Avatar's Asian Quick-Reference Archives
Hi:
Got this from imdb and courtesy of WhatUpDoc95 and y dajanerz
www.imdb.com/title/tt0938283/board/flat/142289933
*Avatar's Asian Quick-Reference Archives*
by WhatsUpDoc95 (Wed Jul 8 2009 12:36:26)
Ignore this User | Report Abuse Reply
UPDATED Mon Jul 13 2009 16:27:40
Okay, I think I speak for a lot of Anti-casters when I say that this whole thing is getting to be really annoying. Everyday, we have to argue with new Pro-casters about such obvious things dealing with the show. We have to post the same things over and over and over again. Quite frankly, it gets really annoying. And, we come off as mean and rude because we are annoyed of saying the same thing over and over again. So, I decided, for my personal use, and for anyone else's, to make a collection of proof of Avatar's Asian influences. Instead of arguing over and over again with new Pro-casters, I'm just going to link them to this thread. Please feel free to add anything to this list by replying. Anything, from links to quotes from the creators.
First Sites to Browse Through
www.racebending.com/
aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/
Avatar: An Essay in Images
www.racebending.com/essayinimages.php
The Language of Casting
vejiicakes.livejournal.com/255699.html
Do Anime Characters Look "White"?
-www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html
-www.youtube.com/watch
The Slanted Screen Documentary (feat. Mako, the voice of Iroh)
Part One www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Two:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Three:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Four:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Five:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Six:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Seven:www.youtube.com/watch
Architecture in the World of Avatar
avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Architecture_in_the_World_of_Avatar
Fashion in the World of Avatar
avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Fashion_in_the_World_of_Avatar
Writing in the World of Avatar
avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Writing_in_the_World_of_Avatar
Influences on Avatar: The Last Airbender
Main Article: avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender
-Stylistic Influences:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Stylistic_Influences
-Cultures:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Cultures
-Martial Arts:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Martial_Arts
-Weaponry:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Weaponry
-Religious Influences:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Religious_Influences
Direct Avatar to Real-Life Image Comparisons
www.youtube.com/watch
www.youtube.com/watch
Quotes from the Creators
Well, Bryan had worked with Eric Coleman, the head of development at Nickelodeon, and we knew that Nickelodeon was looking for a [particular fantasy] kind of show, so we kind of took that directive and set about creating our own mythology. And we wanted to base it in Asian rather than European background, and use the elements; to use martial arts as kind of the basis for the magic in the show… even though we don't call it "magic," it is the supernatural element of the show.
"The best anime balances great action sequences with humor and emotion, something we try to do on Avatar. We love all the films of Hayao Miyazaki, especially Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Both movies deal with spirituality and the environment in an entertaining way. Also, there's a lot of great animation."
"Asian cinema is really good at action comedy. Shaolin Soccer is one of our favorite movies. It has tons of fantastic action and lots of funny moments. Some of the effects provided inspiration for how bending moves might look on the show."
"Actually, Katara's like, hair loops, the hair loopies... They used to hang down, uh, just loosely and [animation director] thought that would be too hard to animate. And, um, thought they'd be moving around too much. So, he had the idea to tie them back, which actually ended up being an authentic Inuit hairstyle."
"Yeah, early on… Mike and I just bought dozens of books. You know, learning kung fu, hands-on, and not just copying stuff out of a movie, we really, really wanted to understand it. And you know, there's so much to learn, we're still researching, all of the really rich cultures and proud traditions, and so, we're just trying to pay homage."
You know Bumi lived over 100 years. We had kind of set it up. It's not so foreign in Chinese mythology to have like the Taoist immortals, these characters or legendary figures who lived 500-600 years. It wasn't one of the earliest ideas we had, but pretty early on Mike and I were of the idea that these people with such enhanced Chi fields might live a longer time. We've shown that Kyoshi was a pretty robust person."
"It's an ancient city and it's definitely been very cut off from the rest of the Earth Kingdom throughout the ages. It's kinda based on Chinese History. How the Forbidden City was off on its own and the Emperor wouldn't leave there...the safety of their kingdom...very often. It was also an interesting idea that a kid could be raised in this super confined area and never have seen the outside world. So yeah, Ba Sing Se's isolation is a tradition that's gone back for a looong time. "
"Ozai is not like some kind of palace dweller. We will say that. I'm not sure how much he's ventured out into the world, but he's not like the Earth King where he's isolated. The Fire Nation is a little more 'hands on'. It's not uncommon that you will have to fight or duel for political or military positions or purposes. There's a big difference. I think in the Fire Nation, unlike in Ba Sing Se, if there's a prince who's 30 years old, he's probably fought pretty intensely a few times. Had to prove his worth. Not unlike Japanese Samurai in their day. They had to make a name for themselves, they had to have some fame..."
