I Am The Slowest Fan Ever
I finally finished Avatar: The Last Airbender. Yes, I know I am late. Really late. I had already decided to be a fan of this show while Season ONE was airing on Nickelodeon. But there it is.
The first season was good. The second season was very, very good to amazing. The last season was very, very good to fantastic.
I have few, and minor complaints. I'm seriously considering purchasing the series by box sets. (I would buy them backwards, season 3 to 1, because I am limited funds and that is the order I want to own them in)
Zuko's self-discovery arc in season 2 is particularly poignant. Yes, I know that his real turnaround was in season 3, but the base was built in season 2.
Aaaaanyway, I just wanted to comment on something that struck me as I watched.
At the end of the first season, the gang finally makes it to the Northern Water Tribe. Katara, the waterbending girl of the group, goes with Aang to get some formal battle!waterbending training, but is instead directed to the healing training, as battlebending is for Men Only. Oh no! Sexism!
And this strikes me as interesting, because the Water Tribe (and the Earth Nation) are the Good Guys. And typically, the Good Guys are Enlightened and Equal, and it's the Bad Guys that oppress their women. (See, well, the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is The Horse and His Boy from The Chronicles of Narnia, but it's definitely a trope)
But in the world of the Avatar, this is totally subverted. Because Azula, a Bad Guy if there ever was one, is treated the exact same way as her brother. Actually, she is waaay favored over Zuko. It seems in the Fire Nation (aka Bad Guy Central) people are judged purely based on skill, and sex has nothing to do with it. This is later confirmed when Azula is declared Fire Lord. LORD, note, not Lady. Hmmmm. Obviously Zuko, the eldest, and the male, is being leapfrogged in favor of his powerful and obedient sister. And I can only approve of the idea that people should be judged by skill and progress, and not by boy or girl.
I really like how the producers/writers/etc. played with expectations a lot in the show. As I am so very far behind, I knew that Katara and Zuko were never to be, but I had a great time watching the hints and misdirections fly in the show. And I knew Zuko was going to join the side of good, but I am surprised by how long it took him, and how nuanced his transformation really was.
And I love Toph. I just gotta say it.
I now watch Northern Shaolin Kung Fu videos on youtube and I can't help but see fire coming out of the fighter's hands and feet in my mind's eye. It's amazing how the show so clearly utilized real-world martial arts in the bending techniques. I could really see the differences between different groups when they fought on screen. Part of me is pretty sad the show was so short, but I am impressed by how well it was crafted.
The first season was good. The second season was very, very good to amazing. The last season was very, very good to fantastic.
I have few, and minor complaints. I'm seriously considering purchasing the series by box sets. (I would buy them backwards, season 3 to 1, because I am limited funds and that is the order I want to own them in)
Zuko's self-discovery arc in season 2 is particularly poignant. Yes, I know that his real turnaround was in season 3, but the base was built in season 2.
Aaaaanyway, I just wanted to comment on something that struck me as I watched.
At the end of the first season, the gang finally makes it to the Northern Water Tribe. Katara, the waterbending girl of the group, goes with Aang to get some formal battle!waterbending training, but is instead directed to the healing training, as battlebending is for Men Only. Oh no! Sexism!
And this strikes me as interesting, because the Water Tribe (and the Earth Nation) are the Good Guys. And typically, the Good Guys are Enlightened and Equal, and it's the Bad Guys that oppress their women. (See, well, the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is The Horse and His Boy from The Chronicles of Narnia, but it's definitely a trope)
But in the world of the Avatar, this is totally subverted. Because Azula, a Bad Guy if there ever was one, is treated the exact same way as her brother. Actually, she is waaay favored over Zuko. It seems in the Fire Nation (aka Bad Guy Central) people are judged purely based on skill, and sex has nothing to do with it. This is later confirmed when Azula is declared Fire Lord. LORD, note, not Lady. Hmmmm. Obviously Zuko, the eldest, and the male, is being leapfrogged in favor of his powerful and obedient sister. And I can only approve of the idea that people should be judged by skill and progress, and not by boy or girl.
I really like how the producers/writers/etc. played with expectations a lot in the show. As I am so very far behind, I knew that Katara and Zuko were never to be, but I had a great time watching the hints and misdirections fly in the show. And I knew Zuko was going to join the side of good, but I am surprised by how long it took him, and how nuanced his transformation really was.
And I love Toph. I just gotta say it.
I now watch Northern Shaolin Kung Fu videos on youtube and I can't help but see fire coming out of the fighter's hands and feet in my mind's eye. It's amazing how the show so clearly utilized real-world martial arts in the bending techniques. I could really see the differences between different groups when they fought on screen. Part of me is pretty sad the show was so short, but I am impressed by how well it was crafted.