Cultural Inspirations in Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 2 - Earth

[@XiranJayZhao]

Who made the worse decision, Uncle Iroh exposing his firebending to heat his tea or Zuko exposing his firebending to impress a girl?

[@justcrobson5407]

The man just wanted some warm tea

[@MidnightFox2189]

Zuko, Iroh is too precious to blame

[@justcrobson5407]

@@MidnightFox2189 gotta agree

[@user-rc3du8jr6w]

Zuko. Tea is *WAY* more important than a girlfriend (also Hot tea can be ignored - you can’t rly ignore exposing it to impress a girlfriend)

[@MidnightFox2189]

Also Iroh was just heating tea, zuko flat out leroy jenkinsed Those candles for a dam girl.

[@flaviablah3238]

azula saying something it sounds very deep when actually isn't, is just pure 14 years old energy

[@jbark678]

Makes sense, I was 13 at the time.

[@randallcarissa]

it just so happens azula is 14-15ish.

[@thetrueglasses]

literally r/im14andthisisdeep lmaoo

[@UFBUtifuleyes]

As someone who had done my share of sailing, I can relate to the issue with the tides. Just to give an example, we had to pass through a tidal system called the Alderney Race. If you sail against it you average 1.5 knots, if you sail with it you average 15 knots. So basically, Azula wants to sound badass to sail immediately at a crawl when she could just wait a few hours to sail 10 times faster.

[@VickyHong1879]

The tides live in a society

[@MidnightFox2189]

_Us has to wait a month for this to come out_ Xiran: *That's rough buddy*

[@abthedragon4921]

But so worth it!

[@pixielofexeus9220]

@@abthedragon4921 yes.

[@pixielofexeus9220]

@@abthedragon4921 i just made you're likes an even number.

[@JustYourAverageGirl2002]

Lmao yesss

[@Monie71793]

😩💀💀

[@docvince1491]

This channel’s existence is the only good thing that came from the Mulan remake.

[@Dargonhuman]

I never thought of it like that until you put it that way, but you're not wrong.

[@youknow2145]

yeeeap you are right

[@joannavelez5179]

At least something positive came out of it aka this channel

[@namelessqueen2949]

Preach 🙌

[@kostajovanovic3711]

Truly

[@GallifrAngel]

Honestly I love hearing the translations of all the writing, especially knowing that Iroh had a "I'd rather go three days without eating than one day without tea" sign in his tea shop, man was one step away from "live, laugh, love" and I had no idea until now

[@insane911g]

🤣🤣🤣🥰🥰🙏🏽🙏🏽 well said 👏🏽

[@ssgtmole8610]

It does coincide with the fact that you can go without food longer than you can go without water. Considering the origin fable of tea with Emperor Shennong, tea could be interpreted as just boiled water and debris.

[@miriam5047]

XJZ could just translate all the Chinese in Avatar and I would still sing their praises.

[@abc-ju5oq]

live, laugh, TEA

[@vailingbow1068]

I mean, in the Search when Iroh was interim Firelord he made a holiday for Tea XD

[@clareann8912]

Honestly, Zuko and Azula calling each other zuzu in a never ending loop would be an awesome example of sibling dynamics

[@sentientshadow126]

I too immediately wished it was a thing after she said it.

[@brainfood8971]

Although Zuko would probably call her Lala

[@جودتركي-م7ل]

ظضس

[@fastmovingvolcanomatter]

Like that one scene from The Emperor's New Groove

[@lrose1310]

Zuzu and Azuzu

[@ryanzurafa963]

I heard a theory that iroh went into a state of depression after his son died. He just went with the flow not taking anything seriously until zhao killed the moon spirit making iroh finally wake up. Which is why after season 1 he seems generally more attentive, focused and has aspirations.

[@PongoXBongo]

Maybe they were inspired by Office Space?

[@ambarm.1034]

I like this theory since he seemed very affected by the moon spirit murder. Its like a turning point in his character.

[@Tethloach1]

I think the story had great writing since the start, you can just kind of feel it, they paced themselves well.

[@WritingSch]

Yes, yes. And he sensed a turning point for Zuko, especially after they cut their hair/ties with the Fire Nation. He saw this turning point in season one, but Zuko was not under the right conditions, if that makes sense? Iron even drops Zuko's title which I think is more personal rather than only practical since they are in hiding.

[@beebs4283]

i disagree entirely. he was definitely depressed for some time, like any parent would be, but iroh joined the white lotus after that loss, so he obviously had the motivation to take the fire nation’s regime down even before zuko was banished. he acted the way he did because he was the white lotus’ inside man, and later was trying to subtly guide zuko down the right path. the moon spirit incident just made him remember what he was fighting for.

[@foolbio5471]

"Family members can be toxic, sometimes you don't have to forgive them or maintain ties with them" Miss, I was having a rough time thanks to one toxic family member, thanks for accidentally giving me advice.

[@teleportingpotatoe]

Family is important. But family that doesnt do shit for you is worse.

[@lainiwakura1776]

And if you cut ties with a family member you only disagree with, then you missed a valuable chance to see why they think the way they do. Unless they're full on conspiracy nut, then idk man.

[@SnakesGames]

@@lainiwakura1776 my dad's side of the family is nothing but racist sacks of shit. It sucked to lose my dad cause he was a decent person, but his death meant his family finally fucked off.

[@Lee-lm2bn]

I agree, cut ties with toxic family members and don't feel sorry for them. Sometimes we are just raised with different values, but this is no excuse to become racist or mean spirited toward your surrounding people.

[@patricklukcy13]

You are not alone. I cut ties with all but 3 members of my family. They were garbage people and actively and passively hurt me and many others. I'm better off without them in my life. Stay strong and do what you need to do in order to be well. 😊😊

[@starkid910]

Random detail I noticed about The Tale of Iroh: Not only does he spend his day helping people in a fatherly way, the people he help go from young to old. First the crying toddler, then the earthbending kids, and then the mugger. Kinda reflecting raising someone from youth to adulthood

[@Suunai]

Great catch. IIRC everyone he helped was male, too--surrogates for his son.

[@abby6215]

😭 💔

[@Cskiro02]

You just made me cry thanks

[@genesismatias1858]

Thank you for your insight, brb gonna cry my eyes out now

[@multifandomCass]

Why you gotta make me cry

[@abthedragon4921]

And when the world needed them most, they appeared. Jokes aside I've been looking forward to this for a while.

[@billystokes3917]

Some people say Aang didn't enter the Avatar State by himself, but our goddess actually forced him into it.

[@Berilia]

@@billystokes3917 I think this is canon.

