How Avatar’s “The Beach” Breaks ALL Anime Tropes - Avatar the Last Airbender Retrospective Analysis

Today at the Mystery Shack we return to the world of Avatar to look at 'The Beach' - an episode that lures you into a fall sense of security as we see all kinds of shenanigans on both sides of the story, only to subvert all those established anime tropes with some of the greatest dialogue in the entire series.
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Timecodes
0:00 The ‘Beach’ Episode
1:30 2 NOT Filler Stories
2:31 Azula, Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai & The Beach
7:31 The Party
11:37 The Childhood Home
12:54 The Campfire
18:51 But wait... there's more - Enter Sparky Sparky Boom Man
20:21 Sparky Sparky Boom Man vs the Gaang
21:49 Closing Thoughts
22:48 Outro
#avatarthelastairbender #avatar

[@Koroto]

🔥 Couple of corrections about my silly misspeaking - 4:10 I say Azula is gazing at Mai, while I'm obviously talking about Ty Lee. 10:55 Something jumbled in my brain and I said Zuko's the youngest while he's actually the oldest sibling (Might be that I was thinking about the whole "My father said she was born lucky, he said I was lucky to be born" and jumbled up their ages because of the order there 😅) Hope that didn't cause too much confusion! 👍

[@MachineCode0]

Saw this video in my recommended, I'm not going to watch it but just to respond to the possible clickbait title (I'm not sure, maybe you are serious); How can Avatar the last airbender break anime tropes when it isn't an Anime? What you mean is commenting on, referencing, lampooning, or deconstructing anime tropes. It can't break tropes of a thing it's not a part of. Anyway you got your engagement for the algorithm so job done with the title I guess. I only have 136 shows on MAL It's ok I'm not mad though Anyway have a nice day. 😁

[@dominiquesherwood9845]

@@MachineCode0 All of this is addressed in the first 30 seconds of the video, maybe try not to be a jerk and just watch a lil bit? 😘

[@adi_Iastname]

@@MachineCode0 i’ll take how to be insufferable for 2000 please alex

[@DSiren]

Ironically I wouldn't have had to rewind if that little callout had stayed on screed for like 5-10 more frames. that shit disappeared so quick I thought I was missing a funni

[@jalonglover4488]

You sleepy?😂 Anyway thanks for the video.

[@bthsr7113]

"Filler" doesn't have to be bad, boring, degrading, time wasting, or predictable. It can be humanizing, it can further character arcs, it can explore the world, it can provide a needed breath between heavy plot beats, and more. Just because it's not a main episode or filled with explosions, doesn't mean you should disregard it. The Justice League Christmas episode for example.

[@Koroto]

Ohh yeah, dont get me wrong, I love myself some filler from time to time! Problem is a lot of filler is unfortunately just that - filler. Not for the sake of a fun side adventure or anything like that, just low budget, sloppy writing padding.

[@KnotPhound]

That's one thing I've always loved about a big chunk of the OG Naruto filler episodes. Not only were they fun to watch, but they helped exploring more of the world that surrounded it's protagonist as well as a way to know more details about some of the characters and lore, plus those episodes felt like they actually happened somewhere in-between the halts of the main story because they weren't messing with any already established aspect of it in a way that it destroyed all sense of it. Then Shippuden came and absolutely packed the whole show with an unhealthy amount of insufferable filler.

[@bthsr7113]

@@Koroto There's a reason why I put filler in quotation marks. Something may be called filler, but not actually be there JUST to fill time without adding anything. Then, there is the truest filler. Bland fluff that wastes time and money.

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

​@@KnotPhound Well the "Sanbi" filler arc was good. But also fell deep in the trope of "awesome power that nobody uses again", both with Guren and Naruto.

[@geoshark12]

One pieces episode where they fall into a marine base

[@Sinewmire]

I love that Azula's ability to pinpoint other's weakness actually makes her really good at helping Zuko face his own issues here, when she cuts to the quick: So who are you angry at, Zuko?

[@fatalshore5068]

In another life Azula coulda been a helluva therapist haha

[@bthsr7113]

@@fatalshore5068 That would be a very distant life.

[@fatalshore5068]

@@bthsr7113 Eh, all she needed was 2 loving parents and she coulda turned out fine. Her insight would still exist though, but she could use it for good :)

[@Nez-ky7hn]

@@fatalshore5068 loving parents? That actually is pretty far off. Her father was the way he was because of generational trauma in the family passed down. If that didn’t exist the war probably wouldn’t have happened. Her mother was nice (I think) but I think her father was too much to bear and I think she was a daddy’s girl.

[@katie5998]

@@Nez-ky7hn They're not saying Azula's parents were loving. They're saying IF she had loving parents, she could've been a therapist/been a better person. As is true for anyone, I'd wager.

[@GnarledStaff]

I think you missed something. Azula's admittance of being a monster is not just a joke. Its proof that she is self-aware enough to know that she is a villain. It hints at her isolation and emotional pain. I mean, it's a beautiful punchline, but her eyes radiate pain. I think this episode, and in particular those scenes with her comforting Ty Lee and and admotti g she is a monster, directly lead to the audience feeling pain when Azula loses the final fight and jist screams in animal rage and desperation.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

I too present my flaws in the same way, admiting that its true, but its certain that I dont like it.

[@jmwilliamsart]

It’s too bad that Azula didn’t try to become a better person like her brother Zuko did later on after the end of the series?

[@bthsr7113]

@@jmwilliamsart Recognizing flaws is not enough. And some people are too far gone to save.

[@jmwilliamsart]

@@bthsr7113 Yeah you’re right about that, the same with Ozai. Later on in the comics Zuko and his mother are reunited, it was heartwarming 🥰. She later looks upon Ozai in his prison cell and he didn’t have his bending anymore. She realized that Ozai was always just a ‘small man’ trying desperately to be big.

[@wwandmitski]

@@bthsr7113 recognizing and admitting a problem is the first step to recovery

[@JonathanMandrake]

I actually disagree regarding Mai. In a lot of ways, she is quite similar to Toph. It isn't a full-on tragic sob story, however it resonates stronger with me because of how realistic it is. Many children of families with self-important expectations have experienced similar things. Being emotionally neglected, heavy expectations on how one is supposed to act, no room for self discovery, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. The lack of emotion she expresses is a pretty clear sign of depression or similar psychological problems, which fits her upbringing. Which makes it even more disappointing that she has less of an arc than Ty Lee

[@CianaCorto]

You're spot on. It's always Essay Andies talking like they have the definitive facts and drawing conclusions from it. Always take these videos with a grain of salt.

