On Writing: magic systems and storytelling [ Avatar TLA/LOK bending analysis ]

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[@HelloFutureMe]

Hey everyone - unfortunately, Sony claimed this video - I've had to write over the scenes from the show with that music, and the claim still has not been released. I'm working on it, and I'll update in the future. In the meantime, if you'd like to support the channel >>> www.patreon.com/hellofutureme Patreon is truly the best way to do so. ~ Tim

[@mritchie66]

Hello Future Me When's your review for RTTE Season 6 coming out

[@lukeskywalkerthe2nd773]

Hello Future Me Can you do a writing video on how to create good major and minor characters in you're world? That would be awesome!!! :)

[@endless_ocean7987]

Hello Future Me a video about how to successfully worldbuild without exposition dump would be nice

[@ecogreen123]

may i chose the 3rd option (death by sparky sparky boom man) i my have watched the show, but sounds like fun :3

[@Ringabel94]

Hello Future Me did you speed up your voice.

[@calebevans3690]

"It's not magic, it's waterbending" "yeah yeah, it's an ancient art unique to our culture blah blah blah"

[@Anonymous-yh4ol]

I found that line interesting because it reflects most people, the ignorant and lazy thinking of the world.

[@ardantop132na6]

@@Anonymous-yh4ol And also the clue about the world, ie; bending is a common things that almost everyone can do

[@nathanielklein5587]

Okay, "A Wizard Did It" is now my new favorite sarcastic comment concerning magic.

[@zaksharaz5105]

Followed by gandolf bobbing his head is epic

[@chrisguo3222]

Accompanies by a few seconds of Epic sax guy

[@pinkajou656]

@@chrisguo3222 DAAAA, DAADADADA DAA DAAAA, DAADADADA DAA DAAAA

[@theletterwynn]

"A woman? Not on my watch, unless I'm watching you make me a sandwich!" *A&W sandwich ad pops up*

[@alejandroojeda1572]

And the winner is... 3.send sparky-boom-boom Man after you

[@jacksul2087]

*sparky sparky boom man

[@fallfaith6590]

I'd prefer death by snoo - snoo

[@jorischroer5449]

IT'S COMBUSTION MAN!

[@thatdudekaden5880]

SPARKY SPARKY BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:takes a minute to breath :ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom Man!

[@Lokolopes7]

@@jorischroer5449 Well, that's not his name, but...

[@tomasvrabec1845]

Can we appreciate how skillfully Iroh drew i to ghat dirt with a long stick... Man that is so hard but be did it so smoothly!

[@TsulaAngenati2292]

Tom Vrabec well, he’s iroh, the best character

[@user-N20]

I actually tried to mimic what he did once and it came out extremely wobbly. It's really hard to draw in the dirt with precision if you hold the stick like he did and not like a pencil...

[@emeraldnightmare2027]

"I learned this technique from the Earth Benders."

[@boyden1987]

It's an anime..... bruh

[@guywhochangeshisprofilealo7163]

@@boyden1987 Technically it isn’t since Anime are, well, Asian animation. Even though Avatar is inspired by Anime it’s still made in America… or is it? Conclusion: Well yes, but actually no.

[@judas.isariot]

"A wizard did it" will be my new motto for everytime I read or write a bad scenario.

[@Jack-uc7zl]

Me seeing a show about wizard”did a wizard do it?”

[@sternis1]

Whenever Tenzin says something, I often imagine him going "...and get me pictures of Spiderman!" at the end.

[@redactedoktor]

Omni man, James Jonah Jameson, and Tenzin to me are all basically different shades of the same person. I can not separate them in my head for the life of me.

[@Anti-HyperLink]

I mean, Airbenders can bend from thin air, too! 😂😂😂 That’s implied already because obviously Airbenders can bend air from air.

[@becbanok8216]

Yea and that puppet master showed us she can bend water from the air

[@nottoday3817]

@@becbanok8216 Not really. Depending on how you twist 'thin air', she specifically implies she was not able to do that because the Fire Nation was pumping dry air to prevent them from bending the water out of the air. So you do not have 'thin air', but 'moist air'. Also, airbending is really cheeki, because you bend the air, you do not create the air.

[@teageamusic2033]

Yeah​ but​ theyre​ all​ technically dead​ except​ for​ aang, so​ cant​ bend​ from​ thin​ air​ if​ theyre​ dead

[@Doctor_C_Jack]

What I think is meant by conjuring the element from thin air is not requiring the element itself to already be present in order to bend it. For example; do you think an Airbender can bend when they are completely underwater (ignore the air in the lungs, they need that to breathe)? But yes, the terminology "from thin air" implies being from nothing rather than air, but I see your point as I thought the same thing lol.

[@deffdefying4803]

hmm yes this air is made out of air

[@JessieWard33]

Best way to reveal a characters backstory without being Exposition heavy and boring would be very interesting to me.

[@solomongilmore2069]

Jessie Ward i think the best way is, dont do it until the audience gets to the point where they're genuinely curious. Often i see back stories given too early, before i even care about the character.

[@tiagodarkpeasant]

like one piece, luffy apears from nowhere, them we discover about his hat and shanks, and just really later , Ace and why he was in a fucking barrel

[@pyrosianheir]

Just doing it in bits and bobs where it becomes relevant is a great way. It leaves some mystery about what they've got in their past, while making it clear that it's not something you're intentionally leaving unexplained. Unless you need the exposition dump, in which case it all comes down to how you set the dump up. A heartfelt story told by a campfire after the past came back to haunt them is easy, but also effective, since it sets the mood.

[@robertlarsen8953]

I guess the point would be to show clearly who that character is, as well as the themes and tones that surround them, as well as why they are important and then use exposition to explain their personality and associations with the story. For instance in avatar we see Aang who is this wonderful (seemingly) carefree kid, then we see how that is to a fault considering he is the avatar. Then later when other characters are questioning those behaviors or the plot demands growth from Aang we learn about his backstory.

