I just finished rewatching Avatar, and I think I finally understand Zutarans.
Katara and Zuko have countless scenes throughout that series which would logically lead to an attraction between them. On the other hand there's literally one scene in the entire show (besides the finale) that shows Katara thinking of Aang as anything other than a brother.
I still don't think Katara and Zuko should have ended up together (not when Zuko is already with Mai, and they're great together) but they should have done a better job of showing why Katara would be attracted to Aang. As it is, she goes from having no romantic feelings to him, to marrying him basically only because he's the Avatar and saved the day. I can understand why Zutarans would see the obvious chemistry between Zuko and Katara and be pissed off that she ended up with the 12 year old instead.
There wasn't any possoble romantic tension between them until like the last 10 episodes of the series. Get real.
Jayden Morgan
Summed up my thoughts perfectly. I think Zutara could've worked well, but I don't think it should've happened simply because there wasn't enough time in the show to pull it off. I'm more annoyed that Katara ended up with Aang. It was actually pretty sexist how little the show considered Katara's POV. She ended up feeling like a prize. On the DVD commentary for Ember Island Players, during the scene where Aang kisses Katara and she backs off, Bryan said "poor Aang" and I think that just about sums it up.
>that shows Katara thinking of Aang as anything other than a brother. That's kind of a subjective perception,there.
Isaiah Ramirez
>Katara and Zuko have countless scenes throughout that series which would logically lead to an attraction between them They really don't
Adam Rodriguez
Still so perfect
Jason King
I worded that badly. What I mean is that if the writers did want to make Zutara happen there were a bunch of scenes that they could claim were actually developing their romance. The scenes work perfectly fine the way they're actually intended (enemies to sympathetic co-victims to enemies to friends) but it wouldn't seem like it was out of nowhere if a romance did happen. Unlike Katara's attraction to Aang.
Take the last several episodes, for example. Aang kisses Katara, then they don't interact for a while. Then Aang gets mad because he assumes they're already boyfriend and girlfriend and Katara says she's confused, so Aang kisses her again and she gets mad. Then they don't interact for a while again, Aang defeats Ozai while Katara and Zuko defeat Azula, then the series ends with Katara kissing Aang. There's absolutely no development.
James Robinson
None of that really objectively establish their relationship as Katara seeing Aang as a brother. especially if you account for the phoenix dance episode.
Jackson Bell
Get me this pic but it's Zuko and Katara with Mai threatening Katara for [decoonizing] Zuko.
I mean, objectively that's how Katara flat outstates she sees their relationship, and the show does very little to show us that ever changes, and a lot to show us that it probably hasn't.
>phoenix dance episode Ooo, fair point. Needed more of that. Literally all they needed to do to have the Katara/Aang relationship not feel forced was to give Katara 30 seconds of flashbacks to her scenes with Aang (with particular focus on Cave of Two Lovers and the dance).
Joshua Richardson
I'm not a fujoshi but you couldn't ask for better springboard for homo shipping than the dancing dragons episode. A homo arc would've been kino
>objectively that's how Katara flat outstates she sees their relationship What she actually say is that she doesn't know and need to figure it out.
Brayden Bell
>countless scenes which would logically lead to an attraction
wrong there was 1 at best and it was a reach anyway
Elijah Ramirez
Got big gay vibes from Sozin and Roku in their flashback episode, but then suddenly they got wives. Zuko and Aang getting together as future Sozin and Roku would've been kino.
Anthony Morgan
>Literally all they needed to do to have the Katara/Aang relationship not feel forced was to give Katara 30 seconds of flashbacks to her scenes with Aang No, they needed to do more than that, like actually change how Katara and Aang interacted 95% of the time. Even then I'm not convinced their romance could have been pulled off convincingly, just because I don't think their personalities mesh well on that level.
William Jenkins
Katara is a slut and Zutara is only permissible if Mai x Aang is included as a packaged deal. The dichotomy between light and darkness is captured perfectly by Maang.
Zutara is still cannon in my headspace nd wider avatar fandom.
Hunter Green
That is an incredibly cynical (and incorrect) read on Katara's character. She's not nearly as shallow as that. That's actually one of the reasons I don't think her and Aang are a good match. Not that Aang is simple, but I think Katara needs someone a little more complex.
Headcanoning zutara is even more based now because it means also headcanoning out Korra.
Noah Sullivan
This.
Gabriel Flores
Yeah her reluctance toward Zuko during his whole redemption arc would have made a way more interesting ship, even just to throw the audience off of Katara and Aang for two damn seconds.
But man that last scene, saw it by a country mile, right down to the panning shot and formal dress, which is disappointing because I felt the show that bangs the drum of unconventional should know better than that.
Juan Reyes
Well that's the problem exactly. Because she doesn't accept him until he literally saves the world, it makes her look like she's shallow.
Dylan Smith
>the show that bangs the drum of unconventional It really didn't. I love ATLA but it's not very original. It's a tried and true hero's journey, with the ancient concept of elemental magic thrown in.
Jaxon Brown
I think the real problem is that if Aang doesn't end up with Katara, then we don't get a Happily Ever After moment to cap off the series. Them kissing is just shorthand for, "And then everything was alright with the world." I'm not sure how they could replicate that without Katara kissing Aang.
Dylan Reed
>It really didn't. I love ATLA but it's not very original. It's a tried and true hero's journey, with the ancient concept of elemental magic thrown in. While I agree with you, I meant more in regards to its quiet progressive themes, Katara proving she can be a strong warrior, about having limitations, the problem of lacking an identity etc. All for Aang to swoop in for his jewellry clad princess at the end.
We're supposed to view it as Katara finally realizing/acknowledging her feelings. It just doesn't sell because there's not much sense she felt this way beforehand. I can see how that would make her look shallow, but knowing Katara, I just don't buy it.
Connor Morgan
I know what you're saying, like I said I don't have a problem with Katara and Aang as a couple, it was established pretty early on that they were fated, execution just felt a little tacked on to me, the series is smart with its characters.
I'm not fond of how the series closed on it, granted it was probably the right thing to, it left an awful taste in my mouth and desu i can't really explain it.
Elijah Morales
Yeah, it's pretty ironic given how progressive Mike and Bryan want to be.
Juan Cruz
It's more a matter of Katara, having faced failure before, preferring to focus on defeating the fire action before starting to consider who could fill up her coochie. Priority, man.
