Cultural Inspirations in Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 1 - Water

[@XiranJayZhao]

Happy holidays, STAY HOME

[@PurpleTheTapricorn915]

🎄 I love your videos!

[@moonchild5713]

*adores your content from the safety of my room* hehe 👹♥️

[@Lufernaal]

It made me think of Elite Miko

[@anthoonellah]

💕✨

[@laserbrain7774]

besides raiding the amazon dumpster there really isn't anywhere else to go anyway.

[@magicalgirlmel3289]

Sokka's first character arc is him learning to drink his Respect Women Juice and then he just never stops. We have no choice but to stan.

[@SLig-jt4ot]

It's the quenchiest!

[@davidshi451]

He gets the misogyny literally beaten out of him

[@logicaloverdrive8197]

They had to make Sokka a normie since he had the highest Charisma stat

[@cinnamoony3996]

respecc women and love women, we have no choice but to stan

[@resolutionblaze363]

Whats neat is that he dropped his stereotypical views on women but he doesn't forego his fragile masculinity behind just yet. He still holds onto that behavior for a good while, because well, people don't change overnight. He still acts tough when he can because he's grown up to be the 'man of the tribe' y'know?

[@ApoasDemon]

"Meanwhile Zuko is yelling about his honor" That's it that's the whole show.

[@zedolchu7529]

Yep

[@othelliusmaximus]

And we love him for it

[@adlan_kacak]

due to how his dad treat him =/

[@AStangeSoup]

i MuSt CaPtUrE tHe AvAtAr To ReStOrE mY hOnOr!

[@Raven_Nivhaar]

"Wait, what's that? I think it's your honor!"

[@bigwig8657]

Any time Aang is not taking shit seriously, remember this is a kid without a therapist still trying to wrap his head around genocide of his culture for little to no apparent reason. Him not being present consistently is good writing imo.

[@Starlight-rb3sp]

Exactly!

[@ergrainger9195]

I absolutely agree

[@Navillea]

Yeah! Like give the kid a break, he has to save the world, relationship problems ( oh the relationship problems…) and more!

[@heliosfromacrossastar878]

I agree, and that’s also why I didn’t hate that in Legend of Korra (spoilers?) Aang turned out not to be the best dad. He had the pressure of rebuilding an entire nation and preserving a culture, so I thought it was logical he used his time efficiently to teach the only airbender child as much as he could. I can’t even imagine the pressure he would have felt. Not excusing it, but I did understand.

[@TactlessC]

also he's like 12 at the start of the series and had that sort of that expectational upbringing of a gifted/genius/talented child who didn't have to try as much...also the Avatar thing.

[@Infernitar]

An interesting thing to note: King Bumi is our first real look at earthbending, but he's also rather atypical for an earthbender ... because he incorporates airbending footwork and agility into his style. Not only a good character indicator of his friendship with Aang and the Air Nomads earlier in life, but also shows that the greatest benders in the world tend to borrow elements from other disciplines to suit their own styles (even apparently contradictory styles like air and earth or water and fire), a trend that will continue throughout

[@nefertitimontoya]

THIS IS THE TAKE AND BEST METAPHOR seriously though in academia the best stuff is usually interdisciplinary imo it's awesome when you can bring in other ideas

[@MrMarinus18]

But also his "keep yourself open to the possibilities" mentality is kind of an anomaly. Earth benders are usually all about enduring and powering through whatever is in their way.

[@mattparnall4148]

I love how many different versions of earthbending there are. There's Bumi's version, Toph's version with a mantis like stance incorporating her unique abilities, the Dai Li style with the rock glove, the boulder's muscle based style, and the basic style used by people like Haru. And that's not even counting metal bending, sand bending, crystal bending or any other variation. There are also a bunch I've missed. A good example is the Blind Bandit episode, because most of the fighters have their own unique spin on earthbending. It really works with the idea that since the earth kingdom is/was the largest and most inhabited nation, there is the most variation in its bending.

[@thundercat287]

As someone who started doing Chinese martial arts after watching Avatar (not because of it), I do see people slowly molding their style to fit themselves. In the beginning, you learn the basics so that what you have is effective first. But as you get to more advanced levels, you find what works better for you and what doesn't. Then it's more tailored for you, because in the end, it matters whether you can defend yourself. I learned from the four elements (if we just say Southern style instead of Hung Gar) and I gravitate more towards water bending. I can use others, but my main style will probably be that, with some... elements of the others.

[@chrisvandergriff504]

@@thundercat287 I studied/practiced Shorin-Ryu and Shodokan karate for about 7 years before I started self-studying/practicing traditional Chinese martial arts and I have also become a ridiculous amalgamation of Shodokan stances mixed with Tong-Long upper body work and Shorin-Ryu's up-close kicks. And that's just when sober, lol. I spent a few months practicing drunken boxing as shown by Jackie Chan, lol

[@epicjoyfulcreations4580]

Between Katara’s harem and Sokka’s like eight girlfriends, the water tribe can get it.

[@gabssza8569]

Korra also dated everyone in her gang, lol

[@diyagore1784]

Sokka had at least 1 boyfriend. I mean, don't try and tell me that Sokka wasn't a bisexual disaster.

[@dudeguyyo]

@@diyagore1784 Zuko and Sokka had way more similarities and chemistry than Zutara ever did, and Sokka definitely had a crush on The Boulder in the same way teen girls have crushes on boyband members There was also that popular fan theory that Hakota (Sokka and Katara’s dad) had a thing with Bato, and he /does/ date that one lady in the comics... the water tribe really /can/ get it

[@lizzmartins125]

When did Sokka get 8 girlfriends lol.

[@memebrain2177]

Epic Joyful Creations *water tribe*

[@just-trying-my-best-everyday]

"The Qin Dynasty was like China's emo grunge phase." I choked on my drink.

[@redbomb3576]

Today is gonna be the day That they're gonna throw it back to you By now you should've somehow Realized what you gotta do I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now Backbeat, the word is on the street That the fire in your heart is out I'm sure you've heard it all before But you never really had a doubt I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now And all the roads we have to walk are winding And all the lights that lead us there are blinding There are many things that I Would like to say to you but I don't know how Because maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall Today was gonna be the day But they'll never throw it back to you By now you should've somehow Realized what you're not to do I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now And all the roads that lead you there were winding And all the lights that light the way are blinding There are many things that I Would like to say to you but I don't know how I said maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall I said maybe (I said maybe) You're gonna be the one that saves me And after all You're my wonderwall I said maybe (I said maybe) You're gonna be the one that saves me (saves me) You're gonna be the one that saves me (that saves me) You're gonna be the one that saves me (that saves me)

[@redbomb3576]

Yes i know how to copy and paste

[@athestya]

*G Note intensifies*

[@talimbeingaverythriftyghor5967]

@@athestya _when i was a young boi-_

[@iantaylor9664]

I love the FGO Mothman reference

[@NIHIL_EGO]

As an European, I can firmly confirm that LoTR is good European cultures representation, everyone hates each others and only unites against common threats and even then it's complicated.

[@nebeskisrb7765]

90% time the "common threat" is one of us who is being the biggest jerk atm.

[@iainhansen1047]

European history is literally just team death matches from the Romans empire until WW2

[@AvatarWindy]

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA THATS MY NEW FAVORITE WAY TO SUMMERIZE EURO HISTORY!!!!!!!

[@billystokes3917]

I must agree with this completely.

[@macgruber6739]

@@nebeskisrb7765 That or the Ottomans

[@asperRader]

35:47 The cool thing is, kid media can't rely on blood and sex and violence and swearing to make itself seem deeper and more mature than it is, so to appeal to an older audience it needs to add actual complexity. It's so fun.

[@afterdinnercreations936]

What you described is just Velma.

[@Orii-2]

so true, and it has to appeal to impatient kids so it actually moves along!!

[@zubetp]

this reminds me of that batman cartoon from the 2000's. the joker didn't kill people, he would leave them like, stupefied with these creepy grins on their faces. apparently the creators came up with that because they wanted to include a sense of horror and dread, but couldn't show corpses. and because of that, they ended up with something memorable and genuinely _more_ disturbing.

[@valuabledoodles]

“I can’t believe Mark Hamill voices this random spirit!” Just wait till she hears about who voices Lord Ozai

[@MisterJackTheAttack]

Exactly. They didn't just "randomly get" him. He was already in the studio.

[@regiman222]

@@MisterJackTheAttack They technically got him to voice this random spirit... because he was already in the building to voice Ozai later in the episode. Also I'm not sure she even noticed as she didn't mention it.

[@stevenbyford5615]

Apparently when he first read it, he didn't think it would last. He thought it was too smart to become as popular as it did.

[@MrPsyren99]

wait till she finds out who voices captain stickybeard

[@ebreshea1337]

Yeah Mark Hamill is a very prolific voice actor. Most well known for creating the iconic "Joker" voice, but has probably voiced hundreds of characters. If you go to his IMDB and ctrl+f "voice", the entire scrollbar turns yellow.

[@ernestocarmona9502]

The "have you ever" intro is quickly becoming one of my favorites

[@tscream80]

I hope she never changes it.

[@brutustantheiii8477]

@@tscream80 I hope she never changes it too. Like Critical Drinkers’ “Go Away Now”

[@TalkingAboutYooh]

It's kind of her trademark now.

[@a_touch_of_reality]

It's the best intro that exists in the KZbin

[@KZFathom]

it's starting to become the "moonkitti with an i" of this channel

[@griffin1155]

while avatar isn’t real representation what it does do right is introduce others (especially children) to asian & inuit cultures. while first airing in the us avatar was showing kids settings and influences that they’d never seen before & inspiring them to want to learn more about them. i remember watching the series on nick as a kid and being in awe of this world i had never seen anything like before

[@marshmallowvampire8503]

I agree. And I do agree with her about her closing statement about how if someone doesn't know how to represent a culture, why do they do it (before farther research)? Because Mulan 2020 was terrible, and I could list off several movies were they... I guess it's cool to represent different cultures but to firstly put themselves up on a pedestal for it, and secondly most of them spark the woke white nitwit conversation about 'they shouldn't be telling that story'. I think it's more about their ignorance due to their upbringing/culture rather than their race. Anyway, she made a good point.