[@CureSmileful]

@@CianaCorto I don't like presenting one's interpretation as a fact as well, I wish there would be change in the video essays and such and I think I saw once that someone put the text "in my opinion" at some point in the video, I liked that, I would do it as well. Also is that Akko?

[@nibbliesslim9445]

Why do I think that when she betrayed Azula and said, "I love Zuko more than I fear you" is essentially an arc for her? And her confronting Zuko at the boiling rock and throwing the letter he wrote to her on his head? ;'D that scene just made me and my sis look at her in a different light. She at that moment looked SO COOL.

[@WhitePaintbrush]

@@CureSmileful Analyses of writing are inherently subjective, that is just baked into the medium. I don’t think that fact needs to be repeated every other sentence for that to be understood.

[@edersonnico]

Mai definitely does not have depression.

[@themesongfan452]

I wouldn't say Mai has no trauma. To me it seemed like Mai, much like Azula, is in denial. In her mind, she should be happy because she grew up with proper discipline and was given whatever she wanted. But the way she talks about it makes it clear that her upbringing felt hollow. She is bored because she was never encouraged to have fun. She both wants and is afraid of love because on some level she doesn't feel like she was loved. It's actually something I can relate to quite strongly; I used to insist to myself that I didn't have any real childhood trauma too. How could I when my family and upbringing were so ideal? But there are... aspects about my personality that testify (quite strongly) that that isn't the case, and during counseling, one particular psychiatrist managed to make me confront that one kink in my childhood that had a powerful negative impact on me despite seeming like such a small nitpick.

[@malonee]

Not to sound mean, but say says it. Her undertone tells it all. She is a tool and acts as one. I think that’s why her decision to defend Ty lee was so BIG. She made a decision that was AGAINST her upbringing as a tool, and it made her PASSIONATE. if you remember the scene where she defended Ty lee and they zoomed on her face, that’s basically the only time in the series she made her own decision and it zoomed in, dramatic music, and you saw passion

[@ladykanrojiarmyblink1570]

@@malonee Yeah you're right

[@lordfelidae4505]

Tiny events can ripple through your life and greatly affect your outlook.

[@redrubyrose618]

Yeah no she technically didn't lmao

[@quinnmcgee7323]

I agree, and at the end of the day almost everyone has tragedy in their backstory. We are all shaped in unexpected ways by the good and bad in our life. And sure, getting burned by your own father is pretty messed up, but it takes way less than that to mess a kid up.

[@georgev3433]

Something I’d like to propose is the moment in the house was Azula genuinely checking on her brother. Like she had no reason to go get him. Mei was mad at him and Ty Lee wouldn’t be able to get her to do something she didn’t want to. You could say it was manipulation to keep her group together, but I always read it as a brief, genuine sibling connection in their messed up lives.

[@crystallinecrisis3901]

I always viewed it as the one instance of her acknowledging their upbringing. Calling the house depressing was her showing that she knows how badly they were raised even if she was the golden child in Ozai’s eyes. One small moment of unity in the siblings

[@arexyouxepicxenough]

​@@crystallinecrisis3901 To add on, being the golden child even if she can't really consciously recognize it is a form of abuse. You mould yourself to expectations and approval then when faced with actual reality where YOU choose what you want it'd a complete mind fuck. I don't really like the comics but even in those she defaults to her father's expectations of her or her trying to mould Zuko towards those expectations for vicarious reasons. What does Azula want that doesn't involve others? Does she even know? What does she actually believe that she's come to with her own conclusions? Basically what I'm saying is being the "golden child" can easily be a one way ticket to an overwhelming identity crisis.

[@kellharris2491]

Azula wants her brothers love. She also wants to keep him in the role as the scape goat. It's like this weird back and forth feeling. I mean she was the one that actually brought her brother back to the fire Kingdom only to set him up to fail. It's these weird self destructive actions that destroys her relationships. If she could keep her brother 'in his place' she would likely be happy to have him there.

[@ohood1788]

I agree. I don't think Azula's presence in that moment was a reminder to Zuko that the good times are over. It was a rare occasion of Azula showing genuine care and concern for him. She walked all the way to the house to get him when she could've sent Ty lee or something but she cared enough to do it herself. The way she called the house depressing wasn't mocking or dismissive but rather acknowledging the tragic state of their family. Azula saw her brother was upset and wanted to pull him out of that state. They were having a campfire and she actively made an effort to include him rather than choose to let him wallow in his despair by himself. It was such a genuine moment and it makes their relationship all the more tragic because it's an instance that shows that they really do care for each other but their circumstances lead them on different paths and forced them to work against each other.

[@kellharris2491]

@@ohood1788 A golden child/ scape goat dynamic really destroy's that sibling bond. :(

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

Mai has some trauma: she was neglected by her parents. She was given everthing she wanted as long as she stayed in her place and did not disturbed her father's career path. She closed herself away from emotions and personal conections because she had never felt that she was important to someone, so she just "stays there", pretending that she doesn't care. She is trying to "fake it until you make it" with her emotions: pretending nothing bothers her, she just wants to not be bothered by her lonliness.

[@user-lt8lm1vv9v]

THIS!!! It's not bad analysys overall, but on "Mai has no trauma" he very much lost me there.

[@mega1283]

Yeah she is a good example of the old idea that if you provided food and comfort to a kid that contact and affection aren't important being wrong. The whole kids are meant to be seen but not heard.

[@danirodriguez3682]

I think this is a pretty good example of how quieter, less obvious traumas are often ignored and dismissed.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

Most people who have childhood trauma will deny it.

[@teklakipshidze4446]

@@user-cn6ig6vz4x Exactly. She kinda reminds me of Machi from fruit's basket. Like, their stories are eerily similar.

[@smsdamiracle]

6:25 she shot Iroh there because he looked away and knew he wasn’t ready for her fast attack. Saw an opportunity in their barrier. Lol not because Iroh didn’t want to attack her. Hell, Iroh and Zuko had this conversation the episode right after: Zuko - “I know, she’s my sister and I should be trying to get along with her” Iroh - “No, she’s crazy and she needs to go down.”

[@DemBigOlEyes]

I agree. I thought his analysis of the situation to be weird there. Everyone was focused on Azula, and Iroh was the only one showing concern (his darting eyes from side to side) for everyone else, and did not expect to be chosen as her target.

[@DaviHorner]

@@DemBigOlEyes I don't think he was demonstrating concern but more surprise that Toph was part of the Team Avatar and because of this lapse of attention he was chosen as a target.

[@syedmominnaqvi]

I think Iroh wasn't showing concern for everyone else. When Azula said "Fine I give up. I surrender. A princess surrenders with honor.", he's looking to Toph so she would call it a lie or count it as a truth.

