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starlight-bread-blog · 2 days

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The Fortune in The Fortune Teller

This is an isolated look into this specific episode.

The Fortune Teller is the 14th episode of book 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is famous for supposedly developping the show's romantic subplot between Katara and A\ang. The episode does two things: A\ang attempts to flirt with Katara, and Katara is finally willing to consider him as more than just a friend.

However, I believe that this episode could have masterfully foreshadowed the pair not getting together in the end. In this essay I will detail how each step the episode takes towards a Kat@ang endgame is actually foreshadowing the opposite.

1. Katara and the Nature of Destiny

In the beginning, the Gaang meets a person getting attacked by a bear. He is acting incredibly passive, simply dodging the bear's attemps at his life. Then, A\ang and Appa interfere to help the man. When the Gaang questions him on why he was so passive, he says it's because the Fortune Teller told him he'd have a safe journey. They then have the following exchange:

The man's logic is obviously flawed. If the Gaang didn't interfere, if the man continued to passivaly dodge, the bear would have attacked him. Fortune and destiny come from agency – from actively shaping them.

However, Katara is delaited at the prospect of seeing the future. Her and the Gaang go to meet the Fortune Teller, Aunt Wu. Aunt Wu tells her she'll marry a very powerful bender. Later, she comes back asking more details about her future husband. Remember her excitment, fantacising about her future husband:

After that, Katara becomes somewhat reliant on Aunt Wu's prophecies. She goes as far as to ask her what she should eat.

And she obeys her "prophecy", despite not wanting to. She became like the man from the beginning. She knowingly follows the fortune even though it doesn't make sense. She had given up on forging her own destiny.

Although by the end of the episode, she is no longer in this state of reliance, she still believes in the prophecies. Then, Sokka says that A\ang is a very powerful bender. This reminds her of what Aunt Wu said about her future husband. I don't want to cherry pick, so I took 4 different pictures of her face when she realizes A\ang might be the powerful bender she is to marry:

With the look in her eyes, with her mouth tilted down and with the ominous music, this could easily be read as disappointment. Especially when remembering how she fantacized about the powerful bender earlier in the episode. She doesn't smile, but looks concerned. As if she doesn't want this. Earlier in the episode, she says this:

A\ang is like the papaya. The fortune says he's right for her, but Katara doesn't want him. Now, she isn't like the man, passively dodging the bear attacking her. She shouldn't sit and wait for the prophecy to come true point blank. She has the agency to shape her own destiny and not to choose A\ang as her future husband.

2. A\ang, Meng, and First Crushes

In this episode we're introduced to a girl named Meng. Aunt Wu told her she'd end up with someone like A\ang, and so she developped a one sided crush on him. Throughout the episode she attempts to talk to him, all to no avail. Because A\ang is not interested in her.

Interestingly, her one sided crush is directly paralleled to A\ang's crush on Katara.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Please note that in exhibits B and C in particular, there is an emphasis on the other party not reciprocating their feelings.

In this parallel the show draws, A\ang is Meng, the younger, shorter one the one who is in love; and Katara is A\ang, the older, taller one who... *checks notes*... doesn't reciprocate.

But in the end, A\ang and Meng have a heart-to-heart.

Sometimes you'll like someone, and they aren't going to feel the same way, and even though it's hard, it's okay. They're young, just kids having a crush. A\ang responds to this with "I know what you mean". Because he, just like the audience that watched the parallels, knows that Katara likely doesn't return his feelings.

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In conclusion, The Fortuneteller could have been brilliant foreshadowing to Kata\ang not being the endgame couple, and it would have done so through beautiful, mature lessons about first loves and destiny. Thank you for reading.

#anti kataang #zutara #atla critical #anti anti zutara #pro zutara #zutara analysis #zutara evidence #zutara forever #zutara meta #zutara nation #zutara should have been canon #zutar #zutara supremacy #zuko x katara #katara x zuko #katara #meng

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sapphic-agent · 8 days

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Meanwhile:

We big chillin

#anti kataang #anti kataang shippers #zutara friendly #kataang shippers don't LISTEN #and then attack you when you disagree with them #you can give them direct contextual evidence #and they'll still refuse to accept that canon kataang screwed over katara massively #and aang for that matter #for mfs who claim to love aang so much kataang shippers are keen on the canon choices that stopped him from growing maturing and healing #and let's not talk about the mfs who claim to love katara and outright deny her established character traits to fit the kataang natrative #katara deserved better #harutara

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longing-for-rain · 1 month

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I think it’s funny how people point to the existence of female kataang stans as proof that kataang isn’t written for the male gaze when every female kataang stan I’ve interacted with has said something to the effect of “but he’s so nice, he wouldn’t have done something like that” to dismiss his blatant violation of Katara’s boundaries on screen. It is unfortunately not uncommon for women to flock to the defense of male interests.

