#platonic!taang

[toph-bi-fong]

I’ll admit, during my early years in the fandom I was considering shipping T/aang. Of course I was persuaded by the DoBS Kataang kiss and realized- oh yeah, Kataang was always there.

Now-a-days, I really value their friendship/sibling like dynamic. I don’t think a romance between them would work.

[happyshippingnoises]

Avaatttar..rr....r

Honestly I'm surprised I'm the LAST one in my family to watch the show fully LMAO

[lesbians4tophbeifong]

i could go on and on about aang and toph’s relationship for DAYSSS. the fact that he saw her in a vision before they even met is SOULMATE BEHAVIOR. and their dynamic is BEAUTIFUL !! theyre so opposite, especially in ideology, yet theyre so in sync! especially in battle, the way their bending compliments each other’s despite being opposing elements is insane! and their conflicting ideologies challenge the other in ways that encourage personal growth. this is especially beneficial to aang because by pushing him outside of his comfort zone, toph allows him to adopt new approaches and perspectives towards his bending and worldview which is crucial for the avatar to learn

[tachiha3]

You are not ready for my great ramblings of Toph+Aang Homie-ism™ I have created in my brain.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Why I feel like Ka/taang is one-sided, despite textual evidence 

ATLA does try to convince us that Katara has romantic feelings for Aang. For example: she seems thoughtful when she realizes that Aang is a powerful bender; she’s offended that he didn’t want to kiss her in the Cave of Two Lovers; she gets jealous when Sokka says On Ji and Aang look good together.

So…what’s wrong with anti-Kataangers? Do we just lack media comprehension? 

To be clear, on their own, these gestures can indicate romantic interest. But at the same time, we have stuff like “Aang is a sweet little guy, like Momo.” We have her ambivalent facial expression after he kisses her before the eclipse, and her hedging during Ember Island Players, and her anger when he kisses her anyway. In the context of these conflicting cues, Katara’s possibly romantic reactions can absolutely be interpreted in a different way, because: 

Acknowledging a friend as a potential romantic interest is not the same as actually being romantically interested in them. (Imo this is something young women struggle with, due to a combination of romance-centrism and heteronormativity that make women feel like they should be in romantic relationships, and that boys and girls who share intimate and deep feelings for one another must be romantically into each other) 

Wanting someone to find you desirable is not the same as desiring that person. (Which is something a lot of women, especially young women, struggle with. Remember all the discourse around Cat Person back in 2017?) 

Being jealous when someone flirts with your friend is not the same as wanting to be with your friend. (Especially when you see your friends as family, or if you’re accustomed to a specific type of devotion from that friend. It is jealousy, and it is possessiveness, but it doesn’t always arise from romantic feelings) 

Growing up in a patriarchal society means that your desires are always filtered through what men want from you, sometimes in an abstract male gaze-y way, and sometimes in a very visceral and interpersonal way when a boy wants you specifically. And Katara’s reactions are just that — reactions. Reactions to what other people — including Aunt Wu, Sokka, Aang himself — have insinuated about her and Aang. She’s not really proactive in her interest in Aang: we don’t really see Aang, romantically, from Katara’s POV. Under the framework of “Katara is reacting to a romantic prospect she’s kind of uncertain about,” it is completely plausible — and indeed likely — that she would sometimes act in ways that indicate romantic interest, in addition to moments where she indicates the opposite. 

Ka/taang shippers often bring up other evidence, like Katara’s despair when Azula hits Aang with lightning, or how protective she is of him when Zuko joins the Gaang. The thing is, these pieces of evidence aren’t necessarily indicative of romantic love. The fact that Katara genuinely loves Aang makes the whole thing more complicated, not less, because — especially at that age, especially when Aang is twelve years old and grew up in a sex-segregated society of monks — it is really difficult to tell the difference between platonic love and romantic love. Their mutual devotion is layered and complex yet straightforward in its sincerity. What was not straightforward, until the last five minutes of the show, is whether this devotion on Katara’s end is romantic. The romantic arc for Katara and Aang is not really an arc, as Sneezy discusses in this classic ZK video. Katara actually becomes more conflicted over time and we never see an event that clarifies her feelings. She seems more interested in him in The Headband than on the Day of the Black Sun, and she has never been more hostile to his romantic overtures than in the penultimate episode. 

