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I’ve got to pick up on this really quickly. This quote was in the interview Gene Yang just gave for “The Search” which is basically ‘let’s find Ursa’ in comic form.

Gene Yang: At the beginning of “The Promise,” Katara and Aang are still in that lovey-dovey stage of their relationship. They call each other pet names and are way too affectionate. By the end of “The Promise,” they will have gone through their first conflict.

I already knew from the Promise 1 & 2 that Gene Yang really doesn’t get Kataang, which is not terribly surprising considering he is a Zutarian. But the line about being “way too affectionate” stood out for me. Apart from those couples that are really obnoxious and make-out in front of everyone in really inappropriate places, I didn’t know there was such a thing as being too affectionate. Aang and Katara’s relationship is strongly grounded in their affection for each other, you would be hard pressed to find an episode of Avatar where they are not hugging or generally being touchy feely. 

So the idea that that Aang and Katara’s strong affection for each other is somehow a flaw in their relationship is just frustrating. It’s one of the best things they have going for them, how they are completely relaxed and open with each other. I get that Gene Yang doesn’t like the really sappy romance stuff, and that’s fine, neither do I; but affection isn’t in the same category as all the ‘sweetie’ stuff. Being so close to each other is foundational to their relationship and I’m just peeved that he’s on such a vendetta to undermine that. 

So yer, this was a totally inconsequential rant. And it’s not like I read The Promise for its brilliant characterization, I just like having a vague idea what happened to the Gaang after the war.