[@Kenai_G]

As someone from Alaska, as a kid, i only saw part of the the first episode because I was so angry that people would think that alaskans lived in igloos that second grade me boycotted the show. I realized my mistake later, because the show is good, and they weren't actually trying to show actual inuit culture. At least I've watched the show now. It was way better than i was fearing.

[@dragoncatoverload]

Off topic but related, this is why it irks me when they change mundane things in the localization of kids show. Like, is it really that bad for kids to see signs with a foreign language, learn foreign names, see people using chopsticks see foreign money or learn about foreign animals? It’s a good thing for them to be exposed to foreign elements and I think it outweighs the possibility of them having to ask their parents or google it. I get why they do it (they want it to be more appealing to the new culture in hopes that it will be more profitable) but I don’t know. It seems like an unnecessary effort. Especially when most people know what chopsticks are now a days (note: I’m referencing the fairly recent Doraemon dub, this was a thing that happened in there)

[@SSBGogetaFTW]

@@dragoncatoverload if you're talking about children's anime, especially things along the lines of 4Kids dubs, then let me gleefully share my knowledge on the subject! 4Kids and all the companies after them that do the same thing distinctly do *not* do localization. Localization is a good thing, especially in anime fitted for kids. But that's not what it is. 4Kids creates Hack Dubs. Hack Dubs are not localization. Localization refers only to the shifting of phrasing and sometimes, though very rarely, plot elements to make them make more sense to a viewer of a different country. Have you ever watched a sub or dub and thought to yourself, "Okay but no one who speaks English would ever actually talk like that."? Or maybe you used Google Translate and the result was just nonsensical? That's because it hasn't been properly localized! Language, especially Japanese in this case, rarely has 1:1 translations and if they do, they don't flow the same as English would normally. Localization is an important step in *all* translations, be that dubbing, subbing, or translating manga. Hack Dubs do not do this. The goal of Hack Dubs is not to contextualize Japanese anime, but rather change them entirely to make more sense to their target demographic (usually 7-11 english children) and is responsible for people not knowing that Pokemon, Digimon, and Yu-Gi-Oh are anime. If the context of a scene is *completely* different than the original scene from an anime, then that's hack dubbing. Take the dub of FMAB and the original for a second here. The first scene in the entire anime is a great example of localization. The sub of FMAB has Mustang saying "The Freezing Alchemist?" and then Bradley responding "Yes. He has sneaked his way here into Central. Colonel Roy Mustang, I would like to put you in charge of capturing him." and then Mustang says "If that is your order." The dub on the other hand has this exchange instead: "The Freezing Alchemist? Really? He's here?" "We have information that he managed to slip into central a few days ago. That's why I've summoned you here Colonel. I need you and your men to smoke him out and bring him in." "Consider it done, sir." The context of the scene is the same, they just changed the phrasing a bit from the sub (which, while localized, is much closer to a direct translation than dubbing is) to use more English lingo and have the characters speak how we would expect military to speak. The Japanese to a Japanese viewer would sound correct, but in direct translation the military authority is a bit lost. Now take the dub of Yu-Gi-Oh versus the original. Things like the Shadow Realm instead of dying, the lengthening of skirts, and yes, changing Kanji or other Japanese writing on signs, are all symbols of Hack Dubs. More often than not, real localization will rarely change visual things, rather they leave it and contextualize it with a quick subtitle (Take FMAB episode 1 again for example, when Hughes barges into Mustang's office and Mustang has a bubble near his face with Japanese writing and there's a subtitle that says "Here comes the pest" instead of changing it outright). Hack Dubs are bad yes and it is something we should fight against, especially in children's media, but localization really gets thrown under the bus a lot in conversations about it. I hope all of this info helps!

[@dragoncatoverload]

@@SSBGogetaFTW Tl;dr but no I’m not against changing in general just; I’m of the personal opinion that you should only change stuff that needs to be changed. I considered good localization an art form that can be extremely beautiful when done right but it can also be done super wrong, as well as done meh. I was talking about the random meh things that don’t make sense to change outside of misguided marketing tactics. Also current dubs exist in a realm different from the 4kids era. That era was a way different time in which the market was a little more closed and needed active breaking in to. I’m talking more current examples like Ghibli Disney dubs or like I said Doeaemon. That exists in a more accepting realm that actively demands accuracy. Edit: also I’m sorry for the tl;dr but it is Christmas Eve and I work retail and my brain is utterly fried right now.

[@kaniq6120]

As an Inuit person I remember the first time I saw avatar I wasn't paying much attention then I saw the water tribe and I cried. Never have I ever seen Inuit people in any kind of media in anyway that wasn't racist propaganda or rape fantasy and it made me just so absolutely to see our hairstyles and clothes and even hear our names coming from characters that were real people like they wereny just dumb savages but fully fleshed out people like everyone else in the show and that meant so much to me as a child. Although I will say not all of the water tribe customs are accurate to us in real life (the sexism and emphasis on war)

[@lilydrimm6626]

As a "fan" of greenland inuit culture i was also so surprised to see 2 of the main characters being inuit inspired... I see them nowhere!!! I've seen one movie that set my interest on Greenland and that's all!! It's like french people and other europeans only see inuit as ooga wooga tribe that lives in igloos and kill polar bears for breakfast... Nothing else TT-TT

[@actuallyimnotreallysureyet6360]

I’m not Inuit but I’m native and honestly same. Just seeing a brown girl remotely indigenous done respectfully (not like Pocahontas) was necessary for so many brown girls to see.

[@tsuki3752]

i’m a native girl and not inuit but same. i also felt this way with piper mclean from the heroes of olympus series by rick riordan. i cried when i saw their struggles with their cultures or with the genocide they went through because i felt like my thoughts and feelings were actually seen.

[@veroniicaa2000]

Really omg now people have to be so careful with representing cultures xd i mean really ppl think that if they will be represented in some movie as someone who likes war so really u think people think like oh okay all inuit people love to make wars and are very bad people? Its just fiction and ppl shouldnt believe in everything that is shown in movie. For me the only thing that should be really accurate when representing some countries culture is their customs and traditions

[@claudius3359]

I'm sorry,but r#pe fantasy? 😨

[@misamisaa4547]

"googling ancient Chinese pottery for one shot" is such an artist/writer thing xD

[@timtam3730]

They did this show in the early to mid 2000s so I'm not sure if the Google we use now is the same as the Google they used back then. (BTW started watching Death Note and I'm already a fan).

[@Fisinocean]

Our search history is one of the biggest rabbit hole one could find. I swear im probably im on watch list for things i want to know as a refrence

[@SparaticSpartan]

@@timtam3730 bruh, having been alive, google worked pretty much the same then as it does now. the early 2000’s weren’t the 70’s or 80’s lmao.

[@Libellulaire]

@@Fisinocean Like when sometimes you want to know more about crimes, deaths, weapons, or in general bad things that happened. When I look up some "negative" stuff out of pure curiosity/thirst for knowledge, I feel like I'm being put on a list ._.

[@Just.A.L1ttle_Rand0]

Lmao literally looked up if a snow storm can cut your skin a few days ago Random stuff about bruises, serious injuries, death, laws and sometimes minor terrorism are constantly in my google history because of writing

[@TheDevNell]

"Imagine growing in the Fire Nation.....actually, I can. I'm from mainland China" ...OOF....

[@acraze2287]

fire nation is more like imperialist japan, china is more earth kingdom

[@iago110]

@@acraze2287 but the earth nation actually cares about it's citizens

[@Sheridan2LT]

@@acraze2287 The joke is mainland China is a nasty place to live in.

[@acraze2287]

@@iago110 “there is no war in ba sing se” they also lie to their people

[@ANT96-x8d]

14:48 And how exactly is that tower anything to do with coronavirus?

[@evie5375]

"you can't talk over chinese cooking noises" me, having grown up with my italian family "we're not so different you and i"

[@vikli5966]

Yes!! As a Chinese person, I have so many friends that are from other non-North American POC cultures as well as Italian and Slavic culture because though we all have differences, we have so many weird casual little things that are similar, like how cooking is always insanely loud n shit 😭

[@dollface6376]

@@vikli5966 As a Slavic person I relate so much. Like when there's a discussion between Americans and West Europeans that's like "this thing Asian people do is so weird". And I'm like "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME NOT EVERYONE'S FAMILY DOES THAT????!!!!"

[@antoniocasias5545]

Living in China for 4 months I don’t get what you’re talking about?

[@HimekoYagami]

As a Mexican, I also greatly vibed with that lmao

[@yihanwang8015]

It’s a mostly universal experience of getting woken up on cultural holidays by the sounds of cooking TwT

[@ishathakor]

i know it's hard to imagine one artist googling 3000 year old pottery for one scene but like based purely on how much me and my friends research things to write down like one sentence in our stories i wouldnt be surprised if theres someone on the animation team for avatar who went down like a two hour long google search rabbithole for one scene

[@nefertitimontoya]

I could imagine a more broad world building moodboard type deal happening where stuff like that goes up there. Though I've never worked in animation, just an artist, so not entirely sure what the pipeline might be

[@stefansneden1957]

I kind of feel this

[@mastergalladetech]

I once had ten tabs open for one three sentences paragraph and I didn't even end up using it

[@bmas44]

I expect photos of it were just in the show bible research

[@jonasweber9408]

Believe me given the cost and length of time of animation, *everything* is researched and think about before, during and after

[@imjustverable3860]

"I doubt that some background artist was googling _3000 year old Chinese pottery_ just for one shot." Mm...as a writer who does unnecessarily in depth research for scenes and a person who knows many artists who do the same thing for one small detail in their drawings, I'd believe it lol.

[@rimantepurvinyte8316]

Yes! I'm a writer as well and I constantly feel like I absolutely have to get that one obscure thing as historically/culturally accurate or else I will die.

[@itsme7336]

This hits just a little too close to home

[@cestalia]

I'm guilty of that lmao

[@xhadow8815]

Yes. Especially if your writing or drawing something from another culture that is not your own or writing about an experience you never had. Research is KEY when writing.

[@javencummins1426]

Yes, I'm very guilty of that.

[@skyyexplainsitall]

It will forever be hilarious to me that this person has a youtube career as a result of their disdain for that awful life action Mulan movie. At least something good came out of it lol Edit: Hi just wanted to add I didn't know that Xiran is nonbinary! My apologies to them 💖 still stands that they are an absolute icon 💖💖💖

[@hunterchewning6725]

Yeah lol the origins of this channel are wild. I still remember getting that first video recommended to me. Immediately subscribed when I realized she made the channel just to make fun of that awful movie.

