History YMMV / HowIBecameYours

* KarmicOverkill: The fic gained infamy for the scene where a [[AdaptationalVillainy demonized Mai]], who caused Katara to miscarriage Zuko's child, gets gruesomely Bloodbended to death by Katara. [[EveryoneHasStandards Even quite some Zutarians]] ended being more disgusted by the {{designated hero}}ine.

* RonTheDeathEater: Mai, who poisons Katara to cause her to have a miscarriage and later tries to kill her, is supposed to be this. Of course, due to the poor writing, many readers find her the ''most'' sympathetic.

** Katara [[spoiler:bloodbending Mai to death]], is fairly well remembered, given that it's not only highly morally questionable, it's also a blatant violation of canon ''and'' [[spoiler:an AccidentallyAccurate look into [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra the future]].

** While Katara's angst over losing her unborn son is understandable, mourning for three years and building a giant tombstone for him is a bit extreme.
*** It's not just about Katara's extreme mourning, it's about how she makes it [[ItsAllAboutMe all about her]]. "Kuzon" died ''a day before her birthday'', after all. The dead child is treated as just an extension of Katara's derailed personality and a plot device to have her [[spoiler:''murdering'' Mai in the worst way possible]].

* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Many fans seem to hate HIBY's interpretation of the female characters in general, and Azula in particular, for showing a more vulnerable and feminine side of them than their typical portrayal in the show. To be completely fair, their portrayals in the show included many such vulnerable moments, and highlighted their feminine attributes. The problem many detractors see is that even those canonical character developments involving femininity are largely disregarded throughout the comic, even when they are intrinsic to the characters in question.

* RonTheDeathEater: Mai, who poisons Katara to cause her to have a miscarriage and later tries to kill her. Then again, this might be a subversion, as she's arguably more sympathetic than Zuko or Katara.

* KarmicOverkill: The fic gained infamy for the scene where a [[RonTheDeathEater demonized Mai]], who caused Katara to miscarriage Zuko's child, gets gruesomely Bloodbended to death by Katara. Even some Zutarians ended being more disgusted by the {{designated heroine}}.

* FetishRetardant: The sex scenes. Even militant Zutarians don't like it!

** The later chapters of the comic when Aang, Katara and Sokka need to go to the Spirit Oasis [[spoiler: to revive Azula]] they're stopped in their tracks because the entrance to the oasis is blocked by a massive snow drift, forcing them to find another way in. [[ForgotAboutHisPowers Because it's not like they have the means to magicallly blow the snow away, or melt it with fire, or even physically push it aside at all.]]

* KarmicOverkill: The fic gained infamy for the scene where a [[RonTheDeathEater demonized Mai]], who caused Katara to miscarriage Zuko's child, gets gruesomely Bloodbended to death by Katara. Even some Zutarians ended being more disgusted by the designated heroine.

* MoralEventHorizon: Mai killing Katara's unborn baby via poisoned fruit is meant to be this. For many readers, it's actually [[spoiler:Katara bloodbending Mai to death, when she was perfectly capable of merely incapacitating her so she would be taken to trial for attempted murder.]]

** Katara [[spoiler:bloodbending Mai to death]], is fairly well remembered, given that it's not only highly morally questionable, it's also a blatant violation of canon ''and'' [[spoiler:an AccidentallyAccurate look into the future]].

* FanonDiscontinuity: Zuko and Mai were very much in love with each other in the series and there was not even a mention that their relationship was even arranged. Even in the official comic ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSmokeAndShadow Smoke And Shadow]]'', which was written after the fanfic was released, [[spoiler:Zuko pleaded with Mai to stay when she breaks up with him for very personal reasons.]] Of course, [[DieForOurShip Diaz rewrites their relationship so her favored ship looks good in comparison or give a lame excuse for the reason why Zuko does not love Mai]].

