Cultural influences in the clothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender 🌪

[@faffitouwu3536]

I'm a simple gal, I see a video about Avatar AND fashion? I click.

[@lotsoflovemadelief]

haha same

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

oooh yeah

[@kira-lilym6363]

i feel like this video was targeted specifically at me lol

[@michelleannelynne]

Hahaha I feel relieved that im with my people ^_^

[@itsjustalf7747]

As you or anyone should lol

[@aniketmakhija474]

Katara's batrodhal necklace is acutally based on south asian tradition of giving a necklace(called Mungalasuthra) to a bride on her wedding day to show she's married

[@sosha20]

AND only the northern tribe practices this, otherwise katara wouldn't have been confused when yugoda asked her about it i think little differences (and some of the big one) like that between the water tribes help spread the message that not all indigenous peoples are the same and you gotta respect that

[@aniketmakhija474]

Ohya btw, some of the fire nation clothing(the girls) seam to have also taken influence from south asia also with the choli tops and baggy pants

[@raggedyhaggity250]

@@aniketmakhija474 its bcoz southeast asia is greatly influenced by both buddhism and hinduism. Go anywhere in the region and you will see varying degrees of those influences. Even heard this remarked by another indian person which is interesting to me bcoz they said the indian influence is largely within the buddhism context.

[@aniketmakhija474]

@@raggedyhaggity250 Oh ya, thats cool, i've heard there was a hindu empire in thailand at one point

[@bandotaku]

@@sosha20 I don't know if it's only a Northern water tribe custom, but it's probably less practiced in the South.

[@hos-uchralnaranbaatar7602]

i think the show is very respectful and kinda empowering to lots of asians, i really loved the show as a child

[@jesseward568]

What is your opinion of the portrayal of the west in Anime?

[@tink6225]

aw

[@No1PlutoSupporter]

Being Native American, I was ecstatic about the water tribe, they were my favorite & probably(as a child) why I loved and latched onto katara and sokka over all the other characters 😂

[@dizzyartz3074]

Same omd 😭

[@alex-fs9yt]

I also loved the show!

[@kristianpoulsen9689]

Just a heads up most of the character designs were made by Korean animators and in fact not just by the two "white dudes" - that's especially why there's a lot of Korean influence in the clothing.

[@sosha20]

yes! and those korean creators have stated that they were given a lot of freedom to animate how they saw fit, i remember one interview the guy was talking about how liberal they were encouraged to be with character movement also one half of the original team (Bryan i think but i don't remember) actually lived in korea for like 3-4 months to work closely with their animators and learn a bit of their style of animation could the show have used more poc voice actors? hell yeah, but a lot of writers on staff were asian and i know that their writers' room was pretty open when it came to episode ideas/moments (at least some of their more silly stuff)

[@Spoogebro]

@@sosha20 i understand wanting the correct ethnicity when a characters voice is supposed to have an accent or speak another language, but when it comes to a fictional world where almost every character speaks english in an american accent i don't see a big deal. im south asian and our only representation in cartoons for the longest time was white men doing really shitty accents, so when i saw south asian character just talk with a normal east coast accent i was so relieved.

[@Texas430]

@@sosha20 I don’t agree with the voice actor thing. I see people get upset when poc characters are played by non poc people. The point of voice acting is to find a voice that fits the character not someone who looks like them. If they wanted someone who looks like them they would make a live action instead

[@ndtrx]

GIjoeWEARSdiapers ! Yes this!!! Imagine someone else playing Sokka. What a tragedy that would’ve been... the dude just fits PERFECTLY, who cares if he’s white??

[@Xxsorafan]

sosha20 sorry I don’t think people should be tied down to voice work depending on their race or gender. It’s very limiting. They are an actor for a reason since they can play a variety of roles

[@lilhonor5425]

I loved hearing you talk about non western fashion history. I feel like there’s a bit of an absence of this side of fashion history content here on KZbin.

[@capoeiristachik1]

Yeah I would live to learn even more about it and how it evolved!

[@nathaliem3423]

I live for culture and fashion history so this makes me insanely happy. I just wish there was someone who did latin american fashion history too 😭

[@capoeiristachik1]

@@nathaliem3423 So here for it, let me know if you ever find that.

[@ariana_208]

I think it’s interesting how she likes this comments but not any comments correcting her that the show was not in fact written by two white men

[@magaaliii]

@@nathaliem3423 I wish someone would do African fashion, it's so rich and diverse

[@plzleavemealone9660]

Finally, someone that doesn't just say ''the fire nation is Japan''.

[@chrisp.9385]

But it is...

[@nati7925]

SANGWOO

[@catharticreverie]

yeah, I feel like you can hear it in Azula's theme song. Idk what specifically, but it seems like it's using SE Asian instruments

[@toenailclippings]

@@chrisp.9385 Girl all the kingdoms/nations are a mix of different Asian cultures and Indigenous cultures

[@idanurmi6114]

@@toenailclippings that's true, however I feel like often times when people refer fire nation as Japan, they dont just mean the architecture, clothing and fire nation culture portrayed in the show but also the genocide and goal to get territories. In ATLA universe fire nation acts very much like imperial Japan.

[@scrambledSymmetry]

One thing that I don’t see many people discuss when it comes to Avatar fashion is that the civilians on Kyoshi Island wear clothing that is heavily Ainu-inspired. The Ainu are an indigenous ethnic group in Japan, located in Hokkaido and also stretching to areas that are technically controlled by Russia. Due to the proximity to the Southern Water Tribe, we can see that the climate of Kyoshi Island is fairly cold, although the geographic location is kind of flip flopped.