[@dddmemaybe]

Same. This is a good one; idk how reasonably realistic it is to "solve" this problem on a theoretical scale but if you've got anything to help out that'd be cool. The only thing I can think of is to slowly reveal backstory throughout the story, but it's a fair way to do it.

[@OhMyGoshItsALeg]

My problem with Korra season 2 (which made me drop the series) was how the whole Raava the light spirit/Vaatu the dark spirit completely undermined the Taoist philosophical underpinnings of the original ATLA. I would've much preferred that the Avatar Spirit remained the singular world-spirit understanding humanity and protecting the natural and spiritual worlds through the Avatars, rather than a stupid Western-derived 'light good dark bad' dichotomy. It ends up being more Gnostic than Taoist and looks really clumsy and cliche.

[@isabelabarbara8958]

And it also doesn't make a lot of sense?? Because when Korra was separated from Raava how could she become that giant blue woman and shoot lazers at Unalaq who was actually fused with Vaatu in his most powerful form? And how could Jinora make Raava resurface again? The legend of Korra had a much more fragile structure than the last Airbender so it's not a surprise that the fans don't really like it

[@Aipe97]

Look, I know season 2 was a disaster, but could I possibly convince you to watch season 3? Season 3 of Korra was phenomenal, it plays with the things already established and twists them in really interesting ways without breaking the rules of the magic sistem (well it does bend them a bit in the beginning, but it's used to set up the main conflict of the season) You don't even have to watch season 4 if you don't feel like it, but please give season 3 a chance, it's as good as ATLA, probably even better in some parts (Season one of ATLA was good, but not yet amazing) It's such a real shame that the best part of Korra comes right after the worst part of Korra, meaning that people that dropped the show in season 2 never got to experience it.

[@RabbitShirak]

Aipe97 season 3 is probably the best the series has to offer. But, that beginning of the season where, as you said, the creators bend the rules always bothered me. Also partially because I had developed a head canon on how the spoiler society would change and adapt and how it would view who they could date and marry and so forth. But nope, none of that mattered after what they made in the beginning.

[@DanateDMC]

That is why I always just ignore LoK when thinking about avatar. They made it to Western.

[@Srioll]

Agreed. Aang was great. Korra just made the entire system silly imo.

[@nathanwagner5861]

Todoroki from My Hero Academia is a great example of how a character arc can affect the magic-system. Todoroki refuses to use his fire powers because he inherited those powers from his father, who he hates, pledging only to use his ice powers. Only after he learns to make his power his own does he use the fire powers, which mitigate the weaknesses of his ice powers.

[@benjaminthibieroz4155]

i didn't watch it but it sounds really nice.

[@phendan]

Small correction: Zuko's block regarding lightning was creating it, not redirecting it. DotBS was merely the first time he used the technique (since he hadn't been lightingbent at before). He never actually lightningbends himself during the show, which I took to mean that he still has yet to unlock his full potential as a firebender at its conclusion. That said, you delineated my problems with Korra S2 better than I've ever seen and your analysis of bending as a concept was incredibly interesting. Great job!

[@HelloFutureMe]

Hey Phendan! You're totally right, though personally, I've always felt that he would have failed to redirect lightning even if he tried before that moment. We never see him succeed before DotBS. To me, the thematic connection between lightning-bending (whatever its form) and that moment in his character arc was put there for a reason. That said, I totally understand that there isn't any canon to back me up there. And thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. ~ Tim

[@phendan]

That's a valid point. The poignancy of the scene where he pleads with the heavens on the mountaintop comes down to "Let me succeed at something for once or kill me", and he's not granted either. To me, that's why it's such an emotionally satisfying moment when he fights his father. He has figured out his priorities and achieved something for himself, and it's all expressed in one simple motion. Arh, I could talk about Avatar for days. And no problem!

[@auroraourania7161]

I wonder if we'll see him bend lightning in the comics at any point. He's still conflicted internally, at least in the two of the stories, but much less so than ever before. We do see him bend the rainbow fire that the dragons showed him and Aang, using it to immediately end a fight where he and his guards are severely outnumbered in a demonstration of raw power.

[@andreshouse4021]

I would say it's more likely that when zuko finally became firelord, that's when he finally overcame his inner turmoil and would be able to generate lightning

[@waderobert117]

Actually he redirects lightening during a storm almost immediately after learning the technique from his uncle.

[@shadenox8164]

One minor quibble, firebenders do have something they need to bend just like the other elements, heat. Look what happens to firebenders when they're cold, this is why Fire Nation prisons uses those coolers as a punishment and how P'li's frozen prison was able to keep her from breaking out despite her power.

[@silversamm]

I've recently really started wondering how firebending actually works, since they also use their feet for bending even when theyre wearing shoes, yet they dont burn them or anything. It does seem like they regroup and redirect their own body heat and the heat around them into a specific shape that seemingly emits from the body or something.

[@shadenox8164]

Yep, looks like it to me to, there's for sure a connection to heat though.

[@sglkh3r6f9h]

I would argue against that. their magic doesn't seen to have the right setup for that. take The Runelords series, with a similar elemental magic system. the fire guys redirect heat from one place to another. this means that as they create fire, another place nearby freezes (or the entire area starts to get colder). Something like this was never shown in Avatar, even when armies are using firebending. I would suggest that firebending is inhibited in colder/icyer areas because the heat generated is leached slightly by the atmosphere and the ice can melts to water and can absorb even more energy. the prison is also in a more remote place and those guarding have waterbending (an advantageous position over a firebender in an ice/water heavy area). this is further shown when zuko generates heat into his body to counteract the coolers in the fire nation prison. if he was redirecting the heat he should have no where to redirect it from. while redirecting heat is an ability that has been shown for high level firebenders, I don't think that your average firebender is capable of it. The system is somewhat soft, and icy prisons cover both bases, but I still think the evidence is rather against more so than for.

