The fact Mai completely overlooks Zuko’s scar speaks volumes of her character for Him. She really isn’t about status or power, and since she has been in his life before the agni kai, I’m pretty sure if she could go with Zuko and Iroh, she’d be there …
Mai and Zuko are not only separately great characters, they are also a great pair!! I was the most invested in their relationship actually. I also liked the touch that Mai's introduction is in Omashu, a city named after two lovers that were separated because of war. These two also are separated by not only war, but all sorts of family dramas, duties, social pressures... but their love survive all these shits thrown at them. They also push each other to come out of their comfort zone when necessary, but support each other also unconditionally, Mai in the show and Zuko in smoke and shadow comics.
I alway loved their romance, even as kid! I felt that they both understood each other well and Mai complimented Zuko imo. They had a pretty loving and healthy relationship for just being teengagers. I really liked Mai, she was one of my fav side characters in ALTA. Also I enjoyed her character development. She was introduced as only Azula's sidekick but became more fleshed out as the season went on. Wish we'd gotten more of her, great video!
UGH YOU EXPLAINED THIS SO CLEARLY, IT'S PERFECT. The Beach made me truly understand why these two officially got together, and the small changes in their dynamic throughout book 3 are nuanced but important, especially when you go back and rewatch. I've seen some people say that Mai is underwritten or that her whole arc just "revolves around getting a man", but I couldn't disagree more. That ignores & undermines her autonomy, that her whole arc is about finally being pushed to make a stand against the authority figures in her life and choosing the people who make her feel happy. Mai (and Ty Lee) is a victim of Azula and Fire Nation politics in different ways, with Mai putting on a facade of apathy to benefit others at all times and repressing her emotions to remain nonchalant. We see in ep2 of book 3 that the Fire Nation kids Aang meets don't learn to show self-expression all that much, and kid soldiers like Azula and her friends are forced even more into being 'adults' for their nation. Thus in book 2, Mai is forced to not retaliate against Azula's decision to keep King Bumi in exchange for giving up her baby brother as it will benefit them in the war. It may seem to the audience like Mai didn't care about her brother's safety at that moment, but it's truly her playing it safe & going along with it all bc that's what she's been conditioned to do. She's kept out of trouble her whole life and has had barely any self-expression, while having no reasons to question it bc it's normalized. So when she finally has Zuko, someone who she's always genuinely cared about & feels safe with now suddenly picking a side in this war, she feels compelled to fight for what she values too. She's not choosing just 'a man' but rather her personal ideals & true connections, over one based on fear and apathy with Azula. I'm probably restating a lot of what the video said but I just had to type this out bc I'm so happy lmao.
THANK. YOU. They were soulmates, ppl say they were “boring” yet they both had hard times showing their feelings, especially mai as seen in the beach episode. Yeah they were both “emo and gloomy” but there was always something between them. They genuinely cared for one another, and their relationship was also the most realistic out of everyone 😭
@@benjamintracey6685 ...I didn't say he was flirting with her. I said they were soulmates (directly responding to the comment above mine) and the story was setting that up from Day 1. The penguin sledding is the first time in a long time Katara has really acted her age, which is significant given her arc. This isn't romantic by itself ofc, but it does show the positive effects they have on each other and contributes to their relationship arc throughout the show. First meetings in shows carry meaning, and the fact that Kataang's first meeting involved Katara letting her hair down and getting to act her age is very significant indeed
Thank you, i think a lot of the hare for Maiko comes from the whole Zutara shipping but i love Mai, i love how she calls out Zuko on his shit and how cute they are together. I hope she's in the Avatar movie ❤
At the end of the day a good relationship has a bit of common interest, love (by love I mean sacrifice for the other), romance, communication, and trust. They develop this over the course of the series. I can relate when Zuko says “I love it when you express yourself.” There is something genuine when you can see the range of your partner’s emotions. It means you can judge them for who they are positive and negative, from there, if you accept them, then you accept them for who they are flaws and all. It’s harder to do this when they hide their emotions. After Ember Island we see Mei become more expressive.
