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the-badger-mole · 11 months

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I feel like I don't harp on Aang's lack of leadership skills enough. I can already hear people cracking their knuckles to type out some long diatribe about how it's unfair to judge Aang's leadership because he's a kid. Let me stop you right there. As with his lack of respect for consent and his lack of preparation to deal with Ozai, his age is irrelevant because the framing of Aang would have us believe that he's right. The show wants us, the audience, to see Aang as clever and wise beyond his years. To say I can't be too hard on Aang because he's a child flies directly in the face of what the writers intended. So, step away from the keyboard and let me finish, alright?

Bet.

When I think of Aang as a leader, the episode that comes to mind is The Great Divide. Someone recently brought this up to me as an example of Aang being a Trickster type. I disagree. I think Aang is more of an Innocent than a Trickster, but I get how someone might see him as either *. It doesn't make him a great leader, in any case. In fact, it supports my theory that he's a bad leader. His actions in TGD show that he is far more interested in taking the easy way out than in any real sort of conflict resolution, which in a world looking for guidance post war is...not a great attitude to have. This is the most egregious example of his lack of conflict resolution skills, but it's not the only example of this. He also looks for the easy fix when Katara and Toph are fighting (although, this is interestingly actually framed as a misstep for him. A box of Mars bars to Bryke for that, I guess). It would be fine if this was acknowledged as a short-coming in him, but the way TGD ends, it's supposed to make Aang look clever. (P.S. there's NO way those groups didn't go right back to fighting, because that's not how conflict works).

Bryke could have left that alone and just have more examples of Aang being a good leader in the rest of the series or in the comics, but seeing as they don't seem to understand why Aang isn't the wonderful person they frame him to be, I get why there's not a whole lot of growth in him. Speaking of the comics, remember that time that Aang jumped on board with anti-miscegenation without considering the consequences? Remember how the only reason he changed his mind is because he would be personally affected by it? Yeah...

So, in the comics, Aang meets a group of wanna be Acolytes who studied Air Nomad customs and wanted to actually live them out. They shaved their heads and painted on some tattoos, and Aang was all about it...until he realized that it wasn't paint, they had actually gotten the tattoos, and at that point, he feels insulted. Mind you, he wasn't insulted about his culture being used as cosplay. He was mad that they misunderstood the significance of the tattoos and in their misguided attempts they did something they weren't supposed to. I'm not saying he was wrong to be upset, per se, I'm just saying that cultural appropriation is probably something that the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender are out of their depths on. Well, this incident sours him on the idea of mixing cultures and in his anger, he jumps right to anti-miscegenation.

Let me repeat that. Avatar Aang, who is supposed to represent all peoples, got angry at some well-intentioned, but severely misguided girls, and decided that the solution would be to support policies that would literally tear apart families. Then he only walked that back because he wouldn't be able to keep Katara. It wasn't him realizing how much damage he would do to other people. It wasn't him understanding that the issue he's trying to solve requires more delicate handling than simply saying "everyone go back to where you came from". It was his selfishness that saved the day (sort of? I think annexing a part of the Earth Kingdom to make pseudo-New York was...questionable at best).

These are the two biggest, if not only examples of the type of leader Aang is. In both cases, his solution had more to do with him, his personal convenience, his feelings, than any thought of how best serve the people looking to him to lead. They are not presented as issues with his leadership, highlighting the ways he needs to grow into his role. The solutions he comes up with are presented as examples of his cleverness and wisdom, but actually, they just show how he leads based on what's best for him. The people of Planet Avatar ** are subject to Aang's whims and how much work he feels like putting in on a given day. But the people he's leading are supposed to think he's a Big Dang Hero. In a better written story, this would be the beginning of a villain arc.

*(btw, it is still The Year of Content ™️©️®️, so probably expect another post in the future about why I think Aang is more in line with the Innocent than the Trickster. Maybe. We'll see...)

** (is there a name for that world in the fandom? Can we come up with one? Planet Avatar is incredibly lame.)

#atla #anti aang #avatar aang is bad at his job #and the narrative doesn't seem interested actually improving him #they just want us to accept that he's a good leader #without any evidence of his leadership skills #for anyone who thinks i ONLY hate aang because of zutara #nuh-uh!!!#i also hate him for being a a boring poorly written character who the writers tried to trick me into believing was tH3 r3@L h3R0000 🙄#as if #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

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chiefesskatara · 8 months

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The parallels between Katara & Aang throughout Avatar The Last Airbender

This will be a long post where I present parallels between Katara and Aang from the show, Avatar The Last Airbender.

