#regardless. katara is so important....... to me....
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“the desert” is katara’s most quietly admirable episode; she manages to guide and protect the rest of the gaang while they are in precarious states under unimaginable pressure and with very few resources. katara’s tireless endurance this episode culminates in her bravery as she risks her own safety to comfort aang in the avatar state.
for an audience upon first viewing, her ability to thrive under pressure here may seem like a surprising departure from the impulsive, reactive, sensitive girl we’ve been accustomed to over the past 1.5 seasons. but sokka’s admission in “the runaway” reframes katara’s behavior in this episode.
we know that while the rest of her family was a mess, katara stepped up and gave them hope. she refused to sink into her grief—to abandon the site of her trauma like hakoda did, to give up like kanna did, or to repress and depersonalize like sokka did. she may have a temper and she may not always think things through, but she is able to communicate her emotions and refuses to cut herself off from feeling and processing her grief and rage, which is more than can be said for her brother.
and upon learning this piece of her history, you realize that her indefatigable, relentless hope and care that she displays in “the desert” is actually a pattern of behavior for her that is being repeated. when all hope seems lost and everyone in her life has abandoned faith, katara finds purpose and meaning in being the glue that holds everyone together, even when she is as grief-stricken and exhausted as the rest of them.
in moments of abject despair, katara guides her loved ones and herself out of there desert, both literally and metaphorically. and that is why she is the narrator and the catalyst and the hero of this story of a revolution that successfully destabilizes an oppressive paradigm in the eleventh hour, because she represents the power and importance of organized resistance when all hope is lost, of refusing to give into despair, of continuing to believe in love even in the bleakest, most desperate circumstances, and envisioning a brighter future even (especially) when no one else can.
#id in alt text#katara#katara&sokka#aang&katara#kanna&katara#sokka#aang#kanna#analysis#this post was inspired by @oneatlatime's response to the desert#but she can't actually read this post yet bc it contains spoilers!#regardless. katara is so important....... to me....#the scene where aang goes into the avatar state and katara hugs him is borderline unwatchable to me#because it is so heartbreaking & overwhelming#which is also true of most of the southern raiders lol#just. katara's extraordinary depth of feeling!!!!#she is more than a cartoon character she is my best friend. ok#also. 'but now you're not letting yourself feel anything' and the aang & sokka foilism here!!!!!#how in this episode aang nearly falls into a trap that sokka may never truly escape from!!!!#will have to expand on that later too....#every time i think to myself 'maybe i should stop writing these stupid little posts about a cartoon that ended in 2008' i find yet another#thread to tug on. and another and another#i may never escape. alas#there are worse fates
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1. I can't speak for other cultures that were represented in this show (I'm so sorry if your representation was ruined too), but since I'm a South Asian and specifically an Indian and Hindu. I think I have some credibility. Ok, so this may depend on the interpretations of Hinduism that you've grown up with if you're a Hindu reading this. Well, growing up, I was always taught that Chakras were so important. I learned that the GODS could not accomplish something unless they access all their Chakras (again, this is the interpretation I grew up with it might not be the same for you). So the fact that watching Aang just be able to live life without accessing all of his charkas properly was a big slap to the face. Let me just say this right now. If you were representing a culture, especially the culture that you base the entire show on you either do it correctly or you don't do it at all. Don't make it half-baked because that's just disrespecting the people who follow that religion. And you're emphasizing how insignificant their religious values are (mind you Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world). What little representation we had was also ruined.
2. I also want to talk about another point since I'm here. I think I've made it very clear that I'm a woman of color. Even though me and Katara Are not the same ethnicity. She was my representation through skin color. And it's so interesting. How even though I knew that she was not my ethnicity, I still grasped onto her as a representation. Now this is not a PSA for studios to say "Hey, let's have a person that is brown, and everyone will be okay with it because they will have a person of the same skin to relate to." No this is me criticizing the lack of diversity in the show. The fact that you can base an entire show on a culture but not be able to handle a main character from that culture. And also I think the reason why I like Zuko and Katara ( I've made this point before) But the amount of respect that they have. As a woman of color, I have not exactly received respect from other men whether that be because of my gender or my skin color. So seeing a woman of color be respected regardless it's just so refreshing to me.
3. Also I want people to be mindful that a lot of people who ship this ship. Are women of color and/or part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. However, I'm going to talk specifically about women of color since I'm straight. A lot of us have come from countries that have been colonized and still face the repercussions of colonization to this day, so what I'm trying to say is. When woc ship this duo they know what they're doing and they're not doing anything wrong. It's disrespectful to insult them for being racist and misogynistic when in reality a lot of these women face misogyny and racism in their own lives. They understand why they ship this ship. They understand it very well because they able to see and understand what is truly going on.
4. If you have a problem with this post and want to potentially hunt me down. I'm only saying this because I've seen other women of color be harassed for liking Zutara. I need you to remember that I'm a teenager. I'm a kid. I don't think you want to beef with a kid. And no, it does not matter that I'm 18. You shouldn't be harassing anyone over a ship. In fact, accusing shippers of being racist but then being racist to that poc/woc shipper is insane. It kind of shows that those people are not on a moral high horse.
5. I'm a kid......don't even think about it.
#avatar the last airbender#hinduism#india#south asian#katara#zuko#zutara#zuko x katara#pls don't rip me apart im a teenager 💀#atla critical
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Not to like complain about this again,,, but,,, God Zuko being 13 when he's burned and banished is just so important to his character and it makes so much of him make sense. Idk aging him up say, 3 years just doesn't work. Obviously what ozai did was horrific whatever age Zuko was. But Zuko was never going to last in the fire nation. He wasn't going to make it past 14 max. Unlike Aang, Zuko doesn't run from responsibility- if anything he runs towards it. That's why even at 13 he sneaks his way into a war meeting. It's why, when he hears a plan that would wrongly sacrifice an entire division of new recruits, he speaks out. Yes, (pre-scar) 16 year old Zuko would speak out against the plan, but he was never going to make it to 16 in ozai's fire nation.
Of all of the characters, Zuko's age is probably the most important when it comes to his backstory. Aang's age is also pretty important, but only bc a 15 year old aang running from being the avatar is not as sympathetic as a 12 year old aang told too soon. Katara and Sokka being 3 years older doesn't change much of their backstory regardless of where you add in the 3 years, same with Toph. Although, i do think a 15 year old Toph would have probably would have run away from home already.
Besides that, like Zuko being in the height of grumpy disrespectful teen angst during the show makes complete sense when he was horrifically burned banished at 13 and spent the next 3 years chasing a ghost. But Zuko at 16 being burned and banished would be more likely to recognize the quest for what it was. 13-14 year old Zuko is naive enough to believe that ozai wants him back. And like, i get that everyone of any age wants their parent to love them and that the hope that somehow it isn't a hopeless quest is powerful. And i know older teens and even adults give their parents chances when they know it's hopeless. But a 16 year old would be more likely to recognize that it's an impossible quest. A 16 year old freshly banished Zuko would still be in denial but not nearly as naive as 13 year old freshly banished Zuko. The main issue is that Zuko getting older means he becomes more aware of the world around him and thus he can't ignore the suffering that the fire nation causes to itself (the world too but Zuko couldn't see that unless he left the fire nation). As Zuko reaches 15 it just becomes unlikely that he'd never sneak out of the palace (and we know he has the skill to) and once he does sneak out he'd be unable to keep quiet and ignore any suffering he saw. Factoring Iroh's influence and a 16 yr old never banished Zuko would wise up to the problems of the fire nation.
