The Avatar Finale
I FINALLY WATCHED IT. ♥ Are you ready to know what I think?
ZUKO.
Every scene he was in, every scene, was undeniably perfect and just what I wanted to see. Well, except for one at the end, but I'll get to that. His reunion with Iroh! I'm not ashamed to admit that I teared up. You should just feel how heart-breaking it was, how scared he was that Iroh might not forgive him, and then Iroh just pulls him into a hug and... GUH. It hurts it's so good. ♥ I loved how everyone looked to him to find Aang, and how he broke up their little beach party in the beginning. WTF guys? It's the freaking end of the world and you're making sand castles?
Then, the battle with Azula. The fact that he has to fight an Agni Kai again is so full of horrible, ironic destiny that is almost so bad, it's good. And he's calm and collected. Did you notice the music during their duel? It was very traditional and minimalistic and almost sad and Zuko is totally winning and in control. And then Azula directs lightning at Katara and Zuko cries out and jumps in front it and GOOD GRACIOUS CAN HE BE ANY MORE AWESOME? And the look on Katara's face when he falls, obviously unable to redirect it away from his body. I mean, I got the shivers. I had to watch that scene at least three times.
And then it's all Katara and Azula and CRAZY!AZULA IS CRAZY. And Katara uses water to heal Zuko and he says "thank you" and GEEZ IF YOU AREN'T CRYING BY NOW, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? These two are amazing, regardless of any shipping preferences, you really have to enjoy these scenes because of how emotional and physically charged they are. Just brilliant.
Toph is a frickin' genius and Sokka had his fantastic moment of fantasticness. How moving was it when Toph got tears in her eyes and Sokka tells her it's the end? You know it's real when Toph cries. And then Tsuki! And they take down a whole ARMADA and and and...
IROH. ♥ I have no words.
And of course, Aang. I have a tiny, itsy, bitsy problem with the whole "I got stabbed in the back by a rock and now I can reach the Avatar State" thing. I thought the point was that he had to give up something, his attachments, to be able to use that state? Or am I mistaken? It's been awhile since I saw that episode, but I thought that was his problem before. Anyway, it clears his chakra and he goes BAD ASS on Ozai. I am glad he didn't have to kill, and taking away Ozai's bending was pretty awesome, although can we say DEUS EX MACHINA to the giant lion turtle? WHY HELLO THERE.
The ending. Zuko becomes Fire Lord, which is wonderful, and I loved his hug with Aang at the end. Those two have come so far. (And now you know what I'm going to say, don't you?) Yes, the shipping bits there were tacked on. Mai comes from nowhere? Mai had serious problems with Zuko being one of the good guys. I find it a little hard to believe she's suddenly okay with him having a conscience. I don't know. Mai's character was always a little hard for me to buy, so really feeling their relationship is almost impossible for me. I wasn't sold.
Wasn't sold on the Kaatang either. I think I would have been happier to see Katara there, standing with him at the end, blushing, but no kiss. I could have bought that and just filled in the eventual happily ever after. Good gracious, Aang is what, TWELVE? Yeah, not buying it. Sorry guys.
All in all, the whole thing was brilliant and I loved every minute. Could have done without the pair off at the end, but at least they didn't pull a Harry Potter and show everyone ten years later with fifty kids. I might have had to gag a little.
I think, in the end, the story was really about Aang AND Zuko's journeys, too halves of a whole, and I'm really proud of them both. Avatar is an amazing story M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN BETTER DO AN AWESOME JOB WITH THE LIVE ACTION VERSION. OR ELSE.
PS. I wasn't torn up about the unresolved thread concerning Ursa. The feeling I got watching Zuko and Ozai is that everything will be alright.
lemonyloyce, holy mother of pearl, CALL ME WHEN YOU GET BACK. I left you a garbled message consisting of OMGOMGOMOGMGOMG. I will obsessively make icons until I hear from you.
ZUKO.
Every scene he was in, every scene, was undeniably perfect and just what I wanted to see. Well, except for one at the end, but I'll get to that. His reunion with Iroh! I'm not ashamed to admit that I teared up. You should just feel how heart-breaking it was, how scared he was that Iroh might not forgive him, and then Iroh just pulls him into a hug and... GUH. It hurts it's so good. ♥ I loved how everyone looked to him to find Aang, and how he broke up their little beach party in the beginning. WTF guys? It's the freaking end of the world and you're making sand castles?
Then, the battle with Azula. The fact that he has to fight an Agni Kai again is so full of horrible, ironic destiny that is almost so bad, it's good. And he's calm and collected. Did you notice the music during their duel? It was very traditional and minimalistic and almost sad and Zuko is totally winning and in control. And then Azula directs lightning at Katara and Zuko cries out and jumps in front it and GOOD GRACIOUS CAN HE BE ANY MORE AWESOME? And the look on Katara's face when he falls, obviously unable to redirect it away from his body. I mean, I got the shivers. I had to watch that scene at least three times.
And then it's all Katara and Azula and CRAZY!AZULA IS CRAZY. And Katara uses water to heal Zuko and he says "thank you" and GEEZ IF YOU AREN'T CRYING BY NOW, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? These two are amazing, regardless of any shipping preferences, you really have to enjoy these scenes because of how emotional and physically charged they are. Just brilliant.
Toph is a frickin' genius and Sokka had his fantastic moment of fantasticness. How moving was it when Toph got tears in her eyes and Sokka tells her it's the end? You know it's real when Toph cries. And then Tsuki! And they take down a whole ARMADA and and and...
IROH. ♥ I have no words.
And of course, Aang. I have a tiny, itsy, bitsy problem with the whole "I got stabbed in the back by a rock and now I can reach the Avatar State" thing. I thought the point was that he had to give up something, his attachments, to be able to use that state? Or am I mistaken? It's been awhile since I saw that episode, but I thought that was his problem before. Anyway, it clears his chakra and he goes BAD ASS on Ozai. I am glad he didn't have to kill, and taking away Ozai's bending was pretty awesome, although can we say DEUS EX MACHINA to the giant lion turtle? WHY HELLO THERE.
The ending. Zuko becomes Fire Lord, which is wonderful, and I loved his hug with Aang at the end. Those two have come so far. (And now you know what I'm going to say, don't you?) Yes, the shipping bits there were tacked on. Mai comes from nowhere? Mai had serious problems with Zuko being one of the good guys. I find it a little hard to believe she's suddenly okay with him having a conscience. I don't know. Mai's character was always a little hard for me to buy, so really feeling their relationship is almost impossible for me. I wasn't sold.
Wasn't sold on the Kaatang either. I think I would have been happier to see Katara there, standing with him at the end, blushing, but no kiss. I could have bought that and just filled in the eventual happily ever after. Good gracious, Aang is what, TWELVE? Yeah, not buying it. Sorry guys.
All in all, the whole thing was brilliant and I loved every minute. Could have done without the pair off at the end, but at least they didn't pull a Harry Potter and show everyone ten years later with fifty kids. I might have had to gag a little.
I think, in the end, the story was really about Aang AND Zuko's journeys, too halves of a whole, and I'm really proud of them both. Avatar is an amazing story M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN BETTER DO AN AWESOME JOB WITH THE LIVE ACTION VERSION. OR ELSE.
PS. I wasn't torn up about the unresolved thread concerning Ursa. The feeling I got watching Zuko and Ozai is that everything will be alright.
lemonyloyce, holy mother of pearl, CALL ME WHEN YOU GET BACK. I left you a garbled message consisting of OMGOMGOMOGMGOMG. I will obsessively make icons until I hear from you.