Survivors of genocide

Katara: [Sadly.] No. You're looking at the only waterbender in the whole South Pole.

Aang: [Sadly.] But you were right. And if the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. [Close-up of his sad face, as he closes his eyes.] I really am the last airbender.

Early on in the show we are introduced to the fact that both Katara & Aang are the last remaining benders of their homes. They were both children when they survived the genocides that was done to directly hunt them down. Katara and Aang show us how different their experiences of genocide can be.

The genocide of Aang's people was absolute, he does not meet a single air bender up until his third Childs birth, Tenzin. Katara was the last water bender in the entire southern water tribe. The water bending culture in the South Pole had been obliterated after the benders of her grandmothers generation were taken away or killed.

Aang grew up with other air benders and was brought up by his master and father figure, Monk Gyatso. After waking up from his long sleep in the iceberg, his culture and people had been wiped out and forgotten. The genocide of the air nomads was absolute, he does not meet a single air bender up until his third Childs birth, Tenzin.

And from there their friendship blossomed. From penguin sledding to training together to helping each other rebuild their homes/cultures.

Katara, the last water bender of the southern water tribe & Avatar Aang, the last air bender of the Air nomads.

The Southern Raiders: She runs nervously past her brother. Several Water Tribe warriors are shown running about in a frantic motion. The camera focuses on Katara again, who arrives at their igloo and pushes back the curtain. Young Katara: Mom! She runs in to discover her mother seated on the floor, a man towering over her. Kya: Just let her go and I'll give you the information you want.

The Southern Air Temple: Aang enters the room and looks around with a sad expression on his face. The scene switches to a closer shot of the skeleton in the snow and slowly zooms in on it. The skeleton is adorned with a round necklace that supports the symbol of airbending. Close-up of Aang, as he stares at the skeletons. Cut back to a close-up of the skeleton dressed in yellow monk robes. The camera focuses on the round, wooden necklace. Cut back to Aang, whose eyes are trembling with sadness and hold back tears. Aang: [Devastated.] Gyatso.

No hesitation

In this parallel we are presented with how far Katara and Aang are willing to go for each other.

Katara, without any hesitation, chooses to be banished from her village and gets ready to leave with Aang. In a similar manner, Aang chooses Katara in a heartbeat over this one chance of learning water bending from a master water bender. The rejection and disrespect thrown at Katara from Pakku was enough for the monk to dismiss him.

These choices are extremely hard to pick and puts them both in very tough spots. Katara potentially losing her whole family and Aang losing a master whom can teach and guide him as the Avatar. Yet, they both plead to the other to not make rash decisions based on them. The respect and love and understanding these two have for each other is outstanding.

Imprisoned

Imprisoned: Approaches Katara, kneeling to stare into her obstinate expression. She crosses her eyebrows, scowling coarsely at the man. Warden: Simply treat me with courtesy that I give you– And we'll get along famously.

The Blue Spirit: Zhao: Tell me, how does it feel to be the only airbender left? Do you miss your people? [Aang looks down sadly.]

Katara & Aang are imprisoned for their bending abilities, chained down & humiliated. They bravely face the imperial violence & work in together with the members of the other nations to free themselves.

Oma and Shu

The Cave Of Two Lovers: A man and a woman from feuding towns met atop a mountain. Despite the dangers of meeting, the loving couple found a way to continue their relationship in secret. After learning earth bending by observing the natural skills of badgermoles, they created a labyrinth, which only they could navigate successfully and served as a meeting place.

The narrative symbolism in the show represents the love between Katara and Aang. The rest of the elements, where two people can’t be together because of the war, where one of them is killed (Aang & Shu), which leads to a powerful display of bending in the exact same position between Katara and Oma.

Can't be together because of the war - Katara telling Aang that their biggest priority should be focusing on the war in "The Ember Island Players" episode.

Shu is killed in the war – Aang enters his Avatar State to fight against them, but is wounded in the back by Azula's lightning and falls to the ground, dying.

Oma, in a fit of blind rage and sorrow, destroys everything in her path – Katara unleashes a powerful display of her water bending abilities and creates a huge wave.

The Southern Raiders and Sozin’s Comet

The Southern Raiders: Yon Rha: [Falls to his knees.] I did a bad thing! I know I did and you deserve revenge, so why don't you take my mother? That would be fair! [Attempts to smile weakly.] Katara: [Sorrowfully.] I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty. Yon Rha: [Humbly.] Please, spare me! [Cries.] Katara: But as much as I hate you ... I just can't do it.