[@sipping-tea-22]

She's also verified now lmao

[@greymon1665]

Even though it was her first video the quality was pretty good to me, so I’m glad she got recognition

[@skyyexplainsitall]

@@sipping-tea-22 omg lmao I didn't know that 😂😂 they deserve it!💖

[@Theatress09]

This is the quality content KZbin needs. 🌊🔥☄️🌪

[@amparoortiz2234]

“I personally would never date a guy with a hairstyle like that” MOOD FOREVERMORE

[@highdefinition450]

thank god his hair changes then lol

[@davilopes5925]

That old lady's CAT in season one is a total MYSTERY! A CAT??? Just a CAT? In the Avatar world? Like...? HOW???

[@auricstorm]

And also we never totally know what crime it committed. It's possible it's the ATLA equivalent of "Darth Jaja Binks"

[@emilylagle3324]

To be fair...it's a cat. And also, very seriously cats are associated with spirituality in many ways, including being able to interact with them AKA when they stare into the corner of your room for thirty minutes for absolutely no reason.

[@XxdextriousxX]

Same with earth kings bear!

[@lestell2158]

Speaking about team leaders y'all remeber that scene when Sokka declared himself team leader and Katara was like why are you team leader shouldn't Aang be team leader is after all he's the avatar and Aang was like nah I'm only 12 .... That kills me everytime😂

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

Aang has enough on his plate, please don't actually put him in charge of leading a group of kids older than him.

[@GuiSmith]

@@kimberlyterasaki4843 Everyone knows they can’t rely on the parenting skills of all his past lives to keep them going, after all

[@shinyagumon7015]

Makes sense since Aang didn't want the responsibility of anything at this age.

[@Isa-lh2mw]

"I really like my complex villains" Fire lord Ozai: **sweats nervously**

[@JBzucc]

Jokes aside though, while lacking in complexity it's amazing how well they built him up to be such a huge threat so in my opinion it felt like it made up for the lack of depth, pretty impressive how well it turned out

[@Aquaria942]

Plus, I feel like Azula and Zuko makes up for the complexity. Ozai felt more like the embodiment of greed and lust for power in the world that Aang had to bring peace to.

[@coco-jl7qc]

azula: complex, sad, deep zuko: complex, strong, important ozai: mean fire man

[@XIIIsan]

Personnally, I like his post defeat development in the comics. He acts like he's proud and strong, until someone resist him and prove him wrong and weak... Cool reactions

[@froggyfun1830]

I feel like sometimes you have to tone down the complexity of a villain in order to up their intimidation factor. That way we don’t end up rooting for them. The less we know about them, the more suspense there is for when we finally face them.

[@adi-od9li]

When Aang said “do you think we could have been friends too?” it must have meant something to Zuko because when he was asking to join the gaang in season 3 he said to Aang “you once said you thought we could be friends” and idk I just find that really sweet that a comment seemingly small and just Aang being sweet meant so much to Zuko

[@forminlet7334]

yeah, it seemed like he probably thought about that interaction a lot

[@sassylittleprophet]

I will say . . . as someone who was raised by abusive parents myself, I wasn't treated very kindly in my growing up years. So those few moments when people were kind to me were SO impactful/meaningful to me. I still remember this one guy that randomly overheard me singing and after asking if that was my voice, he said, "Whatever you do, don't stop." I was 12 and used to being paraded in front of church to sing to make my parents look good, but in private my parents often told me to shut up. Those tiny moments that people probably just said to be kind and then never thought of it again, those were the most meaningful moments to me.

[@bingus1691]

@@sassylittleprophet The fact thaf what those random people said to u impacted you is very sad yet sweet. I hope your in a better place now. I wish to you the best in life.

[@sassylittleprophet]

@@bingus1691 thank you so much, I'm in a much better place in my life now (supportive/non-toxic friends, weekly therapy, and living on my own away from my family). I wish you the best in life too. 💜

[@inoli3164]

@@sassylittleprophet I hope you also still sing because you enjoy it along with being in a better place now.

[@rachaelmae1121]

The power of fire bending coming from the breath also makes sense when you think about all the things needed to make fire. Heat, fuel and *oxygen*

[@Cheezbuckets]

I don’t know if this is a thing that people still talk about, but I’m going to complain about it anyway lol I used to always see people complaining/joking about how Aang’s reaction to Gyatso’s skeleton is ridiculous or unrealistic or that Aang’s an idiot in that episode for not realizing that of course Gyatso would be dead after a hundred years, and it always annoys the hell out of me! Aang isn’t an idiot, he KNOWS that everyone he knew, especially Gyatso, would be dead! Watch the episode, and look at Aang’s face after he has the flashback about Gyatso in front of his statue; he’s visibly upset, Katara comforts him because she sees he’s upset, he knows that Gyatso would have died long ago, however, he still believes that the airbenders escaped the fire nation army, and therefore that Gyatso probably died peacefully of natural causes somewhere else or something like that. It’s not until he sees Gyatso’s skeleton among those of fire nation soldiers that he finally realizes that the airbenders weren’t able to escape, everyone he knew was brutally murdered by an army, and, more than that, the man he loved like a father died horribly in battle, and THAT’S what made him lose control, not “oh, dang, the man who was old a hundred years ago is dead now?” Like I said, I don’t know if people these days are still spreading this SLANDER, but it still peeves me off, so I wanted to get it off my chest somewhere. XD

[@laurinha2892]

I didn't even know people said that. But yeah, agreed

[@UmTois]

Yeah I agree completely with this. Also, it'd be possbile for him to be alive anyways, Guru Pathik had 150 years.

[@kittfln8168]

Correct. Also the air benders had people live till like 150yo so there probably was a small hope that at least someone he knew would still be alive. Like bhumi

[@iprobablyforgotsomething]

@Cheezbuckets -- "I don’t know if this is a thing that people still talk about, but I’m going to complain about it anyway..." That is 100% my internal monologue so, so often when thinking about random pop-media. It's also occassionally my dialogue-opener, but nowadays I only subject my close friends to it (the poor unfortunate souls xD lololol!).

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

One thing to note is while airbenders are pacifists, there are 10 or so skeletons around Gyatso. He went out like a boss. And people have pointed out that his clothes aren't burned at all. The best theory is that he removed all the air in the tent, created a bubble of vacuum that suffocated him and all his attacker. "least violent" way for killing multiple people while also taking yourself out.

[@billyhargrovedeservedsomuc183]

My dad saw me watching this and was like “this is all for the silly cartoon?” And he legit just watched with me for a solid fifteen minutes and said “that’s pretty cool” and left. He never thinks anything I watch or like is cool. You praisebended.

[@lukasspookas7226]

BRUUHHH

[@ololo518]

Oh god, my dad did that things too. He called silly Cowboy Bebop, american wrestling (yeah, that is silly, but I know that) and Phineas and Ferb. I was so pissed off by him...

[@billyhargrovedeservedsomuc183]

A MOOD! I scared the crap outta him when I watched Korra and she went Avatar state after being chained up. And he was so like “wtf” and I felt smug af just saying “it’s the prequel to the silly cartoon.” My advice? Play the scariest episode of ur fave cartoon in front of ur judgy parents to scare them. (My mom actually liked Avatar when we played it in the trailer camping. I sweated bricks cuz it was the spirit of the forest one and we are all Christian. She played the next episode.)

[@johnphilipteguihanon8293]

I'm glad my dad was not like that. We would buy fake CD's of animes he liked like 'One Piece' or 'Reborn' and 'Bleach' and cartoons like 'Tom and Jerry', ' SpongeBob SquarePants', etc. That was our bonding before hehehe

[@soonlet4977]

Sorry, but it's called being closeminded. People can be educated, rich, talented, hardworking, or any valued trait and be closeminded for usually something as silly as ego. If they cartoons are dismissed on the basis that it's impossible to have skillful craftmanship, and you're telling me it has nothing to do with ego? I find that hard to believe.

[@TheChiog]

One Detail someone pointed out to me about the scene with Gyatso's corpse: There are dozens of dead fire soldiers, but not one burn mark on his clothes. And from LoK, we learn airbenders can remove oxygen from a certain area. So what may have happened there is that Gyatso, maybe after helping some children escape, sat down there and waited. and when the soldiers came in, he used his airbending to remove all oxygen in the room and then to close the doors, trapping him and the soldiers inside and suffocating all. And since there can be no fire without oxygen, they could do nothing against it.

[@corvidae2741]

Thats a really good thought! I never considered that, but its definitly devistating and in-character

[@Rokiriko]

If he sucks out all oxygen, fire bending is the least of their worries...

[@JCGver]

I design gasdetection for safety for my work, I can concure removing the oxygen from a room would be an extremely effective way to take out a bunch of people. Once they figure out what is going on they would be pretty much death, as the urge to breath comes from too much CO2 in your lungs/blood rather than a lack of oxygen. They wouldn't notice anything going on until they get drowsy and fall over death moments later. Yes oxygen displacement is scary stuff.

[@marshmallowbaby6473]

I’m not crying you’re crying

[@godlesslippillow]

😶1. How dare you. 🥺2. How DARE You.😭

[@urgyenkalsang]

I love this show and as a Tibetan Canadian growing up as a kid this was the first show I could really relate to. Also I felt that Tibetan culture was also referenced a lot especially with the Air Nomads. Such as the names(Tenzin, Gyatso, Yangchen), the way the new Avatar is determined with the toys are based on Tibetan practices for identifying the Dalai Lama and how both are spiritual leaders, the Air Nomad Genocide referencing to the Tibetan Genocide in 1959 and the other beliefs that the Air Nomads share with Tibetan Buddhism/Culture.

[@hoowang9962]

Tibetan American here, you summed up my experience with the show pretty well. I, too, really enjoyed the little representation we got on TV. It honestly blew my mind as a kid that Tibetan names like Gyatso, Tenzin, and Yangchen were being mouthed by cartoon characters on television.

