Azula, her sexuality, and shipping.
So there was a secret on fandomsecrets today about how Tyzula shippers were worse than Zutarians because they bash on Azula het ships. Basically.
This opened up a bunch of people talking about how Tyzula shippers don't actually discriminate and that butthurt shippers should stop being butthurt (which I wholeheartedly agree with), and people saying that they think Azula's sexuality could easily be het and that they were tired of strong characters being made into lesbians or whatever. And then of course people saying that Azula being lesbian is what makes the most sense to them and all that.
To which I have to say, can't Azula just be manipulative?
Disclaimer: I just woke up and I'm kinda incoherent. If I sound like an idiot, that's why. >_o
Up until the third season, we see Azula have absolutely no interest in anything other than taking Zuko, Iroh, and when she runs into him, Aang back to her father. (And taking over Ba Sing Se. But yeah, you get my drift.) She never talks about anything else, we never see her in any situation other than what leads to her inevitable goal. This is probably because she is the lead villain of Season 2, and, unlike Zuko, she's not going to become a good guy, so we can't see her indulging Ty Lee's desire to go shopping or whatever. HOWEVER. Because of that canon view of her, I've always had the impression that she's like Zuko, only better at it - she puts her mind to one thing, and puts aside anything else. If something is not conducive to her current goal, she has no interest in it.
This includes sex. And relationships. And love.
Then let's add in the fact that she's a sociopath, psychopath, narcissist, whatever you want to label her as - it's pretty clear that she doesn't care about people. Excluding The Beach, the only time we see her do something 'nice' is to Zuko - giving him advice about Iroh and telling him to stop being a dumbass and just go to the meeting. (Note that I'm talking about the third season, here, and excluding The Beach. 'Cause obviously she was nice to Ty Lee then. >.o) Then she sort of drops off the face of the planet until the invasion, where again she's just in her Big Bad Villain role.
She drops off the face of the planet again until The Boiling Rock - and, le gasp, she actually cares about the fact that Mai just betrayed her. She's pissed. And it all gets worse when Ty Lee betrays her - after that, we see her spiraling slowly (okay, not so slowly) into a huge ball of Messed Up Azula. If you think she's a-okay during the Southern Raiders, then you're not paying attention to her. In the finale, we get confirmation that she's acting the way she is because of Ty Lee and Mai betraying her - it's triggered this paranoid schizophrenia in her, and we can guess that Ursa's betrayal of her (choosing to leave for Zuko and disregarding her) was the base for her reaction to what happened in The Boiling Rock.
NOW. With all of this in mind. What triggered Azula's downfall was a collapse of relationships very close and dear to her, and, at the very end, the collapse of the Fire Nation - which she's built her entire life around.
To me? None of that has to do with romantic relationships. Her mother's relationship with her wasn't romantic, and her relationship with Ty Lee and Mai is...friendship. Or the closest thing Azula can have to friendship. Straight from canon, ignoring any subtext or possibilities, Azula's downfall happened because her goals fell through.
THAT'S HOW I SEE IT.
Anyway, my point is, I see Azula as asexual. She hasn't shown any real canon sexual interest towards anyone, nor any interest in establishing a relationship that was romantic. Her 'suggestive' actions are part of intimidation and manipulation.
Regardless of that idea I have of her, I still ship just about everyone under the sun with the poor girl. Sometimes, I even play with the idea of her reciprocating. When I do, however, it's for a reason - she's curious, she has a goal besides being with that person, whatever. Regardless of that view I have of her, I still don't have a problem with her having sex with people - because sex is a means of control.
And the reason I ship people with Azula? (Well, for one, because it's hot.) Because she is the least conducive character in the show to a healthy relationship.
That's it. It'll never be healthy. There might be little moments where the relationship is healthy, and does work, and is endearing or heartfelt or whatever. But as a whole? She'll fuck them up. She'll manipulate them, hurt them, use them, and that's the appeal.
Azula would happily use whoever let her. So I happily have people fall for Azula, and get hurt.