Sozin's Comet: Aang: [With the voices of all previous Avatars.] Fire Lord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you shall pay the ultimate price! [Aang, under control of his past lives, combines all four elements together for his final attack. At the last second, however, he manages to regain control; he comes out of the Avatar State, lets his attack die out, and floats to the ground, freeing Ozai in the process. He now speaks in his normal voice.] No, I'm not gonna end it like this. Ozai: Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak!

Katara and Aang, two children who were stripped of their culture at a young age, and were able to have the chance to come face to face with the men who took away their loved ones. Yet, they both choose to let them go instead of taking revenge in the form of killing them.

Pride

Imprisoned: Katara: [Sits beside Haru, sets her fingertips on her necklace.] See this necklace? My mother gave it to me. Haru: It's beautiful. Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. [Hangs her head, turning away.] This necklace is all I have left of her.

The Awakening: Sokka: Here, [Offering a Fire Nation bandana.] tie this around your head. It will cover your arrow. Aang: I'm not going out if I can't wear my arrow proudly! [He lies back down.]

Katara and Aang who proudly showcase their cultures in the form of a necklace and tattoo's. They honour the people that were taken away from them and the sacrifices made in their name.

Exploitation

"Let’s talk about how in these parallels, Aang and Katara are explicitly being exploited by adults that they thought they could trust, in an attempt for these adults to harness destructive power from within the children. in either episode, Aang and Katara, devastated and tearful, are brought to their knees, begging for the pain and torture to stop (in Aang’s case, he’s preventing general Fong from hurting Katara; in Katara’s case, she’s protecting herself from Hama, who is willing her to bloodbend). ultimately, the two children reach their breaking points, which results in them not only generating great bouts of power, but picking up a bending technique/state that goes completely against their moral beliefs." Read the rest here

A beautifully written parallel analysis on Kataang and the corruption of their powers! Written by the lovely @kataraslove

Disguises

The Painted Lady: Katara: Well, what was I supposed to do? Sokka: Leave! Do nothing! Katara: [Angrily.] No, I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me! [Gets up.] I'm going down to that village, and I am gonna do whatever I can.

The Headband: Male student #1: [Shyly hiding his face behind his collar.] I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave ... Male student #2: [Runs in front of the camera.] Yeah! What if someone finds out?! [Looks around nervously before exiting left.] Aang: Oh boy. Listen guys, dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you.

The Painted Lady (Katara) and Kuzon (Aang) are both identities that Aang and Katara put on to understand the Fire Nation people, to help them through their troubles , and to understand that good resides in places that were once thought to be inherently evil. These alter egos are driven by a desire to help the greater good.

Avatar Aang, the bridge between the spirit world and the human world, went undercover as his friend Kuzon to a Fire nation boarding school. There he spends his days playing hide and explode, making a noodle picture of the fire lord and seeing how the children of the fire nation are fed war propaganda.

Katara took it in herself to become a hero inspired by the village's wood carved spirit: The Painted lady, after seeing in what state the villager's were left in. Deprived and devastated by illnesses caused by the pollutants in their waters. She hid her identity and used her healing abilities to nurse them back to health and with the help of her friends, they clean up the river.

Bending Abilities

And at last, some overlooked bending parallels between Katara & Aang that they most likely learned by training together!

#pro kataang #kataangtag #katara #aang #katara and aang #kataang parallels #avatar the last airbender #atla #otp: sky and the sea

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natlacentral · 3 months

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I'm not gonna post my full write-up, but this was a really enlightening listen and clocks in at about 20 minutes if you want to give it a whirl. Here are a few of my favourite tidbits from Albert Kim and Jabbar Raisani's commentary on the official trailer.

They try to visit lots of locations because Avatar is a road show and they want to show the expansiveness of the world

Kim loved the eco message of the original and wants to convey it in the adaption as well

Raisani says Appa is a core member of the team who they wanted to bring to life as much as any of the humans

"Katara is the character who really recognises Aang for who he is, and that is a symbol of hope. And the return of the Avatar for her means that hope has returned to a world that essentially has lost hope for the last hundred years. She's the first one to see that, and over the course of the season, we're gonna see that message of hope spread throughout the world."

The juxtaposition of Katara's POV and Sokka's POV and their clashing opinions is an important dynamic especially in the beginning of the season and informs who they are as brother and sister and their journey coming together to support Aang.

They chose to choreograph and shoot the first Agni Kai, which they describe as the defining moment of Zuko's life, because you understand a lot more of Zuko's character when you see it in real life.

