the risk of poking the wounds of a lightly dozing ship war lmao) is Maiko–just, canonically, they didn’t even like each other. Like, I’m sorry, but ‘I don’t hate you’ is some teen angst crap but it’s not conducive to a healthy long-term relationship, nevermind marriage and life together. (And yeah, I know, Bryke refuses to confirm who Izumi’s mother actually was, but let’s not kid ourselves. If they wanted to let Zuko be happy, they wouldn’t have done him so dirty in the comics.) Plus the fact that the entirety of Maiko’s relationship development happened off-screen (something it has in common with Kataang, incidentally), because they were barely even childhood friends before Zuko was banished and hadn’t seen each other for three years, and got together in a bridge comic that most fans never even read (and shouldn’t, it’s horrible).

Then, in their actual relationship, Mai was cold and distant every time Zuko tried to connect with her emotionally, and then he eventually got sick of it on top of everything else he was dealing with and blew up, causing her to blow up, and then… they got back together, I guess, only for him to break up with her via a letter, which she never even bothered to try to understand–she may have said ‘I love Zuko more than I fear you’ but she certainly never showed it, and there’s no indication that she actually came to realize the Fire Nation was wrong, or that she believed in what Zuko was trying to do. (Incidentally, in the comics, she sides with her father who is literally trying to murder her boyfriend and then gets angry with him when he gets pissed off about that, and… ugh.)

It’s just ugly. I don’t understand why they had Mai and Zuko get back together in the epilogue when it was obvious for the entirety of their on-screen relationship that they were absolutely toxic influences on each other, could not communicate in ways that the other could understand, and barely seemed to tolerate each other’s presences when they weren’t actively making out.

send me asks about ships!

#atla #rwby #miraculous ladybug #ask meme #maiko salt #blueeyedamethyst #asked

[daughter-of-water]

Thoughts

https://joth-boyfriend.tumblr.com/post/190255349453

Antis are really a broken record. 

“He tortured her and attempted to murder her”

This is a universe in which all force users are engaging in some surface level mind reading at all times when they sense someone’s feelings. This is a universe where even the heroes have used the Force to compel individuals into giving up information during an interrogation as seen here:

But of course, nobody in the antidom talks about this or the fact that these heroes don’t even discuss the morality of undertaking such an action which may indicate it is just normal in their universe. It only matters when Kylo Ren does it and they can use it as ammunition to bolster their assertions that Reylo is toxic. They also ignore the fact that when he probes Rey mind, she probes his right back. Did she torture him at that moment? The accusation he was trying to murder her is absolutely ludicrous and shows their inability to read fight choreography and reveals their bias that men are always the aggressor and a woman is always a victim. Kylo Ren goes out of his way not to hurt her. You don’t see him using the same barroom brawling style fighting on her that he uses on everyone else. Of the two of them, Rey has always been the one undertaking the kill shots. She slashed his face, shot at him, and stabbed him in the abdomen but still in the anti’s mind, Kylo Ren is always the abuser in the relationship. The narrative point blank tells us they are equals in the Force and Kylo Ren is physically taller and more imposing. It should be obvious that the reason he keeps getting trounced in their fights is because he’s purposely holding back to avoid hurting her.

“he can turn around and be a good guy for 10 minutes and she can fall in love with him”

It is bad writing that Ben Solo’s redemption happened at the last minute. It actually should have began at the start of this movie but instead we have him reset to where he was at TFA in terms of character development. All of the characters are like that because J.J. Abrams didn’t know how to incorporate the additions Rian Johnson had made to the canon. He wanted to continue with where he had left the characters. It was bad writing that Disney failed to incorporate much of Ben Solo’s backstory into the films and left it for comics and novelizations to tell. 