"If you look back on the great swordmasters of Asian history, a lot of them were artists, poets, masters of tea ceremony, actors, and the like."
"The Blue Spirit mask in our real world is a wizard mask in Chinese opera. We used the traditional design almost verbatim, except for coloration differences which we took upon ourselves."
"Now I'm hearing people are so surprised that a caucasian kid was cast as the Asian lead?
SHOCKING NEWS!!
Kindda like the Kung Fu TV Series when David Carradine beat out Bruce Lee for the lead. I mean goodness we all know David Carradine. was by far superior in the martial arts compared to Bruce Lee, go figure"
This will probably be the coolest movie I will never see.
Well when I first saw the trailer I got excited because the special effects looked great (barring the ((less than polished)) martial arts staff sequence which I overlooked with sympathy 'cause I told them "how" to make it right and apparently the martial art is not priority...) the more I hear about elements related to the film, the fact the guy lies about the silliest things, the race issue (sad) all puts it way on the back burner of my movie go see list.
Well first I would have trained the boy for an extended period of time in the BASICS of Martial which is the biggest problem I have in watching it he hasn't internalized them. As far as what I would have choreographed? If you are a fan of the series then you already know....
Trust me they are seeing how the fans react but Nick Animation, Bryan and Mike HAD NO SAY IN HOW THE FILM WAS CAST so please give those guys a break. It is quite apparent what their casting choices would have been from the 7 years of work they put into the animated series.
If you see them don't give them a hard time please
Images
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture047.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture048.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture049.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture061.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture062.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture076.jpg
i40.tinypic.com/iepg1v.jpg
Jul. 18th, 2009 11:41 am (local)
y dajanerz (Wed Jul 8 2009 23:08:06)
y dajanerz (Wed Jul 8 2009 23:08:06)
Ignore this User | Report Abuse Reply
READY? Here you go...
2005 interview with Bryan and Mike:
http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=841&document =2
Worth quoting from Bryan: "Yeah, early on… Mike and I just bought dozens of books. You know, learning kung fu, hands-on, and not just copying stuff out of a movie, we really, really wanted to understand it. And you know, there's so much to learn, we're still researching, all of the really rich cultures and proud traditions, and so, we're just trying to pay homage."
Sifu Kisu referencing his son to the Asian Look of Aang:
Post#265 http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php
The following interviews are all found on ASN. There are others, but I focused on Bryan and Mike's interviews only...
Interview w/Bryan:www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
"BK: You know Bumi lived over 100 years. We had kind of set it up. It's not so foreign in Chinese mythology to have like the Taoist immortals, these characters or legendary figures who lived 500-600 years. It wasn't one of the earliest ideas we had, but pretty early on Mike and I were of the idea that these people with such enhanced Chi fields might live a longer time. We've shown that Kyoshi was a pretty robust person."
Part II: www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
Mike: "It's an ancient city and it's definitely been very cut off from the rest of the Earth Kingdom throughout the ages. It's kinda based on Chinese History. How the Forbidden City was off on its own and the Emperor wouldn't leave there...the safety of their kingdom...very often. It was also an interesting idea that a kid could be raised in this super confined area and never have seen the outside world. So yeah, Ba Sing Se's isolation is a tradition that's gone back for a looong time. "
Bryan: "Ozai is not like some kind of palace dweller. We will say that. I'm not sure how much he's ventured out into the world, but he's not like the Earth King where he's isolated. The Fire Nation is a little more 'hands on'. It's not uncommon that you will have to fight or duel for political or military positions or purposes. There's a big difference. I think in the Fire Nation, unlike in Ba Sing Se, if there's a prince who's 30 years old, he's probably fought pretty intensely a few times. Had to prove his worth. Not unlike Japanese Samurai in their day. They had to make a name for themselves, they had to have some fame..."
Bryan: "If you look back on the great swordmasters of Asian history, a lot of them were artists, poets, masters of tea ceremony, actors, and the like."
Part III: www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
Bryan: "The Blue Spirit mask in our real world is a wizard mask in Chinese opera. We used the traditional design almost verbatim, except for coloration differences which we took upon ourselves."
