wherein (predictably) Liz gives in and starts watching Avatar: The Last Airbender

[edenfalling]

Happy discovery! Netflix has book 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender available for streaming play.

A few random observations on episodes 1-3 (The Boy in the Iceberg; The Avatar Returns; The Southern Air Temple):

1. I have not laughed this hard in weeks.

2. Zuko cannot lie for shit. It's weirdly adorable.

3. Actually, all the named characters are adorable so far. Except for Commander Zhao. He's just creepy. Suave, in a shallow way, but basically creepy.

4. I am not anything like objective, since I know what happens in the end, but I have to say it is obvious from as early as episode two that Zuko is not really a bad guy. There's too much menace in the basic setup of the story for it not to have a villain, but Zuko is far too sympathetic -- and in ways that are clearly intentional on the storytellers' parts -- to be evil. This is made even more obvious by the introduction of Zhao, who serves as a foil against whom Zuko can be the underdog.

5. I am oddly surprised that I am not suffering mood whiplash. The show flips from deathly serious to slapstick and back again on a dime, and you would think each mood would deflate or negate the other, but for me they don't. I am not at all sure how the writers pull that off -- I would like to learn the trick!

6. Predictably, I like Zuko best so far. This is not to say that I do not also like Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Iroh -- as previously mentioned, everyone is adorable! -- but, well, yeah. I like honorable characters with lots of implied angsty backstory, I like awkward well-meaning dorks, and I like impetuous hotheads; Zuko fits all three categories. The shirtless fight scene doesn't hurt at all. *pets Zuko, carefully* *leaps back to avoid outraged flames*

7. For the record, I still fail to see the appeal of Zutara. Honestly, I think at this point I could make better cases for Zukka or... whatever Aang/Zuko is called (Zukaang? Aangko? probably Zukaang), let alone Kataang. Obviously, many people's mileage varies!

8. Probably I will have more to say later on, though, this being me, I may never get around to writing it down. Oh well.

Comments

[askerian]

3. Yes, this is a big tendency of the show. XD Even Cabbage Man gets kinda loveable after a while.
I think there's only about three people amongst the cast (apart from background oneshot characters) who the text presents as evil and unloveable, and one of them gets some sympathetic "this is why" even then by the end.

5. It's magic, that's why. T^T-b

6. *shares the zukolove! bwee*

7. *snerk* I think Zutara started mostly as a "he's hot, she's hot, he has no female love interest, they'd be REAL PASSIONATE" thing, and also with a "we can't ship Aang with KATARA he's TWELVE and REALLY CHILDISH and she's a YOUNG WOMAN." She seems a lot more mature than he does at the beginning of the show, so I admit I was kinda squicked. Thankfully he matures as well, so yay. XD

What's funny is that by wanting to prove how much zutara had no chance of happening the creators gave them a lot of interacting scenes that are a delight for shippers to look at. They really don't get the mindset. XDDD

8. wait wait no you have to comment more! It's awesome seeing someone discover this show. I mean, i'm sure you'll find some stuff you won't like as much as the rest but it's such a GREAT show it gives me both secondhand glee and shiny memories from remembering how it felt back then. You've got to keep commenting! D:

[edenfalling]

I do often have a special favorite (or two, or three, or six...) among a large cast of characters, but I am always happiest when I like most of the rest of them as well. I figure that if I don't like a majority of the characters -- or at least find them interesting -- then there is little point in reading/watching further.

Yeah, Aang and Katara do have a maturity mismatch at this point, but right now their interaction is 99% platonic (and he is teaching her to relax and have fun just as she is teaching him to be more thoughtful and considerate), so I am not bothered at all. *grin*

*returns to Netflix and opens episode 7*

[tjalorak.livejournal.com]

Oh... I've been watching this series too although I seem further along in season 1.

Zuko seems like the type that he's offended he has to be lying. Plus, he's probably never had to lie before so he doesn't have much practice at it.

I haven't watched to the end so I don't know who the evil people are but I already love Azula from fanvids. I don't mind Aang's group and quite like Sokka and I suspect I'll like Toph as well, but Azula. Guh. Azula needs to kick lots of butts and be awesome. I would not mind at all if she wins even though I think she probably won't given that it's still a kid's show and the "good guys" need to win out in the end.

Yep, Zuko is being set up for redemption. No idea on Zutara. Then again, they haven't really met yet in the season.

[edenfalling]

Zuko does give off an air of arrogant entitlement... at the same time he gives off an air of bewildered kicked puppy. It's an intriguing combination. It's like he's bad at lying both because he doesn't think he should have to, and because he's just a fundamentally honest person and expects the rest of the world to be honest as well.

(In that light, I am mildly annoyed at Aang for so rapidly breaking his parole in their first encounter. Yes, it would have been bad for him to let Zuko take him to the Fire Nation, but at the same time, Zuko did keep his promise to leave the Water Tribe's village and not hurt any of its people. It would have been nice to show Aang at least realizing that he'd broken an implicit promise to Zuko, especially since he doesn't -- at that point -- really grasp the scope and implications of the war, and remembers the Fire Nation mostly as the place where some of his friends lived.)

I am assured that Azula is indeed awesome, and quite skilled at kicking ass and taking names.

[lynati-1.livejournal.com]

1. / 5. - Yeah, what they managed to do with that is amazing, as is most of the storyline.

6. Hee! and I agree on all points.

7. I think it's the eventual bits of "subtext" that shows up at later points that started it. Some people wholly agree it is there; others just don't see it. And I don't know how much you've been spoilered on the series overall, so I'll keep my further shipping comments lidded for now.

Suffice to say, I don't see why people need to fight over ships, one can like character A with either B or C equally without it causing the end of the world. (Or, and a nod to Askerian on this one, sometimes A with B *and* C at the same time...) Some people out there in fandom treat it like it's a war, where you have to pick one side and one side only to sail on. (Thank god it doesn't seem to be like that over here; those places can get *scary.*)

The male/male pairings never occurred to me while watching the show, not until (of course) I read some fic on the internet. ("The internet is really, really great...")


I hope to see more of your thoughts on the show as you make your way through it. : )

[edenfalling]

I have been spoiled pretty thoroughly, both by reading people's episode reaction posts in real time, and by reading fanfic these past few weeks. I am pretty relaxed about spoilers, since generally I am more interested in seeing how a story gets to certain places than in having those places be a complete surprise to me.

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

Zuko is so awesome *.*

I actually really don't like the mood changes? They don't work well for me >>

[edenfalling]

He really is, isn't he? *grin*

As for the mood switches... oh well. Nothing can work perfectly for everyone.