And in light of this, it’s pretty easy for fans to fill in the blanks with a different interpretation: maybe Katara’s weird expression after their kiss at the invasion means she didn’t enjoy it; maybe the kiss made her realize that she doesn’t actually feel that way about Aang; maybe against her will and her better judgement, she’s developing feelings for another person, a person who hurt her and whom she fervently tried to hate until he pulled off what is in my opinion the greatest grovel of all time in the form of a life-changing field trip. Maybe. Am I saying that Zutara has more romantic interactions than Ka/taang? Of course not. But ironically, the lack of romantic interactions means that it’s not inherently one-sided, the way Ka/taang became in the latter half of season 3.

I’m not arguing that Katara’s unequivocally not into Aang. Obviously the text declares that she is, because they get married and have kids. But I am saying that there’s a very good reason that so many people, especially women, see Katara’s interest in Aang as ambiguous. It’s not because we can’t pick up “subtle” hints of growing affection. It’s because we know not all affection is romantic, and it’s really easy for someone else’s insistent romantic intentions to muddle what you want.

P.S. I first started thinking about these topics (platonic vs romantic love, desiring someone vs wanting to be desired, etc) in the context of compulsory heterosexuality, a term describing how queer women contort themselves into relationships with men even if they’re not really into men. I saw a post a few days ago joking about why so many queer women seem to be into Zutara. I wonder if part of the reason is because as queer women, we are very sensitive to the ways in which we can talk ourselves into wanting things we don’t actually want, and Katara’s romantic interest in Aang can be easily seen that way. 

[zutara-sokki-taang]

Toph And Aang need to be canon

Look y'all, imma need Taang to be Canon before Zutara. I love you Zutara, but if any characters were set up as soul mates more it's Toph and Aang, literally set up by the cosmos. Honestly, the fact that they only used that for a platonic friendship was one of my biggest disappointments. Like Katara is right there for friendship and family, but even moreso being apart of his development in figuring out the different feelings of romantic and platonic love. Falling for the first girl you've seen in a hundred years forever doesn't quite hit as hard as falling for the girl the universe gave you a vision of and slowly finding out the world had more plans for you than you thought as the avatar. Especially given how much differently she makes him see the world, and he gives her the opportunity to see the world at all.

Zutara on the other hand is the slow burn enemies to lovers ship happening in the background that may or may not come together within the timeline of the show. The point is it's set up.

TLDR: Taang is the soulmate ship the show slept on and I'd be more interested in that being canon than zutara.

[thegaybluejay]

Just for fun, here are my rapid fire rambling thoughts on the ATLA ships and platonic dynamics hehe (please don’t go full ship wars tho - these are just my opinions as a chill multishipper!)

My Favorite Ships:

• Zukka - My current brainrot and main ship!! I know they aren’t canon but I really love them and their potential okay😭I just feel like their personalities would work so well! Sokka would call Zuko on his shit and Zuko would be good at grounding Sokka when he needs it. Plus I have seen some absolutely breathtaking AUs with this ship! And fire-and-ice vibes except gay! Them <3

• Kataang - Cutiessss!! I love them! They may not be the ship I think about most often, but when I do think about them, they’re adorable! Aang is such a “my wife” guy and Katara absolutely adores him back! Also the last airbender x last southern waterbender dynamic goes HARD! I like that these two are canon!

• Yuetara - Listen I know they barely interacted but THEY’VE ACTUALLY GROWN ON ME SO MUCH LATELY AND I VERY HIGH KEY SHIP THEM! Something about like, Katara thinking about Yue when she bends is so😭Their story would be heartbreaking in the best way!! Sapphic noncanon blorbos <3

• Mailee - These two are SO cute and have so much potential rahhh!! Again, love some noncanon sapphics <3

• Batkoda - Super SUPER cute and silly and fun! The dads fr <3 Bato is either Katara and Sokka’s adopted uncle or their stepdad and I love it for them hehe! This usually pairs well with a “Hakoda adopts Zuko” AU lmao!