[@smsdamiracle]

@@syedmominnaqvi not the last part. Dont think he’s familiar with her detecting lies ability just yet.(we dont learn that until we get into Ba Sing Se actually) Davi Castro was right in what they said.

[@pasmas3217]

Iroh was the only logical choice for her to shoot. going from weakest to strongest Sokka was obviously not worth the shot Toph by that point is barely introduced to Azula and is tired, though thats probably info Azula doesnt have Aang is extreme tired and they fought and he was not much effective in the fight just previously Katara is also very tired, but would make the most sense out of team avatar Zuko is no match for her and she knows it very well both from all their past and the fight they just had were he is still the same Zuko and then uncle Iroh. The person who redirected her lightening. Something that apparently nobody except him knew was possible by that moment. He then also looks away giving the perfect opportunity to strike. Also this makes sense emotionaly. From her side she wouldnt know how close and internal relationships in team avatar, but she knows Zuko and Iroh are very close, so she is taking out two birds with one stone. If there is a character in the series who would actually consider all the above before taking a strike, that is Azula and that strike was just such a perfect little detail. Also it probably helps that they need team avatar travel ready for the plot XD

[@randyjr.arsenio5624]

"My own mother... Thought I was a monster.. She was right of course but it still hurt." Tha lt is ingrained in my mind.

[@racheljohnson7177]

It's one of those lines you can't forget

[@OddMoonlight_]

This line is just too deep.. it feels like home.

[@HopeIsADrug11037]

insanely funny and depressing at the same time

[@zkiller9mm506]

I think one of my favorite scene of the series is when the whole gang are at the summer home and they find a picture of baby fire lord. And they all thought it was zuko.

[@gbzebs]

which leads to a magnificent discussion and one of my favorite line. Making us remember that Aang is a 12 years old, a child, who everyone expects will murder a man.

[@rat2316]

@OHGAS the fact is that not Aang killed them but Avatar

[@marcustaylor4466]

@OHGAS there's never been one confirmed person that Aang has killed unless you count Admiral while he was taken over by the Spirit. The only creature that he may have killed was the wasp thing that attempted the take Momo after Appa was taken and even that wasn't clear. You can try to use our physics, to make a determination of a animation based on bending elements and humans (even those without powers) being able to run up walls but unless clearly expressed in the show or by the writers, it didn't happen.

[@marcustaylor4466]

@OHGAS it's not for me to say. It's for the writers to say. I would say that no one could run up a wall like Suki or across rope like Ty Lee but that doesn't matter because that what the writers wrote. When they killed characters, they made it clear like Chin and Zhao or hinted at it like Jet and Sparky. You can't compare Chin's situation to any other for the same reason you can't compare what happened to Jet to any other person that was hit directly by earth bending but didn't die or was even seriously injured. Objectively if that's what killed Jet then Toph killed multiple people in her first episode including the Boulder who she hit with a direct shot so hard it sent him flying into the concrete bleachers. Yet he and everyone else got up immediately and Jet "died". Aang's dilemma makes no sense if they had him going around murdering people.

[@marcustaylor4466]

@OHGAS there's a difference between self defense and purposely killing someone which is what Aang was being instructed to do. I don't deny that even the best writers can slip up, I just find it more plausible that their mistake is not making it more clear people survived vs. forgetting that their pacifist main character is also ok with Mass murder. Especially since he is smiling in a couple seconds after you believe he killed a bunch of people. The difference between the bug (if we want to treat the bug death as fact because it wasn't actually clear) and the koi spirit vs the temple is that Aang was acting emotionally with the bug. He had just lost his longest friend and his last live attachment to his home had just been taken away. The Koi fish isn't really won't debating. That wasn't him.

[@skyhideaway]

I think the thing that helped subvert this episode so well is that the _villains_ are the ones going to the beach. Usually in anime, we see the heroes going to the beach and it's usually guaranteed to be fun and goofy because they're heroes, they're the happy and kind characters of the story. And while heroes can certainly have emotional turmoil and traumatic backstories, it's still tame to some extent. Heroes aren't allowed to blow up the same way as antagonists, or to hurt people or be cruel and vicious. Villains are allowed to be a lot spicier and seeing an antagonist who is usually scary and powerful trying to experience a normal social experience is not only funny, but in this case, tragic. Azula completely failing at socializing and being a teenager shows us how sheltered she was, despite having all the power in the world. Same with Zuko. They were both raised with only the fire nation ideals in mind, that power is the only thing that mattered. Zuko was able to nurture his empathy and redeem himself because he had his mother and uncle as examples to look up to. Azula didn't have that. Ursa didn't hate Azula (as she thinks she did), but it was clear that Ozai had a strong hold on Azula from a very young age, and she had already internalized all the harmful morals that he taught her. So Ursa wasn't able to get through to Azula or just spend time with her as a mother. In the end, Azula was a master manipulator who did terrible things, but she was also a 14 year old girl who was a product of her poor upbringing.

[@anitamcv]

Not to forget that Azula felt she had to keep Ozai's approval... and we know what was needed for that.

[@emerald7945]

2:18 Calling him Combustion man: No🚫 Calling him Sparky Sparky boom boom man: Yes✅

[@bennysundance175]

Who doesn't

[@supersonicgamerguru]

I think the biggest reason Azula struck Iroh was not that he was the weakest link, but that he was the biggest threat among them. He was the only one who could potentially match her wit and predict her plans, on top of being the most skilled bender in that group at the time. If she failed to take him out of the picture, he could have lead the others to at least some form of victory instead of getting the perfect getaway. And to top it all off, it guaranteed that the temporary alliance they had formed against her would fall apart when she left. If Zuko was struck, Iroh would have had a fair chance at convincing Aang's group to at least help them find a place to recouperate, and if anybody else was struck he could probably get zuko to do the same. There's also the connection Toph had formed with him that could add some social grease to the situation. And at the end of this long post I realize that she really did attack the weakest link after all, which is Zuko's emotional volatility. So she eliminated her biggest threat, the strongest unifying force, and the weakest link all at the same time. (Insert oh baby a triple here).

[@jamiedee2409]

I 100% agree with you!!

[@giosbizarreart9048]

He basically said wat you said

[@za6604]

No she attacked him because he was looking away

[@violetta698]

What Mai said was that she could have anything she wanted as long as she played by her parents' rules. It's less that she doesn't have past trauma and more that her past trauma is feeling stifled by her parents' discipline. She never expresses her feelings because she was always expected to just quietly do what she's told to do and be the person her parents' want her to be regardless of what she wants.

[@Gadeberg90]

In many ways just like Tophs parents wanted her to be.

[@CapeEniEer]

12:27 I think Azula saying that this place is depressing hints at a very big difference between Zuko and Azula's childhoods. Zuko actually had a happy childhood but Azula never had one.