I also can't help but notice that the 3 extra years of Iroh influencing Zuko aren't often factored into how different Zuko would be. A Zuko who isn't bent on chasing a ghost would be more easily influenced by Iroh. A freshly banished 16 year old Zuko who is old enough to notice the problems within the fire nation would be more open to Iroh's anti war stance. That Zuko would probably be mature enough for Iroh to actually discuss treason with. Iroh and Zuko were close before Lu Ten died. If Zuko had 3 extra years around Iroh without the trauma of his scar and banishment, season 1 Zuko would have been very different (even if he's still grumpy and angsty). To the point that, we'd probably have white lotus!Zuko.
On the flip side, lengthening Zukos banishment helps ease some of the issues from making him 16 when banished. But even Zuko would mellow out a bit after 6 years of chasing a ghost. Idk i was just reading a fic and put of nowhere they mention Zuko being like 19/20 and it totally took me out of the fic. Like season 2 Zuko's attitude does not work if he's aged up. To some degree, i just think Iroh would kinda get through to him with 3 extra years of tea and metaphors. And without the avatar actually showing up (which gives Zuko tunnel vision) Zuko would get worn down. He would notice the harm the fire nation is causing and his morals would set in.
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Katara: I want to be a pirate but a good pirate. One who reclaims things stolen from the water tribe.
Aang: Oooooooh
Katara: Aang I need you to talk me out of it.
Aang: Why would I talk you out of it? It sounds fun and you'd be helping your people. It's perfect for you.
Katara: Ugh you don't get it. Sokka!
Sokka: What?
Katara: Tell me I can't be a pirate.
Sokka: You can't be a pirate.
Katara: How dare you tell me what to do!
Sokka, spluttering: What? You told me to tell you that!
Katara: Oh so now you do what I tell you to do?
Toph: She has a point.
Sokka: Toph!
Zuko: Look, Katara. Living on the seas isn't easy. I would know, I commanded my own ship for years.
Katara: Yes, but Zuko, I'd actually be good at it.
Zuko:
Toph: Wow you're on a roll today Sugar Queen. Did you eat rocks for breakfast or something?
Katara, sighing: I'm sorry guys.
Aang: It's okay. We only wanted to help.
Katara: I know. Aang, listen, can do me a favor? Can you summon her?
Aang: Who? Azula?
Katara: Yes. Her. I need to speak with her.
Aang, exasperated: Katara, Azula isn't "summoned".
Katara: Well tell her to slither out of the smoke and shadows to meet me in my room. It's important.
======================
Azula: You summoned me?
Katara, muttering under her breath: Unfortunately.
Katara: Look Azula, I need you take a moment out from dating my ex and making children cry to insult me.
Azula: I'm not dating my husband, Katara. And I'm busy. Why don't you cry to the Avatar and get him to solve your problems. As usual.
Katara: Because Aang is terrible at talking people out of things. He talks people in to things. He couldn't even talk you out of marriage!
Azula: True. You—
Katara: Only insult me over my ideas of becoming a pirate and of sailing the seas and reclaiming artifacts and, and, and—
Katara: *sighs*
Katara: You get the picture.
Azula: What's wrong with your ideas? Besides the obvious.
Katara: My family is finally whole and our tribe is rebuilding itself. They need me now more than ever.
Azula: They need you now? I thought Sokka wanted to be chief.
Katara: Ha! Sokka couldn't be the chief of his own socks. The responsibilities were always going to fall on me regardless of titles. I can't abandon my duties to chase some silly adventure.
Azula: ...
Katara, taking a deep breath: That's why I need you to completely eviscerate my self-esteem so I never even consider the possibility ever again. Please.
Azula: Very well.
~~~~ Moments Later ~~~~
Katara, storming out: I'M GOING TO BECOME A PIRATE TO SPITE AZULA!
Aang, whispering to Azula: What did you say to her?
Azula: That women can't be pirates.
Aang: Yeah that would do it.
#atla#azulaang#avatar the last airbender#azula#aang#katara#toph#sokka#zuko#incorrect quotes#atla incorrect quotes#aang x azula#incorrect atla#the zuko emoji is somewhat my creation its a lazy edit to a blobfish emoji
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Pakku and Iroh
So, let’s talk about master Pakku and uncle Iroh and the vital difference in how the show (and post-war comics) presented them. At first glance, we have a stern man refusing to teach Katara, a self-trained waterbender, because she is a girl and it goes against Northern Water Tribe’s culture. Even after she challenged him and proved her skills in fight, master Pakku still refused to take her as student - even if from pragmatic point equipping Avatar with a well-trained waterbender comrade on his travel through the world would be very much in the best interest of Northern Water Tribe - and changed his mind only after seeing Kanna’s necklace.
In contrast, Iroh very much from the start was presented as Zuko’s supportive uncle, who trained him in firebending or lighting redirection, protected from harm (like he did against Zhao by stopping admiral’s attack after the man lost Agni Kai or Azula when she hunted down her brother on Ozai’s order) and in general tried to be the moral guide and voice of reason to his troubled nephew - if he succeeded or if he was even good at that is of course up for another debate.
It is easy to pit them against each other - on that ground alone, Pakku compared to Iroh doesn’t look that good, right?
But then Avatar: The Last Airbender turned the perception of those men 180 degrees. After the attack on Northern Water Tribe that temporarily killed the Moon Spirit and destroyed a great chunk of the city (enemy soldiers managed to break into the city itself), Pakku’s presence, as the waterbender master, would be greatly important to rebuilding the damage. However he decided, alongside with other waterbenders and healers to head to the South Pole, to help their sister tribe.
Pakku: I've decide to go to the South Pole. Some other benders and healers want to join me. It's time we helped rebuild our sister tribe.
And yes, he wanted also to meet the love of his life, Katara & Sokka’s grandmother, but I can’t stress enough, the war was far from being over. The Northern Water Tribe survived the attack but no one could guarantee the Fire Nation wouldn’t try it again in the nearest future, especially if Avatar failed to bring back balance to the world. Pakku had his responsibilities to his community yet he chose to travel to the other side of the world, to help a devastated sister Tribe that his people - whatever by choice or being unable to help in times of need - abandoned during war (though considering that Northern Water Tribe had no up-to-date knowledge about Fire Nation for like last 85 years I think it is more matter of choice than lack of resources).
