In which I declare myself a fandom heretic
After the euphoria of Atla's Book 3 (Fire) wore off, I realized that I had some issues with it. And some is an understatement. It took me a while (another understatement) to put them together with any degree of coherency. I don't think I succeeded. But here they are, at last, to all intents and cathartic purposes.
A picture of a giant turtle does not a convincing Chekhov's Gun makes. As far as this user is concerned, Spirit-bending is a Deus ex Machina.
Crazula made sense - if by sense, you mean I could squint and see the lead up to it - but shoddy build-up doesn't stop it from being cliche or smacking of writer back-tracking. (Bryke apparently just woke up and realized that for the story to end with any kind of coherent victory, they'd have to take down a fourteen-year-old girl. Oops).
On the other hand, I can squint until I'm cross-eyed but I don't see Ozai ripping off his shirt and going mano a mano against the Avatar. Apparently Sozin's Comet comes with an unknown side effect that makes erstwhile Evil Overlords do stupid things like risk their lives in battle when they have perfectly competent mooks to do the job for them.
The writers had one idea for Mai in the beginning and changed their minds half-way through. No matter how much I try to fan-wank it, I can't get past the fact that: Mai could defy Azula over Zuko (her boyfriend) in a way that she couldn't bring herself to defy Azula over Tom-Tom (her baby brother). Or that she never appeared to have any problems with Azula until Zuko came on the scene. Which has all sorts of face-palming, anti-feminist implications that I won't even begin to go into.
I really don't care that there was no resolution to Iroh's spirit powers or Ursa's appearance. However since so many episodes were spent rehashing old ground (Katara does stupid things to save people! You don't say!) or inventing new angst to resolve within twenty minutes viewing time (Sozin suddenly has a non-Bending hang-up. Oh no, he doesn't!)...
I love Zuko. You know I love you, Zuko, don't you? And Aang, I adore you even more so. But if after two seasons of Zuko hunting me down and one episode of betraying me and causing my death, you followed me to my hiding place and then I was attacked by your assassin who you then killed... I'd still think you were setting me up. I certainly won't be going off alone with you to some unheard of Firebending Masters valley. And I'd think my bodyguard/girlfriend who was also personally betrayed by you and had just threatened to kill end you if you ever tried to kill me again would be scandalized at the idea.
I'm a Kataang fan and I wish that the series had not ended with twelve-year getting his mack on. Seriously. I kind of loved the show when it was about family and friendship and not Mystical Asia 90210. That's what fandom is for.
Gosh, I needed to get that off my chest. More coherency later. Yes, there is a method to this madness, I assure you. No, I am not finished. Yes, I am expecting mass defriending. :(
A picture of a giant turtle does not a convincing Chekhov's Gun makes. As far as this user is concerned, Spirit-bending is a Deus ex Machina.
Crazula made sense - if by sense, you mean I could squint and see the lead up to it - but shoddy build-up doesn't stop it from being cliche or smacking of writer back-tracking. (Bryke apparently just woke up and realized that for the story to end with any kind of coherent victory, they'd have to take down a fourteen-year-old girl. Oops).
On the other hand, I can squint until I'm cross-eyed but I don't see Ozai ripping off his shirt and going mano a mano against the Avatar. Apparently Sozin's Comet comes with an unknown side effect that makes erstwhile Evil Overlords do stupid things like risk their lives in battle when they have perfectly competent mooks to do the job for them.
The writers had one idea for Mai in the beginning and changed their minds half-way through. No matter how much I try to fan-wank it, I can't get past the fact that: Mai could defy Azula over Zuko (her boyfriend) in a way that she couldn't bring herself to defy Azula over Tom-Tom (her baby brother). Or that she never appeared to have any problems with Azula until Zuko came on the scene. Which has all sorts of face-palming, anti-feminist implications that I won't even begin to go into.
I really don't care that there was no resolution to Iroh's spirit powers or Ursa's appearance. However since so many episodes were spent rehashing old ground (Katara does stupid things to save people! You don't say!) or inventing new angst to resolve within twenty minutes viewing time (Sozin suddenly has a non-Bending hang-up. Oh no, he doesn't!)...
I love Zuko. You know I love you, Zuko, don't you? And Aang, I adore you even more so. But if after two seasons of Zuko hunting me down and one episode of betraying me and causing my death, you followed me to my hiding place and then I was attacked by your assassin who you then killed... I'd still think you were setting me up. I certainly won't be going off alone with you to some unheard of Firebending Masters valley. And I'd think my bodyguard/girlfriend who was also personally betrayed by you and had just threatened to kill end you if you ever tried to kill me again would be scandalized at the idea.
I'm a Kataang fan and I wish that the series had not ended with twelve-year getting his mack on. Seriously. I kind of loved the show when it was about family and friendship and not Mystical Asia 90210. That's what fandom is for.
Gosh, I needed to get that off my chest. More coherency later. Yes, there is a method to this madness, I assure you. No, I am not finished. Yes, I am expecting mass defriending. :(