#that the avatar will keep that balance or save the world when others cant. aang disappearing and the genocide and war

[martyrbat]

hm hm hm i feel like this will be really interesting to read with the knowledge of korra and how that effected her instead.... because korra (from my limited knowledge so i could be talking out my ass here) knew she was the avatar at an early age and DID get that community. she had katara and her parents, she had her mentors, she was isolated from the real world during so and perfected the elements other than air (which i kinda recall her struggling with and how its the opposite element of earth so im excited to see if those kinda play out :3) and she was more eager to be the avatar and the excitement and significance it brought (which was a bit clouded by her being sheltered but also would have been expected more before the war impacted things)

i also remember matty saying kyoshi struggled with earth bending (which im super excited to get to and see/see her journey and how it will differ) but!!! i just think its really fun how theyre kinda off the bat setting up this expectation and new grounding for readers who have a past grasp of the avatar universe. even as someone who isnt super familiar with the lore, i know enough to recognize that oh! thats something new!! so just kudos to the writer(s?) for just setting this up to be something very different and in a natural way :3

#again. talking out my ass here. if im an idiot no one say anything okay? okay <3 #but i think its fun to already see some parallels or ways kyoshi and korra are different or similar #and how korra got the set-up stage that was considered ideal (i think?) for these two characters #like !!! the avatar is supposed to know theyre the avatar at a young age! #and aang learning when he was 12 instead?? i think? #or being told hey man you gotta fucking get ready/do your teen duties instead of preeteen ones cause theres a war.... #but no sorry my head is scattered i cant keep a line of thought but the point was i know a lot of people bash korra because shes too #‘abrasive’ or comfortable with being the avatar when?? for previous experiences that eagerness was something more expected (i think) #like its so difficult to make a solid grounding argument when im not lore caught up but korras excitement to be the avatar and that she #knows its significant and important is something that would been encouraged before the war because of that hope and belief #that the avatar will keep that balance or save the world when others cant. aang disappearing and the genocide and war #obviously effected how people will see the avatar in universe and how her teachers are more hesitant and restrictive #none of this makes sense im just thinkin to myself while half distracted lol but ! go cringegirl bosses go !!!! #RoK (ransom style)

[thosemintcookies]

I love atla on Netflix because I can write so many essays on it

today I wanna talk about how these are kids teaching other kids how to be master benders and it works. That's insane. All these past lives you see a 16 year old avatar travel the world and learn all these elements from established masters.

And then theres aang, a child of 12, so scared of his destiny that he runs away and wakes up to realize that everyone he knew and loved have been brutally killed. Responsibility like no one else and an imminent war. And his while life has thus far been about peace.

So he learns water vending from a novice. Her cultural heritage has also been snuffed out. Perhaps not as cataclysmically genocidal as with the air benders, but shes the last bender from her tribe. Martial arts, bending, healing. All of that lost and shes the last one. And she fights for her identity. Of course aang feels a connection to that. After all, what is water except air, only a little more solid, more tangible, more nurturing and life sustaining. So she comes from humble beginnings, keeping things afloat. She leaves her family behind, but they let her go willingly with love. So really she has so much more to gain from leaving. Easiest thing in the world.

And then he learns earth bending from an actual master. But shes a child who is insecure and volatile because she yearns for independence. But shes a child at the end of it, and shes blind. She cant swim or see when shes in the air or water. They're total opposites anyway. Where shes brash, hes placating. Where she fights head on, hes evasive. So they dont see eye to eye, but they're on the same side. Shes from nobility. But she runs away, leaving her title and family behind for the sake of freedom.

And then he learns fire bending from someone who has to relearn it from scratch. Hes even worse. Hes angry and never at peace. He was an active enemy. Hes so bad at being good that even when hes trying he hurts people. He will never be a master like the others. He cant lightning bend like katara can heal and toph can metal bend.

But hes gone through this emotional and moral journey. And it's real and it's such a struggle. And aangs always been good, but hes been a flight risk from the beginning. As aang learns to accept his title, zuko has to willingly let it go to become worthy of it. Yin and yang circling each other, finding balance only when they give some of each other away.

Because earth and air may be opposites, but sometimes when you're too similar it's hard to be in harmony, too. Like bad chord with a half note off. So fire is finicky and hard to get just right.

So we have katara who leaves a tiny village and saves the world. We have toph who leaves her status behind and makes a name for herself as an innovator, greatest earth bender ever. Then we have zuko, who leaves his family and his princehood. He learns about good. His father and sister are imprisoned. His redemption is feeling real friendship.

#ill never be over #alta #long post