AtLA Rewatch: The Boy In The Iceberg & The Avatar Returns

[frith_in_thorns]

Hi! Welcome to the first part of the Avatar: the Last Airbender watch/rewatch, hosted by sholio and myself. There will be a post each week, and then we watch two episodes (20 minutes each) and discuss/squee in the comments.

Book 1 Episodes 1: The Boy In The Iceberg & 2: The Avatar ReturnsIn which there are penguin-otters (seriously, they are the cutest

Comments

SPOILER-FREE THREAD

[frith_in_thorns]

Only discussion up to these episodes, please!

Re: SPOILER-FREE THREAD

[kaberett]

This first episode seriously contains one of my favourite bits of the entire show - specifically, the bit where in the first five minutes of the first episode of the first series of a mainstream USois kids' TV show, a female character calls a male character out for sexism in those words -- and is taken seriously.

I cannot even with how much I love this show! I have watched these two episodes about 10 times in the last 18 months, though, so I find it hard to keep up the squee for them excepting, naturally, that bit - & the otter-penguins!! - & naturally Appa. ;)

Re: SPOILER-FREE THREAD

[frith_in_thorns]

Yes! I love that so much! I really adore Katara and I love that the show does that.

And she also breaks my heart a little in the first ep saying, "I haven't done this since I was a kid!" She's had to grow up so fast -- and Sokka has too. That scene when Zuko's ship is sailing up and he's standing on the wall all alone in adult war-paint seriously gives me chills.

Re: SPOILER-FREE THREAD

[kaberett]

Yesssss. God, so many tears, still, every time, at how much - how quickly - they've all been forced to grow up, by the same circumstances, and the directions it's taken all of them in.

MY BABIES. COME AND HAVE HUGS.

God, this show really does start out not even a tiny bit pulling its punches, does it.

(Show of my heaaaaaaaaaart.)

[vmuzic]

I started this show the first time with hesitation and ambivalence, but now I've found a life-long love. My favorite part is the relationship between Sokka and Katara. They bicker all the time, but they would do anything if the other really needed it. I also like that the recognize they have the ability to hurt each other, like when Sokka banishes Aang. I love that romantic love is not the be-all-end-all. Having grown up with a brother, the way they relate to each other rings true to me

[hukbillgoomba]

A great example of the way the show deals with character growth can be seen in how different Sokka is in the first episode where he's all "I AM WARRIOR!! WRRRAAA!!" and gets pushed into the floor right away - and in The Day of Black Sun where he has the warrior mantle thrust upon him against his judgement and he kicks ass!!

[hukbillgoomba]

I took a bit of an odd approach. I'd been watching various clips of Legend of Korra on YouTube, some from the first episode, and then went to Legend of Aang. Despite the VAST difference in production costs they both maintain a lot of the same feel

[frith_in_thorns]

The show really does do great characters. They're so very real and relatable, and just lovely. I hadn't thought so much about the contrast between Zuko and Iroh, but yeah!

[hukbillgoomba]

I think the one thing I always wanted to see more of was Iroh and Ozai - I wanted more of THEIR relationship as they were clearly so different as brothers. But you can't have everything. XD

[tielan]

I might try to keep up with this rewatch. Two eps a week seems manageable (says the woman who manages to let all her shows fall horrendously behind).

I haven't seen past eps 1.13-1.14 - see note about falling behind in shows. But it's been on my 'to watch' list for a very long time.

[frith_in_thorns]

I hope you do keep on with it! It really does get better and better as it goes on, not least because of all the fantastic and cumulative character development. And some incredibly awesome characters you haven't met yet! :D