[@keeganmorrell5585]

Exactly and stuff like this shows how the nations aren’t: fire nation (Japan), earth kingdom (China), water tribes (arctic indigenous cultures) and air nations (Tibet/Nepal). The nations do borrow from those cultures yes but there is so much more cultural influences

[@carolina6214]

I hope this won't sound weird but I love hearing you talk

[@VEUXetVOIS]

Weird

[@2soft2you81]

No It’s not that weird. I think it’s cute and honest she is beautifull fairy with fine voice.

[@zizi6538]

Yea its really clam

[@VEUXetVOIS]

Yeet or be Yeeted your 3rd grade response 😂😂😂

[@noodle_6718]

She should do asmr her voice is so pretty

[@mbhelms8847]

Avatar wasnt drawn in America by Americans. Yes the story was created by american men and approved by them but the majority of Avatar was animated & drawn in South Korea by JM Animation.

[@mbhelms8847]

But I loved the history you enlightened me loved it! But I do love avatar very good show I dont think its insulting to anyone either In my opinion.

[@rubyy.7374]

I’d like to say that shows such as Spongebob Squarepants, Dexter’s lab, and Steven Universe are also drawn and animated in Korea. Outsourcing animation is not unusual by any means. They’re still storyboarded in the states, the animators just... Animate and that’s about it.

[@allisonhogarth2983]

thanks for this info!!

[@patatacampesina8286]

I still don't get why the fuck (srry lol) would someone care about all this? Seriously this generation ruins everything, I'm done with people saying everything is racist

[@mbhelms8847]

I care about this because it's one of my favorite shows. It's not about generation anything I have liked it since it came out. I watched it on tv when it came out and I have the collection in my movie cabinet. It takes me back to when I was a little younger. I'm sure other people cares or likes thing that remind them of when they were younger.

[@thanipa]

Thank you so much for not leaving out all the Southeast Asian influences in the Fire Nation! ❤️❤️❤️

[@korrapithani9930]

thank you

[@alex-fs9yt]

Yes!

[@whoneedsguyswhenyouhavecat7681]

There’s a difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation

[@k80_]

Also cultural appropriation is not necessarily a bad thing. People usually talk about the bad instances of it of which they should because there are so so many but it’s impossible to be completely free of cultural appropriation in your life because of globalization. For example Bollywood often appropriates American culture in their movies and that is not necessarily bad. What’s bad is those fast fashion dresses that take several cultures’ traditional dress and sexifies it for mass market.

[@gursakhi1787]

@@k80_ america doesnt even have culture lmao

[@zxmi1127]

@@k80_ as an american i promise u there’s no such thing as american culture💀not if ur a white american lol

[@minale3604]

@@zxmi1127 as a European, the USA obviously have a culture, it just depends of the group you're part of since it's such a big and diverse country. Also, White American culture is seen as basic or sort of "default" but it is indeed a form of culture

[@monicavelazquezrodriguez3035]

@@gav1233 i don't see the big deal. It was in fact, there was a fashion show that was inspired from catholic imaginery. Every creative process requires references, and if you uses terms, objects, dresses to create another thing, why not? (If its made with respect, no to make satire of an entire culture) i wouldn't mind if it was done with my culture. There are plenty of regional dresses that are beautiful and can be inspirational to create something new.

[@cierra7246]

okay but the way katara looks beautiful in every tribe's clothing, sis can turn a look.

[@maladjustedmaverick6619]

For those who are interested, _Five Thousand Years_ is a KZbin channel dedicated to Chinese history, and has many great videos on the clothing of different dynasties. Plus, most of it is in English and the videos that aren't have English subtitles. The woman behind it is Chinese (though she lives somewhere else) and truly has a passion for the subjects she covers. There are many interesting tidbits about daily life in ancient China that you would never learn from a history book. I highly recommend it!

[@AkireraStraberri3]

I can't find it

[@maladjustedmaverick6619]

@@AkireraStraberri3 Oh, my bad! The channel name is actually _Five Thousand Years_ . I'll edit my comment.

[@erika-nk1kr]

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you so much!

[@ariaramos3677]

Thank you for the recommendation! I'm excited to look it up. I love history as a whole, especially non-European and non-whitewashed history, so I've been trying to branch out more despite its difficulties. So thanks, lol.

[@CupcakeAnanda]

Thanks so much! I’ve always been super interested and in love with Chinese culture and have been trying recently to learn more about Chinese history and such but I couldn’t find many good books, videos, and sources in general.

[@jillianjacques4190]

I'm indigenous and I can't speak behalf of the other represented ethnicities within the show, but speaking on behalf of my own opinion as an indigenous person from Canada I don't personally see any of the broad representation found through the series to be overtly offensive. I think to have represented indigenous ethnicity to an educational standard would have been impossible within the confines of a made-up world because there are hundreds if not thousands of individual nations with their own unique culture and so that just couldn't have translated and may have actually been more offensive to fantasize very real conflict in more specific detail. I think the important parts to have represented to avoid any toe stepping is something they already did effectively which was to very overtly showcase the clothing and culture as unique to one group of peoples. Having people walking around in traditional clothing for the sake of a fashion statement, having it incorporated into the aesthetic of the show in a willy nilly or purposeless way would have been overtly appropriating and they didn't do that. Both the Northern and Southern water tribes had separate cultures and dress. The clothes were worn by only those originating from those nations, and they accurately represented a conflict that is not very adequately represented in today's society. A lot of people don't know this, but The First Nations in Canada is a group of nations who were first to sign treaties with the Canadian government, they have a disproportionately loud voice in comparison to their contemporaries and would often be more fairly recognized by the Canadian government because they were first to (more eagerly than others) work alongside them. They were still treated unfairly, but significantly better by comparison and were quicker to develop to 'catch up' with Canadian society and so deemed more 'civilized' by the average white citizen. This was actually really nicely showcased in the show despite it being a made-up universe, more in-depth in Korra. I'm not offended by the creators borrowing these themes. I think they did a good job of rewriting real-world themes in a way that can get children excited and intrigued by them. Edit: With all of that said, I know a lot of people are debating what indigenous groups were specifically referenced and whether they were Mongolian, or North American, but the clothing in my opinion isn't specific enough to really tie it to any one region other than broadly northern indigenous. There are PLENTY stylistic choices that were made to point at their clothing being closely modelled off of the Inuit or other northern north American ethnicitie's traditional clothing and culture as well as Mongolian specifically, but like I said, I think it's better they went this route in designing the traditional wear than narrowing it down. Just imho

