dieauster-und-diegarnele
Random stuff
There are two of us – die Garnele (the shrimp, an intellectual crustacean) and die Auster (the oyster, a depressed bivalved mollusk)
42 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
laflorsagrada
LA FLOR SAGRADA TATTOO
firefairyfates
~Jomolo~
sasha-mexik12
SASHA BLUME
sdivnea
Sheva Divine🦪
Text
And look at His Royal Majesty, the Fire Lord:
Is it just me or does Zuko's pose on a poster by Netflix really resemble Fire nation royal portraits?
#avatar the last airbender#Atla#avatar netflix#prince zuko#Zuko#Fire lord#Fire nation#firelord ozai#ozai
164 notes
·
View notes
Text
Is it just me or does Zuko's pose on a poster by Netflix really resemble Fire nation royal portraits?
164 notes
·
View notes
Text
Unpopular AtLA opinions: main character pairings
All these shipping wars made me think about the pairings with main characters in general. You do not always fall in love with your best friend, right? So, maybe, main characters could be just friends with each other but not more. And love someone else, someone special personally for them. No shipping wars, everyone's happy! (Yeah, like that's gonna happen)
So
With all the respect for the canon pairings and their role in the story, just a thought:
Rare pairings for A:tlA main cast with side characters, that could be canon.
Two girls were canonically interested in Aang: Meng from "The Fortuneteller" and On Ji from "The Headband". I chose On Ji. Aang was kind to her (unlike poor Meng), he invited her to dance and she was ablush. Also, isn't it symbolical to finish the war that started between Fire Nation and Air Nomads with Fire Nation girl and Air Nomad guy falling for each other? I found it sort of interesting.
Katara is a very popular girl. Except Aang and Zuko (no shipping wars!!!) we have such options as Haru and Jet. I wanted comfort, I chose Haru. Jet is great, recently he became very interesting to me, but he is so broken (and very much dead). Haru is mature, good-looking both with and without moustache and beard, nice, etc, he values Katara's personality, he could be a great boyfriend.
The most challenging one was Sokka because he's a real heartbreaker. Literally every hetero pairing with him is not rare. Suki? His endgame (I did not want to use canon endgames). Yue? Canonically in love (but she left the human world). Ty Lee? She was pretty much into him (I should have chosen her or Suki, I know, I cheated, okay?). Azula? She sees Sokka as a worthy opponent, so I can assume that she could fall for him some day (but she is one of the main characters – or villains, whatever – and this relationship would be very unhealthy). So, again, I cheated and chose Yue, my personal favorite. They could at least meet in the spirit world after Sokka's passing ("The Legend of Korra", I'm looking at you).
'Cause she is just twelve, Toph has no official endgame. It is ok, normally one can't just found a person in his or her twelve years and fall for them and live together ever since (kataang should happen later too, imho). Toph was a little into Sokka but he did not understand it, which is also ok for teens. But I found someone – the Duke! He helped Toph to aim in "The Awakening", cared for her on the submarine in "The Day of Black Sun", they had a cute hug in the finale. And there are some sweet moments in the "Swordbending" from "The Lost Adventures" comic book. I don't care much for Avatar graphic novels in general, but you can find something worthy there.
Just one girl ever said that Zuko is cute and it was Jin. She is a sweetheart, she was kind to him, initiative, gentle – I love her with all my heart. I believe she was Zuko's first kiss. It's a shame we never saw her in action again. Also there is Song, who was understanding and wanted to help, but I did not feel any response from Zuko. In the series he had so many issues, that he did not need any relationship. But after the war – why not? Give Song a ton of ostrich horses, apologise to Jin and ask her out again, you.
As for Suki – I know a lot of fans want her to be an official Gaang member, but sadly she has no personal relationship with any side characters. She was on a date with a Foaming mouth guy once? Great but it's highly improbable that she really liked him (yeah, that's the creator's joke). Well, I guess some people can be happy without any romance in their life, right? But I did not want to draw her here alone, it would feel sad.
A:tlA rare pairings
"I really liked that crazy dance you were doing."
"It's a part of who we are."
"I'll always be with you."
"Helmet?"
"Close your eyes, and don't peek."
264 notes
·
View notes
Text
Unpopular AtLA opinions: justice for Haru's moustache!
