#oma and shu

[myrddinwylltemrys]

[shawandran]

Kataang really asked what if we both uniquely shared the most devastating loss of our people, what if we both lost our guardian to the same war and found their bodies, what if we both experienced uncontrollable rage and pain at the reminder? What if we were each other’s hope anyway? What if we reminded each other that we were children, and you offered to take a Water Tribe girl you barely knew halfway across the world so she could learn how to bend water? What if you gave me back my mother’s necklace and always supported my water bending and fused with the ocean spirit to save the Northern Water Tribe, because you valued my people and my bending that much, because you refused to let what happened to you happen to me? What if I represent the ocean and you represent the moon, the sky, and we were always meant to circle each other, push and pull? What if I’m what tethers you to the world, what if I’m the embodiment of your people’s love? What if my face was the first you saw when you woke up and the last thing you gaze upon in the series? What if we both have access to unbelievable power, what if we both succumb to our anger, but we were able to ground each other in a way no one else could? What if I loved you through your worst, what if we both loved each other when our souls were dark enough to hurt others? What if we were both terrified of the other being hurt, and you tried so hard to protect me, but I couldn’t protect you? What if despite everything you died in my arms and I had to gaze upon the dead body of my loved one once again, but I refused to let it happen, and I brought you back to life? What if we paralleled Oma and Shu, Tui and La, lovers who performed powerful feats of bending after the other died? What if we asked why our story has to end that way, what if we dared to live? What if we can’t be separated, not by space or time or even death? What if the last time you use the Avatar State in the series, the closing move of the Hundred Year War, is a waterbending move, specifically the first move I ever taught you? That simple push and pull? What i

[waterbenderkat]

My queer Zutarian ass watching them skip Kataang in TCOTL and instead focus on Oma and Shu being sapphic:

[sokkastyles]

how is oma and shu a parallel to kataang?

the war doesn’t keep them separated. the war isn’t the thing that’s preventing them from having a relationship.

i have the barest of memory of oma and shu’s story, but i do remember never relating it to kataang despite the episode being kataang-centric.

I had to look up what the KA theme even was. I guess it's that piece with the kalimba, and it's honestly a forgettable track among an otherwise phenomenal soundtrack. And it ain't what plays over the Oma and Shu story.

And yeah, the main difference between KA and the Omashu story is also what makes zutara a healthier relationship, and it's ironically something that is highlighted in this episode.

The Oma and Shu story parallels zutara because it's a relationship where the characters are kept apart by outside forces. Once they are on the same side, Zuko and Katara are as thick as thieves. I've also said this about what makes Sokka and Suki a healthy and compelling relationship. What's keeping them apart is primarily distance, and once they are together they actually just like each other, like real people in a real relationship.

Whereas with KA, there's no reason why they can't be together except that the show wants it to be ambiguous to keep up the will-they-or-won't-they. So the relationship itself becomes the conflict keeping them apart.

Why can't Aang and Katara be together despite kissing in the cave? Well, because Aang puts his foot in his mouth and is too scared of rejection to actually let Katara know how he feels, even when she shows willingness in this episode, and ends up hurting her feelings.

It's actually quite an insult to the memory of Oma and Shu, who were brave enough to follow their hearts and overcome social prejudice to be together, to compare them to the way Aang flounces around with Katara the entire series and then gets mad at her for not automatically becoming his girlfriend, without ever once telling her how he feels.

[abbyofthefirenation]

idk how you can watch the cave of two lovers and see aang and katara kiss in that cave and have the kataang theme play in the background while the story of oma and shu is told and think oma and shu is anything but a parallel to kataang

[apathyandmischief]

I came across an article online about the decision to change the Tale of Two Lovers that was titled something to the effect of "a minor change that doesn't make a difference". But here's the thing: it makes all the difference.

I was 12 when Avatar first aired, exactly in the target demographic. I'm watching it now through the lens of an adult who grew up with the show, and I noticed the difference immediately. My fiance, a cishet man, was more excited about the secret tunnel song than anything, but I got stuck on Oma and Shu, and instantly just thought of what it would've been like to hear that so casually mentioned at 12 years old, uncertain of my wlw identity, to have the story of the foundation of the Earth kingdom be of a love between two women. It's so important and I'm so happy they did that.

[garnetrena]

oh so in the ATLA live action, Oma and Shu are lesbians? nice!!

[near-dareis-mai]

oma and shu THEE LEGENDARY LOVERS of the atla universe being turned into sapphics in the adaptation is iconic i must say sorry not sorry

[the-badger-mole]

Uncharted Waters: New Arrivals

“It’s a sad story,” Chong said. “If I could remember the rest of the song, it’d bring tears.”

“It sounds so hopeful, though,” Katara said. “They managed to be together, despite their people being at war.”

“Oh, it is hopeful,” Hua said. “But it’s also sad. I don’t know the lyrics as well as Chong, but I love the story. You see, long ago, when all sorts of bending was new, before the Earth Kingdom was the Earth Kingdom, there were two villages fighting. What were they fighting about? No one knows, but I expect they were fighting for the same reason folks are fighting now. People with power thinking they need more of it.

