Aisha and Nex: Two Imperfect People

Something that stuck with me from Power of Charmix’s second Aisha/Nex video was the reason she likes this couple:

…the whole reason I ship these two is because of the friction between the two stubborn people who like sports, and then them teaching each other to not be as stubborn…

As she pointed out, Winx seasons six and seven showed how Aisha reacts to Nex’s flaws. Another Winx blogger predicted that she would influence him in this relationship. I disagree with 95 percent of how they described him, but the Winx fandom loves to exaggerate his flaws. At least this blogger knew he could change (and looked forward to it).

Anyway, season eight flipped the script. In the Sirenix arc, Nex reacted to Aisha’s flaws, especially her tendency to push people away when she’s overwhelmed or stressed. She tried to stop him from coming along on the Gorgol mission, but later she was glad he did. He fought by her side against Obscurum (#PowerCoupleTeamUp) and helped her calm down when her friends were captured by the anemones.

By the end of the arc, Aisha not only appreciated Nex more, but she also learned it’s okay to rely on others sometimes. Independence is one thing, but stubbornly refusing help when you need it is another. The people who love you can often tell the difference better than you can.

Nex’s declaration in “The Light of Gorgol“ (Winx season 8, episode 9) captured that well:

Remember: I’ll always be there for you, even when you don’t want me to be.

That line resonated with me because my dad said something similar to me recently. I’ve struggled with real-life problems in the last several months, and he’s always been my biggest cheerleader. But sometimes, I reject his support and advice even when I know I need it.

My dad told me (not in these exact words) that he’d never stop trying to help me, even if it made me angry. When someone loves you so much that nothing can break that bond, it’s a wonderful feeling.

Fixing Aisha?

It takes courage to swallow your pride and admit you need (or needed) someone. That’s what Aisha did when she thanked Nex for being there for her. We thought she’d have to humble him, but he humbled her, too. How about that?

That’s something that distinguishes her relationship with Nex from her relationships with Nabu and Roy. Because the latter two didn’t have obvious flaws, it felt like their job was to fix Aisha. The blogger I mentioned earlier noticed this, too. They called her “a rough-and-tumble girl” who “softened up considerably” because of Nabu.

Did the Winx fandom forget Aisha is a princess with a restrictive childhood? She doesn’t need someone to tame her; she needs someone to let her be her “rough-and-tumble” self.

Anyway, if Nabu and Roy had nothing to fix about themselves, how would Aisha have influenced them? Based by how the Winx fandom talks about them, she couldn’t have helped them much (if at all) physically, emotionally, or psychologically.

You could argue that Nabu needed someone who understood him because of his sheltered childhood, but how did it hold him back? He didn’t have a hard time adapting to the outside world, and no one rejected him. Everyone loved him!

It’s the same with Roy. Whatever problems he had (if any) didn’t stop him from succeeding in life. He was already the assistant to Aisha’s father, King Teredor. What would she have added to Roy’s life other than a girlfriend? For that matter, what would he have added to her life that he couldn’t provide as her servant instead of her boyfriend?

I don’t think Aisha was Nabu or Roy’s ideal partner, someone to enhance their lives or help them mature. Instead, she would have been little more than a living, breathing trophy of excellence — a reward for their “perfection”. That’s not good character writing or good relationship writing.

Inspiring Each Other

Quoting a writing advice post by StandOut Books, a company that helps authors self-publish their stories:

A perfect man has nothing to overcome, nothing to change, and no problems to face when he and the heroine connect….When I read [or watch] a romance, I want to see how the characters complement each other — how they inspire each other to become their best selves.

The key phrase is “each other”. If one partner is flawed and the other has no flaws, only one inspires the other. It’s more of a teacher/pupil or mentor/mentee relationship. You know how those stories usually end. After the teacher or mentor imparts all their wisdom, they either disappear or die. (Hmmmm…. ?)

But if both partners are flawed and inspire each other to be better people, you understand why they should be a couple. They’re better together! It’s a mutually-beneficial relationship. All relationships offer companionship, but when you know there’s something more, it becomes more meaningful.

Things won’t be easy because the partners will expose each other’s flaws, which will cause that friction between them. But only when you see your flaws can you deal them. Who better to bring them to light than the person who knows you best?

Final Thoughts

This quote sums it up everything I’ve said in this post:

A true relationship is two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other.

True love is not when everything is perfect. It’s when it’s not perfect, but you choose to love and support each other regardless. That’s what a real relationship looks like.

And that’s why I love Aisha and Nex.