* FanonDiscontinuity: Zuko and Mai were very much in love with each other in the series and there was not even a mention that their relationship was even arranged. Even in the official comic ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSmokeAndShadow Smoke And Shadow]]'', which was written after the fanfic was released, [[spoiler:Zuko pleaded with Mai to stay when she breaks with him for very personal reasons.]] Of course, [[DieForOurShip Diaz rewrites their relationship so her favored ship looks good in comparison or give a lame excuse for the reason why Zuko does not love Mai]].

** Katara, due to her skinny limbs, creepy ''Uwu'' eyes and weird fish lips. Not helping is the fact that she keeps that same exact face for about 90 percent of the comic.

** Katara, due to her skinny limbs and weird fish lips. Not helping is the fact that she keeps that same exact face for about 90 percent of the comic.

* MoralEventHorizon: Mai killing Katara's unborn baby via poisoned fruit is meant to be this. For more objective readers, it's [[spoiler:Katara bloodbending Mai to death, when she was perfectly capable of merely incapacitating her so she would be taken to trial for attempted murder.]]

* FanNickname: Lobozula (Lobotomized Azula) for the comic's [[InNameOnly version]] of Azula.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Mai hides letters from Katara to Zuko telling him that she's pregnant. When confronted by Zuko, she gives a reason that [[http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx265/ReneeLuvsZutara/HIBY%20Chapter%201/028.jpg does make sense]]: She wants to prevent a possible civil war coming from all the succession problems that the existence of a bastard child of the Fire Lord would bring. (And, well, Zuko impregnated Katara ''[[YourCheatingHeart when he already was married to Mai]]''.) However, since this is [[RonTheDeathEater Mai]] and she is [[DesignatedHero Katara's]] [[DieForOurShip love rival for Zuko]], she's [[DerailingLoveInterests presented as a]] [[ClingyJealousGirl petty and clingy]] DesignatedVillain who does this only out of bitterness and jealousy... and we're supposed to side with ''Zuko'' [[DomesticAbuse when, in response to her rant, he humiliates and beats her]] before abandoning his war-torn nation to run away with his babymama. Interestingly enough, Katara herself, who is not a strawman, has similar reasons for not telling Zuko. Though Mai's position would be much stronger if she had not also ''poisoned Katara'' and ''murdered the unborn baby.''

* HumorDissonance: Some might consider the following joke amusing; to others, it's fairly pointless or SnarkBait.

* SnarkBait: There have already been dramatic readings!

* CanonDefilement: Uggh...uhhhh...'''''WHERE THE HELL DO WE START ON THIS?!?!''''' The names are misspelled, the mechanics of bending are all wrong, the characters are unrecognizable, and somehow we've translocated to the ThemeParkVersion of 18th century France if costume and architecture are anything to go by.

** Katara [[spoiler:bloodbending Mai to death]], is fairly well remembered, given that it's not only highly morally questionable, it's also a blatant violation of canon.

** Toph at several points in the comic sports perhaps one of the most (unintentionally) ''frightening'' SlasherSmile[=s=] ever...

* CanonDefilement: Uggh...uhhhh...''WHERE THE HELL DO WE START ON THIS?!?!'' The names are misspelled, the mechanics of bending are all wrong, the characters are unrecognizable, and somehow we've translocated to the ThemeParkVersion of 18th century France if costume and architecture are anything to go by.