They are my favourite couple on the show and i like the one other two ships but I’ve always liked Mai and Zuko more and I never understood why some people don’t like them together their relationship is pretty sweet and I like how it’s not always sunshine and rainbows and when they some problems with each other they worked it out pretty quickly and they see them grow together
Their struggle and growth is also really important for the future of the firenation, firenation suffers from toxic family and cultural values which Zuko and Mai both are the victim of, the fact that they actively go against their family's expectation, accept and deal with the consequences, shows how firenation and new generation can possibly have a bright future. I also always thought Zuko becoming firelord at the end would not make any sense if he did not have Mai, why should he take the responsibilities of a family and a nation that has only rejected and abused him? Mai was literally the only good thing about his home and firenation, he was happy with her even at his lowest time. So it makes sense that she would give hime hope that he can have a good life at his homeland one day.
I always liked Zuko and Mai together. I never understood the dislike the ship got. But then again for me Avatar was never about the shipping. I would argue that the creators of ATLA and LoK are kinda bad at writing romance. Zuko and Mei ended up being one of the better handled ones.
I just thought that's an interesting relationship dynamic and how that would unfold. Since Mai is fully aware of Zuko's childhood abuse that he received.
What’s even more interesting is that in the comics they break up again, but this time it’s Mai breaking up with him to do what she believes is right. Zuko is still completely in love with her, and while their relationship is left on an open note in the comics, it’s been hinted that Firelord Izumi is Mai’s daughter. The name Izumi means fountain which could refer to how they first fell in love with one another due to Azula pushing them into the water fountain when they were kids.
They are sweet with their childhood friends first love vibes. And they show really well the way you fumble through your first teen romance, but it helps you grow as a person and learn what it means to be in a relationship. However, they lack chemistry, passion, and the "you complete me" dynamic, which is what a truly great ship needs. Not saying those are necessarily the healthiest traits for a real world relationship, but it’s what will make the fans feral for a ship 😋Mai and Zuko are cute, but it's hard to see them as end game. Love your videos! Your analyses are always compelling and really make me think. Would love to see you do a video on Chris from Charmed! I know he's controversial but he was literally my childhood crush lol
I'll be honest, I don't agree that Mai/Zuko are a great couple, but I have no hate for the ship like others do. Many ATLA fans become "die for our ship" types, but I think Maiko isn't the worst thing on screen. However, not being the worst isn't quite the same as being good, at least to me. It wasn't bad but I don't think they're good for each other, and I don't think they had real chemistry. It felt very one sided as Zuko shows no interest in her during season 2 and you assume her crush is unrequited. Yet in season 3, they're dating with absolutely no setup for when Zuko returned her feelings. That's really shoddy writing for us to be forced to accept that it happened off screen in between seasons. Zuko also chooses everything else over Mai, at least on two occasions. I know that the war takes priority but it shows that she is never his priority. Like Kataang or not, we can see that Katara is Aang priority when it comes to romance. Yes, he picks the war out of necessity, but we see that he regrets having to place Katara second when needed. Zuko tho, he always has little hesitation to place Mai second. And no, leaving that pathetic note doesn't count as even Mai dismissed his goodbye note.
The Avatar comics cannot mess up the status quo in regards to the relationships if they ends one they must regain the same relationship by the end of the run.
Female fan here. Sorry to crush any Star Wars fans, but this is much better to see than the nonstop drama we see in the prequel films; there isn't an element of creepiness either. Also, we have someone that isn't afraid to let out her inner ChiChi and she is also someone that would rather have a few real friends than a bunch of fake friends. Can we also talk about the acting? Lizzy Caplian and Dante Basco were so in their elements; To think that Dante Basco was almost Damien in Mean Girls. To get back in the good graces of Star Wars fans, I'm reminded of the dynamic of Princess Leia and Han Solo, minus a giant dog.