[@orn1x346]

@@Berilia agreed

[@ind0266]

@@orn1x346 so true, so true

[@cursedwyvern3044]

Is anyone able to please let me know if Xiran uses she/her or they/them pronouns? I'm really confused, I saw one comment but literally no other mention. Thanks :)

[@anotherpersonguy23]

One small detail that shows Iroh's love of Zuko is the name of the Jasmine Dragon. Jasmine is not Iroh's favorite tea, it's Zuko's favorite

[@slithra227]

;-;

[@melodyfussell829]

I don't know if they ever actually mentioned Zuko's favorite, but yeah, Iroh's favorite is ginseng, which he says at least twice in a single episode

[@Cosmic_Nova1]

Awwwwww :3

[@leaflet1686]

Iroh is so awesome, I love him QwQ Best uncle!

[@lukecampbell801]

I love that Zuko has a favorite tea

[@liamwhite1719]

We need to talk about the MASSIVE amount of political shade the queen threw this video. Those long stares at the camera? Iconic

[@QuikVidGuy]

I'm pretty sure she's made a point of talking about it in every video so fa

[@BattyButtercup]

WESTERN, EASTERN - OUR QUEEN* TAKES NO POLITICAL PRISONERS WHEN FIREBENDING THEIR BURNS. *a queen, in western culture, is ALWAYS associated with power - chess, IRL titles, drag performers, villains - whilst a king tends only to be as powerful as their context; in the example of Patricia C. Wrede's Dragons, i consider titles as being set roles as opposed to gendered versions of each other.

[@kingsaracoon9594]

@@QuikVidGuy do you listen to ghost quartet • _ •

[@laboon344]

@@QuikVidGuy far*

[@insane911g]

I applaud her courage every time she does it too 👏🏽👏🏽 she’s so refreshing. Thank you for sharing so much information about different cultural aspects (mostly Chinese) that appear in media. May your VPN always connect and may you always remain untouchable by the Chinese government ✊🏽❤️🙏🏽 Bless you

[@marymac3572]

"This symbol is foreshadowing of Toph becoming a cop." Aang's not the only one firebending here.

[@elias.t]

That joke took me a whole second, but then I died.

[@TotallyGlar]

@@elias.t um.. can you explain it? :)

[@elias.t]

@@TotallyGlar The Beifong crest is a flying boar, or a winged pig. Cops are often likened to pigs, especially American ones due to the current controversies.

[@chadturner8388]

Damn, I thought she was saying Toph would become a cop when pigs could fly

[@marymac3572]

@@chadturner8388 I can see that. I didn't think it fit with the Blind Bandit we knew and loved.

[@frantastic1172]

Have you ever felt the need to thank the content creator because she really didn't have to become a KZbinr, but you're really glad she did?

[@abthedragon4921]

Good one 😂

[@endless2239]

I almost thanks Disney for that trainwreck remake of Mulan.... almost.

[@billystokes3917]

That's me.

[@billystokes3917]

@@endless2239 The only good thing to come out of that horrific movie.

[@gracefulspork]

Imagine becoming a youtuber just to flex.

[@leventemucsi9547]

"Pride is an illusion" And so are pants

[@slytherpufflover6439]

This is an underrated comment.

[@GriffinPilgrim]

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

[@LilyoftheLake14]

Pants... What is "pants?" I've never heard of this thing that you call "p a n t s"

[@Butterflier00]

and so is death.

[@LilyoftheLake14]

@@kimhongnguyen9576 'tis both. Schrödinger's Pride.

[@horngeek9115]

Honestly Azula's introductionary 'worry more about *me*' moment actually gives a very good look at her character- she isn't hesitant to threaten to get her way, but she also isn't actually willing to listen to *good advice that her way is wrong and foolish*.

[@marvalice3455]

I grew up with British navy stories, so always took that scene as a sign of her tyranny rsther than baddassery

[@Eniyo]

In my opinion Zuko did not use firebending to impress the girl. She was sad and he did it to cheer her up/ to make her smile and I think that's wholesome. He risked getting exposed to make a person feel better. This is a real teenage moment for him of which he had few to none so yes, he is reckless but also sweet here.

[@meridaskywalker7816]

Yeah, to me it didn't even seem like he reciprocated Jin's feelings. He probably wanted to, but couldn't. But he definitely appreciated her just as a kind person.

[@Nameless_mixes]

“A story is not exciting unless your antagonist is competent” Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Team Rocket have entered the chat 😂❤️

[@roselover411]

Okay but I never found Team Rocket interesting or a threat that kept me on the edge of my seat like Azula. Team Rocket was hilarious and I loved their appearances but I wouldn't call them 'exciting'.

[@hihogandalfaway]

Doof is competent though - all his inventions work, no matter how weird - it's just that the show format puts all the interest on *how* he is defeated, rather than *if*

[@Nameless_mixes]

@@roselover411 I didn’t say they needed to have you on your seat. I’m just saying that the stories they’re featured in can still be interesting/exciting even if they fail in every single episode of their respective shows. They’re all still characters with thought out backstories who demonstrate that villains can fall into the grey area between good and evil.

[@Nameless_mixes]

@@hihogandalfaway If he were competent, Perry wouldn’t be able to get out of most of his traps. And Dr. D should’ve invented a plotarmorinator to stop all the other random stuff that gets in his way 😂❤️

[@hihogandalfaway]

@@Nameless_mixes re: plotarmourinator - I said he was competent, not sensible And as for Perry always escaping: just because Doof is competent at what he does doesn't mean Perry isn't more competent

[@jules8025]

we are gathered here today to witness a masterpiece directly from the deity themself

[@billystokes3917]

She is the best of all goddesses.

[@minananano]

*Truer words have never been spoken before.*

[@cinnamoony3996]

she ascends the concept of deity.

[@origamipein18]

Amen. ^^

[@blueregard247]

The cosmic shine of her fine display, can turn the night to day.

[@miguelcruz2941]

Azula girlbossed, gaslighted and gatekeeped like no other

[@Mel-0n]

She also gaybaited all of us

[@kittyykatie]

heck yes

[@origamipein18]

Fucking gaslighting. XC

[@mikethegoo]

Gaslighting? Did she deliberately make someone feel like they were insane for personal gain?... Or do you just mean she told Zuko lies, because that isn't really gaslighting.

[@cniknik9863]

She manipulated her "friends" in such cruel ways too

[@kaliland9296]

“Pathetic kidnappers” and “lowly king” make me think that Azula wrote that note

[@gennybaratta2460]

Lol same. Mai’s dad never struck me as the savage burn type, Azula on the other hand.....

[@vailingbow1068]

Nah. I feel like Azula told Ty Lee to make a threatening note because Azula would be way more threatening and smart than to say "pathetic kidnappers" and "lowly king." That's like an insult Ruon-Jian in Book 3 would make. The one who said "lose boy" to PRINCE ZUKO.

