Azula's decision to abandon the pomp of her formal retinue and travel with her high school clique personal ninja squad is a quick and handy way to distinguish her from Zhao, but more importantly, her reunions with Mai and Ty Lee tell us a lot about her and them.
Firstly, when we first see Mai, there's nothing to suggest she'll be tied to Azula. This foreshadows her later characterisation as being the one to more overtly distance herself from the princess. It's interesting that her introduction establishes her as (a) perennially bored and (b) capable and willing to kill in the defence of her family/search for entertainment. If Aang hadn't been an airbender, he'd have taken a knife to the throat and died in that scene.
I have ALL THE FEELINGS about Mai, so maybe this is a good time to throw in my theory that her attitude of apathetic boredom is an affectation adopted as a defense mechanism. We see in "Zuko Alone" that Azula pounces on her (very restrained) expressions of emotion as weapons to use against her (and Zuko). Between that and her mother's general repressiveness, it's logical that she would assume an attitude that leaves her safe.
We see a very small chink in this armour when Azula questions the wisdom of trading Bumi for Tom-Tom. I know Mai got a lot of hate for choosing the princess over her brother, only -- she didn't. She very clearly takes a moment to look at Tom-Tom and see that he's in no immediate danger. And she must know that if Azula thinks she prioritises her family over her loyalty to the princess -- which, given the nature of Fire Nation politics, would effectively be treason -- no one she cares about will be safe.
This is not to say that Mai's relationship with her family isn't ... interesting. She's fifteen years older than her approximately two year old brother (making her about a year older than Zuko, for the record, and raising the question of just how did her parents wrangle her into Azula's class at school? Of course, I just realised, we are only assuming they were in the same year group...) and shows less respect for her parents than we ever see again in the series. And since the Fire Nation is seen to put a premium on overt displays of respect, and her parents don't actually seem to care all that much about her behaviour, that raises a lot of questions. As a child any misbehaviour or expression of emotion was shut down. As a young woman, more or less an adult in this society, to a great extent she seems to do and say what she wants. Have her parents stopped paying attention to her since Tom-Tom was born? Do they just lack the energy to control her, and Omashu, and everything else? ANSWERS ON A POSTCARD.
Other things about Mai: she seems to take a cruel pleasure in seeing Ty Lee remove Katara's bending. This makes her, I think, the only character to overtly refer to bending ability or lack thereof as a mark of status/capability/power. (Sokka comes close now and then, but without such bitterness.)
She also actually smiles -- it's small, but it's there -- at Azula when they're reunited, and returns Ty Lee's hug. She and Azula even laugh together, which is ... well, no doubt it's a sound that haunt's Zuko's nightmares.
THINGS WHICH AREN'T ABOUT MAI:
How much do I love Ty Lee? THIS MUCH. For one thing, unlike Mai she actually attempts to resist Azula's recruitment, even though it's hopeless. Her little "Well, Azula called a little louder" is rather bittersweet. If Mai's defence mechanism is apathy, Ty Lee's is plausible stupidity.
Azula, though she is pretty much the worst best friend in the universe, really is a bit amazing. Actually, I wonder how much of Mai's disrespect for her parents comes from years of watching Azula walk all over them? I really enjoy her physicality in this episode, from her fight with Aang (especially the moment in the screencap above) to the way there is absolutely nothing ladylike about the way she sits in Mai's father's throne.
Apparently there are other characters in this story? It has been pointed out that Katara likes Tom-Tom because he's a baby, and chicks love babies. But it's also worth noticing that it's actually Sokka who seems to do most of the caring for the kid, along with arranging convenient bison pick-ups and last-minute rescues.
Random thoughts:
- One day I will call in sick to work with pentapox. One day. - "Aang, I need you to stop blowing for a minute" is pretty much my favourite double-entendre of the season. - Just how much of Azula's decision to go after the Avatar as well as her relatives was inspired by a desire to one-up Zuko? A lot, I'd say.