So Pakku left his home, his community and traveled to the South Pole where, according to comics Avatara: The Last Airbender - North and South, he actually opened a school to help bring back waterbending to a shattered tribe and was willing to teach everyone, regardless of gender. His two first student, sister Siku and Sura, at first refused to admit they were waterbenders due to fear (as mother forbidden them to reveal their skills due to danger of Fire Nation’s attacks) and instead of being discouraged or complain about ungrateful Southern people, he keep trying and even enlisted Katara to help and in generally deal with the problem in good natured way. There is no doubt that Pakku, a stern character once challenged by Katara, changed for the better and took a serious responsibility in rebuilding Southern Water Tribe’s culture by offering to teach waterbending, something at that time almost forgotten due to Fire Nation’s repeated attacks through decades.
And there is Iroh, our dear uncle Iroh, who when asked by Zuko will he take the rightful place on the throne - and with that, responsibility for Fire Nation, refused to do so and decided to re-open his tea shop. Sure, in the post-war comics he ruled in Zuko’s absence for a short time when needed and helped Ursa face imprisoned Ozai, so she could free herself from the panical fear of her ex-abusive husband but… that is basically it, at least to my knowledge. All the responsibility for the country, narrative wise, was pushed on Zuko because Iroh didn’t want to come back to Fire Nation, even if as a Prince he had duty to his people. Especially since Fire Nation too lost its cultural heritage (music, dances, true sense of firebending) due to the same war that devastated so much Southern Water Tribe’s culture.
Look, no matter how flawed Iroh is, I wholeheartedly like him as a character, but the contrast between Pakku and him is something I think a lot lately. The one master that started as a sexist jerk but who ultimately took on himself the responsibility of rebuilding waterbender traditions - and stayed true to the element he mastered, as water represents change. And the one with warm personality, full of love for his nephew and wise advice for Aang and Toph (supposed enemy and stranger) who wouldn’t do so when asked… and as Iroh explained in “Bitter Work”:
Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want.
but somehow he lacked the said desire and will - or maybe the confidence? - to bring Fire Nation back to its more peaceful roots? Dunno. Like I said, I’m thinking a lot about that contrast between the old masters and members of White Lotus.
#atla#avatar: the last airbender#uncle iroh#master pakku#just to be clear here i like iroh with his all flaws#but it kills me how the whole responsibility for reforming fire nation fells on zuko#especially since pakku left his comfy life to do some good to sister tribe and help bring back important part of water tribe's culture
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So I've enjoyed the ATLA remake so far, but me enjoying it definitely doesn't mean it was good. Especially as an adaptation, and especially when it comes to one of the most important characters, Katara.
I really think Kiawentiio is doing amazing working with the material she's given; unfortunately there's so little of that material because they cut/changed most of the katara-centric plot so far (disclaimer; I'm only on episode 4) and also changed one of her most important flaws and strengths: her anger. Spoilers ahead.
I've talked about how Katara's openness about her emotions (which is really rare to see in a character, especially in avatar where everyone is repressed to some degree) is both a strength and flaw. It's good that she's so in touch with her feelings and refuses to hide it, making her the most genuine self she can be, but it can also culminate in her saying mean or cruel things in anger because it's *exactly* what she's feeling, regardless of whether it's true. I love that about her as a character, and it makes me sad to see it changed.
In the Netflix remake, Katara is mildly sassy and certainly opinionated, and will bicker with Sokka, but she's also very quiet and reserved, and really doesn't wear her emotions openly. This may be, in part, because so many of the moments when she had the opportunity to show them, were cut or bizarrely rewritten. Aang doesn't best her in waterbending, so there's no reason to yell at him. Jet doesn't use her to further his (ultimately less horrible than killing civilians in cold blood) goals, he just keeps it secret that he's planning it, so she has no real reason to be angry at him apart from lying to her and him trying to hurt...two people, and by the time the confrontation with jet actually happened one of them had already been exposed as a traitor, and the other had her friend imprisoned and, as far as she knew, set to likely be executed (and yeah katara doesn't like killing people, but Original Katara would absolutely have her judgement clouded by something like that).
Granted, the moment of her and Sokka fighting in the secret tunnel was amazing. Their argument over how they were both swayed by a traitor and a terrorist was interesting (Katara's OTHER big strength-turned-flaw is, obviously, how compassionate she is and how gullible she can be because of it, and I do like that they didn't change that; and comparing it with Sokka being drawn in by the Mechanist highlighted that he's not an impenetrable fortress of skepticism either). I hope we get to see more of that kind of anger when Katara crosses paths with Pakku. And her trauma regarding her mother's death is given more weight than even the original show gave it up until late season two and three, so there's a definite positive.
At any rate, if they manage to secure a deal for more seasons (the likelihood of which is questionable at this point), I do hope the creators tap into that emotional side of Katara more. Especially when it comes to things like interactions with Toph, The Desert, and the Crossroads moment. Really I hope they do More with her as a character, because right now she's kind of sidelined, and it irritates me as someone who loves how Much of a character she originally is.
#natla#katara#atla live action#natla spoilers#natla critical#atla critical#(tiny bit of both)#atla meta#natla meta#(both)
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Everyone Sokka posting is is really starting to piss me off - y'all're so mad about hypothetical changes to a character when the show isn't even OUT YET. Acting like him not being daddy's little misogynist is a critical blow to the bones of the show when it's just. Not. Spoilers ahead
Sokka is a boy playing at warriorhood who becomes a leader and learns to trust his instincts and capabilities. Sokka is a non-bender in a group of the most terrifying bender motherfuckers on the planet who learns that his value lies in other places, but is not less than theirs. Sokka is a kid who lost his family to a war against an enemy presented as faceless and unambiguously evil, who learns that war is complicated on all sides, that no one side is perfect, who meets evil waterbenders and good firebenders and everyone in between and learns about the complexity of the human experience. Sokka is an abandoned child with responsibilities that weigh heavily on him, who learns that people really do come back, and he can lean on them, he can trust them to carry their own weight and to help him when he needs it. He is a southern water tribe member navigating his relationship with a world that forgets him, a brother navigating his complicated relationship with his sister, a boy navigating his journey to manhood. He is all of this way more than he is a misogynist.
Sokka's misogyny is so little of his character in my opinion, Suki beats it out of him early on and it's hard to maintain a "girls suck" attitude in a universe where the most terrifying motherfuckers you could ever make the mistake of crossing are girls younger than him (azula, toph, katara). I think it makes sense for him to be less misogynistic, in fact, I generally think the water tribe misogyny plots are tired and wouldn't be sad if they got cut.
Sokka's revelation that "I should respect women bc they can kick my ass" is so 2000s feminism for children. Very basic, reductive, good for children's media (which atla is, yay) but the new show is obviously aiming for people who enjoyed the show as children, and now we're older, we can understand complicated concepts like "you should respect women bc the are people, all of whom you should respect". And personally, I always hated the "misogynist makes a 180 after getting his ass handed to him" trope, I'm a physically very small girl, youngest of my family, with all brothers. To this day they could pick me up and throw me with ease. "Respect me or I'll kick your ass" doesn't work when the smallest of your brothers is twice your weight and 6" taller than you. I shouldn't have to beat you in a fight for you to treat me with basic human decency. Basic respect applies to everyone, regardless of martial arts skills.
