Atla Critical - Tumblr Posts

Oh god that fucking Lion Turtle.

Seriously if there is one part of ATLA I hate more than any other it's energybending. It's such a fucking cop out and it's imo made worse by the fact that it wasn't even an issue that needed resolving to begin with. I mean Avatar is a kids show like you said. I was never expecting Aang to beat Ozai to death with his stick. Firebenders have been shown to have been locked up before. Why would this be any different? But then the show makes a big deal about the morality of killing this guy and hey I'm not opposed to a good ol' fashioned moral dilemma. It can make for some great character drama when everyone is telling Aang to make the hard call. Does Aang stick to his guns despite the risk or does he betray his culture and kill Ozai. That's interesting and definitely not something I'm opposed to. What I am opposed to is answering that question stupidly.

Energybending robs Aang of his agency in the choice to kill Ozai or not. It's no longer a difficult decision to betray everything Aang believes in for the sake of the world or to risk everything but stay true to what he believes is right. He just gets a free pass, an easy answer, which realistically isn't gonna solve the problem since Ozai's biggest strength is his political clout whether he's a bender or not. Just look at Napoleon. Man had a strong enough political influence that when he came back from an island not too far from France, he immediately came back to support from his allies. Ozai's continued breathing, bender or not, will cause problems for Zuko. The fact that this deus ex machina allows Aang to bypass a complex moral dilemma while also completely failing to solve anything will never not annoy and frustrate me. If there is one thing I hope the live action gets rid of (aside from Kataang the way is in the show) it's energybending

I honestly don't really like spiritual water as part of the plot in book 2.

This is an extremely obvious deus ex machina for the resurrection of Aang, which was introduced into the plot in an extremely ridiculous way. Seriously, saying that Aang could die while in the avatar state IN THE SAME EPISODE where you showed the resurrection holy water is extremely stupid. This very powerfully spoils the ending of the season, while destroying any sense of danger. Why should I worry about Aang if I know that Katara will resurrect him with some fancy water?

It would be better if this water didn't exist and only its healing abilities were in Katara’s hands. After Jet's death, we wouldn't know if the healing would work on Aang, since he could very well die. Maybe at that moment the full moon will rise, enhancing Katara's abilities, and she will save Aang by combining her powers and the spirit of the Moon. I mean, is it really necessary for this to have a deus ex machina that ruins the whole drama and provides clear guarantees of salvation? To be honest, this is just meh.

Beyond that, the obvious purpose of this dull water limits Katara as a healer. Famous question: Why didn't she use it when Jet died? At least they would introduce some restrictions for it, for example, that the healing properties of this water are revealed only during the full moon. And they say Katara couldn’t use it for a reason.

But it turns out that she forgot about this shit until the moment of plot necessity, which makes Jet's death mediocre.

There is another scene where this water is present: the dialogue between Zuko and Katara in the catacombs. And you know what's the funniest thing? If you cut out the information about spiritual water, the meaning of the conversation will not change at all:

- Maybe you could be free of it.

- What?

- I have healing abilities.

- It's a scar, it can't be healed.

- I don't know if it would work, but...

Actually, it got even better, because Katara needs to rely on her own strength to heal Zuko. And she wants to try not because she has magic water that she doesn’t know what to do with, but because she can at least try to help.

But the point isn't even that, but how smooth the dialogue remains if you cut out a fairly large piece of text from it.

This leads to my theory that this spiritual water was introduced after the script for the season was written. Like the authors didn’t know how to heal Aang at the end, so they introduced this stupidity at the beginning, and then in the scene in the catacombs, to remind the viewer that this shit even exists. Otherwise, I cannot explain why without this water what is happening becomes more logical

This meme perfectly sums it up

Even tho I don't ship Zutara anymore, but I found it worth noting how Zuko is characterised more fairly in these specific shots of him with Katara than 99% of the scenes of him with Mai (*bruh even Mai was ooc but this is going to be for another discussion)

I already have many issues from book 3 especially in terms of characterisation, but Oh God, Zuko had the most awful ooc moments with Mai (*the beach episode sums it up), like I cringe whenever I see them together on screen💀

He's not even being Zuko with Mai, He's just a different person named "Zuko" (*the same applies to Mai), and it's really insulting not only for Zuko and Mai but for the fans as well

But let's be all honest, Zuko had such a spot-on characterisation in his scenes with Jin! (*not to mention the cute chemistry) He was really being himself in the Tale of Zuko

Regarding my previous post about Zuko's characterization I think this comment is good to reply to and explain my point further

I think there's a nuanced difference between "being out of character/mischaraterized" and "not being/acting like yourself"

The thing with Zuko and Mai is that their relationship existence doesn't make any sense to begin with whether it was narrative-wise or character/personality-wise (*I will deep-dive into this topic in another post bec I don't want to deviate from the original topic) back to the point, I think to explain my point I will use Zuko and Jin as an example to make it clear,

When Zuko first met Jin he was being cautious of his identity being known and assumed she might know he and Iroh are fire nation, Zuko was of course acting nervous in the restaurant because (aside from him hiding his identity) Zuko is not capable to socialise or really be socially open, I think the thing of "not acting like yourself" was better explained in his date with Jin, Zuko was actually acting in-character even when he's being Lee and he wasn't comfortable at first but the moment when Jin asked him to juggle is the moment he started to actually act like his 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 self (*but he still wasn't mischaracterized back then) he started to be comfortable with jin because he actually liked her and became even more comfortable when they're alone at the fountain so the reason he had back then to not act like himself is now gone

From this we can know that Zuko is not the type of person who would be a "people pleaser" or try to not act like himself when he has no valid reason to or when he already loves/or comfortable with this person (*like with Jin)

Now let's see Zuko and Mai, the reason why this case is out of character even if we assumed that this relationship existence (somehow) made sense is that he has no reason to not act like himself with Mai, Bec he already knows her, she's not a stranger to him, and Zuko is not also the type of "playboy" as he's depicted in his relationship with Mai which is why I say it's out of character and a writing issue, also the other reason why it's out of character and not them shown as "not acting like theirselves" is because these moments are not presented as such

The writers presented these moments as them actually "acting like themselves" and to try to trick the audience into actually thinking this is "how Zuko and Mai really are" (*which is also the reason why the fandom mostly mischaracterize these two), the writers presented these moments as "look they're happy with each other and love each other" which is why it can't really be interpreted as "first relationships where neither of the two act like themselves"

But anyway thanks to the comment @thereslifeinhereyes and I'm interested in having these conversations even if we disagree

Just to start by saying that I'm both anti-maiko and a Jinko shipper (*I would say I'm a #1 hardcore shipper for it)

I will state the things that I agree and disagree with you in your answer:

"I think basing that opinion on his relationship with Mai is selling him short" I totally agree, infact I think it's more worse than people mostly seem to realise is that THE RELATIONSHIP ITSELF IS OOC AND DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE therefore they will act ooc and the writers themselves are aware that this relationship makes no sense hence why they write zuko and mai ooc 99% of the time when they're together

and regarding the seashell scene, I think it's dumb and ooc for Zuko and I will explain why, while I do agree with you that Jin will be content and appreciate any simple acts from Zuko (in contrast to Mai who is barely ever interested in anything) but I think the real thing we need to acknowledge in this critical engagement is that Zuko was literally mischaracterized awfully in "the beach" episode (*even the other characters had ooc scenes in the ep but this is for another post) so you can't really use this seashell scene as an example about how Zuko would act because it's already dumb and occ for him

And to explain why it's dumb and ooc I will use the Tale of Zuko as an example on how Zuko's characterization and awkwardness was actually in-character compared to the beach episode

So how did "The Tale of Zuko" portray his awkwardness right?