#do you realize how many times real sa victims hear things like this?#female kataang stans are like those women who try to convince you men have it just as hard #and say things like ‘it was just one little touch is it really worth ruining his life over?’#again do you know how common it is for sa victims to hear this?#how they are wrong for feeling hurt because the perpetrator was ‘good’ or ‘traumatized’ or ‘didn’t know better’?#i see you #atla #anti kataang #aang critical #katara deserved better #not to mention kataang was a fantasy of two men from 2005 #whereas zutara by contrast was primarily conceptualized by women #and back when being openly misogynistic was still acceptable #the fact that zutara was most popular among women and girls was used as evidence of it being inferior

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the-badger-mole · 11 months

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I feel like I don't harp on Aang's lack of leadership skills enough. I can already hear people cracking their knuckles to type out some long diatribe about how it's unfair to judge Aang's leadership because he's a kid. Let me stop you right there. As with his lack of respect for consent and his lack of preparation to deal with Ozai, his age is irrelevant because the framing of Aang would have us believe that he's right. The show wants us, the audience, to see Aang as clever and wise beyond his years. To say I can't be too hard on Aang because he's a child flies directly in the face of what the writers intended. So, step away from the keyboard and let me finish, alright?

Bet.

When I think of Aang as a leader, the episode that comes to mind is The Great Divide. Someone recently brought this up to me as an example of Aang being a Trickster type. I disagree. I think Aang is more of an Innocent than a Trickster, but I get how someone might see him as either *. It doesn't make him a great leader, in any case. In fact, it supports my theory that he's a bad leader. His actions in TGD show that he is far more interested in taking the easy way out than in any real sort of conflict resolution, which in a world looking for guidance post war is...not a great attitude to have. This is the most egregious example of his lack of conflict resolution skills, but it's not the only example of this. He also looks for the easy fix when Katara and Toph are fighting (although, this is interestingly actually framed as a misstep for him. A box of Mars bars to Bryke for that, I guess). It would be fine if this was acknowledged as a short-coming in him, but the way TGD ends, it's supposed to make Aang look clever. (P.S. there's NO way those groups didn't go right back to fighting, because that's not how conflict works).

Bryke could have left that alone and just have more examples of Aang being a good leader in the rest of the series or in the comics, but seeing as they don't seem to understand why Aang isn't the wonderful person they frame him to be, I get why there's not a whole lot of growth in him. Speaking of the comics, remember that time that Aang jumped on board with anti-miscegenation without considering the consequences? Remember how the only reason he changed his mind is because he would be personally affected by it? Yeah...

So, in the comics, Aang meets a group of wanna be Acolytes who studied Air Nomad customs and wanted to actually live them out. They shaved their heads and painted on some tattoos, and Aang was all about it...until he realized that it wasn't paint, they had actually gotten the tattoos, and at that point, he feels insulted. Mind you, he wasn't insulted about his culture being used as cosplay. He was mad that they misunderstood the significance of the tattoos and in their misguided attempts they did something they weren't supposed to. I'm not saying he was wrong to be upset, per se, I'm just saying that cultural appropriation is probably something that the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender are out of their depths on. Well, this incident sours him on the idea of mixing cultures and in his anger, he jumps right to anti-miscegenation.

Let me repeat that. Avatar Aang, who is supposed to represent all peoples, got angry at some well-intentioned, but severely misguided girls, and decided that the solution would be to support policies that would literally tear apart families. Then he only walked that back because he wouldn't be able to keep Katara. It wasn't him realizing how much damage he would do to other people. It wasn't him understanding that the issue he's trying to solve requires more delicate handling than simply saying "everyone go back to where you came from". It was his selfishness that saved the day (sort of? I think annexing a part of the Earth Kingdom to make pseudo-New York was...questionable at best).

These are the two biggest, if not only examples of the type of leader Aang is. In both cases, his solution had more to do with him, his personal convenience, his feelings, than any thought of how best serve the people looking to him to lead. They are not presented as issues with his leadership, highlighting the ways he needs to grow into his role. The solutions he comes up with are presented as examples of his cleverness and wisdom, but actually, they just show how he leads based on what's best for him. The people of Planet Avatar ** are subject to Aang's whims and how much work he feels like putting in on a given day. But the people he's leading are supposed to think he's a Big Dang Hero. In a better written story, this would be the beginning of a villain arc.

*(btw, it is still The Year of Content ™️©️®️, so probably expect another post in the future about why I think Aang is more in line with the Innocent than the Trickster. Maybe. We'll see...)

** (is there a name for that world in the fandom? Can we come up with one? Planet Avatar is incredibly lame.)

#atla #anti aang #avatar aang is bad at his job #and the narrative doesn't seem interested actually improving him #they just want us to accept that he's a good leader #without any evidence of his leadership skills #for anyone who thinks i ONLY hate aang because of zutara #nuh-uh!!!#i also hate him for being a a boring poorly written character who the writers tried to trick me into believing was tH3 r3@L h3R0000 🙄#as if #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

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bidisasterforzutara · 1 year

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People are saying royai isn’t canon now…Jesus Christ

#fmab #fullmetal alchemist #royai #i thought we all considered them canon??? wtf happened #first y’all say zutara isn’t canon #which…ok I understand #i guess #but FUCKING ROYAI??!!!#the couple that is LITERALLY CONFIRMED to be canon???#like why do y’all think a couple needs to suck face in order to be canon #but the author never said they’re together!1!1 newsflash but the author’s words don’t mean shit #if there’s canonical evidence in the show itself #then they ARE CANON #it’s the same logic I use with zk #and didn’t she only say they weren’t married???#basically admitting they’re a couple???#like idk ab y’all but that’s all the confirmation I need

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zutarawasrobbed · 2 months

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Oma & Shu parallel: Scarf

There’s been a long-standing theory in the Zutara fandom that Zuko and Katara are the reincarnation of Oma and Shu. I wanted to add evidence from the live action that confirms it.

