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Power couple 💯

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Mai is often misunderstood or dismissed because of her quiet demeanor, but when you look deeper, she’s incredibly layered and strong in ways that aren’t flashy.

She was used by her parents, especially her father, who was obsessed with status and politics. Her upbringing clearly stifled her, shaping her into someone who shut down emotionally to cope but what’s beautiful about Mai is that she never weaponized her trauma. She didn’t become cruel or bitter toward the world like Azula, zuko did. Instead, she internalized her pain and survived in silence. That’s strength.

And yes her relationship with Zuko shows that she wanted connection, even if she didn’t always know how to express it.when she chose to betray Azula to save Zuko, that was huge. That’s not apathy that’s love in her language.

Dating Kei Lo in the comics also proves she didn’t let her past trap her. She tried. She opened herself to something new. She chose not to let her emotionally abusive upbringing define her, which is one of the most heroic things someone can do.She doesn’t have the emotional vocabulary of someone raised with love, but she tries to give love in the way she knows how.

Mai’s growth is subtle, mature, and incredibly real. She deserves more credit.

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I'm so glad I live in the world where Avatar Aang's beliefs were respected by the narrative instead of the world where the show forced him to do a murder at the end and youtubers who watched it 20 years ago are doing 4 hour think-pieces about how it ruined the show

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if you make that female character less goth as a sign of her ~healing~ or ~improving her life~ I will kill you

make her MORE gloriously dark and over-the-top. she's growing into herself. she's getting comfortable being who she wants to be. do you see the vision. I am crying and throwing things

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if you make that female character less goth as a sign of her ~healing~ or ~improving her life~ I will kill you

make her MORE gloriously dark and over-the-top. she's growing into herself. she's getting comfortable being who she wants to be. do you see the vision. I am crying and throwing things

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Guys, guys, guys!

Listen to me!

For everyone who's worried about Mai not showing much interest in Zuko in Ashes. Honestly, I personally got a little carried away because it was nice to see Zuko carrying the ship for a while and Mai getting to exist outside of him (come on, we needed that!) and I liked it so I didn't think about it much. Mai has done enough to show how much she loves him, right?

But think about it! It's Mai we're talking about!

If she doesn't see a future with Zuko now, which is probably the case (she doesn't know it's all gonna work out and her daughter looks like she produced her through parthenogenesis!) it actually makes sense that she'd try to bury her lingering feelings for him!

It's actually more her speed than how Yang characterised her in his stuff!

With Mai, you have to be subtle. Pay attention to the art!!! (thanks to my friend for pointing out the ✨tension✨ between them)

She's avoiding eye contact: either she's turning away from him or looking at him askance:

on a side note: the last panel is great header material. also, look at them! he's looking at her head on (he doesn't even try to hide he's not over her) but she's looking at him under her fringe.

Notice their body language! Zuko's open, Mai's constantly—constantly—turning away from him!

If she really were over him she wouldn't be acting like this!

Yes, it's true that he brought out strong emotional responses from her. So much so that she decided to confront him at TBR instead of pretending it doesn't affect her. But he's a repeat offender at this point (sorry for the way I phrase it but also, don't you hate the comics for that?) it makes sense that Mai is trying to deny her feeling for him! That's her stress response. She shuts down to avoid getting hurt instead of crying about it (that's where you went wrong, Yang!)

I totally read this as her not being over him! With Mai you have to look past mere dialogue.

Besides, the show did this the other way around where they didn't show Zuko worrying for her post TBR. I see people defending that. As in, not calling it bad writing. Let Zuko have a taste of it because it's Mai's comic!!! (All this, this whole paragraph, speaking from an out-of-universe perspective of course. Mai deserves her lime light too!) And while that was OOC for Zuko, this isn't even OOC for Mai!

She found purpose outside of Zuko and she finds it fulfilling. They could've done any number of things with her but they pulled this:

"You don't want kids to go through what you went through at the academy" (also love that Zuko's the one saying it! He knows her beyond the superficial!)

Tells you Hicks thought about Mai. Unlike Yang, who's stuff read to me like "what Mai would do? But I can't relate to what Mai would do! So I'd make her react how I think anyone would react under that situation"

And for Firelady Mai detractors!

Let me close this off with:

Mai can walk to an institution that hurt her and confront the person who was entrenched in its values and say "fuck your tradition" because she's the one with the Firelord's backing.

In Zuko's Fire Nation, she's free! She no longer has to censor what it is that she thinks of the "glorious fire nation traditions."

Maiko, speaking in a meta sense, granted Mai agency! And no, Mai wouldn't have a repeat of what her parents did to her if she marries Zuko! Because his whole deal is to change that country. Why ever would he expect her to be traditonal and docile? And here's proof of it!

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I want Mai to be happy and grow as a person. I want her to not be at 30 what she was like at 15. I want more stories told with her. I want more Mai content but everytime I wish for it, this is what it feels like:

Getting more Mai content has a high chance of defeating the purpose of wanting more Mai content 😭 I want to see more of Mai from ATLA, not some normie that wears her skin 😭

More chances of her being mischaracterised until she's no longer recognisable. And the whole thing passed off as "character development" (it ain't. and you can do it while keeping her unconventional personality intact and not turn her into Jane #3!)

I especially hate when mischaracterisation aka turning her into a soap opera heroine (the way Yang did) gets called "maturing". No, it isn't. Becoming more palatable and maturing are two different things.

At least Ashes of the Academy was better than Yang's stuff.

Mai was such a novel experience because female characters are rarely allowed to be like that and now they're shaving down those very things about her.

But damn it, I want more Mai content!

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someone requested zuko and mai as fire lord and fire lady and i was only too happy to comply :) 

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I'm just a kataang girlie

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rewatching scott pilgrim [ids in alt]

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ashes of the academy zuko redraw because... well, we all know why.

i did a no crown version too because i like the idea of him going to see her all casual, but then he wouldn't be able to lie about being on business

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The reason I find maiko so enjoyable over zutara in fandom, in spite of the tumultuous canon, is because the fans already figured out that zuko in a het ship is getting topped by that woman, and he fucking LOVES it

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MAI ISNT TOXIC ‼️ KATARA ISNT SELFISH‼️ SUKI ISN’T MEAN TO SOKKA‼️ TOPH ISNT A FEMININE CHARACTER‼️

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Ppl say Maiko is grumpy x grumpy, but it’s clearly grumpy x guy pretending to be grumpy

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happy pride months everyone

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i love this one

rights: @0hpotato