[@17thstellation]

​@@vailingbow1068 _niiiiice_

[@vailingbow1068]

@@17thstellation Hahahahaha XD

[@amandamangan5021]

Me: Is Xiran throwing shade at the military coup in Myanmar, or the attempted coup in the US? XIran (in my head, staring at the camera): Yes

[@nanamiharuka3269]

hahaha and we call ourselves (U.S.) a developed nation lol

[@colachan91]

And the family separation, forced sterilization, the list goes on......

[@Syurtpiutha]

"I'd rather go three days without food than a day without tea." MOOD.

[@arden191]

Fun Sad Fact: The picture of Lu Ten was based off of a younger version of Mako. Just to make it even more sad.

[@zampano6363]

:(

[@PersephoneDaSilva]

And Iroh's crying was really Mako's crying, knowing he was going to die of cancer. It's not a pre-recording like other sound effects.

[@Ohnomybrainitsgone]

🥺😭

[@Janne_Mai]

@@PersephoneDaSilva oh my god that's heartbreaking.

[@LazyAlternativeBrat]

I DIDN'T NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THIS

[@TakedaIesyu]

Learning that Lu Ten made that self-portrait makes his (and Iroh's) story so much more tragic. Dude was clearly a talented artist, and could have probably made a decent living off his work. Yet he joined the military. Perhaps he was conscripted, perhaps he felt obligated to continue the military lineage, perhaps he wanted to impress his father. But not only was he killed in war, he was killed due in part to his father's orders. Damn.

[@axelNodvon2047]

Most likely a family expectation

[@shadenox8164]

@@axelNodvon2047 He was originally supposed to be the next fire lord after Iroh.

[@sycastells1212]

A lot of authoritarian monarchies require their royalty to be military officers. It's supposed to be important leadership training.

[@SantomPh]

@@sycastells1212 it's pretty much the case, especially when there is the only son. We don't see Ozai being in the military or Azula, so perhaps only elder sons end up in the military in the Fire Nation.

[@Jane-oz7pp]

@@sycastells1212 as opposed to a libertarian monarchy 😂

[@VairyLeo]

This individual* is a patron saint of quarantine.

[@billystokes3917]

Not just A patron saint...THE patron saint.

[@rhrhrhhrhrhrhr]

@Sasori, not THE patron saint, TEH OH" MIGHTY patron saint

[@billystokes3917]

@@rhrhrhhrhrhrhr I cannot top this.

[@jackofhearts1067]

Patreon saint

[@sunan2335]

I have never agreed to a comment more

[@desanipt]

Fun fact "coup" comes from French and simply means any strike or hit, like a punch can be called a "coup with the fist" in French. A "coup d'état" just means a strike/hit on the state/government

[@stormveil]

Fun fact: loads of English words are actually French. William of Normandy.

[@sittingonceilings6805]

Oui

[@leow.2162]

@@stormveil Those words aren't pronounced like in French, though. The words you pronounce like French usually have come over during the time when French had replaced Latin as the language of european elites, rulers and diplomats. You'll often find them in other European languages as well, e.g. German also has "Coup".

[@stormveil]

@@leow.2162 So? Not even French people pronounce French like they did 1000 years ago.

[@jonasholzer4422]

@@leow.2162 I started learning french like two monts ago and im constantly stumbling upon french words that are completely integrated into german and we german natives have no clue about it 😂

[@PersephoneDaSilva]

Let's not forget that Iroh's pain in his singing voice was really Mako's because he knew he was going to die from cancer. It wasn't pre-recorded and then added into his singing. It was his own pain and sadness.

[@kittyelgato4246]

That story never fails to make me cry.

[@emcaco]

That is so devastating

[@michaelbailey1242]

Pretty sure he also wrote the song himself, and the VA that took over for him refuses to sing it whenever asked because "that's Mako's song"

[@iprobablyforgotsomething]

Not to cast doubt, but truly curious as to your source. Was this in a behind-the-scenes or something?

[@FirefulXD]

how do you pre-record and retroactively add pain to singing??

[@lilajaned9933]

im pretty sure that the part where aang fights toph in the ring, and he's using airbending to stay off the earth, and she says "whats your name fancy dancer?" that's a reference to the fancy dancer powwow style, where you are incredibly light on your feet and can resemble flying. i got so excited hearing that. maybe it's not canon but powwow culture (all indigenous american culture really) is rarely included in mainstream media so it was an awesome moment for me (a lil indigenous kid)

[@ussinussinongawd516]

the water tribe is Inuit does this count

[@inoli3164]

I think the point is that this person got excited because fancy dancer may be a reference to the actual fancy dance style preformed at powwows. I’ve seen it preformed at Cheyenne Frontier Days and it does fit aang

[@geodex9]

“The Louisiana Swamp Benders” Me, someone from Louisiana: Yes

[@Butterflier00]

i'm offended she didn't make a Florida Man joke....and I'm from Florida.

[@dreamknight1776]

The swamp benders and the traveling hippies are my favourite characters in the show, that and the cabbage man

[@cherishparker1409]

same

[@lainiwakura1776]

I think everyone wanted Korra to be descendant from swamp benders.

[@dreamknight1776]

@@lainiwakura1776 yes

[@chiaratarulli1595]

“You can’t fight the sea, unless you’re a waterbender” Me, looking at Caligula, the Roman emperor who declared war against the sea: Uuuuh

[@bluedragon3657]

I mean he did that to prove that humans, not even the roman emperors, can win against the gods (in this case Neptune)

[@pixielofexeus9220]

@@bluedragon3657 do you mean posidon?

[@elliel4736]

@@pixielofexeus9220 Neptune is the Roman name for Posiedon.

[@pixielofexeus9220]

@@elliel4736 I know

[@bluedragon3657]

@@pixielofexeus9220 Poseidon, Neptune, considering how much tho romans copy pasted from greek mythology they are pretty much the same. I just chose Neptune since the dude was a roman emperor

[@bitchpudding2945]

Fun fact: Azula got the idea to sneak into the Earth Kingdom and take it out from the inside from when Aang and the gang did that to the drill. Kinda makes sense why the Fire Nation didn't think of doing that in the first when you think about Fire Nation philosophy (power equals strength, power is everything, etc.) They probably thought brute strength was the key to taking Ba Sing Se until Azula came up with a better way

[@origamipein18]

D'oh! XO

[@tainasiman2107]

this answer doenst make sense since both strategies are power. the difference is using force is hard power while setting up a coup is soft power. it only makes sense that since earth kindgom couldt be taken down trough actual use of force (the wall of ba sing se) that meant their weaknesses were in another area.

