#pro gaang

[survivalove]

one day we’ll talk about how extremely xenophobic the atla fandom is in how they justify the original cast’s horrible writing in the (more western 😃) sequel series by demeaning and degrading the cultures that they’re based on

starting with: aang being a bad dad makes sense because he grew up with monks and didn’t have a biological father

how utterly disgusting and weird. but honestly i just feel bad that so many of you have been brainwashed so effectively

meanwhile zuko is, according to the fandom, a good father and that makes sense despite his biological father being abusive for his entire childhood

but watch they will bring up iroh as if aang didn’t have gyatso

watch how they will complain about toph being a cop despite her last canon appearance being a 12 year old just like aang

watch how they will criticize katara and sokka’s (lack of) character development while claim that aang was written perfectly.

#atla #pro aang #pro gaang #their writing was terrible all around and it’s ok to admit that #making concessions for one character and not the rest frankly makes you a hypocrite #and do you not see how aang being an alleged deadbeat reflects on katara who you claim to like so much #pro katara #anti atla fandom #lok critical #defending a whole tv show is crazy #anti bryke #love how the creators suck until it suits you also #yt men making an entire franchise on the backs of asiatic and indigenous cultures was a MISTAKE #packaging it to a western mostly yt audience was an even bigger mistake

[theweeklydiscourse]

It’s really funny how much people misremember certain aspects of ATLA and then proclaim to the internet stuff that either never happened or is extremely distorted with absolute certainty. For example, today I saw a person claiming that whole point of Katara’s character arc was unlearning the parentified behaviours she developed in wake of her mother’s death. That a huge part of Katara’s arc was a confrontation of how that trauma fundamentally shaped her maternal tendencies.

The thing is though…WE the audience, can recognize that the parentification Katara experienced was something that was really straining for her, but the TEXT doesn’t. The audience (or at least certain parts of the audience) can identify that her maternal tendencies were indicative of a responsibility that she took on far too young and subjected her to unnecessary pressure and stress. There are flashes of recognition maybe, but for the most part, the show doesn’t actually confront the negative impact that Katara’s maternal role had on her.

Katara never truly unlearns the maternal behaviours that put so much pressure on her because the text doesn’t see it as a bad thing. Arguably, the text doesn’t see much of a problem with the emotional labour Katara takes on and how that labour goes unreciprocated for the most part (particularly from her canon love interest). We see some reflections, but it’s not enough to support a reading of the text where that element is actually extremely obvious and a prominent point in her character arc.

We’re not the ones “watching the show with our eyes closed”, I think you’re just misremembering the canon progression of Katara’s arc to avoid confronting a real issue in the text.

#Katara #pro katara #avatar the last airbender #atla fandom critical #atla discourse #the gaang #character analysis #atla fandom discourse #zutara #atla critical #anti bryke

[lilith-91]

"Aang is a static character and he doesn't change since season 1"

Oh ok

Yeah he's exactly like season 1. No difference. No growth. No character arc.

Mind you, he’s a "static character" because he never changed his ideals. The audacity...

#avatar the last airbender #atla #aang #thank you Aang's haters you are so wise #the gaang #pro aang

[myxhul]

One thing that bugs me every time i rewatch tlok is that one scene in book 3 where tenzin tells korra about the time when she was little, explaining how the red lotus tried to kidnap her. So, he, korra's father, sokka, and zuko went to rescue her and stopped the attack, locking the red lotus in their respective prisons.

Although my little zukka brain thrives with the fact that zuko is supposedly just there, chilling in the south pole post-retirement or whatever, i really think it would have been much better if insted of him, it was katara the one fighting alogside the others. It would have made so much more sence because one- she is one of the most powerful waterbenders on earth therefore totally has the power and skills to stand againts the red lotus, and two- yes, you can argue that she might still be greeving over her husband's passing but i think if sokka, zuko and tenzin were able to be there and help in the battle it wouldn't be much of problem for katara to be with them too. Aang is best friend and a family to both sokka and zuko and tenzin's literal father. If they were ready and willing to fight, so could she.

And isn't trying to protect korra also trying to protect her family in some sort of way? Katara was clearly very enthusiastic about teaching korra waterbending as a child, why won't she stand up against the red lotus for her, too?

It's disheartening to see how both the comics and tlok seem to sideline katara's character as if her contributions were not significant. Like she just isn't that important in the first place. It’s just awfully depressing tbh.