[@bananabananaman123]

Jillian Jacques I am Also Indigenous from Canada and you nailed this on the head! Honestly im kinda glad that indigenous elements were even introduced in an anime

[@gyosob7265]

Your comment was really insightful, thank you!

[@SofiaBerruxSubs]

It's really werid to hear yall say fist natives and such. In the USA we call the native people here Native Americans.

[@bananabananaman123]

@@SofiaBerruxSubs In Canada we get that too but i use the term Indigenous. i find its the most respectful term

[@karlmarxsbabygirl1758]

same! what i think a lot of people don't understand about indigenous ethnicities is that "native american" or "indigenous" is simply a broad sweeping term. in the same way that you wouldn't call somebody who is korean a filipino, you would not call somebody who is inuk a navajo. there are many different cultures with different histories and customs in north america and they are not the same in the least bit. though that being said, although not inuk, i'm plains cree and i remember seeing atla growing up and being so happy to see indigenous representation on screen, especially in an animated series at that. in western media it is so easy to see yourself on screen as an indigenous person and have your culture (and thus sense of self) be demonized and twisted (ie, anything stephen king, coachella girlies, sports mascots, god forbid twilight, etc). so to have some kind of spotlight put upon indigenous culture that didn't paint us as war-hungry savages or stoic selcouths or mystic evil spirits was very fundamental in changing my own view of my culture. after (many) rewatches of the series now that i'm older, while i agree that there were some elements that perhaps could have been better represented and appreciated (which probably could have been achieved with hiring indigenous story tellers), it was still done in such a way that did not set us back another hundred years in indigenous representation in media. indian country today has a great article on the inuit representation in avatar too if you ever want to give it a read!

[@NetherPortal666]

It does make sense that the fire nation would take a little inspiration from multiple places given they've invaded everyone.

[@soonlet4977]

I'd watch a spinoff where they have distinct cultural dynasties because of this :D

[@shireenqasimm]

pakistani here, I loved this series as a child, and even though my culture wasn't represented in it, as an asian and a brown skinned girl, I felt represented and empowered

[@fairie9271]

I'm somali but I still love atla and how they represented multiple cultures

[@anythingwithtas2769]

There are South Asian influences in it , not exactly fashion-wise but elements and the magic used in the show has South Asian influences

[@ussinussinongawd516]

@@anythingwithtas2769 pakistani culture is very north indian but has alot of arab influences so much so that you might not see any pakistani stuff in avatar

[@rotisserie8444]

@@ussinussinongawd516 still theres a lot of south Asian influence, particularly Indian. The whole concept of avatar is based on Indian ideologies. And yet we only had one south Asian in there, guru Pathik, a stereotypical Indian. It’s sad how we never get any sort of good representation in the media.

[@carolinashoemaker5938]

I'm not a costume designer, but I'm an animator, and the most likely reason why the monks aren't wearing maroon is because of Aang's character design and also western color psychology vs. eastern color psychology. In the East, orange and reds are associated with peace, but in the west, reds are associated with passion, anger and authority, it stands to reason that this is why the Fire Nation were predominantly red, as they are the big imperial colonizers in the story. Likewise, the Air Nomads stand for peace and balance, it would be logical to conclude that they would be wearing white if we are going by western color psychology, but I suspect that Aang's character design came before the rest of the Air Nomads, and as he is such a youthful and joyful character, they went with a yellow color scheme, as this the color that represents these things in western color psychology.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

That’s cool, I didn’t know that about the colors! I figured it was element based, myself. Earth-green, Water-blue, Fire-red, Air-whatever color your want that works!

[@keefashine2657]

And each nation represents a season, and air is autumn so they went with a more autumnal colour palette for the air nomads!

[@laurafernandamoctezumadura1840]

@@keefashine2657 actually that has sense, because in autumn the air move the leaves

[@mika6985]

Red is associated with prosperity in luck in the east, and the monks aren't supposed to be concerned with prosperity. The air nation couldn't have been white because in eastern cultures it can be associated with death. Yellow is a much better choice, plus the seasonal element someone else mentioned.

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

The Water Tribes are also heavily influenced by Inupiat and Yup'ik groups, with many of the parkas in the show looking like Yup'ik "fancy parkas" as much if not a little more than Canadian Inuit regalia. The fur trims are also very similar to what you find on the trational parkas in Nome. I find one of the best ways to find images of Inuit/Inupiaq/Yupik traditional clothing is to search specifically for photos of these people from, say, the 1930s or before. Also really good for finding traditional tattoos, hair styles (like looped braids at the side of the head or two braids merging into one worn at the front of the body), and jewelry.