The Track Team interviews have some interesting insight on the instruments they used in creating music for the show too. But here's the link to all the interviews:
www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
Got this from imdb and courtesy of WhatUpDoc95 and y dajanerz
www.imdb.com/title/tt0938283/board/flat/142289933
*Avatar's Asian Quick-Reference Archives*
by WhatsUpDoc95 (Wed Jul 8 2009 12:36:26)
Ignore this User | Report Abuse Reply
UPDATED Mon Jul 13 2009 16:27:40
Okay, I think I speak for a lot of Anti-casters when I say that this whole thing is getting to be really annoying. Everyday, we have to argue with new Pro-casters about such obvious things dealing with the show. We have to post the same things over and over and over again. Quite frankly, it gets really annoying. And, we come off as mean and rude because we are annoyed of saying the same thing over and over again. So, I decided, for my personal use, and for anyone else's, to make a collection of proof of Avatar's Asian influences. Instead of arguing over and over again with new Pro-casters, I'm just going to link them to this thread. Please feel free to add anything to this list by replying. Anything, from links to quotes from the creators.
First Sites to Browse Through
www.racebending.com/
aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/
Avatar: An Essay in Images
www.racebending.com/essayinimages.php
The Language of Casting
vejiicakes.livejournal.com/255699.html
Do Anime Characters Look "White"?
-www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html
-www.youtube.com/watch
The Slanted Screen Documentary (feat. Mako, the voice of Iroh)
Part One www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Two:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Three:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Four:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Five:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Six:www.youtube.com/watch
-Part Seven:www.youtube.com/watch
Architecture in the World of Avatar
avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Architecture_in_the_World_of_Avatar
Fashion in the World of Avatar
avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Fashion_in_the_World_of_Avatar
Writing in the World of Avatar
avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Writing_in_the_World_of_Avatar
Influences on Avatar: The Last Airbender
Main Article: avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender
-Stylistic Influences:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Stylistic_Influences
-Cultures:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Cultures
-Martial Arts:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Martial_Arts
-Weaponry:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Weaponry
-Religious Influences:avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender# Religious_Influences
Direct Avatar to Real-Life Image Comparisons
www.youtube.com/watch
www.youtube.com/watch
Quotes from the Creators
Well, Bryan had worked with Eric Coleman, the head of development at Nickelodeon, and we knew that Nickelodeon was looking for a [particular fantasy] kind of show, so we kind of took that directive and set about creating our own mythology. And we wanted to base it in Asian rather than European background, and use the elements; to use martial arts as kind of the basis for the magic in the show… even though we don't call it "magic," it is the supernatural element of the show.
"The best anime balances great action sequences with humor and emotion, something we try to do on Avatar. We love all the films of Hayao Miyazaki, especially Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Both movies deal with spirituality and the environment in an entertaining way. Also, there's a lot of great animation."
"Asian cinema is really good at action comedy. Shaolin Soccer is one of our favorite movies. It has tons of fantastic action and lots of funny moments. Some of the effects provided inspiration for how bending moves might look on the show."
"Actually, Katara's like, hair loops, the hair loopies... They used to hang down, uh, just loosely and [animation director] thought that would be too hard to animate. And, um, thought they'd be moving around too much. So, he had the idea to tie them back, which actually ended up being an authentic Inuit hairstyle."
"Yeah, early on… Mike and I just bought dozens of books. You know, learning kung fu, hands-on, and not just copying stuff out of a movie, we really, really wanted to understand it. And you know, there's so much to learn, we're still researching, all of the really rich cultures and proud traditions, and so, we're just trying to pay homage."
You know Bumi lived over 100 years. We had kind of set it up. It's not so foreign in Chinese mythology to have like the Taoist immortals, these characters or legendary figures who lived 500-600 years. It wasn't one of the earliest ideas we had, but pretty early on Mike and I were of the idea that these people with such enhanced Chi fields might live a longer time. We've shown that Kyoshi was a pretty robust person."
"It's an ancient city and it's definitely been very cut off from the rest of the Earth Kingdom throughout the ages. It's kinda based on Chinese History. How the Forbidden City was off on its own and the Emperor wouldn't leave there...the safety of their kingdom...very often. It was also an interesting idea that a kid could be raised in this super confined area and never have seen the outside world. So yeah, Ba Sing Se's isolation is a tradition that's gone back for a looong time. "
"Ozai is not like some kind of palace dweller. We will say that. I'm not sure how much he's ventured out into the world, but he's not like the Earth King where he's isolated. The Fire Nation is a little more 'hands on'. It's not uncommon that you will have to fight or duel for political or military positions or purposes. There's a big difference. I think in the Fire Nation, unlike in Ba Sing Se, if there's a prince who's 30 years old, he's probably fought pretty intensely a few times. Had to prove his worth. Not unlike Japanese Samurai in their day. They had to make a name for themselves, they had to have some fame..."