[@bitchpudding2945]

@@tainasiman2107 When I meant "power", yeah I meant hard power

[@RaindanceSam]

Kinda goes into the idea that taking bits and pieces from the other nations can make your own culture stronger as well. Like Iroh using water bending for lighting redirection. Just sucks Azula did it against the earth kingdom lol

[@rubensneto9049]

If we follow this line of thought that explains why the war lasted 100 years

[@Lunar_DeBrie]

"But Zuko is still in the middle of his character arc" WHEN IS HE NOT AJFBAJFNS His arc is probably the most drawn out, but it's a ride that pays off in the end. I do not regret simping for him.

[@Whosaskin]

The "this simbolizes how Toph eventually becomes a cop" line, legit killed me.

[@ubaldojoseanayafuentes3751]

Can u explain me? Unfortunately I don't understand that reference

[@liahbobita]

@@ubaldojoseanayafuentes3751 boar = pig Cops are often called pigs Toph becomes a cop in the future. ACAB

[@amalija11]

F12

[@cherryjello777]

Especially with her delivery of that statement, just deadpan stared at the camera.

[@WireMosasaur]

Somebody else in the comments hypothesised that Zuko couldn't read the poster of Appa because it was in Ba Sing Se's language, but I feel like it's much more likely that Zuko is just one of those people who never fuckin reads to the end of a large block of text; he just skimmed over it and was like AAAA AVATAR and ran off with some half-cocked idea of a plan, lmao

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

I mean, that actually sounds pretty in character for him. Good one.

[@acinomthecat]

Another Korean anecdote: When my dad watched ATLA with me and my sister, he said that Joo Dee’s name sounds like the Korean nickname for “Big mouth”, or generally for someone who wouldn’t shut up.

[@phadenswandemil4345]

That's really cool. It could refer to her unnaturally wide smile

[@ussinussinongawd516]

@@phadenswandemil4345 or that 🤔 she never shuts up

[@EpicB]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was intentional.

[@andrewbaek6691]

you are right. the term is 주둥이(Joo Dung Yi)

[@melodyfussell829]

I think they should have had a random extra named Sim Cheong

[@shindroid]

King Bumi's name from the Earth Kingdom. It sounds like "Bhumi" from Sanskrit or "Bhoomi" from Tamil (both Indian languages) meaning "ground" or "earth". Cool detail.

[@alastorcorvus]

Makes sense! his name always sounded more Southern Asian to me.

[@yourpalbryan1442]

It's also Malay (and probably Indonesian) for earth: Bumi

[@tuluppampam]

​@@yourpalbryan1442 Malay (which, if I'm not mistaken is the same as Indonesian; the same goes for Hindi and Urdu) took a lot of stuff from Sanskrit (and Hinduism), so they're probably related

[@jennyw5904]

“He parted ways with Iroh because he was just too angsty” I’m crying

[@HydrallUrakan]

Your comment about the "tides" line being a sign of how delusional Azula's going to become in the future is fascinating! I hadn't ever heard it read that way before, but it makes a lot of sense.

[@Prince_the_One]

I think she's a highly functioning psychopath, she can act normal when she needs to trick people, she's incredibly smart. A prodigy. The episode the Beach was fun and enlightening, but the only part I didn't like was them showing Azula as a socially inept person. She has always been able to act normal before when she needed to so I didn't understand why all of a sudden she was a blundering idiot. Please no one tell me she's just bad at flirting either, because if she can trick her way into a kingdom by disguising herself as someone else and staying in character for days at a time....then she can act normal for a few minutes at a teen party. I just think of it as just for laughs because otherwise it makes no sense.

[@BacchaeOphanim]

@@Prince_the_One I'm gonna disagree and say she's a sociopath, not psycho, because she was molded into that by her father. As for the blundering with the boy at the beach, I'm thinking it's probably because she didn't have any political reason behind it. She was legit trying to be social, not just use him to her own ends, and didn't know how to cope with that.

[@BacchaeOphanim]

@@WritingSch Yes, thank you Captain Pedantic. You're point about the legality of armchair diagnosing a fictional character has been noted. And it has been rejected for irrelevancy.

[@weltraumkotze]

@@Prince_the_One Azula s not a psychopath and 100% socially inept..the reason beng she never had to socalze, simple as that. For her status she was always treated with the most respect possble and peers basically ddn't exist, except for classmates of her school for rch and royalty, and even they, as proven by Ma and Ty Lee, only were nice to her because they had to...nobody would choose to be with Azula as she is n the seres, whle psychopaths are charming people magnets until they leash out. That's certainly what Azula thought of herself, but It's not the truth. You should watch Hello Future Me's video, it's ncredibly insightful. I don't want to fx n every i my keypad missed rght now, please imagne them (It's a loose contact- completely dependent on luck)

[@lainiwakura1776]

@@WritingSch Okay, but it's a fictional work and it's main point is not an exploration of psychological disorders.

[@UrpleSquirrel]

I have a theory that Fire Lord Azulon never actually intended for Zuko to be killed. Killing Zuko would be a waste of a perfectly good Fire Nation prince at a time when they’ve just lost one in a war. Instead, Azulon’s plan was for Zuko to be *adopted* by Iroh. Having Zuko adopted into the main branch of the family makes more sense, and has real world historical precedent in both Imperial China and Imperial Japan. Azulon may be a completely ruthless leader, but one doesn’t stay in charge of a nation for decades for by being reckless or stupid. Even if he doesn’t care about Zuko personally, having his nine year old grandson killed isn’t a politically sound move. However, because Azulon was ruthless enough that “you must know the pain of losing a first-born son by sacrificing your own” *could* have meant “kill the boy,” Ozai was able to convince Ursa that that was what he’d meant, because her killing Azulon would get rid of all the obstacles between him and the throne. Even if Ursa had doubts that Ozai was telling her the truth, she wouldn’t have risked it, because she loved her children and would do anything to protect them.

[@VanNessy97]

"Ozai always lies... Ozai always lies..."

[@flexo5895]

"But one doesn’t stay in charge of a nation for decades for by being reckless or stupid". True, but many monarchs went crazy in the history of humanity. Purging a war until world domination for decades probably has some effect on the judgement of a fire lord

[@Balrog-tf3bg]

Never thought of that, but it kinda makes sense. Azulon knows Ozai thinks Zuko is a disgrace, and to have that son suddenly one up you to be third in line would have destroyed his pride

[@adeleaslan8182]

Azula’s line about the tides wasn’t meant to be smart and scary, it’s meant to make her look like a reckless child. Ozai would always teach her to push around people who told her she was wrong to get her way (like when he applauded her when she burned her fire bending teachers pants when he told her she was doing something wrong in the comic) so she had to assert her dominance as a leader. One of the many things that lead her to insanity

[@origamipein18]

Bad parenting, man. 😐

Yeah, but a lot of people think is badass...