However for the antis to assert that the enemies to lovers trope isn’t upsetting anyone is a boldface lie. They were against the idea of Reylo from the onset before TROS and in every fandom where there is an enemy to lovers ship, those shippers face accusations that they are supporters of a toxic relationship. Ask Zutara shippers who were in the fandom when Avatar the Last Airbender was running on tv, Helsa shippers in the Frozen fandom, or Sansan shippers in the GOT/ASOIAF fandom if you don’t believe me. The enemies to lovers trope draws fire whenever the villain is a man. Hell even some of the examples cited in that post weren’t even enemies to lovers. Han x Leia is a slap kiss romance. They never fought against each other. They were on the same team. Shrek’s enemies to lovers romance is Donkey and the Dragon, one of which doesn’t even have dialogue to develop the romance. The Donkey smooth talks the dragon and she become instantly enamored with him but yeah, Reylo is the worst example of the trope.

#Anti Reylo BS #Anti Kylo BS #Star Wars #Reylo #The Sequel Trilogy #rey #Kylo Ren #Ben Solo #Daughter of Water answers #Anons #submission

[fandomboy15]

Shiro and Keith are parallels of Aang and Katara

I’ve never done anything like this before but this popped in my head and thought it would be fun to write. Okay so for a long time now we’ve seen people comment on their ships and how they parallel other shows, the most common that i’ve seen is The Legend of Korra. However Voltron creators Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery also worked on Avatar the Last Airbender, with JDS joining in season 2 and LM in season 3. After seeing screenshots and watching season 7 episode 1 it made me think as a whole how the relationship of Shiro and Keith parallels close to that of Aang and Katara. This is just my own idea and people can disagree if they want to but this is my own personal interpretation. Also would like to add that people can ship whatever ship they want as all ships are valid in fanon, and again this is my own idea of what could happen in canon. So let’s start by analysing Aang and Kataras relationship and how it then parallels Shiros and Keiths. 

1) The brother complex: One of the biggest things people use to discredit Sheith is the use of the brother line. People often use this to call Sheith an incestuous ship and that it means nothing else. I feel like i have to say that it’s obvious that they’re not actually brothers due to multiple reasons, such as season 7 episode 1 showed them meeting for the first time as well as confirmation that Shiro never knew Keiths dad and Krolia upon meeting Shiro never referred to him as her son. Instead the brother line in my opinion is more used to confirm either one of two things. One tumblr blog called ‘Arahir’ mentioned that Keith uses the brother line as a way to ignore his feelings as he saw Shiros relationship with Adam and didn’t want to get in the way of Shiros happiness. Or alternatively the brother line is more Keith mistaking his own feelings as in season 6 episode 5 he also says I Love You, confirming that Keith does love Shiro which shows how deeply they’re connected. 

In ATLA Katara once referred to Aang like a little brother and in another episode as a good friend. This automatically doesn't mean that these two characters are related or their friendship discredits them ever being in a relationship, its shows that their is a bond between them with a mutual level of respect and care for one another. As well as the fact that feelings develop and change over time as Katara learned to stop viewing Aang as a brother and started to develop real feelings for him which eventually them to be in a relationship at the end of the series. This is what I see happening with Sheith which I will go into more detail later that it is a slow build, it’s not going to happen until the end as their feelings are still developing and growing in that Shiro and Keith are learning to realise their true feelings for one another go deeper than that of a friendship. 

2) The Mentor / mentee relationship

In ATLA we can see this with Aang and Katara. When these two first met Katara was fascinated by Aang and the fact that he could help her learn Waterbending. Katara soon becomes a master and eventually becomes Aangs Waterbending master to help him reach his full potential as the Avatar. 

This can be seen with Keith and Shiro, as Shiro became Keiths mentor and helped him get into the Galaxy Garrison as Shiro believes that Keith has a lot of potential and wants to help him reach it. In both of these ships I feel like it signifies the the mutual level of wanting to help one another and support and lift each other up to do the best they can, which we know was a problem that Shiro had in his relationship with Adam. (also I feel bad but i’m not trying to hate on Adam at all but based on what the creators of the show said and what happened in the episode with him it does portray him in not the best light but I think he’ll be an interesting character to know). 