[@Iris_Nightphilly]

Anyone who thinks Avatar the Last Air Bender (the animated series) is cultural appropriation just because the creators are WHITE are just plain WRONG. An immense amount of research and care was taken into account in designing each nation, their culture, and fighting style and is a celebration of the culture as well as a wonderful bridge show to introduce young children to other cultures and anime.

[@ace_bean7011]

Love your comment

[@TheAstip]

It could be considered cultural apropriation depending on your definition. I know it can be used in a morally neutral way in some academics. Either way I think it would be b3tter to call it cultural appreciation in this case

[@ace_bean7011]

@@TheAstip agree

[@mimik6414]

Precisely. If they had used my culture with a creative mix, I wouldn't mind at all! That's just appreciation, regardless of blending it with others, that's cool stuff. If someone was mad about that, I'd be confused on the other hand.

[@zahramousavi9147]

I can't agree more. 👍👍

[@leahswan3178]

I personally view it as cultural appreciation rather than cultural appropriation.

[@zacharywood9416]

That’s maybe the cringiest phrase I’ve ever heard. No offense lol. It’s probably because the white british guy pretending to be/getting surgeries to look Korean says that when defending getting “korean injections” to make his eyes look different 😭

[@islamance]

I think it would be cool to see how the Sandbender outfits draw from Middle Eastern and North African culture as well

[@FlowerThePot]

Just the information in this video alone shows that so much research was put into ATLA. Mike and Brian definitely made this show out of appreciation of Asian cultures. I know I can’t speak for all Asians, but being Asian, I love seeing the blend of their influences and Asian influences.

[@chyane2314]

Honestly I feel they just showed the beauty of the Asian culture

[@niamh4761]

this may not be your thing but I'd LOVE to see more of your personal style (amazing video btw)

[@gremlita]

Yes i’m thinking of doing one at some point ❤️

[@princessn2275]

Yehhhh 100%

[@sighcantthinkofaname]

Loved this! I've watched a lot of fashion history videos, and it's almost all centered on europe and the united states. I've seen a liiitle bit about Japanese streetwear, but that's mostly it when it comes to clothing from asian cultures. I appreciate all of the research you did for this, I certainly feel more informed.

[@korrapithani9930]

thank cultural

[@gabriele4717]

i’m cambodian and when i saw that the fire nation clothes were inspired by traditional cambodian clothes i was so happy

[@tkteggy7922]

as a Tibetan i really appreciate that you included information about Tibetans since not much know about our religion

[@frecklefreckles]

i would love to see a korra fashion influences vid!! lots of early 20th century USA influences i think

[@algellish340]

im no expert, obviously, but in tlok i saw a lot of 20's and 30's inspiration in most of the united nations clothing, still a lot of chinese influence, from the 40's i believe? don't hold me to that! absolutely gorgeous design, but you were very correct! a lot of early 20th century fashion 💛

[@bictoriasalsa5576]

it actually has a lot of 19th and 20th century Hong Kong, Japanese, and Chinese influence, not American. America wasnt the only country that had access to technological and industrial advancement in this time frame.

[@frecklefreckles]

@@bictoriasalsa5576 I wasn't sure! but there are definitely some historical parallels to American history

[@vamperkillzshy]

This is MY NUMBER 1 SHOW. Aang inspired me so much as a kid, the action, the raw emotions omg it was too much

[@amychang897]

Thank you. Someone who doesn't just say "The Fire Nation is Japan" Also, a lot of people missed Ursa's hairstyle we see in one episode during her wedding that was Korean Influenced. That show really just mashed everything together. Well, I'm not mad at it though.

[@ryan_uwu]

To be fair when people say the Fire Nation is Japan they usually mean that the FN behaves in a similar way to how Imperial Japan did. I mean, the domination of all other countries around it, being a highly militaristic and industrialized island nation, it's very reminiscent of Imperial Japan. Of course the clothing, buildings, and other traditions were derived from many other sources but the base and what we typically think of Japan were mirrored pretty well by the Fire Nation. I'm pretty sure the creators even said themselves they based the FN off Japan primarily but included other influences to prevent a whole Japan bad misunderstanding.

[@jessicaalikhani4164]

@@ryan_uwu I also think that some of the architecture is japan based in the fire nation as well

[@korrapithani9930]

@@jessicaalikhani4164 not the architecture cultural is japan and warfair is japan

[@nehcooahnait7827]

@@ryan_uwu dude. Fire nation is literally a country that was experiencing an industrial revolution. How come it barely rings a bell to anyone that it may actually be British empire. the boats, the invasion, the colonization, and the genocides… bruh. If dragons can have wings, why can’t the fire nation be British?

[@ryan_uwu]

@@nehcooahnait7827 Because Japan went through all of those things too, and the show is very Asian inspired so of course people would say Japan instead of Britain.

[@rradri3]

adding onto the souteast asian influence in fire nation costuming - SE Asian styles are typically shown when they're in the fire nation colonies. this reflects that the fire nation emulates the qualities of an empire, where the colonies are poor and the royals have vacation houses there. many SE Asian countries were colonized by imperial powers and further dominated and disempowered through cultural and military influence, so i think they made that distinction in clothing intentionally to show the imperialist character of the fire nation. overall, excellent video as always! big fan

[@violets.and.violets]

I’m Chinese and my family (especially my Grandma loves this show because of how beautifully it portrays different Asian cultures. What separates this as appreciation rather than appropriation is the care and research put into it, and the positive and respectful portrayal rather than a lazy cheapening.

[@sabrinaghostblade3948]

Also in The Search, Zuko’s mom was wearing wedding attire that resembled Korean clothing

[@Olivetree80]

I've never heard anyone claim that there was cultural appropriation in Avatar. I love that there is zero western culture within it, and that they did thorough research to be accurate.