[@fluffyone1882]

That was very clear to me... But young kids won't get

[@origamipein18]

@ Well, they're nuts.

[@origamipein18]

@@fluffyone1882 Oh.

[@miraliaas]

"...Azula is so gassed up and detached from reality that she thinks she can fight THE OCEAN." I mean...yes?

[@gennybaratta2460]

And honestly the fact that Season One’s main villain wanted to kill the moon meanwhile one of the first things we learn about Season Two’s main villain is that she wants to fight the ocean feels very fitting and on brand

[@evieb6359]

It’s endlessly funny to me that Avatar has all this depth, but it also has multiple episodes that teach kids why it’s a bad idea to eat suspicious plants.

[@weltraumkotze]

Is there more than cactus juice and Iroh's flower?

[@hiddenechoes]

Right? I'm lucky I didn't die as a child from all the weird plants I ingested 😂

[@dracawyn]

"Chinese Percy Jackson meets Yu-Gi-Oh." Your elevator pitches are so good though. Like. GIRL. No wonder you've got two book deals.

[@MollyHJohns]

I just found her channel again after getting a new account, and find her About description hilarious but truly brilliant. Wish I have enough money to buy her books though lol

[@techoutsider5631]

Xiran is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns btw

[@cherryjello777]

I love/hate Aang's reaction to Appa's kidnapping. It both humanizes him but also brutally attacks Toph, who already has trust issues and is a blind girl out of her element... alone...

[@starrsmith3810]

I really didn’t like her getting yelled at but Aang was in pain and lashed out. It happens. Hell it’s human. Them reuniting was awesome

[@Phoca_Vitulina]

Honestly I found that very relatable and human. Yeah it's wrong to lash out, but like, if someone was watching my pet=family and they got kidnapped, I would be furious. I really felt that ep that through Aang's perspective

[@snowstorm7732]

What he said to Toph was definitely undeserved, but to your point of humanizing him, the scene shows that he wasn't thinking like he normally does due to the anger and sadness of losing the biggest tie he has to his culture. Sure he has Bumi as a friend, but he ties back to 100 years ago, a bit different to his now extinct culture

[@charlemony]

@@snowstorm7732 not only a tie to his culture. but his best and oldest friend. appa isn't just a pet, he is a companion and family.

[@origamipein18]

FOUR FUCKING MONTHS, AANG!!!!!

[@phoebe7846]

have you ever prepared your hot morning beverage while thinking, “i would really love to sip this while xiran jay zhao schools me on the presentation of chinese culture in media” and then opened youtube to find they’ve miraculously granted your prayer like the internet deity they are. that’s me ☕️🙌

[@vyk_15]

Was the phrase “hot morning beverage” a reference to The Dragon Prince, in the scene where Coffee was invented?

[@gokuwrightattorneyatlaw5227]

🤣

[@weltraumkotze]

@@vyk_15 Hot brown morning potion xD

[@cedartheyeah.justyeah.3967]

@@vyk_15 H o t b r o w n m o r n i n g p o t i o n

[@ussinussinongawd516]

Idk but I think your lying for clout because she hasn't uploaded in a long time.

[@stickperson286]

I want a fanfiction of an avatar being born in the swamp water bender tribe, and I want it now.

[@kerdunne3422]

Just a literal backwater, country bumpkin, hillbilly hick who just so happens to be the most powerful warrior in the world and the protector of mankind. *Yes*

[@ngairebarr1708]

It would be brilliant

[@izzy642]

i will read it

[@michaelsayavong2656]

I like to imagine with how weird thing are in the swamp area, how unusual the people are, and the climate, they are basically the avatar world’s equivalent Florida. So swap tribe avatar = Florida man avatar

[@lilacpen8678]

@@michaelsayavong2656 I think they're more supposed to be Louisianan Cajuns living on the bayou, but yeah. They're great.

[@octo448]

I actually thought the same thing about Azula's first line, but I actually feel that it's intentional after thinking about where are arc goes. She IS irrational and she DOES believe that anything is possible if she commands enough power through fear. Not realizing that sometimes control and fear aren't enough to change reality is eventually the beginning of her downfall.

[@bafbaas1210]

But when does she say she can defeat the ocean? Shes saying that the tides are a mindless force of nature that will kill u just by existing unable to show mercy and Azula might attack when ur out of line but if hes careful she wont so he should be trying to think about what shes going to do instead of the tides. Whats irrational is that what she was saying wasnt relevant to what he was saying but to me it shows how Azula twist situations to show her lethality

[@VanNessy97]

@@bafbaas1210 I first thought that Azula was threatening to throw the captain overboard

[@MoczoUno]

I never cease to love how often the cat is just _there._

[@tyarahernandez9291]

I love her cat TT!

[@zoroearc2582]

Their name is Kokochin

[@SpiritTakoizu]

"If you want to see you daughter alive again, *in this life*" that reincarnation reference had me dead like wow, i appreciate their dedication to the concept of reincarnation in this show 😭

[@Dargonhuman]

"that reincarnation reference had me dead" Well, on the upside, you won't stay dead so...

[@SpiritTakoizu]

@@Dargonhuman 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Monie71793]

@@Dargonhuman 😩💀

[@Penguinmanereikel]

YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT THE PORTRAIT OF IROH’S SON... *WAS ACTUALLY A LETTER FROM HIM TO IROH*?!?!?! UUUUUGGGGHHHH! My heart!

[@jetstreamjackie3437]

It's interesting how Iroh says "only a select few firebenders can separate the energies to generate lightning," when in Korra we see that as the technique proliferated among the common people, it turns out that a lot of firebenders can do it. Turns out the skill was only limited to a few people because the technique was kept secret by the ruling class.

[@RomasKalash]

A sensible assessment, but I think you sell Iroh’s wisdom short. He wouldn’t be that short sighted after just talking about learning from the other elements. There are many techniques in many lineages of internal arts, and learning the advanced techniques has little to do with noble birth, and much more to do with hard work and innate potential. He’s right to use the word “select”. You often are selected. It’s plausible that those bending lightning in Korra were some of the few, but this is just head canon now 😀

[@fandomcake5158]

Ah heck yeh. Since it was a recent discovery, this technique was most likely only mastered by people who could afford the time and teachers to teach it, particularly the rich and military. The reason why Republic City had the technique so utilized was because Zuko and Iroh no longer hid this technique from the commoners, especially knowing that modernizationwas a good way to help the developing city turn into its own sovereignty in the comics..

[@humanperson2480]

Honestly, I kinda just assume that when LoK actively contradicts the original, probably the writing staff just forgot it was already established.