I would like to point out the slow motion of when Katara passes him, and he reaches out for the scarf. He looks mesmerized, as if he’s getting lost in a memory. He then proceeds to follow her.

In episode 4, we hear the story of Oma and Shu, and I noticed something very familiar in one of the designs. Oma wears a prominent scarf that flows behind her, just like Katara’s did when she walked by.

This scene is filmed and directed to draw our attention to Zuko’s fixation on the scarf and Katara herself. The slow-motion sequence of Katara walking by, her scarf flowing behind her, and Zuko reaching out to touch the scarf, is highly charged.

My theory for his reaction is that he sees a scarf similar to one he wore in his past life on his reincarnated lover, flowing the same way it used to on him, only this time it’s in her color instead of his. Something in his subconscious tells him to reach out and follow her, and I highly doubt it was simply because of his motivations to capture the Avatar.

*Edit:

I will make a longer more detailed post in the coming days, but I would like to point this out before then. Think of this as a synopsis.

#we ride for scarf #scarfgate #also #let’s go lesbians!!#zutara #already starting my metas #back on my bs #avatar the last airbender #spoilers #atla live action

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wilcze-kudly · 17 days

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I think the reason I'm a bit iffy about most zutara shippers who call themesleves "pro Katara" (and lets be honest the tags pro katara/katara deserved better are mainly people building themselves a moral highground of "if you disagree with me, you clearly dilslike Katara and want her to suffer") is just the hypocrisy of it all.

Katara's consent was violated by Aang, yes. But Zuko threatening her and being a fucking creep in the "I'll save you from the pirates" scene was sexy and not at all the nightmare of any sane woman.

Katara's role as a healer is treated as her acting subservient and her loosing her feminist icon status. Unless she's healing/offering to heal Zuko.

Aang is immature and childish. But we will handily ignore Zuko, a whole ass 16 year old who's heir to a country throwing a temper tantrum because his girlfriend dared to speak to another man. [Frankly, in my opinion, Zuko isn't really ready for a serious romantic relationship, but yall arent ready for that conversation]

Aang is supposedly misogynistic, but Zuko's many instances of actual misogyny are swept under the rug. Aang is shown in canon to be incredibly supportive of Katara defying the patriarchy.

Supposedly Aang makes Katara do all the housework. Despite there being evidence to the contrary. Zuko has just recently learnt to brew tea.

Katara being the Avatar's wife is supposedly degrading. But if she were Zuko's wife, I'm sure she wouldn't be just a baby maker. (What a horribke thing to call a woman btw. Tall call your own mothers baby makers too???) Despite the fact that Izumi's mother hasn't even been mentioned by name in tlok. But yeah. She'd be afforded the respect she deserves I'm certain.

Aang is, on most accounts, supportive and respectful of Katara's opinions, even when he disagrees with them. Zuko openly mocks people who oppose him. I am going to make a longer post on the Southern Raiders episodes and how all of you watched that episode blindfolded or smth.

Aang comparing Appa being kidnapped (his last connection to his genocided people, the last vestige of his happy past) to Katara's anger over her mother is bad. But Zuko comparing mommy leaving his ass to Katara's mother getting brutally slaughtered in front of her ? Silence.

Aang supposedly needs Katara to mother him and that's a bad thing. But Azula, Mai and Ty Lee having to gentle parent Zuko almost everytime they interact is never talked about, despite the uncalled for verbal abuse that trio goes through from him.

Aang and Katara's 2 year age gap is creepy. But Zuko and Katara's 2 year age gap is fine. My bigest gripe with Zutara lovers is them completely erasing Katara's childishness and immaturity, in order for her and Zuko to have this mature, sexy relationship. She's 14, guys. 14.

This post really isn't meant to decry Zutara. I just want people who ship Zutara to get off their high horse of feminism and to accept that they're no better than the rest of us ship loving freaks. Wanting the main girl to bump uglies with the broody emo twink doesn't make you a modern day suffragette. Disliking a main canon pairing isn't a measure of your love for a female character.

Grow up.

Enjoy your ship like a normal person.

#caring for zutara doesn't equal caring for katara sit down #anti zutara #pro kataang #pro aang #pro katara #<this is the stupudest tag known to man #anti zuko #i didn't mean for it to come off like that but oh well #avatar #katara #aang #zuko

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punkeropercyjackson · 1 month

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I do NOT think it's fair for Zutara shippers to hate Zukka for a chunk of the fandom popularizing bad tropes and being mean-spirited like sorry not sorry but you're calling EVERY Zukka shipper misogynistic racists and queerphobes as if you're not the ones who came up with 'Fire Lady Katara' and 'Momtara x Dadko' and mocked Aang for trying to emphasize with Katara's mom dying with her by comparing it to him and Appa being the only living beings from what happened to the Air Nomads and call him all sorts of vile appalling shit that should NEVER be said about a fucking 12 year old because he's feminine and silly and not the perfect love interest 24/7 and takes pride in his tibetan heritage AND stripped Katara of all her accomplishments and nonconformity and layers and anarchism because you see her as worthless if she's not Zuko's arm candy while also making degrading comments about her sex life because she had kids with a guy you don't like with added anti-biracial kids propaganda as a bonus AND are so unsympathetic to Mai because she's Zuko but a girl so you're not into her that you unironically think she's a wench plus don't even actually care about Mailee seeing as it has way more evidence than Zutara on every level yet you only see them as a sidedish to prove you don't hate women AND even Zuko dosen't get speared because mans deadass ended the series with everything he'd ever wanted INCLUDING being a better dad than Ozai was to him to AANG but none of it matters apperantly because he choose what was best for himself after 16 years straight of abuse instead of some random ass crush you THINK he had for not even technically a year.You do NOT get to talk shit about Zukka stans,they're just a normal noncanon mlm ship fanbase with a small side of bad eggs,Zutaras are an entire rotten eggs ile from a supermarket that's been abandoned for almost 20 years because it never actually opened but old people who complain about 'kids these days' keep thinking it'll open one day despite it being announced a million times it never would and saying it's elder abuse in response