[@a-drewg1716]

Firebender would be better explained as energy bending (but ya know energy bending is another thing I guess) by this I mean is that it uses the energy one ones body to try generate the fire and is the reason the fire can only be used at the hands, feet, and breath (which only a select amount of people are really capable of doing to actually being useful in combat) and the reason would be simple as the person could take the energy from their body (and surroundings too I assume) and concentrate it at a focal point such as their hands or feet. This would in itself create a flame (well not really if anything it would create plasma if enough energy is concentrated in a area, but magic) and they can then manipulate it to say shoot it/fire it. This means that in a instance where the surrounding area lacks energy and their own body is very low on energy (in the case of being nearly frozen) you would not have enough to make a flame.

[@joaodiniz7333]

Honestly I always felt Firebending is just highly-specific air bending. Splitting oxygen atoms to generate not only fire but also lightining? Yeah that's air bending to me. Part of the reasons I don't really see bending as that hard of a magic system. Between more filler-y episodes and important episodes the limitations of bending do change a lot as well.

[@jeova0sanctus0unus]

you know, the more i learn about avatar, the more i realized how much this series was wasted on my younger self.

[@milenasarkowicz3080]

Go rewatch it then

[@Watch7maker]

I know this comment was months ago for you but I just said this to my friend just yesterday. He just saw the season as an adult and could appreciate the visuals, storytelling, world building, everything. I watched it when it was airing and I was like 15 so it was just a cool series at the time.

[@blazingbisharp736]

@@rhian6459 get into the action and humor at a young age and slowly have your eyes opened to it's complexity over time

[@rhuonaChanel]

@@rhian6459 Every age is perfect for ATLA. It has a comical, action, moral sequence for younger viewers. With spiritual and political undertones for older viewers with more real life knowledge to contemplate. I think that's what made it hard to beat.

[@gunslingergirl2579]

And how old were you when you finally realized it's basically just another Star Wars ripoff? I noticed so many borrowed elements from SEVERAL franchises last time I watched.

[@nickmalachai2227]

I will say, I love it when characters refuse to think of magic as "magic" to them. If it has hard rules and methodologies that are replicable, is it really deserving of the nebulous and scary title of "magic" in-universe?

[@Anonymous-yh4ol]

Or there's a misunderstanding of what magic is which is a system of itself. Not a broader concept that people like yourself want to force on other things. It's like calling Superman's powers magic. Yet within the same story he is also affected by magic like everyone else and is one of his weaknesses. That separation and acknowledgement of two separate different power systems makes more for depth and complexity, great writing. Not lazy writing by putting everything in the "magic" box of a title.

[@nickmalachai2227]

@@Anonymous-yh4ol both Avatar and Fullmetal Alchemist say that their systems of power (bending and Alchemy) aren't magic (Katara tells Sokka it isn't magic because it's bending, which is spiritual and a part of them, and Ed says it's not magic because it's understood and grounded in science and elemental knowledge) because they're not as nebulous and scary to the people using them. This is an in-universe thing that I liked, this is not me making some grand judgment of a term as broad-reaching as "magic." you can get off your soapbox. Although, yes, powers in superhero comics /specifically/ are literally just random bullshit with a thin veneer of "logic and science" wrapped over it, which I consider to be basically magic (science cannot explain how a genetic variation causes a dude to have eye portals that open to the Punch Dimension to shoot red Punching Things energy beams out of his head). The fact that Superman has an allergy to things called magic in-universe doesn't make his ability to just fly off into space with no outside application of force more scientific.

[@Genevieve1023]

@@nickmalachai2227 Genetic variation? You know Superman is an alien right?

[@nickmalachai2227]

@@Genevieve1023 the "punch vision" is a reference to Cyclops, the X-Man and mutant, whose powers do come from a quirk of genetics, supposedly. Also, Superman being an alien doesn't make it make more sense.

[@Genevieve1023]

@@nickmalachai2227 But all of those powers do have the hard rules you mentioned. Superman has the same powers, and they work the same way all the time. He can't wake up and suddenly start doing what Zatanna does.

[@KillerKyuubi]

11:15 are we gonna pretend like he didn't predict Dynamaxing in Pokemon's 8th gen

[@TsulaAngenati2292]

WolfKing7 XD what’s worse is that they have a purple/red light around them like the dark avatar

[@aaa1e2r3]

05:15 One thing I found rather clever about the decision by Paku, is that it was rather well foreshadowed by our experience with Sokka and the southern tribe. In the beginning Sokka also possessed similar sexist beliefs i.e. his behaviour with the Kiyoshi warriors, or really when he was training the toddler *boys* in the Southern Tribe. The writers established beforehand that this was an aspect of the Water Tribes' culture and beliefs system from the beginning.

[@dunfalach]

I actually hadn't fully noticed that connection, since we see Sokka change so early, but you're right, it was a foreshadowing.

[@elizabethlazo7024]

Do you know what the three movies he shows as examples just after are?

[@benjaminthibieroz4155]

True, but we know that women had been waterbending in the Southern tribes for the 3 generations at least. It's quite unclear if the northern and southern tribe are actually the same culture considering the distance separating them. If yes, then it was most likely a decision of pragmatism in desperate times when the southern tribes was heavily lacking the numbers against the fire nation. Had the northern tribes be more exposed to their military attacks, they would have probably follow the same course.