To bad they broke up in the promise comics because Mei didn't like the fact that Zuko went to his dad for advice when he was having trouble dealing with the pressure of being firelord and didn't open up to her about his problems
From what I’ve heard, the creators were ticked off that they broke up in the comics (someone else wrote it) because they had a lot of plans for them. Honestly…I get why
@SarahGambill-sl9dl She is literally at odds with Azula the entirety of the Smoke and Shadow comics run and Mei isn't in a single one of the other comics for some reason or at least out of the ones I have read and Mei is gonna be in Ashes of the Academy the latest 3 part comics run that is yet to come out, she's on the cover of at least one of them from what I saw
Hey Folks, including you, @usernameRachel Macdonald, Zuko kind of go together equally as Zuko and Jin and both of them and Katara kind of are “soulmates to Zuko” even if via having it in themselves to be so, and plus with all due respect, with how young and goofy Aang could and can be, during the events of “ATLA” at least, there is something rather kind of cosmically strange about Aang being paired with Katara - in that contraire to some saying it was so obvious as that - there never really was a way at the beginning to know they would “be together”, and plus, Katara, Jin and Mai each were among the few people to show genuine kindness to Zuko besides his Uncle Iroh. Yet more likely with how Izumi from “TLOK” has a bit of resemblance to Mai, more likely Zuko had ended up with Mai and made peace with Jin.
Tbh, I am one who doesn't like this ship 😅 I see where you're coming from and I have tried to like the ship, but I just don't see the chemistry it felt a bit hollow to me. Also, it's been a LONG time since I watched the series but I think the foremost reason why I don't like the ship is because there wasn't really much of Mai, we know very little of her. It just seemed like they didn't really develop her as her own character which made her feel very flat for me. Yes, apathy is her thing but there should be more to her than that and they do develop her more in the ending but it feels rushed. Which is sad because I really do like Mai, but I just wish they developed her and their relationship more. I feel the same about most relationships in the show except for Sokka's, his relationships felt like they were developed. And since I never watched LoK, it's cool that it's undetermined, their relationship feels very first love for me and I'd rather they became friends. Great video btw!! I'm a new subscriber and your Charmed videos got to me with how good they were. Also sorry for the issues with the Candyman video, I hope it gets resolved~!!❤
Well, they broke up after a few months/ years. Maybe they got back together and had Izumi together, but they broke up again for sure or she died because in LOK Zuko is alone. Of all the couples, Aang and Katara were the most loyal and had a wonderful family that lasted till death did them part.
i have to disagree with this, they definitely did work. I think the main reason people see this couple not working is because they barely opened up to eachother because they both suffered not being able to communicate their emotions
Their shared gloom, social rank, floppy hair, and vocal chords of someone with lung cancer, it’s like a match made in underworld
@@STn6jgfuuuv Just listen to them and tell me neither one of them sound like they’ll need their own electrolarynx in the future
@@STn6jgfuuuv One of those small microphones ex-smokers put on their throat 🎤
"Lung Cancer "!? 💀
“in underworld”? No I would not say that itself, at least.
The fact Mai completely overlooks Zuko’s scar speaks volumes of her character for Him. She really isn’t about status or power, and since she has been in his life before the agni kai, I’m pretty sure if she could go with Zuko and Iroh, she’d be there …
Mai is such an underrated character Love that scene "I love Zuko more than I fear you"
Mai and Zuko are not only separately great characters, they are also a great pair!! I was the most invested in their relationship actually. I also liked the touch that Mai's introduction is in Omashu, a city named after two lovers that were separated because of war. These two also are separated by not only war, but all sorts of family dramas, duties, social pressures... but their love survive all these shits thrown at them. They also push each other to come out of their comfort zone when necessary, but support each other also unconditionally, Mai in the show and Zuko in smoke and shadow comics.
