Avatar through 2.14

[rachelmanija]

SQUEE! I love the beautifully detailed and coherent worldbuilding! I love the creatures! I love the realism-- supply lines, friendly fire, idealistic freedom fighters who don't care about civilian casualties, different currencies, and economies. I love that likable characters can still have scary temper tantrums and fits of depression. I love that there is strategy! I love the martial arts! I love the eunuchs behind the throne! I love the genuinely snappy dialogue! I love the exquisitely gorgeous animation! I love that there is BRAINWASHING!!! AWESOME!!!

I really disliked several unfunny fluff episodes early on, so I was relieved that once the ongoing narrative kicked in, it became compelling once again, and dispensed with the stupid hippies and swamp rednecks.

Though, I hate the romantic scenes. They clunk horribly. Also, everyone is twelve and it's creepy. Though Yoon and I fell into a fit of hysterics at imagining Zuko trying to court a girl, so that could be amusing if it ever happens.

yhlee has more coherent notes. Spoil us in any way, and die via pinpoint chi-strikes.



Oh, and I love Zuko and his emo. (He has emo with an emu!) I loved him standing on the mountaintop while the lightning basically mocked his pain.

I love uncle Iroh.

I love the all-girl hit squad.

I love Toph.

And I still love Aang (especially now that we've seen his unpleasant side) and Katara and Sokka. Probably especially Sokka.

I love the training scenes.

And since I despise and detest Mr. Slick-Talking, Cooler-Than-You, Straw-Chewing, Band-of-Merry-Rebels Jet, I was alarmed to see him fall in with Zuko, but relieved to see them end up on opposite sides, delighted to see Zuko cut off his twig, and delighted to see him GET BRANWASHED a la Clockwork Orange.

Comments

[mattador.livejournal.com]

I dislike Jet, but I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Zuko- his admiration and friendship and how it suddenly became fanatical hatred.


I really love the Zuko-and-Iroh arc overall in Season Two, actually- from the way that Zuko, purposely trying to reject his heritage, flails around for some sort of direction, behaving worse than ever and even abandoning his uncle, to the brilliance of Iroh's bending lesson- to the conversation between Toph and Iroh, which made me go "awwww" despite my general dislike of fluffiness.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

to the brilliance of Iroh's bending lesson
I love how "Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" falls completely flat. Poor, humorless Zuko.

Zuko's arc is awesome throughout the series. It's so weird watching first-season episodes and seeing how far he's come. He started out as this annoying bully.

And, ya know, just because I have it handy:

"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. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor! Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?"

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."