Whew!
I have felt so buried lately! We're doing a special thing at work that leads to twice as much work as usual, plus I just moved, which always seems to include more things to do than you expect. Just last night I finally dropped off my old cable boxes at Time Warner (after 3 attempts at appointments to get it hooked up, one of which was just about learning that they couldn't), but got caught in a freak rainshower that lasted from the time I left the cab to the moment I arrived three at the office drenched, with the bag I had the cable box and modem in in pieces. Blech. You know it's bad when the guy at the counter just laughs at you.
Anyway, now I'm finally (hopefully) settled. And I have had a chance to read at least one excellent book that I have wanted to say something about.
Reading this story, which is by Dave Roman and the Alison Wilgus, I first wanted to say "And this is why they should let fanfic writers write for the canon. But then I didn't say that because it sounds like I'm just labelling Ali a fanfic writer, which I don't really think of her as, exclusively. (And also, let's face it, not all fanfic is good at all.) But what I meant was that part of what fanfic is is bringing those deeper character moments into a canon that doesn't always have time to linger on them.
In Zuko's Story, Dave and Ali have written a character's story, one focusing on how Zuko came to be the boy we first see standing on that ship, and what that light in the sky actually means to him. It covers three years of waiting--there's a real mythical quality to those three years canonically, where our hero wanders in the wilderness. He hasn't just been scarred, he's been stewing until just the right moment...
Needless to say, the whole story is full of juicy moments that I've come to expect in Ali's fics about the characters. Zuko meets other people whose influence we know is working under the surface and that I for one will now always see when I watch the show. For instance, the Indiana Jones-like moment where Zuko meets actor Hong Shen and becomes his apprentice for just a little while. Hong Shen leaves him with several important bits of advice, as well what will later become trademark swords and a mask with an identity to go along with it.
But if we're talking role models, we have to get into the other major character in the story, Iroh. Although Iroh doesn't look like the guy in the cartoon on the outside, Nina Matsumoto's always fabulous art made me forget that by making him always so clearly himself on the inside. One of my favorite panels had Zuko walking through trees. Zuko is scowling, his head bent down, ignoring everything but his destination. Iroh has a huge grin on his face, looking like a peasant girl being walked through a palace for the first time and just in awe of the decorations. Iroh so rocks. And he can't be easy to write, either. If you try to make him sound "deep" you wind up with silver sandwiches. But really Iroh's a lot like Zuko, only more articulate. When he understands something emotionally and speaks from his heart, it's just amazing.
Which leads me to possibly my favorite moment. No, not my favorite. There were too many of those, many involving Zuko looking very young. But the moment that surprised me the most, because for all I've thought about these characters Zuko's Story added something to my understanding of them and made me see Iroh in a completely different way. There's this moment when Zuko is in despair, unsure where to go next, but needing to believe that his quest isn't the pointless snipe hunt that it is. Iroh talks about how hard it was for him to even get out of bed each morning after his son died. He says, "You are stronger than I have ever been, Prince Zuko. you have struggled for all the things that were given to me. I lay down before my own grief, but you fought through wilderness unlike any I have had to face."
And that just kind of blew me away because without realizing it I always imagined Iroh as seeing the good in Zuko, but not seeing him as better than himself. I mean, one could argue that Iroh's being too hard on himself here. Denial isn't by definition a stronger way of dealing with grief than temporary despair. There's nothing weak in Iroh being crushed by Lu Ten's death before picking himself up again. But what's important is that after reading this book I believe that Iroh sees Zuko that way, and makes his canonical relationship with Zuko even more interesting. It's like...wow, he wasn't just an elder who saw the strength in his nephew that no one else, including his nephew, could see. He didn't just believe in his essential goodness. He actually admired him, even when he was lashing out and being cruel to him. Even because he was lashing out and being cruel to him! That's kind of mind-blowing.
And also a little heartbreaking, because when Zuko says to him, "The Earthbenders killed your son, Lu Ten, and you just couldn't handle it.You just gave up and came home and hid in the palace like a cowardly old fool! You gave up on your duty and your throne so why should I listen to anything you say!" (Thankfully he does not add that he hates him and he smells and he never wants to see him again...yet!) Iroh's hearing a grain of truth in it. I think he knows there was more to his putting down his swords than not being able to handle Lu Ten's death--he knows he made the right decision. But it seems like he really does see himself as unworthy of the throne. Maybe not in a self-hating way, but he does seem to look at Zuko and think, possibly for the first time in his royal life: that's what the Fire Lord should look like. Gah. I'm not explaining it well. That's what happens when somebody writes something good. It's so right but trying to describe it is hard!
