the guilty late-night sneaking-back-in of the december meme
OOF it has been a week. Um, including last week. I'm not so good at keeping the days straight at the moment. I have a thing I'm gonna post a little later, but for now, I've got to return to my sorely neglected December meme. Fortunately, there weren't really any requests for later in the month, so I've got plenty of space to catch up. (Also, my internet is out at my apartment, which SUCKS. I'm at my parents' instead at the moment.)
musesfool prompted: Avatar: The Last Airbender &/or Legend of Korra
For starters, I am so far behind on LoK right now it's not even funny. I think I watched the first two episodes of the 2nd season? Maybe three? So I can't comment on any recent events in that 'verse.
But, okay, on the offhand chance that there are a handful of people reading this who have never watched Avatar: the Last Airbender (the SHOW, not the dreadful movie of which we do not speak), LET ME EXPLAIN.
No, wait, there is too much. LET ME SUM UP.
A:tLA is a children's cartoon that has some of the most beautiful, complex, and mature storytelling and worldbuilding of any TV show in the history of ever. Visually, it's gorgeous, but more importantly, the characters are freaking amazeballs. Zuko's character arc gives me life, no lie. You've got this angry, bitter teenager set up from episode one as your primary antagonist, and he starts out as this seemingly one-note villain, and then he's NOT. Spoilers from here on. Oh, my god, this is a children's show that takes a good hard look at emotional abuse by a parent and how lingering trauma can manifest itself in very different ways -- contrast Zuko and his redemption arc with Azula's spiral into sociopathy, which I do think was partly her defense mechanism to avoid Daddy's wrath and mold herself into the perfect Fire Princess, but I digress. Zuko's character growth from prince in exile and hunter of the Avatar to his solo journey of self-discovery to one last ditch effort to regain his father's love to the Gaang's wary ally to Fire Lord is just...goddamn, I've got a thing in my eye.
So, okay, clearly Zuko is my favorite, but let's talk about all the other kickass characters. I have to admit, Aang is my least favorite, but not because I dislike him. He's a sweet, funny kid who had to grow up way too fast and primarily dealt with it by, you know, not really growing up at all. And he's a twelve-year-old boy! That is perfectly valid! I don't think he has a strong arc, though, since the show goes out of its way to avoid forcing him to actually confront or change his beliefs in any way -- Deus Ex Lion-Turtle -- but he's a lot of fun to watch onscreen. But then we have Katara, the queen of my heart, who also had to grow up way too fast, and she did, and then relearns how to be a child again through Aang, but also how to become a strong woman and hugely powerful bender in her own right. She makes mistakes along the way -- she can be too proud, too stubborn, too quick to anger -- but she has a huge heart capable of the most beautiful forgiveness, and she's fierce and smart and organized and capable, and she's the freaking Painted Lady. And her brother Sokka, the comic relief who grows into so much more, and finds his own strengths! Toph, the tiny blind girl who can kick your ass and LAUGH AT YOU while she does it! Mai, the moody teenager who is willing to give up everything she's been taught to hold dear just to save the jerk who dumped her! Tai Lee, the sparkly bubbly ninja assassin! UNCLE IROH, LET ME LOVE YOU AND YOUR TEA FOREVER.
Also, this show teaches some really tough lessons to kids. Like sometimes, no matter how good your intentions, you will fail at what you do -- sometimes catastrophically -- and you have to learn to pick yourself back up again. Oh, my god, the season 2 finale has one of the bleakest endings I have ever seen in any TV show ever, including, like, Battlestar Galactica. It touches on themes of parental neglect and emotional abuse, of abandonment and grief and betrayal. And love, and hope, and forgiveness, and becoming the person you were meant to be, not necessarily the person you were told you ought to become. UGH I HAVE ALL THE FEELINGS. ALL OF THEM.
