inuyatta
FN Aang
The joy of SoKo comes at a heavy price...my sleep, for example
Posts: 1,852
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Post by inuyatta on Dec 11, 2007 16:32:20 GMT -5
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Post by admirality on Dec 11, 2007 16:33:22 GMT -5
Right I thought u all meant soming quite rude.........
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inuyatta
FN Aang
The joy of SoKo comes at a heavy price...my sleep, for example
Posts: 1,852
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Post by inuyatta on Dec 11, 2007 16:35:04 GMT -5
NOooooo, not the original meaning--I mean, there's a lengthier explanation for it, but that link sums it up nicely.
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Kyatto
Kyoshi Azula
Dance, magic dance!
Posts: 2,228
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Post by Kyatto on Dec 11, 2007 16:38:23 GMT -5
I thought we had--animefest? A-kon? Definitely a TX convention--I think you were with Malemiko last we met. A big WORD on the whole cramming a bunch of plot into 30 minutes--I imagine these last 10 episodes are going to have to focus on turning the tide for the Gaang and doing a little more with Iroh and the WLS--with 10 episodes remaining, they can't remain such a big mystery anymore. I see where you're coming from with Mai--she's a big lulz factor to the show...almost the female equivalent of Sokka without being the constant butt of jokes. Honestly, I don't think Zuko needs to be with any girl right now until the whole mommy issue gets resolved for good. I do have an obvious bias towards Zuko/Song, as I think it'd bring both their characters full circle, but I'm well aware it may never happen with the exception of fanfiction. Zuko just requires a lot of maintenance that no girl is obligated to give him. I do think that Mai gets a lot of flak for getting in the way of other people's preferred ships, the same way Song and Jin got reamed-- but Mai probably gets a bit more flak than the other two right now because Song and Jin are good characters--Mai has been working for the bad guy all along. Ty Lee gets a little more forgiveness because she's obviously afraid of Azula. Mai went out of sheer boredom. It's easier to understand and forgive someone going along with Azula out of fear rather than someone who joined up with her because she thought it might be fun. Ja! A-Fest. I rememeber! XD This seems to happen everywhere. When a popular pairing doesn't happen, people always go after the actual love interest. When Song first showed up, people were all "OH SNAP! *DISS*". But then episodes carried on, and Song showed no sign of returning.... Then Jin came. She was 50/50. People either liked her because she made Zuko act like a dork. Or they hated her because she kissed him. And now we have Mai who is all over him and then some, and it's like someone announced a hurricane was coming. People panic. The only romance I see left for Zuko is either a reunion with Mai, or nothing at all. He's not going to go rushing off with Katara, I don't see how Song could be brought back after all this (unless it's for a cameo, or to slap him across the face at the end), and Jin already had her cameo. As I suspected, he'll probably be single. He's a high maintenance boyfriend. Poor Mai gets a lot of slappage because not only is she Emoface's girl, she's a "bad guy"! I really hope Nick and M&B are awesome and make little omake short episodes after the series ends. Just to show what they didn't show. Or to be funny. That'd be cool.
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inuyatta
FN Aang
The joy of SoKo comes at a heavy price...my sleep, for example
Posts: 1,852
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Post by inuyatta on Dec 11, 2007 16:46:57 GMT -5
Aha, my memory doesn't fail completely! This is true--it's the competition factor. I honestly don't see a reunion with Mai if they're going to advance her into a full character and still let the story continue. As for Song...she can return. Quite easily, in fact--if there's one thing they showed about Katara, it's that she's a far better fighter than she is a healer, and when you throw bloodbending into the equation...yeah, Katara needs to focus all her energies into resolving that issue and learning how to do it without the hesitation of her guilt. Katara finally has a flaw in that she must learn that it's not the techniques that are evil, but what you do with them. Still, regardless of when, how or why Song will return, I see it far more likely that Zuko will be single. Single and content for the time being, which would probably be best as it leaves almost all options open for the fans. I agree on the production of more shorts--but only if Sokka stops getting picked on so much. XD
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Kyatto
Kyoshi Azula
Dance, magic dance!
Posts: 2,228
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Post by Kyatto on Dec 11, 2007 17:20:31 GMT -5
Personally, I've always found it kind of odd to hate a fictional character who hasn't done you wrong because they don't exist. But that's just me. Different strokes for different folks.
Watch, if Song comes back and she hooks up with Zuko, Mai will be ready with keys to her Fortress of Solitude. That'll give her something to be sympathetic towards.