Anyway, long story short--this book is totally better than a tie-in book for this movie could have been. I can't help but think that Mark and Brian would be thrilled with it. Yay!
Anyway, now I'm finally (hopefully) settled. And I have had a chance to read at least one excellent book that I have wanted to say something about.
Reading this story, which is by Dave Roman and the Alison Wilgus, I first wanted to say "And this is why they should let fanfic writers write for the canon. But then I didn't say that because it sounds like I'm just labelling Ali a fanfic writer, which I don't really think of her as, exclusively. (And also, let's face it, not all fanfic is good at all.) But what I meant was that part of what fanfic is is bringing those deeper character moments into a canon that doesn't always have time to linger on them.
In Zuko's Story, Dave and Ali have written a character's story, one focusing on how Zuko came to be the boy we first see standing on that ship, and what that light in the sky actually means to him. It covers three years of waiting--there's a real mythical quality to those three years canonically, where our hero wanders in the wilderness. He hasn't just been scarred, he's been stewing until just the right moment...
Needless to say, the whole story is full of juicy moments that I've come to expect in Ali's fics about the characters. Zuko meets other people whose influence we know is working under the surface and that I for one will now always see when I watch the show. For instance, the Indiana Jones-like moment where Zuko meets actor Hong Shen and becomes his apprentice for just a little while. Hong Shen leaves him with several important bits of advice, as well what will later become trademark swords and a mask with an identity to go along with it.
But if we're talking role models, we have to get into the other major character in the story, Iroh. Although Iroh doesn't look like the guy in the cartoon on the outside, Nina Matsumoto's always fabulous art made me forget that by making him always so clearly himself on the inside. One of my favorite panels had Zuko walking through trees. Zuko is scowling, his head bent down, ignoring everything but his destination. Iroh has a huge grin on his face, looking like a peasant girl being walked through a palace for the first time and just in awe of the decorations. Iroh so rocks. And he can't be easy to write, either. If you try to make him sound "deep" you wind up with silver sandwiches. But really Iroh's a lot like Zuko, only more articulate. When he understands something emotionally and speaks from his heart, it's just amazing.
Which leads me to possibly my favorite moment. No, not my favorite. There were too many of those, many involving Zuko looking very young. But the moment that surprised me the most, because for all I've thought about these characters Zuko's Story added something to my understanding of them and made me see Iroh in a completely different way. There's this moment when Zuko is in despair, unsure where to go next, but needing to believe that his quest isn't the pointless snipe hunt that it is. Iroh talks about how hard it was for him to even get out of bed each morning after his son died. He says, "You are stronger than I have ever been, Prince Zuko. you have struggled for all the things that were given to me. I lay down before my own grief, but you fought through wilderness unlike any I have had to face."
And that just kind of blew me away because without realizing it I always imagined Iroh as seeing the good in Zuko, but not seeing him as better than himself. I mean, one could argue that Iroh's being too hard on himself here. Denial isn't by definition a stronger way of dealing with grief than temporary despair. There's nothing weak in Iroh being crushed by Lu Ten's death before picking himself up again. But what's important is that after reading this book I believe that Iroh sees Zuko that way, and makes his canonical relationship with Zuko even more interesting. It's like...wow, he wasn't just an elder who saw the strength in his nephew that no one else, including his nephew, could see. He didn't just believe in his essential goodness. He actually admired him, even when he was lashing out and being cruel to him. Even because he was lashing out and being cruel to him! That's kind of mind-blowing.
And also a little heartbreaking, because when Zuko says to him, "The Earthbenders killed your son, Lu Ten, and you just couldn't handle it.You just gave up and came home and hid in the palace like a cowardly old fool! You gave up on your duty and your throne so why should I listen to anything you say!" (Thankfully he does not add that he hates him and he smells and he never wants to see him again...yet!) Iroh's hearing a grain of truth in it. I think he knows there was more to his putting down his swords than not being able to handle Lu Ten's death--he knows he made the right decision. But it seems like he really does see himself as unworthy of the throne. Maybe not in a self-hating way, but he does seem to look at Zuko and think, possibly for the first time in his royal life: that's what the Fire Lord should look like. Gah. I'm not explaining it well. That's what happens when somebody writes something good. It's so right but trying to describe it is hard!
Anyway, long story short--this book is totally better than a tie-in book for this movie could have been. I can't help but think that Mark and Brian would be thrilled with it. Yay!