Pai

"Im one of those witches, Baby" 23yr / Indigenous / Mexican / Psychic / Bi

[opheliaaesque]

i’ve only followed from the outskirts, but it’s crazy how many people are surprised that the zutaranti story ended this way. the last few weeks have been such a mess of cruelty towards zutara artists and bloggers, harassment, bad faith engagement, trivialization of real life issues… it was obvious that someone was going to take it too far. zk accounts were WARNING zutaranti&co that that certain jokes were problematic and harmful, that mistagging was inappropriate, that the use of real life issues to “win” arguments was hurtful, insensitive and racist. fell on deaf years until it got to such a bad point. and kas are still insisting with this stupid lie and justification of “fine, one of us got too far but zutaras are bad/annoying/harassers and started it!!” yet they can never name one guilty account unless they are taking a screenshot of someone who HAS THEM BLOCKED and dogpiling on them. they’ve spent so much time insisting with this narrative that zks are the “bad apples” of the fandom and therefore deserve any and all harassment that their space has turned into a cesspool and they don’t even notice.

same. i didn’t want to involve myself knee deep into that horrid hellhole of repeated, hateful, illogical discourse. the reason why zutaranti was given such a huge platform to spread her bs takes is that kas - on a general scale - agreed with her! they loved the numbers and the ratio and the constant dogpiling that targeted any notable zk acc - they loved infiltrating zk spaces and harassing users and using real life issues to justify their awful, toxic behavior, all in the name of propagating the Superiority of their Canon Ship. zutaranti did all of that - the minimization of real life issues to fit their narratives, the constant harassment and bullying, the problematic jokes and memes - for a…..cartoon ship…….that aired in 2000s…….like that’s what’s flabbergasting to me. you do not see the same kind of anger or vitriol or dedication in advocacy for actual, real-life issues! they bank on their Moral Superiority Tug of War when atla itself was created by orientalist white men who smushed varying asian cultures into stereotypical portrayals and called it a day! they’re backpedaling now by saying they’ve always called on her bs (but was too afraid to “speak up”, whatever the fuck that means) or that it was two-sided, both zks and kas are at fault - or somehow they go as far to stretch that they look “as bad” as zks now. well, no, they look fucking worse. even now, their apologies are half-meant and barely apologies at all. they’re genuinely weird people who are so convinced of their own superiority and Rightness that it’s just - polluting the fandom. zks take to their own spaces - kas have no idea how to do that. this was a lesson in the making but i’m pretty sure barely any of them will pick it up. lol

[enbyzutara]

how i see the people complaining about the possible meeting between the two masked vigilantes of the ATLA universe: the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit

[anretoga]

I don’t mind at all 💭

[lux-scriptum]

No, you see, I wish to be an author. Not in marketing. Or an influencer. I wish to tell my stories, be told I did a fantastic job, and then go back to my hovel to scribble some more. I am delicate of constitution and awkward in crowds.

[janadoesstuffwrong]

It's kinda their thing

[frogdisco2021]

Okay but ever since I learned that it's a popular fanon trope that Katara restarts Zuko's heart with bloodbending after the Last Agni Kai I can't stop thinking about it cause it would have been so perfect.

Like first of all, in the actual canon it's pretty vague how she manages to heal him and from what exactly (obviously getting struck by lightning but what specific injury was killing him?).

And then secondly, it would be such a perfectly executed, full-circle moment where this form of bending Katara was forced to learn against her will and that she is scared and ashamed of suddenly becomes something she'll be forever grateful for knowing, maybe even feeling some weird form of thankfulness to Hama for having forced her to learn, because without it she would've lost Zuko. It would be a curse that she turned into a gift, a weapon turned into a tool of healing.

It would parallel how Zuko (and Aang) formed a new, more positive relationship with firebending. Both of them saw fire as destruction and hatred, but learned that it is also a source of life and warmth. In the same way, Katara would learn that bloodbending is not just a means to reach into someones body and take control of them, to take away their agency and autonomy, it is also the gift that allowed her to save the life of her best friend after he sacrificed himself for her.

But noooooooooo bloodbending is inherently evil nevermind the pre-established theme of non-duality and separation being an illusion and that no form of bending is inherently good/bad or superior/inferior to any other. Bloodbending eviiiiiil always and there are no good uses for it because we here at Bryke incorporated have the imagination of a jellyfish.

[late-draft]

So I never finished animating this but now I'd change several things. Anyway

They both thought that the other one would swerve in the last second, and neither one did. Rest of the fight goes the same.