I think he's pretty either with or without them.
Without – a sweet bishonen with long hair. Not bad.
With moustache (and beard!) – a handsome young man.
I personally prefer him this way. There are many kids, teenagers, adults and elderly people in the show, but where are young adults?
Screenshot source
36 notes
·
View notes
Text
Новые дизайны персонажей "Бродяги Кеншина"
Вторичный перевод с французского
Джиппонгатана из двенадцатого тома
Фуджи
Это броня эпохи гражданских войн, украшенная изображением скелета.
На спине он носит накидку, которая создаёт впечатление, что он ещё выше своего истинного роста.
Его длинный тесак носит имя Матагинагаса.
*рост взрослого человека – к фигурке у его ног.
Юми
Основа персонажа не изменилась.
Но её наряд стал совершенно ПРОЗРАЧНЫМ.
Сайтсучи
После перенесённой операции по удалению свода черепа мозг начал раздуваться. Поэтому он стал таким.
Он кажется стариком, но на самом деле ему лишь около тридцати лет. Эта старческая внешность произошла от того, что мозг расходует все поглощаемые Сайтсучи питательные вещества и энергию.
Несмотря на все знания, которыми он овладел, он недостаточно умён, чтобы использовать их. По этой причине его ранг ниже, чем у Ходжи.
Усуи
Его смуглая кожа создаёт впечатление, что он прибыл из южных стран. Его костюм также указывает на это.
Его волосы стали белыми, потому что он был в ужасе от мыслей, что он потерял зрение в битве с Шишио.
Его основным оружием являются меч с лезвием в форме весла, а также тимбе и роусин*.
В качестве "замены третьего глаза" его изображение вытатуировано у Усуи на лбу.
*примечание переводчицы с французского: названия оружия Усуи взяты из перевода манги с tenchuu.narod.ru
О цветах с обложки двух томов Джиппонгатаны написано в дизайнах Каматари и Чоу.
#Juppongatana#Fuji#Saizuchi#Usui the Blind#Yumi Komagata#Джиппонгатана#Фуджи#Сайтсучи#Усуи#Комагата Юми#Бродяга Кеншин#rurouni kenshin#rurouni kenshin new designs
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Best hairstyles in A:tLA
Just our personal favorites.
11 because why not: Mai. Her hair silhouette resembles a Japanese hairdo, which is a nice touch. Simple shapes and graceful lines really suit the character's shut-down attitude, her role of a obedient noble girl who always knows the rules. Could've make it to the top if it wasn't for the buns - they don't match her serious personality. If you don't have hairpins to throw, why do you need them at all?
10: Toph (in her noble look). An elegant hairdo; pretty elaborate to indicate her status but not too much. Also a great contrast to usual Toph's bun, which is less complicated and goes with bangs, because she doesn't need to keep her hair from her eyes anyway. Low position because Toph with this hairstyle is not "true" Toph.
9: Aang. A shaved head! This represents his beliefs and culture, which is great. We know there's not much of hair itself, but still :) Also, shaved head accompanied with a head tattoo - the boy has some style! Not a very high place, though, because it's not fancy enough :)
8: Long Feng. Traditional chinese long braid with shaved forehead, which makes the character look smart and mature. It differs Long Feng from other Earth Kingdom nobility or generals too.
7: Katara (seasons 1 and 2). Perfect hairdo for an action girl plus it's inuit-inspired and just looks really nice. So much better than her loose hair... (which should be way longer btw)
6: Sokka (seasons 1 and 2). Simple, elegant, unique. Season 1 shaved heads aesthetic. To be fair, this guy looks great with his hair both up and down.
5: Avatar Yangchen. Almost the same as the one Long Feng has but more loose, only the tip of her hair is braided; also the tattoo makes it look slightly different. Moreover – a woman with partly shaved head! It's pretty rare. Full of grace and yet simple. She really looks like a spiritual person!
4: Princess Yue. A combination of the moon goddess and inuit-like braids. It looks exotic, regal and is decorated a lot, which suits Yue's high position. Also the hair color is just gorgeous.
