Zuko and Katara's relationships are paralleled [Essay]
Just a short essay I wrote over at DA -- Zuko and Katara have even ONE MOAR aspect that they have in common.
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Katara's relationships: Haru, Jet, Aang, Zuko
Zuko's relationships: Song, Jin, Mai, Katara
Do you see the resemblance?
Katara's relationship to Haru was about empathy. They both grieved the loss of their parents and the hardships they had to go through with eachother because of the Fire Nation. Haru's father was taken away because the Fire Nation oppressed benders and Katara's father had to go away to fight in the war-- both of their fathers were taken away when they both weren't ready to let go.
Zuko's relationship to Song was also about empathy. They both carried the labor of a difficult past symbolized by their scars-- scars from the Fire Nations hate. Zuko had his scar from his father, for standing up for what he didn't think was right. And Song got hers (I forget the specifics) somehow also from the Fire Nation's hate.
Katara's relationship with Jet. Jet, Jet, Jet.. he's so famous huh? Well the way I'd consider her relationship with Jet is because he was like her escape-- her escape from what she had to go through, from how she was thrown into a war when she was way too young, a summer fling. Jet showed her the fresh and exhilarating feel of having a new relationship delved with romance. Jet gave her that escape.
Zuko's relationship with Jin. Jin, Jin, Jin (ya see the parallel here?) Jin was also.. guess what? Zuko's escape. Zuko was Li then, a regular refugee built on a normal life, and with Jin he could have a regular relationship filled with flirting, awkwardness, and laughter-- as a regular boy. Jin was Zuko's escape, just like how Jet was Katara's.
Katara's relationship with Aang. Here we go, one of the big dawgs in the war. Our ultimate "rival" if you will. Ya see, here we start getting serious, but at the same time-- we seriously consider Aang as Katara's huge stepping stone. Aang of course is smitten with Katara, and Katara is in that position of having to love him because the fate of the world lies on her shoulders, if she considers Aang's psych. If she were to ruin that with him, tell him that she does not see him that way (which I believe completely) -- then Aang would have been heartbroken, and that would have broken his spirit-- thus making his fighting suck. And knowing Aang something that he doesn't want-- he'll run away from, so I wouldn't be surprised that if Katara told Aang off, he would have ran away from his duties as Avatar.
Other than that, it's plain as day to see that Aang is that basis of a relationship that Katara can see-- love, compassion, blahblah whatever Kataang is that I don't understand. This... is just like Mai with Zuko.
Zuko's relationship with Mai. And here we go again, our other "rival" ship-- the ship that is BBF4L with Kataang, because, IMO, it's just against us. Again.. a real relationship that Zuko branches off from. This isn't exactly like Jin, but it's the life that is Zuko's; as Li he wasn't himself, but with Mai he can be the Prince Zuko that he always wanted to be-- the Prince that he thought he wanted to be. Ya see that's why I don't understand how Zutara didn't work. Aang and Mai both were around the time where Zuko was still going through his metamorphosis, so how is he supposed to be real with Mai when when he was actually with Mai, he didn't like himself-- he hated that he had everything he ever wanted-- but it wasn't anything that he *actually* did want.
Just as Aang is with Katara, Zuko is with Mai-- he can see the love, compassion, blahblah whatever Maiko is that I don't understand.
Next up? Zuko and Katara.
Ya see? It would have been absolutely perfect. Katara and Zuko both went through their similar relationships step by step, each growing from each experience.
Katara has seen Zuko at his worst-- she's seen him when he was bent on reclaiming his honor, struggling with the right decision (CoD), and even helping him try to face what he had problems facing (his Uncle-- she was the one who spoke to him and reassured him that he could do it). Likewise for Zuko as well-- Zuko has seen her passion in fighting for what she believes in (they've fought so many times on opposing sides) and he also helped her through her darkest time (TSR).
I believe that if someone can see you experience your darkest hour and help you overcome it and still stick around for more-- that is the best relationship you can find. Zuko and Katara have that with eachother. Unlike with their current significant others: Mai would NOT listen to what Zuko was mentally going through-- he wanted to talk and she brushed him off with a snarky reply or a kiss (she could only shut him up with kisses of comfort-- not words-- which is very bad IMO). And during Katara's turmoil during TSR, the only thing Aang did was preach and scold her for thinking she was going to handle it badly-- he didn't even take the time to learn about her and her mother-- he offered nothing but Appa (no offense Appa, ILU).
The ending romance just sucked because Katara and Zuko were forced into a position they had already grown out of, it's like dropping off a highschool kid at Chucky Cheeses' and expecting them to be comfortable.