[andromeda3116]

apparently there's a new massive anti in the zutara tag causing shit and listen, from a fandom old:

don't argue with them, starve them.

don't respond to their shit. don't give them air. don't argue with them, even when their arguments are infuriating bullshit. ignore them, block them. if they send you hate or send their friends to attack you, delete the messages and comments and block them. free blocklist. they don't "win" if they get you to block them, they win if you engage.

don't feed the trolls.

trolling like that is not a thing that, like, okay people do. it's either someone who is genuinely just an asshole looking to hurt people or someone who is going through some shit and making it everyone else's problem, and either way, arguing with them accomplishes nothing. just ignore them. block them. delete the comments, the asks. block the people who reblog the post with their shit. it's not your problem. they're the ones being the assholes here, but engaging with them - even when you're making good points - just gives them more air to set fire to.

block that asshole. block them until the whole tag has blocked them, and block every sockpuppet they make, too. this is our sandbox, and if they don't like it, they can go to a different one, not take a shit in ours.

[enbyzutara]

she quite literally respects no personal or online boundaries. it started on twitter with her screenshotting people’s tweets and reposting them to turn those people into laughing stocks. then it escalated into stalking old tweets, obsessively monitoring certain users 24/7 (because she’s always very quick to screenshot brand new tweets), and of course she also does this to people who have blocked her. blocking someone is already an online boundary, but she clearly has no issue violating it and continuing the harassment anyway.

she even screenshot a minor’s tweet, someone who had her blocked too, and turned them into a target for mockery, which then led some of her followers to go harass that minor directly. that’s genuinely unhinged behavior.

she also mocked an Iranian woman who had been inactive for three months because of the war, making fun of her lack of edits. and more recently, she made some “joke” involving a zutara fan, asking her followers who would “fall in love first” and yada yada. her followers then (and her going along with it) started creating romantic and sexual scenarios involving this person, purely to mock and humiliate her. and mind you, this zutara fan openly expressed discomfort with the whole thing. honestly, i’m not even sure it can be called a “joke” when they aren’t even friends, and when the person involved was clearly disturbed enough to question whether it counted as sexual harassment (and yes, that’s sexual harassment). she obviously did not consent to being used for this weird parasocial humiliation “joke”.

so no, do not expect any good faith from her. if she’s using our main tags, it’s because she wants attention. at this point, it honestly just feels like she’s either deeply unemployed or deeply weird, maybe both, and that picking fights, acting like some online Regina George, and publicly mocking and bullying people is the only way she gets attention and validation. so let’s not give her that.

[enbyzutara]

just block them y’all

have y’all noticed how our tags have been getting flooded with anti-zutara content and constant cross-tagging lately? that’s not a coincidence. on twitter, some kataang shippers are literally encouraging people to come onto tumblr to “fight back” against zutara shippers; and, as you can see from some screenshots, to straight-up bully them.

these people are not in our tags looking for respectful debate or polite conversation. they’re here looking for fights and excuses to harass people over a cartoon ship. (saying that out loud is honestly embarrassing enough already).

another important thing to note: zutaranti is a genuinely problematic person, and you can read more about it. her little bootlicking followers aren’t much better either, constantly copying her behavior, eating up everything she says, going through the trenches to defender her, moving like an actual cult sometimes lol.

and she constantly screenshots our posts to post on twitter so people can dogpile us. a lot of those screenshots are intentionally cropped or taken out of context just to push a narrative. she even screenshots posts from people who responded to her. because her goal was never to have a civilized discussion, clarify her points, or genuinely engage with what zutara shippers are saying. she’s just here to screenshot, mock people later, and encourage her followers do to the same.

so seriously: just block them. don’t engage. that’s exactly the reaction they want.

[mooncrystal141]

[charlottebaskerville]

You know what idc anymore. Whatever tf zuko and katara had going on was beautiful. Maybe it wasn't romantic, maybe it is "bad" to think of them that way. That's fine! Because Whatever it was that they had, whether it was romantic or not, requited or not, or whatever, it was the best thing about avatar. What a hopeful tale about friendship, love (in whatever form), redemption, reparation, and forgiveness. The prince of the fire nation, the place that tried to wipe out the southern water tribe, essentially gave his life for the last southern waterbender! Whether you think this is romantic or not, that's really touching and very well written. I cant believe people see this and characterize it as evil or something because frankly I fully believe if azula and zuko switched roles, everyone would've been like "damn that was a really heartfelt and touching story." Because it was! They loved each other in the end, in whatever way; they cared about each other so much and it was really sweet! People only discount this storyline because theyre focused solely on whether or not it was romantic. Who cares? It was perfect.

