A first impression comparison of Zuko’s Love Interests and why Maiko is a failure
This will be my very first post on Tumblr. I can’t help but get the feeling that Mai was intended to be a very different type of “love interest” for Zuko. I believe that she was originally going to be one of the many relationships Zuko had in the Fire Nation that were intended to be “toxic” like Ozai and Azula. Just judging by the way she was introduced to the story and her first in-show interaction with Zuko, I am going to argue that the decision to make her the endgame lover of Zuko was something that was decided very late. First impressions in stories are very important and Mai’s first impression is not flattering to a pairing the audience would feel supportive of. So let’s start by comparing Mai to Jin, the other uncontested love interest of Zuko, based on their first impressions only.
Let’s start with the first sign of interest. When we first encounter Mai, she is depicted as amoral, and pretty unemotional. Her first sign of interest in Zuko is seen at the end of Return to Omashu, Book 2 Episode 3. She is seen smiling at the thought of seeing him again, but this is under the assumption that she will be CAPTURING him to take back as a traitor. They do NOT know at this point that Zuko will be pardoned and allowed to come back. If this was intended to be a couple we are supposed to root for, the story has a very strange way of showing that.
Let’s compare that to what we see of Jin’s first sign of interest. It happens while he is working at a tea shop in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. She is attracted to him and asks him out on a date. Unlike with Mai, there is no reason to be concerned that she has bad intentions towards him. It is a normal date, by all means, other than Zuko’s hidden identity. She seems genuinely interested in getting to know him.
Then there is the lead up to the first kiss. For Jin we have the entire segment of Tale of Zuko building up to their kiss. They spend an evening together, and although it is awkward, Jin shows that she is patient and understanding of Zuko’s shyness. She doesn’t judge him on his nervousness, and is eventually able to get Zuko to feel comfortable around her.
By comparison, in Book 3’s premiere episode, the show almost goes out of its way to show how Mai’s kiss comes about very suddenly, and without any build up at all. It sends the impression to the viewer that this is a relationship whose buildup is irrelevant to the audience, much in the way it is to Zuko. The only build up is in the comic, Going Home, which is something that the vast majority of viewers will never see. I wonder why such an important thing was relegated to the comics, instead of the show. I can think of 2 reasons. One possibility is the writers thought it wasn’t important; strange for the love interest of a main character. Or it was only thought of later and the comic was an attempt at a late stage retconning to make Mai more “appropriate” as a love interest. This fits with what we see in Zuko Alone. Mai blushes at Zuko, and he doesn’t even look her way.
If the intention was to portray them as “childhood crushes” why not have Zuko also look at Mai and blush? Why was such a relationship only TOLD to us in the comics? Further, if Zuko liked Mai, why did Azula have to beg Ursa to FORCE Zuko to play with them? This implies that Zuko did not usually play with his sister or her friends. In fact, the only time Zuko notices Mai in his flashback, is when he is forced to because Azula puts her in danger. If the intent was to tell us that Zuko liked Mai, then I can say this episode did not do that.
Now let’s get to back to the emotional connection leading up to the kiss. For Jin we have a nice scene, where Zuko does something pretty extraordinary. He firebends in public to light the Firelight Fountain. This is a HUGE deal, considering how paranoid Zuko was about being outed as a firebender, after the whole Jet fiasco. He even yelled at his uncle about firebending in their own home alone. But Zuko was so moved by this girl’s kindness and attempt to reach out to him, that he does something he ordinarily would NEVER do, just to make her happy. The genuine smile on his face shows how happy he was to make her happy.
Let’s compare that to the emotional connection between Zuko and Mai, before they kiss. While on his way home for the first time in 3 years, seeing an abusive parent who tortured and mutilated him, then banished him for 3 years, Zuko is desperate to confide in someone. He is separated from Iroh and has no one. Mai shows some amount of concern for him, asking if he’s cold, and he senses an opportunity to maybe talk to someone. She immediately looks confused, yawns at his response, and shuts down any attempt to emotionally connect with him. Zuko is visibly offended at her cold response.
Now let us examine the body language of first physical contact between the characters before the kiss. This is Zuko after Jin holds his hand. He is making eye contact and although he looks very unsure of himself and taken aback, he doesn’t look displeased.
Compare that to his reaction when Mai initiates physical contact. He is turned away from her, won’t make eye contact, and she has to physically pull him towards her, grabbing him to face her, while he’s still scowling. He does not seem to be in a a mood to kiss her at all.
Now we have Jin about to kiss Zuko. He seems to know it’s coming. He’s nervous, but again, doesn’t look visibly displeased.
Here with Mai, Zuko looks downright depressed. His head is down and he looks very passive and disconnected. He knows she will probably kiss him, but he is simply too emotionally exhausted to put up much resistance.
Now we move on to the kiss itself. When Zuko is kissed by Jin, Zuko’s immediate reaction is to kiss her back. There is no hesitation, implying that Zuko wants to kiss her, too and feels something for her.
This is Zuko’s reaction to Mai’s kiss. Notice how she’s smiling at him, and his expression has not changed. He is frowning. the two do not appear to be on the same page. Another interesting thing I’ve noticed about the kiss is the way it shows the scarred side of Zuko’s face during it, unlike with Jin. I do not believe this to be a coincidence. Throughout the series, Zuko’s scarred side is viewed when he is in a position of tension or turmoil, symbolic of the trauma that gave him the scar. It represents his conflicted, painful and confused side of his psyche.
For comparison, here are a few other times the camera focuses on his scarred side. It is common when interacting with Azula, someone who clearly is a negative influence on him.
Now, let’s look at his reaction immediately after the kiss. After Mai leaves, Zuko’s expression still does not soften. It darkens to a very serious stare. He is not comforted, but immediately goes back to thinking about facing his father again. It is as if he forgets the kiss ever happened.
This how Zuko reacts after kissing Jin. He kisses her back at first, but pulls away with a look of shock at how carried away he got. Zuko is very guarded and was not emotionally ready to invest feelings in a girl, especially while living a double life. When he comes home he slams the door of his room, closing himself in alone. The second picture shows just how sad he was at the fact that he had to end it. He said he had a nice time and he shared a genuine connection. Part of him had to wish that at least for that day, he could have been a normal Earth Kingdom boy, free to date and kiss pretty girls, without all of his baggage. He must have felt awful leaving her like that without much explanation, after she really put herself out there to show him a nice night. It is a very telling expression of pain on his face. There is an obvious difference to me, based on the first impressions, that Mai is the complete opposite of Jin in regards to being a love interest that the audience is supposed to be invested in. Jin doesn’t know who Zuko is, but she makes a genuine attempt to get to know him and open him up. Mai knows WHO Zuko is. A prince and firebender. But she doesn’t try to get to know him as a person, and shuts down his attempt to open up to her in even the slightest way. This is why I do not think Maiko is a good ship or something that at least, at first was supposed to be endgame. The fact that it is so poorly written supporsts my belief.
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