[@DeathKitta]

I doubt that, they had shitty childhoods in different way. Azula had father's attention, Zuko had mother's attention. But both wanted the other parent to love them too and couldn't have it. It's hard to judge who had it worse, it's all really personal.

[@rallyjsutmoon3637]

@@DeathKitta I feel like before Ursa left probably Azula, tho we don't wanna do trauma olympics. But before that Zuko had atleast one remotly stable parent that gave him a sense of security and passed down positiv values, while Azulas realationship with Ursa has always been strained and she never really had her present as a good parental figure. Least of all someone who gave her the love she needed. And while Zuko was very much neglected by his dad, Azula was also in a very unhealthy and manipulativ relationship with him. So she had no stable parental relationship at all. After Ursa left they both had it 'equally' bad just in different forms,a dn you might even argue that Zuko suffered more

[@DeathKitta]

@@rallyjsutmoon3637 I think after Ursa left everything went to shit for both of them. Zuko didn't have anyone to protect him from Ozai's abuse or at least comfort him.

[@UgleBeffus]

​@@DeathKittaYeah, but what I think OP is trying to say is that most of Azula's childhood would have been learning to fight and firebend, the ways of war and manipulation - it was intense, just like she is. Zuko, on the other hand, actually got to be nurtured a little bit by his mother. I think that's why he was still able to listen to his morals, because of their mother, where Azula's time was mostly spent forcing her humanity down to please her father and eventually become one of the most powerful firebenders in existence. Both of them had awful childhoods, don't get me wrong. But at least Zuko's contained some kindness.

[@MrSophire]

The issue is Azula was use to being adored. The court loved and feared her. She was an everything a child should be according to her father and judging from the schools, sociality. when she did same things that pleased everyone else with her mother only to get corrected or punished because what what she was doing was bad, she saw it as rejection. Iroh probably did the same. Ursa and Iroh did try to help her but she rejected them. Zuko was the lucky one since his talents weren’t valued, so he had to get praise from another source.

[@Number1YankeeFan]

Also the “the there was supposed to be more fan service” thing was just an early script that they sent to nickolodeon to get rejected, as no matter what outfits and plots they sent for a beach episode, they would’ve been told to make it more conservative. By starting with something more out there, it helped move the goalposts

[@irregularassassin6380]

One of my professors taught us that exact trick with an example. In a show he was producing, they wanted an extreme closeup shot of someone's fingernail being deliberately ripped off as a torture method. Pretty grim! He knew the studio wouldn't go for it, so he write the initial script to call for a _ten-second_ extreme closeup of the nail. The studio balked, but he insisted it was important to include it. Eventually, he got them to capitulate to a one-second extreme closeup, which was what he wanted all along.

[@hanzquejano7112]

@@irregularassassin6380 I think it's called the Grey Elephant. The example I saw is when you want someone to treat you on fast foods, so first you demand to be treated at a fancy restaurant to ve rejected so the person you're asking will be more likely to go with your demand of being treated with fast food.

[@nickgarcia6572]

@@hanzquejano7112 another name for it is the Door-in-the-face effect

[@soc7967]

Big brain idea the team made to get their ideas across

[@512TheWolf512]

Making a good show overall is infinitely better fan service than drawing the characters in a sexual way.

[@thedelordhimselfgokublack]

Azula is my favourite villain ever apart from the lovely Dio Sama. Everyone keeps saying she is a monster. But Iroh and Ursa played into this by not giving her the same attention they gave Zuko. You can see when Mai says “I love Zuko more____” before Mai says “ than I fear you” Azula grits her teeth and is just another genuine person choosing Zuko over her. Her mother, Iroh and now Mai

[@rafaelmartinez9259]

@@toxicheadshot360 ?

[@thebionicvet8674]

No wonder she's so loyal to her father. He choose her to be fire lord and exiled Zuko. He the only character who ever chooses her over Zuko.

[@anirnic1432]

@@thebionicvet8674 and then he showed himself relating her mostly as a tool

[@thebionicvet8674]

@@anirnic1432 using her as a tool is more than anyone else has done for her

[@CureSmileful]

@@anirnic1432 so what? It doesn't change that Azula was loyal, because he payed her attention before revealing that information

[@acenull0]

"YES! WE'VE DEFEATED YOU FOR ALL TIME! YOU WILL NEVER RISE FROM THE ASHES OF YOUR SHAME AND HUMILIATION!!!" **relieved** "Well that was fun" 😁😂😂 I love Azula too. She's one of my fav villains ever

[@PoisonFlower765]

Damn she just like me 😭

[@Zazabazaa]

I feel like you missed some key elements of what May is saying... she says she got everything she wanted so long as she was quiet and behaved. Basically she implies that she was very controlled by her parents. If she did anything wrong, spoke out of turn then the conditional love she received would be taken from her. It's not as tragic as Azula and Zuko, but it's definitely still as tragic as Tai Lee. She has suppressed her emotions so much that she's gloomy and depressed. In many ways, her emotional development was neglected.

[@sphjinx1448]

I was honestly shocked he overlooked that. I am a writer, so I pick up on things like that, and what Mai said at least to me, was fairly obvious that she was very controlled and had to suppress her emotions, which is why she is the way she is.

[@azra2263]

Yes and I can't find the right words but I also think her always being 'bored' isn't a fake. Like she isnt trying to hide her emotions there, I think she just had to swallow her emotions so often that maybe she forgot how to actually feel them hence why she is always bored out of her mind with life in general. Except for when she defended ty Lee (which was kind of a freeing moment for her) and to an extent when she's with zuko and everything's kinda okay (she smiles softly or laughs at something he says) I'm not sure if I'm right but I think mai really isn't closing her emotions off anymore or trying to hide them, I think she probably mastered that as a small kid and know most things really don't touch her anymore .. that's why she is mostly bored in fights too you can't fake that always ..

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

@@sphjinx1448same here man

[@yourshoulderdevil5229]

​@@azra2263 I agree. She's not masking what she feels, she just doesn't feel. She's been suppressing her feelings for so long that she can't even feel them. Even when she says she loves Zuko she still acts bored and emotionless because she can barely feel anything at all. Mai had to learn that anything she does has consequences and can be used against her, so if she doesn't do or feel anything she's safe. It's also why Azula keeps her so close. Unlike Ty Lee, Mai can't be easily manipulated. The only reason she follows Azula is because it gives her something to do, and Azula knows that if she doesn't keep a close eye on Mai, Mai will go with whatever she actually finds a small interest in. Mai picks Zuko over Azula because she has more feelings correlated to Zuko then Azula and after that point Azula can't do anything to control Mai. Mai knows that feelings can be controlled, so she stopped feeling.

