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Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2012 18:53:56 GMT -6
This has been a hot topic for a while in the ATLA and TLoK fandoms, and I'd like to see everyone's thoughts about it.
Do you think the writers are trying to make it up to Zutarians by bringing Mako and Korra together?
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honeybee
Bender
Canon? What's That? O_o
Posts: 70
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Post by honeybee on Nov 11, 2012 19:09:03 GMT -6
If they are, they're doing a poor job of it. =/ What we - or at least I - liked about Zutara was how natural it was. Maiko, Kataang - and now, unfortunately, Makorra - feel so very forced, and they get pushed into our faces. Before LoK began, I was determined to like Makorra, I really was, but I just can't bring myself to like it anymore. I just can't. I'm sorry. OTL
The writers need to learn to develop these things properly. They did a perfect job of this in regards to Zutara, which is a shame, because they threw that pairing right out the window. At this point, I think they should just leave romance out of their shows. They're much better at writing action/adventure type stories. So if they stuck to that and didn't put any romance into it, that would be great. Just leave the romance up to the fans. Make everyone happy. XD
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Post by mrspettyfer on Nov 11, 2012 19:32:08 GMT -6
Do you think the writers are trying to make it up to Zutarians by bringing Mako and Korra together?NO. People who claim this are clearly not thinking about the fact that Nick is not going to grant Bryke money--A LOT of money goes into creating an animated series--and time to create a romantic angle to appease a fanbase. lmao The idea is laughable. Even more laughable to think any writer would actually do that. I think there are some similarities in both ships, but that's no big deal, since I can also find similarities in Kataang/Makorra, Sukka/Makorra..so *shrugs*. I also agree with boogum that I didn't find Makorra forced at all. To me they fit together perfectly..it was only a matter of time before Mako realized it. The finale was rushed, IMO but I don't feel like their relationship was. I didn't need Mako to confess his love verbally for me to see that he loved her. That was pretty clear to me in EP9.
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chromeknickers
Bender
I'm somewhere where I don't know where I am!
Posts: 216
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Post by chromeknickers on Nov 11, 2012 20:26:09 GMT -6
Do you think the writers are trying to make it up to Zutarians by bringing Mako and Korra together?
Before I get into my opinion on the Zutara v Makorra debate, I think it's safe to say that Bryan and Mike don't believe they owe Zutarians anything. And, if anything, Makorra is sort of like Zukataang (ZukoxKataraxAang) in a sense, with Korra being the reincarnation of Aang (but still with her own personality). But Mako, on the other hand, is like Zutara's child. He's brooding and serious like Zuko, as well as prone to emotional outbursts, but at the same time he's Mama Mako! He's bossy and he takes care of people. He's exactly like Zuko and Katara!
Now, onto my opinion about Makorra being Zutara 2.0. No, not at all. The only similarities are that Korra is from the Southern Water Tribe and Mako is a Firebender; other than that they don't share any similarities.
Zutara, no matter how fandom manipulates it (for enjoyable fiction or art), was based on developing a relationship that started in hate and mistrust and evolved into this wonderful, selfless friendship. While there may have been attraction there, under the surface, it wasn't love at first sight. With Mako and Korra, it's different. Right from the beginning there is an attraction, even though Mako is the last one to realise this.
For me, they are two different types of romances. Zutara is HEAVILY based on friendship, on earning trust and loyalty. Some of the best fics explore just those aspects and not even the romance. Makorra is just this romance that punches you in the face (in a good way, for me at least). A lot of people might not have liked that - wanting to watch the hunt and the chase - but I just love how their oppositeness works well with one another, bringing out the best in each other. Mako grounds Korra and Korra makes Mako feel.
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vassilissa
Non-Bender
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Posts: 40
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Post by vassilissa on Nov 12, 2012 10:37:22 GMT -6
To me they're nothing alike. It's weird about Makorra for me,because I can see why their personalities are attracted to each other,but I didn't like the writing I actually read AU fanfictions with them. Although this time I can recognize easily it is because of the limited number of episodes... Anyway,I just wanted to give a big giant hug to all Makorra shippers out there.The hate I've read after the LoK finale,that was really insane. Also,all that Mako hate! I've always found Mako actually hilarious in his outbursts,lulz. I remember writing all of them down, XD.
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Post by emletish on Nov 12, 2012 17:03:07 GMT -6
I have a few thoughts about this. I am not a fan of Makorra so I apologise in advance to all of you who are. I really dislike the comaprison between Zutara and Makorra because I think Zutara just has the potentail to be this amazingly wonderful relationship based on mutual trust and friendship and respect. I however find Makorra a little dysfunctional and Mako himself is not an appealing character to me. I need to love both characters to actively ship a pairing.
That said - I have a theory about the visual simmilarityy between Makorra and Zutara and what bryke were really getting at in creating the romance in LOK. I posted this on capstara a while ago - but I thought I would share it with you lovelies.
theory:
It seems to me like the run-away popularity of Zutara did get to Bryke - no matter how much they try to deny it. it does bother them that more than three quarters of the ATLA fandom seem to ship Zutara - despite the fact that "Kataang won".