[@calrose]

I started sweating nervously when xiran said “I don’t think anyone is sitting there googling 3000 year old Chinese pottery for one shot” bc that’s some shit I would do as a writer and be like “oh that looks cool af, put that in there” lmao 😂

[@sstar339]

I knooooww!! Hah, writing is exhausting

[@alwff]

lmaaao

[@juliangoodman9000]

As a 3D artist. Yes we do. We look shit up all the time just to get ideas

[@420catboi]

Same, as someone who does art, I will sit there and look up tons of things for inspiration or just to make sure things look right. 😂

[@macabga5071]

As a person who is writing a comic heavily based on Norse and other European folklore and mythology... I can confirm that that is exactly what we do I mean, I once spent a whole day googling about myths of Cloud-Shepherds to build a single character and, by the time he is introduced in the story, he turns out to be mostly senile xD

[@xiaotianshangguan6780]

“I can’t wait to be emotionally destroyed when we watch book two” me: *cries in appa’s lost days*

[@egg3993]

*cries in tales of ba sing se: iroh*

[@CAMCATTO]

OK LISTEN WE DO NOT WATCH APPA'S LOST DAYS T_T we go right on to the next episode and pretend it didnt happen. emotional trauma and sad backstories are one thing animal abuse is a WHOLE different type of pain

[@thundertea]

Bish I'm crying just from reading your comments about them!

[@RowdyBoy82]

feels. -_-

[@lady8jane]

Leaves from the vine Falling so slow Like fragile tiny shells Drifting in the foam Little soldier boy Come marching home Brave soldier boy Comes marching home

[@kaida0enya0kohana]

One thing to praise AtLA for: it had a diverse cast of characters with strong female characters.

[@mariadaniella07]

the fact that one of the main characters is an 11yr old (i think) blind asian girl who's one of the strongest on the team is something i adore.

[@mariadaniella07]

@@mashuu2301 ? I mean, that's a good thing?

[@mariadaniella07]

@@mashuu2301 um... ok?

[@mariadaniella07]

@@mashuu2301 tbh i just don't care about fanservice... at all. but yeah, there should be more male than female tbh.

[@peterfletcher3879]

@@mashuu2301 wha?

[@tomaszkrol9465]

6:39 That was always confusing for me. I'm polish and in our version, "bending" was, unfortunately, translated as "magia" which means magic so they were "magia ognia, wody, ziemi i powietrza" (fire, water, earth and air magic). Source of this translating decision was that there's no good translation in polish for "bending". They sometimes translate "to bend" for "tkać" which means to weave (tbh that was quiet accurate). When I found out that originally "fire magic" is "firebending" i rewatched this scene and in polish version Sokka called it "water tricks" and Katara replied that it's "water controlling" and then Sokka interrupted her with "ancient art ect...." Little translating trivia, great video and amazing channel ^^

[@stefansneden1957]

This is fascinating.

[@tuluppampam]

This is exactly why it's always preferable to read/watch something in the original language, as many things can be lost in translation (and sometimes the translators are also dishonest)

[@jatoarkanen4435]

In Russian dub, it was the same: "magiya" all over the place. I believe there are much better variants

[@v_doll]

I mean... No idea why you went with "tkać" (to weave) when the direct translation of "to bend" is "zaginać". Sure, "zaginać wodę" (to bend water) sounds a little stiff but it's definitely better than "tkać" since the word is usually only used to describe weaving fabric/threads and sounds way better in English than in Polish. "Zaginać" on the other hand has been used in the context of using magic in media before.

[@iluvchess14736]

"In China you can see grandmas and grandpas constantly doing Tai Chi" That is exactly what a park looks like in China

[@AkinomaHNU]

I also see it pretty often in wide open but somewhat closed off spaces in Chinatown and in a specific area (the "Chinese Garden") in the nearest park. And on days when I stay late in school grounds for one reason or another, I would see old people occupying the indoor "courtyard" of my elementary school (which is a "Chinese" school) at night practicing Tai Chi.

[@cheryllee1940]

I live in malaysia but i see middle aged people do it in a park in the morning

[@ClearlyElemental]

I see that here too (USA), if not in Chinatown, then somewhere in a park NEAR Chinatown.

[@MrDaAsif]

I remember I studied abroad in Beijing and seeing it all the time

[@Loungemermaid]

Also in Seattle

[@balazsszucs7055]

"Speaking of overcompensating, Zuko is here." :D This woman is a treasure.

[@BeauxBeetles]

Just wanted to give you the heads up and point out Xiran is non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns!

[@balazsszucs7055]

@@BeauxBeetles Ahh thanks for the correction. Soooo they are a treasure.

[@soonlet4977]

@@BeauxBeetles sorry but isn't it still correct? Even if Xiran uses they/them, they still identifies as a woman...

[@HikariTheGardevoir]

I would never say that ATLA is good (= accurate) representation. What it is however, is a prime example of Western media putting in actual effort to get their inspiration from more than the 5 Asian stereotypes you see in every Western show and treating Asian culture with respect. It's not treated as a fun gimmick, but as an actual normal part of the world, both the areas they depict and the philosophies they try to touch upon.

[@cestalia]

Ikr, sometimes it's about the amount of research they put in the story. It's like an essential for any author out there

[@buntado6]

That's all it's asked really. Japanese have made pretty good fiction set in non-japanese settings. Metal Gear, Mother, Berserk, Dark Souls, Vinland Saga... You can still tell these are japanese works by some quirks now and then, and that foreign touch is inevitable in such things, but the end result is nevertheless an interesting child born out of passion.

[@wanderdragon1075]

Here’s the thing with Avatar, I don’t get “disrespectful” vibes from it. Like you said it’s more inspired by Asian and indigenous cultures than it is meant to represent them 100% accurately, but it alway felt more appreciative to me where Mulan felt a little more like it grabbed for aesthetic without regard for the source. But Avatar’s style is its own form of representation I would argue. Now this is a personal example, but I never really looked to Avatar for its accuracy because it is more a themed fantasy work. However it did get me interested in learning more about that inspiration. And that’s why I’m several hours deep into your content, I find Chinese history absolutely fascinating and Avatar and Mulan (98 because I still loved it, we don’t talk about the other one) are the reason why I got interested in the first place. I would LOVE to see Asian written fantasy based on your myriad of cultures released with the backing of big corporations though. Unfortunately because of a visual disability, I’m limited to stuff with at least English voice overs which for now usually leaves me with whatever Western corporations put out and reading up on history.

[@tcxd1164]

"I swear if you make a virus joke-" Ad: MEDICARE

[@cedartheyeah.justyeah.3967]

69th like!

[@ZoziBlack15]

I got an ice-hockey ad, much better

[@yikxuan2977]

I got a toothpaste ad 😂😂😂😂

[@alorak213]

@Ecard Ecardian No, they're just greedy

[@Zephirite.]

Guys. Zuko wore the blue *dragon* mask before his redemption. Azula means blue. Zuko later has a nightmare where a blue dragon (with the voice of Azula) is praising him for being Fire lord, while a red dragon with Iroh’s voice urges him not to trust the blue. Later in season 2, Zuko sides with Azula, and after defecting from the Fire Nation, is shown with the red dragon in the background during the Sun Warrior “Dancing *dragon* “routine. The layers in this show never cease to amaze me...

[@rhettmitchell]

Oh shit

[@Eeep-f7y]

Good observation!

[@ellavalentine7650]

don't mean to rain on your parade, but i got up to second sentence, and... the entire argument falls apart. cause azula's name is also chinese phonetics and had nothing to do with the color. her fire also had nothing to do with the color other than the fact that blue fire burns hotter than red, which all of this is confirmed from the creators. it might just be a coincidence that grey happened to be the voice of the blue dragon as well... so, sorry, that's not intended, but nice nuance

[@goolumf]

@@ellavalentine7650 as a Chinese speaking person I have no idea what you’re trying to say, Azula is not based on Chinese phonetics. It’s likely from her blue flame, and y’a know, “azul”.

[@Zephirite.]

@@ellavalentine7650 I appreciate the respectful response. I meant “Azul” means blue in Spanish, but since ATLA is mostly Eastern-inspired, I should’ve stuck with that. I high doubt it was a coincidence that both dragons were voiced by Zuko’s strongest influences for each side of his struggle-especially during HIS moral crisis-induced nightmare. Especially when that’s later paralleled by Azula telling him to take Aang down and join the Firelord, while Iroh does the opposite.

[@selahsilane9838]

29:28 I want to add something to this conversation. Zuko has always been a sheltered kid, not having much social skills. When he tries to intimidate Katara, he acts like Azula, or his father. Because they make him afraid, so their methods are the best at making people afraid.

[@magacofi]

That hits right in my Salvage™ feelings

[@100lovenana]

That's why I always found that interaction creepy! The fact that some Zutara shippers saw that interaction as a sign that both would end up together really concerns me, because I actually found it disturbing. And now that you made the connection to the abuse that Zuko received from Azula and the firelord... it's even worse.

[@efoxkitsune9493]

This is a good point.

[@ArukiTsukaru]

My heart... Whyy

[@MegaMilenche]

@@100lovenana That wasn't the interaction that inspired Zutara shippers, my dude. It was later developments.

[@jongkittae]

honestly king bumi is hands down one of my favourite characters of all time in any show. like he really brings important points to aang and the gang but he's also so inexplicably FUN, like what a quality ruler tbh.

[@MahouShoujo-Studios]

Our Empress has returned!

[@NathanDuabanTheSonicEnthusiast]

I agree

[@dorothysmum2016]

Yeeeeesssss!

[@hermescarraro3393]

Uhm. Not "queen" *EMPRESS*

[@MahouShoujo-Studios]

@@hermescarraro3393 Sorry about that.

[@hermescarraro3393]

@@MahouShoujo-Studios 😂

[@marche800]

Something about Zuko's blue spirit mask is that it also somewhat resembles a Japanese Blue Oni. The Blue Oni, Red Oni dynamic represent the contrast between hot headed aggression and cool pragmatism. Normally Zuko is the Red Oni, passionate and impulsive but when he dawns the blue spirit mask he is outwardly cool and composed. Even if the mask itself isn't meant to be an Oni, blue and red symbolism is present all over his arc and the series in general. Jumping ahead about his relationship with Azula is also a reference to this dichotomy with her flames even being blue to symbolize the difference in their mentality. When he starts having his inner conflict they are manifested as a red and blue dragon. It's just something neat I noticed when rewatching this

[@hyikoufang3726]

the red and blue dynamic was an actual important aspect throughout the show, whether it was depicted in an obvious or more subtle way. I think the artbook mentions that as well -nod-

[@katiesnudden829]

Its also tied to a specific ninja clan that used similar masks as tjeir disguises

[@guiltyrabbit1606]

"Oh! She posted a new video!" "Oh!! It's about ATLA!!" ""OH!!! It's AN HOUR LONG"

[@PersephoneDaSilva]

That was so me.