#begging the upcoming animated gaang movie to not compleatly ignore her charicter #i know shes supposed to be 'second leading role' but im not sure they won't just make her 'the avatar's girlfriend' again like in the comic #honestly im sick of watching katara being portraid as and turned into some type of stereotypical housewife #some of the speculations going around that she could be pregnant in the animated movie does not help one bit with my concerns either #my queen deservs much better #katara #katara atla #katara and aang #katara avatar #tlok #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #the legend of korra #brief mention of zukka ig #kataang #legend of korra #korra #atla zuko #fire lord zuko #firelord zuko #atla sokka #sokka #aang #atla aang #avatar aang #tenzin #pro katara

[bluespiritshonour]

Another thing I've been muling over: a complain I've seen about Maiko is that she keeps him from going on the right path—and... I agree.

For Mai, Zuko's well-being is her sole concern and the rest of the world could crash and burn and that's... Okay?

Realistically speaking, your support system should NOT be one person. One thing I love about ATLA is that (despite romance writing not being one of it's strong points) the lack of ships that follow the tropes.

Kataang is not an archetype. Neither is Sukka or Maiko.

Having your support system be just your romantic partner isn't healthy (for them or for you) or realistic. But most romances do that and until I watched ATLA it didn't occurred to me that that's not a good thing.

ATLA and Maiko are very realistic in that Zuko needs both the Gaang and Mai. He needs the Gaang to hold him accountable for every shitty little thing he did—and he needs Mai there to keep from spiraling and self-destruction.

Zuko and his uncle were de facto conquerors, so they had to do much more to redeem themselves than Mai and Ty Lee (mere soldiers, but NOT innocent) had to.

Zuko had to work hard to earn the Gaang's forgiveness (personal opinion: he should've grovelled more and he should've been called out on his racism against Aang) and Uncle Iroh reconquered Ba Sing Se in the name of it's people.

They both did reparations to the very people they hurt. And their crimes were much more direct and vicious compared to Mai and Ty Lee’s.

As someone not as responsible as them, Mai and Ty Lee's redeeming themselves was at the Boiling Rock.

And well, when Zuko is Firelord right after the war—he would be paying for the crimes of his ancestors. He needs the Gaang there to keep from acting like he did with Katara pre-Southern Raiders (everyone else seems to have forgiven me!) and he needs Mai to keep himself from actually spiralling into self-destruction and undeserved guilt (Sozin's and Ozai's faults aren't his even if he's paying for it and someone needs to remind him that)

So, yeah. He needs them both for different things.

As for Mai, her conflict was that she was never allowed to express herself. And loving Zuko made up for that—she finally stands up for something she believes in (not in the cause, but in Zuko) and Zuko didn't even have to do anything beside exist. He didn't “fix her.”

Although, again I do have the the complain that Mai has to do a lot of emotional labour for him and if you really are gonna shit on Maiko: it's Zuko who needs to step up, not Mai—well, Mai tried to “fix him” and she couldn't!

That's so important to me!—I’m tired of girl fixes boy narrative. And she couldn't fix him because only he could fix himself and Mai herself is used to making the best out of a situation and being selfish/passive/choosing the path of least resistance. She tried to do to Zuko what worked for her (or maybe didn't, considering she was coping)—and well—later when Zuko's Firelord it'll be Mai who keeps him from harming himself.

Zuko needs both to be balanced out.

He needs multiple people to act as support system and that's both healthy and realistic. Mai isn't everything and neither should she be.

I know what the comics did; don't bring them up here. It's not about the comics.

#maiko #atla #avatar the last airbender #zuko #mai #atla mai #gaang #zuko and the gaang #atla maiko #honestly i would admit that atla's writing of romance is lacking #but if you don't like maiko it's not mai's fault #if anything it's zuko's #jerk didn't even apologize for his behaviour on the ember island #mai threw her lot in with him whole heartedly no hesitation #he should've made up to her too #say whatever you want but mai loved that boy #in defense of mai #i just felt like word vomiting #pro maiko

[leantailean]

“Tui and La, push and pull, yin and yang...”

Katara & Aang

#Katara #Aang #Kataang #Avatar The Last Airbender #pro kataang #kataang fanart #ATLA fanart #katara fanart #aang fanart #katara avatar #aang avatar #air nomads #water tribe #Tui and La #push and pull #yin and yang #gaang #Gaang fanart #avatar gaang #avatar team #Fanart #my art #leantailean

[punkeropercyjackson]

Zutara shippers often say 'Katara dosen't have to act like Zuko's mom in their relathionship' and i completely agree!!!Because she acts like his sister and he sees her that way too :)

#TRAP CARD BABIE!!!!!! #anti zutara #katara #zuko #pro kataang #kataang defense squad #atla geekery #💌 #pro aang #aang defense squad #the gaang #atla comics #avatar chibi shorts #echos and aftershocks #summerposting

[littleweowmeow]

So, do you all remember this scene? Yes we all.