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geegers22 · 28 days

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Some Zukka shippers need to understand that “Zutara shippers spend so much time arguing that their ship should be canon. Zukka shippers don’t care if our ship is canon or not because we’re above the ship wars” isn’t the sick burn they think it is.

Like YEAH obviously. Zukka is a ship that has almost no standing in canon in the first place. So many Zukka shippers admit that they are drawn towards the dynamic because they just like to see the characters together (there’s nothing wrong with liking a ship for this reason).

But the entire reason that Zutara is still as popular today as it was 15 years ago is because the narrative strongly suggests that it would be canon. If ATLA was a bottle, many Zutara shippers believe that the wrong cap was screwed on in its final moments.

Zukka is a ship that is not backed by the narrative while Zutara is heavily backed by the narrative. So of course our conversations are going to revolve around different topics.

It’s not “above the ship wars” to complain about Zutara shippers gathering too much evidence that our ship should be canon, it’s actually inserting yourself into the ship wars.

#it’s just a dumb argument #good because you wouldn’t be able to win the canon argument anyways #ship whoever tf you want #I don’t care #just stop saying you’re better than us #cause we like to talk about the canonical potential of our ship #zutara #pro zutara #anti anti zutara #anti zukka #anti zukka shippers #atla

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starlight-bread-blog · 15 hours

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My Interpetation of The Southern Raiders: Part 1 – A\ang

Warning: The views expressed in this analysis will be very critical of Aang. If you aren't critical of him in this episode, you aren't going to enjoy this post. This is your chance to leave. I probably won't have a debate for personal reasons.

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The Southern Raiders is probably one of the most discussed episodes in the fandom. Everyone knows Zuko Alone is great, but the discussion surrounding this episode is a war zone. In this essay I will try to answer every question posed in the discourse. This is part 1 out of three. In this part, I will discuss A\ang. I believe that understanding both Zuko and Aang's decisions in this episode will give us great insight into Katara's. Because the this episode is hers.

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1. Is Aang's philosophy of forgiveness valid?

(1) "Revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself".

(2) "You do have a choice: forgiveness". // "It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive". // "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing".

This philosophy is indeed morally sound. Revenge comes from rage, a negative emotion that causes harm in the long run. Forgiveness is letting go of that rage, which is healing. I cannot write a full thesis, this essay is not about that. But on paper, I do agree with A\ang. He's right to say that letting go of rage is a better alternative than getting consumed by it. (However, his philosophy might not help some).

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2. Was A\ang being insensitive when talking to Katara?

First I must reiterate, a lot of people frame the conflict of the episode as one regarding the ethics of murder. In my interpretation, it is not. During this episode Katara was in a deeply emotional place. Her rage stemmed from intense grief and those around her should treat her as a mourner - with great sensitivity.

Now, was Aang being this sensitive with Katara? Well, in my opinion, very much so.

Imagine a scenario where A\ang just happens to meet Haru, and he's about to go on a quest to find revenge on who imprisoned his father. He tries to help him with the following sentences:

(1) Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?

(2) Wait! Stop! I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?

(3) I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge.

(4) Haru, you sound like Jet.

(5) The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself.

(6) Haru, you do have a choice: forgiveness.

(7) No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive.

(8) You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing.

Everything makes sense, right? The pieces fit.He just talks about his cultura\personal values, nothing about what Katara needs at the moment. He could have had this exact conversation with Haru without changing a thing.

Therefore his lines are impersonal and thus preachy. In this conversation he doesn’t show signs of trying to convince Katara not to end her mother’s killer because she is, fundamentally, a good person and couldn’t live having committed murder. He shows signs of trying to make her obey his cultural ethos. This is highly insensitive. Katara was in a very emotional place, filled with rage and grief. And his response was, intentionally or not, to impose his own cultural principles onto her.

But his lines weren’t insensitive just because they were preachy, some of them were judgmental and even harsh. When A\ang is first confronted with Katara’s intentions, he says:

A\ang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?

You can tell from his tone and how the rest of the conversation plays out that he does know what Katara thinks this will accomplish. He asks the question as a form of disapproval - that he thinks that going after Yon Rha won’t accomplish anything. He’s not being genuine, he’s casting judgment on her. He’s almost looking down on her and Zuko, looking down from a moral high ground and sarcastically interrogating the two. Another line that sticks out is

A\ang: Katara, you sound like Jet.

He says she sounds like the man who wanted to flood an entire village full of innocent civilians. He’s insulting her, and greatly so, all the while wanting to keep a moral high ground. This is incredibly rude and condescending.