I alway loved their romance, even as kid! I felt that they both understood each other well and Mai complimented Zuko imo. They had a pretty loving and healthy relationship for just being teengagers. I really liked Mai, she was one of my fav side characters in ALTA. Also I enjoyed her character development. She was introduced as only Azula's sidekick but became more fleshed out as the season went on. Wish we'd gotten more of her, great video!
UGH YOU EXPLAINED THIS SO CLEARLY, IT'S PERFECT. The Beach made me truly understand why these two officially got together, and the small changes in their dynamic throughout book 3 are nuanced but important, especially when you go back and rewatch. I've seen some people say that Mai is underwritten or that her whole arc just "revolves around getting a man", but I couldn't disagree more. That ignores & undermines her autonomy, that her whole arc is about finally being pushed to make a stand against the authority figures in her life and choosing the people who make her feel happy. Mai (and Ty Lee) is a victim of Azula and Fire Nation politics in different ways, with Mai putting on a facade of apathy to benefit others at all times and repressing her emotions to remain nonchalant.
We see in ep2 of book 3 that the Fire Nation kids Aang meets don't learn to show self-expression all that much, and kid soldiers like Azula and her friends are forced even more into being 'adults' for their nation. Thus in book 2, Mai is forced to not retaliate against Azula's decision to keep King Bumi in exchange for giving up her baby brother as it will benefit them in the war. It may seem to the audience like Mai didn't care about her brother's safety at that moment, but it's truly her playing it safe & going along with it all bc that's what she's been conditioned to do.
She's kept out of trouble her whole life and has had barely any self-expression, while having no reasons to question it bc it's normalized. So when she finally has Zuko, someone who she's always genuinely cared about & feels safe with now suddenly picking a side in this war, she feels compelled to fight for what she values too. She's not choosing just 'a man' but rather her personal ideals & true connections, over one based on fear and apathy with Azula. I'm probably restating a lot of what the video said but I just had to type this out bc I'm so happy lmao.
THANK. YOU. They were soulmates, ppl say they were “boring” yet they both had hard times showing their feelings, especially mai as seen in the beach episode. Yeah they were both “emo and gloomy” but there was always something between them. They genuinely cared for one another, and their relationship was also the most realistic out of everyone 😭
@tai4727 some folks yet not all. Although Katara also had it in herself to “be a soulmate to Zuko too”, like with Jin, as well.
@@benjamintracey6685nah, Katara’s soulmate was Aang, that was clear from Day 1
@@violetlavi2207 not quite. Aang was just being playful when asking her to go penguin sledding with him.
@@benjamintracey6685 ...I didn't say he was flirting with her. I said they were soulmates (directly responding to the comment above mine) and the story was setting that up from Day 1. The penguin sledding is the first time in a long time Katara has really acted her age, which is significant given her arc.
This isn't romantic by itself ofc, but it does show the positive effects they have on each other and contributes to their relationship arc throughout the show. First meetings in shows carry meaning, and the fact that Kataang's first meeting involved Katara letting her hair down and getting to act her age is very significant indeed
Thank you, i think a lot of the hare for Maiko comes from the whole Zutara shipping but i love Mai, i love how she calls out Zuko on his shit and how cute they are together. I hope she's in the Avatar movie ❤
Criminally underrated video. Great points and editing 🔥
This made me see it in a new light. The best romance is the type where each character helps the other grow. Thank you for this awesome analysis!
At the end of the day a good relationship has a bit of common interest, love (by love I mean sacrifice for the other), romance, communication, and trust.
They develop this over the course of the series. I can relate when Zuko says “I love it when you express yourself.” There is something genuine when you can see the range of your partner’s emotions. It means you can judge them for who they are positive and negative, from there, if you accept them, then you accept them for who they are flaws and all. It’s harder to do this when they hide their emotions. After Ember Island we see Mei become more expressive.
