[ SECRET POST #1950 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1950 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 06 pages, 122 secrets from Secret Submission Post #279.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 2 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 1 2 - repeat ], [ 2 - spambots ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[kyogres.livejournal.com]

My problem with Mai isn't that she's aloof or sarcastic. It's that she's so apathetic about everything, including Zuko, who is supposed to be her boyfriend. Maybe I just missed it, but I have no idea why she likes Zuko, or why he likes her. The way their relationship was portrayed in the show, I could see it working out short term but not long term.

I didn't see any indication that Mai loved Zuko from their interactions, at least not romantically. Not that she has to act like a giddy schoolgirl, because that would be ooc, but it would be nice to see some indication that they are happy together. And Zuko's "happiness" in those scenes reads more like "I am glad I have my honor restored and I have a place in the Fire Nation again, and everything is back to the way it should be" (which includes his relationship with Mai) instead of "I am glad I get to be with my girlfriend again; I really missed her."

I did start to like Mai a bit after her "I love Zuko more than I fear you" comment to Azula, but unfortunately, we don't get to see her much after that. Maybe I could have liked their relationship if we had seen more moments like that.

[fadeinthewash.livejournal.com]

It's that she's so apathetic about everything...

One of the things that bothers me about her relationship with Zuko is her apparent apathy not towards him (hey, all kinds of relationship dynamics exist, and I have a bit of a thing for 'still waters run deep'-type characters) but towards stuff like, you know, the fate of the world and the Fire Nation's war crimes and such. And as you note, when she finally switched sides, it was because of Zuko, not any ideals. It's very human to only care about things that immediately affect you or someone you care about, so I can't blame her for that.... except Zuko himself so damn passionate and idealistic (even when he was being a self-centered brat, he ran on passion and [ahem, flawed] ideals). And someone that idealistic and passionate could easily use someone much more moderate than themselves to them from burning out, but I have a hard time seeing how someone like that intimately connects with someone who doesn't feel more than bored curiosity at best about all the things that get them revved up, especially with lofty, important Big Picture-type things. e.g. Someone who's passionate about helping the homeless probably wouldn't have an enduring relationship with someone who occasionally donates some spare change only if they happened to have not yet pocketed it, or even someone who cares but doesn't do anything for the cause either way.

Of course, Mai might really care and just never expressed it out of repression and/or self-preservation. But that gets back to them dropping the ball with properly fleshing her out beyond 'scary, sober badass chick who is Zuko's girlfriend; why, because she is.'