[@smallpiper2]

A writer with a really good handle on their characters makes the "just hanging out scenes" some of the best and most memorable.

[@etherjumper]

She didn't target the weakest link. She targeted the strongest player, and found her only weakness. That weakness being totally irrelevant, since Team Azula swiftly destroyed the other team.

[@KittSpiken]

The Nick tune down was a manipulation. They created bathing suits that were intentionally too risque, knowing the network would reject any bikini designs as a matter of course. The featured designs were a "compromise," read: what they originally wanted with an extra step.

[@nathanielduncan4692]

wait i did'nt know that.

[@spartanwar1185]

Holy crap, so they're genius even beyond story writing

[@KittSpiken]

@@spartanwar1185 they were in their pocket in the os.

[@lucasbakeforero426]

lowkey am curious for the og designs

[@KittSpiken]

@@lucasbakeforero426 can I get you some water?

[@Elyandarin]

I like how even the beach itself subverted classical beach episodes; the sand was much darker than the usual yellow/white stuff. Which makes total sense when you think about it; dark rock makes for dark sand.

[@r3dleaf]

yep! volcanic sand

[@boopboop9356]

Ty Lee is the happiest character overall and the most likable out of this group yet she is insulted by everyone there when they have just as much if not more emotional issues than her! She is the punching bag of the group, but at the same time everyone is jealous of her nature. Lesson right there 💯

[@omednazari5573]

that part where she gets him back from the house shows to me that the place is hurtful for not only Zuko but Azula too „this place is depressing“ pretty much says that. I think this episode humanizes Azula really good and shows us a glimpse behind the facade of control that she likes to keep always up. Also would have been nice to mention that Azula instantly knew where to look for Zuko, because she knows him and grew up with him at that place, where they both I think had happier times.

[@JoeMama099]

yes, even tho it always seems like they aren´t very close, Zuko and Azula know each other pretty well. I also love the way that episode showed a not so perfect side of Azula, because a lot of people forget that she is only 14 in ATLA, but always seems so mature and calculated. At this episode we see that deep down she is still only a child that misses her mom.

[@omednazari5573]

@@JoeMama099 yeah, what I also missed I bathe Video where Azula’s facial expressions for example at the campfire where she looked concerned at Ty Lee. Also I see the moment where the narrator says "smirk" as a smile, I think the audience just got conditioned by all the smirking in B2 that everything is a smirk from her, which I think is sad.

[@James_Wisniewski]

It's easy to forget or not realize in the first place because of the way she usually carries herself, but Azula is 14. She's a literal child, as much of as any of the protagonists. This episode puts that in starker relief than any other as we see the extent to which she's been denied the ability to be a kid. She simply can't relate at all to people her own age, and when she tries, it blows up in her face. She's probably the most tragic character in the series. Zuko is more sympathetic, but he at least got the chance to redeem himself. Azula is written off as irredeemable by pretty much everyone, and she internalizes that, as demonstrated in her speech at the campfire. She's honestly an example (and it pains me to say it) of both Iroh and Ursa's failures as they both abandoned her, leaving her to have only her human garbage can of a father for any kind of support. It's no wonder she turned out the way she did.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

The scene with Zuko and Azula in the old house is overlooked here. It's the only moment in the entire serie where Azula seems to really care for her brother, telling him to move on, to not be trapped in that place. The two there seem the survivors of a shipwreck. The shipwreck of their family. They coped differently with it, but it had been the same trauma that formed them. There we have a glimpse of what she could have been had she grew up in a different place.

[@shame2189]

I think their greatest anime trope was the recap episode, having their story told to them through someone else’s horribly mangled understanding of it makes it so much more fun to watch than just “oh yeah, I remember that happening”

[@astralman]

That's not even an anime trope, that's any long running animated series for children(and sometime non-animated) when they want save some money. I remember the original TMNT cartoon doing that. The short-lived Clerks animated series parodied it for an episode.

[@avafrav]

we got this, also subverted, with the ember island players

[@volt42re]

Then they did it again, to almost greater effect, in Season 4 of The Legend of Korra.

[@scottgrohs5940]

When Zuko returns to Ember Island as a member of The Gaang later in the season, it’s symbolic of his face turn and gaining a new family.

[@feliperoa5821]

He embraced the Dominic Toretto cult

[@noorbohamad5796]

@@feliperoa5821what?

[@squiddler7731]

6:27 I always thought that (tactically at least), she went for iroh cause she figured he was both the biggest threat and the one most likely to get in the way of her escaping

[@vailingbow1068]

I always loved how Ty Lee tried to defuse the situation and mention bad skin in front of Zuko and Zuko calling it out on her. Then proceeds my favorite moment in the show. The build up to "I'M ANGRY AT MYSELF!" onwards/

[@mangost2008]

the way he says "sparky sparky boom man" so seriously just broke me 💀

[@Madcat1331]

I am convinced the character is actually named Sparky Sparky Boom Man in the show

[@mangost2008]

@@Madcat1331 i mean i think thats the only name thats been said, but still its hilarious hearing him say it so seriously

[@smoovenorris]

The beach and the whole of book 3 are not filler episodes, it’s a common misconception that they are and that there’s no story progression in the book til the invasion but the whole point of the early season was trying to show what it’s like for the gang to live outside their comfort zone and that the fire nation isn’t as bad as their leaders Edit: I’d also like to say Azula was never betrayed, her friends liberated themselves from her

[@bryrusmi4001]

"You will be destroyed" "well this was fun" I don't know about anyone else but as a kid, on my first watch through, I think this was excellent for shadowing of her breakdown at the end. The first glimpse. After the beach I was not surprised by the way she ended up.

[@diansc7322]

in your first watch you thought that line was a great foreshadowing for what would happen in the end? said end that you hadn't seen?

[@bryrusmi4001]

@@diansc7322 ... ... ... You don't read a lot, do you? Foreshadowing is a common tool employed by authors and screen writers alike. Literary phrases like "a chill ran up my spin" and "I got goosebumps at the thought" are some of the most common.

[@thataintfalco7106]

I really love how Azula is always surrounded by people have learned to control their emotions(Tai Lee is always happy and charming, Mai is cold and emotionless) whilst she, whilst still able to not get scared in dangerous situations, is absolutely awful at controlling her anger

[@jayjaybulldog9180]

Ever since elementary, I’ve always told my friends that avatar is like mix between anime/cartoon into something as a western masterpiece.

[@Show4224]

I describe it as an anime story at an American pace.

[@jmgonzales7701]

Funny how the west made a better story with eastern lore.

[@Show4224]

@@jmgonzales7701 twice, have you seen the Kung-Fu Panda films?