* CanonDefilement: The names are misspelled, the mechanics of bending are all wrong, the characters are unrecognizable, and somehow we've translocated to the ThemeParkVersion of 18th century France if costume and architecture are anything to go by.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Mai hides letters from Katara to Zuko telling him that she's pregnant. When confronted by Zuko, she gives a reason that [[http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx265/ReneeLuvsZutara/HIBY%20Chapter%201/028.jpg does make sense]]: She wants to prevent a possible civil war coming from all the succession problems that the existence of a bastard child of the Fire Lord would bring. (And, well, Zuko impregnated Katara ''[[YourCheatingHeart when he already was married to Mai]]''.) However, since this is [[RonTheDeathEater Mai]] and she is [[DesignatedHero Katara's]] [[DieForOurShip love rival for Zuko]], she's [[DerailingLoveInterests presented as a]] [[ClingyJealousGirl petty and clingy]] DesignatedVillain who does this only out of bitterness and jealousy... and we're supposed to side with ''Zuko'' [[DomesticAbuser when, in response to her rant, he humiliates and beats her]] before abandoning his war-torn nation to run away with his babymama. Interestingly enough, Katara herself, who is not a strawman, has similar reasons for not telling Zuko. Though Mai's position would be much stronger if she had not also ''poisoned Katara'' and ''murdered the unborn baby.''

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Just about everything that goes on in the background could have made a more interesting story than the actual story. Aang finding a [[HiddenElfVillage underground temple of surviving Air Nomads]]? Glossed over in the prologue. Azula's adventures, which somehow involved her blackmailing Mai to get a seat in the new Fire Senate while simultaneously dressing like a ninja? Never elaborated upon. Sho's ''[[RememberTheNewGuy existence]]''? Nope. We get to focus almost exclusively on Team Avatar's increasingly convoluted romance stories.

** Not to mention that Diaz completely removes Suki from the plot, instead giving Sokka a "happy" ending with the ''extremely'' {{Chickifi|cation}}ed Azula... but then steals Suki's design to create two servants, one Mai's maid another Toph's.
** All the heroic women wear European-style fancy dresses. Mai is the only one to retain the show's Asian themes, and she's the villain.
** ''How I Became Yours'' is a WorldOfBuxom... except for the antagonist Mai.
** Azula is told that her entire purpose is to give birth to a child, and that even her relationship with Sokka was manipulated by the gods.
** On a more subtle level, the fic erodes Katara's and Azula's agency by having their brothers blame themselves for the girls' actions. Sokka says that [[spoiler: Azula getting stabbed]] is because of him, despite him having no hand in the events that lead to it. Zuko hopes the gods will forgive ''him'' for his and Azula's actions [[spoiler: and save Azula]].

** Upon realizing what position Azula is in at the end, many have posited that she doesn't actually have amnesia, as it's all a ploy to get in good with the Water Tribe royalty so she can dismantle the entire civilization from the inside--or at least ''[[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans rule]]'' it. This would require her to be an UnreliableNarrator... but that could be [[ConsummateLiar in-character]] for her, too.

** Upon realizing what position Azula is in at the end, many have posited that she doesn't actually have amnesia, as it's all a ploy to get in good with the Water Tribe royalty so she can dismantle the entire civilization from the inside--Or at least ''[[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans rule]]'' it. This would require her to be an UnreliableNarrator... but that could be [[ConsummateLiar in-character]] for her, too.

** Upon realizing what position Azula is in at the end, many have posited that she doesn't actually have amnesia, as it's all a ploy to get in good with the Water Tribe royalty so she can dismantle the entire civilization from the inside. Or at least ''[[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans rule]]'' it. This would require her to be an UnreliableNarrator... but that could be [[ConsummateLiar in-character]] for her, too.

** Upon realizing what position Azula is in at the end, many have posited that she doesn't actually have amnesia, as it's all a ploy to get in good with the Water Tribe royalty so she can dismantle the entire civilization from the inside. Or at least rule it. This would require her to be an UnreliableNarrator... but that could be [[ConsummateLiar in-character]] for her, too.

* DesignatedVillain: Mai. She gets mad at her husband- whom she's genuinely in love with- for having an affair, whereupon he strikes her. Not only that, but the fact she hid the letters telling Zuko about his child is apparently hideous treason. It's not a nice thing to do, sure, but she had good reasons to do so and it's certainly not ''treason''. Particularly when Katara had every intention of hiding the child from Zuko anyway, and the only reason the letter came anywhere close to Mai or Zuko is a clerical error.