The Agni Kai goes to the core of Zuko's story. "What did his father really want? Does he want him to succeed and find the Avatar and come back? Is he using him against his sister? What is really required of him or desired of him by his father, and then is he going to do that or is he going to do what he thinks is right?"

Momo is a digital creature. They use a puppet so the actors know what they're doing.

It was important to them that Sokka not just be the butt of the joke but have his own humour

"Despite the burden that all these characters are facing and the fact that the fate of the world rests in their hands, they are just kids, y'know? Aang's a goofy twelve-year-old and Katara and Sokka aren't much older and we wanted to make sure that we conveyed that, because that's a really important part of not just the characters but of the story. And if they are gonna be these harbingers of hope, as we said, they needed to express that through their kind of childlike sense of optimism."

Commander Zhao is one of the main villains of the first season and primary antagonist for our heroes. Ken Leung brought humanity and ambition to the character. We see his ego swell over the course of the season as he gets more and more power and comes closer and closer to capturing the Avatar.

Suki will talk about how when you're not a bender, you have to be better than the benders. The Kyoshi Warriors have refined their combat to the point that they can more than hold their own against firebenders.

Sokka and Suki will have a "beautiful journey" in finding commonality in not being benders and what it means within this world.

While Kyoshi can exist in the real world, Omashu can only exist in fantasy, so they built it from scratch. Kim and Raisani would have conversations about the colour of the rooftops and mechanics of the delivery system. They want Omashu to be a city that even new audiences will look at and think, "Wow, that somewhere I want to go to. That's a place I want to visit."

They tried to do practical wherever possible. They'd start with actors and everything around them, build out as far as they possibly can, then extend from there. For the shot of Aang flying over Omashu they started with actors on rigs, filmed on green screen, then did a full digital shot.

They call the sequence, "The Joy of Flight." Like the animated series, they have scenes that are just fun. Aang and Teo could fly from Point A to Point B but they want to make things engaging and fun to watch.

All actors doing bending had to go through extensive training before shooting. The core cast did a six week bootcamp where they had to learn all four bending techniques.

Utkarsh Ambudar (King Bumi) was eager to do everything himself. While they did use stunt performers for parts, he was always down to do another take despite being exhausted.

The Avatar State is the ultimate power, to be treated seriously, so they don't have Aang going into it as much as the original first season so it felt special and communicated that Aang could only access it in specific circumstances. They've tweaked the rules for when and how he can access Avatar State.

"There are certain things we are going to modify, going to change, and hopefully fans will see that it's all for the good of the story as a whole and in dimension-alizing the story and bringing it from one medium to the other."

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writer-rider-flirty-thirties · 2 months

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Your ATLA posting has brought me joy! And also makes me wonder, do you have any zutara fic recs? Perchance? 🥺

Omg!!! Thank you And I'm so glad. 🥰 I love the show and my love for Zutara knows no bounds! Lol.

As for recs, I haven't been reading a lot lately (in any fandom) so I don't have many (and some are E that I can link in the replies if you want them) but here are ones I remember being absolute bangers:

(forgive me: most of them are from ffn.net and years old lol. Once I start reading more on AO3 I'll come back and rec those too!)

The series says E but most of the fics are not. It's a classic so I wouldn't be surprised if you already know of it! (I originally read it on ffn.net)

Such a good play off of the Ember Island Players

My favorite fic that incorporates the LoK! Also pregnancy! It has one sequel.

So good!!! Such a good mix of Avatar and The Hunger Games (there's sequels for this one!) warning: it does follow the Hunger Games format so there's death and blood and sadness but I think it's so good!

Let me know if you want more!

#Zutara #Atla #fic recs #i had to dig a bit #but this made me want to read more Zutara fics now!#good thing spring break is coming #thanks for the ask!#zuko #katara

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ecoamerica · 22 days

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youtube

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The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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sapphic-agent · 4 months

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Seeing your post from that one anon, first, you’re absolutely correct. The dynamic between Izuku, Shoto and Scumbag is non-existent. But I am also curious, as I am planning to pick writing up again, what would you consider the important fundamentals of dynamics and chemistry for characters? You labeled Izuku, Iida, and Todoroki as a group with a stronger dynamic. And I am curious, MHA or other media, what duo or groups would say display good dynamics and chemistry between each other?

I'm in love with this question😍

So, fundamentally, there are a few issues with TodoBakuDeku as a group.