[@blazelightshine2311]

@@RomasKalash If by 'select' he did mean 'selected' that makes a lot of sense, because before the common use of electricity, lightning bending would just be what, a near deadly or at least very severely injuring type of bending? I mean comparatively, obviously you can do deadly things with other bending, but all of the others have many ways to be used that doesn't usually result in injury or deadly injury without intent, once someone is trained anyway. It would seem more akin to what Combustion Man can do, I'd think, I'd understand why they wouldn't want this to become more common place since there doesn't seem to much use besides quite severe force at the time, at least not what we're shown.

[@John_Doe974]

It's more that LoK was bad and ignored a lot from the original series. Taking what was essentially a royal kekkei genkai and industrializing it was one of the worst things about LoK. Almost as bad as having other natural airbenders or the "lost herd of sky bison".

[@vevomaster2]

“I would have kept the kid until they gave a proper ransom” - had me laughing lol

[@genevieveowusu885]

Again, her outfit is on point.

[@evie138]

Facts

[@pixielofexeus9220]

Yeah? Are you suprised?

[@genevieveowusu885]

@@pixielofexeus9220 No, not really. I really like the one she wore on book 1, as well as the first video's outfit.

[@pixielofexeus9220]

@@genevieveowusu885 yep :|

[@fluffywolfo3663]

"Who knows? Probably not even Zuko" Classic Zuko.

[@ImTheAudacity]

Ya

[@snakearekat2634]

Regarding the "tides" moment of Azula, I think the creators actually intended for it to be both impressive in the respect and obedience she commands, but also how deeply unhinged she is.

[@peachesandcream8753]

"I'd rather go three days without food than a day without tea." - Every British person ever

[@sailiealquadacil1284]

Me too. Then again, my grandparents were/are very anglophile.

[@haganekazuki2241]

Turks: Those are rookie numbers

[@peachesandcream8753]

@@haganekazuki2241 That's my exact reaction whenever American's say "I've already had 3 cups of tea and it's only 4 o'clock!"

[@lucidfantasies2732]

That part happened just as I read the comment lmao

[@melonhead82]

As both a British person, and a Yorkshireman, this is completely wrong. It's every few hours you need tea. Yorkshire Tea.

[@lich109]

My favourite bit of this series is still all the effort they go through to try and prove Kiyoshi's innocence, only for her to pop up and admit to doing it. It did a great job of filling in part of the world's backstory, while also being the funniest way of seeing their efforts go to waste.

[@PongoXBongo]

And it also seems like one of those "never meet your heroes" moments. Like we try desperately to justify everything through hindsight, only the discover that much of it just wasn't justified (and least not in the way we'd hoped).

[@kiranadleeh9187]

Behold the only Shade Bender in existence! Marvel at her powerful shade throw and fear living in ignorance!

[@Readera]

I always figured azula's team was taking power naps while her army of servents drive the tanks. But maybe they were high on the chase! Also my partner pointed out that Toph, as a young rich blind girl who was sheltered, she wouldn't know how to set up camp or think to offer her help!

[@unistrut]

My favorite thing about Sokka's detective hat is that it also looks enough like a deerstalker that westerners see it as a Sherlock Holmes reference.

[@thetrueglasses]

hi! i'm a south asian hindu so i can speak on this: the sound of "om" (or "aum" as you said it) is the sound that was being made as the planets were created (according to many indian religions). it's basically like the big bang theory but instead of a bang, it's an om.

[@treemarie4678]

The big om theory!

[@j2dragon109]

@@colinfitzpatrick3389 I mean, there are eastern relgions that believe in one God, Zoroastrianism and Sikism (and the most popular sects of Hinduism do to an extent as well), and the abhramic relgions have a lot of interesting stuff assosiated with them that most people don't know about.

[@koenigkorczak]

_baaaaaaaaannnnnggg_

[@robynhenderson9353]

That kind of reminds me if the concept of cosmic microwave background radiation in astronomy. There’s a theory that the sound of the Big Bang never actually went away. It just spread across the universe and became quieter, and it has a sonic frequency which is a low buzzing noise.

[@Monie71793]

@@colinfitzpatrick3389 Don't disrespect people's religions.

[@klarathebat5619]

Imagine being able to talk about one of your favourite shows while also teaching people about your culture, you have the dream job

[@alisonmay5916]

I'm respectfully staring at the cutest fluffiest cat instead of listening

[@ryanbusch2885]

Still love how when Zuko was unsure if Jet actually died the gaang responded like he was just asking about it within the play

[@junjunjamore7735]

Just like in the show itself it was sort of unclear.

[@shockingheaven]

That was so meta

[@Pink_Aqua]

Can we appreciate her "🎵SECRET TUNNEL🎵" editing? Absolute 🔥

[@caspian8650]

I just kept thinking "how did she time her pauses so well?!"

[@nanamiharuka3269]

A BOP

[@fightscrimewhilesleeping4024]

Yeah, completely agree about Iroh's complexity. I think that's one of the things that makes the character work for me--rather than being purely a "wise old man" archtype who seems to have sprung into being whole cloth, it's clear Iroh's wisdom was hard earned, something that grew, and something that he clearly didn't always have the way he has now. He has a past, and his own story and arc and mistakes. It makes him feel more like a real person instead of just a fountain used to spout platitudes, and it makes the things he says have real weight behind them rather than just sounding trite and cliche, which they very much could I think. Also...you think Azula learned from the drill incident, and that helped her come up with the plan to take down Ba Sing Se "from the inside"? Or was that just forshadowing lol

[@lilydrimm6626]

Ooooh i thought the same think for Azula!! After all, if it was so easy to take down Ba Sing Se but they failed for 600 days straight, and that coincidently happened right after the drill incident, it must be linked.

[@productivediscord5624]

Iroh heated his tea in a crowded area with guards nearby and limited ability to escape as they were not yet in the city while Zuko danced around while no one was looking like an introverted theater kid discovering love. Iroh would have been the first to forgive Zuko's display of firebending.

[@jennyw5904]

Oh my god this comment is everything

[@rollenmuziek]

An introverted theatre kid discovering love... I’m dead lmao. 🖤

[@sirmoriarty8230]

Uncle Iroh's VA was also *actually* crying, because he knew he was going to die and was saying goodbye to all of us

[@mori6434]

Why must you hurt me this way

[@BrightWulph]

Ok...Ouch...My heart, omg.

[@nocturnalizzie]

Oh noooo...

[@MisterPyOne]

idk if this is true, but it still made me tear up

[@-ree-4614]

pls...don't...it hurts..real bad

[@valenti_no]

"This emblem [the flying boar] foreshadows how Toph eventually become a cop." Beautiful, wonderful, mwah!

