Updates, Opening and Introductions

[ice_of_dreams]

It's November 15 in my side of the world (GMT +8:00), and we're "officially" opening the comm. The pre-opening was to see if anyone had questions or complaints that we could deal with before the official sign ups, but as most of you already know, we already sent invites to people who signed up so that we don't have backlog

Comments

[allgreycats]

What started you on avatar? I read a lot of anti-racism and feminist blogs, and so I first took note of the series during the "Last Airbender" movie controversy. While lamenting how bad the film was, a lot of writers and commenters also raved about the original series, saying it was both beautiful and entertaining while also featuring strong, non-stereotypical female and Asian lead characters, intelligent historical and aesthetic references, and engaging ideas of non-violence, friendship and loyalty in a complex, nuanced way. So, I initially came to the series from a slightly academic level. I kind of watched it noncommittally at first, and didn't really become 100% hooked until "Zuko Alone." Season 3 totally sealed the deal for me!

Have you participated in other big bangs? Nope!

Have you written/drawn for other series? When I was much younger I wrote for the Buffy and Harry Potter fandoms....but if there's residue of that online, I'm not doing to dig it up. ;D

Where do you store your other fanfiction/fanart? My Deviantart account

Do you already have an idea of what to do for this big bang? I'm participating as an artist, so not yet!

Do you have ideas for the big bang that you want someone to write, but you can't? Like some of the other commenters, I'd love to read a really epic post-series Maiko fic. Haven't found one of those yet in the fandom.

Do you want to say something else? Hooray!

[ice_of_dreams]

Oooh, that's the most surprising answer to the start of fandom yet. :) I wrote a piece If I were to re-cast Avatar: the Last Airbender for fun here in LJ and my friend azure_orbis and I almost got into a fight due to my casting. She was upset with my cast, but we all straightened it out in the end.

Buffy! I secretly read Spike/Xander stopped watching after Dawn was proclaimed the Key, and was surprised that Spike ended up with Buffy! (I all found this out through Archive of Our Own... that's an amazing site right there... haha) So two weeks ago, I went and downloaded the ending seasons and am planning tow atch it... when I'm not too busy.

You can always leave suggestions, nudges and hints :p

An epic-post series Maiko. *crosses fingers* Yes that would be a nice thing to read. :) Difficult to write, but nice to read.

[allgreycats]

I had a hard time watching Buffy after the fifth season, to be honest--it kind of broke my heart all over the place! It felt like the show I had fallen in love with was splintering apart (I won't go into specifics since you haven't see the later seasons yet!). But objectively, I think that was one of Buffy's (and Joss Whedon's) strengths: nothing was safe or sacred, everything changes, including the characters I came to care so much for.

[ice_of_dreams]

okay. Will watch and talk to you about it after I watch the show. It may take a while I'm currently playing FFXIII, moding, working, writing a fic... uhm... hmmm... haha. Watching buffy is not in the priority list.

[blue_lacquer]

That's the same way I got into Avatar, blog posts about the movie casting. I was totally not expecting to love it as much as I do.

[ice_of_dreams]

well apparently, even if the movie was so bad, it generated enough interest back into the tv series, which is a good thing :)

[allgreycats]

I wasn't either!

My love for Mai and Maiko also kind of took me by surprise. I had a kind of "Aang is great...who is that" moment during "Return to Omashu." :)

[amanda_violet]

Hah, it took me by surprise too. Before "The Boiling Rock," I was all "ZUTARA FOREVER" but afterwards... I never looked back. I rewatched the series and was like "how did I never notice how awesome Mai is!?"

[ice_of_dreams]

I was mostly equal opportunity with Zuko in the beginning, but then ended up liking this pair up so much after reading a lot of the fics from all over the fandom.

I almost always end up with a canon pair up anyway... If Zuko had ended up with Katara in canon... I don't know if I would have ended up as Zutara... no ... probably not. I suddenly remembered Fruits basket.

[allgreycats]

I may be alone in this, but I was never a big fan of Katara. I always respected her as a character, and was really enthusiastic about how wonderfully she was written--strong, out-spoken, very loving, etc. On a personal level, I found her self-righteousness grating. That said, I love that she had such realistic flaws, and think she's one of the most incredible lady protagonists I've seen in an animated series. I also do like Kataang. I clearly have a complex relationship with her!

On the other hand, Zuko was my favorite character from the start (until "Boiling Rock", then he became Mai's copilot!), so when he had that moment with Katara in Crossroads of Destiny, I remember cringing and thinking "no, no, don't jump that particular shark, please!"

[amanda_violet]

No kidding! I feel the exact same way. Katara was consistently my least favorite out of all the Gaang members, even though she did have some cool moments and I really did like how she was written, to be a complex and flawed character. I think I stuck with Zutara for so long because I liked it better than Kataang, but now I ship Kataang too so there's that.

And yeah, Zuko was always my favorite character too. Except in Crossroads of Destiny, because it's kind of impossible to like him in that episode.

I think it's a testament to how awesome Avatar is that I still really like my least favorite character. :D

[allgreycats]

I agree! Avatar boasts some of the most beautifully written, meaningful characters I've seen on TV, let alone in an animated show marketed for kids.

[ice_of_dreams]

No, you're not alone. I found Katara extremely self righteous too. Especially that Painted Lady episode. Hello, feeding appa purple berries so she could "help" the town? Sokka had it right the first time, save the world and that town would have saved itself.

[allgreycats]

Oh gosh, I know it's a popular episode in the fandom but I found "The Painted Lady" unwatchable the first time around and turned it off maybe 10 minutes in. When I rewatched it with my husband, we both watched slightly aghast. I turned to him after she blew up the factory (where I assume the workers were sleeping since they didn't live in the town, which was the only one for miles?) and said, "soooo, Karata's an ecoterrorist now and we're supposed to be cool with this?" Not to mention the real Painted Lady thanking her at the end...really??

The whole episode was such a trainwreck that I don't even hold it against Katara, but rather on the writing.

[ice_of_dreams]

Honestly, I could see Katara making those choices. She can be terribly blind towards her own faults. She's an idealist, so she wants to help this town, and she sees the big bad factory as the wrong doer. So she blows it up. Because she has this big bad powers, and no one can stop her.

Everyone is wrong except her.

Ecoterrorist is right on the bat.

I was thinking Mai saying: So, since you're making the Fire Lord pay for all of the damages to the water tribe in the south pole, right? And for Ba Sing Se? I'm fine with that. Please also take up with my ministers with regard to the payment of your group towards that factory off *****. The one you blew up. And the destruction in the capital, the entire city which wasn't really military which you LAID WASTE. And the area in Crescent Island. And.... ...

or something to that effect. Because really. Really? Just because there's a war it doesn't mean she can just blow up random places just because they're FIRE NATION.