Oh, for sure the animation and character designs are amazing in general, and season three in particular was a step up consistency-wise.
And, yes, the Maiko-hate is baffling. I mean, when I was watching the first season I could guess some people would be into Zuko and Katara (that scene in the Waterbending Scroll where he is incredibly skeevy...), but as soon as Mai appeared I was like, hey, a truly excellent girl for Zuko. And then she got a whole season to be deadpan and awesome on her own merits! Aaand then, when I dipped into internet fandom... Yeah. So glad I missed all that!
And Maiko is dorkily hilarious and touching once it gets going - I've just gone through all your posts on 'The Beach', which is one of my absolute favourites, so your greatest hits collection was a total joy. Yeah, the dialogue was a bit stiff, but even that comes with the 80s-teen-drama territory, right? Plus, *so* much love for the fact that it's Zuko who shows the most skin out of the couple. And Mai is even taller than him in some shots! Heh.
Oddly enough, I was pretty satisfied with Maiko reaching its culmination with Mai's epic display of badass in 'The Boiling Rock'. I would have liked more, for sure - and more Mai in general - but I actually found the resolution of their relationship much more smoothly handled than the final couple of beats of Kataang, where the only prelude to Katara *finally* moving in for the big kiss is her glance of realisation during the coronation.
Anyway, this has drifted pretty far from 'The Painted Lady'. Which I feel much calmer about now, so thanks! How can one truly hate an episode in which Sokka is really *enthused* by the idea of eating a two-headed fish?
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And, yes, the Maiko-hate is baffling. I mean, when I was watching the first season I could guess some people would be into Zuko and Katara (that scene in the Waterbending Scroll where he is incredibly skeevy...), but as soon as Mai appeared I was like, hey, a truly excellent girl for Zuko. And then she got a whole season to be deadpan and awesome on her own merits! Aaand then, when I dipped into internet fandom... Yeah. So glad I missed all that!
And Maiko is dorkily hilarious and touching once it gets going - I've just gone through all your posts on 'The Beach', which is one of my absolute favourites, so your greatest hits collection was a total joy. Yeah, the dialogue was a bit stiff, but even that comes with the 80s-teen-drama territory, right? Plus, *so* much love for the fact that it's Zuko who shows the most skin out of the couple. And Mai is even taller than him in some shots! Heh.
Oddly enough, I was pretty satisfied with Maiko reaching its culmination with Mai's epic display of badass in 'The Boiling Rock'. I would have liked more, for sure - and more Mai in general - but I actually found the resolution of their relationship much more smoothly handled than the final couple of beats of Kataang, where the only prelude to Katara *finally* moving in for the big kiss is her glance of realisation during the coronation.
Anyway, this has drifted pretty far from 'The Painted Lady'. Which I feel much calmer about now, so thanks! How can one truly hate an episode in which Sokka is really *enthused* by the idea of eating a two-headed fish?