Honestly, mild tangent here, the Pakku conclusion also bothers me. Katara loses and then he sees her necklace and... what? "I'm going to be nice to you bc I have a crush on your grandma" is uncomfortably adjacent to "I respect women only if I find them to be attractive and available". Are you serious? Anyways, back to Sokka, why does he need to be a misogynist? Is that really an essential character trait?
If you need an "in universe" explanation for why he wouldn't be, my man was raised in a village without men. I understand that women can be misogynistic and can pass those ideas on to their children (hi mom) but Sokka only noticing women are capable when one beats him up seems dumb even for him. They run his entire village. Women are in charge of everything bc all the men are away for basically his whole childhood. Either Sokka has literally never practiced warriorhood, or he has practiced with girls. Breaking news: local idiot notices the sky is blue
He doesn't have to be perfect or unproblematic. He can be inconsiderate and stubborn. His invasion plan fails, and he is manipulated by Azula. He parentifies his younger sister. He minimizes the importance of Katara and Aang' empathy as weakness. He blames himself for everything. He's an impatient complainer. He has plenty of other directions to grow.
My main worry is that the show is going to suck. They're gonna go full disney live action and make changes that they don't explore in any way just to have it be different so people watch it. I don't see the spark. I worry it's being made to capitalize on how beloved the show is and get those nostalgia dollars, not because they have anything interesting or important to say.
This has the potential to be a good change - in a well run show. I worry this is not gonna be a well run show. If you're one of the people mortally offended at the removal of your emotional support misogyny - consider why that specific aspect of that character is so important to you. I, too, have emotionally charged opinions about pieces of media that are important to me. I think it's good to self reflect on why. Is this about Sokka, or about change? Is this about the fear that something you love is going to be mistreated by corporations who don't love it, and that the things you love will be ruined by time?
Nostalgia is a helluva drug, and I think it's reasonable to be emotionally attached to your childhood media. I think disney has set a precedent of making really shitty remakes, which makes people understandably nervous for remakes. I love atla too. I worry about this show. I want it to be good. I fear it won't be. I understand seeing changes to the show as a threat to its integrity, if they change this, what else will they change?
Anyways, I'm always looking to broaden my horizons, if you have any in-depth opinions on this topic and are willing to discuss, hmu
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my fav podcost is the one with janet/zack d Dante because for so long ive heard zutaras call aang losing appa =throwing a temper tantrum/ no big deal/ horrible that he compared it to katara losing her mother.. and Zukos VA talks about how r important appa was to the group since without em there is no story the gaang can't go anywhere they're stuck.. they did almost die in anon without him in that desert.. Appa was a very important member of the group and zuts always treat him like garbage and it drives me crazy how they can be so cold to such a lovely animal while claming to be the more compassioate/caring side too.. i'll never understand that fandom
bonus for zack telling dante zutara was all in his head.. its so cool they managed to find aangs voice actor id love for him to cameo in those movies somehow but it probably wont happen
no, you don’t understand… appa is only narratively significant to them when he’s spending his time bringing them together, such as in episodes like the southern raiders or that one image when they’re sleeping together on appa. other than that? appa’s deadweight, “just a pet,” has no relevance to the gaang, etc.
good on dante for highlighting the importance of appa! additionally, in comic con revolution 2023, mae whitman went on and on about how amazing appa was and how important he was to the gaang - in addition to (jokingly) berating zach for not choosing appa as his other favourite character. if the captains of their ship - dante and mae - love appa endlessly and understand his importance narratively, you’d think that would spark some sort of realization inside of them.
also zach was hilarious for saying that, regardless of the amount of shit he got from the shippers. it’s very clear that zach and dante are just joking with one another and clearly like to poke fun at each other on when it comes to ships. I saw many comments stating that zach was bitter, jealous, upset, rude, etc. he’s a grown ass man who just learned what shipping was like 2 years ago. he’s clearly just joking. even if he wasn’t, who cares? I’m sure the other VAs can stroke their egos. just go rewatch the zutara tiktoks by dante.
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hehe re: your tags, what about yue/katara?
omg hi i'm sleepies so i probably won't get too much into it character-wise probably. i will simply say before anything else☝️i know ppl mostly hold the belief that katara is straight and that there some uncomfortable pitfalls people can find themselves in when (esp white) lgbt people paint indigenous characters lgbt in order to be able to "relate to them" and dismiss the character's worth and indigeneity through what is i suppose fandom pinkwashing + dismissing the sexuality of indigenous/native/first nations women, which i do try to be aware of and avoid entirely, bc i think by and large this happens when ppl apply these headcanons without any sort of actual nuance or thought and treat every hc as the same sort of formula to follow (like, character is x so i like them "now", etc). katara has as much worth and depth as a character let alone as an indigenous woman when she's straight as she would if she wasn't which is something people tend to struggle with and handle badly or ignorantly. (and yes, on the other hand, lgbt indigenous representation is just as important to uplift, but i mean when it's done with ignorant intention!).
with katara in particular i DO think she is probably straight and (FOX FACT) she was one of my first crushes when i was little as in like 8-9 and was Also a girl and did NOT know how to handle that and she was also just my favourite character in general so her being some flavour of lgbt+ is very fun for me in particular, but regardless of that i do think her being bi or something would be relatively sweet if handled normally. (also funnily bc of this i also hated sokka when i was little bc i thought he was mean to her LOL .. 😭)
secondly stealing your brother's girl before he even got to date her is HILARIOUS ❗️❗️but in all seriousness 🤓☝️ i think the situation of yue being, you know, sokka's first love who tragically died deserves to sort of like, keep that... gravitas? and as a significant part of sokka's narrative at the time is to do with handling her death in particular, specifically because, Obviously, he loved her, i think respecting that is first and foremost for me as much as i joked about how they barely dated so it's not as comparable as katara dating suki for example, lol (though i do think it's different just bc of like, how it's actually different, e.g. yue is dead, suki was his long term girlfriend).