[hirrwa]

I’m genuinely surprised by how much hate zutara gets, mostly from queer shipping communities (I’m a lesbian, I know what I’m talking about)

why do some people act like a ship is automatically superior just because it’s two boys or two girls?the same people who call zuko a colonizer and condemn him more than ozai are the ones shipping him with sokka five minutes later, I’m sorry but that genuinely made me laugh because this fandom could not connect a coherent thought even by accident.

And don’t attack me, I think that every Zuko ship is good lol just be respectful

[half-phantom-hiyori]

‎Speaking about Zutara artists... It saddens me how some of them post Zutara arts and often apologize for it. It goes like "please no ship bashing", "i understand it's not everyone's cup of tea, but be respectful", "sorry for this, but i love it". How people be like "i despise the ship but art is good", "i forgive you for shipping that because i like you as artist" and these are considered as nice comments, i won't even mention others (you know what it is), and the artists will still give thanks to them. The audacity is unbelievable, but the artists must stay polite somehow. And they stay polite, they stay in their own lane and people are still mad. It saddens and angers me because artists don't deserve this kind of treatment. I really appreciate Zutara artists, they are amazing and gracious, i'm forever grateful for creating arts back then and now. All my love to them <3

‎

[targetedknowledge]

[ometochtli2rabbit]

Crónicas Mexicanas (facebook)

They Call Themselves Yoeme — “The People.”

Long before borders divided maps, before Arizona and Sonora had names, the Yaqui people were already here.

The Yaqui — who call themselves Yoeme, meaning “the people” — are an Indigenous nation whose homeland lies along the Río Yaqui in present-day Sonora, Mexico, with communities that today also live in southern Arizona. Their history stretches back thousands of years, rooted in land, ceremony, and community.

The Yaqui were farmers, hunters, and fishers. They cultivated maize, beans, and squash. They understood the rhythms of the desert and river long before modern infrastructure existed. Land was not something to own — it was something to belong to.

When the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, the Yaqui resisted conquest. Even after contact, they maintained a high degree of autonomy for centuries. Over time, Yaqui spiritual life blended ancient Indigenous beliefs with elements of Catholicism, creating a unique ceremonial system still practiced today.

One of the most sacred traditions is the Deer Dance, a ceremonial prayer honoring the deer as a spiritual messenger between worlds. These ceremonies are not performances — they are acts of faith, memory, and continuity.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Yaqui faced one of the darkest chapters in their history. Thousands were forcibly removed from their homeland by the Mexican government. Many were deported to distant regions and forced into labor. Families were separated. Communities were shattered.

Yet the Yaqui did not disappear.

Some eventually returned to Sonora. Others established permanent communities in Arizona, where today the Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recognized nation. Across borders, Yaqui people preserved their language, ceremonies, and identity — often in secret, often at great risk.

Today, Yaqui communities continue to practice their traditions, speak Yoem Noki, and pass knowledge from elders to younger generations. Ceremonies, music, dance, and collective responsibility remain at the heart of Yaqui life.

The Yaqui story is not just about survival. It is about continuity. About a people who refused to let displacement erase them. About identity carried forward through prayer, land, and memory.

They are not history. They are still here.

Remembering the Yaqui is not political. It is educational. And honoring their story means telling it truthfully.

[cattoonxd]

Never give up without a fight

[kisachio]

Yet another horribly stupid thread from a non-Buddhist that uses Buddhism to "defend" Aang. Apparently OP was even buying followers to increase the engagement of their account so more people could be exposed to their blatant misinformation. They had an alt account that they deactivated when they were caught confessing to it.

They share similarities but that doesn't mean Buddhism is just a branch of Hinduism, Buddhism arose as a rejection of Hinduism. The two religions are oppositional. This is like saying Christianity is just a "branch" of Judaism when Christianity has a deep history of violent antisemitism.

Many Tibetan Buddhists (such as myself!) have expressed their dislike of ATLA, particularly Aang and the Air Nomads for playing into the Shangri-la stereotype. Tibetan Buddhists don't object to priests getting married because they are NOT monks. On the other hand, Air Nomad society is composed entirely of monks and nuns. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that Buddhist monks getting married is completely forbidden, and the Buddha himself has said that non-celibate monks will go to Hell. It is completely blasphemous to our religion. A monk being a celibate is FAR more important than him being a vegetarian. Are you a moron?

Really showing your ignorance here. Both are called "monks" in English but they are not actually monks at all. A monk must follow the Vinaya. The warrior Shaolin are not monks and in many cases they are not even Buddhists, they are like secular guards who live in the monastery. Meanwhile Japan has no tradition of Buddhist monks whatsoever. All Japanese "monks" are actually priests. Bryke didn't know about the difference because they are idiots, and so are you.

