attonbitus
Blue Spirit
I'm in ur clouds, steel'n ur thundar
Posts: 2,121
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Post by attonbitus on May 14, 2006 9:29:13 GMT -5
ooo good point.
for me it all comes down to if Mai would fight Azula to save Zuko. It's clear that Azula dosen't give a rats behind about Zuko and killing him would be a natural thing for her to do. I could see Mai stepping in to prevent this and thus letting Zuko know her true feelings without having to come out and say it, which fits with her character.
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Gotterdammerung
Casual Zuko
sorry. i'm fresh out of the ability to care.
Posts: 969
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Post by Gotterdammerung on May 14, 2006 9:35:25 GMT -5
Yes. I'm fairly certain that we'll run into a conflict between Azula and Mai about Zuko's fate, otherwise going through the trouble to establish that she has these feelings for him (and has had them for so long), and thus indicating that she has an emotional stake in Zuko's well-being, would be a complete waste of time.
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Post by cami on May 14, 2006 10:31:31 GMT -5
What I think is interesting is that everyone seems to assume that this relationship was a mere crush on Mei's part.. But no one seems to comment on the fact that Mei was even there in the first place. Azula and Ty Lee didn't really seem to like her all that much. In fact, they pretty much ignored her -- until they decided to put a flaming apple on her head.
Does anyone else feel that maybe Mei was not there by her own choice? That maybe her parents brought her there to play with Azula for some political reason.. I can think of two..
1. She was there because maybe -- she was engaged to marry Zuko -- and so she was expected to spend time with the royal family 2. She was there because her family is somehow related to the royal family
Obviously, in the current time period, Azula and Mei have formed some sort of friendship -- but that doesn't mean that they were necessarily friends back then... and Zuko and Mei's relationship could have been more complicated than a simple crush.
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Gotterdammerung
Casual Zuko
sorry. i'm fresh out of the ability to care.
Posts: 969
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Post by Gotterdammerung on May 14, 2006 10:47:09 GMT -5
I considered that, Cami, but I couldn't really decide whether the reason she was sitting off to the side was just her personality or that she was sent to play with them by her parents and thus didn't want to be there for that reason.
I'm a huge fan of the possible political complications of their relationship and my very first thought about them way back in Return to Omashu was an engagement. But I'm not sure if there's anything in Zuko Alone that necessarily supports that. It seems like it would have been mentioned at some point, especially by Azula since she seemed to be in the know about everything and she seemed to have no problem tormenting them with the idea of them as a couple.
Though, and I've mentioned this before, I found it wonderfully surprising and interesting that it was implied that Azula and Ty Lee made a habit of picking on Mai since post-Return to Omashu a lot of people pegged the hierarchy/dynamic as Azula being genuinely close to Mai, and then Ty Lee being sort of like their lackey that they'd pick on. Not to mention all of the people who dismissed the idea of Mai even liking Zuko at all, instead insisting that she just liked to pick on him when they were young etc.
I just think it was a nice subversion of expectation, but it still rings true to life since the quiet ones are often targets in childhood.
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Post by concreteangel on May 14, 2006 11:01:50 GMT -5
Zuko and Mei is funny. And, it makes room for Kataang. Yay Kataang!!!!
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Post by cami on May 14, 2006 11:15:34 GMT -5
I actually wondered about that as well.. if she was just sitting off to the side because she isn't the sort to turn cartwheels on the grass -- it would have been more telling if they were throwing knives and she was sitting off by herself..
Since we've only seen Mei in the two episodes, it'll be very interesting to see what the true relationship is between Ty Lee, Mei and Azula.. I think that maybe the friendships change based upon Azula's mood.. you know -- today Ty Lee's my best friend and we'll pick on Mei.. tomorrow Mei and I will be buddies and we'll pick on Ty Lee..
However, right now I feel that Ty Lee and Azula are the close friends, since it did seem as though Azula was testing Mei's loyalty during Return to Omashu during the prisoner exchange..
concreteangel - your enthusiasm for Kataang is great.. but whether or not Aang and Katara get together really has nothing whatsoever to do with Zuko. If Katara ends up with Aang it would be because they want to be together -- not because Zuko is otherwise occupied with another girl..
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Ana
Metalbending Cop
Posts: 5,061
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Post by Ana on May 14, 2006 12:03:43 GMT -5
Sorry to but into a deep conversation but... I'm on board this ship. The flashbacks were adoarbale and opened my eyes to how much Mai and Zuko have in common. So yay for Maiko!