In the beginning of his date with Jin, Zuko had his hair done by uncle Iroh, since he seems to trust his uncle and always see his wisdom, he believes in his decisions and didn't really bother to pay attention if it's bad or good, and also because Zuko doesn't really have an experience (*and it's his first time) and is also anti-social so he handed it to his uncle and got along with it

In the restaurant is were things start to get nervous, Jin asks him questions and responds calmly then when the waiter came to them and referred to Jin as Zuko's girlfriend, Zuko exclaimed that she's not his girlfriend and pounded his fist on the table, and all the people in restaurant turn their eyes on Zuko and Jin, Zuko then realise he embarrassed Jin (*also a note Jin was described in the script as "nervously" slurping the noodles) Zuko of course wants to somehow cheer her up with a compliment but he doesn't know how or what to say but then said what came to his mind at the moment

PAY ATTENTION TO ZUKO'S BODY LANGUAGE AFTER, he fiddles his thumbs nervously and lowers his head and turns his view to the other side, HE RECOGNISED HIS BLUNDER AND HIS AWKWARDNESS and stayed silent until Jin moved the conversation, and Zuko wanted to respond more smoothly

Jin asks him about where he and his uncle came from, of course Zuko has to lie but he can't clearly think of a convincing lie that's why he seems to pause and talk slowly when he tried to bring up his travelling and circus story, so it's normal in this situation why he would be awkward which was pretty realistic actually when someone doesn't know how to lie

Then the moment Jin asks him to juggle is where things start to change, Zuko started to open up more to her and he doesn't want to disappoint her and refuse her request even tho he doesn't know how to juggle but tried to do it anyway so to not disappoint her but he awkwardly failed to do it

This segment really portrays his awkwardness more realistically within context and in-character for Zuko and doesn't trivialize his awkwardness or his temper (*unlike the beach episode)

At the fountain he gives her a gift which is a coupon- it's a simple yet a proper gift which Jin appreciated and Zuko said it was his uncle's idea, like I said before he trusted his uncle's decisions and since it's Zuko's first time and he doesn't have experience I would assume he didn't think of the idea of giving Jin a gift and he followed his uncle's advice by giving her this gift because Zuko is aware he might not think of a good idea for a gift hence why he followed his uncle's idea

Now let's get to the point on why the seashell scene was dumb and ooc for Zuko

The second he saw a random seashell he immediately gave it to Mai (*He didn't even give it a second thought?) I'm not saying a seashell would necessarily be a bad gift (*it would be a proper gift for someone who has a hobby and interest of collecting seashells) but it's actually trivial if you think about, I mean it makes no sense that Zuko would see it and think this might be a proper gift to give to someone, and out of all the people, he specifically gave it to Mai (who's uninterested and bored by almost everything)??? It's not like Zuko is still getting to know her for the first time, this scene makes him rather dumb and ooc

And the line "Don't girls like stuff like this?" makes it even worse, Why would he even assume that? And where would he get this assumption from? Even tho he also had no experience in his date with Jin but he still didn't display that kind of triviality or ignorance back then

What's really baffling to me is that the "Tale of Zuko" and "The beach" episode are both written by the same writer (Katie Mattila), but how was Zuko's character got right and nailed in the Tale of Zuko yet so awfully mischaracterized in the beach episode?? I will soon post a blog fully explaining the problems with the beach episode

"he'd be shockingly smooth"??? We saw him with Mai, he wasn't smooth. 🫤

I think basing that opinion on his relationship with Mai is selling him short. That relationship was bad because Mai didn't actually like him. She also didn't appreciate or reciprocate his small romantic gestures. That seashell thing? Absolute gold, and something that just came natuarally. But because Mai had a bug up her nose it went over like a lead balloon. That wasn't his fault. Like I said, Zuko in a relationship where his partner actually likes him would be smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy. I'm basing that on how well his date with Jin ended once he got out of his own head. Imagine if they'd been able to go out a couple more times. Jin would've melted over that lil' seashell. And that's exactly why I'm baffled by the amount of people who seem to think canon Maiko was the height of romance. She didn't seem to like the boy, and he felt it. And he acted accordingly. He was dating someone just like his father. Of course he was weird and awkward.

This is one of the best atla critical posts I've seen and I'm glad I'm not the only who realised how Book 3 had many mischaracterizations and poor writing issues, That's why I adore Book 1 because it's the main establishment of the characters and Aang is such an intriguing and loveable character that totally got screwed up like other characters in Book 3, and unfortunately many fans can't realise the poor writing and mischaraterization and tend to think that Aang is actually "toxic" but the writers and bryke are the one to blame not the characters

How Bryke & Kataang Ruined Aang’s Character in Book 3

It was impossible for me not to notice the massive difference in characterization between Books 1 / 2 and Book 3. I ALWAYS wondered why the writing quality plummeted in Book 3, and I know I wasn’t the only one, judging by the forum reactions at the time. It was so obvious that something felt off, even long before I had any knowledge of the writers’ disagreements about shipping that plagued Book 3 behind the scenes. So hearing about the shipping conflict and cancellation of Book 4 made perfect sense and explained a lot.

It would seem that after Book 4 was scrapped for that shitty movie, the decision was made to pair Aang and Katara (even though there’s proof this was NOT the original plan), and the characters’ personalities got badly warped to accommodate this last minute decision. Yeah…it’s probably not a good idea to change such important elements in the story so late. It had a severely negative impact on the story and characters as a result. It left gaping plot holes, and the characters frequently said and did things completely out of character. When Bryke said Kataang “felt a little forced,” I think that might have been a bit of an understatement…

I’m not gonna pull any punches here, so prepare for very harsh and intense criticism. I’m gonna explore how Kataang and the writers who pushed it (Bryke and John O’Bryan) ruined Aang’s character; morphing him from a terrific character, into a much more horrible one. I plan on covering Katara next, but let’s focus on Aang:

In Books 1 and 2, Aang was portrayed very consistently. He displayed a wide range of emotions, had depth, flaws, and was more or less portrayed very realistically for a playful 12 year old monk with the weight of the world on his shoulders. You gradually learned more about him as the story progressed. His strengths are best shown when he helps build a zoo for the animals in Ba Sing Se. His optimism, sensitivity and sincerity are on full display and he is shown to be a very likable character.