Well, it so happened that Oma was on her way up her side of the mountain looking for food, or firewood, or stones to make arrowhead, and Shu was on his way up his side of the mountain looking for the same. And they met somewhere in the middle, and despite their peoples being at war, they talked some. Found they had more in common than didn’t, and somewhere in that common ground, they fell in love.

They had to keep their love hidden, but it was hard because too many people came up and down the mountain looking for food, or firewood, or weapons. They was bound to be caught and punished for treason. Folks say the spirits granted them the ability to bend earth. First ones ever, too. At least the first human ones. The badgermoles taught them how to use their new gift. Or that’s the story. So, they built tunnels through the mountains so they could be together, away from all the folks who would see their love as something ugly. And the spirits helped them by making it so anyone who followed them into the tunnels would get lost, but Oma and Shu would always be able to find each other.

Hua sighed and smiled sadly, and looped her arms around Moku’s. She looked around the circle of faces around her and continued the story.

“Well, we all know that nothing good can last forever. One day,  Oma showed up, but Shu didn’t. And she looked for him in all their favorite passages. All the way up to the entrance to the tunnel from his side. Wouldn’t you know it? As she crept out of the tunnel and looked out over Shu’s village, she saw soldiers coming back. She saw them carrying their dead. She saw her Shu was among them. They say that the cry she let out could be heard on both sides of the mountain. Then she showed them all what she could do with her earthbending. She put the fear of all the spirits in both villages. Folks on both sides were sure she would destroy everyone. But then she stopped when she had everyone’s eyes on her, and she told everyone the war was over. The dead were buried, but Oma took Shu’s body into the tunnels, and then no one ever saw even a glimpse of her again.

 “That was the end of that,” Hua said, laying her head on Moku’s shoulder. 

Read the rest of the chapter here

[thatwoodenguineapig]

After becoming Spirits, Oma and Shu take great interest in the fate of the city that bears their name. When they see their city being mistreated, led by those with only greed in their hearts and no compassion, they despair. But as someone rises to challenge the wasteful lord, they feel hope again, and begin to whisper in the ears of the challenger. The people of Omashu rally behind the challenger, and the lord is struck down. They crown the challenger as the King of Omashu, and Oma and Shu continue to whisper in his ears. He gains a reputation for being a little odd, often dubbed "the mad king" because having an old married couple argue about the running of your city inside your head will do that. But he's never a bad king, and the people who call him mad say it with affection. When he gets old, he starts to worry about what will become of the city when he's gone. Oma and Shu search through the city, and find a promising youth who cocks their head to hear the Spirits' whispers. The King of Omashu speaks with this youth, and tells them of how Oma and Shu have guided him. Oma and Shu begin to whisper in the youth's ears, telling them that they could be the next King, if they think they can handle it. The youth agrees, and is proclaimed the King's heir. And so Oma and Shu choose each King of Omashu, and "The Mad King" becomes an unofficial title (later made official after someone tries to conquer the city and the people refuse to have a king who hasn't gone a bit mad from the Spirits whispering in their ears)

[mileenaxyz]

So...Oma and Shu are lesbians now? Cuz I ain't hear no "he" pronouns in that love story. 💁🏽‍♀️

[myrddinwylltemrys]

Atla live action really said bury your gays speedrun….. I’m so sorry but the queerbaiting fully worked on u

I think you may be a bit confused.

Queerbaiting Definition :

"the incorporation of apparently gay characters or same-sex relationships into a film, television show, etc. as a means of appealing to gay and bisexual audiences while maintaining ambiguity about the characters' sexuality."

There was no ambiguity - it was made crystal clear that they were lovers and both women.

If you mean pandering, then that's a completely different argument.

Personally, I want more casual representation. I don't want a characters sexuality to constantly be this huge performance. I want the focus to be more on the fact that they're two humans desperately in love rather than that *gasp* they're gay omg isn't that so special and different?? Aren't you shocked they're not straight??

I really enjoyed how the live action ATLA added this in because the focus wasn't on the fact that they were gay, no one cared about that. The focus was on how great and powerful their love was.

[onefail-at-atime]

Alright, which one of us is going to write the Oma and Shu fanfiction? Two lesbian lovers from warring villages? C'mon. If it doesn't exist already, it should.

[quinn-fucks-shit-up]

Oma and Shu are lesbians to me, no I will not elaborate

[cattapz037]

So Oma and Shu are lesbians in the Netflix adaptation. Honestly I was confused at first when they said “Oma didn’t come. She had been killed in an attack.”

I was like “Wait, I thought Shu was the girl?”

Then they referred to Shu as “She” and then I realized they were supposed to be lesbians

[southslates]

another day in which i'm forced to wonder how anyone could think oma and shu isn't a zutara parallel... two lovers torn apart and unable to find happiness due to belonging to two different tribes... it's so sad. animation is a visual language and look at these two scenes. to claim they were not drawn like this on purpose is denial

zuko and katara are wearing the same colors and oma holds a red branch like zuko's fire, they are standing in a cave the same color as the crystal catacombs, like it's been said over and over again, but wow, how can anyone not see this as romantic coding