[@alex-fs9yt]

One thing I like about Avatar is that it was set in a general Asian-centric imagined world that had a strong presence in the west, and it portrayed the characters as powerful and capable.

[@snowwhite5405]

I just wanted to add, as I recently did some reading on Inuit clothing, they had a set of winter parkas made from caribou, but also a lighter, waterproof parka made of sealskin for use in summer months. The sealskin is waterproof!

[@itsourtubenow9729]

Personally, I think that Zuko's clothes in season 3 looks a lot like the clothing of the yakan tribe of the Philippines.

[@Layla-w]

I literally just watched ur atonement vid earlier today and found it SO insightful and then u went ahead and dropped this aghhhh thank you loved this!

[@kalebh3419]

I'm so tired of everything being called appropriation without anybody knowing what exactly is appropriation...

[@user-jy9rq8nj7q]

exactly, it's getting to the point where people are going to start saying white people can't use chop sticks because it's CA 💀

[@meggiemeg435]

Who said avatar was appropriation?

[@patatacampesina8286]

Exactly, people is so dumb

[@orca3413]

I think people should be able to dress and do what they want, as long as they're doing it respectfully. we need to stop dividing by race, we're all human and we should all be able to be free

[@aliaxgal]

@@meggiemeg435 literally everyone

[@mefia97]

I know cultural appropiantion does exist, but I don't think Avatar do it. I understand cultural appropiation as when someone appropiates the intellectual property of a culture without acknowlegde the inspiration. For example, a fashion designer went to Mexico, stoled indigeous designs, call them their own, sold them and made money at expense of a culture she didn't bother to understand. But avatar never said asian culture was their own, a lot of asian people work in the design of the characters and the production, in some way this series educated a lot of people and was pay homage to the culture.

[@pleasesetmeonfire1166]

I’m white so I’m not really sure if this is a valid opinion, but how would ATLA be cultural appropriation? The creators were white, but I believe they worked with a lot of South Korean peers in the creation of the show (but I could be remembering wrong?). I understand cultural appropriation when someone dresses or expresses a culture as if it is their own, but it’s not as if the characters in the show actually wearing this influenced clothing and reading Chinese scripture are white. They have typical anime eyes, so it’s not exactly expressed there, but they are heavily implied to be from a blended culture deriving from several different SE/E Asian countries. I feel like the creators didn’t claim a culture as their own, but made a creative and fresh concept from Eastern influence, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the typical Western influence that’s still in pretty much every cartoon today. I guess those are just my thoughts, idk

[@evad3972]

that’s what I thought as well! Also, Sokka and Katara have slightly darker skin than Aang, who is pretty pale. It reminds me of some Inuit tribes as they don’t have “white” skin. It’s not my place to say that the show was or wasn’t disrespectful because I am white, just my thoughts.

[@jinae7019]

Well, I'm Asian and I wouldn't call it appropriation either, I think it did a good job depicting Asian cultures and ideas in a way that works with the ATLA universe Edit: AND the creators did A LOT of research to pay proper respect to Asian cultures such as the research done for the different martial arts styles.

[@twinkharrylwt226]

As far as I am aware asian countried (at least japan) have a different meaning to foreign people doing things fron their culture.. I watched a docu and japanese love people to use their culture as long as they do it right.. But totally agree with ur opinion

[@le-mytran8994]

You are right it is not really appropriation. However it is orientalism and ornamentalism. Both of which asian people also participate in (though the reasons why they do so and the extend of its effect is not the same for white vs asian people). Underlying the way that the creators and designers of avatar made this world are assumptions about the “East” that are a lot more insidious that what we see on the surface. These two concepts are often much more appropriate to analyze how the “West” portrays and uses the “East” but unfortunately these concepts are not as easily consumed as “cultural appropriation”. If you are interested read Anne Anlin Chang’s essay on ornamentalism where she breaks down why cultural appropriation is not enough.

[@Unknown_101_]

Culture appropriation isnt it a negative term. It’s a neutral one however today in age culture appropriate has lean more towards the negative even if it shouldn’t be. Like for example we have a cultural appropriating paper but most people don’t think that. We have a culturally appropriated pizza if it was made in America by and Italian American. However many people don’t think that it’s a bad thing.I am personally thinking last avatar is a good representation of a cultural appropriation can be good / neutral if done correctly and respectfully to the civilization.

[@arianafox365]

Why does everything have to be problematic? Brian and Michael clearly love and respect Asian and indigenous cultures. They made a beautiful show with NOT A SINGLE WHITE PERSON. And did it with respect and great care. I am so damn tired of people getting upset over everything. 😤😤

[@dinnerroll8704]

Agreed

[@alphabettical1]

Those who are off-put by the orientalism in media like ATLA are asking that exact question: Why does everything have to be problematic? Can't we have media that represents ourselves in a way that does not reflect the ways we have historically been hurt, and the ways we are presently dismissed? All art forms and media, by their nature, are open to critisicm. To ask more of the animation we watch is to display a deep love for the medium, that we would desire it to exist free from racist influence, as unintentional as it may be. (And, of course, the best way to honour and respect Asian culture in Western media is to include Asian (and Indigenous, in this case) creatives throughout production. This is especially important in projects like ATLA - to avoid what is, by definition, appropriation; but also to create space for voices that Hollywood, (and by extension, American animation) does not typically engage.) You can't truly love and respect a culture without extending humanity to those it belongs to. To value Asian and Indigenous voices, even when they're expressing discontent with your work ('complaining'), is to love and respect the cultures ATLA relies on. Not to mention the gross caricatures of Guru Pathik, and to an extent, Sandbenders, whose existence in that manner impressed upon many South Asian American viewers that Hindu spiritualism is all 'love and respect' when it's the inspiration for ATLA's Avatar cycle and chakras, but recognizing media tropes that add to the oppression and marginalization of South Asians in America, and avoiding them, is too bothersome to apply. This was not a way to make a show with 'great care'. Basically, it is indeed tiring to face the hurtful realities of media that you love, but one has to hope it leads to superior inclusive and representative media in the future. To use Asian and Indigenous aesthetics and story beats as a way to celebrate Asians and Indigenous people and also create a project that listens to, values, and includes those actual people should not be seen as too much to ask.