BUT none of this means it's entirely impossible either bc obviously like i said i've thought about it and i do find it cute ^_^ and i think their dynamic would honestly be really fun, more so on YUE'S side for reasons i shall elaborate on in a second. obviously in this world in order for ANY of them to still have a relationship of any kind, yue would either somehow still be alive, have never have died in the first place, or it's a different world entirely and their initial meeting was different from the beginning. (this of course changes the inherent tragedy of her and sokka's relationship, and makes it less of a potentially weird or at least incredibly dramatic scenario, as well). each of these have their own merits and to be honest i am obsessed with canon divergent different first meetings that change the outcome of the later story i eat that up every time and am honestly constantly thinking about ways things could change from something small like say... katara sitting by yue instead of sokka. heh...
to me yue and katara are i wouldn't necessarily say foils of one another, but i do think putting them side by side draws a lot of significance to the surface. i will NOTTT ever be someone to be like the NWT/water tribes in general are HORRIFICALLY SEXIST because i think that is well, fundamentally stupid, and racist, but for the purposes of what i'm talking about i do think the different aspects of misogyny relevant to both of their characters and story at the time of their meeting is important and interesting to compare. i think yue being able to sort of catch glimpses of what it is to be a normal teenage girl with sokka and slip the responsibility on her shoulders for a short while clearly meant a lot with her and helped her forge her bond with him in the first place, someone who i think like with suki not only say, BALANCED their different personalities out, but was able to bring a more joyful authenticity out of her if not just some basic fun and shenanigans. i think it's important that they meet in book 1 even if it's on the tail end of it, relatively early in the gaang's journey and respective narrative arcs and therefore sokka's as well, bc it shows he ISN'T quite the same person he is in say, book 3, when the gang are missing the lightness and fun he brings to their interactions and he's still learning this himself and they're in a way drawing it out of each other.
anyway. i think it's fair to say yue is maybe not a buttoned-up person, but fairly serious at times or at least keeps her cards close to her chest. i think katara being someone who speaks her mind freely and proves herself to be tenacious and stubborn and LOUD and like, kind of annoying, above all generally awesome, and FULLY a Teenage Girl, would be a really fun mesh with her at this time for the same reasons sokka was, if not even more so tbh. honestly yue is again one of my favourite characters, behind sokka and zuko she is a solid and unchanging number 3 for me. i think yue is someone who values duty (a common theme in these characters, lol) and responsibility, and while katara is someone who DOES, technically, admire/share in this (obviously, as someone who has been responsible in part for her tribe and family for years, and particularly now while they've only got each other), she is also someone who sees someone doing what they Think they should be doing and she personally sees as unfair or wrong and blows her fucking lid. i would honestly just love in general to see a yue/katara friendship let alone a relationship of some kind, but like w/anything friends -> in love isn't a leap for me lol so it can be both truly... i think they'd bring out a lot of good in each other!!
i also do occasionally ponder how yue is a nonbender, yet a princess, as well as being not only spirit touched but by the spirit who... is the very source of waterbending. while i think this is actually very cool thematically i do often think about how strange it is logistically, and also think about how bending is in part to do with a willingness to do so, and the concept that yue COULD be a bender and just not realise. katara kidnapping a princess and teaching her to bend would be SO GOOD. to me. i also once had an au i scrounged up where yue was a bender and obviously just learned healing, but due to being again blessed by the spirit of WATERBENDING and having that connection w/the spirit world at all, her healing is quite literally insane and she essentially becomes an atlaverse necromancer. because i think that's awesome. other than that, yue learning to fight in general would be very cool and i think katara would fall over backwards trying to help even if she also knows basically nothing about nonbending fighting lol. they would fall on their asses Together <3.
i do also suppose the conflict and tension point of sokka clearly having feelings for yue could be something to be rattled around if u were into that. personally i do enjoy conflict but not soul crushing drama and ultimately in My world which is a beautiful world sokka has either already come to terms with it/moved on long ago bc it's been a while or i suppose just one of those au's where he never did feel that way in the first place. but tbf it's not like katara (or yue) would necessarily know that so it could still be a something or other.
ultimately yeah i just think yue being this dutiful princess figure who loves her people but does clearly yearn for more and is a person willing to make huge sacrifices for people and katara coming in and being someone who openly and authentically goes for what she wants even if she's being held back by certain factors that yue would be intimate with is well mwah. i enjoy it. a big draw for most atla pairings of any kind to me is them having the ability to just Be Young together and i think these two definitely deserve this, katara in particular! she is a very silly sweet character and i love whenever she tries to joke around, and i think her particular brand of being sarcastic or catty would make yue go >:0 and she would love it. ohhhhh they would eviscerate people together...
yue being a relatively sheltered figure who yearns in some way for a sense of freedom from it and therefore struggles with respecting and committing to the connection to her tribe and the responsibility she has for her people as their princess, and katara coming in as someone from their far-away, lost contact sister tribe, a relative important political figure in her own right to boot, representing not only this chance to grab at freedom and what you feel is right but the added layer of them both being women could have been a really cool angle for the narrative to contort to! also sokka AND katara pulling a prince and a princess of two different nations would be well funny as fuck.
#asks#i lied i got a bit much into it didnt i#THANK you guys for these asks btw it actually means so much to me LOL i love talking about this and i'm so grateful anyone ever wants to#hear what i have to say even if it's like six people.#^_^#*this SHOW i mean#so awesome and dunky donut#also ill be honest i only ever thought abt these two bc of that one fic where they're a background established relationship .. loved it#but again i see everything in every which way and the dynamic being platonic doesn't necessarily take away from it#☆#atla#yuetara
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to go against the grain... here's stuff i liked from the atla 2024 live-action adaptation !
foreword: i don't think the adaptation was mind-blowing. it's flawed, but was an alright attempt. regardless, i'm gonna share these because idk i have free will ig
the queer reimagining of oma and shu's love story... i mean... how the fuck could i not?!
casting which i thought was absolutely spot on: june, avatar kyoshi (🛐), suki (!), aang ofc, and OZAI (i hate him but damn)
kinda like zuko having a journal/notebook ngl hell yeah we love a "i journal as a coping mechanism" king
more about zuko, i like the added story of the 41st division as his ship crew
HEI BAI AND KOH LOOKED REALLY COOL
love the sokka and katara fog of lost souls content
yue and sokka meeting in the spirit world enriches their supposed "first interaction" in the northern water tribe
speaking of the northern water tribe... boy did they go off in the last episode. that entire episode was a visual feat
katara and zuko's fight in the last ep was FIRE (and water)
not sure if this is all there is, but these ones stood out the most to me. here's to hoping that if there is a season 2, it turns out tenfold better than the first try. ^^
live-action adaptations most of the time are unnecessary, unless new twists and content are added. the way in which they are added matter a lot too. this one took a lot from the original, added some; failed at some and did well at others. regardless, it IS pretty nice to see such an important story be brought into the spotlight again, not to mention in a more "realistic" one y'all.
it sucks a lot of the fillers and characterization weren't emphasized as well.
but really, i so badly wish they do better if there is a next time (call me an idealist)
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is it just me or does the majority of atla's fandom care about mostly about FN esp zuko and azula while completely discarding the other characters and themes of the series
It's not just you, and it's not just the fandom either. Bryke, and some of the other writers, clearly have a preference for the Fire Nation stories, Zuko's in particular.
It was a combo of “Give the people what they want” and “The people want what they are given” and that came to be because of a few things:
Good planning and the quality of the writting
The writers changed MANY things from their original idea for the story, and Fire Nation, while still affected by it, seemed to never lose it's main focus: Zuko rebelling against Ozai and joining team Avatar.
The Gaang meanwhile went through plenty of changes. Toph was originally a super tough guy, not blind, and would be in a love triangle with Katara and Aang. Suki was meant to be a one-off character. Katara went from struggling with waterbending to suddenly being able to do some serious damage while fighting Pakku. The episode that would be based on Aang's parents was completely scrapped.