3: Prince Zuko (season 1). His hair transformation during the show is great but we like this phase the most. Not only it represents his defeat in the Agni Kai and suits his sometimes childish behavior but it also looks so unique! There are not many popular characters with such hairdo. Zuko looks almost alien, it opens his face, so we can immediately fall in love with his elegant features and expressions. The best shaved head of the first season :)
2 and 2: Lo and Li's official hairdo. Gosh, this is something. They look almost scary. We can guess they are noble or very high-ranked. Yes, maybe not the most beautiful ones but it definitely stands out. The more complicated – the better!
1: Aunt Wu. What a lady! All her look is Heian inspired, including her hair. It shows us her status and her wealth. Plus the headpiece. Plus this majestic gray. Plus the braid on the back! Absolute winner.
Update: it's not a braid, it's a low ponytail, but still.
Yes, braids and shaved heads are the best :)
Bonus: Ta Min's bridal hairstyle. Doesn't add more to the character, since we already are told that she is highborn and is getting married in this scene but is still beautiful and epic.
Screenshot source
18 notes
·
View notes
Text
Новые дизайны персонажей "Бродяги Кеншина"
Вторичный перевод с французского
Чоу с фронтальной обложки одиннадцатого тома.
Основной концепт остался таким же. Теперь Чоу стал красивее, чем раньше.
Обычно он носит свои катаны за спиной, обмотав их кожаным ремнём. Когда он их использует, ему сперва приходится размотать ремень, прежде чем он сможет отстегнуть меч.
Между ремнём и ножнами находится сетка из стальной проволоки. Будучи расправленной, она работает, как гибкий щит.
Каматари с фронтальной обложки двенадцатого тома.
Хотя основная концепция осталась прежней, персонаж был слегка модифицирован, чтобы напоминать героя видеоигр.
Рисунок его одежды сменился с квадратов на шестиугольники.
Его оружие состоит из малого и большого серпов, соединённых цепью. Оно создано с использованием западной технологии, неизвестной в Японии.
Он уже перенёс операцию по смене пола.
Оба тома Джиппонгатаны украшены изображением магнолии - на японских гербах магнолия означает благородство и настойчивость.
#бродяга кеншин#rurouni kenshin new designs#rurouni kenshin#Juppongatana#Джиппонгатана#Хондзё Каматари#kamatari#Чоу#Cho the Sword Hunter
0 notes
Text
Unpopular AtLA opinions: King Kuei
While fandom mostly seems to think of him as someone who can't make a decision at all, not to mention ruling the Earth Kingdom, I suppose he could be... not such a bad king actually.
First of all - I will not discuss his actions in the comics, since I am not satisfied with them in general (altough they do have some nice things here and there) and I think they don't do justice to any character. Same goes for "The Legend of Korra". Only the original series.
So, after rewatching the last episodes of book 2, I realised that Kuei's actions are pretty logical, fair, and sometimes even brave. He listens not only to his advisor (which would seem an easier way to him), but also to the main characters, ready to hear their version; rightfully decides not to believe them when they fail to get enough proofs.
When he gets the proofs Long Feng cannot deny, Kuei commands to arrest him, the person he trusted his whole life. That should be a big decision for him, it's not like Kuei hated Long Feng and dreamed of opportunity to get rid of him, no, he valued his councillor.
And the last thing that actually amazes me. Kuei spent all his life in a gilded cage, sheltered from the war like propably no one else in the whole world was. Then he hears that there actually is the war - and he does not try to run away from the news, although they are scary ("I have to be honest with you: part of me really hopes that what you're telling me about this war isn't true" - "The Earth King"). He probably needs time to get accustomed to the new truth, but he is never given said time, he immediately has to make a decision - Sokka has his invasion plan, they need King's troops. And what Kuei does? He does not hesitate or deflect, he is ready to help as much as he can right away, not to gain anything, but for the world's sake.
Not bad, I guess. Actually, pretty impressive, especially for such a sheltered person. He is naive, and really unexperienced, and he does make some serious mistakes, like not warning the main characters that the intelligence about the invasion is now in Azula's hands, but he's also kind, brave and capable of making the right decision even if/when it's hard. I'd say this guy could become a very decent King with proper help (if his idea to "travel incognito" would not have him killed, which is very likely to happen).
Citation source
The gilded cage for the king.
I wish the golden pen to look more, well, gold.