Yes Azula is fighting with Gaang and using the technique of Master Jong Jong. It's cool and fucking great, but a lot of people have already said that. But what if she's not the only one using a fire shield?

And I'm not about Jong Jong right now.

I want to talk about THAT

And you know what, it's kind of not like the basics. Guys, this scene is just crazy, why is someone still trying to prove that Zuko is a bad firebender? I will die on the hill, but this moment with the explosion is more spectacular for me. I rarely see anything anyone mentions at all that he did THIS. And come on, the dude had half a second to realize what was going to happen.

#atla zuko #avatar the last airbender #firebending #zuko not bad firebender #pro zuko #gaang

[junkopottershima]

An Early 2000's Child's Observation on Zutara Shipping War.

I awoke from my slumber upon discovering the Avatar fanbase, and the absolute shipping war that I never really gave a shit about until now. Zutara is a relatively new ship to me, as is any other ship that isn’t canon, so I’m gonna run through the list of anti-zutara arguments that I’ve found, and list out my takes on them. I’m doing this, because although I see lots of love for Zutara, there’s some aspects about Katara and Zuko’s relationship in the show that makes me question how well their “chemistry” would actually work. For that, I’m genuinely curious and even politely asking “Zutarians” to please step up and respond with their takes on arguments against Zutara. Though, I should mention that there's going to be some anti-zutara takes that I don't agree with. I'll just be getting them off my chest. Welp, here we go now:

"Zutara can't work because it's Oppressor x Oppressed".

I've seen people saying this, and then saying that you can only "truly" agree/disagree with this point if you're an oppressed ethnicity, class, or whatever. Well, I guess as an African American woman, I honestly think the argument that "Zuko and Katara absolutely cannot work out because he's the colonizer and she's the victim" is rather dumb and blatantly ignores the fact that Zuko was trying to change his ways. Like, that argument is so stupid to me, it's almost offensive. We see Zuko change and try to keep changing his perspective on other nations and foreigners, and the step he takes to do that is by standing up to his father on the day of the eclipse and declaring his new mission to find and help Aang and his friends stop the war. Ozai wasted no time trying to do what he wanted since day 1 of Zuko's life, which was to end him. Zuko put his life on the line to change his ways. If we're going by the logic that Zuko can't be healthy for Katara because he's an oppressor...what the fuck was the point of him trying to gain their trust and trying to help Aang take down his father...if he's an oppressor? If we're going off the logic that Katara should not trust Zuko because he (more like his father and father's army) is an oppressor, shouldn't that apply to the rest of the Gaang as well by the fact that each of their nations and cultures were/are threatened by the Fire Nation? Going off of that logic, it becomes easy to say that Zuko should have never gotten a chance to even be friends with Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Suki just because his family consists of war-mongering assholes, but why would anyone say that when it's shown that Zuko is actively trying to change his ways at that point? Also, if we're go there (the colonizer stuff), it's almost like saying white people should never be dating any nonwhite solely because many whites in positions of power abuse it to subjugate nonwhites. It blatantly ignores the real-life contexts and instances where individual whites mean no harm and are able to get along with other races. It blatantly ignores the instances of whites being able to find genuine love with people from other races, even in hard times like the Civil Rights Era and various wars. We can see that it's fucked up to generalize...so why do we gotta do that with Zuko? Keep in mind, I'm talking about the point where Zuko is officially redeeming himself.

"It would make no sense for Katara and Zuko to end up together at the end--They only had limited time together".