That's why I ship her with everyone. That's why I refuse to limit her to homosexual or heterosexual - because, to me, her asexuality and manipulative nature cancels out gender as an issue.
This opened up a bunch of people talking about how Tyzula shippers don't actually discriminate and that butthurt shippers should stop being butthurt (which I wholeheartedly agree with), and people saying that they think Azula's sexuality could easily be het and that they were tired of strong characters being made into lesbians or whatever. And then of course people saying that Azula being lesbian is what makes the most sense to them and all that.
To which I have to say, can't Azula just be manipulative?
Disclaimer: I just woke up and I'm kinda incoherent. If I sound like an idiot, that's why. >_o
Up until the third season, we see Azula have absolutely no interest in anything other than taking Zuko, Iroh, and when she runs into him, Aang back to her father. (And taking over Ba Sing Se. But yeah, you get my drift.) She never talks about anything else, we never see her in any situation other than what leads to her inevitable goal. This is probably because she is the lead villain of Season 2, and, unlike Zuko, she's not going to become a good guy, so we can't see her indulging Ty Lee's desire to go shopping or whatever. HOWEVER. Because of that canon view of her, I've always had the impression that she's like Zuko, only better at it - she puts her mind to one thing, and puts aside anything else. If something is not conducive to her current goal, she has no interest in it.
This includes sex. And relationships. And love.
Then let's add in the fact that she's a sociopath, psychopath, narcissist, whatever you want to label her as - it's pretty clear that she doesn't care about people. Excluding The Beach, the only time we see her do something 'nice' is to Zuko - giving him advice about Iroh and telling him to stop being a dumbass and just go to the meeting. (Note that I'm talking about the third season, here, and excluding The Beach. 'Cause obviously she was nice to Ty Lee then. >.o) Then she sort of drops off the face of the planet until the invasion, where again she's just in her Big Bad Villain role.
She drops off the face of the planet again until The Boiling Rock - and, le gasp, she actually cares about the fact that Mai just betrayed her. She's pissed. And it all gets worse when Ty Lee betrays her - after that, we see her spiraling slowly (okay, not so slowly) into a huge ball of Messed Up Azula. If you think she's a-okay during the Southern Raiders, then you're not paying attention to her. In the finale, we get confirmation that she's acting the way she is because of Ty Lee and Mai betraying her - it's triggered this paranoid schizophrenia in her, and we can guess that Ursa's betrayal of her (choosing to leave for Zuko and disregarding her) was the base for her reaction to what happened in The Boiling Rock.
NOW. With all of this in mind. What triggered Azula's downfall was a collapse of relationships very close and dear to her, and, at the very end, the collapse of the Fire Nation - which she's built her entire life around.
To me? None of that has to do with romantic relationships. Her mother's relationship with her wasn't romantic, and her relationship with Ty Lee and Mai is...friendship. Or the closest thing Azula can have to friendship. Straight from canon, ignoring any subtext or possibilities, Azula's downfall happened because her goals fell through.
THAT'S HOW I SEE IT.
Anyway, my point is, I see Azula as asexual. She hasn't shown any real canon sexual interest towards anyone, nor any interest in establishing a relationship that was romantic. Her 'suggestive' actions are part of intimidation and manipulation.
Regardless of that idea I have of her, I still ship just about everyone under the sun with the poor girl. Sometimes, I even play with the idea of her reciprocating. When I do, however, it's for a reason - she's curious, she has a goal besides being with that person, whatever. Regardless of that view I have of her, I still don't have a problem with her having sex with people - because sex is a means of control.
And the reason I ship people with Azula? (Well, for one, because it's hot.) Because she is the least conducive character in the show to a healthy relationship.
That's it. It'll never be healthy. There might be little moments where the relationship is healthy, and does work, and is endearing or heartfelt or whatever. But as a whole? She'll fuck them up. She'll manipulate them, hurt them, use them, and that's the appeal.
Azula would happily use whoever let her. So I happily have people fall for Azula, and get hurt.
That's why I ship her with everyone. That's why I refuse to limit her to homosexual or heterosexual - because, to me, her asexuality and manipulative nature cancels out gender as an issue.