As for shorts, I want to see like, non-chibi shorts. Like, maybe funny AU shorts? It'd be funny if they used the AtLA cast to parody Japanese Schoolgirl romance anime. XD
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Dec 11, 2007 19:59:18 GMT -5
Maiko reminds me of Dwight and Angela from the Office in one regard. Seems to be more of a joke at how weird they are than anything serious. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrOCcpbgdTsExcept Zuko's a major character...not a dweeby comedic character. So it's less amusing to me and more irritating that it holds him back. I love Dwight and Angela...this not so much. I don't see how Zuko or his story has benefited from that romance. I don't see what he's taken away from it so far. Which is why I personally don't care for Mai's character...because I see her as detrimental to a character I DO like. But that's just me. Zuko's time with Mai for the first half of this season was enough to drop him from my consideration as the most interesting and dynamic character on the show to one that's painful to watch. I was really looking forward to his time in the palace...the confusion and doubt...I as EXCITED after CoD. I was on the edge of my seat to see him experiencing evil first hand until he could change his ways, but most of what we got was this romance that just interfered with the process and made it less enjoyable for me. That's all I know...regardless of what happens to her character in the future. Is it shipping? I don't think so...I didn't dislike it because Zuko wasn't with the person I wanted...I disliked it because it was, in my eyes, a near ruination of his character. That's not shipping. I would be mad if anything made him act like that bi-polar nut who's simpering horrible lines one second and flying off the handle over a seashell the next. I've watched The Great Divide probably five times, Avatar Day four...The Beach I've watched once and that's enough for me (except that awesome fight in the middle...that I've rewatched like ten times).
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inuyatta
FN Aang
The joy of SoKo comes at a heavy price...my sleep, for example
Posts: 1,852
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Post by inuyatta on Dec 11, 2007 20:09:31 GMT -5
Personally, I've always found it kind of odd to hate a fictional character who hasn't done you wrong because they don't exist. But that's just me. Different strokes for different folks. Watch, if Song comes back and she hooks up with Zuko, Mai will be ready with keys to her Fortress of Solitude. That'll give her something to be sympathetic towards. As for shorts, I want to see like, non-chibi shorts. Like, maybe funny AU shorts? It'd be funny if they used the AtLA cast to parody Japanese Schoolgirl romance anime. XD Eh, I'm sure that self-inserting and projection have something to do with it. Don't ask me to dip my toes in the puddle of the prepubescent psyche, it's scary. XD If Song comes back and hooks up with Zuko in the same fashion he and Mai hooked up, I will be livid--there'd better be build up this time. Frankly, I'm tired of all the romance though, these guys are better off with the action--sure, get them started on the path where it could lead to a relationship, fine--but don't throw in ANOTHER relationship when it's time to get down to the nitty gritty and get this war over with. The Melancholy of Aang? Lucky Avatar? PLZ NO. XD OR YES. I AM TORN.Yice@: I think you got it in one. How do you do that?
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Post by wildimagination on Dec 11, 2007 20:56:07 GMT -5
Ok...I'd like to say a few things: About the whole Tom-Tom thing in Return To Omashu- Mai has control of her emotions (Why do you think she didn't burst into tears after she dumped Zuko in The Beach?), and she knew the Avatar wouldn't kill an innocent child. About her not caring or mentioning her brother after that, she could've had some THOUGHTS. You don't have to express every little thought that comes to mind, you know. That's what a diary is for! So, she probably DID care, but didn't express it openly. And she handed her mother a tissue, and offered her dad fire flakes. Just thought I'd point that out. We don't know anything about her character except she's hungry, bored, and cares about Zuko- The show's not over yet, number one. Number two, that happens a lot in TV. We don't know a lot about a recurring character. 7th Heaven, Lost, and Gilmore Girls had that problem, too. Mai doesn't care about the war- Again, she could be THINKING about the war. We don't hear her or Ty Lee scream out "WAR SUCKS! OMGZ", but they could be THINKING it. Mai's loyalty- The sidelong glare she gave to Azula in the headband could hint that she's loyal to Zuko, but think about this: she could be neutral. Mai letting the Gaang escape with Bosco- Personally, I think that was added for humor. It's just a cartoon, you know. Case in point, Mai isn't evil, nor is she good. She just doesn't freaking care about the war. Some of you have a good point: Mai only caring about Zuko is unhealthy, so I really hope there's development. So, in conclusion, I think Mai is a more-or-less than typical girl living in war enviroment with an evil, pshychotic best friend, and an emo boyfriend (or ed-boyfriend if Zuko did break up with her 0_o).
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Post by dragonflly on Dec 12, 2007 0:22:00 GMT -5
^^The only real problem I have with that is that at the time of the trade, Mai did NOT know that it was t ha Avatar that had her brother. She thought it was one of the rebels, who would in fact, harm anyone from the FN, even an infant.
I watched Return to Omashu again, and Mai has the same look on her face when she tells Aang that the deal is off as she does when she looks at Azula, seconds before. I, in my opinion, do not feel that this is a look of anger, or concern for her brother, and she quickly agrees with Azula to call it off.