Now this, I definitely agree with. I understand that Zutarians loved the hell out of Zutara and rooted for them to be together at the series finale, but the in-lore time and development Katara had with Aang, and Zuko with Mai is objectively more grounded and overwhelming than all the "evidence" that Zuko would have had a great romance with Katara. Even with Zuko having redeemed a lot about himself in his arc at season 3 and AFTER Katara learns to trust him, there's literally no time for them to develop any romantic feelings or a relationship because Sozin's Comet was just like several days away at that point. Even in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, Katara's moment with offering to heal Zuko's scar and to really establish a bond was interrupted by Aang and Iroh before she could waste her spirit water on him--THEY HAD NO TIME. Meanwhile, Mai and Zuko were childhood friends, and knew each other for basically their whole lives. Plus, they were dating throughout the series. In practicality, isn't it going to be Mai that would make the most sense as a love interest due to the fact that of all candidates, Mai understands Zuko the most? Isn't it Mai that Zuko has took the time to write a letter for in the prison, smile and laugh for? With Mai, we see Zuko at his most happy. Point is, Mai is objectively a very important love interest to Zuko, so even though they broke up several times before, I don't think Zuko is the type to just throw his tears away and immediately move on. I mean seriously, Jin was more like a rebound fling and Zuko didn't even blink when he dipped back to the Fire Nation. And I don't think I need to pull up the entire show just to list examples of Aang and Katara having each other's backs and developing an unbreakable bond. Zuko and Katara didn't have the time to develop romantic feeling for each other at their best and even if they had an infatuation for one another, wouldn't Zuko's bond and romantic feelings for Mai predictably just bubble to the surface again? I mean Zuko lost no sleep when he basically ditched Jin and went straight back to Mai. No offense to anyone who loves Jin/Zuko, I'm just telling it as it is.

"Zuko does not consistently consider Katara's feelings".

Again, this is true. After returning to the Fire Nation, Zuko isn't shown to be shaken by his betrayal to Katara. He's just not thinking about her during his time back home. But what I definitely want to talk about is the part where he joins the Gaang, and Katara is vocally distrustful of him. This is the aspect of Zuko and Katara's relationship that has always stopped me from actually shipping them together. Katara is vocal, again and again, that she doesn't trust Zuko because of his history with basically being a serious asshole bounty hunter for the avatar, because of him betraying her trust back in Ba Sing Se, and the fact that she personally blamed Zuko for her mother's death due to associating him with Fire Nation scum. Now while Katara is clearly bothered by his presence in the Gaang, Zuko literally didn't care and was on-board to keep on trucking. It's only after it gets too annoying does Zuko now care about Katara's feelings, and what does he lead with? "This is so unfair!". Upon confronting Katara about her feelings, Zuko immediately declaring that Katara was being unfair just reveals that Zuko was thinking more about himself in this moment. That Zuko didn't do anything wrong, that Zuko must not have done anything wrong because Zuko does not even remember what he did to piss off Katara. Katara is the one that has to check him by explaining why she doesn't like him: his betrayal, her perception of his affiliation with the Fire Nation, and PROBABLY the fact that he sent 'sparky sparky boom boom' man after Aang. Right after that, Zuko goes to see Sokka about he and Katara's mother, and while that's very considerate of Zuko...it shows that he's kind of ignorant about properly apologizing for his wrongs. He skipped doing any apology for what happened in Ba Sing Se, and went straight to "Okay, what's the deal with her mom?". It's nice that Zuko gave Katara the option to do a Quentin Tarantino mission on the dude that murked her mom, but the fact that Zuko put Katara's vocal disapproval and Ba Sing Se event kind of on the back burner of his concerns isn't quite a good look. It shows that Zuko, although in redemption, still possessed from listening problems.

Also, when searching for different takes on Zutara, I found a post by a particular user that I don't remember. But basically, in critiquing Zutara the user mentioned Katara threatening Zuko that she would "end his destiny personally" was 'abuse'. I believe this user is called, 'erin-the-brave'. Well in my opinion, that just wasn't an intelligent perspective on Katara's dialogue. In Katara's perspective, Zuko has been chasing her, Sokka, and Aang across the world to capture him, which to her would mean the doom for the world. Zuko taunts Katara about her mother's necklace, using it to try bringing her into giving up Aang. Zuko is randomly living in Ba Sing Se, and right after she has a short bonding moment with him, he immediately choses to help Azula kill Aang. Zuko then sends an assassin after Aang, in which that assassin locks Katara and Toph up in a jail cell as bait. I get that Zuko helped free her dad and Suki from prison, but goddamn, how the fuck else do you expect Katara to react to Zuko's sudden redemption? Even if he IS trying? Katara isn't a fucking mind reader. Like how did you genuinely expect her to react? "Oh you poor thing! Let me welcome you with wide open arms so I can kiss your ass and wipe it with a sample of spirit water"???

