#karats

Hello! I love that you cut right down to the bone with both questions 😂

I don't think the show was trying to promote Eastern religion, but I think it drew so much inspiration from those religions that the lines got way too blurry. Truthfully, the moment I think of most was when Aang insists that it's harder to forgive than it is to hold on. That's a very Christian principal. C. S. Lewis was a big believer in God's spiritual influence being felt all of the world, and seeds of it left in even the most incorrect religions or ideologies

Anyway. I'd have to think more on it. The worst thing is that there is no God. No one King of the Spirits character, no Creator and Lord, no perfect spirit that the humans can have a relationship with. Nothing even alluding to that. Instead, the "Spirit World" is treated sacred whenever it needs to be sacred in the story (the Moon and Sun spirits) but then treated like "an alternate planet" whenever it needs to be that in the story, too. So sometimes the Spirits are sacred and the heroes need help from them, and sometimes they're just aliens and only Aang can communicate with them to keep the peace

So the most anti-God thing about the world of Avatar is that He's not in it. But they really don't comment on Him one way or another. The story is more about responsibility and what you do with the power you have, and how that affects others, than it really is about anything directly spiritual in the real world.

But Zuko should certainly have gotten together with Katara, if anyone, and Aang probably should've gotten together with Toph.

Zuko and Katara make sense. I don't even need to talk about why. Everybody knows it. I see less chatter about Aang and Toph. But truthfully, Aang and Toph's strengths and weaknesses compliment each other better. Toph is all about doing what she's gotta do, by the time she meets Aang. Aang, on the other hand, constantly has to fight running from responsibilities. Toph isn't careful with how people feel, and she holds grudges. Aang is compassionate, and he understands forgiveness and mercy. But, they both love fun. They both love a good prank. They're both passionate about justice. Plus there's that symbolism of them being masters of opposite elements, but good friends and understanding of one another anyway. Also, Toph's family failed her and didn't understand her, so she ran from them. But Aang's from a type of community where everybody's family, and he knows what it's like to run away. So all they needed was a little more maturity and they could've easily completed each other.

In no way did Katara and Aang ever make more sense than Top and Aang, or Katara and Zuko. They just chose to like each other. Which is fine, it's lovely. But no, it had nothing to do with their character arcs, unless you count Aang needing someone or something to struggle with letting go of. But that could've been anybody, really. I think it was just what made the most sense to the writers because she was the compassionate one who woke him up and believed in him, and they had the most time together as characters.

It's not a show-breaking thing though. Cuz they're all kids, and romance really wasn't the focus. If it had had one more season for some reason, I could see it!