Relationship Discussion in 312 and beyond

[nandireya]

If it was obvious would we be questioning it? Some people just don't see it that way...

[mindbender18]

^and that's really their problem. I really couldn't care less

Because the magazine mentioned that both of them had childhood crushes on each other (Sure the magazine wasn't the best way to get their point across, but eh...I got over it)

[nandireya]

It certainly wasn't...how many viewers never saw that magazine? None of the viewers here will have seen it, it was never released here. The kids that post on the local Nick site only ever mention Kataang and Zutara...they're going to be so confused...

[Ana]

nandireya said:

The kids that post on the local Nick site only ever mention Kataang and Zutara...they're going to be so confused...

Nah, the kids will be fine. It's the fandom who won't be so fine, I think. For example, I’ve got a little sister who thought Zuko liked Mai since he was little/before S3 started and I’ve got a little cousin who didn’t see Maiko coming at all but by Nightmares and Daydreams he was all "I like Mai and Zuko together. They’re a real sweet couple".

Edit:

nandireya said:

He wanted to help her...she deliberately humiliated him...I don't see that as balancing the scales. He was being decent and caring...she was just being mean.

If Mai was really deliberately humiliating Zuko... she would have done a worst. At best, you could say Mai was playfully teasing Zuko and, even then, that kind of thing all the time in real life and it's a sign of a healthy relationship if anything--they're so comfortable together that they can make fun of each other.

[nandireya]

I don't know if Avatar has much of a fandom down here...it's not like we have any merchandise for anyone to even know what the heck it is outside Nick viewers...I've only met a couple of people that have even heard of it...

Though I can't be the only Australian who hangs out at Avatar discussion boards.

[yiceman]

The magazine was a very lazy fill-in-the-blanks for me. It wasn't even the head writers idea. It was a nick exec's. So we would have had the whole affair dumped on us without even having the two characters exchange a single word.

Plus, I dunno about the other males here, but from my experiences...a boy under the age of 12-13 does not feel romantic feelings...at all. I don't remember even a twinge of a whisper of something resembling a crush before I turned 12-ish.

So the flashback thing? Hardly a groundbreaking moment in Zuko's character. Granted, this could be my own personal experience...maybe other boys in here had crushes when they were 8, but I saw a lot of women arguing about a young boy having romantic feelings, when that is in the strongest "cootie" stage there is.

[mindbender18]

The kids that post on the local Nick site only ever mention Kataang and Zutara...they're going to be so confused...

Look at it this way, imagine how confused the kids were who just watch the show and are not a part of the internet fandom who came across the magazine and saw something about Zuko and Katara in it 0_o

That had to been a true WTF? moment

when that is in the strongest "cootie" stage there is.

I guess I never believed in "cooties" because I had crushes on girls between the ages of 7-11 xD

[nandireya]

I'm well and truly an adult and I've NEVER had a crush...

And to be honest, the magazine story bugged me. Azula put a burning apple on Mai's head and Zuko pushed her in the fountain...and got soaked himself...to save her from being burned. She dumped a smelly fish on his head, threw ice daggers at him forcing him into another fountain and considered that made them even.

He wanted to help her...she deliberately humiliated him...I don't see that as balancing the scales. He was being decent and caring...she was just being mean.

[mindbender18]

^It wasn't meant to be mean though

and besides Zuko didn't seem to mind afterwards, he just liked seeing her smile

[mahatista]

anastasia14 said:

mahatista said:

Clear now?

It was clear in the first place. I was just pointing out how your point was wrong. The scenes you mentioned had absolutely no romance in them while the scene was Mai was centered around it. Now, in a story there a character arcs and things have meaning. Since it’s already been established Zuko is a nice guy and Mai’s romantic feelings were so important there... it’s obvious the point was, well, Maiko.

Not necessarily. The scene was also centered around Azula's willingness to use her friend's feelings for a mean joke. It gave us some insight into the Angels as well.

But it doesn't foreshadow season 3's Maiko Mash because Zuko is shown again in that same episode saving someone who needs help. At the end of that episode, I think it's not outrageous for many/most of the audience to have no inkling that Zuko would have a 'crush' on Mai. They'd know about her feelings, but what was shown of him was simply gallantry and he'd have done it for Ty Lee as well. Or his helmsman. Or Lee.