"Oh Katara's being abusive to Zuko because she was telling him that she'll end his life if he hurts Aang again, even though Zuko HAS repeatedly tested everybody in the Gaang". Could it serve as an argument that Katara wasn't given much time to learn with, and trust Zuko in order for a romantic relationship to work? I think so. But would I say Katara's reaction to Zuko's second redemption is 'abuse'? No. I think it would be overreacting to even call that verbal abuse, because in Katara's shoes, who wouldn't be wary of Zuko?

"Zuko was pushing Katara to be a murderer in The Southern Raiders, he was bringing out the worst in her".

I actually disagree with this. Zuko merely told Katara that he knows the guy who killed her mother, and that would help her find him. If I recall correctly, he didn't push or pressure her into actually killing him. He merely offered her a journey to find the fucker who took her mother's life. Katara contemplating murder, going on the trip, and even blood bending during the mission was 100% her own choice. The fact that Katara almost instantly chose this journey with Zuko seems to imply that this was something she always wanted to do, but just never got the chance for: confronting her mother's killer. Even after Katara chose not to kill the guy, Zuko didn't hold her choice against her. He doesn't belittle her, nor did he ever pressure her to twist Yon Rha to death like a pretzel. Zuko actually tells Katara that her ability to be better than Yon Rha was a person strength, and Zuko even seems proud of her in that moment. He gave Katara the chance for closure, she took it, she tackled the confrontation in her own way as Zuko let her have her spotlight, and they walked away with him being proud of her.

"Zutara would be better if you just replaced Zuko with Azula in the ship".

This is a joke, right? Because the only way this could get funnier is if you threw in Ozai.

"a fic which does 'ATLA’s plot goes almost exactly as canon, except my favorite ship happens' is not clever or innovative".

....it's fanfiction with endless creativity, writing styles, and brains behind it. Rewriting the show's beginning, midsection, endgame, or all of the above is objectively creative and at least a little innovative. Fanfiction absolutely can be creative and innovative, you don't have to lie just because you don't like a ship, my brother.

"Katara offering to heal Zuko's scar is actually evidence that she does NOT fully understand Zuko"

I've seen this take and I think it's one of the best arguments against Zutara, to be honest. A user named 'Maikingsenseofit' explained it so well, I'm just gonna copy and paste it:

"Upon seeing his scar, her immediate thought is to use spirit water to heal it. While this is an outstanding demonstration of kindness for someone she is not obliged to show it to, let’s remember that right before this Zuko says:

“It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately... I've realized that I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark.”

This. Right here. It is so important to understand. Zuko’s scar is so much more than a scar. It represents his trauma from his father, the trials and tribulations he faced to earn Ozai’s approval, and is a further reminder that he is the black sheep of the family both figuratively (a son who could never live up to his title, who could never bend like he was supposed to) and literally (the only member of a pristine royal family with an ugly brand on his face).

But his journey with Uncle Iroh in Ba Sing Se allows him to come to terms this trauma, or moreover this scar. It’s a reminder that we cannot escape our past or try to stifle it. We must embrace it and learn to accept it. It is only then that we are fully liberated from the shackles of our trauma and can fully determine our paths forward.

Katara’s offer to get rid of Zuko’s scar represents a regression of Zuko’s hard earned realization. He had just come to terms with his troubled past and accepts the ephemeral mark on his face. He even wears it with pride. He doesn’t try to hide his past or stifle his trauma, not anymore. It is an integral part of who he is. It is what makes Zuko, Zuko.He vocalizes this to Katara immediately before this. Katara however, fails to understand the significance and the journey behind this mark, largely in part because she wasn’t there to witness it. Her attempt to heal his scar falls flat in several ways, but one main reason is because just because something is healed physically, doesn’t mean it’s healed emotionally. But it’s important to consider something else here: Zuko never explicitly asks Katara or verbalizes a desire to get rid of his scar. Based on the earlier conversation, he’s finally gotten around to embracing it and welcoming the significance behind it. What Katara offers is in stark contrast to what he said. He allows her to touch his scar, but it is evident that she would never heal it. Why?

From Belen Edwards, despite the traumatic memories associated with his scar, Zuko never seems particularly ashamed of it. Throughout season 1, his hairstyle ensures that it's completely exposed, showing his identity to the world. In the second season, Zuko tells Katara that he's beginning to accept that he won't be rid of the scar.

And yet despite hearing the last part, Katara still offers a solution to Zuko to get rid of it.