[@Hitchhatchherbert]

Same I cannot wait to watch the rest of the atla videos!

[@anngreen6257]

I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICED IT WAS AN HOUR LONG I JUST WENT FOR THE RIDE LMAO

[@vinny9868]

Damn. Was it really an hour. Time flies by when you're having fun.

[@quinlanharsch]

Oh, and this is just book one!

[@nutmegdoesstuff1339]

I think the coolest part about it isn't necessarily that it's *good* representation, but more that it's *careful* representation, and while it takes all these different things from different cultures and kinda mixes them up, it's always done in like a "this place is *like* this real life culture, but distinctly its own thing" rather than like "this is fantasy china, with a bunch of distinctly Japanese things because they look cool and close enough." Also, another very important thing is the heart clearly put into it. You can always tell when stuff like this has that love put into it or not, and it changes how charitable you're willing to be with the material, like mulan the good one vs mulan 2020.

[@soonlet4977]

I guess respect being thrown out a lot means using it doesn't mean much but really that is what respectful representation is? good being an easy word to mean that and then people just think it suppose to mean accurate. No entertainment is suppose to be accurate, it's not a documentary. Art form is also loosely accurate as ideas are abstract.

[@arbood26]

When she mentioned Chi, all the bad memories of Mulan 2020 immediately came back...

[@timtam3730]

LOL Screw that movie.

[@AkinomaHNU]

I'm glad I didn't watch it

[@tarastrong3956]

I already knew the movie would be bad bc it Disney, they don't give two f*cks about other people, Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine.

[@alanalves7649]

The Chi is FEMXLE

[@jennyw5904]

Lmao same 😂

[@MyNameIsBrad41]

Can we talk about how Gyatso, a pacifist, was still so powerful that he was able to kill every single fire nation soldier in that area.

[@fleon4115]

Imagine if Air Nomads weren't peaceful and instead had the same attitude towards fighting like the fire nation.

[@fandomcringebucket]

I think he removed the oxygen from the air? We know that it's possible from Legend of Korra, and it _would_ mean that he can take out a large amount of Fire Nation soldiers while denying them the (literal) element necessary to supplement their bending, oxygen.

[@gabby6327]

"If you are a pacifist but not capable of destruction, you're not pacifist, you're harmless" - idk who but sounds good

[@Mmu12059]

Seriously, I feel like we don’t talk about this enough. They were ‘roided up on the comet and he was still able to take out at least a few dozen

[@Reedstilt]

Someday, I'd love to see a whole faction of non-pacifist airbenders. Is a Sky Khan too much to ask for?

[@sansan-v-3102]

"if i tell you kyoshi is canon bi in this and gets a hot GF will you read it" im sold

[@aniiliang]

honestly same

[@PersephoneDaSilva]

I'm not. 1.) I can't read comic books without getting headaches. 2.) I don't care about Kyoshi that much.

[@junirenjana]

@@PersephoneDaSilva Kyoshi books are not comic/graphic novel though, they are text-only (though there are some bonus illustration in one special edition, iirc). Also, while the duology focuses on Kyoshi as a character, it's much more than that. Yee did a great job expanding the lore, and in my opinion, it's better than any other Avatar material outside the original series.

[@junirenjana]

I would go as far as saying that they are even better in some aspects than the main series, especially in the way that the books depict the deadly potential of bending arts much more explicitly than either ATLA or LoK.

[@natem3114]

I've read it ... it's awesome and dark

[@jdwright89]

Something this video made me think about when it comes to historical dramas is that I think some nitpicks might actually make a drama less historically accurate. If a setting has an object that seems culturally inconsistent (let’s say a Indian weapon in a Chinese setting), that doesn’t automatically mean it’s inaccurate. Long distance trade has existed throughout time and owning an object that came from a distant land was a sign of prestige. Same can be said about objects that might seem anachronistic. As long as they are older than the story setting, then an object from a different period can make sense. I mean, there are plenty of people today who have completely obsolete antiques in their homes right now that can be hundreds of years old. Basically, to depict a society as completely insular in time and space will always be inaccurate because that’s not how societies work

[@Liam_Phoenix]

Thank you!! God I'm so glad someone agrees with me, what does bother me is when stuff is taking place several hundred years age and they have modernish day stuff in it

[@soonlet4977]

@@Liam_Phoenix like the starbucks on GoT?

[@martymcflown3707]

"Korra will be BORN--" Kitty: *intense dramatic stare at camera*

[@Monie71793]

💀💀

[@AnMeiChan]

“YOU CAN’T TALK OVER CHINESE COOKING NOISES” I understand completely

[@Apermatic]

i- i feel this on an emotional l e v e l.

[@ducle7066]

When she said, “in china you could constantly see grandmas and grandpas doing tai chi in a park or something” I immediately thought of my popo who goes to bed at like 7 and wakes up at 3 in the morning and does tai chi next to her koi fish pong.

[@BwooHuraca]

Do the koi wake up at 3 to play pong?

[@dynamics_of_aro]

Same but with my dad doing tai chi in our backyard during the middle of the day

[@iateyourtoesehe]

In Singapore there's this place kind of like the stages in Greece nearby my house, and there would always be 2 or 3 people nearby practicing with some music early in the morning or after lunch (theres a hawker center not too far from there). Sometimes a child would try and copy them but end up falling to the ground

[@missmelodies52]

That's such a vibe

[@marsrigger2641]

so to complete my 97 year old grandparent vibes, i should also do tai chi to help with my general body movements. (im 27 and have been told that im an old person for my daily habits of going to bed around 8:30pm and waking up at 4 and 5 am to walk my dog for nearly 30 minutes. and that i dont go out places and do anything, im very content to stay home and be with my dog and my hot tea.)

[@Mr1115Zak]

I stand by that Sokka is absolutely the one to go to for dating advice. Man can't bend the elements but he is a certified backbender.

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

Seemingly by complete accident, since his actual advice is terrible

[@TravFam-m6m]

Ayyyyooo

[@soonlet4977]

​@@whensomethingcriesagain Sometimes you go to people not asking for their advice to follow, but a second opinion to consider just so it's not all in your head. Also cautionary tales.

[@londonfoggy]

She’s stuck now, every video of hers now HAS to start with “have you ever...” followed by “that’s me”

[@mitsusah2612]

Then in one video she does a different start, gets hate for no reason and startes the next video "have you ever tried to do a new intro and angered lots of people to the point that you go back to the previous intro? That's me."

[@Spilsbury1989]

"Have you ever tried Raid: Shadow Legends? thats me"

[@GordonFreechmen]

And she has to start the video looking to the side before turning to face us.

[@sophiethee]

I think it's really funny because it gives be really big "Movie Voiceover" vibes.

[@haanhdo4190]

I'm from Vietnam and the whole 'everyone not saying anything but side eyeing each other about the government' is so relatable.

[@cuongpham6218]

Are you sure nobody is saying anything? Vietnam doesn't (or couldn't) ban Facebook or other social media platform, and there you can easily see anti-government sentiments. Even in real life, I admit you can't slander the government openly as in large-scale protesting, but people talk bad about the government all the time. Even my cousin, who is a hardcore pro-government person, told me once that the Marxist ideology is nonsense, and Vietnam is communist in name only. That said, the number of people who either don't care or pro-government still outnumbers those who aren't imo, especially considering how Vietnam handled the pandemic so far.

[@jessicado2362]

I remember my first time going to vietnam cuz like Im viet to and I remember being on the road and people using signals I never seen and I found out that thats how they warn each other of police or somethin like that.

[@cuongpham6218]

@@jessicado2362 That was probably more about traffic police, as they are notorious for stopping people for the smallest things and asking for toll. As long as you have your driving license and don't break the rules, you'd be fine. But as you could see from Vietnamese traffic, it's a hot mess and people just don't give a fuck about rules. Hence the "signals" to avoid traffic police.

[@vsboardza]

So was Zimbabwe until 2008

[@Kevin-ql3wv]

Fun fact as well, the word "Bumi" means earth in Indonesian and Malay, which is so fitting considering his character 😂

[@quilespiritu]

So when Sokka said, "He's an earthbender, right? ROCKY! You know, because of all the rocks!" Je actually wasn't that far off 🤔🤔

[@va98055]

It means earth in several Indian languages too!

[@ghostprince9247]

It sounds a bit like popcorn in Chinese for some reason-

[@gdjena97]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ7Jp2dmqLeghMk

[@tink6225]

thats so nice

[@emerald9194]

I heard that the voice actress for Korra will not be returning for future animated LoK projects because she wants them to hire an Inuit actress. Good on her, even though I’ll miss her Korra voice. I’m excited to see who they hire if they get to that Korra movie.

[@oliviab4079]

“When a female protagonist demonstrates how *strong* she is by scoffing at other girls who only have makeup and boys on their minds...it’s just a different breed of misogyny” 🙌 P R E A C H 🙌

[@davidshi451]

This why I love Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. She OWNS her femininity

[@marshmallowvampire8503]

Same

[@quinnmcbriar8866]

Exactly. It's like saying that women have to be like men to be powerful

[@hyikoufang3726]

@@quinnmcbriar8866 and that's the problem with current feminism unfortunately. how are they going to tote "equal rights" when they belittle men and say women have to be/look more androgynous/masculine and put down women who /like/ the typical feminine things?

[@amyshafer4964]

Oh my gosh yessssssss I love this line!! Because it is absolutely true

[@nomisunrider6472]

"I was almost a biology major in college and half the coursework was just crying" Environmental Biology degree here. Yeah, that's exactly what it was. "See let's learn about the Earth so we can listen to everyone ignore us as they brutally and senselessly destroy it."