Inconsistent Characterization: Todoroki liking Bakugou is one of the most OOC things Hori's ever done. This is a kid who shares multiple similarities with his abusive father: dangerous ambition, bad temper, violent, and generally a terrible attitude towards the "weak." And that's not even mentioning how he treats Izuku, who's supposed to be Todoroki's best friend. Him wanting to be friends with Bakugou completely retcons established traits of his character

Lack of Genuine Connection: This was something Todoroki and Izuku had at the beginning of the series, but it was ignored for the better part of the story in favor of Izuku's relationship with Bakugou (which is toxic). And Bakugou and Todoroki have no relationship at all. There's nothing driving this group, no reason for them to be friends. There was no event or call to action that brought them altogether (like Stain). They're only a group because Horikoshi pushed them to be. I have no reason to be interested in their dynamic together because the story hasn't made me care about them enough

No Emotional Value: Never at any point in the story have the three of them together ever made me feel anything. With Stain, Izuku and Todoroki saving Iida is emotional; you feel Iida's regret & lack of self-worth, Izuku's determination to save him, and Todoroki finding his footing in friendship. I've never experienced anything close to that with TodoBakuDeku, not once

So with that in mind, how do we do better? You want to be consistent with the characters who have already been setup. Don't be afraid of conflict if it's inevitable for the characters to clash due to personalities, it's good for a group just starting out/getting to know each other. If Todoroki had ever expressed some intolerance for Bakugou's actions, it could have done a decent job of helping the group find its footing. You want to give your characters a reason for being together. Whether it's a call to action or accidental circumstances or whatever. Don't just slap three or four people in a group together, have us understand why they're together. And emotional connection is probably the most important part. Have your characters bond, develop their relationships with one another and themselves. Make us care about them together.

If you're having trouble, I recommend taking inspiration from media like Percy Jackson, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Teen Titans, the Justice League animated series, etc. They all do character interaction extremely well and you might find it helpful.

I hope that helped😊

#mha critical #bnha critical #anti bakugou katsuki #ask

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mochalottie · 25 days

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Masterlist

(Because even though no one asked for one...I wanted to do it to keep my brain entertained)

Avatar (Cameron Movies)

Oel Ngati Kameie (37k+ words) Series about Spider being adopted into the Sully. Post Way of Water.

To protect (2k words) Oneshot about Spider being injured on the SeaDragon.

Baby Mine (6.5k words) 5 times Spider called someone Mom or Dad and one time someone called him Son.

Eywa Provides (23k words) Multi chapter, complete - Feral Na'vi Spider living alone in the forest who is, surprise surprise, adopted by the Sullys.

Our Hearts Beat in the Womb of the World (115k words) Multi chapter, complete - Spider is adopted by Tonowari and Ronal. That's it. That's the fic.

For the Nights and Days of Life (387k words) Multi chapter, complete - All humans leave Pandora after the final battle leaving Spider behind. Oh, and he’s blessed by Eywa. That’s it. That’s the fic.

You Brought light, and new life (78k words) Multi chapter, complete - The comfort fic/sequel that everyone (surprisingly) wanted and I definitely needed.

What am I supposed to do, dance with it? (8k) Oneshot - Spider turns into a tiger. That's it. That's the fic.

Let the Wind Carry Us to the Clouds Multi chapter, ongoing - Aka the ikran racing!au I've snatched up and twisted into my own version, which features some Nocorro but centrics around our boy Spider!

Every Family has Someone Who Falls Multi chapter, ongoing - the time loop au where Spider is thoroughly put through the wringer.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

When You Can't Look on the Brightside, I'll Sit with You in the Dark (63k words) Multi chapter - a Zukka Alice in Wonderland AU where Sokka is Alice and Ozai is the Red King.

If Music is the Food of Love, Play On (4k words) Oneshot - Zuko essentially pining after Sokka in a Modern AU

Final Fantasy XV

Stronger than the Tides (13k words) Oneshot - Mermaid AU for Reverse Big Bang 2023

Blessed be the Boys Time Can't Capture (6k words) Oneshot - heads of families in Eos are vessels for the Greek Gods.

FFXV Song ficlets Series of Oneshots based on songs by Lauv. Includes multiple ships and AUs.

New Dawn (74k words) Multi chapter, complete - Ignis x Male!OC

Star Wars Prequels

Rock You Like a Hurricane Multi chapter, second part abandoned -The Obikin Band AU with Obi-Wan on drums, Anakin with vocals, Rex on Bass and Ahsoka on Guitar

The Mandalorian

Chakaar (22k words) Oneshot - Din Djarin x Male!OC Where a curious thief gets too involved with a grumpy Mandalorian and gains a family in return.

