ok but Mai Atla's uncle (the warden of the Boiling Rock) is REALLY invested in his niece's high school relationship drama. He hides the highest ranking fugitive in the nation because Zuko broke his niece's heart. He commits treason because Mai's jerk boyfriend broke up with her over text.
like. does he lie in bed kicking his feet when he reads the latest gossip from Mai. does he do that.
Mai kisses him and hugs him, then remembers she still has to scold him, and then goes right back to hugging him. And I love Zuko’s expressions throughout the entire scene lol
My hc is that Zuko would've been speechless if he'd heard this 😭
It's one thing to know Mai loves you. It's another to find out she loved you enough to defy Azula and risk her life for yours
That confession would've haunted him for yrs. He would've fallen in love w/ Mai all over again and then spent weeks thinking he never deserved someone who loved him that deeply
Mai was shown to resent the misogyny that is very specific to upper class society and the way she was handled and neglected by her parents. She is so used to none of wants and desires ever being fulfilled that she has stopped having any ambitions. While Zuko doesn't neglect her (other than when he had to save the world but that can be called extenuating circumstances) but isn't her ending up with Zuko basically ending up in the position she confessed to hating in the beach episode? Within all the societal dictates and unnecessary rules and restrictions. Which would actually now be even more stifling if she were to be Fire Lady. And we have never actually seen Zuko doing anything for her comfort and happiness that goes against the established dictates of society, so we can't even lean on that to say she'd be alright. She defied Azula and changed the course of the war in that way, only to end up in the same cage she was trying to crawl out of (I honestly think she befriended Azula only because it allowed her to get away from the stifling environment of upper class life for women).
Ok, I see where you're coming from, but there are a few counterarguments I'd like to bring up.
First off, it seems highly implied that there will be a lot of reworking done to the social systems of the Fire Nation, as seen in Ashes of the Academy. This will include making the divide between the FN's social classes smaller and less meaningful, by for example, opening the Fire Academy to children of common birth, and presumably removing other similar restrictions. Similarly, the Fire Lord after Zuko is Izumi, and she doesn't seem to just be a figurehead, which leads me to believe that the misogyny that prevented previous female Fire Lords is also being actively combated.
Therefore, one can presume that if Mai were to become Zuko's partner, she would have more agency and freedom than, say Ursa and potentially previous Fire Princesses.
Also! Zuko does actively support Mai going against the way she'd been raised as well as doing his best to fulfill her wants and desires. Mind you he doesn't always do it in the most graceful or tactful manner, but he is veey clearly trying. One example may be when she finally snaps in the Beach, expressing her difficult feelings, something she was raised not to do. Zuko is very happy to see her break from it, and voices his support. And when she didn't accept it in the moment, he gives her time, instead of pushing her boundaries. While Mai doesn't express this, such patience and support is very important for someone in her position.
Mai: [Frontal view.] You want me to express myself? [Stands up and yells.] Leave me alone!
Zuko: I like it when you express yourself. [Approaching, attempting to put a hand on her shoulder.]
[...]
Mai : I know one thing I care about. [Walks up to Zuko. Frontal view.] I care about you. [They kiss.]
In fact Zuko is quite intentional about often either trying to get Mai to express her wants and desires, or trying to intuit her needs, though he is not always correct in his guesses. Examples of this go back to their childhood, like him noticing Mai's discomfort at the apple trick and proceeding to 'rescue' her. Similarly, his gifts of ice cream and a seashell are examples of this behaviour. However, he is unsurprisingly most succesful when he straight up asks Mai what she wants, like with the fruit pie.
Zuko: Tell me, if you could have anything you want right now, what would it be?
Mai : Hm ... A big fancy fruit tart, with rose petals on top.
Zuko: You know, being a prince and all, I might just be able to make that happen.
Mai: [Chuckles.] That would be impressive.
These gestures may seem small, but they denote a desire to accomodate and please Mai, whose ability to express her own desires is extremely stunted. This leads me to believe that, as they grow older and communicate better, Mai will be able to express her discomfort and desires and Zuko will be willing and capable of accomodating them. You guys act like he isn't whipped for her.
The main problem in Mai and Zuko's relationship is their mutual lack of ability to communicate properly. Which like, I am not surprised by, I doubt either of them have ever even been exposed to healthy patterns of communication, especially in their closest friend groups. But that's an analysis for another day. However, Mai and Zuko seem to be maturing very well and developing their own, healthy methods of communication as they reach adulthood. Crazy what the development of a frontal lobe and lack of a genocidal dictator upon the throne does for the youth, huh?
As for why Mai may want to play a role in reshaping the Fire Nation's future, perhaps as Zuko's partner, I will refer you to this post I made around the release of the Ashes of the Academy teasers, the contents of which i believe still hold up today.
💬 8 🔁 192 ❤️ 743 · Actually I WILL talk about Mai's seeming 'radicalisation'. With the upcoming comic, I can see why a lot of people are c
I will leave you with the reminder that being the spouse of a ruler of a country that is being led through a multitude of reforms is very different to being a child forced to keep your head down in order to not disturb your father's politicak career.
Something particularly stuck out to me while rewatching atla recently. In the boiling rock episode mai says “ I guess you don’t know people as well as you think you do, you miscalculated; I love zuko more than I fear you” and her word choice seems very deliberate for three reasons:
1. She told azula that she “doesn’t know people as well as she thinks she does” which is something azula had specifically bragged about just minutes beforehand in the same episode. It felt like she was deliberately contrasting from azulas previous notions about herself.
2. Mai tells azula that she “miscalculated” which is something that seems very specific to azulas situation as her whole character was built on being calculating and being precise, surely telling azula she miscalculated would completely throw her off
3. She finally says “I love zuko more than I fear you” which completely goes against everything azula had been taught her whole life. In azulas own words fear is the only reliable way and when that fear she clung on to and trusts to work is thrown back in her face like that if very obviously looks like it caused some damage to her psyche.
Anyways I just wanted to know if I was reading too much into it or what your thoughts on that are. Every part of her wording feels specially meant to hurt azula mentally and thought that scene was more well though out than how most people see it
On no, you are not reading into it at all. I just know Mai had all those in the back of her head and this really was her moment. I think about everytime she's given Azula that lethal sideye but said nothing and I just know she's been putting this together for years just in case.
Let's remember Mai was fully expecting to be killed here. She was gonna get in as many punches as she could on the way down and I respect that. I'm shocked she didn't bring Ursa up.
However, I think the "I love Zuko more than I fear you" is extra special. Yes it does conpletely dismantle Azula's own philosophy, but more importantly, it pushes back at the Fire Nation's philosophy of valuing power and subjugation over anything else. And it is particularly because Mai chose to support Zuko and his vision of a better Fire Nation, an era of 'love and peace' over said philosophy, in spite of the fear of the repercussions that awaited her, that this line is so powerful. And through her actions, Mai very clearly showed which Fire Lord she believed was better for her nation. She embraced Zuko's hope for love and peace, and denounced Azula's future rule of fear. Therefore this line is not just aimed to destabilise Azula, it is a (perhaps unintentional and heavily veiled) political statement.
If your critique of Mai as a character or as part of a relationship contains anything along the lines of “she hates everything and doesn’t have any emotion” then I’m afraid you don’t have anything valuable to say.
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