History Webcomic / HowIBecameYours

* OffModel: Not simply compared to the original character models, but heavily applies by simply comparing different shots of the same characters. In fact, the title page demonstrates the recurring issue of [[AmbiguouslyBrown Katara's skin tone]] varying wildly from page to page.
** Ty Lee looks quite different from her appearance in the series. To a lesser extent, so too does Sokka, but in his case it's more justified, as part of that is him just looking older and sporting a new haircut.
** At one point, instead of tracing Zuko, Diaz traces Ichigo from Bleach, and recolors him to look like Zuko. Even by the comics standards, this is jarring.

The comic enjoyed moderate popularity before certain members of the Avatar fandom got wind of it, and promptly saw to it that the artist was banned from Website/DeviantArt (the comic's former home) for recurring instances of art theft. Diaz's repeated denials of tracing and art theft [[ImplausibleDeniability in the face of overwhelming evidence (screenshots from the show and her drawings match up ]]''[[ImplausibleDeniability line for line]]'') did nothing to endear her to the fandom. She has sadly friends-locked the entire comic at her Website/MySpace page, however, you can view most of it on this Diaz fan's [[http://s762.photobucket.com/albums/xx265/ReneeLuvsZutara/ Photobucket account]].

[[http://howibecameyours-rehost.tumblr.com/ You can also see the whole comic in order on Tumblr with a bit better picture quality here.]]

Zuko discovers that his jealous wife Mai hid Katara's pregnancy from him by hiding the letters revealing the truth, [[WouldHurtAChild and murdered her unborn child]]. After disowning and humiliating Mai he runs away from the still-recovering Fire Nation and makes a beeline for Katara's 18th birthday ball, where the StarCrossedLovers joyfully reunite (Aang and Toph also hook up at this event). Unfortunately for them, hell hath no fury like a WomanScorned: Mai is not about to take this lying down, so she enlists the help of a firebending assassin named Sho.

* RecycledSoundtrack: During Katara and Zuko's conversation on the balcony, Katara very blatantly rips off "What Hurts the Most" by Mark Wills.
** Even more blatantly, while Zuko is pining for Katara in the first chapter, part of his inner dialogue contains lyrics straight out of "My Immortal" by Music/{{Evanescence}}.
** Aang lands on Toph's balcony, offers to take her flying, and asks "Do you trust me?" There aren't any lyrics written, but you can practically ''hear'' [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} "A Whole New World"]] in the background.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Katara's blue dress during the fight with Mai combines this with her usual ImpossiblyLowNeckline. It's unclear how it stayed on her ''before'' she does a flip.

* KnifeNut: Just as in the show, Mai uses throwing knives as her main weapon, and is deadly with them. Unlike in the show, though, ''How I Became Yours'' doesn't have to adhere to network standards, so here her knives sometimes ''hit'' people.

* SpinOffspring: The whole point of ''Rise of the Agni Army''

* RescueRomance: Sokka and Azula

* MomentOfWeakness: Surprisingly enough, this is played straight when [[spoiler:Azula, while regaining her bending powers]], is hit in the chest with a thrown knife and nearly killed. This proves that 1) [[TalkingIsAFreeAction talking isn't a free action]] and 2) mundane weapons, even seemingly unimpressive ones such as knives, are a threat to benders.

* RealityEnsues: Surprisingly enough, this is played straight when [[spoiler:Azula, while regaining her bending powers]], is hit in the chest with a thrown knife and nearly killed. This proves that 1) [[TalkingIsAFreeAction talking isn't a free action]] and 2) mundane weapons, even seemingly unimpressive ones such as knives, are a threat to benders.

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Azula as she regains her bending.
-->'''Azula''': I have seen my life for what it was back then. A life that was so empty. And I'm not going to surrender this life for no one without a fight. And by gods I'm not going to let him go either... I love you Sokka...

* ButNotTooForeign: HIBY supposedly takes place in Avatar's Far-East inspired world, but aside from a few token nods to the setting, it seems to take place more in renaissance-era France. Most of the female cast wear European-style dresses (with the exception of Mai and sometimes Toph), and the architecture is pretty obviously copy-pasted from European castles.

* TheBeautifulElite: All of the heroes have high social rank and are very beautiful.

* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Fire Lord Zuko impregnating Katara and ''physically assaulting his betrothed (Mai)'' [[DisproportionateRetribution for getting upset about it]].
** SympatheticAdulterer: Zuko is intended to be a Pay Cheating unto Evil sense; not only is Mai villainized, but Zuko claims he never loved her, their marriage being retconned as arranged.

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Mai and Sho in the fourth chapter.

* ArrangedMarriage: In HIBY, Zuko's marriage to Mai is said to have been arranged by his father and her parents. This does not explicitly contradict the series proper, but no mention was ever made of that there.

** Katara. The things she does the most in this fic? Whining. Being self-centered. Making even her unborn child's death all about her. Only caring about being Zuko's love interest. Wearing pretty dresses (which isn't bad in and of itself, but considering the canon setting, they're very out of place). The only scene in which she's ever seen using the ActionGirl skills that she worked so far for in the series? When [[spoiler:she bloodbends Mai to death]].

** The new temple of Air Nomads - potential plot for a good HiddenElfVillage story arc, or throw-away backstory that unceremoniously throws all of Aang's LastOfHisKind troubles into the trash heap?

* HiddenElfVillage: During the TimeSkip between the end of the series and the beginning of this comic, Aang finds one of these, populated by Air Nomads. [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot Nothing more is said about this development]].

* BerserkButton: Zuko has two that Mai pushes: insulting Katara and calling him a "[[RougeAnglesOfSatin chard]] monster".

* KnifeNut: Just as in the show, Mai uses throwing knives as her main weapon, and is deadly with them.

* PsychoExGirlfriend: What Mai was supposed to be, although she ended up [[UnintentionallySympathetic being one of the more sympathetic characters.]]

* WhamLine

* LivingLieDetector: Just like in canon, Toph has this ability. Unlike in canon, Toph is 100% sure it works all the time, even when dealing with a woman who has demonstrated the ability to fool it in the past.

* DerailingLoveInterests: Poor Mai...

** Azula, at least, has the excuse that she's been stripped of her title, cast out of her country, and is now suffering from EasyAmnesia on top of that. It still doesn't make it less painful to watch her giggle like a helpless teenager.