oh, here we go.
I've come to realize that I really, really, really don't like Maiko as it plays out in the series. Not because it gets in the way of my ship (because, srsly, I can multi-ship all day long) but because of what it does to Mai. I like Mai. She's awesome.
Until she gets with Zuko.
And then her whole character is about how she's in love with Zuko. She betrays Azula -- not because Azula treated her and Ty Lee like shit, not because she disagreed with what Azula ultimately wanted to do, not because she's realized that Zuko was right about the Fire Nation, but for Zuko. Explicitly for Zuko, and no other reason. For a guy who doesn't even seem to care about her. Think about it -- only once does he even mention her when he's not around her, even after she turns against her country for him and risks a lightning bolt to the face. After she goes to prison for him, he gives the perfunctory two-second "aww, that sucks" look behind him, and then doesn't even seem to notice that she's in the worst prison in the entire nation, if not the entire world.
After the Boiling Rock? He cares more about making Katara forgive him than he does about the fact that Mai risked death for him. And then, they all save the world and depose Ozai and it's all sunshine and butterflies and he doesn't even spare the thirty seconds it would take to grab a servant and say, "Dude, go bail my girlfriend out of the worst prison in the nation, kthx." She has to get her uncle to do it for her (aside: MAI AND TY LEE COULD TOTALLY HAVE BROKEN OUT OF THE BOILING ROCK ON THEIR OWN WHY WEREN'T THEY ALLOWED TO DO SO RARGH.) In spite of the fact that her supposedly-boyfriend is Fire Lord in all but name. He doesn't even remember to have her released from prison?
Mai, sweetie, you can do so much better. And Zuko, honey, you need a kick in the pants for how you treated her. Seriously. I mean, Mai actively tried to make him happy, going so far as to force herself to be more expressive so he would understand how much she cared. And he, let's count them:
1. Did not even ask her if she wanted to bail on the Fire Nation with him.
2. Broke up with her via letter.
3. Did not even appear to think about her at any point post-DoBS and pre-Boiling Rock.
4. Locked her in a prison cell.
5. Made no attempt or even argument over leaving her in prison (which, I agree, he couldn't very well go back for her, but if he's in love with her, he's going to at least want to).
6. Did not so much as mention her name after the Boiling Rock.
7. Forgot to bail her out of prison after Sozin's Comet.
Why the hell did Mai go back to him? And you wonder why I ship Mai/Jet and Mai/Ty Lee like burning?
Also, to end on a lighter note (and to call back to my shiny new icon), this quote from TV Tropes explains, quite beautifully, why Suki is possibly my favorite character:
"How must she have felt, wondering if she should remain in a highly respected position protecting her beloved village, or take grunt jobs where they'll help thousands of strangers who've lost everything and let her see what the rest of the world really is like? We won't know, but we've seen that she actively makes her own choices and commits to them. That commitment doesn't make her inflexible. She's hardworking, but no martyr. She doesn't whine much about being dishonored, either because she's so secure, or has the good graces not to seriously play with the expectations of people whose opinions she values, or has been sensible to refuse any choice between what she'd personally consider evils, or just lucky that she hasn't been forced to (that we've seen.) Among the godlike benders, it's good to know that the "merely" competent and ordinary civilians have a crucial place right alongside them. Suki rocks!"
Even if she and Sokka don't work out (which, honestly, it could go either way), Suki will remain around the Avatar World, kicking ass and taking names and showing up everyone else in the whole world. Three cheers for Suki!
Also! I am shameless and enjoy fishing for compliments. the ❝ that's my favorite!❞ meme
A FANFICTION PRAISE MEME
Until she gets with Zuko.
And then her whole character is about how she's in love with Zuko. She betrays Azula -- not because Azula treated her and Ty Lee like shit, not because she disagreed with what Azula ultimately wanted to do, not because she's realized that Zuko was right about the Fire Nation, but for Zuko. Explicitly for Zuko, and no other reason. For a guy who doesn't even seem to care about her. Think about it -- only once does he even mention her when he's not around her, even after she turns against her country for him and risks a lightning bolt to the face. After she goes to prison for him, he gives the perfunctory two-second "aww, that sucks" look behind him, and then doesn't even seem to notice that she's in the worst prison in the entire nation, if not the entire world.
After the Boiling Rock? He cares more about making Katara forgive him than he does about the fact that Mai risked death for him. And then, they all save the world and depose Ozai and it's all sunshine and butterflies and he doesn't even spare the thirty seconds it would take to grab a servant and say, "Dude, go bail my girlfriend out of the worst prison in the nation, kthx." She has to get her uncle to do it for her (aside: MAI AND TY LEE COULD TOTALLY HAVE BROKEN OUT OF THE BOILING ROCK ON THEIR OWN WHY WEREN'T THEY ALLOWED TO DO SO RARGH.) In spite of the fact that her supposedly-boyfriend is Fire Lord in all but name. He doesn't even remember to have her released from prison?
Mai, sweetie, you can do so much better. And Zuko, honey, you need a kick in the pants for how you treated her. Seriously. I mean, Mai actively tried to make him happy, going so far as to force herself to be more expressive so he would understand how much she cared. And he, let's count them:
1. Did not even ask her if she wanted to bail on the Fire Nation with him.
2. Broke up with her via letter.
3. Did not even appear to think about her at any point post-DoBS and pre-Boiling Rock.
4. Locked her in a prison cell.
5. Made no attempt or even argument over leaving her in prison (which, I agree, he couldn't very well go back for her, but if he's in love with her, he's going to at least want to).
6. Did not so much as mention her name after the Boiling Rock.
7. Forgot to bail her out of prison after Sozin's Comet.
Why the hell did Mai go back to him? And you wonder why I ship Mai/Jet and Mai/Ty Lee like burning?
Also, to end on a lighter note (and to call back to my shiny new icon), this quote from TV Tropes explains, quite beautifully, why Suki is possibly my favorite character:
"How must she have felt, wondering if she should remain in a highly respected position protecting her beloved village, or take grunt jobs where they'll help thousands of strangers who've lost everything and let her see what the rest of the world really is like? We won't know, but we've seen that she actively makes her own choices and commits to them. That commitment doesn't make her inflexible. She's hardworking, but no martyr. She doesn't whine much about being dishonored, either because she's so secure, or has the good graces not to seriously play with the expectations of people whose opinions she values, or has been sensible to refuse any choice between what she'd personally consider evils, or just lucky that she hasn't been forced to (that we've seen.) Among the godlike benders, it's good to know that the "merely" competent and ordinary civilians have a crucial place right alongside them. Suki rocks!"
Even if she and Sokka don't work out (which, honestly, it could go either way), Suki will remain around the Avatar World, kicking ass and taking names and showing up everyone else in the whole world. Three cheers for Suki!
Also! I am shameless and enjoy fishing for compliments. the ❝ that's my favorite!❞ meme
A FANFICTION PRAISE MEME