[@iroden5335]

Legit *just* found this channel and watched the other two parts of this trilogy, guess I came at the right time haha

[@gromigur]

yeah me too xD. It also explained to me why I hated a book I tried recently(cause the magic, while abundandend, did not affect anything in the world)

[@joshuatheus6671]

Same😂

[@klaytonkaunert6867]

Then go check out more videos of his because they're super cool and interesting

[@HelloFutureMe]

Welcome to the community, and I'm so happy I could help in some way. Best of luck with your stories! ~ Tim

[@G.R.Buchheister]

"you cannot bend it from thin air (unless you're a fire bender)" I mean... AIR bending? Anyone?

[@armaniac661]

I mean, they never showed it, but an airbender in a vacuum might not be able to conjure air...

[@lightningbolt2656]

@@armaniac661 same goes with fire, fire can't exist in a vacuum.

[@luzsantana3905]

@@lightningbolt2656 lmaooo😂💯 or water or earth (maybe earth tho)😂

[@lightningbolt2656]

@@luzsantana3905 water and earth can both exist in a vacuum, air tbh too. Thats how planets are formed.

[@shadycactus6146]

i always assumed airbenders control the surrounding air rather than creating their own, so they shouldn’t be able to bend in a vacuum, yeah. for firebenders i guess it depends on whether or not they need ambient oxygen to bend, or if it works more like rockets

[@Fliinii]

You're an amazingly clever person. Super interesting videos, and I completely aggree with everything you said. Especially at that part of the Legend of Korra I was like "Huh? Why did they do that? That's so cheap!" I like the Legend of Korra. But I LOVE The Last Airbender! It's so good. It's so much better at least in my opinion. And I'm not ashamed that I, a 25 year old, says that about a "kids-show". It's just excellently well written.

[@HelloFutureMe]

You are too kind. This comment meant a lot! So happy you enjoyed what I've made. ~ Tim

[@hadeskingoftheunderworld7010]

Love the show even if it is called a kids show it has excellent writing and amazing characters

[@cyburger7257]

A WIZARD DID IT (toot) get me every time I swear

[@zeonianking2983]

Cyburger cue the epic sax guy

[@a1024s]

That joke reference has really outlived it's usefulness and is just annoying by now. (though probably feels more like a callback if you DON'T watch all 3 episodes back-to-back)

[@DubTheFiend]

@@a1024s i watched all videos back to back and died laughing every time

[@abdullahpoyraz2838]

every time i see Zuko redirecting Ozai's lightning it gives me goosebumps

[@abdullahpoyraz2838]

knowing that Zuko would kill his father instantly and chooses not to (even Ozai is scared in the scene)

[@natahliazaring5291]

I think my biggest gripe about LoK S2 "A Wizard Did It!" was that they literally had the perfect way to explain all of it in-universe with harmonic convergence. All they had to do was mention that both Raava and Vaatu gained additional powers during harmonic convergence, establish that Jinora had a special connection with Raava, and then definitely say that astral projection/energy bending was able to do crazy shit because harmonic convergence was happening. Like, that's still handwavy, but it's MILES better than what they did, and it doesn't require re-writing any of the major plot points at all.

[@christophermoner6008]

"A woman, not on my watch. Unless I'm watching her make me a sandwich." HAHAHAHAHAHA

[@guibin]

Came for the writing vids, stayed for the nerdiness.

[@ajiththomas2465]

I suggest World Building and Exposition: Knowing When You Should Show and When You Should Tell. Also, another one you could do is Characters: Likable, Relatable, and Interesting. I'm sure you can figure out the categories I'm suggesting.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

The simple answer: unless it's a non-narrative work, like Utopia, where expositing your world-building is the whole point, play it close to the chest - reveal things as they become relevant to the narrative.

[@thetraveler7368]

“For those of you who have never watched Avatar I’m not sure which of these reactions I should have for you. 1. Pray for your poor, wretched soul? 2. Sacrifice you to the Gods? 3. Send Sparky-sparky-boom Man after you? 4. Death by Snoo-snoo” 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@jchinckley]

What about those of us that haven't seen all of it, yet have had the opportunity to do so?

[@renshartsuiker9629]

@@jchinckley 1. Pray for your poor, wretched soul

[@jchinckley]

@Super Greyflash Just so I know when to run, who is sparky spark boom man? Surely it's not Zuko?

[@Loki_K]

@@jchinckley better watch ATLA and find out. ;)

[@jchinckley]

@@Loki_K Good idea!

[@Ksorkrax]

"If your magic system relies you killing orphans..." - kind of done in Made in Abyss. Though I omitted the explicitely, as oprhans are more like a pragmatic choice.

[@Berotej]

Why did they make the Dark avatar a glowing giant? The whole point of the merging is that a spirit gets a physical body that can bend. They should have gone for a avatar state with only water bending vs all four elements fight. This would be a much more effective and badass way to show Korra's strength without Rava. Ripping Rava out of unavatu should also be possible since rava had already explained their conection

[@isabelabarbara8958]

What also doesn't make sense to me is how Vaatu can fuse with Unalaq in the first place. When first Avatar Wan fused with Raava it took him a long time mastering each element and it seemed it was very hard for him to handle Raava's spiritual energy and when they finally fused Raava was small and in her weakest form. Even then it was still very hard and Raava said his body could actually be destroyed. So how did Unalaq fused that easily? And I don't really remember the fight but while he mostly used water bending didn't he do some earth bending too? How could he have learned it so fast?? And why could Korra have a similar form when she was unfused? There are so many questions

[@karinawestmoreland8268]

@@isabelabarbara8958 He only used water bending. And, while them being together temporarily was very difficult for Avatar Wan and Raava, it was actually the power of Harmonic Convergence that allowed them to fuse permanently, so as long as Unalaq could stay alive long enough for them to touch the Harmonic Convergence, permanent fusion should be possible. It doesn't explain how Korra could get big blue mode, or even how Unavatu could get big dark giant mode, though.