In the next scene, right after the intense argument concludes, it appears as though A\ang comes around to the journey Katara was about to go through.

A\ang: I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man.But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.

While he’s still discouraging Katara, it’s not outright condescending. But it’s as clear as day that he’d just preferred if she didn’t go on the journey at all. When he sees Zuko and Katara taking Appa to find Yon Rha, he says:

A\ang: So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?

Clearly disapproving of Katara. He doesn’t want her to go on the journey to find inner peace, he wants her to forgive the man who killed her mother right here and right now. He couldn’t change her mind on the subject, so he’ll advise her the next best thing. It is worth noting that in the beginning, before he advises her, he cracks a joke.

A\ang: It's okay, because I forgive you. [Pauses.] That give you any ideas?

Overall, A\ang’s behavior is unsympathetic and callous.Instead of placing his focus on Katara’s wellbeing, he preaches about Air Nomad teachings and goes as far as insulting her. Even when he comes around, it’s not because he realized his mistakes, it’s because he knew he couldn’t change her mind. And then he makes a humorous remark while giving him his supposed new found advice. The answer is: Yes. Aang was very insensitive when talking to Katara.

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3. Did A\ang know what Katara needed?

I don’t think he did. A\ang thought Katara needed to forgive Yon Rha, and as we previously established, without going after him. But even if we look at his second advice, she still doesn’t follow it.

A\ang: This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. [Katara situates herself on Appa's head.] But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.

Katara explicitly didn’t forgive Yon Rha, and yet the whole point of the ending is that she’s in a better place now. No matter what Zuko says, A\ang didn’t know what Katara needed. And considering that his lines in the episode were as impersonal as they were, it isn’t a surprise.

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In conclusion, A\ang’s behavior in The Southern Raiders is questionable at best. He might have had pure intentions, and had a good message, but the way he put out the message was degrading and preachy. And in the end, he didn’t know what was the right thing for Katara.

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festivalofthe12 · 2 months

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I truly do believe that if Zuko was canonically 2 years younger or Aang 2 years older Zukaang would have been a generation-defining slash ship. Like literally unavoidable anywhere you look in the fandom. The Zukaang/Zutara/Kataang ship wars would have been UNBELIEVABLE and to this day shippers would argue over whether it was deliberate queerbaiting and pointing to that holding hands panel in the comic as evidence that it's canon.

#'zukaang walked so korrasami could run' they'd say #it's so funny how I first watched the show when I was around Aang's age so the age diff just. didn't occur to me lol #until it was pointed out to me when I was in uni??#and ever since then like... I can't unsee it. but I can push past that when there's so much to gain by doing so!!#zukaang #not sure why I decided to make this my first post of this blog yet here we are

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sokkastyles · 1 month

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The Zuko/Zutara antis are so wrapped up in their "Zuko's a colonizer" and other such arguments that they completely miss the message of the actual show entirely, which is that anyone can do good and evil, and that people can change and grow. And somehow, Zuko has the best arc in the show about taking accountability and learning to be better, but also he can never move on from his past actions and must be defined by them always, and no matter what he does to make up for it, he'll always be a colonizer or a racist or something. It's almost funny. But just almost.

They're also missing the best part of Zuko's redemption, which is that it's not a situation of Zuko being the exception to the rule or the victims of colonialism having to learn to see the good in him without him actually having to change first and prove it with his actions. And that is actually the most evident in his relationship with Katara, because she's the last one he has to prove himself to.

I also think antis forget that Katara, as much as she was the last to trust him, was also the first to initially trust Zuko. She was so angry at him because she wanted to trust him. This isn't one of those situations where the burden is on Katara to forgive. Katara felt personally hurt by Zuko because she wanted and chose to trust him before. She listened to him when he offered to make it up to her because she wanted a relationship with him. Whether platonic or romantic, Katara wanted a relationship with Zuko. That's completely antithetical to colonialist apologia because Katara gets to define when and if and how they have a relationship.

#zutara #the discourse

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zutarasbuff · 2 months

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Found this somewhere on Tumblr, it infuriated me to a great extent and forced me to crush the “coloniser-colonial romance” accusation against the Zutara nation. For this, you need to read everything quite carefully that will be presented to you.

So people who accuse Zutara use this narrative that Zuko had a princely life as a colonizer, unlike Katara. Now look at the ground reality:

Katara’s mother Kya lied to Yon Rha that she was the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe to save her daughter. A similar act was done by Ursa (Zuko’s mother) who killed Firelord Azulon with her potion as part of her deal with Ozai to save the life of her son Zuko and got banished eventually. That makes us come to one certain conclusion:

Both Zuko and Katara spent greater part of their life without their mothers and this impacted their childhood badly as we find them dealing with the trauma of loss even after they hit puberty.

As if the absence of a mother was not enough, when Hakoda (Katara’s father) leaves with the fleet for the war, it’s almost the same time when we find Ozai getting immersed in attacking other nations, so much so that he’s never there for both of his children. Technically speaking, even if Ozai was there physically, he was never emotionally available for his children being a narcissistic father.

I would say that Zuko had the worst childhood experience as compared to Katara because Katara had a brother who always supported his sister in dealing with the trauma, but we don’t see that in the case of Zuko whose own sister used to bully him right from the childhood for being too weak and the mom’s pet.