[@cruizlee214]

This episode rings true to me because in highschool there was a night I was hanging out in a park all night with friends passing around a bottle. Ar some point we got angsty and emotional. It didn't feel good, but afterword the rest of the school year felt better.

[@Keram-io8hv]

Yeah, good times

[@kalinadesseaux8011]

Unlike most anime/anime style shows The beach episode in atla is just as pivatol as the solar eclipse, and just as emotional as tales of ba sing se It proves that atla writing is top tier

[@downsouth00]

I like how you even slightly felt bad for Azula in this episode. She does have some humanity, she’s just completely tried to erase it to become a sociopath to be the fire lord she’s supposed to be. But deep down part of her still wants to be a teenager who finds love but she’s so lost at this point she can’t even talk to a guy she likes without being a weirdo

[@michaelsong5555]

Given what happened to Azula, I really feel sad for her. I mean, she was never loved, by anyone, ever (as far as she can perceive). She said in this episode that her own mother thought she was a monster, and she casually admitted this. But near the end, that REALLY sank in on her. So much so that she lost her sanity. During the final fight, she would have put up a better fight, but because Azula lost her sanity by that point (her never being loved by anyone), she was much much weaker. And she was only 14 years old.

[@grahamdamberger7130]

I think Zuko was the older of the two siblings. In the comics Ursa was pregnant with him when Ozai came to take her away from her home village to live with him at the Fire Nation palace. This was because of a prophecy about the grandchildren of Fire Lord Sozin (Ozai) and Avatar Roku (Ursa) producing a very powerful bender (Azula). Yet despite this, the Lucky to be Born prince, aided by Katara, the Southern Water Tribe's last known water bender, came out on top against the Born Lucky prodigy. And I think The Beach was the beginning of her undoing. On a side note, nice to see something turn overused anime cliches in regards to beach episodes on their sides and do something different with them.

[@jazuqua]

Ursa couldn't have been pregnant when Ozai came to take her from her village. Since Zuko's father is really Ozai, and Zuko couldn't have been really conceived logically in that timeframe. If you mean Ikem, that was from a letter Ursa sent to test if Ozai was reading her mail.

[@stephylynnpatch]

Zuko is older, but Ursa wouldn't have been pregnant until after she married Ozai.

[@triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771]

I believe it's stated somewhere (I don't think in the show but canon material) that the firstborn child is the Crown Prince and heir automatically, which Zuko is.

[@XYZeNxghtmxre]

@@triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771 well we also just know their ages which is Zuko 16 and Azula 14

[@Aaa-dv3oi]

Yeah he was the older sibling

[@jonathonsteal3212]

Zuko is the older brother though

[@georgeprchal3924]

Yep.

[@falconeshield]

She always treated him like the little one though

[@jonathonsteal3212]

@@falconeshield Azula is condescending she will treat anyone like that once she sees the slightest peace of weakness

[@littlemisseevee2309]

I think also the scene where azula goes to get zuko says something about her, that she wasnt too far gone, that she actually on some level can care about someone other than herself, what other reason would she have to go to him in that situation, she actually in a way opened up to him too, like he might be the only one she can open up to without feeling weak

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

What the heck could the original beach designs been?! Ty Lee looks pretty much as far as i could imagine they would have pushed things anyway

[@Koroto]

Yeah, I guess they really tried pushing it a little too far if this is what we still got 😂

[@AUG_Glow]

Yeah Ty Lee made me fall in love in this episode

[@tiagghho]

I heard they wanted to push too far cause they knew the studio would push back to a middleground

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

@@tiagghho a common practice.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Using logic I'm guessing the original designs had the girls wearing what Ty Lee ended up wearing with Ty Lee being more "endowed" upstairs. Zuko probably had shorts above the knee.

[@odysseus9672]

Small correction: Zuko is the big brother, not Azula's little brother.

[@Artryom]

Wha?

[@S.E.C-Phoenix]

@@Artryom Zuko is in fact 2 years older

[@sofvpgn]

sister*

[@worldsstrongestgamer4033]

​@@sofvpgnZuko is the big sister?

[@syddney.]

@@worldsstrongestgamer4033yes

[@Caffin8tor]

For the subversion of "filler" tropes, take a look at shows like The Owl House or Amphibia. A lot of episodes there have little or no connection to the main story plot, but rather focus on worldbuilding and character development. This makes the main plot elements hit harder because you care more about the characters and the world they inhabit.

[@joshuagonzalez4183]

👍🏻

[@glimmerstantroop46321]

like this show, both of those shows rock

[@area52ron]

Azula is the younger sibling not Zuko And the reason Azula said “This place is depressing” because she knows that even though her and Zuko had some happy memories most of it was bad and Zuko had rose tinted glasses that he couldn’t recognize at the time so in order to help him Azula got him to leave as even she knows her father isn’t a great father towards Zuko hence her line “You can’t treat me like Zuko” as she only acted so blood thirsty is to avoid it which damages her social skills that isn’t about the war or fighting (Sorry for going overboard 😅)

[@hummel6364]

Avatar “The Beach” is the perfect example of a beach episode done right. I see pretty ladies, and get a bunch of simply amazing character development.

[@brax7152]

Tell me why I never realized that Azula and Vicky from Fairly Odd Parents are the same actor.

[@Koroto]

Nah, I'm in the same boat and I do not know how I never picked up on it. Only realized after listening to the Braving the Elements podcast with her 😅

[@brax7152]

@@Koroto I just watched a video with her. Her name is Grey DeLisle and she also did Wubbzy, Mandy from Billy and Mandy, Frankie from Fosters Home, Sam from Danny Phantom, and even Tootie from Fairly Odd Parents. Man, the more you know.

[@hessiankyojin]

The anger from Vicky has been restrained to make her a Firebender

[@OPGardevoir]

She's literally in like everything 😭

[@tahireed]

She is Catwoman in the Arkham video games as well.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

The scene with Zuko and Azula in the old house is overlooked here. It's the only moment in the entire serie where Azula seems to really care for her brother, telling him to move on, to not be trapped in that place. The two there seem the survivors of a shipwreck. The shipwreck of their family. They coped differently with it, but it had been the same trauma that formed them.

[@Londronable]

I don't think you took the Iroh thing correctly. The reason she targeted Iroh was because he got distracted. He noticed the presence of Toph. It made him look left. Remember, at this point he didn't know she was a part of Team Avatar, he had just met her earlier in the episode. Azula took the opportunity given. Striking Iroh was an opportunistic attack.

