(the tickets are now diamonds.)

IN DEFENSE OF MAKO

idk I’m just getting tired of watching Korra every week and getting super psyched because THIS SHOW IS AMAZING and I come on tumblr ready to get my fangirl on, only to find post after post EVERY DAMN WEEK about OMG MAKO IS A JERK!!

I hate that whenever there’s a fandom with a love triangle, someone inevitably has to be the bad guy. Like, I know people are rooting for their favorite ships and all, but geez. And more often than not it’s the character who’s stuck in the middle of the triangle that always gets dumped on by fandom because no matter who they end up with, a huge section of the fanbase will be disappointed. (Which is one of many reasons why it baffles me that love triangles in fiction are more popular than ever these days. TWILIGHT, IS THIS YOUR FAULT. IT IS, ISN’T IT.) Usually it’s a girl, but sometimes, like in this case, it’s a guy. Either way, it pisses me off.

And I realize the writers aren’t helping matters any and in fact seem to be encouraging the hate. You know how reality TV shows always cast someone as the villain and edit scenes accordingly so that said character is made to look as bad as possible? It’s almost eerie how much some of Mako’s scenes in recent episodes are like that. Like, the ‘camera’ will follow him around everywhere and perfectly innocent actions like BEING WORRIED ABOUT HIS FRIEND WHO HE THOUGHT WAS KIDNAPPED BY A CRAZY PERSON THAT WANTED TO TAKE AWAY HER BENDING WHICH IS THE ONE THING SHE’S MORE TERRIFIED OF THAN ANYTHING!! will somehow end up playing on screen as, ‘omfg. THIS DICK. Look at this fucking guy being worried about Korra when Asami is—*ZOOM IN ON HER SAD FACE*—RIGHT THERE!! HOLY SHIT WHAT AN ASSHOLE.’

Seriously, people really have it in for this dude.

MAKO: Well shit I think I kinda like Korra. But I’m too unsure to take any action. Plus it would be kind of awkward, dating a teammate. Oh well.
KORRA: I also kind of have a thing for Mako, as every single character in the series will eventually point out on multiple occasions, because my personal romantic feelings are apparently everyone’s business, I guess because I’m the Avatar maybe, but well whatever. Anyway, I’m also unsure so I’m also not going to act on it!
ASAMI: /appears /hits Mako with moped /is introduced in such a way so as to instantly establish her as the perfect woman
MAKO: Holy shit you’re kind of the perfect woman.
ASAMI: I’m genuinely kind and smart and sexy and rich and have a moped and I hit you with it whoops but I’m asking you out to dinner, SAY YES.
MAKO: ok
ASAMI: Is it any wonder really that we started dating?!
KORRA: Mako has a girlfriend. :/ SOMEHOW THIS IS HIS FAULT, EXCLUSIVELY AND ONLY HIS.
BOLIN: Now seems like a good time to make my own feelings for you very public, Korra! But first, let me talk to my bro.
MAKO: I’m against it, dating a teammate is awkward. And also yes I am human so yeah I probably wouldn’t be all smiles and rainbows seeing the girl I like but was too chickenshit to ask out dating my little brother.
BOLIN: ASKING HER OUT ANYWAY
MAKO: WELL FINE THEN
KORRA: I still have unresolved feelings for Mako but Bolin you are super sweet too so sure I’ll go out with you! It’s not dickish when I do it but when Mako does it, it’s THE WORST THING ANYONE’S EVER DONE.
MAKO: I’M GOING TO BE VERY JEALOUS AND IMMATURE ABOUT THIS.
KORRA: YES, YOU ARE. THOUGH SO AM I KINDA.
KORRA: ALSO AREN’T WE LIKE SIXTEEN, FUCK, SINCE WHEN WERE SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLDS EVER PILLARS OF MATURITY OMG.
KORRA: ALSO I’M GOING TO KISS YOU IN A FIT OF PLOT-MOTIVATED STUPIDITY, RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR BROTHER. THOUGH NOT ON PURPOSE, HE JUST HAS THE SHITTIEST TIMING.
BOLIN: OMG I REALLY DO. SOB.
MAKO: I’M GOING TO LET YOU KISS ME AND PERHAPS KISS YOU BACK FOR LIKE ONE SECOND, BEFORE I STOP BECAUSE I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND AND THIS IS WRONG. BUT IT’S TOO LATE BECAUSE WHEN I KISSED YOU BACK, YOU THE GIRL I PREVIOUSLY HAD FEELINGS FOR AND YOU TOOK ME BY SURPRISE AND I IN TURN ACTED WITHOUT THINKING, THAT WAS THE MOST DAMNING THING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY EVER DONE AND I’M BASICALLY THE SCUM OF THE EARTH.
MAKO: sorry
KORRA: It’s okay, let’s just make up for now and let our UST simmer in the background for a few more episodes.
KORRA: SHIT I’M KIDNAPPED. Whoever’s writing this frustrated mock-up script of our actions just skipped a whole bunch of scenes in order to get to the point already, but the end result is pretty shitty for me. :/
MAKO: OH MY GOD, KORRA GOT KIDNAPPED, AS PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED THIS IS SERIOUSLY BAD, IDK IF YOU GUYS KNOW BUT SHE’S FUCKING TERRIFIED OF AMON, THIS IS A REALLY BIG FUCKING DEAL YOU GUYS, AND ALSO I TEND TO OVERREACT WHENEVER ANYONE I CARE ABOUT IS THREATENED, BUT PEOPLE ONLY SEEM TO NOTICE IT WHEN IT PISSES THEM OFF, AND IT ONLY PISSES THEM OFF WHEN THE PERSON I’M OVERREACTING ABOUT IS KORRA, I GUESS. DANG.
ASAMI: God Mako I’m worried too but when you’re worried it’s different because you kissed Korra before! THESE TWO FACTS COMBINED MEAN THAT YOU ARE, WITH ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAINTY, IN LOVE WITH HER. And rubbing it in my fucking face you ass.
KORRA: HI GUYS SUP I’M HALF DEAD.
MAKO: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF /scoops up /brushes hair away from forehead /”you’re safe now” /sits by bedside fraught with concern
FANDOM: YOU JERK.

etc. etc. etc.

I mean, it’s not like people don’t have valid complaints about him, but. He’s a kid?? It’s not like he’s the first dumb fictional teenager that ever walked the face of the earth, and it’s not like he’s going out of his way to be an ass. It’s just the kind of situation where someone is going to get hurt no matter what. And because Asami and Korra are flawless (not being ironic or anything when I say that, btw, they are my two favorite characters and I love the shit out of them), Mako is naturally the character who’s going to take the majority of blame, and this is fandom so of course people are going to vent, and there’s nothing wrong with that, and I’m not really surprised or super offended by it lol. It’s just that people are so damn consistent about it. Every week, like clockwork, everybody wants to slap Mako. Eventually it gets to me, and I end up writing obnoxiously big and sarcastically whiny posts, I guess. XD