Now let’s analyze the colonizer part. Unfortunately, Zuko was born to a father who was not just the worst ruler but an equally worse son, brother, husband, and father. One can say that Zuko’s only fault was to hail from a wrong family but other than that, he was never a colonizer. You may ask why. I will give you a reason.

It’s not just Katara who has to bear the ill effects of the war that was imposed on her, but in many ways Zuko was a direct victim of what we call “Emotional Imperialism”. In psychology, it’s a condition where the colonizers not just physically take control of their colonies, but they start infusing their ideals deep into the mentality of their subjects as well.

Coming back to the case of Zuko, we find that he never gets to formulate the normal father-son relationship with Ozai, rather Ozai treats both his children as his humble subjects who need to obey him unquestionably and need to be perfect as his subjects. He’s in every sense not just a narcissistic parent but a controlling one as well who emotionally traps both his children and wants to rule over them at every cost. The apparent manifestation of this emotional imperialism is evident through:

Zuko’s quest to be the best firebender

When the colonizers start ruling over a certain colony, it’s the colonials who feel the need to be validated by their masters. It’s their first survival strategy that they embrace the change as they know resistance is going to be of no use. They simply adapt themselves to the new ideals that are set forth by their ruling masters. Similarly, Ozai always wanted his children to be the absolute embodiment of Azulon’s great bloodline and both his children obliged to his desires because they feared the firelord. Therefore, his stiff standards force both his children to compete against each other from a very young age. This is the worst form of emotional imperialism where the subjects simply want some validation in return and therefore they are ready to even forget their kinship. That’s what we find as Zuko repeatedly wants to “get his honor back and win the trust of his father”. What do you think this honor is? It’s not the quest for being the next heir to the throne, rather it’s being the absolute best in the eyes of the master who controls both the siblings. We know Ozai has a manipulative nature and this relates exactly to the manipulative attitude of a colonizer who puts the colonials against each other.

Zuko’s almost absent friend circle

Have you ever seen the modus operandi of the colonizers? They alienate their subjects so that the subjects find no way of self-expression and eventually give up to the demands of their masters. That’s exactly the scenario that propagates in Zuko’s life. Other than Mai and Ty Lee we don’t even find his friends throughout the series. Isn’t it a bit strange that despite being a prince, he has no guy friend of his age? He has no friends at all. It’s because the master (Ozai) wanted so. The siblings never get much exposure to the outside world. When we draw a comparison of Zuko’s situation, then Katara seems to be at an advantage in that she found a peer group that allowed her to grow further and overcome her insecurities. Zuko, however never got a chance to blend into an actual peer group and that kept him secluded throughout and gave him his introverted persona. Don’t you find it strange that as a friend Zuko got no one but his uncle who had a lot of age differences and the opinions differed too? This created a rift further maybe because Zuko felt that somehow his feelings were not interpreted well by Uncle Iroh. Compared to his “angry guy” persona, he grows a lot more friendly when he finds the gang or should we say people of his age. This allows him to understand his persona in a constructive way and he strives to alter the course of his life afterwards.

Identity crisis

Out of all the characters on ATLA, people often say that Zuko is the one with the most complex attributes because he is not even sure of his “destiny”. Sounds familiar? Eh? Well, this is the typical case of an identity crisis existing in the subjects of a colony. Zuko goes through this phase where he is always striving hard to explore his identity, and his destiny thus fueling his internal rage as well. A kaleidoscopic journey is what he follows. Sometimes it’s rage, sometimes regret and sometimes he even questions the actions of his father. By the end, his driving force to change his alliances is nothing but this very identity crisis. This makes me remember a very interesting observation that whenever he’s near the gang, he’s a bit cranky and at the same time uneasy because he looks at the gang as the polar opposite of himself. To a caged bird who has accepted his fate, even the slightest call of resistance feels like Hades’ call and that’s why he repeatedly aims to avoid Aang’s calls for forming a friendship because he is afraid of peeking into his resisting side. That’s the typical thing you find in Haru who despite being a fine earthbender resists waging a war against the firebenders who roam freely in his village at first. So would you blame Zuko for never resisting the colonization when as a subject it was inherent to his mentality for a long time?

A harsh realisation

People who degrade Zutara with this stupid claim that Katara was the only one who “lost everything” need to get their brains checked thoroughly because when we compare her loss to the magnitude of the loss faced by Zuko at the end of the war, the comparing scale diverts wildly in Zuko’s favor. Though many of you know this; I will recall it for you again. Katara lost her mother to the war but in the end, she got lifelong friends to cherish with her brother as well father. On the contrary, even during the war, we find that Zuko loses not only his mother, his father, and his sister in the worst possible way. It means all his family members are lost to him in every sense when the war ends. Now some of you will come to me with the argument that the gang eventually finds Ursa back but how? With her memories all erased. It means that the war has not just left him with permanent emotional wounds but it has further taken the very idea of a family from his life.

We zutarians never ship Zutara together because we “just find them good together” but it’s deeper than that. It’s because Zuko was the one who understood Katara’s quest for Yon Rha in order to find answers behind her mother’s death in addition to revenge. This is because deep down he was always looking for the answers of his mother’s (who was the only real person known to him) banishment. That’s exactly what we find after Zuko becomes the firelord. The first thing he does is asking Ozai questions and being certain that he’s finally gonna tell everything. We ship them together because Katara was the only person who understood the value of Zuko jumping in front of Azula’s lightning to save her. We ship them together because we believe if it had become a potential canon, maybe both of them could have helped each other in healing with their individual traumas and creating a real family together.