[@drewpagie9485]

These people are minority only when talking about the USA. 🤷‍♀️ White people can make shows about non-white people. Same with any other race. Japanese tv has a lot of anime with fully white casts and no one gives a shit that the show runners are Asian. Ps: white people and most other people are a minority in Japan. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@hannibuns]

@@alphabettical1 what's the meaning behind your comment? like, where's the point? (no hate, i'm just reaaaally confused because your comment is too long haha xD)

[@alphabettical1]

@@drewpagie9485 these shows are created by the USA, for the USA. Racial majorities in other countries are irrelevant. It's like saying Black people in America don't suffer from bad media representation because Black people in Africa are the majority in their continent. Edit: also, they're still the minority for the main extended audience of US media - Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, vaguely English-speaking Europe

[@m0derately.g0th]

based on your love for 30s fashion, i think youd enjoy analyzing the fashion of korra since its inspired by the fashion of the 20s and 30s

[@Kilayli]

I love this video!! I also noticed sokka’s sword master’s outfit looked like an ao dai

[@gremlita]

Yes you’re totally right!

[@maladjustedmaverick6619]

So does Mai's standard outfit.

[@sheetalmaharjan7470]

the fire nation head piece is also seen in korean culture. thank you for a wonderful video. much love.

[@Sthuthukile]

I've been saying how brilliant and overlooked the costume design for the show was. They really took care to distinguish between nations, not just with color but material /military regalia and were able to represent classes within the nations themselves.

[@sophiekoester5214]

loved this vid!! the costume design is one of my favorite parts of atla and i loved all the real life examples you showed here as well as the inclusion of the materials used! super informative and interesting :3 also im watching this with a migraine and ur voice is v soothing hahah good job!

[@gremlita]

Aw thanks for the sweet comment- hope your migraine gets better ❤️

[@fbrodie7428]

5:16 it might be because airbenders wouldn't want to be associated with firebenders

[@soonlet4977]

I don't think it's necessarily because of the story, but also the cartoon logic isn't much 'kids are not smart' but colour association psychology for children (simple and distinct). It's in all cartoons. There isn't many gradients because you don't want to overstimulate children. And associating a certain colour allows them to identify a group instantly like who is bad vs good or from one nation to another.

[@liyucarp]

they did a really good job in designing the characters!! i think most asians, including me, feel represented and empowered through this show, instead of being offended by it. i can only speak for myself as a person of chinese heritage, as you can't call something cultural appropriation if you're not part of that culture. and you also did a good job in researching all of these information!! thanks for the video, it was very informative and fun to watch!

[@Nanancay]

I love this sm! Also Xiqiong Ruqun is pronounced 'She Chee-ong Roo Choon' and I'm so glad the hanfu revival is coming back in China again, I love it so much. Also, I'm super impressed by the creators of the show - they managed to take elements from so many parts of asian culture, it's awesome to see these countries also being represented, even if they're not 'represented' in exactly the same way.

[@marshmallows394]

yesss!!! hanfu are so pretty, i rlly wish we would wear it more for occasions like cny, etc. not to say wearing cheongsam/qipao is not great, i just feel like wearing a hanfu for once would be such a fun experience.

[@wapishka]

Thank you for also mentioning indigenous cultures in the influence of the Avatar the Last Airbender

[@brooklinmincone1929]

You worked so astronomically hard on making sure no one misinterpreted your intentions. You are an absolute delight! You're disclaimers and explanations are so respectable, they were not necessary but they are extremely appreciated!

[@Nieves001]

Also, in the fire nation, there the Agni Kai taken from Indian fire god Agni.

[@minniebabi1555]

I thought they producers worked with Asian people on this show.

[@TheChristen96]

They did

[@sashaball6298]

They did. When you look into all the people who worked on this show they talk about how they didn’t try to base it off of one type of Asian culture and they wanted to work with many people and Asian cultures to diversify the show. It’s literally my favorite show ever created 🤣

[@V_Cerra]

One main example who've worked with them would be Dr. Lee Siu-Leung, who's credited as a cultural consultant in the show. And he's also the one who did the translations and calligraphy on tlok too. I personally think they tried their best and be respectful of their cultures around that time, despite the valid criticisms.

[@bgaseacra5092]

Also the animation was done by animation studios in Korea. I wonder how much influence they had on the final product.

[@0927kira]

nope avatar is one big asian culture appropriation by white men it baffles me they arent called out for using asian culture for prodit, white men 🙄

[@gaspardbillaux4993]

Thank you love ! That was beautifully explained ! And as a Buddhist I’d like to thank you specifically for the perfect explanation of the buddhists references and symbolism in the clothes in the show you were on point ✨ kisses 💕

[@LegendaryTeamful]

i loveeeee how respectful are you to different cultures

[@DiwenSu]

Honestly so glad I stumbled on this channel,,,, I've honestly been waiting for such in-depth videos about influences in fashion and costume design and these videos have been everything!!! Keep doing what you're doing, loving the content :') also love ur personal style and makeup!!