Mai is a bad influence and a really bad girl just like azula
@@SarahGambill-sl9dla bad influence for who? And please don't slander Azula in this house, thank you 😊
They are my favourite couple on the show and i like the one other two ships but I’ve always liked Mai and Zuko more and I never understood why some people don’t like them together their relationship is pretty sweet and I like how it’s not always sunshine and rainbows and when they some problems with each other they worked it out pretty quickly and they see them grow together
Their struggle and growth is also really important for the future of the firenation, firenation suffers from toxic family and cultural values which Zuko and Mai both are the victim of, the fact that they actively go against their family's expectation, accept and deal with the consequences, shows how firenation and new generation can possibly have a bright future. I also always thought Zuko becoming firelord at the end would not make any sense if he did not have Mai, why should he take the responsibilities of a family and a nation that has only rejected and abused him? Mai was literally the only good thing about his home and firenation, he was happy with her even at his lowest time. So it makes sense that she would give hime hope that he can have a good life at his homeland one day.
I always liked Zuko and Mai together. I never understood the dislike the ship got. But then again for me Avatar was never about the shipping. I would argue that the creators of ATLA and LoK are kinda bad at writing romance. Zuko and Mei ended up being one of the better handled ones.
They are definitely my favourite couple in the Avatar show.
I just thought that's an interesting relationship dynamic and how that would unfold. Since Mai is fully aware of Zuko's childhood abuse that he received.
What’s even more interesting is that in the comics they break up again, but this time it’s Mai breaking up with him to do what she believes is right. Zuko is still completely in love with her, and while their relationship is left on an open note in the comics, it’s been hinted that Firelord Izumi is Mai’s daughter. The name Izumi means fountain which could refer to how they first fell in love with one another due to Azula pushing them into the water fountain when they were kids.
They are sweet with their childhood friends first love vibes. And they show really well the way you fumble through your first teen romance, but it helps you grow as a person and learn what it means to be in a relationship. However, they lack chemistry, passion, and the "you complete me" dynamic, which is what a truly great ship needs. Not saying those are necessarily the healthiest traits for a real world relationship, but it’s what will make the fans feral for a ship 😋Mai and Zuko are cute, but it's hard to see them as end game.
Love your videos! Your analyses are always compelling and really make me think. Would love to see you do a video on Chris from Charmed! I know he's controversial but he was literally my childhood crush lol
To be fair. I love a girl with the hime bangs so I totally agree with Zuko.
I'll be honest, I don't agree that Mai/Zuko are a great couple, but I have no hate for the ship like others do. Many ATLA fans become "die for our ship" types, but I think Maiko isn't the worst thing on screen. However, not being the worst isn't quite the same as being good, at least to me. It wasn't bad but I don't think they're good for each other, and I don't think they had real chemistry.
It felt very one sided as Zuko shows no interest in her during season 2 and you assume her crush is unrequited. Yet in season 3, they're dating with absolutely no setup for when Zuko returned her feelings. That's really shoddy writing for us to be forced to accept that it happened off screen in between seasons. Zuko also chooses everything else over Mai, at least on two occasions. I know that the war takes priority but it shows that she is never his priority.
Like Kataang or not, we can see that Katara is Aang priority when it comes to romance. Yes, he picks the war out of necessity, but we see that he regrets having to place Katara second when needed. Zuko tho, he always has little hesitation to place Mai second. And no, leaving that pathetic note doesn't count as even Mai dismissed his goodbye note.
Their good as a couple it's just different.
The Avatar comics cannot mess up the status quo in regards to the relationships if they ends one they must regain the same relationship by the end of the run.
The movie coming out should confirm Mai is preggo with Izumi towards the end.
I mean, Izumi is shown to be atleast 15-20 years younger then her old man. So I assumed around Smoke and Shadow II, is where she would be confirmed.