[@wambokodavid7109]

But what he mentioned is also plausible.hit iroh...zuko wilds out...team Avatar get distracted for a second coz she calculated she can't take em at once on the fly.god I love azula....I keep telling people she would kill korra

[@sS0O0L]

all the symbolism around Zuko's scar and how the show portrais it is just perfect. In every scene where he's thinking about his past or reflecting about his actions and his feelings we always have a shot at his left eye with the scar. At this scene in 17:07 it happends because he's confused, everyone is questioning him and he doesn't know how to answer. He's questioning himself and keeping all his doubts to himself until he bursts everything out. His scar symolizes all that, and i love the cinematography and philosophy behind that. Seeing his development during the show thinking about it this way really shows how much thought was put into it.

[@kelliewilliams9135]

I feel like she’s never targeted the weakest link. She goes for the strongest player and exploits their weaknesses to effectively take them down.

[@t_g_gamerftw5075]

Realistically, Iroh's the strongest player tactically, but the weakest link strategically. He is the only person really keeping their alliance together, and so long as he is taken out they will fall apart as a team. On a personal strength level though, so long as he remains standing Azula has very little chance of escaping. He is thus the biggest threat to her.

[@Adreitz7]

I think the story of Azula and Zuko demonstrates the dividing line between a villain and a hero (or maybe just an ordinary person). Both Zuko and Azula made mistakes growing up and experienced pain because of it. However, Zuko was willing to acknowledge that he was wrong when pushed far enough and made an effort to change and better himself. He (eventually, grudgingly) listened to correction and became a better person because of it. In contrast, Azula responded to her pain and mistakes (e.g. her cruelty to Zuko and the ducks while growing up) by doubling down and deflecting. To Azula, negative feedback from others indicated that THEY were wrong, not her. She allowed her resentment of everyone else to grow and paved the way toward seeing them as either pawns, means to meet her own ends; or obstacles to overcome on the way to those ends. Her moments of clarity in this episode are seemingly pushed back down and repressed by Azula herself, as she'd rather not see that version of reality. Teachability and willingness to grow keep us all from devolving into monsters.

[@ramflight]

10:55 - Zuko isn't the little brother, he's the first born, the elder child.

[@hamdialihassan1586]

I wish someone would analyze ”The firebending masters”. One of my favorite episodes and a master class in world building.

[@Koroto]

👀👀👀👀

[@Nanogerm]

Awesome video, the beach episode is my favorite. I think Azula also chose to strike Iroh because he momentarily lost focus. In that stand off, Iroh looked away at toph and was surprised to see the young blind girl he ran into on the road is also one of the avatars companions. The show doesn’t really show us if Azula really noticed this but I like to think she did and took advantage of the opening.

[@kaoryakasaka6835]

You about ice cream: it just blows up in his face Zuko and his infamous lightning attempt: like everything always does

[@azra2263]

😂😂😂 I said exactly that after the ice cream part emo zukois the funniest 😂

[@zanypsychout9141]

part of the differences between Zuko and Azula's ability to cope is that Zuko's banishment was also his salvation. he was forcibly given the chance to leave the incredibly toxic environment that they grew up in and also had an adult who was dedicated to helping him realize what was going on with his family and with himself. Azula was the child left behind in that mess and she didn't have anyone to help her learn how to cope with crisis without losing it

[@andrewrivera190]

I can’t stress enough how much that one shot of Azula’s face when Chan rejects her surprises me. Throughout the whole series she is controlling and can charm people with her words or threaten them. The one time she tried to be actually vulnerable to win someone’s approval the run away when they see who she is deep down. Yet that one look tells me she was actually hurt by that rejection. A part of her longs for acceptance. To her, power is what makes a personal acceptable, yet, with all her power she scares Chan away. Granted, even if it worked out with Chan, I don’t think he would have helped her become a better person, but it is still sad to see that she is looking for someone to accept her.

[@nicatina]

When the fire nation kids all shared their trauma together, it makes me wish I have friend groups like that to share with.

[@e_sd]

I wish more western producers looked at the success of avatar and did more similar style

[@yardslammer009kennedy2]

But that would require common sense which none of them have.

[@saucymongoose7246]

@@yardslammer009kennedy2 You realize anime is really cheap to produce compared to most cartoons. That's why there's so much of it.

[@yardslammer009kennedy2]

@@saucymongoose7246 That's a mute point considering that anime goes all across the age spectrum from kiddy to adult content. Anime studios that produce content for kids are usually given only small budgets to work with while studios that produce content for both teenage and young adult crowds tend to have substantially larger budgets to work with.

[@saucymongoose7246]

@@yardslammer009kennedy2 What is your point exactly? Age is unrelated to what I'm saying. In contrast to Japan, animation in America requires a major time and financial commitment. Even TV budget shows like SpongeBob still cost decently more to produce than the typical seasonal anime. There is a lot of anime because Japan frequently uses shortcuts in the animation process, putting more emphasis on art than on real animation. Because of this, anime often uses close-up shots of static characters, as well as occasionally stiff repetitive animations. They only truly animate during specific scenes, such as battles or dramatic or emotional moments. Japan uses these techniques to there advantage and is why they produce so much more anime.

[@joshwist556]

@@saucymongoose7246 They also use basically slave labor with how little animators are paid and how much they overwork them.

[@KingBobXVI]

6:00 - minor note on Azula targeting Iroh in that scene: she didn't target him for power reasons, or that he wouldn't hit back. She targeted him because while everyone else was intently focused on what she was doing, she noticed Iroh get distracted when he recognized Toph (who he'd met alone earlier in the episode).

[@aSUGAaddiction]

My favorite part is the doves flying behind Zuko when he gets up to play volleyball. I laughed so hard when I first see because if that isn't an anime trope, idk what is. No one ever talks about how on the nose that is.

[@azra2263]

Hahaha i love that the writers intentionally put stuff like that in to make fun of some anime doing over the top stuff like that 😁

[@Shythalia]

I think you're forgetting the part when Mai said that she gets everything she wants *as long as* she stays quiet or something like that.

[@jayvionclark4542]

Zuko is her older brother tho👀

[@Koroto]

Lmao I said younger brother didn't I - yeah you're right haha.

[@jayvionclark4542]

@@Koroto yea it happens lol

[@kafazyshorthop9909]

I'm glad I found this channel. You do amazing work, and it feels genuine unlike a lot of other channels with similar content. (Though people who cover Avatar content do feel genuine more often that not, I mean with other shows and media).

[@MatthewJamesKalasky]

3:43 "Like everything always does."

[@AJ_2318]

I’ve always loved how during the Last Agni Kai Azula and Zuko’s fire almost match the music as it gets louder. Almost making every other sound disappear. It really lets you hear the music and the emotion and gravity it has. ATLA does a great job at using music but also silence to enhance a scene.