425 notes
·
View notes
Text
Yue's necklace
I noticed one thing about it. Kanna's necklace has a meaning – Pakku carved the symbol of waterbending for his fianceé, who will become a member of family of waterbending masters. But what Hahn had in mind?
His carving reminds me of Hakoda's armour. It symbolises the moon but most important it is a symbol for the chief. It seems logical 'cause Hahn first of all wanted to marry the chief's daughter.
It is just a theory but I tried to make Yue's necklace like this.
24 notes
·
View notes
Text
A:tLA general meta and theories
water/earth/fire/air/general
Passive bending
Gaang's address in Ba Sing Se
Tea of four elements
Aang is a sunshine boy and Toph is a gremlin
Learning during the war
Kataang beats Zutara
Bumi meets Aang after 100 years
About previous avatars
Character's wrong fandom treatment
Wan Shi Tong "He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things"
Tea pots in Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 1
Tea pots in Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 2
Tea pots in Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 3
“Siege of the North" filming - left and right
“The desert” forces characters into circumstances that fundamentally change core aspects of their personality
“The Phoenix Flight”
Great non-benders Sokka and Suki
THE FOUR ELEMENTS + CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
There is nuance in mercy: Aang and Ozai
“The King of Omashu” and Foreshadowing
Color Theory in ATLA Part 3: Siege of the North (links for the previous parts are there)
The Gaang: first and last battles (sort of)
“Rock paper scissors” exist in the Avatar universe
Great A:tLA characters
“There is no war in Ba Sing Se” (about balance)
The best written characters of all time
Avatar drinking game
The Sokka and Zuko dynamic
Can waterbenders bend oil? Can earthbenders bend glass? Can airbenders bend sound? Can firebenders bend mixtapes?
Key cultural influences of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Culture tips for writing asian settings: naming taboo
@atla-lore-archive - EVERYTHING about the show canon
The only advice Aang doesn’t take is Yangchen’s
#atla#avatar the last airbender#aang#katara#sokka#zuko#toph beifong#ozai#the gaang#suki#wan shi tong
63 notes
·
View notes
Text
A:tla - earth meta and theories
water/earth/fire/air/general
How Toph became a cop
Toph is holding her friends
Jin from Ba Sing Se deserved better
Who is Jin?
Fighting styles: Toph Bei Fong
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
A:tla - air meta and theories
water/earth/fire/air/general
It's all about AANG
Monk Gyatso - a fighter
An Aang meta
Aang accidentally predicting the future
The element of fun
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
Новые дизайны персонажей "Бродяги Кеншина"
Вторичный перевод с французского
Цубаме из девятнадцатого тома.
Это костюм служанки западных стран. Тай, охваченная внезапной страстью к западной культуре, захотела заставить своих работников носить их. Но эта форма была раскритикована сотрудниками-традиционалистами. В итоге, только слишком робкая Цубаме оказалась одета подобным образом.
Вариация стрижки "под горшок" с чёлкой. Немного видно лоб Цубаме.
Она очень высокая для своего возраста (выше Яхико на полголовы).
Кимоно с узором в виде ласточек (по-японски "цубаме"), – её личная форма.
"Акабеко" ("Красная корова" из фольклора Фукусимы) – символ ресторана. Она напечатана на фартуках в ресторане.
Поднос из древесины дуба. Может использоваться для того, чтобы побить наглых клиентов. Это характерная черта ресторана (��убаме, будучи робкой, просто убегает от клиентов такого рода).
Растение на фоне тома - нарцисс, означающий уважение.
0 notes
Text
Новые дизайны персонажей "Бродяги Кеншина"
Вторичный перевод с французского
Онивабансю из третьего тома.
Бешими
Его зрение в пять раз острее обычного.
Как у некоторых травоядных, его глаза смотрят в противоположных направлениях, и могут видеть независимо друг от друга.
В качестве оружие он использует отравленные снаряды.
Его сильнейший козырь – огромный спиральный снаряд, который он держит ногами (содержит отравленные боеприпасы).
Хёттоко
Его металлическая маска распыляет растительное масло в виде дымки.
Несмотря на свою тучность, в плане физической силы он идёт сразу за Шикийо.
Оружие, которое его характеризует – его факел. В сочетании с растительным маслом и его выдающимся дыхательным объёмом лёгких, он проводит знаменитую атаку «Огненное дыхание».
