Avatar the Last Airbender: Zutara and Azulaang should have happened

This debate is definitely one to look forward to. Since my opponent concedes that Zutara should have happened, I won't waste time arguing there; I shall focus solely on Azulaang. ==================================== CONTENTION 1: Should Aang have had a love interest| ========== ========================= Certainly so. The thing about the romance that there was between Katara and Aang was that it aided in shaping out Aang's emotional side, hence ultimately allowing him to resist the darkness that existed in the Avatar state and spare even the Fire Lord. Indeed, if we are to refer back episode 39 (The Guru) and take particular interest in the scene where the Guru tells Aang that he must get rid of his feelings for Katara in order to harness the Avatar state, we'll note that it was his feelings for Katara which prevented him from mastering the Avatar state (1). In essence, his romantic feelings helped him set an example of peace which no doubt contributed greatly to him bringing balance to the world and initiating a peaceful era. =================== CONTENTION 2: Why Azula? | =================== 1) Two of the series' strongest themes were redemption and forgiveness. We saw redemption in Zuko rejecting the fire nation customs which he had been indoctrinated in and we saw Katara end up moving past what the Fire Nation had done to her mother so that she may forgive Zuko for the countless instances of trouble he had caused her and the rest of Aang's group in the past. What made carrying out both of these themes possible was the fact that there was a reason behind Zuko's savage behavior and there was a reason behind Katara's hatred of the fire nation. People aren't just villains for no reason and individuals most certainly don't possess strong negative feelings for the heck of it. Upon seeing Azula's backstory, it became rather clear to this debater that Azula was no exception. However, in spite of us having seen her reason for her behavior, we were provided no resolution. From a writer's standpoint, they could have strengthened the themes I mentioned if they were to have even Azula be redeemed ( in spite of her atrocious past). It would be just as good as a move to show Aang develop a relationship with her throughout the process of her redemption, if only to show Aang forgive the very kind of person who'd go so far as to ruthlessly murder the monks at the Southern Air temple. Not to mention that helping someone such as Azula see the light would be an effective way of demonstrating that he is well qualified for his job as the Avatar; this would have especially helped him develop his confidence as the Avatar, contrary to what we saw throughout the series. In short, both could have effectively helped one another seriously grow as characters (and even strengthen the themes) if the writers had taken the opportunity to have them develop a relationship with one another. Since my opponent already agrees that Kataang shouldn't have happened, I won't bother clarifying as to why Azulaang is a superior match (unless he specifically insist during the next round). ======================= CONTENTION 3: How it could work| ======================= Azula was raised to be ruthless and the most negative aspects of her personality stimulated from her belief that her mother favored Zuko over her. This caused her to be mistrustful of people. In order to make Azulaang possible, her trustlessness barrier would have to be broken down. This could be performed by putting her in a situation where she had no choice but to trust someone else. Given the resolution, I'd propose Aang as being this individual. To give an idea of how this worked, lets assume that the writers hadn't completely forgotten about the spirit world subplot and decided to expand upon it by having both Aang and Azula end up getting trapped there during one of their battles (with there yet again being no certain solution as to how escape was possible). Upon learning that the Avatar is the bridge between worlds (hence being the ideal way back to the human world), Azula would have ample motivation NOT to try and kill Aang. Adhering to his Buddhist philosophies as well as perhaps receiving a quick pep talk from Avatar Roku, Aang would be inclined to not continue battling Azula, but rather insist upon a peaceful resolution (given his duties as the Avatar). At first, this would likely annoy Azula, but given enough time together (both talking and seeking a way out of the spirit world), she could easily grow to trust him and begin the path of redemption. Plus, given that Iroh's visit into the spirit world helped him have a better understanding of the world as well as realize the faults in many of the fire nation customs, there is no doubt that this could play a role with Aang and Azula being there as well. Keep in mind that it was a positive influence to confide in (Iroh . . . and to a lesser extent, Katara) which ultimately helped Zuko turn away from the dark path and make the right decision. The same could just as easily apply to Azula if she had the opportunity. Like Zuko, she has a reason for her harsh behavior that doesn't just extend from the harsh Fire bending culture. Sources: 1) . http://anime-media.com... I'll probably provide additional arguments in the next round and will clarify on the ones I've already provided if necessary.