She may or may not disagree with the war, but she sure doesn't make any qualms about fighting other nations, does she? The Kyoshi warriors, whom Azula and co. attacked first, is what stands out to me. She certainly doesn't show any uncertainty, as we saw Zuko had many times. She seems to be quite content with they way things are, where with Zuko we could see the question marks flying at a very early age.
I know we have to wait until the end to see how it all pans out, but I'm not quite sure that M&B planned her to be one of the good guys in the end. Just because they like her doesn't mean that they'll make her be on the good team, or even have good inside her.
In my opinion, they've already completely overhauled her character to make her something else, and again it's only MY OPINION, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did have her change over to the completely good side. I guess we won't have to wait too much longer to find out. I just hope that if they do this to her, that it is for a better reason than to do it/to be with Zuko, because to me that would be pretty lame.
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Post by chii on Dec 12, 2007 17:09:09 GMT -5
Sorry, I have to respond to this:
Oh really? In the beginning of Return to Omashu, the resistance actually launched boulders to crush Mai's family, including Tom Tom. And who did they assume was part of the resistance? The avatar. Meaning that Mai thought that Aang was the one who launched boulders at her and her family. Clearly meant to kill them all, even baby Tom Tom.
So, no. I do not believe there was any guarantee of Tom Tom's safety at all other than him being an important hostage. But, this did not explain Mai's clear lack of concern. It wasn't even when she was with Azula that she didn't care, either. Even away from Azula with her parents, she rolled her eyes and scoffed when her parents were distraught.
EDIT: Btw, I karma'd you yiceman, for articulating exactly my thoughts on the Mai/Zuko romance. For me, it was never about shipping, either, or characters not ending up with who I wanted. I didn't have any expectations like that. I dislike the relationship for what it is, and I get annoyed when, on other forums, people dismiss my opinion and say I'm just a Mai hater or a disillusioned shipper. Neither of which I am.
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Post by wildimagination on Dec 12, 2007 18:41:52 GMT -5
*sigh* Can;t you guys just freaking wait until future episodes come out, THEN judge? I know you're speculating, but we hardly know what goes on inside Mai's head.
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Post by mahatista on Dec 12, 2007 20:20:25 GMT -5
*sigh* Can;t you guys just freaking wait until future episodes come out, THEN judge? I know you're speculating, but we hardly know what goes on inside Mai's head. *sigh* That's why I put this on the theories board. I didn't mean for this to become a Mai personality debate, but I suppose it couldn't help but have a little of that because what she does is dependent on who she is. So sorry for sparking acrimony -- but it's been interesting. However, after all of this, I'm now not completely rejecting the idea of Mai going with Azula. Just because it's so obvious that she'll choose Zuko, there might be a surprise in store. Future episodes might tell us who she really is, but really that should be taken care of by now. Which is why people are using what we've seen to judge rather than making suppositions based on what we imagine the creators want us to think. But because I can't imagine her choosing Azula over Zuko, I'm now thinking they might just do that. Because it would be a huge surprise, but not really shatteringly destructive to the planned outcome of the plot. At least as it stands now. That could change and there could be a million directions to go in. I mean, if her 'betrayal' caused Zuko to become an alcoholic, that'd change the expected outcome quite a bit, eh? But that's not one of the paths open to them because nobody drinks alcohol on a kids show ... only cactus juice on rare occasions. So there, all this debate has opened up possibilities for me. How 'bout that?
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nandireya
Zuko's Path to Redemption Mod
...tickled pink...
Posts: 6,822
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Post by nandireya on Dec 13, 2007 2:23:57 GMT -5
I don't see how Zuko or his story has benefited from that romance. I don't see what he's taken away from it so far. Which is why I personally don't care for Mai's character...because I see her as detrimental to a character I DO like. But that's just me. Zuko's time with Mai for the first half of this season was enough to drop him from my consideration as the most interesting and dynamic character on the show to one that's painful to watch. I was really looking forward to his time in the palace...the confusion and doubt...I as EXCITED after CoD. I was on the edge of my seat to see him experiencing evil first hand until he could change his ways, but most of what we got was this romance that just interfered with the process and made it less enjoyable for me. That's all I know...regardless of what happens to her character in the future. Is it shipping? I don't think so...I didn't dislike it because Zuko wasn't with the person I wanted...I disliked it because it was, in my eyes, a near ruination of his character. That's not shipping. I would be mad if anything made him act like that bi-polar nut who's simpering horrible lines one second and flying off the handle over a seashell the next. I've watched The Great Divide probably five times, Avatar Day four...The Beach I've watched once and that's enough for me (except that awesome fight in the middle...that I've rewatched like ten times). It's like you can read my mind...have some karma
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Dec 13, 2007 2:31:31 GMT -5
^Except you weren't excited after CoD, of course.
I was really expecting some great interaction between Zuko, Azula and Ozai and watching him slowly change...what I got was whinesmoochwhinesmoochwhinesmoochredeemed.
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