Сняв часть своей маски, он может исполнить свою секретную технику «Неотвратимое дыхание».
Шикийо
Благодаря допингу, его мускулы гипертрофированы до такой степени, что стал виден рельеф мышечных волокон.
Он орудует гигантским кистенём.
Пояс – отличительная черта членов Онивабансю. Этот аксессуар позволяет пронести на миссию различное оружие и инструменты оммицу*.
*прим. перев. с французского: в тексте было слово «ниндзя», но члены Онивабансю назывались «оммицу», поэтому при переводе использовался именно этот термин
Брови настолько длинные, что соединяются с линией роста волос.
Его секрет заключается в крепких захватах, которые могут раздробить даже металл.
#rurouni kenshin#rurouni kenshin new designs#Shikijō#Hyottoko#Beshimi#Oniwabanshū#Бродяга Кеншин#Шикийо#Хёттоко#Бешими#Онивабансю
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
A:tla - fire meta and theories
water/earth/fire/air/general
Zuko and opium
Azula and non-benders
Zuko, Azula and Aang - height
Zuko is not hateful
Fireball in the face
Audience with Azulon
Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai - lightning
Zuko covering his face from the fire
Referring to Zuko as a "prince"
Zuko's pose
Zuko is both cool and awkward
Zuko protecting Sokka
Was Ursa scared of her husband?
Difference between Ozai and Zuko's childhood
On Ozai abusing Azula
Ozai, Parenting, and Abuse
Firebending during eclipce, night etc
Zuko's redemption arc
Azula's thoughts on Iroh
Azula's bending
Abusive father Ozai (pt 1 - Zuko, link for Azula is down there)
A parallel. Just as Roku did with Sozin, Zuko spares his father.
Asian view on heirs, sons and daughters
Zuko & Azula: Eyes
Azula is not the most powerful firebender in atla
Azula’s downfall is foreshadowed
Zuko should just follow the cabbage guy
Zuko is a theatre kid
Azula, conditioned love etc
“The Beach” in terms of Azula
Long meta about Azula
Zuko is not tall (as well as Sokka)
Zuko and Iroh's prison dialoge: the great directing
Zuko is being cared and healthy
Yon Rha and Iroh crimes
Zuko's scar camera framing
The fact that Zuko even considers having Katara heal his scar is probably a red flag for him siding with his sister
Zuko and Ozai camera framing
“You can’t treat me like Zuko!”
Ozai and Zuko - talking with father
About Iroh and Ozai's past and characters in general
Modern!AU Zuko and Azula
Ozai is very concentrated when bending - screenshots
Iroh and Ozai - Azula and Zuko (parallels)
Why does Iroh talk to Zuko in metaphors
Ursa’s departure caused Ozai to become worse
Aang and Zuko talking about Ozai
Iroh: "She's crazy and she needs to go down" line
Do we ever see Ozai actually care about stopping Aang?
How important firebending is to Ozai
Ozai: what having your bending taken from you must entail
Ozai is objectively speaking the worst firelord
Was it just “speaking out of turn”?
"Good" and "bad" guys in Fire royal family
Zuko and Iroh: waiting all night
Zuko Centric-Morality and the Fire Nation
Is Zuko is a better bender than Aang?
In defense of Mai and Maiko. Let’s talk about seashells
Ozai did cared about his family in the past
Iroh and Zuko’s wanted poster; there’s a specific line
Why Azulon had a second son in tags (I personally love the first and the last ones)
Zuko is canonically bisexual
Zuko, Jet and Jin: flirting
Zuko falls for Jin, restaurant scene part 2 (part 1 link is in the post)
Evidence that Zuko looks like Ozai
Zuko can find almost anything, a list
How many places Zuko has broken into (Zuko being competent while thinking he is not)
Iroh spends the whole show vibing with everyone
Why Zuko's redemption arc is so good
Zuko: it is so much easier to believe in the impossible than it is to believe that your father is a monster
About Zuko's trauma
Two Zuko's least popular hairstyles (spoiler: blame Iroh)
And a bit more about Zuko's ponytail
Firebending study: Why Ozai is the top Firebender in ATLA
How sexist is the Fire Nation?