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Yang Fishy
Wolf Hakoda
Firebending General of the Zutarian Army
all that rises must fall, all that is born must die, all that is gathered will be scattered
Posts: 2,857
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Post by Yang Fishy on May 14, 2006 12:43:25 GMT -5
^ Too much similarities could be a bad thing for a relationship as well, it can't solely survive on the fact that two people are very similar in the present and perhaps betrothed to one another in the past, but it all depends on what one likes, so if you ship Meiko stand up for it. So YAY for this War Room It could be inferred that Mei kept her crush secret for years from Zuko since he obviously had no clue of her feelings when he was forced to play with the girls and his sister. But he was being a gentleman when he tried to knock the apple off Mei's head since Azula purposely only lit it on fire and was about to watch her supposed best friends hair catch fire. And Zuko seemed to be the type of kid who thought girls had cuties at that young age when he told his mother "girls are crazy!" . That's why I thought it was one-sided romance on Mai's behalf... It seems more to me that Mai sitting in the sidelines and not Cart wheeling is just who she is. She did once say her life was boring in the Firenation, so she was probably influenced into being Azula's friend by her parents in order for her them to claim a nice position/reputation with the Fire Lord, future Fire Lord, and Fire Lords wife. With Mei's unique and dull personality it's pretty hard envisioning her as the type who'd cartwheel for a hobby...
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bibi
Warrior Sokka
all credits to relaxed_guru89
Posts: 706
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Post by bibi on May 14, 2006 13:05:30 GMT -5
If Zuko had a crush on Mai, he wouldn't say it aloud too.
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daydream11
penguin
"I love you, Bolin! AHHHHH!!!"
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Post by daydream11 on May 14, 2006 13:08:57 GMT -5
If Zuko had a crush on Mai, he wouldn't say it aloud too. I wouldn't think so. With Mai, Zuko would probably tell her about his feelings through his actions instead of words. something about those two makes it seem that way.
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bibi
Warrior Sokka
all credits to relaxed_guru89
Posts: 706
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Post by bibi on May 14, 2006 13:18:21 GMT -5
Mai is her sister's friend: he surely only saw her around Azula. He wouldn't show his crush in front of her sister who would tease him til his death. Plus this is only one memory^^. Maybe he did something to Mai who made her start having a crush (*Imagine 5-years old Zuko giving a flower to Mai* really cute).
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Yang Fishy
Wolf Hakoda
Firebending General of the Zutarian Army
all that rises must fall, all that is born must die, all that is gathered will be scattered
Posts: 2,857
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Post by Yang Fishy on May 14, 2006 14:34:47 GMT -5
With the fact that Zuko was very immature and innocent in his youth days...makes it seem like he wouldn't bother having a crush since his mind was focused on playing with his knife and spending a great amount of time with his mother. I think if any "crush" did happen between Mai&Zuko it would have been after that memory not before. But seeing as Zuko's mother went missing...he prob. spent a lot of time alone. And in his time alone he might have just practiced with his swords and that's why he's such a master with them now. Iroh prob. came soon after into Zuko's life and began training him in Firebending. Mai was definitely more of Azula's friend. That fact prob. made Zuko back off from her friends. Though I think what Mai has is HOBS(hot older brother syndrome^^). Zuko was very handsome even at a young age and naturally she'd develop a crush by just looking at him. But remember a crush could just end up like what the word means: a crush... (Never give up hope though!)
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bibi
Warrior Sokka
all credits to relaxed_guru89
Posts: 706
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Post by bibi on May 14, 2006 15:04:19 GMT -5
Zuko wasn't certainly alone: many noble families would have sent their children to play with the him, as they surely did with Azula, especially after becoming the new heir. I don't think Zuko was immature: it's true, next to his cold and calculating sister, he still looks more innocent; but as Ozai favored Azula, he certainly liked to act as a baby to earn more of his mother's attention. If he played with his knives, as a normal boy would do with cars or toy soldiers, he has taken his passion very seriously, enough to master them.
And, even if he was, being immature doesn't prevent to have crush.
If the crush has ended and wouldn't have an impact to their future interaction, why did the writters put it in the show ?
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attonbitus
Blue Spirit
I'm in ur clouds, steel'n ur thundar
Posts: 2,121
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Post by attonbitus on May 14, 2006 18:07:43 GMT -5
I don't believe they were engauged based solely on the fact that Azula would have pointed this out and tormented both with the fact.
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Angel Eyes
Koh
Okay. Who ate the cookies?
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Post by Angel Eyes on May 14, 2006 20:36:07 GMT -5
Yes, more supporters of Maiko/Meiko. *rubs hands evilly* ;D
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