You do know that many people have spoken up against the Fire Nation for being a mix of different cultures too, right? At least the reason for the Fire Nation being a mix of cultures was so that they wouldn't be creating a direct parallel to a real world culture since they were portrayed as the villains of the series. But you're coming in here with the claim that Aang is a Buddhist, therefore making fun of him for being bald is racism to Buddhists even though Aang himself is a racist caricature of Buddhism.

Of course Buddhists would reject to their religion being considered Hinduism? Some Hindus will claim Buddhism as a branch of their own religion to deny a unique Buddhist religious identity because India is plagued with fascists who want to create a Hindu ethnostate, and Buddhism's disappearance in India can be attributed to the assimilation of Buddhism into Hinduism.

What the fuck is the claim of Korea and Japan coming from the same culture as China? Korea and Japan are heavily influenced by Chinese culture but they didn't just arise from China, all three are separate nations with distinct histories. Holy shit, this is even more ridiculous than saying Buddhism is a branch of Hinduism.

Aang being bald has nothing to do with his religion, being bald is a choice for Air Nomads to allow them to feel the air better. Bryke appropriated Buddhist aesthetics and none of the meaning. Once again, you go on about his vegetarianism when vegetarianism for monks isn't as big of an issue as celibacy. The Vinaya explicitly allows monks to eat meat, but under no circumstances can they ever be sexually active. Next.

Fellas, is is racist to mix up Chinese and Japanese culture because they both have similarities like using chopsticks, logographic writing, and Confucianism?

"you cannot speak for an entire group of people" Yet here you are speaking on behalf of Tibetans and Buddhists when you are literally neither of those things yourself.

How many times do I have to fucking say it? Aang and the Air Nomads in general are disrespectful of Buddhism. Their very existence in a highly popular children's television series is more racist than people calling them bald. Now you ignorant Aang stans are even spreading misinformation about Buddhism, a real religion, in order to defend your Orientalist fictional fave.

It is performative activism. You only care about Buddhism when people dislike Aang even though lots of Buddhists themselves don't like Aang. You will get mad at bald jokes because you claim it's offensive towards Buddhists yet you're a rabid Kataang shipper (because Buddhism suddenly isn't so important to you when it makes your ship look bad, right?). You are more concerned about a fictional character getting insulted than the character's very existence being the legacy of centuries of racist, Orientalist stereotypes that are disrespectful of real world Buddhist cultures.

[sneezypeasy]

I was raised Buddhist as a kid, and Buddhist monasticism comes up fairly frequently in Vietnamese folklore (Like in the stories of Quan Âm Thị Kính, Mục Kiền Liên etc). I can attest to everything said here and also provide a bit more context for people who are confused, because the point about Aang's chastity (and lack thereof) is actually NOT a "whataboutism" in regards to his hair (and lack thereof). They are actually symbolically connected - or at least, they're supposed to be. Let me explain:

So in East Asian cultures, hair is typically considered sacred and beautiful, for both men and women. Traditionally both genders wore their hair long, and only cut their hair during specific ceremonies/rituals. Monastic life is considered an extreme example, where both monks and nuns keep a shaved head for life, and the reason for this will make you laugh when you consider the context of this discussion ("stop saying Aang is ugly for being bald! His baldness is an homage to Buddhist monks and your mockery is racist!"):

Buddhist monks and nuns shave their heads to make themselves unappealing to the opposite sex, in order to commit to their lives of celibacy.

That is why they shave their heads. It is not an aesthetic choice nor is it incidental to their celibacy - it's literally a way to diminish their own sex appeal so they can remain pure and chaste.

So, to recap:

1. Bryke design their main character to have the dress and appearance of a Buddhist monks, including the shaved head,

2. They then create a romantic subplot for this main character, and give it such focus that they even bake the "will they won't they" into said character's character arc, and his ability to defeat the Big Bad (The Guru/Crossroads of Destiny),

3. They ultimately make this romantic subplot canon, either not knowing or not caring about the importance of chastity for Buddhist monks despite literally incorporating the visual symbols of said chastity into the character's appearance - again, I emphasise, the baldness that literally codes for UNATTRACTIVE -> SEXUALLY UNAVAILABLE -

4. (Some) fans who aren't thrilled with the portrayal of the romance and/or the Buddhist elements mock the character for having an ugly bald head, and then:

5. Aang stans get Very Upset, and write long diatribes about how calling Aang's baldness ugly is an insult to his Buddhist-coded character design.

The irony here is genuinely hilarious.