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turboacek-blog · 3 months

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Random: I wouldn’t mind Katara x Zuko and Aang x Toph in the Netflix adaptation

So with the Netflix live-action Avatar series coming out soon, I figured I should get this thought out the way

Back when it was first announced I remember they said they were going to slightly age up Katara so that she would be essentially Zuko’s age and Aang would still be 12 (112) basically instead of her being 14 she would be 16 like Zuko

And people speculated that it’s because they want to do Zutara (Zuko x Katara)

Amongst a number of other changes that’s has been revealed in the pre show premiere life cycle like the recent info they’re getting rid of Sokka’s sexism

I’ve mentioned it before but I’ve became neutral on remakes and reboots and such

Which includes changing things from the original is fine as the original still exists

It’ll be ininteresting how they handle it as the original show had a sizeable focus on Aang liking Katara and I can see it shifting to just being friends but it would also change a lot of scenes involving the two as the Gaang's dynamic is the way it was because one of the threads is that Aang and Katara had the romance aspect

And without it, you will need to sell their friendship in a different way which can be fun with a more platonic take but I think it has to be done well as Aang getting upset he can hurt Katara with fire bending or just the Haru and Jet situations are different if there isn’t a potential romance brewing

And might be worse if it’s fully one-sided as in Aang still has a crush but Katara doesn’t like him in that way at all, which ties into the other ship's angle

Katara x Zuko

It can work, I don’t think the people who shipped them were just crazy fans putting two characters together, there’s evidence

But without the Aang influence, it can be weird if not handled well let alone how they handled a character like Mai

Aang x Toph

I think when people mention this, it’s mostly because she’s the only one who would likely still be in his age range meaning she's the most realistic option if Katara and side characters are off the table

And you can pull it off I think, from Aang being Toph’s first friend, and the mentor-student dynamic can be tweaked plus they also have an opposites attract dynamic like Zutara. And reshift the crush Toph had on Sokka and Zuko to Aang it's possible

I just think it’s a case of they would have to truly commit and not tease too much / if it gets some backlash don't double back to the original canon pairs as you would basically be a season behind

Like don’t still do AangxKatara stuff if they are really going to do ZukoxKatara as the endgame

2/2/24 edit:

@vibee2001 let me know the Katara aging up was a rumor and she's more than likely still going to be 14, while Sokka and Zuko are aged up 1 year so most of what I said doesn't matter lol

But since they have said it's going to lean more into the drama genre I think a lot of what I said can still be applied to leaning towards drama by having different pairings and such and the general they are making changes to some elements of the story like characters

#avatar #avatar the last airbender #atla #zutara #aang x katara #zuko x katara #aang x toph #netflix #netflix avatar #aang #avatar aang #katara #zuko #toph beifong #taang

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juju-or-anya · 2 months

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I ship Zutara and I don't believe Aang is the Antichrist, despicable, misogynistic, depraved, or an abuser, as many paint him to be.

Let's dive deeper into the vast ocean of analysis regarding Zutara shipping and the complexities of the Avatar characters!

Exploring the Reasons Behind My Preference for Zutara and Zuko as the Best Option for Katara:

If you ask me why I choose Zutara and Zuko for Katara, it's a tale of dense and multifaceted layers. While I respect the idea that Katara could have progressed as a character while single, the reality is, if I must choose a partner for her, my heart leans toward Zuko.

From a young age, Katara is forced to assume adult and maternal roles due to circumstances. At 14, 15, and 16, she becomes the mother figure of the group, a dynamic that exposes her to something called parentification. This phenomenon, where a child assumes adult and motherly roles, deeply concerns me, especially when imposed on racialized girls (but that's a topic for another post). However, she's not alone in this journey. Sokka also carries this burden, assuming the role of tribe leader, protector of his sister, and head of the tribe in a world torn by war.

However, while Katara is drawn into the premature motherhood of the group, Zuko emerges as a figure of redemption. Although initially presented as an antagonist, his evolution throughout the series reveals layers of complexity and redemption. The friendship and relationship he develops with Katara represent an opportunity for both to escape predefined roles and find equality in their companionship.

Aang's Pedestal and Katara's Complexity: A Profound Reflection

Katara, like any human being, is not perfect. She has a series of flaws and weaknesses that are part of her nature. However, Aang seemed to ignore these imperfections, focusing on an idealized vision of her. What happens when Katara doesn't fit this pedestal? Aang tries to mold her according to his own beliefs and perspectives.

Take, for example, the advice about forgiveness that Aang offered Katara, specifically regarding Yon Rha. It's commendable that Aang advocates for forgiveness, but when Katara expressed her decision not to forgive, Aang didn't simply accept that choice. Instead of respecting her unique perspective on forgiveness, Aang insisted on changing her viewpoint.

This behavior is also evident in moments like the non-consensual kiss in the play episode or the lack of space for Katara to express her own feelings in "The Day of Black Sun." These are uncomfortable situations that should not be overlooked and shed light on the complexity of the relationship between Aang and Katara.