[@starlightt4094]

I had to transfer from environmental science to engineering because I couldnt handle the bleakness😫

[@alivehomoros6003]

As a Persian, it's even worse here. There are people who think you are crazy to tell them they are destroying the earth. They think it's just not possible

[@anikalamm5152]

Oh I feel you there! I thought it would become better after graduating. I was so motivated when I started working, I wanted to finally do something to help our environment - but there are still so many people not considering environmental protection as something really important for the future and I sometimes feel like I am working and speaking against walls....

[@albaniaalban]

The rates of depression are higher among climate scientists than any other profession 😢

[@elieli2893]

Oh man, all the times I was told "Well here's all the ways that could support the environment and slow down global warming, but there's not really much to be done, anymore, we're all fucked" in class, was depressing 😅 I'm an ecology major, ended up doing eco-physiology/microbiology stuff after graduation, now trying to start researching methods of bioremediation, so I guess I personally haven't lost all the hope, yet? :D

[@elvesdragonsanddarkmagic]

"Someone write this. Someone who isn't me." LMAO MOOD

[@SeymoreSparda]

Can't be surprised by the story if you wrote the story yourself. So I get her point.

[@christopherb501]

I know there's that popular fic where the script got flipped and it was the _Water Tribe_ that were the conquerors, with Aang on the run alongside Zuko and Azula, living in fear of a full-fledged bloodbending Katara.

[@readacted4986]

"the qyn dynasty was like china's emo grunge phase" I WISH my history teachers would've put it this way, this a banger of a line

[@mckenziehine6257]

Can we also talk about how in episode 19 Zuko tells Katara "you've found a master" and immediately starts going harder on her during the fight? Like he was holding back that whole time since she was never properly trained

[@starry_skies]

Oooh interesting point!

[@laurinha2892]

Oh daamn, that's cool

[@roannesison9520]

now I'm shipping them harder

[@harmonlanager2670]

It could be more that they were like “I guess I gotta actually try now”

[@calamity2383]

Ooh that’s pretty noble of him

[@nopeface3371]

2020 was the Azula of years, no one was fucking ready

[@gdjena97]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ7Jp2dmqLeghMk

[@nopeface3371]

@@gdjena97 different kind of avatar but good try

[@christopherb501]

_Really_ hoping you're wrong, and it's more the Sozin's Comet or Harmonic Convergence of its time, and we won't have anything else as big to deal with for a long time to come.

[@MammaApa]

I was ready, but I might have to admit that finding out that the lifestyle I have been living for years is actually called quarantine is a little bit worrying.

[@pontiaceast1024]

😂

[@Donnetellotheturtle.]

Iroh: now don't do anything drastic Zhao: im going to kill the fucking moon

[@thesandman2426]

One extra thing pointed out to me thanks to Overanalyzing Avatar is that Monk Kiatso's skeleton is completely untouched even when Aang destroyed the rest of the building

[@leontrotsky9268]

I’d say Zuko and Iroh don’t wear top not headpieces because Zuko is banished and Iroh doesn’t exactly have an official rank other then “brother of fire lord”

[@francescomapelli9264]

Well, they weren't wearing it in the flashback too, so i don't know if that's the reason

[@eydenhastati5838]

I might be wrong but wasn't the crown prince's headpiece simply gone as it was gifted to Roku and no one knew where it was at that point? (well besides Iroh) Maybe that tradition was simply gone for the prince as any other headpiece would be a non relic copy. Or it was just another example of Osai being an ass to his son. So either they had that already planned or covered their asses with that later on (or just saw at as a chance to enhance the story)^^

[@buurzai]

@@francescomapelli9264 Yes, but when the flashback was drawn they had already established that Zuko and Iroh didn't wear headpieces, so showing them otherwise in the flashback would have drawn questions that they didn't really have answers for.

[@Philostipher]

Iroh is a general...

[@bruhmemento8314]

When I was a kid, I honestly thought that an avatar was something that the show made up. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there's a whole religion that worships avatars lol

[@khushi1767]

ooh that's crazy haha. in some of my cousin's families, for traditional purposes and also just for fun, they name all of the children in their direct line after avatars of Vishnu. There's literally thousands of names and avatars to choose from, so it's pretty cool and there's a low chance of repetition. it's like if there were siblings named Aang and Kyoshi, and their respective children were Korra and Kuruk and so on. just felt like sharing!

[@Awesomesauce1_8_6_4]

Whaaaat?

[@MB-fe8jy]

"Waiting to lead a rebellion" Kokochin: *looks shocked at camera*

[@guessmyname1246]

Kokochin is adorable

[@tamoriryo]

36:43 is the timestamp for everyone wondering!

[@musiccubed2650]

The look on her face: *CRAP THE HUMANS FOUND OUT MY PLANS*

[@saminyasir1847]

54:06 "Only when I started landing multiple books did they stop yelling at me" Well as an Indian I can relate 🙂

[@CombustibleCake]

me at the start: oh this should be an interesting topic i agree that avatar never set out to duplicate real-life cultures but i do like that they tried to create positive portrayals of people based on asian cultures rather than european like most fantas-- cat: _jumps into frame_ me: catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcat

[@tillyfoxes8778]

Lol me too

[@ncduskrose]

Yeah same. Just CAT

[@smollpotato6791]

*CAT CATA CAT CAT CAT CAT !!!!!!*

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Relatable. Also, it's a gorgeous cat!

[@laurinha2892]

Lmaoo can't relate

[@annickpaul2039]

''One day i'll do a video on how to identify historical chinese dramas precice dinasty by clothing alone" 👀👀👀

[@fossilfighters101]

+

[@rebeccama7672]

+

[@pamelap.7141]

I have such a thirst for Chinese history.....but like zero idea of where to begin.

[@emeraldheart1224]

I hope she does a video on mo dao zu shi. Maybe both the drama (the untamed) and donghua.

[@shaydawn7376]

It's very similar to how Fullmetal has elements of European culture, but doesn't use real countries.

[@devforfun5618]

i just don't know if she used Germany instead Britain to avoid implications, or just because the German aesthetic is better for villains

[@billystokes3917]

@@devforfun5618 It might be because the German aesthetic is more villainous because I don't think anyone would be intimidated by a posh gentleman/woman sitting with his legs crossed, wearing a black suit and a top hat, a monacle, a short curled moustache, drinking tea.

[@seanmcloughlin5983]

That was one of the things that annoyed me about the first FMA anime By setting it in an actual time and place, Germany post WW1 they have to come up with so much BS to explain why there’s so much cultural Japanese stuff here.

[@eldradulthran6482]

@@billystokes3917 You'd be surprised, given the propensity of Brits to play villains.

[@billystokes3917]

@@eldradulthran6482 That's true, very true. I think it's because the posh sounding British accent sound...villainous? Idk why so many shows and movies go with a British villain but they do. I mean, if I had to choose between German and British for a villain I'm picking German.

[@pauieeepau]

I agree, I wouldn't call it the best rep, and it could have used more Asian voice actors. We typically also criticize Disney movies for mishmashing cultures for aesthetic. ATLA just did it less offensively since it was a full series with well written characters and didn't particularly villainize one culture, etc. Btw I read that the Fire Nation outfits for their more tropical locations are based on some Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Thai) traditional wear, and think some of the Fire Nation architecture are as well. I just read this from some posts online, so idk if there are official statements saying that. Love the video. Definitely learned some things. Also, congrats on the books, will look forward to getting them.

[@alices8660]

But here's the thing when it comes to choosing voice actors you choose good actors that have a voice that fit the characters and since its so hard to find people of the exact same culture that can do that it's really hard. So I'm not gonna blame them. I'm honestly just thankful we got some other voice actors like Dante Basco. We could have had no Asian voice actors at all. And this is the 2000's and we all know how it was back in that time period.

[@despicablepenguin]

I still think ATLA did better on representation even if mishmashing cultures for aesthetic because they actually had consultants and did lots of research. Even tho Disney likes to say they do, I really don't think they do. Ofc they weren't representing my culture (and it wasn't really for money either or checking a box. This is probably the best representation that I've seen out of white writers which isn't saying much). I think I'm more easier on east Asian representation than something that's supposed to resemble my country

[@soonlet4977]

​@@alices8660 do you know why british accents have an association with fantasies? Because someone decided it's classy and modern western fantasy used it as a default accent. LoTR, GoT, video games, etc. The same can be said for Asian fantasy. The more you normalise Asian people voicing their fantasy characters, the more they 'fit the character'. And I don't that it's that hard. People will flock to money, especially hollywood. It's probably what studios wants you to think like that.

[@bbtdgfan890]

I honestly just felt bad for Katara in "The Waterbending Scroll". Because of the Fire nation she had no one to teach her Waterbending so she was pretty much cut off from this major part of her culture, so it must've been actually painful for her to see someone who isn't even from her culture learning Waterbending with such ease.

[@stephthebard9037]

It actually makes perfect sense that Zuko beat Zhao. You learn in "The Deserter" that Zhao isn't actually as much of a master, that he has no discipline and only interested in the raw power of firebending. Zuko, on the other hand, has been taught by a master who learned from The Sun Warriors. We know he is disciplined, even if he has a temper. The strangest thing a friend and I noticed is Zhao's obsession with Zuko. It's more than a little unsettling.

[@starry_skies]

Ooh very true!

[@luvzqra]

His obsession with Zuko? What do you mean?

[@pasaniusventris4113]

the look on zhao's face mirrors azula's during zuko's flashback while he's getting his face burnt off. he's a full grown man smirking at a child receiving a disfiguring injury and screaming in pain. it speaks to his character immensely, and it makes him even scarier to me!

[@luvzqra]

@@pasaniusventris4113 Well, now that you say it, Zhao did have a weird obsession with Zuko. Then again, Zhao smirked at a kid getting his face burnt off.

[@Kitsunekone]

@@luvzqra That being said, I don't feel bad what happens to him in Legend of Korra.

[@mosquitobite4894]

While I can't speak to the cultural representation in Avatar, this show was the only example I ever saw of disability being shown in an empowering light and having a disabled female character was super important to me growing up.

[@uncalamar]

huh? no mean to be rude (i havent seen avatar in a while) but who's the disabled character?

[@Aweman11]

@@uncalamar I'm guessing Toph

[@salenebrom6476]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@btat16]

I actually wonder if Toph (if that’s who you’re referring to) is actually disabled. She’s blind, yes, but her feet allow her to perceive more of the world than any seeing person. It wouldn’t be amazing disabled representation if that’s the case.