#avatar the last airbender#zuko#azula#ozai#roku#sozin#ursa#uncle iroh#iroh#prince zuko#jet#jin atla#mai atla#fire nation#fire royal family
65 notes
·
View notes
Text
A:tla - water meta and theories
water/earth/fire/air/general
Katara healing herself
Sokka is great
Sokka is great 2
Sokka is bitter most of the time, not happy
Katara and the legacy of her bending
Sokka and Katara’s beautiful sibling relationship
About Kanna
Sokka is a child
Sokka was right about the rainbow
Sokka secretly rules the world
Cultured Sokka
Sokka respecting women
Sokka's responsibility for the Gaang
Sokka preparing for his first battle
Sokka vs. Wan Shi Tong
Did Sokka really care less about Kaya?
Defending Pakku
Attractive athleticism in Water tribe women
Sokka and Yue: separated by the new moon
Sokka and Yue: power imbalance between the tribes
Sokka and Yue: dialog analysis
Sokka: tears
Hakoda's characterization is conveyed secondhand
Water tribe: ghost stories about smoke
ATLA fandom and removing Katara’s agency and POV all on their own
Sokka’s incredibly low self-esteem
Hakoda - petting Momo and Appa
Theory: Sokka can't write
Katara could be misunderstood as the new Avatar
I can't help but wonder if Sokka blamed Iroh for Yue's sacrifice
Bloodbending is evil - here’s why
If waterbending healing was just mostly a Northern thing? - on bloodbending invention
Katara is also a survivor of genocide
Kanna and Katara
Paranoid Sokka
Sokka thoughts: masculinity as service to others
Sokka and Yue: the foils
Inuit facial tattoos
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
Unpopular AtLA opinions: The Southern Raiders
I'm going to be roasted alive for this, but: I think it's not THAT great of an episode. There are really cool things, I'll tell about them to be fair, but there are also huge weak points.
The fight in the beginning is pretty strange. Zuko is drawing attention from his leaving friends, but why did Azula get distracted, isn't she supposed to attack Aang in the first place? What's her goal here, actually? Never before she acted like a typical vilian just to show everyone she's evil without a certain goal - here she all of a sudden does just that. Someone mentioned that is pretty much OOC for her (too bad I cannot find this post, I wish I could add a link). And I cannot say she's starting to become crazy because of her friends' betrayal in the previous episode - I just rewatched "The Southern Raiders" and there is zero indication that Azula's behavior is influenced by anything!
Zuko runs towards Azula, but the gap is too big, he can't jump to the airship and immediately falls down. That feels natural. But later another airship emerges, and Zuko is standing on it. What was that? Where did this airship came from (someone else noticed that strange thing, but, of course, I lost the link long ago; shame on me)? What is it doing here? It's blocking the temple that should be attacked from the fire of other airships! Such a stupid plot twist to let Zuko be heroic here and get a cool framing. Ugh. As stupid as making Katara sleep through all the bombing (I am so glad they decided not to use that! The scene is stupid enough as it is in the final version). Shouldn't this episode get some coherent writing that makes sense?
"Your sister. She hates me, and I don't know why, but I do care what she thinks of me" - Katara said why exactly she hates Zuko, right to his face, seconds ago, and she was very clear about it! Actually, it's the second time she mentions his betrayal in his face, the first one was in "The Western Air Temple" ep. Either Zuko could not hear Katara, then he's deaf, or he wasn't listening to her intentionally, then he's a jerk, or he can't understand her, then he's dumb. Choose the option you like. I would've chosen "deaf", since I hate the other two, but unfortunately, Zuko had no hearing problems before or after, so it's not true. Also, I can't believe he cares about Katara's thoughts since he saw damn well that she hates him for… "The Western Air Temple", "The Firebending Masters", two parts of "The Boiling Rock"… four episodes - and didn't do anything about it! Looks more like he thinks that Katara owes him forgiveness (nope, she doesn't own him a thing, let alone this). He's so entitled, it's gross. I really have problems with Zuko's behavior in this episode.
When Sokka talks about how Katara never hates anyone he looks like a clown - this humorous tone sounds very off, the initial embarassement was more than enough for comedy effect.