Other Canon/Relatively Popular Ships:

• Zutara - A good ship! I see the potential and tbh it’s very very fun to think about sometimes!!! However, some of y’all toxic Zutara stans need to leave my boy Aang alone lmao. Those who are chill tho, I rock with y’all!! Overall, I’m not opposed if it’s done well and I do sometimes seek out Zutara content! I personally do prefer writing them as found siblings tho, especially with the Azula and Katara parallels!!

• Sukka - Canon cuties!! I really like them! Suki my BELOVED <3 She’s so underrated!

• Yukka - Also canon cuties! They make me sad tho ahhhhh😭😭😭

• Maiko - Also ALSO canon cuties!! They have an interesting dynamic that I can really appreciate! And gotta love Mai <3

• Jinko - Jin my beloved! These two had a super cute dynamic during the one episode they had together lmaoooo, tho I don’t think about this ship too too often.

• Tokka - I don’t mind it if it’s them getting together as adults! But tbh I personally don’t prefer shipping them as teens and I think Toph’s crush was just a typical young girl crush on someone slightly older lol. Definitely not horrible and most Tokka shippers are relatively chill! I like to think Sokka sees Toph as a little sister tho.

Now For Some Of The Crackship-y/Less Popular Ships (based on ships I’ve actually seen):

• Zukki (Zuko/Sokka/Suki) - Power throuple fr and I love some polyamory!! While I mostly lean plain Zukka, this is extremely fun to think about and would be a great dynamic!

• Mai/Ty Lee/Suki - Saw this in a Zukka fic once and it was adorableeeeee! I may not have plans to actively write this or anything, but it’s cute! Another power throuple!

• Jetko - I don’t think they would be compatible long term, but by god they are very very fun to think about in a “Jet flirts with Zuko and Zuko is completely oblivious and they share one kiss before everything goes to shit” way lmao!

• Taang - I can respect it!! I will always love them as chaos siblings personally, but it’s a totally valid and chill ship!

• Katoph - Not a bad ship at all! I’ve only come across like one post tho lmao. Also I do think I heavily prefer them as found sisters, but that’s just me personally! Again, totally a valid and chill ship!

• Azutara - I’m very neutral on this lmao. I don’t despise it at all and it could be pretty interesting?? But tbh really not something I plan to seek out.

• Azulaang - I mean?? I’m also pretty neutral on this one. Aang would be kind to her if she was trying to get help but…idk lmao.

• Tyzula - I see the potential, but I personally think Mai and Ty Lee had a healthier and more interesting and more realistic dynamic. Just my preference tho!

(I think I just want Azula to be in therapy before I reallyyyyy ship her lmao, but NOT THE KIND OF “THERAPY” SHE WAS GIVEN IN THE COMICS)

• Zukaang - I don’t love this as a ship honestly. The canon age gap as teens is sketchy for my personal taste, tho I’ve seen people ship them in “Aang was 16 when he got frozen” AUs and that’s…better and I can get behind it a little! It would be interesting! But I think Roku being Zuko’s great-grandpa just still throws me off of this ship. I don’t have any beef with the shippers tho! I’m very “live and let live” and I have seen so much worse lol.

Can’t Forget My Fav Platonic Dynamics!

• Sokka and Aang - Two found brothers who share one idiot braincell when they interact LMAO! Love them always <3

• Sokka and Katara - The siblings ever!!

• Zuko and Aang - Enemies to found brothers!! Canon besties! I love their friendship and their parallels SO MUCH!!

• Toph and Katara - Absolutely ADORABLE as found sisters!!!! Love them!

• Zuko and Katara - I really like their development in a platonic sense and I think they’re very very fun and lovely found siblings by the end!!!! Zuko is 100% the brother that just “yeah my sister can and will whoop your ass” LMAO!

• Zuko and Toph - Also very found siblings in my head!! Only have a handful of solo interactions in canon but I DON’T CARE! I WILL FOUND FAMILY THEM ANYWAY! I’m a “Toph seeks out Zuko for sibling hugs/cuddles when she’s cold because he’s basically a space heater” truther.