He worries about the effect the war is having on the world and has nightmares about being unable to control his Avatar powers and unintentionally hurting people (even Zuko, his enemy!). He shows remarkable compassion and a true respect for his responsibility to try and stop the war and prevent anymore death and destruction. And he tries to do something about it when he agrees to General Fong’s plan. He shows he takes his position as Avatar seriously and is aware of the effect the war has on people.

We also see him have to work to overcome some of his difficulties in order to get stronger. His more passive, avoidant nature is challenged by Toph as she teaches him Earthbending. He actually has to work to achieve things, showing he isn’t perfect. 

His weakness is best shown when Appa is taken, and Aang shows his grief, anger, and vulnerability. He is shown to be a flawed human, and not superior the rest of his companions. He even violates his “no killing” philosophy by killing the buzzard wasps. He is compassionate, but not overly idealized. He is a complex, multi-dimensional character.

He has strong feelings for Katara, but he obviously values their friendship. She may not share his romantic feelings, but he cares for her and respects her as a person. He doesn’t force himself on her. Now let’s look at Book 3…

The Awakening (Writer- Aaron Ehasz) Book 3 starts off well. Aang has emotional depth in this episode. He struggles with his failure to master the Avatar State and defeat Azula, is troubled by the guru’s warning about his attachment to Katara and his sealed 7th chakra, and runs away under the pressure. He is shown to be human and greatly affected by what happened to him in Ba Sing Se, both physically and mentally.

He then eventually has to overcome his pride and conceal his Air Nomad identity. He is portrayed as a complex human character with emotional depth who struggles with both his responsibility to the world and the emotional toll it takes on him personally.

The Headband (Writer- John O’Bryan) This all changes by the very next episode however. All of his inner conflicts seem to disappear and we get a disgustingly cutesy, saccharine episode devoted to him teaching kids how to dance and wooing Katara. All of his concern about the guru’s advice is forgotten permanently from now on, creating a giant plot hole later. Apparently the Nick execs pushed for Kataang in order to not “make 6 year olds cry” and I have no trouble believing that in the slightest, considering how unusually childish many episodes in Book 3 were, compared to Books 1 or 2, which had far, far more sophistication.

This episode marks the start of Aang’s more juvenile, 2-dimensional portrayal from now on in the series; he becomes a far more simplistic, airheaded character that constantly gets pushed on the viewer as 100% morally pure. He morphs from a flawed, multi-dimensional humanized character into what I can only describe as a Gary Stu-ish character who the viewer often cannot take seriously. An author’s pet, basically. Sadly, this episode could have actually developed Aang’s character, since it was originally going to be about Aang and Kuzon’s backstory. We get an early glimpse at how Kataang interferes with fleshing out Aang’s character.

The Avatar and the Firelord (Writer- Elizabeth Welch Ehasz) Aang fares well in this episode, though. His old personality seems to be retained and we see him learn about the history of the war and the ill-fated friendship of Roku and Sozin. Outside of Roku’s awful dating advice (and probably the fart joke…), it is a pretty good episode for Aang. He even learns a little about his parents and Monk Gyatso.

Nightmares and Daydreams (Writer- John O’Bryan) Then we get a Kataang episode. I was disappointed at the childish way that most of Aang’s nightmares were portrayed in this episode. It was hard to take his fears seriously when he’s having dreams about flying pigs, Appa and Momo talking, losing his pants and…failing a math test? Um…ok? Clearly, there was a concerted effort in Book 3 to appeal more to the very young demographic of the fans. It’s too bad, because previous seasons were able to appeal to children just fine without alienating the older fans (who buy more merchandise). The humor is just very cringeworthy compared to Book 2 and Aang comes across more like 8 years old instead of 12 or 13.

The same goes for his dynamic with Katara. She is trying to calm his nerves, and instead of the focus being on the upcoming invasion, we see him obsessively dreaming about her, then almost unable to control himself around her. It’s definitely not a very flattering portrayal of Aang. He never displayed such…creepiness in Book 2. It’s weird how Aang acts MORE immature in the episodes that they want to push him as a love interest. We see here how Kataang interferes with the seriousness of the plot.

The Day of Black Sun, Part 2:The Eclipse (Writer- Aaron Ehasz) Yet later, after the invasion fails, he is back to being a complex character. He displayed a lot of courage and determination at taking on the Firelord even against the odds, and we see how emotionally distraught he is when he fails. He shows that he takes his duty seriously and really wants to end the war.

It doesn’t last long, though. In The Western Air Temple, he’s back to running away and goofing around yet again, ignoring all his problems, and making Katara have to baby him.

The Southern Raiders (Writer- Elizabeth Welch Ehasz) The Southern Raiders exemplifies the conflicting ways Aang is portrayed in Book 3. Bryke altered the script from its original version, so on the one hand we have “Guru Goody-Goody” Aang. Lacking in any subtlety or complexity and his dialogue existing only to preach to the audience on how “good” Aang’s position is in comparison to Zuko, who the audience is supposed to see as “bad.” Bryke’s DVD commentary uses Aang’s moral “goodness” as a reason why he is a better match for Katara. We see here how Kataang distorts Aang into being a self-righteous jerk.

Which he NEVER was before. He was never, ever this condescending or preachy in Book 1 or 2. Not even to Jet. Someone who Katara liked, and who attacked him previously and tried to get him to help wipe out innocent people. Yet, he never lectured him and even seemed willing to try to understand and help him.

It really is insulting, not only to the characters, but to the fans. Avatar was such an incredible show, because it didn’t tell you what to think. It presented complex subject matter with respect and nuance and let the characters be realistically human. You really could empathize with all of them, even when they made bad choices. They were not mouthpieces for obnoxious, trite, kindergarten-level “moral lessons.” Or spoonfed shipping.

And yet, at other points in the episode, you can clearly see the complexity that Elizabeth Ehasz intended to portray. Aang’s position is not, in fact, so simple. We see that although he may have been right that exacting vengeance on Yon Rha was not necessary for Katara’s emotional well-being, Zuko’s approach to support her no matter what, even if it meant killing a man, was actually very helpful to her. He accepted her flawed, darker side, in a way that Aang could not. They both had valid points, and neither one is necessarily good or bad. There was no need in this episode to demonize one character or position, or force a viewpoint on the audience.

Later on, Aang is even challenged on his philosophy and is forced to confront the moral dilemma of his pacifism. Zuko is absolutely right, and Aang’s distaste for killing needs to be challenged if he wants to protect the world against Ozai. Aang may have good intentions, but in reality, that is not always enough. The ending handles Aang’s moral dilemma with the seriousness that it deserves, and you can empathize with both his and Zuko’s feelings regarding Ozai’s fate.

