I'm not sorry I met you, I'm not sorry it's over

[herongale]

When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.
Stars, "Your Ex-Lover is Dead"

Note: All Spoilers Under CutAvatar is not a series that needs me to recommend it, and I don't think I'm going to sway anyone's opinions no matter how convincing my praise. Nevertheless I feel compelled to talk about the last episode. So many

Comments

[cephiedvariable]

... you are so right. ♥

What gets me is that most of the people who get down on Aang for his idealism love Zuko who... uh, if it hadn't been obvious already, was canonically stated to be an idealist in the finale. I think the point was they would have had fairly similar philosophies, but Aang was raised in a culture that emphasized freedom, balance and peace while Zuko was raised in an emotionally stifling environment. THEY BOTH HAVE SUCH DELICATE HEARTS, LOL.

BUT WTFEVER, who cares what other people think: coupled with what you've said about Aang as a truly inspiring savior figure makes me extra glad this story was framed as a narrative for children. If you do it right, writing for children can reveal more universal truths than writing for adults ever could. Maybe we get too self absorbed with our own, petty flaws the older we get? lol? o__O

Ironically uses cynical and nihilistic icon.

[cephiedvariable]

these days, people want this modern concept of realism; one that involves death, bad endings, 'dark' and depressing stuff, and ugliness all around. Cynicism and pessimism and 'snarkiness' is seen as realism, while optimism and happiness is associated with idealism. And it gets really frustrating.

I also wish this mode of creative thought would, excuse the colloquialism, DIE IN A FIRE. A, uh, deep meaningful fire. :P

I love me a good ol' dark story full of death and decay and failure and all that, but I have a hard time seeing the value in a work of fiction if it's only goal is to promote empty nihilism. That's not to say that every story should be about hope, but hope is a part of the human experience too.

[cephiedvariable]

Beautiful commentary, makes me want to watch the whole thing over again just for the experience. I can't remember the last time I've been rendered so breathless by a television show. Forget LOST, forget House and 24 and whatever it is the adults go mad over this day, the best television series of this decade was aimed at twelve year olds.

Oh God, Azula. Her descent into madness was what hit me hardest of all the hard hits in the finale. She's not a character I'm particularly invested in, but she had me hurting pretty bad by the ending. Her turn around from invincible monster into pathetic, lost girl was tangibly embarassing. Even after so many episodes, I'm still occasionally shocked by the quality of writing on this show. They managed to give their most enduring villain her humanity without taking that extra step and making her sympathetic. You pity her, but it's not the kind of pity you feel for Zuko in Season 1.

[cephiedvariable]

And even the detail of her hair being down during the fight added to it all, the chaotic desperation of this person usually so in control of everything.

Avatar is a show that uses every element of its artistic direction to perfection. Or at the very least, has learned to over time.

[herongale]

The last American series that affected me so strongly had to have been Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and even THAT had many flaws and problems... mostly refusing to put a stake in when it was clearly dead (forgive the pun).

It's not like Avatar is perfect, but it told the story it set out to tell, and it told in such a way as to exceed my most generous expectations. The last time I felt this much GRATITUDE at an ending was either with Hikaru no Go, or Haibane Renmei. Which are definitely amongst the strongest anime series of all time.

Her turn around from invincible monster into pathetic, lost girl was tangibly embarassing."Embarrassing" is the perfect word for it, too. I cringed for her, and yet at the same time wanted someone to HOLD her already (er, not me eheh-- I value my skin). I would agree that she is not exactly sympathetic, but I felt that in this ending they did something to awaken a YEARNING on her behalf that certainly never existed before. I want her to find with her mother what Zuko found with Iroh. It is

[herongale]

My hope is that the target audience has not been tainted by the easy availability of fandom commentary, which is all too often trite and stupid and shallow.

As an adult, I feel like I can ignore all that bullshit and see the story for what it is. But there is something that I can never have with Avatar, and that is the wonder and joy of experiencing it as a child. If I think back on my younger self, I am sure that if I had seen this UNTAINTED I would have had my eyes opened in ways that otherwise would have taken me many more years to really see. This show is like jumper cables for adults, but it has the potential to be a 1.21 gigawatt plutonium reactor for the right kind of child.

This is what pisses me off most about online fandom. People who are already hardened by experience can brush off the negativity of others. But children don't always fare so well, and it it often people who are not much older than children themselves who fuel much of the stupidity and contempt.

[herongale]

:DDD

YES!!!

SO YESS!!!

Being a man is alright I guess. But give me merciful and kind every time, in either flavour of gender. XDDDDD

[miss_arel]

I am way too tired and brain-dead to properly respond to this right now, I'm afraid. But thank you very much for posting this. There have been lots of squee posts on my flist so far, and that's all well and good, but this is the first one I've seen that really talks about what happened, and I enjoyed reading it. ♥