Mai Defense Squad - Tumblr Posts
Mai truly is for us emotionally repressed girlies like
Her whole character arc is like she’s emotionally repressed and was never allowed to express herself so she puts up all these walls and acts like she doesn’t care about anything and is so closed off.
And then her whole arc culminates with her loudly and proudly declaring the love she feels so deeply for Zuko. she expresses just how deep these emotions go, she is willing to die for him. Because she cares so much. Her emotions, her care, her love are so strong that they overpower her fear. Not just her fear of Azula but her fear of expressing herself, of stepping out of line, of standing for what she believes in. Which at this moment is Zuko- she doesn’t even fully understand what he’s doing, but she knows she trusts him more than anyone else. More than the fire nation propaganda and brainwashing, more than Azula, more than her parents. She knows Zuko has a good heart, she loves him for it, and she trusts it.
And that trust and love empowers her to finally express just how deeply she feels.
I don’t know if I’m articulating this very well but as someone who has always struggled to express myself Mai is just so fucking good and powerful to me.
Hot take: Mai might not have a flashy backstory but she’s still an incredibly strong and complex character. As someone who’s grown up with pressure and high expectations I relate to Mai refusing to feel anything.
I love Maiko because Zuko helps Mai learn that expressing herself is ok and Mai helps Zuko understand and control his anger. Zuko wasn’t paired with a “depressing” or “flat” character who would “drag him down,” he’s paired with another nuanced character who helps him grow and is a good narrative foil for him.
“Mai is so bland and expressionless” TO YOU
To me she is hilarious and I understand her perfectly
Mai truly is for us emotionally repressed girlies like
Her whole character arc is like she’s emotionally repressed and was never allowed to express herself so she puts up all these walls and acts like she doesn’t care about anything and is so closed off.
And then her whole arc culminates with her loudly and proudly declaring the love she feels so deeply for Zuko. she expresses just how deep these emotions go, she is willing to die for him. Because she cares so much. Her emotions, her care, her love are so strong that they overpower her fear. Not just her fear of Azula but her fear of expressing herself, of stepping out of line, of standing for what she believes in. Which at this moment is Zuko- she doesn’t even fully understand what he’s doing, but she knows she trusts him more than anyone else. More than the fire nation propaganda and brainwashing, more than Azula, more than her parents. She knows Zuko has a good heart, she loves him for it, and she trusts it.
And that trust and love empowers her to finally express just how deeply she feels.
I don’t know if I’m articulating this very well but as someone who has always struggled to express myself Mai is just so fucking good and powerful to me.
Hot take: Mai might not have a flashy backstory but she’s still an incredibly strong and complex character. As someone who’s grown up with pressure and high expectations I relate to Mai refusing to feel anything.
I love Maiko because Zuko helps Mai learn that expressing herself is ok and Mai helps Zuko understand and control his anger. Zuko wasn’t paired with a “depressing” or “flat” character who would “drag him down,” he’s paired with another nuanced character who helps him grow and is a good narrative foil for him.
this is a 100 percent.. mai haters how ya gonna be calling girl a toxic gf when she goes out of her way to save her mans life? makes no sense
Hello, whats your opinion on this as a mai fan
I think this person is either misremembering the show or deliberately mischaracterizing what Mai, because what they're claiming she revealed on The Beach is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what she actually said.
She doesn't say "My parents used me as a pawn in their game to get close to royals" or "My parents never wanted me to learn anything about combat." She tells us that her parents will let her do whatever she likes - as long as she BEHAVES. As long as she's invisible. Out of sight, out of mind. They don't care what she does, as long as it doesn't affect them, as long as she's quiet. And that's what she says in an attempt to DOWNPLAY how bad her relationship with them actually is and how it affected her emotionally.
When Mai is complaining that she doesn't like Omashu because there's nothing for her to do, her mom doesn't try to talk to her about activities that could keep her busy/entertained, or show any concern about how she's adapting to moving to a whole new country, to a city where she doesn't know anyone. Instead, she ignores her daughter's attempts to talk about her feelings by reminding her that this is important for her father. There's no attempt to make this situation benefitial for her as well, it's all about how she needs to be grateful that someone else is happy about it.
