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My guess is as good as yours, but I think it might be because of a mindset of “I am gonna be more tough and strict to my child so he works harder and reaches higher” it’s a very common belief of a Asian culture and I genuinely believe this kind of parenting exist all over the globe, and is what Master Fung trying to do through the course of the show.
Also, I heard a lot of this diss about Master Fung, I have to say he is probably doing his best at taking care of Omi, let's look from the perspective of Master Fung, A 50 to 60 something years old man, who by Dojo mentioned used to be in monk school, he probably works his whole life studying Buddhist philosophy and is fully prepared a life without the bind of family, and attachment, ready to die for Xiaolin. he seems very familiar with Chase Young and his tiger warriors, He probably understands the moments he becomes the abbot of Xiaolin Temple (I assume to be the oldest temple of Xiaolin) that the peaceful temple life is just a short-lived illusion, probably crossing paths with Heylin many times before. Knowing the dangers he is in and the risk as he becomes abbot then one day comes a child on the doorstep. He took the orphan in by the belief in his Buddhist faith to be kind and equal to all living creatures on earth while knowing that this temple was probably not the best place to raise a kid, but he believed in fate as all Buddhist disciples do, he takes care of this baby to a point this child favors him over all of the elder's monks in the temple, loves this master and very attached, while master fung know this he also aware that one day he would leave this world whether it’s by natural or the enemy, he knows he can’t be too attached to this child or they could use Omi against him, then the dreadful day comes when the temple realizes Omi is the dragon of the water, it is fate isn’t it, now he has to teach a child how to fight, not just simple tai chi, chanting sutras and knock on wooden fish how to meditate, like he used teach Omi. Master Fung has to teach Omi about all the Xiaolin and Heylin conflicts knowing one day he will lose Omi either by nature courses or in battle, on top of all of this Master Fung doesn’t know how to be a parent, he doesn’t know how to calm a tantrum, what to do when a baby cry, what is teething? is this rash normal? shouldn’t Omi lose his teeth soon, he didn’t grow any hair!? He seems too hyperactive compared to a child his age, what age should a child start to walk again? maybe I should buy a book and ask those old ladies in the town what to do again, I hope Dojo didn’t take him flying again!?
All of this is new to master Fung and he have to remain distant, incase Chase use this bond against Omi, yet he still Omi’s favorite elder monk.
As to why Master Fung is more emotionally available to the other three, he is not the one who raised them isn’t he, to the other dragon Master Fung is that grandpa who gives weird advice and trains them to their muscle sore. He isn’t responsible for the three’s emotional development their parents are, just a phone call, a letter, and for Clay’s case one airplane ticket away for his dad is the only parent who visits the temple throughout the show, whenever these three have a problem and want someone to talk to that person is not Master Fung at first, they would call their family or friends or siblings, (apparently Rai writes letters frequently to his sister in chronicle, so I assume he is like that in the XS too) what master Fung can do to help is emotional distress that is happening, his role is different to them, he just needs to be a teacher to them, he can be more at ease while interacting with them.
But Omi is a child he raised, who he knows very well, who he knows is very prideful, arrogant, competitive, innocent, kind, and naïve, who master Fung properly didn’t assume would be very jealous and believe so much in ranking system that he starts to treat and think of people below him poorly, all this behavior can only appear when the other three show up, how would he knows how to deal with it other than the tough and strict attitude that he is familiar with for all his monk school life.
My final defense is the last episode in season 3 when Omi wails in Master Fung’s arms after he finds out he is very old, and he comforts him. And when Raimundo becomes leader Omi’s first action is to hide behind master Fung. All these actions indicate that Omi sees Master Fung as a safe place to be vulnerable, one could not accomplish that if they were not emotionally available for them in the past.
I don’t know why is the reason writers design Master Fung and Omi’s relationship like that, but as a woman growing up in a Asian culture master Fung is already an emotionally available parent. Shocking isn't it Lol.
Thank you for reading it this far.
Master Fung is so distant with Omi
As in ridiculously detached
It goes beyond his general stoicism, he refuses to be emotionally available to Omi at times when he would be to others, even when Omi's being openly self-destructive
Only time Master Fung deigns to work up any emotion for Omi is when he gets angry at him
Why