Also would like to add in this part the age difference. With the introduction of Adam it makes sense that Shiro would not have had feelings for Keith pre-series for a couple reasons. Number one is that it would be pedophila which is not okay at all and also is something that people use to discredit them since its not true nothing romantic happened between them before the series began. Number two is that Shiro and Adam before they broke up, which people are seeming to ignore, where in a loving relationship and Shiro doesn't seem like the kind of guy to be eyeing some-other guy, especially one that is about seven years younger than him in the pre series. Also by the start of the series we know Keith is 18 and with the two years on the space whale and the fact that a year has passed since they’ve been in space it puts his age at 21 and Shiros age to 25-26 which is not that big of a difference and it further help show that they are two consenting adults. 

Also on another note to signify their closeness and support of one another is the parallels of dealing with responsibility and how the mentor helps the mentee. With Aang he never wanted to be the avatar he just wanted to be a normal kid, but Katara is the one who helps him realise the responsibility he needs to take on in order to save the world which she does by supporting him and eventually helping him master waterbending. This parallels Sheith as Keith had to deal with the responsibility of becoming the future leader of Voltron and it was Shiro who helped him realise his potential to be the leader that Voltron needed. 

3) You saved me: 

“You Saved Me”

“You saved me”

“We saved each other”

This is another parallel i found interesting is how both they are saving one another. The first image was Aang realising Katara saved his life after he was shot by Azula, and the second image was Shiro grateful for Keith rescuing him. That ones interesting since it was more Allura saving Shiro by being a magical USB haha, but it shows that Shiro thought more of Keith saving him. Also it was so cute how Keith never once let go of Shiros pod because he could never leave him. 

Also holding the other in their arms there was a parallel for this as well. 

Katara holding Aang after she revives him.

Keith holding Shiro after he wakes up. 

Not even reaching they are literally holding each other the exact same way, if that ain’t a parallel then I don’t know what is. One cradling the other in their arms after being hurt really bad. 

“You’re Okay”

“You Found Me” 

Fuck my heart hurts i love them all so much. We stan two people holding each other and in love aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

4) Its a slow build relationship: With Aang and Katara their relationship was a slow build between them falling in love with each other. You can see how Aang obviously has a crush on Katara but it eventually turns into love and Katara slowly falling in love with Aang as the series progresses. They didn’t immediately become a couple even though they kissed three times before the end of the series they still needed to grow as characters and eventually fall in love. 

As for Voltron many of the cast and crew have also talked the show being a slow build. It’s the reason why characters like Lance haven’t had a pivotal arc yet because it takes time to properly set up these characters and how it affects the story. With Keith and Shiro their relationship has also been a slow build that I feel like with Kataang won’t happen until the very end of the series. But yeah this was kind of short but also I just feel like we need to be patient cause it yields focus, get it haha. So yeah just based on everything that has happened between these two I can just see it slowly growing more and more from friends to eventually boyfriends and then husbands cause if Shiro almost got engaged once so he’s gonna do it again. I feel like since Shiro and Adam broke up he probably needed the time to find himself and wheres a better place to do that in space, and eventually Shiro is slowly growing more and more in love with Keith, and as for Keith he also needed to find himself and I think him spending those two years with his mom really helped him grow and become the leader that Voltron needs him to be and now he can focus on other things... like Shiro. 

5) Other characters to ship them with:

It’s not really a secret that a part of the Voltron fandom has been about shipping and a lot of times it has turned toxic which is stupid because people should be allowed to ship whatever they want. This also happened in the avatar fandom with the ship war of Aang and Katara vs Zuko and Katara. This was a really big deal and there was a lot of people who shipped Zutara and were not happy when they didn’t end up together . 