Yes, when Tom-Tom is "kidnaped", they won't stop panicking, and are overjoyed when he's brought back safely. But there's not a word on them being concerned over Mai's well-being when she's leaving in a potentially dangerous mission. They don't show up to congratulate her at any point after she helps the Fire Nation conquer Ba Sing Se, even though that is a legendary feat. Favoritism much?
In book 3, literally the only adults we see in her home are servants, and considering one needs an airship to go to the island where the boiling rock is, it's pretty safe to say her uncle can't be dropping by too often. They let their 15-year-old daughter live in a different country, without any adult acting as her guardian - that's how much they don't care about her.
And speaking of her uncle, yes, he is doing a good job of being an attentive family member (is aware of her situation with Zuko, immediately lets her out of prison the second he knows he can get away with it) - but using that to claim "Thefore her family life is fine" is absurd because, again, that's her UNCLE, not her parents. By that logic, Zuko shouldn't be complaining about his family either, after all he has Iroh and somehow that is supposed to cancel out being raised by freaking Ozai, riiiiiiight?
And speaking of Zuko, there's a reason why, in a finale where everyone is being reunited with their family and friends, even when the travel time doesn't make any goddamn sense, Mai's happy ending involves a heartwarming reuining with him, and he's delighted to see her - but there's still nothing about her parents. Their daughter was sent to prison for life, then her boyfriend became Fire Lord giving them THE perfect chance to come rescue her, and they STILL are nowhere to be found.
For fuck's sake, AZULA showed more love for Mai than her parents did. Girl was clearly happy to see her again, and even gave her a "hug" that wasn't that touchy because Mai doesn't like it. In "The Lost Adventures" we find out that she was also the one who pushed for her and Zuko to get together (though that also ties into her knowing that was the only way to make Zuko come home despite his guilt over what he did to Iroh). Even on The Beach, she's the one who first connects the dots and realizes that Mai is always so aloof because she's used to being told to shut up when she says something inconvenient.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying her parents had no political ambitions (the Yang comics leaning into that was one of the few good things about his writting). Obviously they were happy that their daughter was best friends with the princess and dating the heir to the throne, and I'm sure Mai didn't appreciate being treated more as asset than as a daughter.
But her complaint was not about that. It was about how her parents are simply not part of her life at all. She's an outsider looking in. She can stand next to them and do as she's told, or she can leave. What she can't do is actually engage with them, mean anything to them, expect anything from them, rely on them at all.
Mai's parents are neglectful to a degree that, in the real world, could potentially have them lose custody of her because she consistently has to turn to literally anyone else instead of them whenever she needs anything.
Is it really any wonder she had a soft-spot for Zuko, aka the boy that is always disregarded by his father, to the point of literally being kicked out of his home, and is actually openly pissed off about it and will let everyone know it?
Can someone please explain to me why so many people in this fandom seem to take Mai’s joke to Zuko in the finale so seriously? I promise you it wasn't a serious death threat. Also, about her poking him being "terrible" because she could have hurt him even more than he already was....
She literally pokes his shoulder. The wound was on his chest or right below it, I can't really remember. Either way, she poked him nowhere near his injury. Also, Zuko himself very clearly didn't take her "threat" seriously at all, considering the fact that they both kiss immediately after she says this to him.
Had he actually felt threatened, he wouldn't have kissed her. But since ya'll are in the habit of taking a joke to the extremes, should we take Zuko's joke during the Southern Raiders episode about chasing the gaang around again to make it feel like "old times", seriously? Interesting to think about.
the only reason this girl is so hated is because she's the one that Zuko actually LOVES
a boy would be the son of France,
but you Marie Thérèse, shall be mine 🫶
No one:
Me: Mai is a fifteen year old girl who already mastered the art of throwing knives and stilettos with precision, making clear marks towards her opponents. As a young girl she suppressed her emotions as a coping mechanism because of her controlling and manipulative parents, and this was set in place by her relationship with Azula. In Zuko Alone, we first find Mai separated from Ty Lee and Azula, quietly sitting under a tree. When Zuko appears, Mai merely blushes, not verbally expressing herself, but unintentionally showing emotions at a childhood crush. Azula spots this and uses this to her advantage, ending up with Mai and Zuko falling in a fountain, showing one of the first signs of a power dynamic between Azula, Ty Lee (who was forced to remain complicit), and Mai.