[@Dalziel45]

@@isabelabarbara8958 Unalaq's body did get destroyed though

[@GamerGrovyle]

@@isabelabarbara8958 Wan and Rava were channeling several elements at once while Unalaq only used water bending. One is a lot more taxing on the body and do you expect Vaatu to give a flying fuck about the safety of his human host? Them fusing and Korra controlling her spirit to begin with is only something that was possible thanks to Harmonic Convergence. Something that they conveniently skip over in the video. Jinora even says in the next season that her Astral projection isn't as strong as it was during Harmonic Convergence.

[@HHLucifer666]

Hello future me: *shows Anakin Skywalker killing younglings* Me: NOOOOOOOOO!!! TOO SOON!!!

[@AlexAzureOtaku]

it's literally been 2 decades, karen!

[@raedbourwis9782]

A WIZARD DID IT *jazz music intensifies*

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

I think the Legend of Korra also messed up with lava bending. No build-up, no explanation, no character growth. It made what should be really cool feel cheap, random, and unearned.

[@HelloFutureMe]

There is definitely an argument for saying that. ~ Tim

[@oriondezagrats4228]

I'm not entirely sure that every new bending style needs to have a build-up to it. Now, if you were talking specifically about Bolin being able to perform it, then sure, its build-up could be argued to be inadequate, but it's not like there was none - from the moment the anti-avatar-team was introduced, you immediately had that parallel between Bolin and Lavadude WhosenameI'veforgotten. From there, you had Bolin's continuing failure with regards to metalbending, and his frustration from such growing. Perhaps him being able to pull it out of his butt at the last minute in a pinch might feel like weak writing in a vacuum, it also felt like a very Bolin thing to achieve. It signified the relief of growing character anxiety, and a new avenue for him to travel down. Now, how well it was executed, exactly, is another matter. I mean, personally I would have loved for lavabending to have an Iroh-tier explanation of the mechanics. But I don't think it needed one, not quite in the same way that Lightning Bending did. Do recall that we have in fact seen lava bending before, in ATLA. Twice, I believe, both with regards to Avatar Roku, so it was clearly not impossible, though i do admit to initially believing it to be a combination of both firebending and earthbending, like air and water with cloudbending during ATLA's fortune teller episode, but perhaps that's not the case as such.

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

Hey, thanks for the response Tim! Keep up the great work, I really like videos! We need more youtubers to cover great series like Avatar and How to Train Your Dragon. :-)

[@chhitizmaskey2591]

Yeah.

[@theherooffire007]

Everything that had anything to do with Bolin felt cheap, unearned and unnecessary imo. GOD I hated that character so much... Sorry for venting in your comment, lol.

[@elizabethreynoso4748]

It would be amazing if you could do a video on The Hero's Journey, explaining it, deconstructing it, and showing examples of stories that follow the structure and others that stray. Also, I would love to see you delve into Character-Driven stories v.s Plot-Driven stories. Great video, by the way!

[@davidmaxam1188]

THANOS

[@staytuned2L337]

I'm sorry, I'll never get tired of "A WIZARD DID IT *sax!*"

[@zally8183]

"4. Death by snoo-snoo" I feel special when I get references.

[@SangoProductions213]

I kinda feel bad for the Legend of Korra writers. It's as that PvZ 2 artist said, "If it's bad, it was always planned as just a game. If it was a hit, it was always planned as a trilogy." Legend of Korra clearly was meant to end on season 1, and they just had no idea of what to do for season 2.

[@alexanderbrady5486]

The thing is, LoK 2 does some really interesting things with the lore. From Tenzen getting lost to the backstory of the great turtles and the history of the Avatar, there are some interesting and honestly cool ideas. But I can't really enjoy it because the main story arc feels awkward and poorly-managed.

[@davidjewell1856]

Alexander Brady if by interesting you mean confusing, pointless, out of place, unnecessary, and annoying then yes

[@magnuskno]

I think that is a bit of a misreading. They knew what they wanted to do with S3+S4 obviously. The problem was that, due to only S1 being planned, they advanced Korra's character development too much and thus has to do a reboot in S2. That's why Korra comes off as so unsympathetic to many viewers in that season. As for the plot, while Unalaq was not a big hit with viewers, they managed to make a decent commentary about religious fanaticism. Yeah, the whole resolution was a bit lacking, with Jinora ex machina and giant Korra, but the season was not terrible in its totality.

[@alexanderbrady5486]

Korra's character reboot makes some sense, but the episodes I dislike the most are actually the first two. There is a clear dichotomy in place, and the simplest solution is for Korra to just make a decision (and the stakes start off quite low). In Season 1 she was established as "impulsive," but in season 2 she just can't make the decision and it is infuriating. I don't want to get too far off-topic, but that is probably the main reason why I think AtLA is still better than LoK overall. Despite being the protagonist, and having the kind of idyllic life Aang was supposed to have, most of LoK feels like Korra repeatedly failing to solve problems where much of AtLA is about Aang solving problems. It just makes the whole thing frustrating to watch.

[@magnuskno]

Well, I like LoK way more than AtLA, but that is because I think the themes are more mature. Yeah, AtLA easily wins on character development, but I'm an adult and I like more adult characters and stories. Also, on a more shallow level, LoK is the most beautiful western animated show I've ever seen (except when that other studio took over for a few episodes in S2). Anyway, I actually am blanking a bit about which decision you specifically are referring to in regards to the start of S2. The only thing which comes to mind is her decision to go with Unalaq to the north pole, instead of staying to train with Tenzin.

[@JinzoTK]

I have been trying to go write my story for the past few hours but I keep finding more of your videos (Hello Future Me's videos OBVIOUSLY) that pull me in. I guess tomorrow's another day.