[@aplunks117]

This video taught me a lot! Thank you for teaching us about the historical origins that inspire the fashion in ATLA. Wonderful work 💕

[@tarynburns3880]

Not only were they trying to keep the main characters from the fire nation unique, I also think that they didn’t want to overtly vilify any specific culture. Of course some real world cultures influence the Fire nation (esp. Japan) but by making their culture more ambiguous than the others, it avoids the messy implications of painting a culture that way.

[@hameley12]

Mina Le I am really glad you talk and explain really well the garments and accessories. While other channels are talking 'Korra is better than...' or 'ATLA is better than...'. Here you actually get to the point of speaking about the pros of the show. Thank you so much! And I love your voice, you sound like an honest and kind person. Take good care! ❤️

[@voiceless6069]

i personally don’t find the show to be culture appropriation as I feel that a lot of care and research has gone in to the clothing styles for each of the four nations. I am Asian but I do not speak for all Asians as that is just my opinion

[@mishidex]

I would love to see more English resources on Asian fashion, art, and literature out in the world. This was a great introduction to some historical Asian forms of dress. Thank you!

[@virtual_fairy]

i would really like to see you evaluate the fashion in the legend of korra! maybe just the main cast though, since it seems that fashion trends vary wildly in lok.

[@kimtkb]

I was not expecting to hear Mongolian influences in Avatar,,, Katara's summer outfit was my favorite as a child and it was likely based on my own culture? Wow

[@sl2394]

I see that the majority of the comments are about cultural appropriation. Of coure that is an important topic to discuss about, but the only thing that I want to say is that I really appreciate this video!! I learnt so much and its all soo interesting!! You explained it so very well!! Thank you for this video!!

[@carolinaroellas]

Mina, if you’re interested of course, could you please make a video about the fashion in Star Wars? I’d love to see you talking about the fashion in different planets such as Naboo and Alderaan!

[@bronzebalance6018]

what I love with ATLA is that I can see all culture of Asia and when I say ALL culture in Asia it's all from west to east, from north to south and central Asia. Fire nation reminds me some Korean, Chinese, Mongol and Turkic, central asian culture and also Mayan culture with the Dragon, Water tribe reminds me the indigenous people from Siberia and America, water bender from swamp reminds me south East Asian culture, Air nomad reminds me Indian, Tibetan, nepalese culture, Earth kingdom reminds me Chinese, Central Asian, Persian, Armenian, Anatolian and Arabic culture (especially sand bender for arabic)... and I don't care if it's not the case, I don't care if they don't take inspiration of all these culture, as an Anatolian turk I feel represented in this show and it's a great feeling n_n, I think the strength of this show is whatever you come from, you can kind of feel represented but sure the soundtrack is definitely East Asian :p

[@MB-tj7xh]

Dear Mina, i hope I can add something: Deel isn't the specific term, it's a Terlig or Yesa robe. The difference is the material (primarily animal hide) and cut (wider lower part for horse riding). The Terlig has a super interesting History actually, that it went along with Djinggis Khaan (Ghenghis Khan)on a journey and inspired multiple places to adapt a similar robe bc of it's practicality. Now China has Tieli + Jisun and Korea has Cheollik, the mughal indian jama. Kataras robe has less similarity with the more modern deel.

[@Asiansquadlove]

I am just glad they at least they took their time to learn about it.

[@taqwaibrahim616]

thank you for taking the time to explain in detail to those of us who don’t know! i really enjoy learning about different cultures. this is an amazing video.

[@jupitervi]

awww i love this level of detail i didn’t want it to end 🥺♥️ your videos are so soothing and informational i can’t wait for your next one 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@marleymcmahon1846]

I would love to see a part two of yours on legends of korra as there’s more characters introduced! And maybe touch on the fashion of the sub category benders, like the swamp benders, metal benders, etc ❤️❤️ I love your videos

[@skyminewang6853]

Thank you so much for doing the research and explaining these beautiful culture!!! I love the video.

[@loneranger7271]

I can't wait for its live-action series, I really hope they use these original location to film whenever possible and make it as culturally and ethnically correct as possible. Last live action movie they made was like western washed spinoff of Avatar and they didn't bother to make it true to source material. Also this is something that happens in other countries too. There's many Japanese animes that are mostly based on eurocentric settings and characters like Full Metal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, Vinland saga etc. FMA and AOT even got their live action made but they didn't bother to use right settings and ethnically correct characters for them either.

[@talkingtoast1200]

Wow ! Such a cool idea for a video and a channel ! Can't wait to see more stuff like this and your last video !!!

[@dotdotdotdotdotdotdottod]

finally some agrees with me that the fire nation has no japanese influence or culture (aside from there political structure) at all

[@annemckenzie6504]

I feel that like architecture wise the palace was like high key Chinese palace vines with the courtyard with the final Agni Kai and like the halls and pillars,,, and then like the beach episode is like totes south Asian influence

[@vanessadalpiaz6423]

This is such a cool analysis, excited to check out your other videos next!

[@mansamusa8410]

Fun fact in the earth kingdom there is a cultural attitude to keep a clear and light complexion similar to the chinese cultural attitude to maintain fair skin

[@princessn2275]

This was so interesting! I love the show and knew that the different nations were based in different cultures etc. so the informative nature of your video with all the pictorial examples was just amazing ☺️💕

[@mintayza7784]

8:31 that's Bolin's outfit in Legend of Korra

[@Farmer12J]

Many of the character designs were made by the South Korean animators, so the white creators didn’t appropriate anything.