"If you look back on the great swordmasters of Asian history, a lot of them were artists, poets, masters of tea ceremony, actors, and the like."
"The Blue Spirit mask in our real world is a wizard mask in Chinese opera. We used the traditional design almost verbatim, except for coloration differences which we took upon ourselves."
"Now I'm hearing people are so surprised that a caucasian kid was cast as the Asian lead?
SHOCKING NEWS!!
Kindda like the Kung Fu TV Series when David Carradine beat out Bruce Lee for the lead. I mean goodness we all know David Carradine. was by far superior in the martial arts compared to Bruce Lee, go figure"
- -Sifu Kisu
This will probably be the coolest movie I will never see.
- -Sifu Kisu
Well when I first saw the trailer I got excited because the special effects looked great (barring the ((less than polished)) martial arts staff sequence which I overlooked with sympathy 'cause I told them "how" to make it right and apparently the martial art is not priority...) the more I hear about elements related to the film, the fact the guy lies about the silliest things, the race issue (sad) all puts it way on the back burner of my movie go see list.
- -Sifu Kisu
Well first I would have trained the boy for an extended period of time in the BASICS of Martial which is the biggest problem I have in watching it he hasn't internalized them. As far as what I would have choreographed? If you are a fan of the series then you already know....
- -Sifu Kisu
Trust me they are seeing how the fans react but Nick Animation, Bryan and Mike HAD NO SAY IN HOW THE FILM WAS CAST so please give those guys a break. It is quite apparent what their casting choices would have been from the 7 years of work they put into the animated series.
If you see them don't give them a hard time please
- -Sifu Kisu
Images
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture047.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture048.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture049.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture061.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture062.jpg
i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/lostchild06/Picture076.jpg
i40.tinypic.com/iepg1v.jpg
Jul. 18th, 2009 11:41 am (local)
y dajanerz (Wed Jul 8 2009 23:08:06)
y dajanerz (Wed Jul 8 2009 23:08:06)
Ignore this User | Report Abuse Reply
READY? Here you go...
2005 interview with Bryan and Mike:
http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=841&document =2
Worth quoting from Bryan: "Yeah, early on… Mike and I just bought dozens of books. You know, learning kung fu, hands-on, and not just copying stuff out of a movie, we really, really wanted to understand it. And you know, there's so much to learn, we're still researching, all of the really rich cultures and proud traditions, and so, we're just trying to pay homage."
Sifu Kisu referencing his son to the Asian Look of Aang:
Post#265 http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php
The following interviews are all found on ASN. There are others, but I focused on Bryan and Mike's interviews only...
Interview w/Bryan:www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
"BK: You know Bumi lived over 100 years. We had kind of set it up. It's not so foreign in Chinese mythology to have like the Taoist immortals, these characters or legendary figures who lived 500-600 years. It wasn't one of the earliest ideas we had, but pretty early on Mike and I were of the idea that these people with such enhanced Chi fields might live a longer time. We've shown that Kyoshi was a pretty robust person."
Part II: www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
Mike: "It's an ancient city and it's definitely been very cut off from the rest of the Earth Kingdom throughout the ages. It's kinda based on Chinese History. How the Forbidden City was off on its own and the Emperor wouldn't leave there...the safety of their kingdom...very often. It was also an interesting idea that a kid could be raised in this super confined area and never have seen the outside world. So yeah, Ba Sing Se's isolation is a tradition that's gone back for a looong time. "
Bryan: "Ozai is not like some kind of palace dweller. We will say that. I'm not sure how much he's ventured out into the world, but he's not like the Earth King where he's isolated. The Fire Nation is a little more 'hands on'. It's not uncommon that you will have to fight or duel for political or military positions or purposes. There's a big difference. I think in the Fire Nation, unlike in Ba Sing Se, if there's a prince who's 30 years old, he's probably fought pretty intensely a few times. Had to prove his worth. Not unlike Japanese Samurai in their day. They had to make a name for themselves, they had to have some fame..."
Bryan: "If you look back on the great swordmasters of Asian history, a lot of them were artists, poets, masters of tea ceremony, actors, and the like."
Part III: www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php
Bryan: "The Blue Spirit mask in our real world is a wizard mask in Chinese opera. We used the traditional design almost verbatim, except for coloration differences which we took upon ourselves."
The Track Team interviews have some interesting insight on the instruments they used in creating music for the show too. But here's the link to all the interviews:
www.avatarspiritmedia.net/interviews.php