Inheritance Cycle

The World Ahead Multi chapter, incomplete - The Eragon/LOTR crossover that no one seemed to need, but two people very much wanted.

The Witcher

Destiny Changed Series of Oneshots - Jaskier is a Witcher and falls in love for Geralt the Nobleman. That's it, that's the series.

Voltron Legendary Defender

Space Family to the Rescue (1k words) Oneshot - Sick Keith is cared for by his Space Family.

Love is Endless (6k words) Oneshot - Keith pines for Lance in a Modern AU.

(Techni)Colour Vision (60k words) Multi chapter, complete - Klance through many film AUs.

#avatar way of water #avatar the last airbender #final fantasy xv #star wars prequels #the mandalorian #inheritance cycle #toss a coin to your witcher #voltron legendary defender #lottie writes fanfic #writers on tumblr #masterlist

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most-canon-non-canon-ship-poll · 9 months

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they are so cringe

Why Kataang is shit - a submission-based essay

Kataang - a canon het ship from the Avatar: the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra fandoms between Katara and Aang

Do you fancy your babysitter? Does she not like you back? Don't worry, if you kiss her without her consent enough times, eventually she'll come around! Throughout the show, Katara is cooks, cleans, does general chores on behalf of the group, including Aang. She is also primarily responsible for talking him down from fits of wrath (understandable fits of wrath: he's a traumatised 12 year old with godlike powers) and putting herself in harms way in order to calm him. He's also incredibly dismissive of her culture at times, and disregards her feelings when they don't align with his view of the world. SPEAKING OF WHICH he completely ignores her when she explicitely says that she does not want to talk about his feelings for her, and then kisses her without her consent (again). He not only never apologieses for this, but it is never brought up again! She just wanders over him after the battle is finished and kisses him and THAT'S THAT I GUESS?!?!?!!! THEN we get into post-canon stuff. The main cast are really out there doing the most: founding cities, ruling nations, etc... with the exception of Katara. What is Katara in the future? The Katara who was the first woman to be trained in combat-bending by the Masters of the North simply because she Would Not Shut Up until they trained her? The Katara who said she would never turn her back on people who need her? That Katara? She's a wife and mother now and that keeps her very busy. To be honest I haven't read most of the comics because they're famously awful and even Kataang fans don't like a lot of them. it's offensive when a female character exists only as a trophy for the main guy to win, but it's doubly insulting when that female character has so many layers and so much complexity, only to turn into the shiny trophy with no autonomy when she kisses the hero like some kind of awful reverse Princess and the Frog. FURTHERMORE if you look at Katara's utlisation (or lack thereof) in The Legend of Korra, she doesn't do anything!! Of the Gaang members who are still alive, she's the only one who never gets involved in the adventures, which considering that the plot of Season 1 hinges around a water-bender specific power that she has a personal connection to (and even the in the FLASHBACKS to 40 years previously she does not appear). It's very funny to me because a lot of Kataang fans will say "oh Katara did keep working as an adult, she got bloodbending banned!!" and this is brought out as that one thing she did, yet IN A WHOLE SEASON ABOUT BLOODBENDING she does absolutely nothing besides being unable to heal Korra, so that Aang's spirit has to turn up and do it for her. Then Season 2 is about the Water Tribes and involves the hostile takeover of the city in which she lives, but apparently she's not keen on getting involved in that either!! And look, I can't PROVE that this is directly linked to the ship, but it sure looks suspicious to me when taken with previous evidence. And don't even get me started on the fans holy hell. Like, it's perfectly fine to have ships with problematic elements (don't we all) but they truly will bend over BACKWARDS to say that there's nothing wrong with the ship OR the way it went down in canon and that they're the Pure and Wholesome ship, standing in opposition to the Evil Colonizing Zutaras. Even suggesting that hey, might it have been better if they'd taken some time apart to really grow as individuals and then gotten together in their twenties---instead of at 12 and 14 without ever fixing the mother/child dynamic or talking about the time he sexually assaulted her---will be met with outright hosility by certain members of the fandom.

#anti kataang #avatar the last airbender #adding a tad more in the tags cause word limits:#The 12/14 thing also just skeeves me out like... what 14 year old girl has ever been romantically interested in a 12 year old boy?? Those a #the (s)hit list #propaganda #not a poll #why [ship name] is shit #also i got rid of the stuff abt the comics so i could fit it in one post

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