[@mosquitobite4894]

@@btat16 I was referring to both Toph and Teo and while there is a debate as to whether or not Toph can really be classified as disabled, I personally found it more important that the show represented how the world views disabled people (i.e her parents considering inept and barely more then their poor blind daughter) while also developing Toph as a complex character with her own personality, wants and wishes that would be true even if she didn't have her bending.

[@z2yn]

Tbh, it says a lot about Iroh that he chose to be more open and change after his son's death. The alternative could have been that he becomes blinded with hatred and grief and goes on a ravaging revenge campaign against the earth kingdom, determined to destroy them for killing his son. Instead, Iroh was able to see that fire nation was wrong and was able to become a better person. Which was possible because he probably had that mentality before, but it was stunted by the idealogy of the fire nation

[@habibi-bambi2048]

"-adult airbenders are just out there, vibing all over the world-" I have found my people.

[@Efflorescentey]

Sounds like Australians 😂

[@ferran273]

I never saw Zuko's behaviour in "The waterbending scroll" as shipping material, but rather something creepy. Grabbing her hands like that and how he behaves with the necklace when she's tied is not romantic interest, is using a prisoner to capture his friend exploiting an emotional weakness.

[@the_demon_cat337]

I agree but I’ve also been on the shipping section of the internet so I 100% see how it happened.

[@junethanoschurchill6750]

That moment is when the bdsm people started shipping

[@LadyAhro]

I'm one of many Zutara fans who actually agree. It's not a good shipping moment. The first if any is in the crystal cave (which is immediately squandered when he goes back to being terrible) and only heads back in a good direction when he has already joined the gaang)

[@battyrae1398]

im gonna be honest, that scene strikes me as him imitating azula. the mannerisms are really similar! so yeah, not intentionally shippy in universe at least. dunno the creator intentions

[@No1PlutoSupporter]

I’m not into shipping wars, I love them all but yeah this scene was definitely not one to make me ship them

[@ricodee3188]

Here’s some more trivia: In the season 1 finale when Aang merged with the Ocean spirit we hear *“Na Mo A Mi Tou Fo Shin Di”* ,which is an Ancient Buddhist chant, which roughly translates to *“I bow down to the infinite light”* , this was the imagery that was conveyed when The Glowing Ocean spirit emerged and the Waterbenders bowed down to it. Also the inspiration for *“Koh the face stealer”* was derived from “Spirited Away’s” *Kaonashi* . The initial mask sported by Koh, is of Japanese origin, and is known as a *“Noh”* mask. The first face of Koh is also inspired by the depiction of *Zeiram* in the *“Zeiram 1991”* movie, who also wears a Noh mask. Even Koh’s smile, when he emerges from the shadows, was replicated by *Zeiram* in the 1991 movie.

[@tortis6342]

*inhales* Fish MAAAAAAAAAAAAAANnn!!!!!

[@dominiccleall6401]

The way that this was meant to be cultural inspirations and ended up turning into pure series review and I AM HERE FOR IT

[@acinomthecat]

The earliest memories I had from Avatar was that since we were Korean, my family would always be confused when I talked about Appa, because Appa sounded like the Korean word for Dad. XD 5 year old me: APPA GOT STOLEN D: My Dad: I’m right here though...

[@riyaxmaria]

Im Indian and I call my grandpa Appa ( some Indians call their dads appa too actually! ) and i had the same reaction as you lol

[@gomezpants]

Appa is also Yupik/Inuit for Grandpa

[@katekursive1370]

That's so adorable, my heart :D

[@TheKawaiifan]

*wheeze*

[@swetha.9108]

@@riyaxmaria Yep I'm Indian and I call my dad Appa and my mum, Amma (which is the same as they do in Korea).

[@elizamundenmaney394]

Another thing: Bumi means earth in my Indian dialect and many others. It was really important to me that King Bumi not only looked South Asian, but also had a name to match.

[@s29nv1sr1]

I was honestly kinda shocked (and then really frickin giddy) that the creators used the words/names "Agni" and "Bumi" 😂. They didn't really have to do that - the fact that they used the Avatar concept would have honestly been praiseworthy representation to me, at the time - but Mike & Bryan actually took the time to search words in other languages that would have fit the character. At the time (actually, no, even today), that was insane attention to detail

[@uncalamar]

wait what? that's so cool!

[@hat7475]

Yep! The word can be "bhumi" too! Just those little changes where an 'h' is added hehe.

[@cestalia]

In Indonesia, it also means the same thing! Then again, Hinduism and Buddhism played big role in shaping our language. We take many borrowing from different languages. (Yes, I learn linguistic)

[@kiter.]

So Sokka technically was right about his name, it was basically ‘rocky’ right?

[@ladyluna2492]

Her saying that the Air Temples (or the inspiration) were mainly used for festivals and such makes me sad about the implications that the Fire Nation intentionally attacked on a Air Nomad holiday, because they would all be there.

[@Zeara930]

Well, it would have just been a coincidence, wouldn't it? The Fire Nation couldn't exactly pick what day the comet arrived. So, just a horrific coincidence that they capitalized on or didn't fully realize when they were hunting the Avatar's reincarnation.

[@lbentosoares4]

@@Zeara930 Maybe the passing of the comet and the air nomads holiday being in the same day was not a coincidence 👀

[@idkbalvan6303]

Not all Airbenders died on one day. After they killed everyone who was in the Air Temples they used traps to capture and kill every remaining Airbenders, however there might still have been a few survivors.

[@felixn.burgos2340]

FUCK dude that's dark

[@sokkaluvr]

@@idkbalvan6303 yeah there's actually an entire episode about korra and tenzin finding some remaining airbenders

[@Peachessssss13]

THANK YOU Finally someone who can see that saying pink is a shameful color is harmful I've been bullied so much for liking pink like seriously pink is for everyone and so are dresses and everything else considered "girly"

[@Liam_Phoenix]

Pink was originally a color for dudes in Europe because it was a diluded form of red and blue was for girls......in essence the hate for boys wearing pink makes even less sense because of that origin

[@Chordata-flyer]

I feel like when Suki says I'm a girl too She's not she's not rejecting either her masculinity or her femininity she's saying yes I can fight but I also kind of like the girly stuff.

[@valhund2629]

I agree! Nothing about her line rejects her femininity just that she is a warrior and a girl and those two things are not exclusive.

[@jackrabbit4384]

I actually think Xiran was trying to explain that's what Avatar did RIGHT not wrong, but I could've misunderstood

[@pixality7902]

Exactly. Just rewatched that episode last night and I like how they addressed it. Its supposed to be "im not just a girl" and being a girl doesn't mean she can't be a warrior.

[@actuallyimnotreallysureyet6360]

Femininity and masculinity don’t even exist. She’s just saying she’s a girl who’s a warrior. Calling these attributes feminine or masculine is part of the problem. Nothing wrong with rejecting either traditional role tbh.

[@chattycatty3336]

​​@@actuallyimnotreallysureyet6360femininity and masculinity do exist but they are mostly social constructs we have created. Of course today most people acknowledge that everyone has stereotypical "masculine" and "feminine" traits, but to say the concepts don't exist isn't true. Also have you seen this scene? Sokka says "I treated you like a girl when I should have treated you like a warrior" it is supposed to be a step towards growth seeing how he was pretty sexist in the beginning. Even in this line he is framing it as if being a girl or being treated like one is bad, that's why suki says "I am a warrior...but I'm also a girl." She is literally saying the thing you are complaining about. She is making sokka realize that a girl can be a warrior like everyone else without rejecting the fact that she IS A GIRL. Aka, owning her femininity and her title as a fighter. You're ignoring the whole point of the conversation. Sokka used to believe girls couldn't fight and only messed things up, in this episode he ate his words and realized he was wrong. Being a girl or feminine has nothing to do with how good of a warrior you are

[@tiryaclearsong421]

I will say, I never thought Zuko's obsession with his shame was related to his culture. I always thought it was a teenage thing since he was only 15 or 16 through the show and his father was an abusive jerk. Iroh spends a lot of time trying to broaden his horizons. As a teenager, I was also prone to single mindedness and black and white thinking so I most related to Zuko. His arc actually became my inspiration to be a better person.

[@ceve]

The Kyoshi books dwell into what Honour means for Fire Nation people. Those are very good books and way better than what I would've expected of something based on a cartoon. But again, this is Avatar so yeah.

[@anngreen6257]

and i believe when he got that scar he was 13 years old. IMAGINE being thirteen, being hurt phisically and emotionally by your father and then being exiled of your home until you find the fucking avatar that hasn't been seen in a 100 years ._.

[@mothtarts1198]

@@ceve I viewed Zuko’s obsession with his honor as a popular head canon that he’s on the autism spectrum. He has a lot of symptoms and traits that come with autism. He’s very coded to be neurodivergent and I really relate to his character. That’s just my personal head-canon though.

[@lonebattledroid4474]

@@ceve The Books are great and I feel so bad for Kuruk, but now I don't like Yangchen.

[@thealmightybucket5930]

yeah that's what I thought too

[@lecciciapires2166]

"If I told you that Kyoshi is canon bi in this and gets a hot GF, will you read it?" *Well yes. Yes I will*

[@junirenjana]

You should! Kyoshi books are the best things to have come out of the franchise after the main shows. Imo the duology is even better than some parts of the original animated series. It has a darker tone while maintaining the overall Avatar feeling, and expanded the lore greatly while staying faithful to the original material. They aren't perfect, but definitely enjoyable and highly recommended read for Avatar fans.

[@canvas_125]

I wish instead of a remake series, we should’ve gotten an Avatar Kyoshi series. She’s feminine yet one of the most feared Avatar in history. Such a badass woman!

[@FlorenceFox]

@@junirenjana "It has a darker tone while maintaining the overall Avatar feeling" I LOVED that about the books. They felt more "adult", while also never sacrificing that certain something that makes Avatar feel like Avatar.

[@FlorenceFox]

@@canvas_125 I'd KILL to have any excuse to see her freckled, unmasked face put to animation.

[@hadesoneiroi]

I LOVE that you started the video stating that it's a fantasy world and didn't ask to be taken as representative, yet took your sweet time to explain things related to cultural inspiration taken into the series.