Makorra is them trying to cash in on that fire/water popularity (and thus increase the overall popularity of the show). Zutara like pairing, based on it's popularity in ATLA would increasing their money making potential, interest, mnerchandise possibilities etc etc. So they went with a pairing that is visually like Zutara.
Makorra is a caricature of what Bryke THINK Zutara is. this relationship is what they THINK fans are rooting for when they root for Zutara.
They think that Zutara was all about an entitled douche-nozzle and a girl who was willing to over-look his douchenozzle ways (which is what Makorra seems to be now - at least to me. YMMV - and of course you have seen the show in full and I have only seen the clips on you-tube. maybe I am missing something and Makorra really are great together.) * note have now seen show in full and see no reason to revise my opinion.
Bryke will be surprised that fans aren't lapping the Makorra up - because they THINK that they have given us what we seemed to want so badly with ATLA. But because they think Zutara is terrible and will lead girls to have doomed relationships - they have misinterpreted what we ordered - big time.
If we were in a cafe, the scene would play like this.
fans: Well I would like a lovely, layered relationship burger - with slow cooked, well-developed friendship and excellent flavour/personality compatibility, and a big spoonful of sexual tension/passion fries on the side. so it's the Zutara burger for me.
waitress (bryke): Okay, so that'll be one hot-mess of jackassery burger - cooked with bad messages and served with the fries of bitter disillusionment on the side. coming right up.
Fans: whaa? no! this isn't what I wanted.
waitress (Bryke): Well this is what you friggin asked for! how dare you not like it! waitress (bryke) exists stage left to plot more fan trolling, because the fans are being unreasonable and deserve to be punished.
So that is my theory. Sorry if it is harsh towards Makorra, because I know some of you are fans. but I do think that Bryke were trying to recreate the popularity of Zutara in Makorra. they did not do this because they 'owe' us zutarans anything, but because it made fiscal sense. A Tv show has to be popular to make money and Zutara was by far the most popular ship in ATLA. however because of Bryke's immense distaste for Zutara they never examined what it was about that ship that made fans love it. they have their own interpretation of what Zutara is (dysfunctional), so when they came to recreate it - makorra and all of its dysfucntion is the result.
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Post by advocaat on Nov 12, 2012 18:06:20 GMT -6
I've always seen Bryke's choice to have a fire/water pairing in LoK as being fiscally driven as well. Like Emletish said, the fact of the matter is that the fans liked Zutara, and to Bryke, who probably thinks of the Zutara fanbase as nothing but shallow little girls who think characters should be together for reasons as superficial as the elements they bend, a fire/water couple would've seemed like the best option to rake in the dough. I'm not saying that Makorra is bad or anything, but I feel like it was device used to lure the fans.
I'll give Bryke credit where credit is due, they made a fantastic show that I love with all of my heart, but they are extremely disillusioned when it comes to their own fanbase. They've made a lot of really poor decisions in the handling of their fans and I think they've hurt themselves for it. From a creator's POV, I can see why they would get defensive about the ship they intended being upped by a fan-pairing, the characters are their babies after all, but lashing out isn't the answer.
I hope that in season two Korra and Mako get a chance to become closer and get to know each other better than they did in season one. What made Zutara so wonderful was the trust and understanding they shared. So far, the Korra characters still know next to nothing about each other. I want to see some bonding, people!
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fatalexodus
Non-Bender
Zutara and Makorra only. Nothing else compares.
Posts: 7
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Post by fatalexodus on Nov 12, 2012 18:08:00 GMT -6
One would think Makorra was Zutara 2.0, going into the Legend of Korra series. Because, hey, you have an attractive, snooty looking firebender, and an attractive, headstrong waterbender.
Hmmmm.
The idea of this came up earlier in the series, when we didn't get to watch the entire season yet. But in all truth, they are so different, that it's actually easier to find things that are different between them.
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Post by likeadove on Nov 12, 2012 18:52:06 GMT -6
I get foamy at the mouth when people call Male/Korra Zutara 2.0. Nothing. Makes. Me. Angrier.
Okay, I lied. Kataang makes me angrier, but still.
The only thing that these two ships have in common is that they involve a waterbender and a firebender. That's about it.
I think one of the things that Zutara benefits from is the fact that they didn't get together in the series. Because, lets face it, Bryke can't write romance for shit. Makorra had the most incredible potential, but were utterly ruined by godawful writing. Don't get me wrong, I still ship them together, but I will be the first to tell you that the way their relationship was resolved was very very bad.
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Post by mrspettyfer on Nov 12, 2012 19:38:56 GMT -6
But see, I'm pretty sure Bryke knows the popularity is more than the fire/water thing. And even so, Korra is more firebender than waterbender..so technically Makorra is like fire/fire. I do think they took into consideration that a huge part of their fanbase is older and interested in more complex relationships, like Zutara. I'm sure they didn't expect a cartoon on Nick to bring in an older fanbase. Kataang was pretty much fluff and rainbows. Zutara was not. All the LoK relationships are more complex, to me, than what we saw in ATLA. I think part of that is because of statistics with age demographics and perhaps yes, some popularity of more complex stuff from ATLA that gained popularity.
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