So many changes, many of them at least minute, led to some storylines of the Gaang being more truncaded, rushed, botched, or just not living up to their potential. Again, that applies to the Fire Nation and Zuko's arc as well, but not to the same degree as the rest (at least not until the comics and Korra, when any quality was long gone from any storyline of any character and nation).
Aang's connection to Zuko and to the Fire Nation
There were plenty of parallels between Aang and Zuko throughout the seasons, and we later even found out that Aang is the reincarnation of Zuko's great-grandfather. Naturally, that gives Zuko A LOT more screentime - he is basically a villain protagonist from the start of the show. And since people tend to think of the more complicated, or sometimes straight up evil, character is the most interesting one, it led to most of the audience thinking the Zuko side of the dynamic was the better written one by default.
We can also not forget that Aang's most recent past life, Roku, is the one he interacts with the most, and he was not only part of the Fire Nation and of Zuko's family, but he was directly involved in the start of the war - which is the main plot of the show.
And on top of all that, Aang also genuinely LOVES the Fire Nation and is one of the few people alive who remembers a time when the war was not a thing and the Fire Nation was radically different. The comparisson is important for the story and it's protagonist, and thus it draws even MORE attention to that part of the story.
Villain bias
The Fire Nation are the bad guys in the story, but we know that’s something that can get people’s attention and spark their curiosity. Why did the Fire Nation attack everybody else? How big is the list of horrible shit they did? How powerful are they really? Is there even a way for Aang to stop them? What’s gonna happen to them once/if they are defeated? Can they really dominate the world? Can they really live peacefully with the other nations once the war is over?
It’s natural for the audience to be intrigued by the bad guys, even without agreeing with or liking them. The fact that Fire Nation is also invading other places and chasing the hero means they’re part of the conflict of nearly every episode, and views are constantly waiting to see what they do next - regardless of them being excited for it or dreading it and wishing the fuckers would go away.
Antagonists usually get a lot of screentime, and the very plot of Avatar requires the Fire Nation to constantly be either shown or talked about for the level of threat to the heroes to be made as clear as possible.
The lack of development of the other nations
That one is pretty self-explanatory. The Water Tribes and the Air-Nomads weren’t given much screentime, which kind of makes sense considering, ya know, the freaking genocide. However, the writers could have used some “flashback episodes”, simmilar to The Storm, to help the audience be more invested in them and care about what is at stake. The conflict is more centered around the Fire Nation attacking the Earth Kingdom - to the point that the war is pretty much considered won once Azula and Zuko conquer Ba Sing Se.
Familiarity
This is likely the most important one.
1 - While writing about an abusive, dysfunctional family and about a war isn't exactly easy (read the comics to witness how badly that can be screwed up), it is still easier than writting about how the last survivors of two genocides get by and deal with their trauma. The villain seeing the error of his ways and changing sides, and the brave hero rebelling against the injust system are popular tropes and did NOT start with Zuko's redemption arc, no matter how much the fandom tries to convince itself that it did. Brian, Myke and the other writers likely grew up with that kind of story, as did most of us, so naturally they'd be better at writting it, and most people could understand it, since we saw it a million times before.
2 - The Fire Nation is heavily inspired by Japan, and Japanese culture is more "mainstream" than Inuit or Tibetan culture, thus the writers were more familiar with it - to the point that Avatar had WAY more simmilarities to anime than most western cartoons. And once again, what was the non-fire nation arc people seemed most invested in? Ba Sing Se. Which is famous for it's great walls, having the most people and a culture that is fucking ancient, and when Iroh took a knife from a general during his siege and gave to Zuko, said knife had a "Made in earth kingdom" joke. Doesn't it sound some other asian country that most people have at least some surface knowledge of?
3 - The writers are americans, and the Fire Nation has some american inspiration. While it was not at the level of "Let's make Not!New York a thing in this pan-asian world!" yet, the writers said they based many things about the Fire Nation off of the US - most notoriously the military shit, and the habit of "We know what's best for everyone, the rest of the world should be like us." Once again, being familiar with what you're writting makes it more likely that you'll do a better job at it than at writing about something you don't really know much about.
Conclusion
Zuko and the Fire Nation became as popular as they did because of a perfect storm of very especific factors - some that were inevitable due to the narrative itself, and some that were caused by flaws in the writting.
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We're almost at the end. Almost.
Episode seven:
Admiral Zhao has upgraded from asshole to slimy asshole. Excellent acting.
"Go, kick his ass." - Sokka of the Water Tribe
Holy shit are they FINALLY going to make Katara interesting??
I guess that's a maybe. She challenged Paku but only *after* getting encouragement from the other male figures in her life. There's a fire in this live action Katara but it seems like she can't fan those flames without any help. Animated Katara didn't give two shits what anyone else thought about her and that made her badass. Yes, it's important that her brother supports her and it's important to show that being a good brother/good male means you support women but not as the expense of this already well established strong female protagonist. If this was Sokka's story, maybe. All of this just makes Katara feel like a supporting character, just like a good well behaved woman should be.
I mean no disrespect to the actress. Katara is just.. boring. I hope this changes as the series progresses.
Episode eight:
I'm gonna attempt to articulate this in an intellectual way but can we stop this #girlboss shit already? Again, Katara don't take shit from anyone. Why does she need Paku's permission to join the fight?? JUST GO. That's what Katara would do! And all the women just standing there and the music getting all dramatic because wowww look at all these ~*women*~ and ~~~girls~~~ doing cool things like oh my god just DO IT ALREADY. Stop showing us them standing there and show us women defying their elders and the men that control them! Show us the women getting shit done regardless of what men think! Show us them in action! SHOW, DON'T TELL FOR THE LOVE OF KYOSHI.
I'm very pleased they kept the color themes in the final battle (ie. red when the moon spirit is taken, black and white when Zhao kills it, etc) but I wish they doubled down on it. The final battle has color for sure but as it progressed it started to look like every other "serious" fantasy battle where it's all so dark and it all blends together.
Why do I get the sense that this Katara would know how to tear-bend?
Series overall:
I'm still of the opinion that it's too violent but that's mostly a personal criticism. This series makes the war very *very* real which makes this live action series unique, it's saying something that the original doesn't, and I give full marks for it having the guts to do that. For me, I prefer my animated cartoon violence with a YA rating.
The details of the cultures is incredible, especially in the costumes. The markets, the food, the artifacts, it all makes this world so much more tangible.
Katara and Aang's relationship is, at this point in the series, very Ember Island Players. They're good friends. And they wouldn't have it any other way.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't hate it. I only hate like.. 45% of it. I'll probably watch the next season but I don't see myself rewatching it. I'm half tempted to rewatch the animated series all over again even though I just rewatched it all last week.
Secret tunnel.
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Sokkla - determination
Azula: “So dead mother, huh? Yeah that can be annoying.”
Sokka: “Mmmm-hmmm, this Yon Rah dude may have been the shooter but your father arranged the whole thing.”