In all honesty since I think that Sheith parallels Kataang then I believe that Klance parallels Zutara. Again I am not hating on Klance this is jut my opinion (it’s funny i act like people will actually read this) but with Klance and Zutara they are similar in that they're opposites you know the whole red/blue contrast, fire and water, ones cool headed and the others hot headed. To me thats how Klance is they started off not really fond of each other but they have had moments which has led to a friendship and trust between the two similar to that of Zuko and Katara. But also with Sheith like i’ve said in this whole post is that its slowly building up to a romantic relationship just like Aang and Katara and even JDS mentioned and its on the official Voltron twitter that Shiro will have a stronger relationship with Keith, i mean like seriously the only place that they're relationship could possibly be stronger is if they start dating, in my opinion thats the only way it can become stronger with them both admitting how much they love each other, but again I don’t think this will happen until the very end because once again its a slow burn and it takes time to build up even more. 

Also another parallel that I can imagine is comparing Shiro and Adam to to Katara and Jet. Obviously Shiro and Adams relationship was more serious than Jet and Katara, but I do see a parallel in their relationships. Katara wanted Jet because she thought he was this amazing person but of course his true intentions were shown and he tries to convince Katara that he is right and that her opinion is wrong. This is similar to Adam in that I don’t think he is a bad guy just that he doens’t truly have what Shiro wants at heart and I feel like when we meet him in season 7 it will be similar to when Jet returned in season 2 of ATLA where it was awkward but eventually they’ll make up but won’t get back not because Adam will die like Jet, but because Adam just isn’t the one and Shiro has found someone who truly supports and accepts every part of him, *cough Keith cough*. 

6) Earthly attachment: 

Okay so we in ATLA there was an arc for Aang where we could learn to control the avatar state. However in order to do so he would have had to let go of his love for Katara as she is what bounds him to the earth. However Aang is like nah fam i love her and then leaves. Eventually he gets his avatar state powers back but basically this shows how to Aang, Katara is his entire world. 

Now while there hasn’t been any spirity parallels between Sheith I can see the parallel of them being the one that ties the other to the earth. The first comes from Haggar in season 6 where she says that Keith and Shiros bond runs deeper than any of the other paladins showing how much they mean to one another and that literally their fucking connected on a spiritual level. The second example comes from another blog which you can find here: 

http://acekeith.tumblr.com/post/176132479409/a-little-vent-post-about-whats-been-bothering-m

Basically they talk about how in season one when the paladins focus on their important memories, and in it Shiro doesn’t think of Adam because they broke up and Shiro doesn’t see him as being him home anymore, instead Shiro thinks  of the Kerberos mission and the rocket which is where he took Keith to say goodbye to him showing how Keith and his dreams of being in space is what is most important to Shiro.

Also on Keith’s side we can see how important Shiro is to him back in season 2 i think when Keith was fighting the blade of mamora. in this episode we learn that Keiths greatest fear is Shiro leaving or abandoning him. I feel like this says that Keith can literally not live without Shiro as he is the only person in his life that he truly cares for and feels love for. 

Also speaking of spirit magic i do have a headcanon that something like this could happen, cause of how they said the white lion isn’t done with Shiro so what if Shiro tries to gain cool powers from the white lion but he’d have to let go of Keith but he can’t do that, my heart would burst but this is just a headcanon though I would love it if that were real. 

7) Flustering mess: I saw this and thought it was a funny parallel that i wanted to include. 

Aang literally becoming a mess at the sight of Katara wearing a different necklace. 

Shiros gay panic when Keith came back older and hotter. They are both actual messes when they see their baes looking good. 

So maybe this is a really interesting theory or maybe i’m just crazy. But honestly i loved making this I thought it was really fun to see the parallels between two of my favourite shows ever and two of my favourite couples ever. If people can think of anymore parallels then let me know. Also again please don’t hate me on this just wanted to share my own opinion of this and am not trying to invalidate any other ships as people can ship whatever they want. But yeah I just really love Sheith and pray to god everyday it becomes canon haha.