[@rachelpayne7862]

As far as writing elements go, I'd like to hear your take on character development, plot and story structure, pacing, and determining how your character changes throughout the story.

[@Jollyjoky]

I recently found your channel and I love it! Regarding your comment on purple representing evil, I believe it may be part of the Asian influence. In Japan purple is usually the color of the evil caracthers in a story (Waluigi and Wario are the evil counterparts of Mario Brothers) and Rayman body which is purple was changed to blue when released in Asia.

[@leowurgaftmusic8957]

You should do a thing on world building! You could talk about like, Tolkien, and Avatar, it could be really cool! Plus, I love world building, but I don’t ant to get better at it! Now that I think about it, you could do another three parter with one on Narritive, one on Worldbuilding, and one on Character! Ooh! Please do that!

[@patriciaschonrock2929]

I'd just like to say that I love the Gandalf meme it makes me smile every time

[@qazzie5336]

“While I love atla and Korra with all of my heart, soul, and chakras” That’s an amazing quote

[@fierypickles4450]

Youre the best, Tim. 27 days left till book release.

[@danielfrey2407]

make a video about the opposite of the "redeemed rival" or so . Ho w you properly make a good "good" character an legitimatly "evil" character . PS: Thanks for those great writing videos :D

[@HelloFutureMe]

This one is actually on the the list! ~ Tim

[@JessieWard33]

At first I build them as a paragon and then keeps showing them facing challenges but using each one to break them down a little at a time until they finally believe that they and they alone have the right to decide right and wrong.

[@InquisitorThomas]

Daniel Frey I recommend checking out Overly Sarcastic Production, they did a video on Fallen Heroes.

[@mrschneider9891]

Arthas from Warcraft 3 or Lui Kang from Mortal Kombat, though I prefer the former. A character that is the paragon of virtue, with a minor hotheaded nature to him. He starts fighting against a villian who is always 2 steps ahead of him and is causing untold damage and deaths, so he starts making shortcuts that he can justify. These shortcuts increase in severity throughout the story, to the point where by time hes defeated his enemy, hes become the very thing he originally wanted to destroy.

[@QuibbleTrouble]

The hotheaded hero turning into a villain might be a little cliche at this point to be very interesting. It's been done too many times in popular stories.

[@jaybooker8962]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how to set up a fight scene and make it feel important and properly built up.

[@namespara6669]

"Social classes.." *shows tybalt and the order of whispers* Wait hold up

[@alvinhagerman8164]

"you cannot Bend out of air unless you're a firebender" Airbending: Am I a joke to you?

[@andrewanderson3016]

Airbenders manipulate the air. Fire benders bend their energy which turns into fire/lightning

[@alvinhagerman8164]

@@andrewanderson3016 Still, their bending comes from air doesn't it?

[@andrewanderson3016]

Grigori Rasputin Forebenders create fire. Airbenders do not create air. Firebenders manipulate their energy and when it leaves it becomes fire/lightning. Airbenders manipulate the air, they do not create air.

[@alvinhagerman8164]

@@andrewanderson3016 I never said they create it, I said they can bend out of air, which if you deny that I will be very concerned.

[@andrewanderson3016]

Grigori Rasputin uh ok

[@danielheffernan2038]

Reminder: To make a video about "Do Atla spirits reproduce????"

[@Bob-lr2xp]

There is a spirit called The Mother of Faces, whom is confirmed to be the mother of Koh, The Face Stealer. Perhaps spirits don't reproduce in the same manner as biological creatures do, but they apparently can sire children in some way.

[@jshwip]

No need to reproduce if their immortal in the spirit world.

[@kingnate8974]

TheronPheonix56 they're*

[@Not_Morgoth]

Such spirits could be like pantheistic entities, which "reproduce" by dividing themselves into "children" that are really just isolated facets of a greater being. You can think of it like an object casting a shadow, depending on the angle and orientation of an object and a light source, you can create a multitude of shapes that are seemingly very different from their originator, but still undeniably connected to it.

[@realdonaldtrump2735]

ATLA , man what a legendary and great show in all aspects, my favorite show ever

[@SWBGTOC]

Man I just discovered your channel and I love what I've seen yet. I love your topics, how you treat them, and what you teach me.

[@BarkingCur]

This is a great series of videos! You explore a lot of fascinating ideas about magic. Thank you for making this series, you provided a lot of food for thought!

[@lornepribbeno3760]

"It's magicky and it does magic things." I kinda hate you right now. 1) because you said it and 2) because I'm laughing a little bit.

[@o7k4vokb0ksp5n2]

Dude I watch a lot of screenplay writing videos on KZbin and the forum and yours are just - excellent. Top-notch writing, analysis, humor - everything. Will keep watching if you keep putting them out my friend.

[@striggstrix]

I remember finding this when I was just getting into writing. You've inspired me deeply, and I love every bit of this on writing series! All hail mishka

[@marcuswright7925]

Really, really enjoying your series on writing. It’s well written, edited, and tightly focused. Please continue on with this sub-project as you see fit, as I am sure I am not the only who is not only enjoying what your doing but gaining from it as well. Again, excellent work.

[@brandonstaker2066]

I LEGIT LOVE ANY OF YOUR VIDS RELATING TO ATLA PLEASEEEEEE DONT STOP!!!!

[@joelieastell244]

This has been an awesome series. Im looking forward to seeing more.

[@j.r.mythical1238]

Great mini series, my dude. Appreciated the content. Keep up the good work.

[@TheGraviox]

To clarify. She doesn’t bring Rava (spelling) back. She just shows Korra where the spirit is in Unalock (spelling). As all darkness contains some light.

[@tophfan]

Raava and Unalaq

[@HelloFutureMe]

Absolutely right! And they do set up the idea that Raava will be inside Vaatu very clearly. Just simplifying for non-Avatar viewers. ~ Tim

[@Eva-kl3fy]

Do a video on worldbuilding, and how you can create something new even though it seems like everything has already been explored before.