This is where we see that the so called deep understanding and caring that Zuko and Katara held for each other is beginning to crack. Where is Katara’s deep and profound, soul-ular (get it, like cellular?) understanding of Zuko that no one else, other than Iroh, had of him? It begs us to ask if Iroh was in that room, given the journey he embarked on with his nephew both physically and emotionally, would he have encouraged Katara to get rid of this mark? The answer is obviously no. If there is a deep vulnerability and intimacy that they share with each other, and no one else, it does seem pointless given on both ends neither understands the full depth of the other’s situation. This is exemplified by Zuko immediately forgetting his entire interaction with Katara (but not His interaction with Aang interestingly) afterwards and still failing to understand why Katara was mad at him, even AFTER she explicitly tells him. And this is exemplified by Katara not fully acknowledging and understanding Zuko’s acceptance of his scar and offering a surface level solution that will never address the emotional significance and tribulations that come with it. Nothing against either of the characters by the way, and I need to emphasize that in bold font. I am simply observing their interactions and dispelling these “Word of God”-like claims.

Consider Zuko’s interactions with Mai. When he first sees her after years of banishment she gently his scar and touches in it not in an attempt to get rid of it, but because it is a part of Zuko. And when it comes to kissing Zuko, it means touching his scar, touching him in his entirety- including his physical and emotional marks. There’s a deliberate reason why the storyboard artists included Zuko’s scar in the scene. Because she’s known Zuko her whole life and was there when he first received it. Zuko and his scar are not two separate entities for her. They are one and the same"

End dialogue.

What should be mentioned is that Zutarians do like to say that "Katara is the first person to ever touch his scar"...which to be honest, I just don't believe. I just don't believe that Katara got to touch his scar before Iroh or Mai ever did, because it would insinuate that Iroh and Mai have never caressed the side of Zuko's face to comfort him, and after all those years of being close with them. Then there's the claim that Katara is the only person Zuko opens up to in the Gaang, even though he talked about some of his feelings to Toph, talked about some of his feelings to Sokka, and talked about some of his feelings to Aang. When Zuko snatched Aang and hustled themselves into a cave in the middle of blizzard nowhere, Zuko opens up about his rough childhood to Aang. Yes, Aang wasn't conscious to listen, but Zuko DID talk to him. Perhaps Katara is the first member of the Gaang that Zuko opened up to (the "mom talk" in Ba Sing Se) without the other person being too out-of-conscious to listen, but she's definitely not the only one that Zuko opened up to. She's technically not the first person to give Zuko a chance, but Aang was the one who did it right after he was freed by Zuko (who was disguised as the Blue Spirit).

"Toko = Zutara = Zukka = just about any fan pairing/OT100 involving Zuko".

I don't entirely agree with this. For context, a user by the name of 'atla-recluse' posted this in regard to Zuko shipping:

"Toph, who actually wanted to go on one just to hang out with him. Toph, who tried to speak to him about her personal struggles (as they walked together in search of Aang). The sort of thing an actually compassionate and reflective boy would have at least tried to sympathize with, even if only briefly. Instead, he immediately shuts her down. Seems he didn’t have a second to waste on some dumb little girl, right? This same girl who would later on take moments out of her time to sit down with him and comfort him (The Ember Island Players). Someone’s always there when he wants support. An emotionally volatile 12 - 13 year-old comforting an even more emotionally volatile 16 - 17 year-old. Not a good look. And yet…Toko = Zutara = Zukka = just about any fan pairing/OT100 involving Zuko. And the reasons why they’re shipped always seem to be the same, save one little difference here and there. It’s always about pleasing Zuko and his you-know-what. Pardon the innuendo and my mood."

I agree that Zuko was kind of a jerk to Toph with how he dismissed her, even though he dumped his emotions out and let her give some reassurance. Zuko went on a journey to free Hadoka from prison with Sokka, and Zuko went on a journey to give Katara closure for the fucker that murdered her mother. Although Zuko has streaks of selfishness in his good deeds, it should still be noted that he does care enough about Sokka and Katara to help them in regard to their families. Meanwhile, Zuko factually never even said Toph's name during the entire show's runtime. I'm not saying that Zutara is a perfect ship, but I am saying that it IS different than Toko.

The Final Point to mention: They just ain't into each other".

And although I like checking out Zutara fics and seeing what creative combinations the Zutarans had to bring for over ten years, I still don't truly ship Katara and Zuko because they're just not into each other. Look at the Ember Island play scene that depicted Katara and Zuko being secret lovers in an affair. They literally cringed away from each other. They didn't blush or smile, they CRINGED.