@undertaker9991 they went back together 2-3 years after the breakup so a bit later
@@vix7146 Yeah, but it's no doubt that them two got bussay! Bow chika wow wow. Lol.
mai is the definition of gen Z
Female fan here. Sorry to crush any Star Wars fans, but this is much better to see than the nonstop drama we see in the prequel films; there isn't an element of creepiness either. Also, we have someone that isn't afraid to let out her inner ChiChi and she is also someone that would rather have a few real friends than a bunch of fake friends. Can we also talk about the acting? Lizzy Caplian and Dante Basco were so in their elements; To think that Dante Basco was almost Damien in Mean Girls. To get back in the good graces of Star Wars fans, I'm reminded of the dynamic of Princess Leia and Han Solo, minus a giant dog.
To bad they broke up in the promise comics because Mei didn't like the fact that Zuko went to his dad for advice when he was having trouble dealing with the pressure of being firelord and didn't open up to her about his problems
The creators confirmed they get back together. The lady in legend of Korra is their daughter.
From what I’ve heard, the creators were ticked off that they broke up in the comics (someone else wrote it) because they had a lot of plans for them.
Honestly…I get why
Mai was a spy for azula
@@SarahGambill-sl9dlno she wasn’t 😂
@SarahGambill-sl9dl She is literally at odds with Azula the entirety of the Smoke and Shadow comics run and Mei isn't in a single one of the other comics for some reason or at least out of the ones I have read and Mei is gonna be in Ashes of the Academy the latest 3 part comics run that is yet to come out, she's on the cover of at least one of them from what I saw
Hey Folks, including you, @usernameRachel Macdonald, Zuko kind of go together equally as Zuko and Jin and both of them and Katara kind of are “soulmates to Zuko” even if via having it in themselves to be so, and plus with all due respect, with how young and goofy Aang could and can be, during the events of “ATLA” at least, there is something rather kind of cosmically strange about Aang being paired with Katara - in that contraire to some saying it was so obvious as that - there never really was a way at the beginning to know they would “be together”, and plus, Katara, Jin and Mai each were among the few people to show genuine kindness to Zuko besides his Uncle Iroh. Yet more likely with how Izumi from “TLOK” has a bit of resemblance to Mai, more likely Zuko had ended up with Mai and made peace with Jin.
💖💖💗💗💗💗💗💗💖💖💖💖💖💖
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
Tbh, I am one who doesn't like this ship 😅
I see where you're coming from and I have tried to like the ship, but I just don't see the chemistry it felt a bit hollow to me. Also, it's been a LONG time since I watched the series but I think the foremost reason why I don't like the ship is because there wasn't really much of Mai, we know very little of her. It just seemed like they didn't really develop her as her own character which made her feel very flat for me. Yes, apathy is her thing but there should be more to her than that and they do develop her more in the ending but it feels rushed. Which is sad because I really do like Mai, but I just wish they developed her and their relationship more. I feel the same about most relationships in the show except for Sokka's, his relationships felt like they were developed. And since I never watched LoK, it's cool that it's undetermined, their relationship feels very first love for me and I'd rather they became friends.
Great video btw!! I'm a new subscriber and your Charmed videos got to me with how good they were. Also sorry for the issues with the Candyman video, I hope it gets resolved~!!❤
Emo/goth couple
Well, they broke up after a few months/ years. Maybe they got back together and had Izumi together, but they broke up again for sure or she died because in LOK Zuko is alone. Of all the couples, Aang and Katara were the most loyal and had a wonderful family that lasted till death did them part.
Great video ❤, but I am sorry that I disagree, I see ZERO chemistry between them 😢
They definitely didn’t work!
i have to disagree with this, they definitely did work. I think the main reason people see this couple not working is because they barely opened up to eachother because they both suffered not being able to communicate their emotions
@@tai4727 And also their teenagers. Love isn't a thing with teenagers. Or at least it's complicated.
@@undertaker9991 exactly, its not always going to be lovey dovey, i like how the writers wrote these two