I always thought it's weird that Sokka is ready to spend time with his gf right after he was made to tell about his mother's death in details. Was it really necessary to show? Really? Did the scriptwriter/show creators/Nickelodeon someone want to show that he doesn't care at all so Katara can look right accusing him for not loving Kya enough? But it feels really OOC! Sokka did care before ("The Swamp", "The Runaway"), but here he suddenly doesn't?
Right after Zuko's words that he knows how to find the killer Katara immediately… believes him? She has not even started forgiving him, last time she trusted him he betrayed her, she claimed she's not going to trust him after he joined the gaang, and now she believes him all of a sudden right away? She does not doubt for a second. She's not mad that after his betrayal he started getting very personal information behind her back (because, obviously, now she doesn't want to share anything personal with him). I really wish there was some explanation dialog here - instead of that out-of-place "horny Sokka" crap moment before.
In the very next scene Katara behaves aggresively immediately. She tells she needs to borrow Appa in an angry tone, even though Aang hasn't said anything to her yet. I get it when she's angry because Aang and Sokka disagree with her - but why before? She already behaves like every single person in the world is her personal emeny, and I don't get this.
Zuko being okay with killing (Katara was going to kill at first, and she, Aang and Zuko all knew it) a Fire Nation soldier without any second thoughts also seems pretty much OOC. He's the one who started his journey caring about his people so much he could commit treason to protect them ("The Storm"). Yeah, they got lucky. But what if there was someone who's not a monster like Yon Rha, someone just following order of some general who's really responsible? What if the person they find genuinely regrets and tries to right his wrongs? Zuko hasn't seen Yon Rha then, and he doesn't know Katara's part of the story yet. But he does know there are bigger figures behind war plans, and they don't care about lower ranks ("The Storm"), he witnessed it - and yet he never spares a second to think that maybe they need to find out the truth before going for a kill. He's just like: "You want to kill a man from my nation? Let's do this. It's not like I ever cared about them anyway". I don't want Zuko to be against killing only because the man Katara wants to kill is his countryman - just a second of inner conflict! Why Zuko is written like that in this episode?
Again - Zuko, honey, dear, sweet, sunshine, I'm begging you, please, stfu about Air Nomad culture. It's your family responsible for eliminating these people. Their values and beliefs may be childish and immature, or Aang's interpretation of them may be - still, it's not your place to open your mouth about this topic. Say whatever you want about Aang being wrong, but not the whole damn philosophy being wrong, especially not this one! And you did it, twice ("Air Temple preschool" and "guru goody-goody"). Wow, so mean. And unexplained, which makes it only worse - Katara's outburst that Sokka didn't love their mother the way Katara did is harsh, but we see where it's coming from, but Zuko brushing aside the idea of forgiveness in such manner comes from literally nowhere. Also, what the hell happened to your "I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore" ("The Firebending Masters")? You're doing exactly that right now! You're letting a very (rightfully) angry Katara do whatever her anger tells her to do. I'm not saying it's a wrong thing, just… doesn't this contradict what you claimed about your actions before?
I never understood why Katara forgave Zuko in the end. Sure, he did help her, a lot (and was weirdly eager about that, like he was putting an act for her), but after the talk on Appa Katara almost ignored him. Not a single reaction to anything Zuko does or says, no recognition that he's doing or saying anything at all, and then she suddenly forgives him in the end? Where did it came from? Where's setup? Any? Please! We also don't even have a glimpse of memory of Ursa to show us that this time Zuko really started to care and empathize - no. We will rather see a moment hinting that Sokka had sex. What a waste of screentime - unnecessary (although subtle and funny, I admit) humour instead of the scene that would make the plot make more sense. I know everyone forgave Zuko too fast, but it still looks more convincing in cases of Aang, who was ready to befriend Zuko since season 1, and Sokka, who interacted with Zuko pretty much.
Good moments:
The concept of the episode is pure awesome. The problematics, the dark undertones - this show is about a world in the state of war, so it's good to see this brought up. A rare case for anything meant to be "for kids". Love it!
It is basically a solo Katara episode, which is cool. She deserves a solo episode. And going deeper into her trauma is something that really had to be done. She mentioned her mother's death about five times before, while connecting with Aang, Haru, Jet, Zuko and Hama, she cried after seeing Kya in the swamp, and now we can actually learn what happened. The timing is also great - see the next point.