The Ember Island Players (Writer- John O’Bryan) Yet in the very next episode, Aang is back to being ridiculously childish. He reacts in a very jealous and possessive manner, just because of some dialogue in the play.  The story never asks us to view Toph’s crush on Sokka in the manner it does with Aang’s crush. Aang gets special narrative treatment that no one else gets. 

And the sad thing is, he never acted that immature when Katara had a crush on Jet. In fact, he took it in stride, and thought Jet was cool. He even wore the hat Katara made for Jet. Even when Jet returned later, Aang didn’t act that jealous. Sokka made a joke about Katara kissing Jet, and while Aang didn’t like that, he did NOT act like this. So, we see how Kataang distorts Aang into a possessive, entitled brat, which he never was before.

In Book 3, he behaves in an immature, entitled fashion, and the story not only never calls him out on this, but it ultimately rewards him for his lack of consideration at the end. Aang is twisted into an unrecognizable character yet again.

Sozin’s Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King (Writer- Michael Dante DiMartino) Oh look, it’s Guru Goody-Goody again! This episode may be the most egregious example of Aang’s moral dilemma being trivialized. Aang is presented as ridiculously naive and silly. He states, with apparent seriousness, that he may be able to get Ozai to come around by showing him his baby picture. Are you kidding me? I guess Aang is now 4 years old? He did NOT demonstrate this type of naivete or stupidity when he agreed to let General Fong help him master the Avatar State. Here we see how Bryke’s writing of Aang distorts him into a complete and utter dimwit.

Even worse is that, the way the episode is written, it makes Aang out to be the reasonable one, while his friends are made out to be big meanies who just can’t understand Aang’s poor, delicate feelings. Aang’s self-centeredness is made into a virtue, and apparently we are supposed to be impressed with his “morality.” It really is ridiculous, and Avatar was always much, much better than this. It may have been a Nickelodeon cartoon, but it was sad to see it come to this, given its previous mature writing.

Sozin’s Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters (Writer- Aaron Ehasz) Yet, in the next episode, an attempt is made to make Aang more authentic and relatable. His past lives tell him that he needs to put the world’s needs above his own feelings. He seems to take this seriously, and for the first time, emotionally and mentally prepares himself for the very real possibility that he may have to take a life for the good of the world. He may not like it, but he doesn’t want to let the world down again, like he did 100 years ago, or in Ba Sing Se. He expresses maturity and emotional depth that you can empathize with, unlike in the last episode.

The Lion Turtle then touches his Heart Chakra and Third Eye Chakra, representing compassion and psychic ability, respectively. This foreshadows his eventual ability to take away Ozai’s bending. Unfortunately, instead of earning it through sacrifice and selflessness and unlocking his Crown Chakra, thus mastering the Avatar State on his own, the Lion Turtle’s gift turns out to be a Deus Ex Machina, due to the way the next 2 episodes are written.

Sozin’s Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno (Writers- Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko) In this episode, Aang cowers, and avoids his problem. He is unwilling to make a tough choice. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t for the way his dilemma is “resolved” in the next episode.

Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang (Writers- Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko) Thankfully, he is bailed out by the Rock of Destiny, just in time to magically reactivate his Avatar State (in contradiction to all logic), so he never has to give anything up or grow as a character. He never has to make a tough choice, or put his own feelings aside for the sake of others. His selfishness and inability to consider anything but his own needs is rewarded by pure luck.

This nonsensical plot hole was no doubt created so Aang could end up with Katara and not have to give up his attachment, thus opening his 7th chakra. We see how Bryke and Kataang completely butchers the metaphysical aspect of the Avatar State and creates a giant plot hole that many fans still try to make sense of to this day. They will never be able to though, because it never made any sense to begin with and Mike and Bryan know this.

The narrative then hands his crush to him on a silver platter, after doing a pitiful job of developing their “romance”. He never has to grow up, alter his perspective, learn from his mentors, or do anything to advance as a character. He gets the girl even though he displayed a worrying lack of respect for her feelings when she was disinterested, and a frankly unhealthy level of emotional attachment to throughout the series. And this is presented as “romantic.” He is portrayed as the perfect hero, who obviously earned the girl, despite her not sharing his feelings previously. We see how Kataang robs Aang of potential growth and character development he could have gotten by overcoming his needy puppy love. And we see how it robs Katara of her romantic agency.

This was so disappointing as a fan. Books 1 and 2 set the bar so high with characterization, so it was very sad to see this happen to the series due to Bryke’s writing incompetence and shipping bias. I would have preferred no pairings happen if it meant the characterization stayed consistent in quality. This is NOT even the fault of Aang’s character, but solely a result of the way Bryke distorted him. Their attachment to Aang’s perfection was a severe detriment to his character and his previous believability and likability were all throw out the window. He never seriously developed in any way by the end, and he is awarded a serious relationship despite displaying the readiness of a 4th grader.

If you take away Kataang completely, you’re left with a version of Aang that is far more respectable, interesting, likable, and realistic. He is a sweet, fun, charming boy, and it would have made for far more interesting and compelling character development to see him mature and eventually outgrow his rose-tinted glasses puppy love. He would have seen that Katara can still be a valued friend, but it would be healthier for them both if he wasn’t so needy or desperate for her affections. He would become more independent and confident in himself as a result. Instead, he was warped into an obnoxious “ Nice Guy™ ”, and his character deserved far better than that.

So much time was wasted on forcing Kataang that we barely learned anything new about Aang in Book 3. Book 4 could have delved into his past, his parents, Kuzon, his relationship with Gyatso. It could have really fleshed out his character as he struggled to deal with the consequences of energybending and letting go of his puppy love as he looked for surviving airbenders. Instead, he got warped into Bryke’s creepy Gary Stu self-insert.

Worse still, Bryke attacked the fan base for noticing a sharp decline in writing quality in Book 3 and disliking the atrociously written pairings. And they insult the fandom’s intelligence by lying about the change of direction that the story obviously took (yeah, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the GIANT plot holes…). It wouldn’t bother me so much if Avatar wasn’t so good in Books 1 and 2 thanks to the other writers, which Bryke’s writing is an insult to. And if the other writers’ plans for the ending of Book 3 and scrapped Book 4 weren’t so much better and more interesting compared to what we ultimately got. I feel sad as a fan that we got robbed of the story that was originally being set up with Books 1 and 2 and Avatar never got to fulfill its true potential as a story and will forever remain incomplete. But hey, at least we got the live action movie, right?

The bottom line is that no one deserved Katara, and she should have ended up with no one right after the war. None of the ships make sense right after the war.

After 20, anythings fair game. Aang, Zuko, Haru, Random man #3.