I cannot improve on your comment, so all I have to add is this: how does Mai come up with a seemingly infinite number of knives? Even those giant sleeves of hers couldn't hide that many.
I suppose the knives could simply spontaneously appear due to Mai's sheer awesomeness. I'd buy that explanation.
In the art book, there's an outline of what goes on beneath Mai's costume: multiple holsters and sheaths. Wrists, ankles and waist.
Not quite enough to accommodate the amount of weapons she can produce in a scene, but fanon has it she also has extra knives sewn into her clothes, worn against her skin, and in her hair. Or, as Zuko describes it in fic:
"My girlfriend could kill you," Zuko said, with lazy satisfaction. "Before you even drew your sword, if she wanted to."
Sokka sighed. "You are completely missing the point of this conversation."
Zuko turned his head and gave Sokka a pitying look. A look that clearly communicated his belief that it was, in fact, Sokka who was missing the point.
"She carries fifty-seven knives," he said. "On her body."
Sokka was incredulous. "You're making that number up. There's no way."
The corners of Zuko's mouth turned up in a smirk. "I counted."
Sokka stared at him for a long moment, opened his mouth, and then closed it again as he formulated his response. "...Really?" he heard himself asking.
Zuko leaned forward conspiritorially and Sokka leaned in as well, but when Zuko spoke he didn't whisper. "She only sleeps with ten, though."
WOOHOO! I am caught up with this comm now :D :D :D
So yeah, I loved this one. King Bumi continues to be epic by BENDING WITH HIS FACE. And Team Azula is win as well. (And I am completely confused as to why anyone wouldn't like Mai, as she is pretty much Daria with knives.)
(And I am completely confused as to why anyone wouldn't like Mai, as she is pretty much Daria with knives.)
Well, weaver told me yesterday that, back when the show was airing for the first time, the introduction of Azula was greeted with outrage, for how dare they kill off Lovely Admiral Zhao and replace him with some snotty 14 year old Mary Sue? So I figure Mai was already at a disadvantage just by being a girl. Then you give her a history with Zuko, and she's pretty much The Worst Character Ever Except For That Horrible River Song.
I wasn't watching when the show first aired, but I thought Zuko actually gained an entirely new dimension of awesome by the revelation (kinda) that he had a history with a goth ninja elite knife-thrower.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 04:26 am (UTC)Azula's decision to abandon the pomp of her formal retinue and travel with her
high school cliquepersonal ninja squad is a quick and handy way to distinguish her from Zhao, but more importantly, her reunions with Mai and Ty Lee tell us a lot about her and them.Firstly, when we first see Mai, there's nothing to suggest she'll be tied to Azula. This foreshadows her later characterisation as being the one to more overtly distance herself from the princess. It's interesting that her introduction establishes her as (a) perennially bored and (b) capable and willing to kill in the defence of her family/search for entertainment. If Aang hadn't been an airbender, he'd have taken a knife to the throat and died in that scene.
I have ALL THE FEELINGS about Mai, so maybe this is a good time to throw in my theory that her attitude of apathetic boredom is an affectation adopted as a defense mechanism. We see in "Zuko Alone" that Azula pounces on her (very restrained) expressions of emotion as weapons to use against her (and Zuko). Between that and her mother's general repressiveness, it's logical that she would assume an attitude that leaves her safe.
We see a very small chink in this armour when Azula questions the wisdom of trading Bumi for Tom-Tom. I know Mai got a lot of hate for choosing the princess over her brother, only -- she didn't. She very clearly takes a moment to look at Tom-Tom and see that he's in no immediate danger. And she must know that if Azula thinks she prioritises her family over her loyalty to the princess -- which, given the nature of Fire Nation politics, would effectively be treason -- no one she cares about will be safe.