Katara: More than "The Avatar's Girl"

Another aspect I want to address is the concept of "The Avatar's Girl." I detest how this term has influenced perceptions of Katara. Despite being a formidable waterbending master and a powerful warrior, she is reduced to this stereotype that does not do justice to her true identity.

It is crucial to remember that this is the result of decisions made by writers and does not reflect the richness and depth of Katara's personality. She should not be defined by her relationship with Aang or her role as "The Avatar's Girl." She is more than that, with unique abilities and complexity beyond simple labels.

Conclusion: Exploring the Complexity of Relationships in Avatar

In conclusion, the relationship between Aang and Katara is multifaceted. Recognizing the imperfections and complexities is essential to appreciate the depth of these characters. Aang, although inherently good, also shows problematic aspects that deserve discussion.

The concept of "The Avatar's Girl" underscores the importance of challenging stereotypes and allowing characters like Katara to develop more fully and authentically.

Now, let's delve into the second topic:

Do I really believe that Aang is the most despicable being, worthy of hatred and condemnation? A misogynist, abuser, harasser, who deserves eternal punishment just because he obstructs my favorite ship and is the antichrist?

The answer is a resounding NO!

Look Aang in the eye and tell me he is pure evil, DARE YOU!

Throughout the story, Aang emerges as a pure being, whose character development evolves as he trains to become a great Avatar. Despite facing the darkness of the world, his losses, and the wounds he suffers, Aang continues to maintain unwavering faith that everything will be okay and that the world can be a better place. His beautiful and innocent glow, that childlike animation, sets him apart in a context where young characters are growing up amid war.

I observe the young characters in the show, like Sokka, Katara, Suki, Toph, Azula, among others; they are all children of war, forged by the conflict surrounding them. The emotions, decisions, and thoughts of these characters are inevitably influenced by war. Sokka is shaped by the war-torn context in which he grew up, just like Katara, Toph, Zuko, and Azula. The war determines their identities, regardless of which side they are on.

However, Aang is an exception to this rule. His first 12 years pass in peace, living without the shadow of a war that could affect his life, his personality, his beliefs, his innocence, and his morals. If Aang had been born amid war, his being would probably have evolved differently, perhaps leading him to more extreme actions like killing Ozai. But no, Aang refuses to kill Ozai because it goes against his moral principles.

It is true that Aang has his moments of tantrum and questionable behaviors, which are completely understandable given that he is a 12-year-old child. Unlike other characters like Sokka, Toph, Katara, and Zuko, Aang's destiny is practically set in stone. He is supposed to stop the war, defeat the Fire Nation, or perish in the attempt, having to wait for the next Avatar cycle. This weight on his shoulders is overwhelming for a child.

Aang also experiences moments of "micro-machismo," something we all possess to some extent, even the most deconstructed feminists. This is due to his upbringing in a society that, due to the era and other factors, influenced his perspective. But we see how Aang grows, progresses as a character and person. Although it is not right for Aang to get angry when Katara does not understand his feelings or to kiss her without her consent, I do not consider him an abuser, as some Zutara fans suggest.

I believe that if they had allowed both Aang and Katara to truly grow, giving them real time to develop as independent and adult individuals, I would have liked them much more.

So, let's clarify, I don't dislike them; I don't ship them, but I don't dislike them either. If you like them, that's fine. I firmly believe that everyone is free to ship what they want, without the need to discredit or diminish the ship they don't support. And this goes for fans of Kataang, Zutara,

Zukka, or any other ship from different books, movies, or TV shows. Freedom and respect for all shippers!

I edit and add:

They won't convince me easily. Korra is not canon. Aang would never be a bad father, and Katara wouldn't allow it either. Katara tears off his testicles and makes him swallow them before allowing Aang to be a bad father to all of his children. I understand that Aang has a special relationship with Tenzin, since he inherited his mastery of air, but don't try to fool me. Aang is an amazing father, and nothing will change my opinion on that, not even Korra.

Add something else that I forgot:

If Zuko and Katara were to have a romantic relationship, of course it would hurt Aang, because he is in love with Katara, but he would never ever get angry with either of them, because both Katara and Zuko are his family. and Aang loves his family. Stop calling the baby evil

#zuko x katara #zutara #pro aang #love for aang #I will fight tooth and nail to defend Aang #avatar the last airbender #avatar aang #aang #katara #zuko #katara x zuko #sokka #atla suki #toph beifong #azula

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rifari2037 · 1 month

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This post quite funny to me.

No offense for Zvkka fandom, but there's a reason why this ship don't have a lot of essays and meta analysis even though it's popular. This ship exist just for fun, nothing more than that.

Essays and meta analysis not really necessary because this ship has no evidence whatsoever that it will become canon. Like, what do you want to proof if it's just two random characters you ship?

In case of Zutara (because it seems like this post is satirizing Zutara, or maybe not), I think all Zutaran are aware that Zutara just fanon and we ship Zutara just for fun too. But, we also have many reason why we stand with this ship, not only they looks good together.

Essays and meta-analysis make our reasons valid, while we put proofs from the show because we're not making this up. Beside, even some ATLA writers fought for Zutara. Apparently, that's not the case with other fanon ships in ATLA, moreover Zvkka.

Well, it's not our fault that Zutara have a lot of materials to to confirm our argument.

#anti zukka #zutara #pro zutara #anti anti zutara #zuko and katara #atla zutara #zutara meta #zutara analysis

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