Azula: “(clears throat nervously) Right, well, still got you’re father right?”
Sokka: “For a while, until your father removed his head.”
Azula: “Right. Grandmother?”
Sokka: “Passed on by old age, natural causes, thankfully.”
Azula: “Grandfather? He go out the same way?”
Sokka: “Nope, Pakku was taken out by, you guessed it, you father, along with the entire white lotus, including your uncle. If that wasn’t crazy enough, he even killed an actual lion turtle, all by himself.”
Azula: “...”
Sokka: “Katara’s the only family I have left now.”
Awkward silence took place for a few moments.
Azula: “Are you sure you are up for this typical mission to reestablish order?”
Sokka puts up a fake smile.
Sokka: “Yeah, totally, you know, anger, vengeance tragedy, they get a bad rep but they really clear the mind, shows what’s really important. I want to be the one to slice Ozai’s head off but preventing him killing any more innocents is just as important.”
Azula: “If it’s any comfort, my father stole everything from me, until only my brother was all I have left. He lied to me and to Zuko and pinned us against each other. He arranged for my cousin to be killed and framed it at the earth kingdom, which was enough for me to want to watch that kingdom burn.”
Sokka: “I wouldn’t wish this same tragedy on anyone else but somehow, that is a little comforting.”
Azula: “Besides, we’re not completely alone, we have the entire team avatar at our disposal.”
Sokka: “Boomerang squad, the aang gang or just the gaang. Trade mark pending.”
Azula: “Right, regardless, we’re the hardest misfits that ever spawned to this world. You vanquished him before.”
Sokka: “Until he came back stronger, smarter, more dangerous and hit us back even harder. I don’t blame Aang for not wanting to kill him but I still say he should have killed him when he had the chance. Or at least I should have when I had the chance. Some people are just too dangerous to be left alive.”
Azula: “It pays to be more pragmatic but take it from me, the road to despair is not the ideal way to go. He may try to inflict tragedy but we must never, ever, give up. We WILL neutralize him and we WILL restore order to the nations. I know I will stop at nothing until everything is right again, you can join me if you like.”
Sokka: “You got a way with words and your determination is admirable. I’ll gladly help in anyway I can.”
Azula: “That’s the spirit.”
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okay kataang being platonic soulmates actually means so much to me like they're the most important ppl to each other in the world but that doesn't mean they have to be in a relationship like they still care about each other and love each other just as much as if they were in love n dating but it's completely platonic idk dude it just literally means the world to me like that's such a wholesome concept
#atla#katara#aang#i'm not gonna tag this as kataang bc it technically isn't shipping content but still#idk i just feel like they'd be the most important ppl to each other regardless of whether they end up dating or not and i just love that sm#like i just literally can't imagine a world where they aren't best friends and care about each other more than anything#this is one of the reasons why kataang also appeals to me as a romantic ship#bc regardless of whether they have feelings for each other or not the most important facet of their relationship is still their friendship#and how genuine it is and how much they love each other and care about each other#they understand each others pain and comfort each other and make each other smile and idk dude to me that's always gonna be the best dynamic#it's just so meaningful and wholesome and honestly modern media should have more relationships like this#i'm like 87% sure the majority of my tags is incoherent i'm sorry guys i'm not good at forming thoughts and expressing them
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Too Old To Play With Toys: The Sad Truth Behind Sokka's Boomerang
This is Sokka’s boomerang:
[ID: a screenshot of Sokka’s boomerang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has just been thrown, and it whips through the air in a rapid, whirling motion. End ID.]
And as we all know, it always comes back. This characteristic makes Sokka’s boomerang a returning boomerang, rather than a hunting boomerang. This is an important distinction to make, and it’s where the heart of this headcanon lays. Let me explain.
Accuracy: What’s the Difference Between Hunting and Throwing Boomerangs?
There are three types of boomerangs: the hunting boomerang, the returning boomerang, and the cross boomerang. We’re only going to be discussing hunting and throwing boomerangs, but feel free to learn about cross boomerangs and their construction--they’re really cool. As a general note: the following sources and information pertain to Aboriginal Australian cultures. Boomerangs were used elsewhere, but mainly as throwing sticks, not returning boomerangs.
So, hunting boomerangs, also known as throwing sticks or kylies, have this basic shape:
[ID: a black silhouette of a hunting boomerang. It is shaped like a skinny tear drop, with a slight curve along its form, and it widens asymmetrically at its ends. End ID.]
[ID: an overhead shot of three hunting boomerangs. They are carved from glossy, light-brown wood. End ID.]
Artist: Aboriginal Elder, Joe Skeen Snr. Buy here.
The hunting boomerang is straighter, larger, longer, and deadlier than the returning boomerang. “With it,” states the Britannica, “animals were maimed and killed, while in warfare it caused serious injuries and death.” This is due to its shape, which allows it to travel in a relatively straight line. With its capability for distance and force, the hunting boomerang is a very powerful tool.
According to Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones, a hunting boomerang can travel around 100 meters. If the boomerang is heavy enough, and the throw forceful enough, large prey, like kangaroos, can be killed. If you want to see a hunting boomerang in action, watch sections of this Youtube video. The range and accuracy of this tool are amazing.
The returning boomerang, which was used in eastern and western parts of Australia, is very different:
[ID: a black silhouette of a returning boomerang. It has two arms that widen towards the middle and connect, forming an angled shape, like a triangle with two sides. End ID.]
[ID: a painted returning boomerang. The base is formed from a smooth, light-colored wood. Designs are painted at the end of its wings, in the middle of its wings, and towards its center. At the center is a stylized turtle. End ID.]
Artist: unknown, but sold by Aboriginal-owned business Murra Wolka. Website here.
As you can see, the returning boomerang is shorter, smaller, and angled sharply. The shape of it allows it to trace an elliptical path, thus returning to the thrower. But this property is not without its drawbacks:
“A hunting boomerang needs to fly well and nearly straight to strike prey some 200 metres away. The trouble is that the best-flying boomerangs tend to return, rarely departing beyond fifty metres from the thrower. With the returning form ‘there is no certainty of hitting the mark. It may come back too quickly and may hit your own friends standing near you.’ While recognising that the best-flying boomerangs do return, Aborigines defined a technological problem. They needed to strike a compromise between flying ability and hunting requirements...” (Australian Museum).
Now, the returning boomerang could still be used to hunt, but not to kill or maim prey. Its application was craftier:
“When hunting ducks, for example, nets were set up at either ends of a creek or river. A boomerang was then thrown out over the ducks which gave them a scare so that they took off up the river and flew directly into the nets. From there they were collected. At other times during the hunting of birds the returning boomerang was thrown horizontally along the ground into a flock, and, as they took off the boomerang would follow them into the air. This may or may not kill the bird and a harder way to hunt” (murruppi.com).
Still, this wasn’t the main application of the returning boomerang. In actuality, it was used as a toy:
“The returning boomerang was not primarily designed for hunting as it is too light and wouldn't guarantee a kill. Rather, it was designed as a toy for young aboriginal boys. The toy would allow a youngster to practice throwing skills but still make it fun” (murrippi.com).