#sheith #voltron #voltron legendary defender #shiro #keith #vld #aang #katara #avatar #avatar the last airbender

[keithxhappiness]

Voltron Season 7 In-Depth Review *SPOILERS INCLUDED*

I can't believe Pidge and Lotor made out in the Green Lion.

JK. But seriously, spoilers ahead, stay away if you haven't watched the season yet! Then, come back, and read my thoughts on it :)

1. Let's start by discussing the beautiful Keith. With his beautiful scar, and his beautiful "flippity" hair. I watched the first two episodes separately from the rest of the season, and I am so happy to see how far he's come. Certainly, season 6 was much more Keith-centric, and it seems that he's more or less completed his maturation then. This season was a chance to display his leadership skills and the product of that maturation. Although, of course, he did have lapses in his patience, where he lost control of his temper, in that space-madness episode, but what can you do? Space madness gets everyone, even Shiro probably. Anyhow, I almost shed a tear when he told his mom he loved her, and I am so so so glad that their relationship was designed to be one filled with optimism and hope, in place of resentment, guilt or regret -- which was another direction the writers could have gone. And it brings a smile to my face knowing that he was reunited with her again at the end of the season, and that their promises to each other were fulfilled. So, overall, I'm just happy that he's happy. I really only ship Keith with happiness and this season that ship became canon :) Also, can we start calling Keith "The One With the Flippity Hair"? What does flippity even mean? :') I love it.

2. Kosmo. Yorak. Whatever you guys want to call him. The space wolf. First off, I can't get over the fact that Keith thinks the wolf will tell him his name when he's ready. Keith, the wolf can't speak English! HE CAN'T SPEAK AT ALL FOR THAT MATTER, BABE. Kosmo is a bit cliche, but it's not bad. I really did like "Yorak", as given to him by the fandom. So much that I actually started referring to him as Yorak in my head. BUT, names aside, Kosmo was A BEAST this season. I was just thinking how he didn't serve much of a purpose the previous season except to give Keith a canine companion, but this season, he was fucking awesome. He saved their lives a BUNCH of times. Not to mention, the fight with that druid would have ended much sooner had it not been for Kosmo's teleportation abilities. Seriously, his teleportation was so so useful this season. Did you see how quickly Keith and Pidge got through that cruiser? Damn. Not only does the space wolf look cool, sound adorable, but he was an amazing addition this season. Keith and Kosmo does have a nice ring to it :)

3. Matt's HAIR. IS. SO. HOT. Every time they age up a character, they become a quadrillion times hotter. Who knew 3 deca-phoebs could do so much. If Keith ages up another 3 deca-phoebs by the end of the show, the universe may just implode from the heat.

4. OK, um, what's next? HMM...how about ships. I know Voltron is not too focused on romantic sub-plots. The one romance that actually took place went up in fiery flames very quickly. Personally, I like romantic subplots, whether in books, movies, tv shows. For example, I loved all the little romances in Avatar, and even though my ship never became canon (rip Zutara), I was happy to see everyone with someone. Of course, I hate it when they take up too much story space, but I think a sprinkle of romance on top of the adventure, drama, humor, and mystery can make a story more delicious. That was a weird metaphor. Anyhow, it appears to me that the show is pushing Allura and Lance as the main couple. This season showed us sure evidence that Allura reciprocates his feelings, and that his feelings are still there. You know why? Because their cheeks were animated red. When an animated character blushes around another animated character, they're basically canon. But there is still another potential ship...and no not Romelle and Hunk (although I'm into that)...