*sigh*
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I'll fix the kinks and maybe add more later; I did this around 2am one morning so I wasn't all that coherent. XDDD
oh and a shoutout:
BRYKE SUCKS BIG JUEVOS
i love you, mom! :D
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Katara's relationships: Haru, Jet, Aang, Zuko
Zuko's relationships: Song, Jin, Mai, Katara
Do you see the resemblance?
Katara's relationship to Haru was about empathy. They both grieved the loss of their parents and the hardships they had to go through with eachother because of the Fire Nation. Haru's father was taken away because the Fire Nation oppressed benders and Katara's father had to go away to fight in the war-- both of their fathers were taken away when they both weren't ready to let go.
Zuko's relationship to Song was also about empathy. They both carried the labor of a difficult past symbolized by their scars-- scars from the Fire Nations hate. Zuko had his scar from his father, for standing up for what he didn't think was right. And Song got hers (I forget the specifics) somehow also from the Fire Nation's hate.
Katara's relationship with Jet. Jet, Jet, Jet.. he's so famous huh? Well the way I'd consider her relationship with Jet is because he was like her escape-- her escape from what she had to go through, from how she was thrown into a war when she was way too young, a summer fling. Jet showed her the fresh and exhilarating feel of having a new relationship delved with romance. Jet gave her that escape.
Zuko's relationship with Jin. Jin, Jin, Jin (ya see the parallel here?) Jin was also.. guess what? Zuko's escape. Zuko was Li then, a regular refugee built on a normal life, and with Jin he could have a regular relationship filled with flirting, awkwardness, and laughter-- as a regular boy. Jin was Zuko's escape, just like how Jet was Katara's.
Katara's relationship with Aang. Here we go, one of the big dawgs in the war. Our ultimate "rival" if you will. Ya see, here we start getting serious, but at the same time-- we seriously consider Aang as Katara's huge stepping stone. Aang of course is smitten with Katara, and Katara is in that position of having to love him because the fate of the world lies on her shoulders, if she considers Aang's psych. If she were to ruin that with him, tell him that she does not see him that way (which I believe completely) -- then Aang would have been heartbroken, and that would have broken his spirit-- thus making his fighting suck. And knowing Aang something that he doesn't want-- he'll run away from, so I wouldn't be surprised that if Katara told Aang off, he would have ran away from his duties as Avatar.
Other than that, it's plain as day to see that Aang is that basis of a relationship that Katara can see-- love, compassion, blahblah whatever Kataang is that I don't understand. This... is just like Mai with Zuko.
Zuko's relationship with Mai. And here we go again, our other "rival" ship-- the ship that is BBF4L with Kataang, because, IMO, it's just against us. Again.. a real relationship that Zuko branches off from. This isn't exactly like Jin, but it's the life that is Zuko's; as Li he wasn't himself, but with Mai he can be the Prince Zuko that he always wanted to be-- the Prince that he thought he wanted to be. Ya see that's why I don't understand how Zutara didn't work. Aang and Mai both were around the time where Zuko was still going through his metamorphosis, so how is he supposed to be real with Mai when when he was actually with Mai, he didn't like himself-- he hated that he had everything he ever wanted-- but it wasn't anything that he *actually* did want.
Just as Aang is with Katara, Zuko is with Mai-- he can see the love, compassion, blahblah whatever Maiko is that I don't understand.
Next up? Zuko and Katara.
Ya see? It would have been absolutely perfect. Katara and Zuko both went through their similar relationships step by step, each growing from each experience.
Katara has seen Zuko at his worst-- she's seen him when he was bent on reclaiming his honor, struggling with the right decision (CoD), and even helping him try to face what he had problems facing (his Uncle-- she was the one who spoke to him and reassured him that he could do it). Likewise for Zuko as well-- Zuko has seen her passion in fighting for what she believes in (they've fought so many times on opposing sides) and he also helped her through her darkest time (TSR).
I believe that if someone can see you experience your darkest hour and help you overcome it and still stick around for more-- that is the best relationship you can find. Zuko and Katara have that with eachother. Unlike with their current significant others: Mai would NOT listen to what Zuko was mentally going through-- he wanted to talk and she brushed him off with a snarky reply or a kiss (she could only shut him up with kisses of comfort-- not words-- which is very bad IMO). And during Katara's turmoil during TSR, the only thing Aang did was preach and scold her for thinking she was going to handle it badly-- he didn't even take the time to learn about her and her mother-- he offered nothing but Appa (no offense Appa, ILU).
The ending romance just sucked because Katara and Zuko were forced into a position they had already grown out of, it's like dropping off a highschool kid at Chucky Cheeses' and expecting them to be comfortable.
*sigh*
---
I'll fix the kinks and maybe add more later; I did this around 2am one morning so I wasn't all that coherent. XDDD
oh and a shoutout:
BRYKE SUCKS BIG JUEVOS
i love you, mom! :D