Avatar the Last Airbenders 'Final Solution'

ATLA's resolution is kinda bad, looking back on it.

A better resolution would be if Iroh fought Ozai with the blessing of Aang as a fully realized Avatar, to represent the Four Elements and overthrow the Fire Lord. The source of the world's imbalance.

This is because having a literal God interfering in human affairs is both terrifying and a role Aang should not have been forced into.

Aang's mission in the story is to bring balance back to the Four Elements. How is it balanced to have God himself fighting against the Fire Nation's representative, ruling power?

Even if Aang isn't God, he is a WMD that thinks. A WMD that thinks, stepped into Fire Nation Politics, and showed the world that he would use his power against anyone who opposes his way of thinking.

Aang does this again in the promise where he and Zuko essentially decide to deport refugees and civilians from the homes, and lives, they had formed over a Hundred Years.

That's not a really good message for substantive balance when you look deeper into the matter.

Funnily enough, Avatar Kyoshi basically was an instance where an Avatar used their powers to tyrannize a group of people in the name of bringing Peace and Balance. An act that resulted in a whole town hating the Avatar a Hundred Years on into the future. The conflict of reconciling the Avatar's potential for tyranny and an Avatar's duty to peace becomes a central conflict for Aang in the final seasons.

Of course, Aang's conclusion was to settle the matter with an elemental fistfight.

This is doubly funny when the Fire Nation has a system for deciding matters of state and honor with a duel between Firebenders which Zuko and Azula took advantage of.

The Agni Kai would address Iroh's concerns about the world's perceptions as he is not fighting Ozai for the throne, but to restore the collective honor of the Fire Nation and right the wrongs Ozai had committed under the auspices of tradition, and the Avatar's authority

From a narrative standpoint, the Agni Kai between Iroh and Ozai would lead to the climactic confrontation between two competing ideologies of total domination, and harmony with the four nations, that Ozai's, Zuko's, and Iroh's arcs had built up over the story.

Aang would still have to go through his journey across the Four Kingdoms to realize his power, and gain the wisdom and experience to know that Iroh was the best choice to face his Brother. Aang is not neglected, therefore, and would play a role that is special and befitting of his status as the Avatar, but at the same time he won't interfere with a Nation's internal politics and ensure that Aang is an impartial force over the issues of the Four Kingdoms. Aang also wouldn't have to kill anyone.

The theme of balance in ATLA is a broken Aesop when Aang acts like a thinking WMD who was ferried into the field like an atomic bomb. Wouldn't balance be better achieved by the ordinary men and women who, through their personal traumas and experiences, learned a better way to live and were given the opportunity to teach the lesson of balance to a people brainwashed to see no other way except world domination?

Especially when one could fight a flaming duel to the death in the process?

The Last Airbender is Anti-Fire Nation Propaganda

The Fire Lord, Ozai, is dehumanized due to his portrayal as a one-dimensional, evil Overlord.

The Fire Nation citizens are portrayed as brainwashed, and any support for the beneficent elements of the Fire Nation is disregarded as brainwashing. This is another attempt by the Anti-Fire Nation Kingdoms at propagandizing for their war against the Fire Nation.

The Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads have their positive elements exaggerated and their flaws are downplayed to enhance the image of the Fire Nation's 'evil'. Conveniently forgetting, of course, that:

The Water Tribe is sexist.

But the Fire Nation treats Women with respect, and allow Women into what would be considered male-dominated industries. Like Prison Guards.

The Earth Kingdom is terrorized by a secret police of Earth Benders.

Created by the Avatar herself.

Who has her own Kyoshi Warriors enforce an isolationist policy that kept Kyoshi Island from developing beyond a tribal society or community. A society which worships Kyoshi as a Goddess.

The Earth Kingdom's state of hierarchal dominance and stratified living persists decades into the future and is never fully eradicated despite the passing of however many Avatars there were since Kyoshi.

Furthermore, the Benders of both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom either oppress the Non-Benders, or enforce policies that oppress the Non-Benders. Master Pakku and the Dai Li are two of the more prominent examples of such oppression.

This contrasts the Fire Nation which values both Benders and Non-Benders. Azula's most trusted associates are both Non-Benders.

While two of the most dangerous people/groups in the Fire Nation, Master Piandao;

And the Yuyan Archers are Non-Benders. Indicating that there is some form of Meritocracy that operates within the Fire Nation. A meritocracy that is almost non-existent or heavily biased in both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.

The Air Nomads have no Kingdom of their own. This means they do not have a population from which they can draw Airbenders to replenish their numbers. Since the Airbenders are also Monks as a whole, it is very likely that the Air Nomads take Airbenders from the other three factions to fill up the Air Temple.

Further considering the fact that the Air Temple Monks are willing to force Aang into his Avatar training against his wishes. So much so that Aang preferred to risk his life in a storm. It is highly likely that the other three nations have no say when the Air Nomads come looking for Air Benders amongst their citizens.

Now, am I saying that the Fire Nation has its pros and cons?

No.

I'm saying that I'd rather be born in the Fire Nation and that all the negative aspects we are shown in the show are due to propaganda published by those who fear the challenge of the Fire Nation, and its progressive ideas, to their individual power.

And Remember.

That's what the Anti-Fire Nation Propaganda says.

Historically, religious orders are never innocent of political intrigue. Separation of Church and State is never truly a thing, even in the modern day. Within these religious orders may also arise conflicts which could lead to violence over the interpretation of doctrine, or more mundane matters such as successions and political alignments.

Good examples of these are the Sohei Warrior Monks and the Shaolin Temple. Both organizations were greatly involved with politics of the day and took sides in wars when they felt the need. Selfish or otherwise.

In the Avatar world, the Airbending Temple is most likely involved in the politics of the Nations. They trained the Avatar;

They must be connected to the White Lotus since that group does assume the duties of finding and training the Avatar. The White Lotus are also warriors in their own right.

Furthermore, as I posited earlier, the Airbenders are a Monastery. So no sex. No sex means no airbending children or a nation from which to recruit airbenders to replenish the Nomads at the Monastery. That means it is likely that the Monastery recruits airbenders found in the other Kingdoms. Like Tenzin did in LOK.

Now in Aang's time, this was how Airbenders were like in the temple;

So much so that Aang ended up like this:

For a Hundred Years.

The Airbenders were not peaceful nomads. They were involved in politics, and warriors in their own right. The Fire Nation attack on them was not genocide. It was a strike on a dangerous enemy force.

The Last Airbender is Anti-Fire Nation Propaganda

The Fire Lord, Ozai, is dehumanized due to his portrayal as a one-dimensional, evil Overlord.

The Fire Nation citizens are portrayed as brainwashed, and any support for the beneficent elements of the Fire Nation is disregarded as brainwashing. This is another attempt by the Anti-Fire Nation Kingdoms at propagandizing for their war against the Fire Nation.

The Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads have their positive elements exaggerated and their flaws are downplayed to enhance the image of the Fire Nation's 'evil'. Conveniently forgetting, of course, that:

The Water Tribe is sexist.

But the Fire Nation treats Women with respect, and allow Women into what would be considered male-dominated industries. Like Prison Guards.

The Earth Kingdom is terrorized by a secret police of Earth Benders.

Created by the Avatar herself.

Who has her own Kyoshi Warriors enforce an isolationist policy that kept Kyoshi Island from developing beyond a tribal society or community. A society which worships Kyoshi as a Goddess.

The Earth Kingdom's state of hierarchal dominance and stratified living persists decades into the future and is never fully eradicated despite the passing of however many Avatars there were since Kyoshi.

Furthermore, the Benders of both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom either oppress the Non-Benders, or enforce policies that oppress the Non-Benders. Master Pakku and the Dai Li are two of the more prominent examples of such oppression.

This contrasts the Fire Nation which values both Benders and Non-Benders. Azula's most trusted associates are both Non-Benders.

While two of the most dangerous people/groups in the Fire Nation, Master Piandao;

And the Yuyan Archers are Non-Benders. Indicating that there is some form of Meritocracy that operates within the Fire Nation. A meritocracy that is almost non-existent or heavily biased in both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.

The Air Nomads have no Kingdom of their own. This means they do not have a population from which they can draw Airbenders to replenish their numbers. Since the Airbenders are also Monks as a whole, it is very likely that the Air Nomads take Airbenders from the other three factions to fill up the Air Temple.

Further considering the fact that the Air Temple Monks are willing to force Aang into his Avatar training against his wishes. So much so that Aang preferred to risk his life in a storm. It is highly likely that the other three nations have no say when the Air Nomads come looking for Air Benders amongst their citizens.

Now, am I saying that the Fire Nation has its pros and cons?

No.

I'm saying that I'd rather be born in the Fire Nation and that all the negative aspects we are shown in the show are due to propaganda published by those who fear the challenge of the Fire Nation, and its progressive ideas, to their individual power.

And Remember.

THESE guys are nomads:

Harmless, defenseless, and the only threat they faced were Badger Moles, not Fire Nation Soldiers:

The 'Air Nomads' are Airbending Monks who live in monasteries:

Whose abilities include this:

Also, this was what an Airbender Monk in Aang's time were capable of:

What happened to them? They died fighting like Soldiers, instead of being rounded up and executed in a genocide.

The Last Airbender is Anti-Fire Nation Propaganda

The Fire Lord, Ozai, is dehumanized due to his portrayal as a one-dimensional, evil Overlord.

The Fire Nation citizens are portrayed as brainwashed, and any support for the beneficent elements of the Fire Nation is disregarded as brainwashing. This is another attempt by the Anti-Fire Nation Kingdoms at propagandizing for their war against the Fire Nation.

The Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads have their positive elements exaggerated and their flaws are downplayed to enhance the image of the Fire Nation's 'evil'. Conveniently forgetting, of course, that:

The Water Tribe is sexist.

But the Fire Nation treats Women with respect, and allow Women into what would be considered male-dominated industries. Like Prison Guards.

The Earth Kingdom is terrorized by a secret police of Earth Benders.

Created by the Avatar herself.

Who has her own Kyoshi Warriors enforce an isolationist policy that kept Kyoshi Island from developing beyond a tribal society or community. A society which worships Kyoshi as a Goddess.

The Earth Kingdom's state of hierarchal dominance and stratified living persists decades into the future and is never fully eradicated despite the passing of however many Avatars there were since Kyoshi.

Furthermore, the Benders of both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom either oppress the Non-Benders, or enforce policies that oppress the Non-Benders. Master Pakku and the Dai Li are two of the more prominent examples of such oppression.

This contrasts the Fire Nation which values both Benders and Non-Benders. Azula's most trusted associates are both Non-Benders.

While two of the most dangerous people/groups in the Fire Nation, Master Piandao;

And the Yuyan Archers are Non-Benders. Indicating that there is some form of Meritocracy that operates within the Fire Nation. A meritocracy that is almost non-existent or heavily biased in both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.

The Air Nomads have no Kingdom of their own. This means they do not have a population from which they can draw Airbenders to replenish their numbers. Since the Airbenders are also Monks as a whole, it is very likely that the Air Nomads take Airbenders from the other three factions to fill up the Air Temple.

Further considering the fact that the Air Temple Monks are willing to force Aang into his Avatar training against his wishes. So much so that Aang preferred to risk his life in a storm. It is highly likely that the other three nations have no say when the Air Nomads come looking for Air Benders amongst their citizens.

Now, am I saying that the Fire Nation has its pros and cons?

No.

I'm saying that I'd rather be born in the Fire Nation and that all the negative aspects we are shown in the show are due to propaganda published by those who fear the challenge of the Fire Nation, and its progressive ideas, to their individual power.

And Remember.

Right. But consider this; Bending is only a part of a Nation's Culture, and as Zaheer shows, there are those who adhere to the Air Nomad culture and are not Air Benders.

Therefore, the Fire Nation only killed what was essentially the military wing of the Air Nomad Nation, as it was. Nowhere was it shown that the Fire Nation went on a systematic culling of all adherents to the Air Nomad Culture. Benders, and Non-Benders. That's not a genocide, that is a military action. Morally questionable, true. But calling that genocide would be the equivalent of calling the destruction of the Shaolin Temple a Genocide of Buddhists worldwide.

In any case, you consider the air temple destruction genocide, I am writing from the view that ATLA is Anti-Fire Nation propaganda so I would of course say the destruction of the Air Temple was exaggerated thanks to propaganda.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree.

The Last Airbender is Anti-Fire Nation Propaganda

The Fire Lord, Ozai, is dehumanized due to his portrayal as a one-dimensional, evil Overlord.

The Fire Nation citizens are portrayed as brainwashed, and any support for the beneficent elements of the Fire Nation is disregarded as brainwashing. This is another attempt by the Anti-Fire Nation Kingdoms at propagandizing for their war against the Fire Nation.

The Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads have their positive elements exaggerated and their flaws are downplayed to enhance the image of the Fire Nation's 'evil'. Conveniently forgetting, of course, that:

The Water Tribe is sexist.

But the Fire Nation treats Women with respect, and allow Women into what would be considered male-dominated industries. Like Prison Guards.

The Earth Kingdom is terrorized by a secret police of Earth Benders.

Created by the Avatar herself.

Who has her own Kyoshi Warriors enforce an isolationist policy that kept Kyoshi Island from developing beyond a tribal society or community. A society which worships Kyoshi as a Goddess.

The Earth Kingdom's state of hierarchal dominance and stratified living persists decades into the future and is never fully eradicated despite the passing of however many Avatars there were since Kyoshi.