LoK never grabbed me in quite the same way -- I think the writing has been much weaker, the plot and character arcs oversimplified, and the characters far more two-dimensional. Maybe the bulk of the second season improved on the first, and eventually I'll get around to watching it, but I've not been terribly impressed so far. I also just straight up don't like the narrative or visual style as much. But we'll see.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth. Comment wherever you'd like.
musesfool prompted: Avatar: The Last Airbender &/or Legend of Korra
For starters, I am so far behind on LoK right now it's not even funny. I think I watched the first two episodes of the 2nd season? Maybe three? So I can't comment on any recent events in that 'verse.
But, okay, on the offhand chance that there are a handful of people reading this who have never watched Avatar: the Last Airbender (the SHOW, not the dreadful movie of which we do not speak), LET ME EXPLAIN.
No, wait, there is too much. LET ME SUM UP.
A:tLA is a children's cartoon that has some of the most beautiful, complex, and mature storytelling and worldbuilding of any TV show in the history of ever. Visually, it's gorgeous, but more importantly, the characters are freaking amazeballs. Zuko's character arc gives me life, no lie. You've got this angry, bitter teenager set up from episode one as your primary antagonist, and he starts out as this seemingly one-note villain, and then he's NOT. Spoilers from here on. Oh, my god, this is a children's show that takes a good hard look at emotional abuse by a parent and how lingering trauma can manifest itself in very different ways -- contrast Zuko and his redemption arc with Azula's spiral into sociopathy, which I do think was partly her defense mechanism to avoid Daddy's wrath and mold herself into the perfect Fire Princess, but I digress. Zuko's character growth from prince in exile and hunter of the Avatar to his solo journey of self-discovery to one last ditch effort to regain his father's love to the Gaang's wary ally to Fire Lord is just...goddamn, I've got a thing in my eye.
So, okay, clearly Zuko is my favorite, but let's talk about all the other kickass characters. I have to admit, Aang is my least favorite, but not because I dislike him. He's a sweet, funny kid who had to grow up way too fast and primarily dealt with it by, you know, not really growing up at all. And he's a twelve-year-old boy! That is perfectly valid! I don't think he has a strong arc, though, since the show goes out of its way to avoid forcing him to actually confront or change his beliefs in any way -- Deus Ex Lion-Turtle -- but he's a lot of fun to watch onscreen. But then we have Katara, the queen of my heart, who also had to grow up way too fast, and she did, and then relearns how to be a child again through Aang, but also how to become a strong woman and hugely powerful bender in her own right. She makes mistakes along the way -- she can be too proud, too stubborn, too quick to anger -- but she has a huge heart capable of the most beautiful forgiveness, and she's fierce and smart and organized and capable, and she's the freaking Painted Lady. And her brother Sokka, the comic relief who grows into so much more, and finds his own strengths! Toph, the tiny blind girl who can kick your ass and LAUGH AT YOU while she does it! Mai, the moody teenager who is willing to give up everything she's been taught to hold dear just to save the jerk who dumped her! Tai Lee, the sparkly bubbly ninja assassin! UNCLE IROH, LET ME LOVE YOU AND YOUR TEA FOREVER.
Also, this show teaches some really tough lessons to kids. Like sometimes, no matter how good your intentions, you will fail at what you do -- sometimes catastrophically -- and you have to learn to pick yourself back up again. Oh, my god, the season 2 finale has one of the bleakest endings I have ever seen in any TV show ever, including, like, Battlestar Galactica. It touches on themes of parental neglect and emotional abuse, of abandonment and grief and betrayal. And love, and hope, and forgiveness, and becoming the person you were meant to be, not necessarily the person you were told you ought to become. UGH I HAVE ALL THE FEELINGS. ALL OF THEM.
LoK never grabbed me in quite the same way -- I think the writing has been much weaker, the plot and character arcs oversimplified, and the characters far more two-dimensional. Maybe the bulk of the second season improved on the first, and eventually I'll get around to watching it, but I've not been terribly impressed so far. I also just straight up don't like the narrative or visual style as much. But we'll see.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth. Comment wherever you'd like.