So, Sokka’s boomerang? A plaything.
Let’s Bring It Back to ATLA: What Does This Mean?
With the above information, Sokka’s use of his boomerang in canon becomes almost tragic. His boomerang was probably given to him by Hakoda when he was very young. He used it to learn how to throw; one day, when he was older, he would have carved his own throwing stick, and used it to hunt alongside his dad and the other adults of his tribe.
Instead, Sokka’s boomerang is another aspect of his childhood that was twisted by the war. His boomerang is--should have been--nothing more than a toy. He shouldn’t have had to use it to fend off Zuko, attack Azula, and defeat Combustion Man. Regardless, it did become a tool he used to help defeat the Fire Nation, and that’s pretty fitting when it comes to ATLA’s ideas of childhood and war: Sokka spent years acting as his tribe’s protector; Katara spent longer acting as a mother. Thus, his use of his boomerang throughout the show displays how Sokka was forced into a war-torn world at an incredibly, unfairly young age. As a result, he was forced to adapt in ways that took from him.
And we’ve all seen Sokka’s boomerang in action. Here’s a video of his greatest hits--literally. His accuracy is insane, and he catches his boomerang every time. He’s more than ready to have a hunting boomerang, yet we see him use his returning boomerang throughout the show, and long after he earns his ice dodging mark. Tbh? I think that Sokka didn’t want to carve a hunting boomerang without his dad guiding his hands.
So, you might be wondering, what happens post-war?
Eventually, I think Sokka retires his returning boomerang and carves his own hunting boomerang, but the shape of it is particular:
“Some scientists argue that a throwing-stick, commonly used by indigenous hunters around the world, is the precursor of the boomerang... Through trial-and-error the boomerang was refined to a point where the most desirable size, proportions and curvature were established. This refinement brought one serious problem: any improvement in flying resulted in a tendency to return. There is little doubt that indigenous hunters brought this experiment to its ultimate conclusion, by producing the perfect returning boomerang” (Australian Museum).
In short, making a good hunting boomerang is hard. Lots of trial and error, and still, hunting boomerangs come in a wide array of shapes. Thus, I headcanon that Sokka carves his hunting boomerang differently, as compared to the other members of his tribe--it’s more curved. This would show that although he's grown up and is in a post-war world, he's changed in some ways that can't be completely undone.
In other words, Sokka eventually moves on, but the way he throws and uses his boomerang is going to be a little different.
Conclusion
TL;DR: Sokka’s boomerang is a plaything, and this has sad implications. But also? He never should have had one in the first place. Firstly, boomerangs were traditionally made from green hardwood, which I don’t believe can be found in the South Pole. I on god can’t find any authentic sources for bone or metal boomerangs. To be more accurate and still keep with the trend of throwing weapons, I would’ve given Sokka a nuqaq and darts or a bola.
Also, as far as I can tell, Sokka’s boomerang is the only aspect of Aboriginal Australian culture Bryke used in ATLA (I can’t get a confirmation on Hakoda’s name). This is cherry-picking to the max, and it perpetuates the harmful ideas of
pan-indigeneity wrt one large, singular culture.
So, if you enjoyed this, please consider supporting aboriginal artists and charities. You can buy aboriginal art from murrippi.com and Murra Wolka. This article here provides a list of charities as well as active GoFundMe’s for families affected by police brutality against Aboriginal Australians. Thank you.
Sources
“Hunting Boomerang - Extreme Range - The Aboriginal Karli” by Throwsticks Channel
“Boomerang Information“ by Murruppi, Djirrbal/Ngadjonji Tribe
“Boomerang” by the Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors for the Encyclopaedia Britannica
“It Comes Back ... What a Nuisance!“ by Stan Florek for Australian Museum
Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones from Wikipedia
Murra Wolka
Gonna tag @atlaculture because I think this is of your interest. <3
#atla#avatar the last airbender#sokka#atla meta#atla headcanons#atla hc#YES this is angsty shhhhhhh#am I doing meta right?
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Ms. Badger I am yelling I am screaming I just saw a take that melted my brain. Someone claimed that TSR is Zuko manipulating Katara into not hating him anymore by using the trauma of her mother's death and leading her into possibly being a murderer. And how she felt like she didn't have a choice but to hunt him down knowing he was out there. Like cndidjbfirn they act as though everyone who likes that episode thinks yon rah should've died (when I've mostly seen it being glad for her having the choice and needing to know and needing the closure of facing that trauma) and the Zuko was evil manipulative man by encouraging her to seek that catharsis (while it may or may not! Have helped him be in her good graces)(also I think they threw in Aang was right and we are all nasty zutara shippers for liking the ep even though yes I ship zutara and like the ep with that context but also love it for the Katara growth in it in general!!)
Please help me articulate why they are wrong I am just so confused as to how someone could see that ep and think "what a horrible person Zuko is for supporting Katara's very justifiable anger and wanting to not be iced out by her so helping her face that pain"
Well, first of all, Aang wasn't right. Katara herself said he wasn't. She got what she needed from that trip, and that at the end of the day is all that should matter. The problem there is that Bryke doesn't really care what Katara thinks, so the fact that she said with her own lips that Aang was wrong carries no weight with them, and by extension no weight with anyone who uses TSR as an example of why Zutara was bad.
Second of all, Zuko didn't force her into anything. He offered her the information and let her decide what to do with it. He had just gone through something similar with Ozai and didn't kill him, so there's no reason to assume he'd be encouraging Katara to kill Yon Rah. He knew how important it was to face the sorce of your trauma, and he offered the same chance to Katara (although, I don't for a second think he'd have judged her if she had killed the pathetic little weasel). If that hadn't worked to get him on her good side, he either would have tried something else, or given up on making direct amends. After all, Zuko (unlike someother people I could name) wouldn't have forced Katara into anything. He might have been frustrated, but he wouldn't have forced himself past Katara's boundaries. He knew to give Katara space to decide what to do, and he would have respected her decision if she decided not to find Yon Rha as readily as he respected her decision to find him.
In the end, I think he and Katara would have ended up as friends regardless. It might have taken longer, but I think Zuko's sincerity would have won her over in the end (also the fact that with Zuko, there was one other person around to be responsible with her). Katara and Zuko's reconciliation was inevitable, and from a plot standpoint, necessary to move the story forward. Their chemistry was too natural and too thematically relevant for them not to at least be friends before everything was over. Without Kataang, the story wouldn't change much (actually, without Aang, the story wouldn't really change much). But Katara and Zuko's relationship was not only necessary for each of their journies, it tied the themes of the show together. She was always going to forgive him. He was always going to do his best to earn her trust back. No force was necessary.
#atla#zutara#anti kataang#anti aang#zuko was a better friend to katara in like 10 episodes than aang was to her in the whole series#enemies to friends to lovers ftw!#aang can go sit in a corner somewhere#quietly
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