So far, those are my takes on this apparent "war" with the Zutara shipping. So here's where I casually call up hardcore Zutarans to ask a genuine and polite question: what is your response to these arguments against Zutara? Will you still ship them after these arguments? I would really like to know your perspectives, and to see if my mind can change. I don't hate Zutara, though I'm not sure if I ship Zuko and Katara either. Again, that's my actual take, and I would super like to read what Zutarans would like to say about all this.

#zutara #pro zutara #anti zutara #shipping wars #avatar the last airbender #atla #analysis #debate #katara #prince zuko #zuko #the gaang #atla gaang #argument

[ash-and-starlight]

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#alright re: last reblog #first of all zuko is a massive bitch and i love him so much #second u know he was just like there is One person in the world that katara wants to murder more than me so let’s do that #so she can let it out And spare my ass <3 #tHIRD ppl it’s not really surprising that zuzu is pro murder like #boy was supposed to inherit an imperialist empire and keep up an imperialist war #idk if ozai was the only one able to get the throne without going to battle once but iroh and lu ten were generals. led armies. #zuko was Fully prepared to take on that role too (see: the fateful war meeting) #he’s been raised with the yeah murder is a thing that you’ll have to do mindset #like he’s not a killer but he Would do it if the circumstances called for it #(sokka parallel btw) #does it make sense? #also like #he fully says that if he wasn’t such a firm believer in destiny he Could and Would have killed ozai on the day of the black sun #he says it to his face #this would be a fun au actually lmao like. the gaang bursting into the room and there’s just zuko there #next to ozai’s lightning fried corpse #like hello 🧍🏻‍♂️👋🏼 zuko here 😬🔥 #and has to convince everyone he’s good and friendly now this is not an evil plan 🫶🏼 #last thing but this reminds me #WHERE is that post that was like #sokka finds out zuko could have ended the war the day of the black sun but didn’t and just throttles him #<333 #if you read all this ty i’m sorry i’m kissing u #send post

[dukeofdelirium]

ok on a different topic I keep forgetting that we’re literally getting adult animated kataang and that they’re gonna be married and very possibly either pregnant with Bumi or he’s already gonna be born but like either way… we’re literally getting that omg I’m gonna freak out when it drops I’m so serious I’ve waited for this shit my whole life. like I will obsessively reblog literally every screenshot and gifset of them in this movie LMFAO I cannot wait

#I’m so excited for it #like I keep forgetting that we’re ACTUALLY getting that CONFIRMED by the creators #kataang #pro kataang #adult gaang #atla movie #avatar the last airbender #atla

[icegoddessrukia]

And what do you have to say about Aang comparing Katara to Jet?

Oh wow, I don't want to get into TSR meta too much because it always goes around in circles and never ends well.

In his observation she seemed a little like Jet at first in how she was talking. From his perspective, she wanted revenge and there was some pure rage in her. I think he wanted to make her aware of how extreme he thought she was being and "snap her out of it" so that's why he said it, though he does empathize with her. Taking a life for revenge is a major deal for Aang and it is shocking for him. I could understand why Katara might have been offended when she heard that comment but I can also understand why he said the first thing that came to his mind. I'm not going to bash him for it.

Everyone in that conversation was only looking at it from their own perspective and that's why they were arguing so much. They all said some insensitive things in the moment. It's just that fandom only holds Katara and Aang accountable/practically demonizes them for their mistakes in TSR while giving Zuko (and Sokka, though he wasn't as insensitive as Zuko) a free pass.

Obviously, Katara isn't the same as Jet. It's a completely different context but he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Was it the best thing to say to her? No. He's not perfect. I don't think anyone in the Gaang fully understood how Katara felt or how deeply her emotions run but I will say, Aang tried. Yes, Sokka was her sibling and Aang experienced the genocide but Katara had a different personality type and way of coping with her own grief.

I'm sure Aang didn't literally mean that she's completely the same as Jet and he still allowed her to take Appa. He didn't try to stop her in the end and he understood her need to confront the guy. He just hoped that she wouldn't choose taking a life but he accepted that he had to let her make that choice for herself. I feel like regardless of what he said at first, if Aang genuinely thought she was being another Jet, he wouldn't have put so much of his faith and trust in her.

Aang wanted to protect Katara's morality and at the same time uphold his own values, Sokka was siding more with Aang because he is not as emotionally invested in it as Katara and is not supporting revenge (and also he probably, like Aang, was fearful that his sister was acting in a way that would end up traumatizing her in the end), Zuko has a more grey morality and sees nothing wrong with revenge. He also really just wanted to make Katara trust him at all cost even if it meant getting said revenge with her because of his own guilt/insecurities plaguing him. Zuko, especially at that time period had a need to make people like him and it bothered him that she just didn't.