[@binniiemylove]

"I want an Appa plushie" Me : *got an Appa plushie as a super early Christmas present a month a go*

[@evaann-louise2408]

Me toooooo

[@LuisFlores-cx8py]

Me: wants a plushie of her in a chibi style

[@bookbook9495]

Where do we get the plushies?

[@evaann-louise2408]

@@bookbook9495 amazon probably

[@bookbook9495]

@@evaann-louise2408 😃

[@Oli.V]

“Imagine growing up in the fire nation” (Zuko in book 3: “growing up, we were taught that the fire nation was the greatest civilization in history, and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the world” Also book 3: shows that fire nation school children are taught a pledge that they recite every day and glorify their leaders/founders) Me, an American: haha yeah, that would be crazy 🥲

[@GustavoRodriguez-qr5po]

That could be the ottomans the British or the Japanese three empires with (at the beginning) giant technological leaps getting them to glory

[@Bee_7]

Crazy

[@louisrobitaille5810]

@@GustavoRodriguez-qr5po You don't get it. What Zuko said in book 3 is LITERALLY the CURRENT American ideology. Kids in schools are taught that "America is the greatest country in the world", they're taught lies to make America look better and other countries bad, to the point that they think some basic human rights are dystopian and communist (universal healthcare and minimum wage to only name a few). Even the war part is somewhat similar. Oh and the pledge too... They recite the national anthem, worship their flag, and worship their constitution like it was given to them by god itself as often as they can (once every day to a couple times a day in some schools). The Fire Nation waged war to share their greatness, America wages war because it's profitable, in 5 steps: Step 1: Make up a reason. Step 2: Convince the public that it's a necessary good. Step 3: Go to war. Step 4: Sell weapons to the country so that it can defend itself against the enemy that the American made them. Step 5: Go to step 1 and repeat. Here's an example: Iraq. Step 1: "There's oil." Step 2: "They attacked us, we have to defend ourselves!" (When they didn't do shit btw.) Step 3: Invade the country. Step 4: They did that. Step 5: They went in Israel, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Syria, etc, ALL WITH THE SAME 5 STEPS.

[@rosin_eater]

🥲

[@louisrobitaille5810]

@@IdiotPill Yeah, no. North Korea is the next step though. NK is way worse: the dictators are seen as literal gods and even the concept of love is warped. In NK, love can only be expressed by believing in the dictator, that he is absolute. The US isn't far with how Trump supporters act...

[@amberveronique913]

3:10 okay but imagine having to say ‘I’m a wood bender’

[@deffdefying4803]

“I speak for the trees, and the trees say fuck you.” - any Woodbender

[@unlimon6382]

It's just the lorax with extra steps

[@rat-in-the-void]

I feel like this would make watching avatar very different experience

[@johannesstephanusroos4969]

Obligatory 'Ur mum is a woodbender' comment

[@BhBc8f8]

Yamato is getting triggered somewhere

[@thatshadowgirl]

i cant believe you mentioned atanarjuat!! i love that movie inuit people are so underrepresented in film (and normally played by east asian actors when they are) that the production company went "you know what, we'll do it ourselves". its amazing, i did a whole report on the costumes and clothing and im so sad you didn't talk more about inuit clothing here

[@taylahschrader520]

Ok, but when can we expect a series on how to recognize different Chinese dynasties by clothing alone? I would 100% binge-watch that as a fashion history nerd!

[@doodle7342]

Yes please. I know so much about European fashion but I don’t know anything about anywhere else and I really want to learn.

[@shelley5449]

Yessssssss

[@highdefinition450]

i feel like that's a big ask lol but hey here's hoping

[@Stormbolter]

In Spain (who was under an authoritarian regime until the late 70's) we used to have a joke about that: Two friends, an expatriate and one who remained in the country meet finally after some years, and the expat asks his friend: - So, how things are back in our country? - Well, I can't complain. - So, that's good. - No, you don't get it: I CAN'T COMPLAIN

[@car0ndelet]

I wouldn’t say that I hold ATLA on a pedestal, but this was the first legitimate feeling representation of any aspect of my culture that I’ve found in the West. Asians feel like a true source of inspiration, not exploitation. We’re not fetishized in ATLA and that is just one of the reasons why I adore it.

[@spikkiy]

I feel the opposite tbh. It felt like ATLA was just a western cartoon playing dress up as an Asian cartoon. As a Chinese diaspora who grew up in Asia and not the West, watching ATLA felt alienating, because so much of the characterisation and way of talking, interacting just didn't feel.... Asian, it was only the outside that looked Asian not the inside.

[@spikkiy]

Another possible point is because of the media I'm exposed to. Like Hong Kong television, Taiwanese variety shows, Korean dramas, Japanese documentaries and the like. I grew up seeing Asian representation on screen all the time, so... ATLA wasn't really a life changing experience for me.

[@user-ww5oo7cv5o]

Huh. I'm Vietnamese, so the second I heard that the swamp benders were inspired by Southeast Asia, I was taken aback and a little offended. I do agree that it feels a lot more like legit inspiration and representation though

[@dccalling5960]

@@user-ww5oo7cv5o wait what? The swamp benders were inspired by southeast Asian cultures? Damn, I would be offended too. I thought we were making fun of the type of people who go noodling for fun.

[@seisage]

@@user-ww5oo7cv5o The swamp benders are a weird entity. I can see how maybe their clothing was inspired by Southeast Asian cultures, but their behaviors, diet, and accent are all _heavily_ coded to be U.S. Southeast, specifically Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.

[@Robin_hood.100]

Coincidentally, the four elements air fire water and earth are actually used in Hinduism too. The elements in Hinduism however, are VERY different from the elements in avatar. It would be fun to see some sort of connection between the Hindu elements and the Avatar elements in some sort of a pre-historic avatar time though, after the first avatar. Also, Agni has a lot more meaning than just “fire”. She is the goddess of fire, the sun, and so much more. There have been hundreds of Hindu rituals to her which are some of the most sacred parts of Hinduism, and Indian culture in general. It honestly is heartwarming to see media take inspiration from Inuit and Hindu religion and culture because even though there are so many of us, you don’t usually see any sort of representation in anything, let alone decent representation.

[@szymon1715]

"have you ever became a youtuber, got a catchphrase and became indistinguishable from the people who were on this site for years? yep, that's me"

[@iainhansen1047]

Accuracy 100

[@ojamaearth7844]

@_ASurprisinglyAwesomeWitch_ true dat

[@JoelChenFa]

Only posts once a month, not once every other day. Not a youtuber. more like a documentary channel?

[@szymon1715]

@@JoelChenFa frequency of uploading isn't really a factor of being a youtuber

[@fukyomammason]

I always felt like Zuko’s obsession with honor was almost a mockery of the western idea that it’s all that matters to eastern cultures. Like he’s distilled his entire culture down into one distinguishable, extreme goal as a way to deal with and thus attempt to overcome his trauma. Of course he comes to realize it doesn’t work that way, and he becomes stronger and better for it.

[@vixenvicky3842]

I don't know...i feel like he is a great representation of filial piety. I mean Asians are very much about respecting their elders I feel like because of how young Zuko was when his father banished him, it basically broke him and he's clinging on one of the most important things in his culture which is piety to his father, I don't think it's just about honour. He might have the excuse of honor but because a lot of males are basically "required" to not show feelings, Zuko might actually just really want his father's approval

[@fukyomammason]

VixenVicky At best he is a toxic representation of filial piety. If that really was as big a thing in FN culture, you’d think Iroh would encourage it more (and would in turn speak well of his own father who also treated him poorly). I see your point, I’m just not sure it quite fits. It does raise a few questions about mine though. The latter part isn’t unique to Eastern cultures. Not being allowed to express emotions/wanting your father’s approval is common for men in most cultures. But him disguising that desire as wanting to restore his ‘honor’ is definitely an interesting take.

[@vixenvicky3842]

@@fukyomammason I think Iroh losing his son allowed him to be aware of what toxic filial piety can do to someone, he understands that at this moment Zuko wouldn't listen to advice about going against his father, it's book 2 that Zuko's trigger allows for him to see his father differently. I, personally, have been through and is still going through what Zuko's going through so I'm very aware of what it's like. You want their approval so much to the point where you would follow them to ruin if they said it's for the best. You wouldn't even think about if this is the best course for you. Their opinion is the only thing that matters. When you trust them so much, it's really hard without some sort of trigger to realise that listening to them isn't actually good for you. Even with someone else in my life telling me not to listen to my parent , i still do, not because I love them. It's just...they are family. I know it's sad but it's what happens when filial piety turns toxic

[@stud7762]

It is a very gross exaggeration of the idea of honor or merit based rank in asian culture, however, I felt that it really shows how deeply scarred (all puns intended) him, and how he's so insecure in his past and his future that he clings to the one ideal he feels will fix everything within his life and restore it to what he thought would make him happy, and instead of going through merit based ascension through ranks, he thinks that a single task will fix everything, which in any culture or situation, will not. I think that it was meant to reference honor in asian culture, but is more of a representation of his deeply damaged mental state after losing his mother, being verbally abused and berated by his sister, and maimed by his father, and he uses it as a toxic coping mechanism that completely consumes any other form of satisfaction or achievement.

[@huetzcatzincuayapalma6412]

I think that the creators based too in hispanic tradition. A lot of the elements of the series have s medieval hispanic touch. And the honor thing is super important in the hispanic literature (like el Poema de Mio Cid). So maybe it could be the integration other cultures bc the series itself isn't a one to one representation. As a major in hispanic literature I can say that Zuko is a lot like Don Álvaro from the Duque de Rivas, its a mixture between medieval and romanticism.

[@artistboi3548]

so when zuko cutted his hair off literally represents him shaving his shame away? thats deep

[@deborroni]

So deep 😔

[@rubensneto9049]

That's rough buddy

[@sundalosketch4769]

It's a little backwards i think. Since some groups shown in the show have long hair (bc of the whole it's your parent's property so it's not yours to alter or damage) it's to make everyone around him see him in shame. Like getting sent to the naughty corner for being a bad child. It's to dehumanize him with shame not really to shave it away.

[@informationjunkie]

@@sundalosketch4769 I think it's more personal than that, as some people in the earth kingdom don't have top knots. He is disassociating himself from being of the fire nation by removing his top knot. And to alter his appearance since he is a fugitive and a criminal.