[nandireya]

He even stopped Katara from falling off Jun's shirshu...the Zutarians love to point that one out...

[Zenjamin]

inuyatta said:

I haven't seen Mai or Ty Lee really do anything this season other than suck face, whine and flirt. =\

this should be a sig

[dragonflly]

This is getting no where. The people who like Maiko will defend it to no end and those of use who don't are gonna argue. The people who liked it will insist that there were signs of Zuko's crush, I do believe there are many more who didn't see it at all. It's all how we perceive it. I don't know of any guys who have crushes when they are like 8 yrs old, but hey that's me. Maybe there are a FEW who do, but whatever. My brother is 10 and still does the cootie thing around girls. Some guys move along faster than others, Zuko I do not believe, is one of those guys.

I did not see the fountain thing in the magazine as anything but mean...as did others. Maybe it's because I cannot fathom ANYONE treating someone they say they care about like that. My personal belief is that it was done to humiliate him in front of Jin, my opinion only. I'm glad some of you saw it as teasing and cute, I certainly did NOT see it that way. Whatever the intentions were of M&B, it did not come across well for alot of us. Maybe those of us who didn't see it are wrong, but then again, maybe those who say they saw something are wrong. Will we ever know, maybe. We'll have to wait.

I'm almost positive that I read something that could provide something to the argument, but I cannot seem to find the interview that I need. It was the one where they talk of Mai and Zuko, and if someone could post a link or tell me where to find it, I would be eternally greatful. It's possible that I was seeing things, but I need to see it to end the endless questioning in my head.

Yes, it seems obvious that Zuko had/has feelings now, but some of his actions seem to suggest somthing else, from the date with Jin to the who magazine thing. That could be where alot of the contaversy is coming from, it really doesn't make sense, what M&B say and what we see seem to be very different things to alot of us.

God I really need to see that interview, please help! I may have some apologizing to do, but I need to see it again! I remember it was an older one, from summer, I think!

[Ana]

mahatista said:

The scene was also centered around Azula's willingness to use her friend's feelings for a mean joke.

...That only furthers my point. The feelings that Azula was willing to use as a mean joke were Mai's romantic one's. Now that you mention this, it only foreshadows stuff like this/Mai not being in it with Azula even more.

Regardless, it does foreshadow the Maiko in Season Three. No, it was not made really clear Zuko liked Mai but it was clear the romantic bond between Mai and Zuko would come up again.

dragonflly said:

God I really need to see that interview, please help! I may have some apologizing to do, but I need to see it again! I remember it was an older one, from summer, I think!

Here are all (well, no there's one on the S3 Volume 1 DVD) the known comments about Maiko the staff have made:

"Aaron Ehasz when this showed up at the Comic Con 2006 shipping panel: Perhaps this relationship will be rekindled?"

"-Do you have a favorite Avatar character?

[Grey DeLisle:] mai. i love her droll demeanor and how she has zuko so whipped."

"RM: Is Mai going to get any more opportunity with Zuko? Any more Mai on Zuko action?

[Bryan Konietzko]: Definitely stay tuned for that one."

"I [Hotspur] was at Comic Con and I actually spoke to Bryan for a minute when he was walking around. I asked him about "rabid shippers" and he just laughed nervously and said "Well, some will be disappointed." When I mentioned how much I loved the kiss, he laughed again (more happily) and said "So did I. They are great together."

[dragonflly]

^^That's actually the first time I saw that pic of Mai and Zuko at the Comic Con, interesting.

Thanks for these: that last thing is kinda what I was looking for, but it was in a full length interview and I honestly don't believe it came across that way.....if only I had a memory this would be such cake. Really it didn't. I remember something else that was argued in several threads about another subject, I know I'm right about it, but for some reason, I can't find that particular interview either. I've looked through many sites and neither of what I'm looking for is there. It's like they've been wiped off the face of the Earth.

Thanks for trying though. I do appreciate it. I'm still hoping to find what I'm looking for!


And I can't remember who said it, but I meant drasically changing from Zuko being the only thing she cares about. She's only interested in him, so to see her going from that to "OMG the common folk, what are we gonna do, this is terrible", would be drastic for her "I care about nothing but Zuko" attitude. It wouldn't fit into the character they made her, caring about stuff just isn't what they made her to be. At least most people take her that way, that's why I used the word drastic.........maybe the wrong word, but she'd have to change and fast in my eyes.