• Uncle Iroh and the Gaang - Zuko needs to learn to share because that is ALL OF THEIR Uncle!!!

• Hakoda and Zuko - I thrive in this section of the fandom!! They have exactly one (1) frame together in canon, but I ADORE Dadkoda adopting Zuko! Something about it is just so wholesome and cute!!! My very very fav ATLA fics are this trope!!#LetHakodaBitchSlapOzaiAndAdoptZuko2024

• Uncle Iroh and Zuko - God they make me so ALSNDKSNXNCNSNSNXNX, y’know?

• The Gaang as a whole - Obvious I know, but I really do love them😭They all bonded sm and I adore their little family!! I eat up fanart of the Gaang cuddling like CANDY omg. And yes Suki is included in the Gaang because WHY WOULDN’T SHE BE!

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. If you made it to the end, you get a big platonic kiss on the forehead MWAH!

[punkeropercyjackson]

If Zutara is a feminist ship then it's absolute bottom of the barrel feminism SORRY like it's so downlow💀Katara's a fem girl with parentification trauma and open softness and Zuko's a masc dude who turned into a Team Dad to heal his inner child and break the cycle of abuse and high up walls so they're already a cisheteronormative ship based off that alone but there's also how while Zuko made up for what how he hurt Katara,his attacks and insults to her were racially motivated and that adds a thick layer of racialized misogyny AND directly goes against Katara's wishes to force Zuko onto her because she fought for a loooong time to break the mold of womanhood should only exist in 'what girls are SUPPOSED to be like' and frankly the emphasis on supposed 'realism' when it comes to girls and Zutara said by the shippers so often has transmisogyny underlaying it,if not then at least bioessentialism,with how cis and exclusive of unconventional girlhood it is and it dosen't help their case that they often feminize Toph when she gets older when in CANON she stayed gnc and ruthlessly talk badly of Aang because he's a boy who's feminine and gets hurt when bullied for it in-universe and he has a fucking right to even if he's cis!!!!They're making fun of him for being himself!'Fragile masculinity' my ass,if you saw a stud or a non-fully transitioned transfem you'd hurl and he thinks Katara's punk girl slay is the hottest shit ever and showed hints of crushing on Toph's butch ass too

But back on topic,this is why i can't stand Zutara man,there's nothing for me to relate to!I'm a punk femme woc like Katara and i headcanon her as trans,bi and autistic like me because i relate to her in some very important ways(though i hc her as transfem while i'm transmasc bigender)and this is also a big part of the appeal of Kataang for me because i'm the girl who had a crush on Aang instead of Zuko Zutara shippers always told you don't exist and i loved Taang because i was rowdy tomboy like Toph but i never had a beef with Kataang,i didn't see anything wrong with it!!!I minded my own damn bussiness and let Katara just vibe instead of making her some evil bitch!And while i'm in love with Zuko now thanks to the comics going into the Gaang's adult years,my canon self-insert ship with him is him and Ty Lee because i'm a super bubbly and optimistic pastel girl who's interests are considered 'stupid/silly/lame' by society and is high maintenance but nice to everybody instead of demanding and it turns out that me as a kid and me now are those ways due to autism and transgenderism!!!!

Zutara does nothing for the woc in me because Katara dosen't look like me since i'm black,i love her and Zuko as bickering found siblings,i have older sister/maternal feelings towards Aang like Zuko does older brother/fatherly ones,i see Mai as a comphet (trans) lesbian but love Maiko because she's weirdgirl rep and Zuko's in love with her and there's also black etchnic subgroups in each nation confirmed in Turf Wars so i don't got anything stopping me from making an Atlasona instead of ruining characters and dynamics!!!!!Zutara is such a less than nothing ship if you're 'not a normal girl' and the fandom's make it beyond crystal clear how they feel about us so that's why i hate it so much in addition to what ass is is!The only thing Z/k's were 'robbed' of is the ability to get a grip,a boyfriend,friends who think they're goddesses platonically like mine do to me and me them and media literacy seeing as Atla's title refers to Aang being the sole survivor of a genocide based off an irl one but they will do everything and anything to remove that out of the context in analysing him and the franchise as a whole