[@paleylewis7440]

It was right when I took a huge bite of food too xD had to do a spit take

[@sprigganpanda]

I don't get how that forshadows that she becomes a cop, am I missing smthg?

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

@@sprigganpanda Boars are wild pigs. Cops are pigs. Therefore boars symbolize cops. Q.E.D.

[@satinsleeves]

@@sprigganpanda Boar = pig. Cops = pigs.

[@sprigganpanda]

@@imveryangryitsnotbutter I'm not big brain enough for this but thank you for explaining

[@rebecaz659]

I'm not korean but from what I know, in South Korea pigs are symbols of wealth and riches (if someone has a dream about a pig, it's supposed to mean good luck and they are advised to go buy a lottery ticket), so I always thought the Beifong family emblem being a boar symbolized the fact that they were really rich

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

So that's where the term capitalist pig comes from

[@Mr_Mimestamp]

I don’t know if you take requests, but I think the Kung Fu Panda trilogy has a lot of stuff to talk about that could be really interesting!

[@hiddenechoes]

I'd dig that

[@abthedragon4921]

She's working on it, she says she'll probably do it after finishing the Avatar series. Either that or Mulan 2.

[@AFox-hq2is]

yesss that would be so cool!! i particularly like the 3rd movie so I’ll be looking forward to that. I hope she does some stuff on tlok too

[@heatherlee2967]

+

[@heatherlee2967]

OMG

[@yadneshchaudhari4208]

Zhao, you were a little bit wrong about the chakras episode. In Hinduism, chakras are originally the seven endocrine glands of the body, and Chakras originally do have Colors, but they are not really as significant as its shown in western media, but as a hindu, i can tell you that atla team did an exceptionally great job in the explanation of chakras and Indian spirituality. Also, Zhao, you are an awesome critic. Love from India.

[@lucysloan7122]

Funny Story: In my sixth grade English class, we watched Sokka's Tale to learn about Haiku.

[@gennybaratta2460]

You lucky son of a bench

[@autisticrabi5296]

That teacher needs a raise NOW

[@andre7213]

Now that’s how you teach a class with a well example.

[@ventismain9340]

Same

[@a_gal.in.your.basement]

@@gennybaratta2460 I agree

[@ameliabooth9783]

can we agree that Azula is the only antagonist that is actually smart enough to strike the protagonist during their power up

[@AnRuixuan]

Fun linguistic fact, the English word "brainwash" is a direct translation loanword from Chinese 洗脑. We didn't have this word in English until the mid-20th century.

[@weltraumkotze]

That makes me wonder if the german word "Gehirnwäsche" (literal translation of brainwash) was taken from the english or chinese original

[@Su-mx7ix]

@@weltraumkotze It's a loan from English!

[@Crawlingdreams418]

same with the russian word for tea

[@collin4555]

This type of word loaning where constituent elements are translated is called a calque, which is itself a loanword. Linguistics is fun

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Yeah English has a lot of loan words

[@stellabee2026]

Toph’s last name being north is probably a reference to earth as an element having north being it’s direction in a lot of western esoteric systems

[@obiber1958]

"this emblem foreshadows how toph becomes a cop." staring dead into the camera full silence LMAO

[@shockingheaven]

I almost choked on the water I was drinking

[@mophead_xu]

when you love toph but also say acab. 👊😔

[@ariel7488]

I was searching for this comment lmao

[@charleylouise3900]

Can someone explain the emblem to me as I’m confused with how it relates? :) thank you

[@mophead_xu]

@@charleylouise3900 the beifong family crest depicts a pig, which is another nickname for cops.

[@catherinecao4810]

That “selfie” could be the only picture of Lu Ten that Iroh has left. It’s extra sad, that the only reminder of his son came from the event of his death.

[@YOSSARIAN313]

I mean he was royalty there are probably more pictures of lu ten

[@catherinecao4810]

@@YOSSARIAN313 well, I think it’s the last thing he has on hand. Besides, I don’t think Ozai was very kind to his late nephew’s memory

[@YOSSARIAN313]

@@catherinecao4810 you're making a big assumption my scenario is more likely

[@catherinecao4810]

@@YOSSARIAN313 true, but it doesn’t take away from the tragedy

[@katekursive1370]

The book might be Earth, but the look is FIRE

[@GeeklingNo1]

How to talk about the culture in ATLA: They were respectful of the cultures they took inspiration from though they weren’t actually attempting to represent any one culture accurately.

[@teleportingpotatoe]

even tho all the creators were not asian

[@moss-eating-oddity3612]

@@teleportingpotatoe didn't they have a lot of Asian people working on it? A lot of the names in the credits sound Asian /gen

[@ussinussinongawd516]

@@moss-eating-oddity3612 yes

[@mykodibear17]

@@teleportingpotatoe There's a big difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. They had staff from the cultures referenced and outside experts for reference when creating this show to make sure their use of inspiration from those culture was respectful. It isn't a crime to make something inspired by another culture, especially not if you put the effort into learning about and getting inside opinions fro. those cultures.

[@nadayteeoth1089]

Gotta love that cat and her for not even acknowledging it and still going

[@EienOfDark]

I kinda want her to start petting it while still looking at and talking to the camera without missing a beat.

[@slothbaby2104]

@@EienOfDark Like a james bond villain

[@SirEriol]

Regarding the Era Names, the first Kyoshi novel establishes that the name of the Avatar is used to denominate the eras. I took it as _their names_ being the ones designated, but the library implies that it is a poetic description of the Avatar accomplishments. And that would be the reason they start with the characters for Fire, Air, Water and Earth.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Yesss! Now *This* is a proper Valentine's Day present!

[@pixielofexeus9220]

Yeah

Did you notice that the sign in front of the serpent’s pass says “Abandon Hope” and they name their baby Hope?

[@thechad4485]

Not to mention they blatantly point that out in the episode.

[@cinnatwist0]

abandon the child

@@thechad4485 they do say the two things, but so far apart that people typically dont think about them together

@@cinnatwist0 take this delicious offering, o sea serpent

[@cinnatwist0]

@ 😵

[@wang78739]

30:54 The knot that Sokka makes is an example of 中國結 or Chinese knotting, which is comes from the Tang dynasty (?) but is still a popular handicraft/folk art thing today. He uses the 平結 (flat knot) to tie a dragonfly, which is one of the most basic ones knots you can make (I made a similar dragonfly when I was 10ish) and it's the starting point for other knots like the 攀緣結 (climbing/creeper knot) or the 藻井結 ("Plafond" Knot). Super fun craft to try out! :D You can see some really elaborate knots made with red sating cord during festivals like Chinese New Year or weddings for good luck to to ward away evil, but these days they are largely machine made, bit like Chinese paper cutting (剪纸/窗花).

