masayume85:

aflightoffancy:

I mean Kataang was so cloying, if they called each other ‘Sweetie’ one more time… It all just seemed so… superficial and fake and showy.

And Zuko doesn’t even tell Mai when he’s going away. I like Maiko, I think it’s a lot better developed than Kataang, which, well, oogies. All the oogies. I…

You’re definitely not the only one. My preferences for Zutara aside, The Promise has thus far only served to turn me away from either Kataang or Maiko. And given the choice between the two I would actually believe Kataang would have better chances of succeeding, and that’s only if Aang learns to stop idealizing Katara. 

I remember being that age and everyone keeps saying “oh that’s just how kids are”—no, no I don’t think so. It’s gone so above and beyond comical at this point that it just feels like they’re trying to over-compensate to prove something. “Look at how good they are together? See how much they love each other? They would die for each other!” *sighs* My biggest complaint with Kataang has always been the fact that we never really get Katara’s voice on the matter beyond Ember Island when she tells Aang she’s confused. You expect me to go from that to this? I need more than that. I need more than just some surprise kiss at the end of the show or this farce of a relationship they are trying to throw at me now in The Promise.

As for Maiko… I have never and will never see a future there. I do believe there is genuine feeling there, but Mai needs a whole hell of a lot more development before I’m ever going to believe that she’s meant to be with Zuko. I guess I just don’t see what everyone else seems to see, mostly because I know how a good balanced relationship works and they don’t have one. 

I’ve had a review/rant on The Promise in my drafts for a while that I may get to at some point soon, but the whole thing has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I want to believe that things are going to get better, we’ve only gotten one part of three, but it’s so hard to believe when I look at the way things have turned out before. I don’t care if Katara is with Aang honestly I just want to feel it more than I do. 

/end rant — Sorry if I offended, I just had to get that out of my head. 

100% seconding the concerning lack of Katara’s input. Katara is someone we’ve been shown the thoughts of in the past too, so the complete lack here is especially obvious. Which, coupled with all the mothering, just makes me think she doesn’t feel for him like that at all, just is confused so chooses the option that’ll make him happy. 

I actually think the lack of Mai development almost works in their favour, we haven’t seen anything that suggests they’re not compatible, but they seem happier with each other than at other times, she’s willing to betray the fire nation for him, and she’s the only thing he’ll miss. It’s not much, but it suggests that there’s a real relationship there, it’s just not all explicitly laid out.