This is not to say that Mai's relationship with her family isn't ... interesting. She's fifteen years older than her approximately two year old brother (making her about a year older than Zuko, for the record, and raising the question of just how did her parents wrangle her into Azula's class at school? Of course, I just realised, we are only assuming they were in the same year group...) and shows less respect for her parents than we ever see again in the series. And since the Fire Nation is seen to put a premium on overt displays of respect, and her parents don't actually seem to care all that much about her behaviour, that raises a lot of questions. As a child any misbehaviour or expression of emotion was shut down. As a young woman, more or less an adult in this society, to a great extent she seems to do and say what she wants. Have her parents stopped paying attention to her since Tom-Tom was born? Do they just lack the energy to control her, and Omashu, and everything else? ANSWERS ON A POSTCARD.
Other things about Mai: she seems to take a cruel pleasure in seeing Ty Lee remove Katara's bending. This makes her, I think, the only character to overtly refer to bending ability or lack thereof as a mark of status/capability/power. (Sokka comes close now and then, but without such bitterness.)
She also actually smiles -- it's small, but it's there -- at Azula when they're reunited, and returns Ty Lee's hug. She and Azula even laugh together, which is ... well, no doubt it's a sound that haunt's Zuko's nightmares.
THINGS WHICH AREN'T ABOUT MAI:
How much do I love Ty Lee? THIS MUCH. For one thing, unlike Mai she actually attempts to resist Azula's recruitment, even though it's hopeless. Her little "Well, Azula called a little louder" is rather bittersweet. If Mai's defence mechanism is apathy, Ty Lee's is plausible stupidity.
Azula, though she is pretty much the worst best friend in the universe, really is a bit amazing. Actually, I wonder how much of Mai's disrespect for her parents comes from years of watching Azula walk all over them? I really enjoy her physicality in this episode, from her fight with Aang (especially the moment in the screencap above) to the way there is absolutely nothing ladylike about the way she sits in Mai's father's throne.
Apparently there are other characters in this story? It has been pointed out that Katara likes Tom-Tom because he's a baby, and chicks love babies. But it's also worth noticing that it's actually Sokka who seems to do most of the caring for the kid, along with arranging convenient bison pick-ups and last-minute rescues.
Random thoughts:
- One day I will call in sick to work with pentapox. One day.
- "Aang, I need you to stop blowing for a minute" is pretty much my favourite double-entendre of the season.
- Just how much of Azula's decision to go after the Avatar as well as her relatives was inspired by a desire to one-up Zuko? A lot, I'd say.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 03:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 03:47 pm (UTC)I suppose the knives could simply spontaneously appear due to Mai's sheer awesomeness. I'd buy that explanation.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 08:49 pm (UTC)Not quite enough to accommodate the amount of weapons she can produce in a scene, but fanon has it she also has extra knives sewn into her clothes, worn against her skin, and in her hair. Or, as Zuko describes it in fic:
"My girlfriend could kill you," Zuko said, with lazy satisfaction. "Before you even drew your sword, if she wanted to."
Sokka sighed. "You are completely missing the point of this conversation."
Zuko turned his head and gave Sokka a pitying look. A look that clearly communicated his belief that it was, in fact, Sokka who was missing the point.
"She carries fifty-seven knives," he said. "On her body."
Sokka was incredulous. "You're making that number up. There's no way."
The corners of Zuko's mouth turned up in a smirk. "I counted."
Sokka stared at him for a long moment, opened his mouth, and then closed it again as he formulated his response. "...Really?" he heard himself asking.
Zuko leaned forward conspiritorially and Sokka leaned in as well, but when Zuko spoke he didn't whisper. "She only sleeps with ten, though."
no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 01:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 05:06 am (UTC)So yeah, I loved this one. King Bumi continues to be epic by BENDING WITH HIS FACE. And Team Azula is win as well. (And I am completely confused as to why anyone wouldn't like Mai, as she is pretty much Daria with knives.)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 05:25 am (UTC)Well,
no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 07:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 08:44 am (UTC)