And not to diverge topics again but this is why i'm okay with shaming and mocking Zutara re Natla(and no i don't mean harrasing,i mean og posting)by me and anybody else,they deadass SHOWED PART OF THE AIR NOMAD GENOCIDE and ALSO ADDED 'TOKEN GOOD' FIRE NATION SOLDIERS and it's so beyond fucking racist and disturbing that they're trying to do any gotcha or praise of it involving their military war ship.You's grown and Zuko loves Aang the most anyway,you normie losers

[burst-of-iridescent]

the official zutara dissertation: conclusion

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 

This dissertation set out to prove that Zutara, rather than Kat.aang and Mai.ko, should have been the endgame ship of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has discussed why Zuko and Katara would make a good couple within the text, how the narrative was setting them up for a relationship and why a Zutara endgame would have served the themes and messages of the show, as well as the arcs of all the characters involved, better than the canon relationships did.

Many have argued that Zutara is too complicated, too deep, too much for a kids’ show - that much of the subtext and narrative and analysis that really makes Zutara brilliant cannot be easily understood by children. But the reason that Avatar: The Last Airbender still stands the test of time today is because it did care about those very things, because it took difficult, complex issues and still managed to make them meaningful, nuanced and understandable. If ATLA could depict imperialism, colonialism, redemption, genocide and war, I see no reason why it could not have pulled off an enemies-to-lovers ship literally coded in the DNA of the show.

In conclusion, Zutara should have been canon because it would have fixed almost all of the narrative, thematic and character problems I have discussed over the course of this dissertation, and elevated the show to near perfection. The choice to deny Zutara of the ending they rightfully deserved is thus undoubtedly one of ATLA’s biggest flaws and its greatest loss. 

But as Dante Basco, Prince Zuko himself and captain of the Zutara ship, put it:  “Sometimes the feeling of what could have been is stronger than what actually happened, because the memory of perfection lasts longer.” 

Though Zuko and Katara’s story ends in tragedy, it is this very tragedy that still makes them so fascinating all of these years later ‐ because the final element of Zutara’s brilliance is the idea of what might have been, in what has been left solely to our imaginations. In the greatest of ironies, therefore, it was only by leaving the story of Zuko and Katara unfinished that it was able to become the beautiful tale it is today ‐ more powerful and compelling, perhaps, than it could ever have been in canon. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Araeph, 2017. Araeph’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. https://at.tumblr.com/burst-of-iridescent/araephs-greatest-hits-vol-2/zfcozrmeby19

Certified Bi Fangirl Disaster, 2020. The Cave of Two Lovers foreshadows the Zutara interactions in the Crossroads of Destiny. https://at.tumblr.com/theotterpenguin/645662327005478912/p30gsur9gexe

DevilDogDemon et. al, 2021. The Effect of Kataang on Aang’s Character Arc. https://at.tumblr.com/burst-of-iridescent/devildogdemon-juldooz-atla-negromouthandafro/hs2r37t0uipp

FunFanFin, 2017. How Zutara Fulfills The Show’s Key Themes.  https://at.tumblr.com/funfanfin/dentist-open-up-me-wellokay-so-not-only-does/pnwuyp5pxxc4

Marsreds, 2017. It’s called the Cave of Two Lovers, not the Cave of Two “Treasured/Close/Platonic Friends”. https://at.tumblr.com/marsreds/its-called-the-cave-of-two-lovers-not-the-cave/njy7bj7qkoko

My Bated Breath, 2020. Wants vs Need - A Comparison Between Kataang, Taang, and Zutara. https://at.tumblr.com/my-bated-breath/wants-vs-need-a-comparison-between-kataang/vvhl7irrdk69

RoyalTeaLovingKookiness, 2019. The Romantic Framing of Zutara. https://at.tumblr.com/royaltealovingkookiness/i-think-the-anon-who-sent-the-zuko-lost-azula-in/rpfdg8oxfmfq