[@erindehler6960]

Hi, just wanna say thank you for this series. I never intended to write anything involving magic, but I had this really vivid dream a few days ago and I really want to write it into something, so these videos and Sanderson's Laws are really helping me figure it out. 😊

[@arcerr501]

DUDE THANK YOU I always knew that the thing I didn't like about season 2 was how I didn't really know what was going on and how random it was (I guess the unpredictability) but you putting it into words was AMAZING. Thank you it really helped me to understand.

[@jonnemesis11]

The giant spirit fish in ATLA S1 had the same problem, it came out of nowhere it pretty much gives the sense that the Avatar can do whatever the writers wants him to do. Same with the Lion Turtle in the series finale, to a lesser extent.

[@bnadit1949]

I think that the Book 1 Finale was justified. We know that the Avatar State is extremely powerful at that point by being shown it on three notable occasions. 1) When Aang is frozen for 100 years, this shows that it is very powerful and could keep him alive for that long, 2) At the Southern Air Temple Aang reverts to the Avatar State and ends up creating hurricane force winds over a huge area, something that we never see him (or any other airbender do) outside of the Avatar State, 3) When Roku takes control of Aang's body during the Solstice he melts the chains away from the gaang and Zuko without even burning them and then lavabends a massive amount of lava, leveling the temple. These all set up the finale when Aang bonds with the Ocean Spirit, which is also one of the oldest and most powerful spirits in existence. The first two scenes show us that the Avatar State is extremely powerful and can create or do things that are seemingly impossible and the last sets up that spirits can bond with the Avatar for a short time under certain circumstances. Being that the Moon was just killed and emotions are shown to influence bending and spirituality I'd say that the Ocean Spirit was in a very emotional, and thus powerful, state. Combine that with the fact that it is one of the most powerful spirits in the mortal or spirit world and it isn't a Duex Ex Machina. The rock in the Book 3 Finale though.....

[@obotchaman3160]

I think that the reason why it was justified is because it was a one time thing, like when is the moon spirit dying again so that the avatar can bond with its companion?

[@irrevenant3]

I'm with Bnadit. The Book 1 Finale was justified: We knew how much power Aang had and we knew he struggled to control it but that was something he was working on. So this felt like the culmination of that. Totally agree about the Lion Turtle though. That just came out of nowhere.

[@Thesaurus_Rex]

While the Lion Turtle was very out of the blue (and felt like a very "kid's show" way of dealing with the moral dilemma of taking an evil life capable of great harm), I think the Ocean Spirit bonding was justified. The Avatar state is indicated pretty distinctly to grant Aang a great deal of power at the cost of self control throughout the season, and spirits are indicated to have truly immense power. A being that appeared to be a relatively minor forest spirit earlier in the season, Xiao Bai, was able to destroy a village with ease and release vaporizing energy blasts from its mouth. So an agonized being that holds dominion over all the oceans combined with a conduit for spirits in their most powerful state becoming a powerful water fish doesn't feel like a god from a machine.

[@anadoesthings2999]

there are multiple things i would love for you to talk about, but the main 3 are: Harry Potter magic, Rick Riordan universe's magic, and writing structure. ALL HAIL MISHKA! RAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! *American Flag*

[@bvobertthebuffalo]

Love these writing videos! Creative writing is a major passion of mine (and my college major) and these vids give me inspiration to write more!

[@shimmyslug]

Very great series of videos! I'm developing a magic system myself, and these were extremely helpful and informative! You earned a sub!

[@kellerwhite9299]

Great video series, I loved it beginning to end! As a long time Brandon Sanderson and Avatar fan it was great to learn about what makes them so good! Something I'd love to see and seen few people tackle is the challenges in writing for a game developer. Specifically 1. "player agency" (Undertale would be a great choice for this as it almost always accounts for any action the player may take in it's writing) and 2. The silent protagonist vs the speaking protagonist vs the narrator (Transistor by Super Giant games would be an excellent choice for this as it incorporates the protagonists lack of speech into the story (unlike almost everything Nintendo where it's just accepted that, Mario, Samus, Ness, all pokemon trainers, Link, etc. Just don't talk... because (Love the games, but a lot of their stories can fall flat, and I think it may be due to this, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!)) Thanks for the videos and keep up the great content! :)

[@chozoman142]

Sanderson is an amazing author, im glad it was him that finished off the wheel of time when Jordan died. I would love to see a collaboration Sanderson and terry brooks writing a series together, sanderson is a very amazing technical writer as well as world builder where as brooks is an extremely complex writer reviled only by Robert Jordan or George R.R. Martin

[@amiragarcia3754]

Love your vids!! As a fantasy writer I love listening to others take on fantasy worlds, creatures, and other tropes. Helps me to keep an open mind to prevent me from reusing the same thing over and over. Your vid got me to take another look at the magic system in my own book and better fine tune it for my story.

[@user-bf4eq2fc8h]

been meaning to worldbuild for my ocs in a while and i just found you!! your videos have been helpful and easy to understand since atla is my childhood and fmab is an extreme favorite so thank you sm!!!

[@fionnaskyborn]

Great job, Tim! I really liked it, especially because of the fact that I, who is a total noob in Avatar world, understood every single thing, which is a wonderful aspect that I really like and appreciate! ALL HAIL MISHKA!!! Love you! 💖

[@heek8964]

DEATH BY LOO LOO FOR YOU!!!!

[@fionnaskyborn]

LOL A Skyborn ain't dying that easily 😎

[@tizzlerizzle9673]

Fionna Skyborn YOU HAVE TO WATCH ATLA AND LOK THROUGH!!! Well actually. Legend of Korea is kind of a dissiapointment. So actually.... just watch avatar the last air bender.