Being a Katara episode, "The Southern Raiders" move the main plotline as well! Aang's beliefs are challenged, he faces the necessity of killing Ozai for the first time, and he has to figure it out fast, because the finale is approaching. This part is not very big, but it's there. Really nice touch!
A wonderful idea to go into the story step by step. First, we get Sokka's flashback - the boy barely knows what happened. Then, after some time, Katara's flashback gives us a little more of the story. And finally, the mystery is resolved when we meet Yon Rha, who completes the tale. The audience doesn't get all the answers at once, they are intrigued, they want to follow Katara and learn the truth.
One of the best thing is that Katara's answer differs from both Zuko's and Aang's, it's her own and only hers (I've seen other people on tumblr analyzing this too, but I can't find them all). Complete forgiveness is not for her, she suffered plenty and she has a lot of anger inside, but violence is not her thing either! It fits really well into everything we learned about Katara so far. Amazing. Also cool that Aang, being the main character and presenting the main ideas of the show, is not completely right, because there is no general "right answer", best for everyone. He would act differently, we see it during his battle with Ozai; Katara has things done the other way, but it suits her, and that's what matters.
Yon Rha is perfect for the story. As a person he's beyond disgusting, but he's exactly the villian that the plot needs. Having less than a half of the episode for him, the scriptwriter used every second of his screentime and made it work. His introduction is spot-on. We still don't know what exactly happened, and the impression we get is… I can only speak for myself, but I guess it's not what most of the people expected. Yon Rha is kinda poor. He works in his garden, growing beautiful flowers and something to eat. He's treated badly by his own mother, and he answers her quite politely, without any humiliation or outbursts. When noticing that he's followed, he doesn't answer with fire until the third time, but rather asks if someone is here - also in a pretty normal tone. So, at first I thought that he's just a regular person, that he's probably pretty competent as a soldier, and even felt a tiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit of pity for him, 'cause he was humbly accepting his life without complains. Maybe he realized his horrible past actions and feels that he deserves his fate? But then… The third time he attacks the bush and claims that no one "sneaks up on him without getting burned", but as soon as Katara and Zuko appear he offers to "cooperate" in a meek tone - and we see that he's a coward, that he can stand for himself only against someone who's weaker than him. We see his part of the flashback - and the contrast between his talk with Kya and his talk with Katara is astonishing. He's very confident when he's in the position of power, but the other way around he has no dignity at all. He is pathetic. When he tells that he acknowledges the bad thing he's done - it is not convincing at all. And then he offers Katara to kill his mother as a revenge, and that's so disgusting! Even when his life is at stake, he still tries to gain something good for himself while playing along. He cannot understand the pain he inflicted. He's uncapable of understanding and remorse, and, of course, he cannot be redeemed. At this point, I guess, most of the audience wish him dead. We have literally no reason to feel sorry for him, no excuses of his actions. Still, Katara refrains from murder. I cannot emphathise enough how powerful this climax is. She's not like him. She's stronger than him in every way.
The talk between Katara and Yon Rha is not interfered by any other characters. Zuko has exactly one line before it and then steps out of the way. No distractions. It's just two of them, Katara and her mother's killer - exactly the monster she claimed him to be in the very beginning, but absolutely miserable, small, weak; loathsome instead of scary.
I will not refer to Zuko's reaction to falling Azula in any of the sections, because: 1) I always heard his "She's... not gonna make it... Of course she did" as a sign that he worries a little despite everything, and then a sign of relief and a bit of anger at himself that he doubted her abilities and 2) I genuinely like the idea of post-redemption Zuko being a bad brother. The fact that he supports the protagonists now does not mean he turned into a flawless angel, only lacking a halo and wings. No, he still has issues, and his story with Azula is so dark, bitter, complicated, that they have very few chances to resolve it at all, ever. This moment gives complexity to Zuko's character and to his dinamics with Azula.
So, "The Southern Raiders" has tons of really great stuff, and I understand that many people love it - still, the plot holes, especially in the beginning of the episode, and characters acting OOC (Azula, Sokka, Zuko) ruin the pleasure of watching. A good episode - but definitely not "a masterpiece", "the best" or "one of the best", IMO.
I think Yon Rha is one of the best-written villains of the show. As a person he is nothing good but he is great as a character.
20 notes
·
View notes