SneezyPeasy, 2021. Get in losers, we’re stanning Zutara. https://at.tumblr.com/sneezypeasy/get-in-losers-were-stanning-zutara/0x2mbtmsp3xu

SneezyPeasy, 2021. Why Aang’s Lines Sound Preachy in The Southern Raiders. https://at.tumblr.com/sneezypeasy/why-aangs-lines-sound-preachy-in-the-southern/q78urhuqp6lm

SunMoonTurtleDuck, 2021. Why Zuko Had To Take Azula’s Lightning for Katara. https://at.tumblr.com/theotterpenguin/its-true-zuko-would-have-taken-the-lightning-for/ki6rg04v45h2

TheMomentofDavyPrentiss, 2017. Why I Believe Katara Canonically Had Romantic Feelings for Zuko.  https://at.tumblr.com/themomentofdavyprentiss/why-i-believe-katara-canonically-had-romantic/m7a6x8a521n8

TheOtterPenguin, 2022. A Counter Argument to “Zuko Would Have Taken The Lightning for Anyone!” https://at.tumblr.com/theotterpenguin/why-is-zuko-would-have-taken-the-lightning-for/amyfkr6oaz45

[nalgasde-hao]

Okay so my headcanon on Taang (and a little bit of Zutara on the side)

- So I would much rather prefer if the ending of the show hadn't made any of the ships (except for Sokka and Suki) Canon, but even with the Kataang final kiss I feel like Taang would have been canon

- Because they were both too young and there relationship would've been completely platonic (I've always felt like Katara saw Aang as a little brother that she needed to protect, but even if it wasn't for that, Katara put Aang in a pedestal for being the avatar and created a lot of expectations over him, which I think it can be proved by how later on their marriage on Korra, besides the way Katara did everything for him like a mother), and Katara's desire to go back to help rebuild the south pole while Aang wanted to recreat the air nomads again would made their relationship be very complicated

- And that's how I feel like they would outgrow each other and realize they would work much better as friends

- Without Katara's imagine in his mind Aang would be able to notice other girls - like Toph, who he hadn't seen in a long time due to his traveling

- I feel like Toph already felt something for him, but couldn't quite understand what it was, but she would take the opportunity to travel with him again

- and then, they would have a slow burn, friends to lovers relationship, with a lot of teasing and mutual pining

- as for Katara, I feel like Zuko would be a better match for her - they always had a great chemistry - but not only that, before Zuko joined the Gaang, Katara was the only one who did the chores and made sure that everyone was okay, which was a lot of responsibility for a 14-year-old, and after Zuko showed up and started to help her out, it gave her time to actually enjoy travelling

- I feel like after a time the other nations would pressure the Fire Nation, for something to make them feel safe - since they replaced the Fire Lord, with his FIRST BORN SON, and Katara would volunteer to be the South Pole ambassador

- There relationship would grow up from that, and I feel like there love language would be acts of service, always making sure the other one has rested and is feeling okay (and I can't stop obsessing about how Zuko choose Katara to help him find his mother)

- I also think that Maiko wouldn't work - although I really like the ship - because Mai hated everything that had to do with the aristocracy, because it bored her, and she didn't want to be what her mother wanted her to be, so becoming the Fire Lady wouldn't be very fulfilling for her - I kinda feel like she would have a thing for Ty Lee, but Idk

- Also, I like to think that Aang would always visit Toph between his travels to the point her parents (who didn't like him for making their baby girl run away) question themselves when was he going to propose for Toph's hand (I feel like her mother would make a comment during dinner or something and they would die out of embarrassment)

- And I'm 100% sure that Suki and Sokka had a bet going on who of the two couple would confess first (I have a feeling it's Zutara) and after that they would just try to hold their laughs at Taang mutual pining

BITCH THIS IS THE EXACTLY WAY I THINK THAT TAANG HAPPENED (if it was canon ngh-) and the way you explain the zutara relationship it makes all the sense to me.

Besides, talking about kataang, I always saw as a problem that katara couldn't show her agry with aang bcs he would cry or something like that, and that is not the way it should be when you are with your partner, on the contrary, it should be a safe place where you can express yourself freely, and I thought that with zuko, she can do it.