5. Acxa. What's her deal, you guys? What exactly is her connection to Keith? Is the show making her his love interest? But, how, there's no time! I mean, it only took a season to bring Lotor and Allura together, but still. I've read theories that she is related to Keith, seeing as she is also half-Galra. This is an interesting theory, and I did believe it for a while before this season. I mean, they both have pointy chins. If they are in fact related (e.g., half-siblings), they'd have to be connected through Krolia. However, Krolia and Acxa were together in the same place with Keith and Krolia showed NO indication of recognizing Acxa, or being unsettled by her presence. If Krolia was Acxa's mother, but didn't feel it was the right time to tell Keith, there'd at least be a shot of her face looking disconcerted or unsure around Acxa right? Or, some kind of awkward Krolia-Acxa interaction. I don't know, the siblings theory just doesn't hold up anymore after this season. So, that leaves the romance theory. Personally, I'm into that too. Acxa and Keith would make a good couple, connected by their Galra heritage, which conflicts with their own desire for peace. Both having to forge their own paths, Zuko-style, and both having been the leaders of their respective group. I though their fight with the other generals was really awesome (and the banter kinda cute), and I really believe Acxa's sorry for what she did. Also, we did see her at the end of the season watching Keith and Krolia. Yeah, I think a Keith-Acxa relationship is quite likely, especially now that Keith is at the peak of his maturation as an individual (evidenced by his ability to comfort Hunk in his own time of loneliness).

6. Next topic: LOTOR. I know Lotor wasn't in this season...like at all...and that still makes me sad. Keith said he was dead, and I'm wondering if we should start believing that to be true. I had hoped he could still be redeemed in some way, or at least return as a foe for the paladdins, but it seems that he's just as a gone as Zarkon. But Lotor is a million times more interesting than Sendak as a villain. I really didn't like Sendak as the villain this season. He's so cliche...with his evil laugh, and his giant weaponized arm. It's hard to take him seriously when there seems to be no actual motivation behind his actions except that he likes to be powerful by crushing other planets. Lotor had a backstory, and good intentions, despite the nefarious means he was using to achieve them. Lotor had a goal...to see Atlea restored. His goal may have been perverted, but still, we could sympathize with him, and some of us are still on his side. I really think it was mistake to throw Lotor away in favor of Sendak. But at least, Keith sliced Sendak open at the end of the season and we won't be seeing him again. The real enemy this season I think was hinted at at the end of the episode which brings me to the next point...

7. THE ALTEAN POD. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. We knew the Altean colony had disappeared. The culprit seems pretty likely to me. Haggar. The motivation, on the other hand, eludes me. What reason would Haggar have to try to kill the paladdins? Is she mad at them for killing her son, maybe? They technically didn't kill Lotor...just left him, but as Keith said, he did choose his own path. And Honerva seems to have regained her rational mind, seems hard to believe that she has resorted to blind vengeance. No, I do hope her motivations are slightly more complex than revenge. But the ending did give us an indication of what the next season will be focused on...the Alteans...while still being a REALLY GOOD ENDING...which brings me to...

8. This ending was GREAT. For a second, I started to hyperventilate because I really thought all the paladdins had been killed off, and that the GG pilots & Veronica would be replacing them, but thankfully, the writers are NOT THAT merciless. I don't know if I could handle even one of their deaths, much less ALL OF THEM AT ONCE. OMG. I am freaking out just thinking about it! No, instead, we had beautiful reunions between all the paladdins and their families, as well as some of their former allies. Earth is safe, everyone is home, and Shiro has a new arm. Things wrapped up pretty happily this season, which I really like. It makes the wait for the final season much more bearable, and peaceful. If you believe that fictional characters continue to live on after you close a book, or turn off the screen (which I do), then I'm happy to know that they're together, and they're living in relative peace (with a little bit of unsettling mystery yet to be resolved) but no immediate threat anymore.

