you must have been really young watching atla to like maiko though lol. all they did was scream and tell each other they didn't like how the other acted. I believe you when you say it was a self insert if it made you happy just watching zuko smile around such toxic environment. it was the bare minimum. I remember watching the first time, also young, and hating the fire nation for what they made zuko feel. my poor boy zuko couldn't even express himself. no shade to maiko shippers but that's the reality I can't do anything about it. that poor girl also didn't wanna do anything to do with those royal politics it was miserable to watch her on screen if I had to guess she's probably single and enjoying life with a pet. hopefully they can be amicable after all. she should kiss azula tbh
You're entitled to your opinion, anon, and I won't try to change it. However, I would like to point out that:
The only reason my age affected my ships was because I was figuring out who I was; and that drove me to a character who represented who I wanted to be at the time: Mai. Likewise, I watched the series like one listens to a song they're passing on the radio. Narrative or character analysis wasn't on my mind, so I didn't think beyond what the show itself was offering me (ships weren't even my focus when watching ATLA—I didn't really care about any of them).
Maiko has the potential to be a compelling ship, just like any other kind of ship, be it canon, fanon, rarepair, bring it on. However, it's a reality that the narrative itself depicted Maiko as a stepping stone for Zuko's redemption arc and Mai's own character progression.
To further that point a bit (which is what I think you're referring to in your ask?): Zuko and Mai's relationship is set up to directly represent Zuko's connection to his previous life. The perfect prince with the perfect family and the perfect girlfriend—the imperfect son with the broken family and the unhealthy relationship. It was a narrative choice to further impose on the watcher that Zuko might have what he always wanted, but it isn't as perfect as he imagined it to be.
This is mainly the reason I don't think it was a good decision to have them get back together at the end of the series. And I'm not talking as a Zutara stan or a Zuko truther over here—these are my thoughts as a Mai supporter as well.
And, yes, I still like Mai. She's a flawed character who behaved according to the way she's been raised to see the world, and still found little moments to display her potential. Is she the best character in ATLA? Of course not. Could she have been better developed beyond 'emo girl perpetually bored by everything'? Yes! Always yes! But when looking at the series from a watsonian pov, I can understand her choices and her behavior as that of someone who perpetuates the system because they don't know, and don't want to know better. And that, my friends, is a compelling concept.
(These aren't excuses for her behavior, because there's some things that can't be brushed under the rug. Especially the small, apparently meaningless moments. But this is not a black-or-white situation, and ATLA has been praised for its character depth. I'm just trying to look at this subject from different perspectives.)
Mai deserves love and affection as much as every other character does. That's part of the reason I enjoyed Maiko in the first place. And, yes, Mai was an awful partner, but so was Zuko, because neither of them were in the right mindset for a lasting relationship, or fully compatible with each other.
Oh! One last thing, before I forget. Not to bring you down or question your views or anything, but I'm confused:
Is Mai single and enjoying life with a pet, or kissing Azula?