Furthermore, the Benders of both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom either oppress the Non-Benders, or enforce policies that oppress the Non-Benders. Master Pakku and the Dai Li are two of the more prominent examples of such oppression.

This contrasts the Fire Nation which values both Benders and Non-Benders. Azula's most trusted associates are both Non-Benders.

While two of the most dangerous people/groups in the Fire Nation, Master Piandao;

And the Yuyan Archers are Non-Benders. Indicating that there is some form of Meritocracy that operates within the Fire Nation. A meritocracy that is almost non-existent or heavily biased in both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.

The Air Nomads have no Kingdom of their own. This means they do not have a population from which they can draw Airbenders to replenish their numbers. Since the Airbenders are also Monks as a whole, it is very likely that the Air Nomads take Airbenders from the other three factions to fill up the Air Temple.

Further considering the fact that the Air Temple Monks are willing to force Aang into his Avatar training against his wishes. So much so that Aang preferred to risk his life in a storm. It is highly likely that the other three nations have no say when the Air Nomads come looking for Air Benders amongst their citizens.

Now, am I saying that the Fire Nation has its pros and cons?

No.

I'm saying that I'd rather be born in the Fire Nation and that all the negative aspects we are shown in the show are due to propaganda published by those who fear the challenge of the Fire Nation, and its progressive ideas, to their individual power.

And Remember.

all valid points!! wish I could see a fanfic of this

I don't like "The Runaway" episode. Imho this is a very strange plot, pulled out of thin air. And most importantly, it ignores Toph's really interesting conflict that could have developed her character.

The episode begins with Toph and Katara fighting over their differences. The most disgusting thing here is not even that their quarrel was taken out of nowhere, but a flashback to previous episodes. The authors based the series on the misunderstandings between Toph and Katara at the beginning of their relationship, completely ignoring their subsequent beautiful friendship. Not only did they throw out Katara's concern for Toph in the desert and their time together in Ba Sing Se, but they also pretended that this particular episode resolved all the misunderstandings, which means it was important. This is ugh.

Do you know what I would do instead of this unnecessary quarrel? I would finally resolve the misunderstanding with Aang that has been going on since the episode “The Desert”.

Remember when Aang blamed Toph for getting Appa stolen? Why not resolve this obvious and hanging misunderstanding? I mean, Aang and Toph don't talk alone at all after that episode, and that's bad.

A dedicated episode about their relationship would have filled that gap nicely and would have also strengthened the characters' bond.

Also, it's in this episode that I would show how Toph learns sandbending. Imagine the conflict that could have arisen: after losing Appa in the desert, Toph realized that she isn't such a great earthbender, because there are things that are beyond her control. She hates feeling inferior, especially when that deficiency caused her to lose a friend.

The sand is too loose, she loses its sight as soon as she lets it go. And the only one she can turn to for help is Aang.

Think about it, why are the dunes in the desert so mobile? What spreads sand and makes it so unstable? The answer is the air. To bend the sand, Toph will have to turn to the opposite element and to the one with whom there was no time to resolve the issue: Aang. And all this is connected not only with her desire to get rid of the imperfections of her bending, but also with the goal of never losing friends again and always being able to help them. And also finally make peace with Aang, her very first friend.

Imagine how Aang would teach her to feel the sand in the air. How, for example, she could see the currents of the wind... How the grains of sand would become her guides into the gaping void above her head that Toph had never seen before.

What wonderful emotions we would witness. The blind girl finally saw what was unattainable even with earthbending. I'm sure it would greatly impact Toph's personality and expand her understanding of things, and I want to experience it with her.

If there is a fanfic about this, I'd like to read it. Because the canon, alas, has lost all possibility of implementing something like this. After all, Toph learned sandbending off-screen, as if there was no emotion associated with it

decolonization in the atla comics

right well i know nobody cares but i think i figured out why i dislike the avatar comics so much. like i already thought that they justified colonialism a hell of a lot (in direct contrast to the themes of atla itself which makes me CRAZY grrrr) but i was finally able to pin down why, exactly, i think that. in this i’m gonna be focusing specifically on the promise and north and south because i hate both of those with a passion!

i think that the way both north and south and the promise handle the process of decolonization and reckoning with a colonial legacy is inherently flawed. in the promise, zuko withdraws his support of the harmony restoration movement because of the new earth/fire national culture that has been created in yu dao. he thinks it would be wrong to take these people away from livelihoods that they’ve created. he also says that economically, they are better off now than they were 100 years ago. 

so like, that’s already yikes. economic justifications of colonialism are the worst ones. always. also, it doesn’t help that as zuko says that, there’s a panel showing a fire nation man getting his shoes shined by an earth national as katara says “it doesn’t look like that wealth was shared equally” or something of that sentiment.

and i know zuko says one of his other reasons for withdrawing from the harmony restoration movement is because the people don’t want to be given back to earth kingdom rule…but uh…which people, exactly, don’t want to be given back to the earth kingdom? who benefited the most from colonial rule in the colonies themselves? (i’ll give you a hint: it wasn’t the earth nationals.)

so although yu dao is now an incredibly wealthy and prosperous place as a direct result of its colonization, the wealth is not spread equally. also, economic prosperity doesn’t mean that yu dao should remain a colony? nor does it mean that the fire nation government should continue to meddle in its affairs by instituting a coalition government and then creating the united republic of nations? they should’ve just given them complete self autonomy and called it a day! but whatever.

in the promise, the process of decolonization (ie giving earth kingdom land back to the earth kingdom itself and repatriating the fire nation citizens) is kind of equated to a direct impediment of Progress™, particularly economic and social Progress™. this is seen again in north and south, when the northern water tribe tries to establish the oil refinery on southern water tribe land. in north and south, many southern water tribe members (and katara herself) take issue with this northern interference, citing that they are just turning the south into a cheap copy of the north in the name of…you guessed it…Progress™. katara and other members of the southern tribe are seen as extremists for wanting to preserve their heritage after one hundred years of war. the oil refinery and other northern interferences are portrayed as a solely good thing, even though they come at the expense of other important traditions. 

and so therein lies my biggest problem with these two atla comics: they assume that decolonization = anti progress, when it very much does not. this is something that’s seen in the real world, time and time again. like, i’m from hawai’i (not native hawaiian tho, which is an important distinction to make!) and the whole struggle to halt the construction of the thirty meter telescope on mauna kea is a good real life example. mauna kea is sacred land to native hawaiians, and construction of the telescope would completely desecrate the land, both culturally and environmentally. yet for some reason, native hawaiians are portrayed as “backwards” and “anti-science” for not wanting the TMT to be built, which isn’t true at all! but they shouldn’t have to sacrifice what they believe in the name of progress defined by someone else’s metric. 

in the atla comics (and legend of korra), Modern Westernization™ is the default. returning yu dao’s land to the earth kingdom and removing fire nation involvement is seen as anti-progress. refusing to build an oil refinery and trying to preserve important cultural practices and traditions is seen as anti-progress. anything that doesn’t lead to…cómo se dice…complete industrialization and what is essentially capitalism is seen as anti-progress. and this is such a western mindset that it hurts, because that’s not what decolonization is. decolonization is supposed to revive, humanize, and modernize important indigenous and traditional aspects of cultures. decolonization, unlike how it’s portrayed in the promise and in north and south, does not mean that we go backwards. instead, we actively reconstruct our perspectives and stop measuring previously aforementioned Progress™ by a western capitalist mindset! that’s why it’s important, and that’s why these comics fall short, because they had an opportunity to build a world that wasn’t modeled after the patterns of the west…and they just didn’t.