9. I enjoyed all the new characters this season! Veronica was a bad-ass, and I'll be really curious to see a Keith-James confrontation in the next season, I could FEEL the tension between them this season, but I'm glad they both held their tongues in order to work together.  Anyway, Voltron is back at it again with a diverse set of pilots, and there wasn't a lot of opportunity for them to shine (a problem that any show with a large cast has), they did sparkle in their own way. I'm excited to see a bit more of them. Still, I can't help but ask the question:

10. WHY ARE THERE ONLY 13 EPISODES LEFT? I understand that the show must have an end. Every good show has a solid ending, planned from the beginning. They shouldn't keep churning out episodes just because people are continuing to consume them. But I still think ending it now, in only one more season, is a mistake. There is still so much of the world that I feel needs to be explored, and that can be done more adequately with at least 3 more seasons. They can continue to age up the characters, and delve deeper into the NEW characters. 13 episodes is just NOT enough time to do that. It's not! The universe is still in shambles. Earth needs to be completely rebuilt! Of course, a graphic novel series continuation is a viable solution to this, as is being done with Avatar, but animation is just so much better. I'll be really sad to see the show end, so please, Voltron creators, take your time with its release, but at least, even if this creation is ending, those same people will continue to create new stories, and I'll be totally on-board for whatever the animators work on next. Hopefully, it's 2D animation though, cause I gotta say, I am really not into the 3D animation taking over cartoons these days. That is one technological upgrade we could do without.

Overall, awesome season, awesome characters, awesome animation and fight sequences, especially action-packed, and the one word I think I'd use to describe it: REFRESHING. The new environment, and new situations.

Also, Keith is still very hot. That is all.

PEACE OUT, FOLKS.

#vld s7 #vld s7 spoilers #voltron #voltron season 7 #voltron season 7 spoilers #flippity hair #keith kogane #vld keith #vld acxa #zutara #vld s7 review #voltron season 7 review #keith x acxa

[terapsina]

favourite non canon ship and favourite ship quote? (sorry these are both about shipping lol) xx

(no, no it’s cool, I like ships)

And… after getting this question I managed to narrow my list down to 4 otps and hell if I know how to narrow it down further, so I’m just cheating and mentioning all of them.

Swan Queen - I no longer watch OUAT but Emma and Regina are always going to be the love story that should have been. HOW are they still not canon I will never know. For two people who supposedly didn’t get along they sure did sacrifice for each other a lot. And then they DID get along, and…. and… and… who LOOKS at their “friend” touching or kissing their significant other like it’s burning them? 

Elejah - Ditto with TVD. And I’m sorry but he wrote her a damn love letter, and they kept smiling at each other even when the last time they saw each other they had betrayed each other, or held the other hostage, or daggered the other. And everything is water under the bridge with them because they’re basically mirror images of each other. So yeah, they still hold my heart.

Kahlan/Cara - It’s been a while since Legend of the Seeker got cancelled (*angry muttering*), but once in a while I start missing them so much I go reread all the fics I’ve already read (I’m currently in one such mood, and it hurts because I’ve run out). And just btw I absolutely believe Cara knows how she feels (probably since the moment she wasn’t able to let that arrow fly, quite possibly since almost killing herself to give Kahlan more air). Kahlan’s…. more complicated (basically I don’t think she’ll figure it out until after she reads it in Cara, oh the angst I could have had).

Zutara - I will never forgive the injustice of that one. I loved them. Dearly. Completely. And the story demanded them to be canon, it demanded it. Anyways, they’re journey’s were bringing them on a collision course, to meet in the middle. And it was beautiful. And the fact they ended up passing each other by will always leave me hurting.

So yeah. I can’t narrow it down to one. I TRIED. But I can’t.

For the second part of the thing I do have a favorite quote. And damn if I’m not gonna be forever grateful that this one’s canon. So very very canon.

“If we’re just information, just noise in the system, we might as well be a symphony.”

#answers #jacnaylor #meme #otp: the only magic strong enough #otp: i remember reading that in a letter once #otp: stop pretending my life means as much as yours #otp: painted lady and blue spirit #otp: four alarm fire #swan queen #elejah #kahlan x cara #zutara #root x shaw #terapsina rambles