[@rylymbona]

This is one of my favourite episodes of the series ever. Probably my third favourite with The Players of Ember Island being my number one favourite episode in the whole series.

[@rishabhanand4973]

My favorites are sozins comet, tales of ba sing se, appas lost days, and this one.

[@koenigkorczak]

10:57 "her little brother, who she always laughed at comes, out on top" ehm, Zuko is her older brother. but I can see why it wasn't the case in your mind since she has always presented as the more dominant and, frankly, talented of the two.

[@Senfree]

Is it weird that I thought Azula taking Zuko out of that house and saying it was depressing was actually one of her more "empathetic" moves?

[@thesysop4998]

The reason atla is so good is because the serious interactions seem like they genuinely could appear with normal people put into those circumstances

[@someguy4489]

When zuko yells "I MAD AT MYSELF!" I felt that. Love this episode!

[@harnoorbhullar987]

Zuko is actually the older siblings by 2 years. He is 16 but Azula is 14.

[@logankrecic496]

“Whoever is exalted will be humbled, who ever is humble will be exalted” perfect quote for Zuko and Azula

[@niloticnya]

i usually hate recap episodes because it’s just lazy writing for the premise filled with a ton of flashbacks. but my favorite episode in Avatar is probably is the Ember Island Players for many reasons that i wish you could make a video about. i also like it a lot more because the writers really showed that they could take a usually boring and pointless episode and make it extremely enjoyable. i knew that producers could do more. Avatar is the most amazing show with the best fandom, and i wish i could experience that again. the only other show that rose up to those standards so far is Attack on Titan in my opinion.

[@the_only_living_ghost]

Personally, I think it’s especially interesting that Azula thinks the beach house is depressing. Give some interesting insight into her character.

[@krakkenzomboid6341]

The more "fan service" aspect he brings up at the end were the writers and designers circumventing censorship by originally designed very revealing swimsuits for the girls do that when they got "tuned down" by the network they would be in outfits that the writers actually wanted.

[@issybella66]

I’ve gotta disagree about Mai not having any trauma and having a perfect childhood when she had a terrible childhood her parents showered her with gifts and neglected her and her mother never cared about how she felt she told to bottle how she felt and her mother cared her father’s political career and him being the governor more than she about her own daughter

[@CaptainKotetsu]

Zuko, Mei and Ty Lee aren’t villains; they’re just on the wrong side. Then there’s Azula lol.

[@kylienielsen6975]

Another example of why Azula is such a great character.

[@RachelRoseLynn]

"Filler" episodes are almost always my favorite episodes in every show

[@offcial_melanie_fan1362]

No but this episode is genuinely my favorite episode ever since I watched this. I loved how happy and bubbly it was then it turned depressing. The talk around the campfire is the best thing the writers could have done and it’s all well written. I swear k could talk about this episode for hours 😭

[@elliotmurphy534]

I want it to be known I skipped back at 1:15 purely to read the text properly and definitely for no other reason 🤣

[@STAXXX313]

She also saw the glance Iroh made when he realized Toph was with the Gaang.

[@hessiankyojin]

Then Attack On Titan took the Beach Scene trope to a whole new level.

[@bthsr7113]

And it all went downhill save the brief ski ramp of the attack on Marley.

[@deldarel]

A quick thing on Mai being a peace keeper: this also means fighting for peace. Her fight to keep the status quo from being irreparable (zuko dying in the boiling lake) is exactly what her kind of peacekeeper does.

[@bennruda11]

You left out how mei rages out at azula when azula explains mei being closed off...

[@Crispy_DAWG]

I recently watched the ATLA and I have to say that it’s one of the few shows that blends story and filler perfectly. And even if there was an entire filler episode, it was always entertaining or developed characters further. One of the best shows that I never payed attention to growing up.

[@danielasarmiento30]

I think Mai has a sob story too, though not as evident as Ty Lee's or Zuko's. She grew up as a prop. She's the "perfect" nobleman's daugher: well behaved, quiet, obedient. She was never given a choice in what to be, to develop a personality or tastes outside of what would be acceptable to what her parents wanted to present to the world. We could even guess that love is conditional to that persona too. She got everything she wanted in terms of objects, except a shot at a life for herself. She wants a "something" to give her life purpose or meaning outside of this hollow image, but she cannot step out of her role, and nothing in it can make her happy. So she's bored and tired and more than happy to put herself in any uncomfortable situation with Azula for the slightest bit of anything I related to her so much when I first saw this episode, I have the same "not really tragic" backstory as her, but I'm a middle class immigrant's daughter. And while Mei never thought of herself as tragic, I sure felt it, and felt seen as well.

[@realquadmoo]

I just love how well written avatar the last airbender is

[@ThevenimX]

I personally thought the “Who are you angry at?” Was paralleled with Iroh asking the Blue Spirit “Who are you? And what do you want?”

[@LosJoshh]

I actually really like how Avatar did fillers, most of them continued to show and develop the characters. I think this is how fillers should be done, time away from the main plot but still builds the characters and give the viewers a better understanding of the characters. The fact most medias use fillers just to buy time and see the characters go off on some random quest and has little meaning. Sometimes it’s alright and a breather but too much and they never hold anything and your viewers just want to skip the episode as they view it as meaningless. Avatar is one of the few shows I’ve watched where I’ll sit and watch every episode, fillers included bc i feel i’m still learning and seeing the characters grow. Hell half the time, i forget some episodes are filler and consider it part of the main story

[@Little-night-fox]

Fun fact about the "more fan servicey" comment. It was not actually intended as so. The character designe and animation crew knew that nicklodian would reject what ever swimming costumes they proposed, and since they didn't want the gangs to be walking arround in Victorian swim gear. They decided to propose some very miskey designs to be shut down, thus allowing them to give the gangs some bathing suits that actual teenagers would wear.

[@drtaverner]

Evil. Flashing a card on screen I have to backup to read that says: don't rewind, I can see you, you perv. Well played. 👏

[@toontales2479]

I like how they gave the villains purpose and personality. Not just being mindless bad guys that just want things for no reason

[@sainttan]

I'm glad they didn't fan service it too much, cause they look good enough, and made the fire pit much more impactful and serious.

[@Kaijugan]

I actually remember reading an Avatar fanfic recently that involved a pretty stock amnesia romance plot with Azula. And in one of the interactions between Azula and her love interest in that story had her recalling her botched attempts at flirting and how embarrassing it was for her to remember them. It was both funny and sad to read at the same time. Sad that she was that socially awkward.

[@ernest9868]

Yo can I get a link pls?

[@millieboon]

I think iroh was targeted by azula as he got slightly distracted by noticing toph so he became the leak link in that seance