Also, bitch, toph and aang are soulmates and nothing can change my mind. THEY WORK SO PERFECT TOGETHER WHEN THEY ARE KID, IMAGINE WHEN THEY GROWN UP. Unstopplebe, on fights and love lmao.

[toph-bi-fong]

“Katara was more like Aang’s sister!”

Dude, Toph is right fucking there!

[franollie]

all ships you like?

remember you asked for this...

They will be organized by fandom and ranked.

Key:

romantic

exes

very platonic

nostaligia made me

super specific way that would take to long to explain so you'll have to ask if you want to know

DC:

Stephcass

Dickkory

Timkon

Cissiecassie

Dinahbabs

Clois

Brutalia

Jondami

Dickroy

Beatora

Honorable Mentions:

konbart, bartpreston, batcat, bruharvey, timives, timtam, timsteph, dickbabs, boostle, batjokes (i wouldn't say i ship them but i firmly believe the joker is convinced he's in a fucked up romcom with batman), helbabs, cassrose, rosecassie, ivycat, harlivy, anitacissie, anitacassie, hellbeetle, timcassie, koncass, wondercheetah, donnakory, dickdonna, wallylinda, daminika, jaydana

Haikyuu!! (idk if ive ever mentioned it on here but im a MASSIVE haikyuu fan):

Iwaoi

Kenhina

Daikurro

Yamayachi

Asanoya

Honorable mentions: sakuatsu, kiyoyachi, kiyotana

Sailor Moon:

Usamamo

Makoami

Michiharu

Avatar Franchise:

Katoph

Rangshi

Sukka

Tysuki

Korrasami

Kyalin

Kataang

Tysokka

Zutara

Taang

RWBY:

Bumbleby

Nuts n' dolts

Renora

schneekos

Rosegarden

Spiderman/Spiderverse:

Gwemj (spidergwen comicverse)

petergwen

parksborn

spideytorch

ghostflower

gwemj (spiderman comics)

Petermj (spiderverse)

petermj (comics)

petergwemj...hmm

johnnymj

Witch Hat Atelier (everyone go read witch hat):

orufrey

arkco

Buffy:

Fuffy

Twillow

Xandelia

Spuffy

Sprucilla

Teen Wolf (unfortunately):

Malydia

Cordia

Scisaac

Scira

Berica

Owl House:

Lumity

Huntlow

Raeda

TGCF:

Fengqing

Hualian

Beefleaf

Peihuang

Xianle Trio

Lunar Chronicles:

Cresswell

Kaider

Scarletwinter

Wolflet

Captain mechanic

Percy Jackson:

Percebeth

Theyna

Rueguard

Zoëtemis

Pipabeth

Grishaverse:

Kanej

Helnik

Zoyalai

Danya

Zoyalina

Misc./Honorable Mentions:

madohomu, dianako, utenanthy, xenabrielle, matchablossom, renga, farcille, royai, catradora, glimbow, griddlehark, strawberryblossom, jackieshauna, lottienat, caitvi, jayvik, sabead, barrisoka

i think thats all of them. it's probably not.

[fireroll]

So a bit more on my personal Taang take:They are malegirlboss x malegirlwife <3 Both genderfluid and bigender but Aang is transfem while Toph is transmasc!Also i am a firm Kataang defender because of all the racist hate aimed at the ship so i simply have them happen in aus where Katara and Aang were always mutually platonic friends :3

TY LUKO IS MY FAVE Love me a grumpy goth bf x bubbly pastel gf ship!!Especially with how bisexual and pansexual and especially trans they both come across in canon!I think Ty Lee and Zuko are the best choices for eachother's love interest's and that it was a huge waste to not have them be childhood besties like they are with Mai.Also like with Taang and Kataang,i have them in aus to avoid Mai and Maiko bashing^

Maitara my beloved!!Fire x water,repressed x wears their emotions on their sleeve,raised to serve x raised to care and mooooooore!!Also the bad Zuko stans can kiss my butt,they are NOT and never would BE love rivals over him.In fact,they're girlfriends :)