Mai’s childhood crush was banished for standing up for a righteous cause, which was defending the young soldiers in the 41st division, which could cause major turmoil for a then twelve year old girl, only giving her more incentive to suppress the emotions she keeps inside to herself.
Despite all of this, Mai has shown signs of affection towards the people she cares about, even under the eyes of Azula. When she is able, she makes small jokes with Ty Lee, even accepting her hugs, acknowledging Ty Lee teasing her, smiling with Zuko, going on dates with him, and eventually, saving his life and the lives of his friends at the Boiling Rock.
At the end of the series, Mai is finally able to freely express herself. She is able to show happiness, pettiness, and signs of comfort and love in the finale when she meets with Zuko, which can only carry on after the end of the show.
To conclude, Mai is a character who went through so much bullshit and suppressed trauma, and is finally able to come to terms with expressing herself at the end of the show, and deserves so much love and attention.
What do you like about Mai? I'm pretty neutral about her but curious to hear your opinions.
My favorite thing about Mai is that she’s unapologetically herself. I know she gets a lot of hate for it, but come on, she’s a fifteen year old girl.
I actually find it pretty refreshing to see a female character who isn’t constantly falling over herself to appease other people. She’s snarky, sarcastic, gloomy, and she owns that without conceding to anyone else’s standards of how she should be. I love that about her.
And then she still retains her beautiful edgy emo charm when she gets with Zuko at the end. I love to see it. Mai doesn’t change who she is, she doesn’t have some stupid “makeover” so she’s more conventionally feminine and bubbly—no; she gets to remain Mai.
I also think she’s funny af and so cool. Just look at her style.
10/10 fit, fingerless gloves, black nail polish, knives. Truly an icon.
Mai's Crimes :
Being goth
Sighing
EATING
Having a not good childhood
Talking to a male that is not her boyfriend
Being angry at being wrongfully accused of cheating
Not jumping up and down in glee because her boyfriend gifted her something he picked up from the ground
Poking boyfriend in shoulder
Joking with boyfriend
Being angry at being dumped over text
Allegedly having sex with boyfriend
Not unlearning years of propaganda in five minutes
Joking with boyfriend AGAIN
Not liking when boyfriend yells
Throwing a sheet of paper at boyfriend
Sitting in a pallenquin
Asking for stuff from servants
#pro mai
No one:
Me: Mai is a fifteen year old girl who already mastered the art of throwing knives and stilettos with precision, making clear marks towards her opponents. As a young girl she suppressed her emotions as a coping mechanism because of her controlling and manipulative parents, and this was set in place by her relationship with Azula. In Zuko Alone, we first find Mai separated from Ty Lee and Azula, quietly sitting under a tree. When Zuko appears, Mai merely blushes, not verbally expressing herself, but unintentionally showing emotions at a childhood crush. Azula spots this and uses this to her advantage, ending up with Mai and Zuko falling in a fountain, showing one of the first signs of a power dynamic between Azula, Ty Lee (who was forced to remain complicit), and Mai.
Mai’s childhood crush was banished for standing up for a righteous cause, which was defending the young soldiers in the 41st division, which could cause major turmoil for a then twelve year old girl, only giving her more incentive to suppress the emotions she keeps inside to herself.
Despite all of this, Mai has shown signs of affection towards the people she cares about, even under the eyes of Azula. When she is able, she makes small jokes with Ty Lee, even accepting her hugs, acknowledging Ty Lee teasing her, smiling with Zuko, going on dates with him, and eventually, saving his life and the lives of his friends at the Boiling Rock.
At the end of the series, Mai is finally able to freely express herself. She is able to show happiness, pettiness, and signs of comfort and love in the finale when she meets with Zuko, which can only carry on after the end of the show.
To conclude, Mai is a character who went through so much bullshit and suppressed trauma, and is finally able to come to terms with expressing herself at the end of the show, and deserves so much love and attention.