Zutara vs. The Canon Pairings: Which is Better? (Zutara vs. The Canon Pairings, 3/3)

[ljwrites]

Which is "Better?" Evaluating the Conceptions of Romance

 

So in previous essays I have detailed the appeal of the Katara/Zuko parinigs and the appeal of the conflicting canon pairings, Aang/Katara and Mai/Zuko. I argued that the appeal of "Zutara" was based on the drama and conflict that arose from two very different individuals becoming partners, while the appeal of the canon pairings was based on that of a stable relationship based on shared goals and life views, where the differences complemented each other and conflicts are resolved through communication and mutual trust.

 

 

Now for the big question: Which is better, Zutara or the canon pairings?

 

I think the question of "better" is both interesting and meaningless. Interesting, because if asked in the right context it tells us more about ourselves and what we like. So as long as you know what you want out of a fictional pairing, you know what's better for you, based on that purpose. But "better" becomes meaningless the moment it loses that context and turns into a one-size-fits-all dictate. To ask the question meaningfully you also have to ask: Better for what?

 

The whole point of the previous two essays was to find out what each pairing was better for. I have laid out the different appeals and characteristics of the three big pairings. Based on that knowledge, which particular purpose or preference would Zutara, Kataang, and Maiko fit into? 

 

First, if your preference is for realistic, stable long-term relationships in fiction, the canon pairings are probably your best bet. I think this is the sense in which fans of these pairings call them "better" than Katara/zuko, and in that sense I agree. Relationships like Aang and Katara's, or Mai and Zuko's, are simply more likely to last in the long term. I have alluded to the reasons at the end of the Zutara essay, and elaborated on those reasons on the canon pairings essay. The creators agree, obviously, since they decided on the canon pairings; this was probably what Bryan meant when he said Zutara would not have lasted. So in that sense, the canon shippers "win."

 

However, there's no saying that realistic long-term relationships are the only ones worth shipping. Their very stability could be boring for those who have different tastes. Or, alternately, Kataang and Maiko look stable at the end of the show but things could change in the years after the show. The characters are still fairly young, after all, and could grow and change in the ensuing years.

 

Therefore, second, if your interest is in change, changes in people and relationships, then the canon pairings might not be your best bet. You might prefer fanworks portraying a short, turbulent relationship between Katara and Zuko, or even a story where they change enough and grow close enough that they have a feasible long-term partnership. Although Zutara isn't the only choice for portraying this kind of change, since Toko or Kazula or whatever mashup would be just as valid for this purpose, Zutara is one of the perfectly valid pairings for this purpose if you're interested in these two.

 

So far I've assumed compliance with canon, but AU (alternate universe) and alternate interpretations of canon are great vehicles for Zutara and other alternate pairings, too. Avatar is a complete story of its own, but different stories can be told with the same characters and world--only altered, of course. Many authors have done exactly that with great effect, forming another thriving part of the Avatar fandom.

 

Third, you might not want to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about the canon, but instead ship the characters that make sense to you on a gut level. That could be because that pairing seems more exciting, or because they look good together. And why the heck not? I don't respect these works as much as post-canon and AU stories that put actual thought into how these characters might work together, but there's no reason for me to be against something that makes other people happy.

 

This third part might actually be the majority of fandom and the majority of Zutara, due to the excitement and appeal of that pairing. And I say, God bless them. I probably would not read the stories or see most of the artwork, but it's a nice to know people are having a great time out there. It becomes much less cool when some of these fans stop having fun and turn their energies to bashing the creators and/or other pairings and their fans, but the vast majority are not like that and we can all be happy.

Happy now?
 

Fourth, if you like fairly long and substantial stories to center around romance, then your best bet is again probably Zutara. As I discussed back in the first essay, stories are made of conflict. It's no accident that stories that center mostly around romance, such as romantic comedies and romance novels, build so much conflict into the central relationship by making the romantic leads each other's opposites or enemies. Otherwise the romance can't generate enough drama and conflict to prop up the story on its own. The very qualities that make the canon pairings successful make them bad centerpieces for a story. Therefore, Zutara is a much better choice if you want a romance-centered tale.
 

Note that I'm saying Zutara is the better choice if you want basically a romance-novel fanfic. I am not saying that Zutara is better for all stories. Some readers like stories that revolve around a romantic relationship; others don't. If your taste is closer to the former, then Zutara is better than the canon pairings. Otherwise, if you don't want stories that revolve around romance but rather want romantic relationships to be part of a larger tale, Zutara is not necessarily the better choice. In fact the canon pairings might be better, because they are less likely to distract from the main action. But that all depends on how you want the romance and the larger story to work together.