Jinzula,Azula and the girl Zuko went on a one time date with!!I think Zuko's sisters should steal his gfs <3 (Azula is his regular sister and him and Katara are bonded like siblings)

The unifying factor(minus the last one lmao) for why they're my otps for the show is that the characters balance eachother's personalities out in a sweet,healthy and funny way and work well thematically in the story too!!I hope you like them or at least think they're good ships^

oh my goodness my brain is receiving so much information thank you for opening my eyes this is so interesting

T4T TAANG, screaming /pos

OOH i have never seen most of these ships, do forgive my lack of things to say, my brain needs time to process and mull over. Will reblog this later with more stuff to say promise

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Korrasami isn't perfect and it's not one of my favorites, but it will always be better than Kataang for me. They didn't have to dumb down or regress Korra or Asami's characters to make it work, their ending leaves a lot more room for growth and relationship development than Kataang does, and Asami wasn't presented as Korra's prize for being the hero. They both get to keep their autonomy.

It also doesn't feel one-sided. It feels like two women who are not only coming to terms with their sexuality, but also relatively new feelings for one another and exploring that together. I wish more people understood that

AGREED. Just because they’re both canon ships doesn’t mean they’re alike. I mean Korra had gone through some serious shit and had been held responsible for her actions way more than Aang ever was, so Korrasami was never going to have that “Perfect Avatar and Doting Girlfriend” dynamic. Unlike Aang, Korra was narratively not rewarded for liking someone and acting like she’s entitled to them just because she’s the Avatar. Unlike Aang, Korra actually undergoes an evolution in how she interacts with her love interest’s parental trauma and learns to be a better friend. Neither Korra nor Asami pushed for a relationship or tried to win the other over, even though they realized their feelings way before they got together. Like you said, it feels a lot more mutual. Imo, Korrasami was better written than Ka/taang even though it had way less development, because — probably due to 2010s Nick censorship — they couldn’t resort to will-they won’t-they romance tropes that send conflicting messages about what the characters want and what is good for them. Most of their romantic development had to be platonic in nature, and Bryke are much better at writing meaningful platonic relationships than romantic ones, so this worked out in Korrasami’s favour.

In some ways, Korrasami actually reminds me a little bit of Sukka. Like Suki, Asami is super competent, super gorgeous, and didn’t need to compromise herself for this relationship, though she did have to teach some lessons to her eventual partner. Asami was never set up as a deuteragonist (unlike Katara) and I don’t mind her narrative weight being tied to that of her love interest, especially since — as previously stated — much of that romantic development was platonic.

[boasamishipper]

For the ship ask: Zutara from ATLA

i honestly don't care enough about atla to have super strong opinions on the ships - i was always fine with maiko and kataang and sukka, and the few atla fics i read with canon zutara were....fine?? i guess?? (this one author who wrote the only zutara fics i've ever read also wrote a lot of taang fics, and THOSE actually intrigued me a lot. like i like katara and aang together best, but romantic toph/aang,,,,,that was Very Interesting. as was toph/sokka. i read a lot of very good toph/sokka fics.) at any rate, i've always side-eyed atla fans who are still like 'zutara was SUPPOSED to be canon!!!! here are five hundred pages of meta to prove it and prove they're better than kataang!!!!!' like. were we even watching the same show?? they set up kataang from the very beginning. just because YOU want to be with zuko doesn't mean katara wants to be.

anyway. zutara in fics?? sure. whatever. i'm not gonna seek zutara fics out specifically, but if the ship is there and well-written i'll read it. (i remember seeing something back in my lok days about katara and zuko falling in love only after aang and mai were both long gone; that version of zutara i could get behind.) zutara in canon?? that was never gonna happen. they only ever interested me as platonic narrative foils.

send me a ship and i’ll give you my (brutally) honest opinion on it

[atla-adult-au]

For plot twist inspirations thru fanfics and fanarts, I switch from good clean young Zutara…

To adult Taang smut, many, many smut 😅

To Zutara smut

to Zutara arranged marriage with some smut

To young platonic Taang friendship

to adult Zutara smut

to adult Maitara smut

to Maitara friendship

to adult Zkmai smut

Depends on my brainrot 😅