[@a_gal.in.your.basement]

終於有其他人用繁體字

[@voldemortified]

13:52 The cart full of masks here also conveniently serves to explain how Zuko got his Blue Spirit mask back, even though he theoretically lost it with the rest of his belongings after the siege of the North. (He also gets his twin daggers back by stealing them from the guy who makes Iroh dance).

[@benadrylsmoke5481]

i've literally been keeping myself from sobbing due to stress and losing a family member and for some unknown god forsaken reason, the "the flying boar symbol actuallg foreshadows how toph becomes a cop." with the cold dead-eyed stare made me fucking tear up with laughter. man, thank you

[@catsinwonderland7473]

This video was really hilarious. This woman has talent. Also, never try to suppress tears. Pause the video and cry I know the saying "let it out" is really annoying and cheesy but it really works for me so enjoy my half-assed advice. It's okay even in public, it's always ok try cry for that reason.

[@sharde1119]

🫂

[@-Raylight]

_When the world needed her most, she appeared._ Not the hero we deserved but the one we needed! It's always a good day Xiran Jay Zhao uploaded a video xD

[@KillerPiplup]

"You should not drink from a cactus" Me a Mexican: (゜-゜) (eating a cactus for lunch and its fruit as dessert) The edible ones are really yummy tho :)

[@teddymoon]

I’m not Mexican, but I literally just ate nopales yesterday. 😂 (Love them. 😋)

[@nacreangel3750]

Cactus picking is to Mexicans as mushroom picking is to Russians. Picking the wrong one means death (Edit: Spanish) recolectar cactus está para mexicanos como recolectar setas está para rusos. Escoger el equivocado significa muerta

[@minas.831]

However, i too am trying to figure out how it makes sense because you get so use to the heat it feels like you don’t need to hydrate and then the river is dried up of course so then we finally get something but it ends up dehydrating me and I step on a needle 🪡 like WHAT the heck.

[@victorthecollector9198]

Ay, hace mucho que no como nopalitos, a ver si le pido a mi mamá que me haga unos jsjdjjdja

[@nacreangel3750]

@@victorthecollector9198 Yo también... jajaja

[@the_doug_digital]

I can’t get over the fact that the only time Iroh, arguably the wisest and most reasonable/logical man in the show, has on multiple occasions threatened his life over the pursuit of tea Like his kryptonite for “thinking rationally” is just a nice cup of oolong and that’s hysterical

[@PerpetuallyDaydreaming]

I literally had a dream about Xiran Jay Zhao last night (we were roommates? Kokochin was there?) Anyway! This must be why! Hell yeah!

[@belbercike2344]

oh my god, they were roommates

[@cinnamoony3996]

@@belbercike2344 AGHAGAHGS

[@abthedragon4921]

😂😂😂

[@billystokes3917]

It was not a dream, it was a vision!!

[@teleportingpotatoe]

A premonition!

[@niccarooo]

Xiran saying something politically relevant than giving a cold, stern glare at the camera while dead silent never fails to make me laugh

[@aner_bda]

Yes, the professor's skeleton can be seen when Jinora visits the library in the Spirit World in Book 2. Wan Shi Tong even comments that "that" is what happened to last human who said that when Jinora comments that she could stay and read forever in the library.

[@icky46111]

As far as Katara using the spirit water to heal Zuko's scar and not having it around for when Aang gets zapped, I like to think that if Katara had the chance to heal Zuko's scar he would have sided with Aang and Katara them when Azula showed up. Such a gesture would not have gone unappreciated. However, the fact that it was offered still planted that bit of guilt in him that would later help him truly turn to them in the end, because siding with Azula that day still ate at him. If he had been healed, he would have no doubt sided with Katara and Aang and not let Azula get the chance to zap Aang.

[@artemiswolf4508]

Maybe the reason Zuko didn’t go straight to the address in the poster was he couldn’t read the language of Ba Sing Se and he was to proud to ask for a translation. He just recognized Appa from the drawings and guessed the rest by context clues.

[@fleon4115]

Why shouldn't he be able to read it?

[@carnage2332]

I think it is more likely that he didn't understand how the streets were laid out. He was in the right area but lost. There are loads of areas around where I live where the street and home addresses do not make sense. Most of the time odd addresses and even addresses are on opposite sides of the road, but sometimes the addresses skip huge amounts like 5510-5522 and then bam a couple houses marked 11356-11362 then back but missing some like 5530-5540. So if you're looking for 5526 you would be super confused. Like where the F is this house!

[@kseniagolubkova6548]

@@carnage2332 how does your house numbering system work at all? I'm shocked by the numbers...

[@carnage2332]

@@kseniagolubkova6548 that's a good question that I sadly do not know the answer to. If I worked for the post office or something I'm sure I'd have a much better understanding. But I feel this sort of thing is inevitable in any old city. That has grown and changed.

[@kseniagolubkova6548]

@@carnage2332 i just really don't get those big digits. What do u mean by marked? Is it zip code or the number of the house on the street? I live in a big old city that has been growing for a long time, so I'm hella confused.

[@clsisman]

When Xiran says “The things hot people get away with” it made me wonder...do they not know what they look like? They are GORGEOUS! Edit: updating for pronoun correctness

[@pandacoffe8895]

not to be rude but im pretty sure Xiran prefers they/them pronouns. but you are right

[@clsisman]

@@pandacoffe8895 I think they say in this video they use she/them but you could be right. If so, thanks for the correction!

[@Strannik01]

​@@clsisman "Xiran is nonbinary and prefers They/Them pronouns, but does not mind She/Her" twitter.com/XiranJayZhao/status/1337171097955909639

[@agentscott96]

@@pandacoffe8895 until otherwise told by the person, I’m using standard pronouns

[@SeanTheOriginal]

To be fair, under all that makeup we really don't know what she looks like. And she's a coplayer, too. They know how to use makeup to do thing James Charles _wishes_ he could do.

[@HierophanticRose]

I agree, when people say "Avatar has great representation", I think they mean that Avatar is more creative in the referential influences it takes, often avoiding orientalist stereotyping and overused tropes. But that does not equal representation one to one.

[@sundaecentral]

A detail not mentioned is that in Korean culture, the pig/boar is a symbol of good luck! I’m not sure if this actually has anything to do with the Bei Fong family (Toph’s family) symbol since it’s technically a flying boar, bit it’s something I noticed.

[@kayleigh2632]

"zuko the former 1%-er robs the current 1%-er" im sobbing

[@itachi0089]

Great and funny phrase! Xiran Jay Zhao is really amazing at entertaining and clever at providing interesting educational information.

[@OK-hi5ym]

Zuko got that former rich kid guilt (which is definitely preferable to the “small loan of a million dollars from daddy” type of rich kid)