[@khushi1767]

im not saying that this was or wasn't cultural appropriation, but I just want to point out that even tho the atla animators had more creative freedom that usual, the character designs are usually created by the main producers and directors and designers themselves. i think in the later seasons atla did hire asian creatives in these departments as well tho, but just clarifying that animators don't usually come up with the design :)

[@cecerats]

poc can appropriate cultures that aren't their own though? idk wether avatar is cultural appropriation, i think being inspired by cultures and making characters and worlds based of it doesn't have to be? but i'm white so-

[@preetlalji8966]

@@cecerats I personally don't think it's cultural appropriation if it's made in respect for the original cultures it draws inspiration from. Besides, I believe a lot of research has been made to come up with the culture of each four nations. If the traditional outfits and architectures were used simply for aesthetics, that would count as cultural appropration though. But I'm not East Asian or South East Asian or Inuit so I can't talk for the people whose cultures are seen in Avatar.

[@cocoroach_ok]

No, that's not it. I know basic knowledge of animation industry especially anime (but both anime and western cartoon work similar). These South Korean animators just do animation, they're contractors. They're not writers. Main anime studio in Japan usually hire other studios, usually in smaller studio (sometimes abroad, like South Korea, China, and Vietnam studio) to do some of the animation. Anime studios does it usually to cut corners or to focus on more important episodes. Not that means this show's cultural appropriation (this show did great) I just wanna point that out because you can't really use it as a valid argument. Edit: I've heard this show has Asia culture consultants, so that's how you can say it's not really cultural appropriation. But my opinion about animators don't have any input to the show still stand.

[@suhainzaman5064]

You do know that tibet, Alaska, japan,Thailand, cambodia, and china and ARE NOT SOUTH KOREA RIGHT?? not all POC are from the same cultures get a brain smh...

[@maytalacedo2942]

It's really cool for a kids show fantasy it shows inspiration from different countries and mirge them together while telling a really good story.

[@sprinklesondonuts6133]

Where on earth do you get your fabulous clothes???? Your whole bedroom is my dream aesthetic, including your style 🤩

[@minecraftgirldevil]

One factor I liked about legend of Korea is the change in style that progresses through the clothing. Korea's clothes look similar to atla but asami bolin and mako wear similar and very different clothing than what was in atla. It's subtle at times but you can really see the change that occured with the rise of technology and the mixing of nations.

[@raptors8620]

The Chinese are somewhat fire nation because when the Dalai Lama was being reincarnated the Chinese were looking for it too and also the Dalai Lama ran away from home when the Chinese attacked. Notice how similar that was to aang’s story?

[@inoplanetka]

Please please please keep making videos, i like it so much and find them so interesting! And just seeing your aesthetics is so inspiring for me while i want to find and create mine too, love from Russia and thank you😘 Ps how did you know that avatar is my favourite tvshow!😉

[@trendy4tmrw]

Wow you cover fashion in such interesting ways! More videos on shows! I’d love to see this a part 2 on Avatar Korra!

[@idonthaveaname9023]

As a Japanese I never thought the fire nation was aesthetically Japanese. I feel like everything is just a mixture of different cultures and that’s cool because after all it’s a fantasy. It doesn’t have to be culturally accurate.

[@kirstyshannon]

ngl this is probs one of my favourite videos on youtube

[@IonIsFalling7217]

It’s so frustrating that if people make films only about European nations, it’s exclusionary and racist, but if they make films about non-European nations, it’s cultural appropriation and racist. We can’t win.

[@NaNa-wy2tk]

Who can't win?

[@ace_bean7011]

Totally agree. Race doesn't say anything about quality.

[@JackieBurkhart924]

@@NaNa-wy2tk No one really wins imo, its a catch-22.

[@TheSnuffy1994]

youre lacking some nuance there bud

[@alfa_kenny_body]

It wasn't even supposed to be a historically accurate documentary, but literally a fictional animation about people that manipulate the elements by dancing... Meanwhile movies about real historical personalities/events are completely distorted and inaccurate and nobody cares because *entertainment*

[@milinamarie7832]

Thank you for getting me through my Workday with your content. I adore fashion analysis videos

[@yes2no]

Ah! If you ever watch Korra I really hope you give it it a fair shot! There was a lot of shady business from Nick to the Korra team. Like one example is that they were told Korra was only green lit for 1 season. I just love Korra and it holds a special place in my heart. And I think Korra was never given a fair shot but much of the avatar “fandom”. That’s just my 2 cents tho. LOVED the video. Both educational and super fun. Thank you for uploading !!

[@kate_wn]

I agree, it's sad how Legend of Korra was mistreated by Nickelodeon

[@ladidaa579]

i know this is a pretty old video but i just love the way your face lights up when you talks about fashion and the origins of it ☺️

[@Mudkipper7]

I love your makeup, you’re super pretty :) I loved the fact about the monks who recycle plastic for their clothes 💚

[@sai-cf1wb]

This honestly gives back memories

[@CarolineDAmbrosioDesigns]

Yay avatar!! Zuko is my favvv! Like ur style and channel ☺️

[@MB-tj7xh]

Minas amazing. I have yet to see anybody else notice the mongolian influences in the water tribe garbs and headdresses

[@Smokeboats]

16:05 If I remember correctly, the creators did say that the Fire Nation uniforms were originally going to look even more like samurai armor with segmented arm and shoulder guards, but got changed last minute to the cleaner pointed shoulders we see in the show because those were easier to animate on a regular basis.

[@クンガ]

Fun fact: in the scene where the airnomads put objects in front of avatar aang to see if he was reincarnated that scene was based on Dalai lama when he was reincarnated

[@金-y9y]

I loooovelovelove fashion history and this video fed my love a lot more !! I think this video is very well done and I can't wait to see more videos you put out :- )