[@HelloFutureMe]

Hey Fiona! I have to say: this comment made me smile quite a bit, because I was struggling to keep it simple and accessible for non-Avatar viewers, so I'm happy you understood it all. In answer to your questions: most things you can bend extend from those elements (eg. blood/metal/sand/lava), but there are occasionally powers that simply align with spirituality (like astral projection). Energy bending is also a thing, but we know next to nothing about it, really. ~ Tim

[@fionnaskyborn]

Thank you, Tim! I'm really happy to see this reply, too! :D I hope to join this fandom as soon as possible, it looks really nice!

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

I'd like more videos on designing magic systems and analyzing various systems. Such as Vancian magic throughout the eras/editions.

[@bar0nv0nstrubel57]

I legit love these vids. I've been attempting go create my own story, nothing spectacular but certainly fantasy. Mostly for my own enjoyment but somewhat to see if I've got what it takes, and I've been struggling on how to work around the magic thing. These videos have provided loads of insight and given me lots of ideas.

[@ArtHollow]

Subscribed. Thank you for these very helpful videos! I look forward to more.

[@viyusavery248]

I always laugh when people say ninjitsu and even bending isn't magic, it goes to show people don't understand things on a fundamental level and this just proves that execution is all that's different, ninjas in naruto summon and chant but uses hand signs instead of conventional words, even attack on Titan is just another mecha anime just executed differently.

[@silverfangmoonhunter]

Viyus Avery Ninjas in naruto are seriously more like battlemages than anything resembling an actual ninja.

[@viyusavery248]

Silver Fang yup

[@atdg03]

Silver Fang No man, can't you see they are ninjas... With bright orange jumpsuits, and using attacks that can destroy whole city's. Yeah they are totally not traditional ninjas

[@chavamara]

8:24 Concerning 2. "You cannot conjure it from thing air", also if you are an airbending, in which case you are literally bending the thin air!

[@doct0rnic0]

This series on magic systems is fantastic - very interesting and really handy.

[@TheLichKng64]

Thank you for making such entertaining and informative videos, you had make me realized the little details I so desire for my story and for that I don’t I can’t than you enough !!!

[@Dahxelb]

Thank you for pointing on the one thing that probably frustrated me the most if all of Avatar, Last airbendender and Korra.

[@jonnyo9193]

Dahxelb he only goes after korra ya know...

[@jfbfvhfvbui]

I would love to see a video explaining time travel in fiction done both right and wrong.

[@FrostDrive]

Awesome videos on magic dude! It really helped me think more critically about my comic series.

[@LeBingeDoctor]

Your endeavours are rewarding. This is a great video, very helpful to write better fantasy. Thanks!

[@A1denPlay]

0:55 I've just finished it, so I guess I should be fine :D

[@RothRocks2000]

I don't have as much of a problem with big blue spirit Korra. It's pretty out of nowhere, but it's been established that energybending is a thing, and it makes enough sense that this could be done when spiritual powers are amplified by being in the Tree of Time and Harmonic Convergence currently happening (explaining why it was never seen again or prior). This is much like how firebenders had much more power during Sozin's comet. What I do have an issue with in that episode is Jinora somehow bringing Raava back. I mean, it was established that Raava can't be destroyed and will grow inside Vaatu, so somehow Jinora sped up the process of growth? It can again be explained somewhat by spiritual powers being amplified by Harmonic Convergence, but it still feels more random.

[@DrewKatsock9]

I really enjoyed this series. I was hoping you'd touch on the Magicians (mostly the book series, though i do love the show) and how they use magic. They use really hard magic and really soft magic, with no real middle ground. I'm really looking forward to your channel and future videos too.

[@monsterkingsolomon6829]

This is really helping with the story I'm trying to write your video's are helping get a better grasp on writing

[@jordanhamann9123]

I would love to see you cover the Dragon Prince's magic system!!

[@marianmeletlidiscrap]

Yeah. It's a good example of a magic system somewhere in between soft and hard. It also fits well in the story.

[@simplysavyyy]

Everytime I forget to do my homework I’m gonna be like “a wizard did it”

[@cardboardcreatur]

i'm writing an urban fantasy story and this video series really helped me with my magic system. so thank you! :)

[@illuminatitom4555]

Thanks to this video I now know of the Gandalf Sax guy meme. Life is complete.

[@DrewWutsit]

Liked just for the "A wizard did it" meme

[@brighty-go6nn]

Do a harry potter magic systems video

[@mazingdaddid]

I am working on a magic system for a game I'm developing, and have been trying to work out the details. This three part has given me some great ideas. Thank you.

[@felipestrugo5077]

I'd love a narrative structure vid. You've already helped a lot with "create your own world" kinda thing and the next problem one usually confronts is writing effectively. And thanks for everything! You've helped me establish lots of things that I believe are what I needed

[@ECL28E]

Zuko struggled creating lightning at all. He might have been able to redirect lightning, but Iroh knew better than to take that chance; hoping he'd never have to.

[@Jasonwolf1495]

Ok, writing topic idea: How to build a believable town/population group.

[@ryanfrieden2058]

Your videos make me look forward to running more homebrew RPGs with my friends more than usual. This is great stuff!

[@ivannruiz8080]

Woah this was an amazing analogy, Great video too 😄

[@blackbird2235]

Could you make a video on possible air bending variations!!!!

[@technic1285]

Black Bird 22 "Sound" They're ninjas, now

[@blackbird2235]

Nice one

[@silversamm]

I would love to explore more offensive instead of defensive air bending techniques, although they dont fit the air nomad ways. Such things as choking someone by removing the air they breath would really kick up the element's badass level... So far it doesnt seem to physically harm anybody unless you wind-smack them against a wall or something.