 

Speaking of romantic comedy and romantic novels, there is one context in which I'm concerned about Zutara and its ilk. And that's when people confuse the romantic fiction ideal with real-life romance. As long as the fantasy stays a fantasy there's no problem, and probably most Zutara shippers know the difference. But I think there could be a problem if people apply the thinking behind Zutara and romance novels to real life. At its worst, this view could lead people to believe that a conflict-filled and incompatible romance is a good relationship for real life, and that something is wrong with a relationship if it is happy and content without excitement and drama. That excitement, known as the infatuation stage, is always temporary, lasting no more than a few months. A stable long-term relationship is built on common values, common goals, and mutual acceptance, not a constant emotional high. Sorry if that burst anyone's bubble, but it needed to be said. Consider it a fandom PSA.

 

I think the creators of Avatar had a similar fear when they included the joke about Zutarans being doomed to failed relationships in the Forbidden Love video, and when Bryan exhorted "kids" in particular to remember that Zutara would never last. I think of it along the same lines as J. K. Rowling worrying about some of her fans' fascination with Draco Malfoy.* That concern about influence is paritcularly acute for creators of children's fiction, I'd imagine. Oftentimes common fantasies aren't particularly healthy in real life, whether the fantasy is of a relationship that's a nonstop source of conflict, or of changing and "saving" a bad boy.
 

* "People have been waxing lyrical [in letters] about Draco Malfoy, and I think that's the only time when it stopped amusing me and started almost worrying me. I'm trying to clearly distinguish between Tom Felton, who is a good-looking young boy, and Draco, who, whatever he looks like, is not a nice man."

 

And what about me, personally? Well, if anyone is interested (and if anyone has not noticed yet) I'm a fan of the canon pairings. I'm aware of the excitement of Zutara, but I agree with Bryan that they wouldn't last. Of course they could change in the years after the show, or things could be different in a different reality, but that doesn't hold my interest. I like romance best when it is a part of a larger, complex story that's about more than romantic relationships. So I don't want too much time to be spent developing the romance, changing characters for the sake of the pairing and taking away screen time from the main action. And I do like realism (in the sense of internal consistency) in fiction, so if there's a loving long-term relationship in a story they'd better be plausible. The canon pairings are plenty realistic in that regard, as I've discussed earlier. In the end, I can see the appeal of Zutara, but I don't feel drawn to it. 
 

This ends my three-part essay comparing a Katara/Zuko romantic relationship to the established conflicting pairings of Aang/Katara and Mai/Zuko. Basically it comes down to "different strokes for different folks," but I wanted to analyze the reasons behind those different tastes and bring some hidden assumptions to light. If these essays have helped fans think about why they like what they like, and why others might like what they like, I would have achieved my goal.

 

I have limited myself to relationships that either Katara or Zuko were involved in, since these are the characters involved in such a popular ship and are two of the main cast. Plus, that ship (Zutara) is in direct conflict with the main established pairings. (Well, unless everyone gets into a poly/open relationship, but that's a whole another thing.) In other words I didn't really talk about Sokka/Suki and Sokka/Yue, which are or were also canon pairings.

 

Basically I like both Sokka/Suki and Sokka/Yue, which were typical and healthy teenage relationships other than the external complications Yue's engagement (to an ass, no less) and her tragic early death. I also really enjoy the way Sokka and Suki interact with each other, and was particularly amused when they had sex, or tried to, the very night they were separated from Hakoda by the Fire Nation's attack ("The Southern Raiders"). Way to make lemonade out of lemons, eh boy?

 

"Let's get away from my dad and have some sex!"

 

So I was really entertained by the Sokka and Suki relationship, but I don't have a lot to say other than I like them. I know there's attraction there, and they like each other's company, but It'll take someone who can see more nuance and meaning than I can in the couple to do justice to them in analysis. I hope Korra will give us more information about these two.

 

Overall I was very satisfied with the mature and believable way the show handled romance, including the way they developed the main canon pairings in a way that deepened the characterization and the story. It was just one of the many strengths in the writing, and another reason that Avatar was such a great viewing experience. I find the romantic relationships at the end of the show very true to life and moving. And hey, if anyone's not satisfied or even if they are, there are always great fanworks to fall back on.

So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Thoughts?