Reblog if you also think Toph shouldn’t have been a cop.

I want to see how “unpopular” this opinion really is outside cop-worshipping Reddit.

So, I don't want to antagonize the person whose post made me think about this, but Azula redemption arc discourse popped up on my feed again recently, and while I had some thoughts on the matter, they clearly were not expressed well, given how they and a number of other people reacted to what I had to say.

Setting aside Ozai, we have three other members of his family portrayed in ATLA: Iroh, Zuko, and Azula, and all three of them are guilty of war crimes. Iroh already regrets his actions at the start of the series, but we are still asked to view him sympathetically and forgive him, because hey, he lost his son and he's totally sorry. Zuko commits war crimes right in front of us, we get to see him all but destroy an entire village, reducing homes to ash and cinders, but we're asked to view him sympathetically and forgive him too, because another war criminal (Iroh) nudges him away from further escalations and he gives up on being a 'villain'.

Azula is the youngest of the three and her crimes are certainly no greater than theirs, but she remains cast in the role of 'villain' until the very end, so she is viewed without any sympathy at all. Indeed, I saw multiple times people bring up that she encouraged her father to commit genocide - an action he planned to take anyway, that she had no power to command him to perform, and which she herself never took part in. Definitely worse than burning a village to the ground, right?

But here's the problem: whether intended or not, this sets up a message that children are already going to be getting from most other media. When men or boys commit heinous crimes but apologize, we must forgive them and even allow them to take on positions of great responsibility and power. (Zuko's war crimes don't disqualify him from becoming Firelord, because we certainly can't suggest that maybe hereditary monarchies are a bad idea!) Meanwhile, those same actions from a woman or girl just mean that she's 'crazy', she's dangerous, she needs to be put in a straitjacket and secluded away from society, not treated with the love and compassion she's lacked for much of her life with even her mother writing her off while Zuko displayed similar proclivities towards cruelty.

My previous post pointed out that in terms of narrative, there is no room to redeem Azula, and that ATLA would realistically need a full 5 seasons to even attempt including that story, which ideally would have been an added arc about decolonization and repairing the wounds of generational conflicts. That didn't happen, so sure, there's an argument there, but that's separate from the question of whether Azula deserves redemption, and the answer must always be that no child is beyond saving. I don't want to give up on adults either, but to give up on a child and say 'this one is too far gone' would be to abandon my humanity, and I cannot do that. And girls deserve to know that they can get redemption arcs too, that it's not just for boys, that they're not just stepping stones for some man to achieve undeserved power.

All that said, while I believe that Azula deserves a chance at redemption, she doesn't exist in a vacuum. Hama is the victim of colonial violence, abducted from her home and tortured for decades before managing to escape. I'm not going to argue the morality of her one-woman campaign against the Fire Nation, but like Azula, she's given no chance for redemption, and even worse, is handed back to the very people who kidnapped and tortured her. It's the same message as with Azula, except here there's at least enough grey in the morality to argue justification. But no, women who do war crimes are crazy and have to be locked up. Indeed, the comics even show that Hama is the *only* prisoner that the Fire Nation (initially) refuses to release, framing her crimes as somehow 'worse' than those committed by the Fire Nation itself.

Azula needed a better ending to her story, even if only in the comics or some other media, because otherwise Avatar tells a story in which Sokka learning to not be a misogynist still exists within an extremely patriarchal lens where men will be forgiven for crimes that 'crazy' women will be locked up forever for.

I really like the points that were raised in this exchange, especially about how Iroh saw Zuko as an emotional replacement for Lu Ten; which, when combined with Azula's status as a secondborn and a female member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, caused him to unfairly favor Zuko and exhibit subconscious sexism.

A lot of ATLA fans like to praise Iroh's writing as this all-knowing, enlightened father figure full of fancy inspirational quotes, but we sometimes gloss over the fact that he reads as someone who's really just written to raise Zuko's character up.

The "She's crazy and she has to go down" line leaves a bad taste in my mouth as well, but another thing that really stood out to me is the childhood flashback from Zuko Alone.

Iroh gifted Zuko an Earth Kingdom pearl dagger—spoils of war, basically—while he gave Azula a doll.

Maybe unpopular opinion? even though I don't think azula needs a redemption arc I found it weird how iroh was quick to just say she's far too gone when he only became a better person after loosing his son to the war. Who knows he could've been way worse than azula at 14 we don't know.

Maybe when he said she's far too gone he refered to how close she was to ozai but still iroh as a character kinda proves the idea that azula is far too gone wrong

If you disagree or agree I would like to hear your thoughts

Louder for the kataangers in the back!

I'm sorry to break it to you (KA shippers) but: when the hero of the story kiss the girl who he spends the whole 3 seasons in love with, without her consent, and instead of the narrative addressing this, this 'issue' in question is completely ignored until the final scene - where instead of acknowledging his mistakes and stating to the public, who are mostly young audiences, that non-consensual kisses are wrong - we have the hero getting rewarded by the narrative, not being punished, by getting the girl who he has been in love with. The same girl who he kissed without her consent just episodes ago. This is totally and definitely the 'Hero gets the girl' trope.

YoU oNlY liKe zUtaRa cAuSe zuKo iS HotTer tHan aAng 🙄🙄🙄

Not to quote literal Jesus... but "you said that".

Plus, man he's a firebender, he's literally hotter than anyone, he can set himself on fire. Lol.

“I think Zuko and Katara would’ve made a cute couple”

normal person irl: oh yeah, now that you mention it I can see it

ATLA fan online: Zutara fans are DELUSIONAL and so ANNOYING. There is NOTHING in the entire show that indicates anything romantic whatsoever. EVERYONE hates Zutara. Katara would never get with her colonizer and Zuko loves MAI. Katara and Aang are SOULMATES. You just like Zutara because they look good together. Well joke’s on you because Aang got Katara pregnant THREE TIMES —

no need to elaborate, it's a syndrome that so many main characters suffer from 😩

Aang is a perfect example of “they won because they are the main character” instead of “they’re the main character because they won”. No, I will not elaborate.