#ATLA meta #The Southern Raiders #The Southern Raiders Meta #Aang #Katara #Pro-Aang #Pro-Katara #atla #After writing this I just realized there are parallels between this and Aang having to make a choice about killing Ozai #Just like Katara Aang was frustrated that not one person in the Gaang understood his POV #Much like Katara it was Aang's own journey he had to take without his friends #I know Katara went with Zuko but what I mean is ultimately the choice came down to her and no one could decide for her #These were the biggest decisions they each had to make

[starlight-bread-blog]

I've seen my fair share of Aang slander in my time in the zk fandom. I respect their opinion obviously, but every time without fail, I think:

The pictures below are of a very dangerous individual. He's morally bankrupt, bigoted and sources suggest he is, in fact, the Antichrist, bringing armageddon upon us. One might feel tempted to look away, to avoid witnessing this evil, but I wish to remind you, you need to be well informed – careful, to be exact – you need to know what he looks like.

#public enemy number 1 ladies and gentlemen #and the in-betweens #avatar aang #atla aang #aang my beloved #aang #the gaang #atla gaang #avatar gaang #gaang #team avatar #atla fandom #atla fandom problems #atla fandom critical #atla fandom salt #atla #a:tla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar #avatar the last airbender #pro aang

[nartml]

Genuinely can't wrap my head around any anti gaang takes, they all sound absolutely insane to me 😭

#atla #the gaang #like wdym you hate sokka or katara or aang or zuko or toph or suki? literally how. #and im not talking about criticizing some of their actions or like delivering any sort of even slightly negative feedback #i mean the most lovable thing about them is that they ARE fallible. they're not fucking perfect #but i mean. ive seen some vicious haters and i gotta tell you man they sound insane #katara #zuko #aang #sokka #toph #atla suki #pro zuko #pro katara #pro aang #pro toph #pro sokka #pro suki

[jasontoddssuper]

Media comprehension is watching Atla and knowing that not only is Katara not motherly towards Aang at all but that if anybody in the Gaang is a mom figure to Aang,it's Zuko(because she's trans)

#katara #aang #zuko #trans girl zuko #kataang #t4t kataang #pro kataang #kataang defense squad #aanglove #aang and zuko #atla geekery #t4t zukka #t4t maiko #t4t jetko #t4t ty luko #the gaang #trans women #💌 #letters from summer

[punkeropercyjackson]

If Zutara shippers ever try to tell you Zuko showed more interest in and would make a better couple than Katara than with Mai because of opposites attract and parallels,remind them that:

Ty Lee is a bubbly pink girl who's very overtly and shamelessly weird and silly,believes in optimism deeply and has a power based in painless nullifying

Has sibling based insecurities and trauma

Is very grafeul and good at making friends

Grew up with Azula and resents her for her 'perfection' but Ty Lee pretends to love it and genuinely does like things about her while Zuko is vocal about how much he hates her

She actually tried to flirt with Zuko with the classic 'I'm freezing!' to get him to put his arms around her and he looked at her with baby dragon eyes while saying 'I can make a fire' in softest goddamn voice ever

His idea of insulting her was to call her 'so pretty' and point out she can walk on her hands

On the same day,he also tried to give Mai a seashell because he thought she'd like it but she didn't and it cuts right to Ty Lee saying she loves it and using the exact word Zuko did as to why he assumed Mai would('pretty')

ALSO on the same day,they both got cornered into a pressuring question they didn't know the awnser to for emotional reasons and frantically said so before lashing out their powers in self-defense

And that these scenes exist

This is the time he ever sees Ty Lee interact with another guy onscreen and he immediately got pissed when they said they were inviting her to a party but not him.'I just realized she be looking at other guys y'all i can't breath' ass lmfao(Also not canon but you can't tell me Ty Lee isn't Air Nomad mixed and a sweet tooth to Zuko's spice addict c'mon)

#anti zutara #ty luko #t4t ty luko #pro ty luko #zuko #ty lee #katara #pro kataang #not anti maiko i just prefer lesbian mai(though they are not exclusive sonce i also frequently headcanon zuko as transfem) #punk katara #autistic zuko #transmasc zuko #trans ty lee #autistic ty lee #dadko #gaang member ty lee #atla geekery #💌 #also: #perlex #summerposting