Asami Sato can walk and chew gum at the same time

[lizbee]

If people aren't accusing Mako of being the worst human being of all time because he's going out with one girl and doesn't realise he also has feelings for another, they're complaining that Asami is a jealous harpy and a bad person because she's troubled by Mako's behaviour at the same time as they're searching for Korra.

I don't buy it.

Yeah, there are probably better times to worry that your boyfriend has feelings for another girl.  But the problem with humans is that emotions don't usually take timing into consideration.  Asami discusses Mako's feelings with Bolin; she also drives fancy Equalist sleds and generally makes herself useful.  And that's the important thing, not feelings, but actions.  In short, she can search for Korra and be genuinely concerned for her safety, and stress about her boyfriend.  Simultaneously, even!  Amazing!  I wouldn't recommend keeping it up as a long-term lifestyle choice, but the great thing about being a teenager is that you have the energy for that kind of thing.  (Back in high school I knew a girl who moved out of her horrible stepmother's home, broke up with her boyfriend and started going out with another boy, all in exam week.  And she still got into law.)

The other reason I'm kind of side-eye at the criticism is that the conversation between Bolin and Asami was quite reminiscent of the one in "The Crossroads of Destiny" where Aang, while searching for Katara, with the survival of the Earth Kingdom at risk, still takes time out to get some personal advice from Iroh.  The stakes were a lot higher there, but it still boiled down to, "I like this girl, and I worry that liking her is wrong, and also what if the Guru was right and I've messed everything up for the entire world?" 

(There really needs to be fic where Aang finds Guru Pathik again and tells him that he was so very wrong he is the Mayor of Wrongtown in the State of Incorrect in the nation of Quite Mistaken.)

In conclusion, and to sum up, fandom, I do not agree with you.  And also it is a day ending in Y. 



Having said all that, I'm quite forgiving of fandom being WRONG, because Tumblr has decided that Zuko's daughter is named Honora, and frankly, with ideas like that, I just can't stay mad at you guys. 

Comments

[rj_anderson]

There really needs to be fic where Aang finds Guru Pathik again and tells him that he was so very wrong he is the Mayor of Wrongtown in the State of Incorrect in the nation of Quite Mistaken.

I would read that fic IN A HEARTBEAT. Also, ha.

ITA with everything you've said about Mako and Asami. And yet I find myself wishing I were more attached to their characters than I am. It's not fair to compare three seasons of AtLA to one as-yet-unfinished season of Korra in terms of character development, and I'm also interested in seeing how the finale plays out, so I'm not whining about it. But I'd like to see a little more depth, or breadth, or humour, or something, that will make me care about Team Korra the same way I did about Team Aang.

That being said, I adore Korra herself completely and unconditionally and I think Tenzin and his family are the absolute bombdiggity. And also LIIIIIIIIN. So it's not like this show hasn't gifted me with some wonderful characters. I'm just a little disappointed in how flat Mako and Bolin have become over the past few episodes. And Asami, despite her humanizing hints of jealousy, still seems a little too perfect to be real.