The Perfect Musical Symmetry of Avatar the Last Airbender

[@hauntedmushroomsasmr7716]

Zuko: “for the last time Uncle, I’m not playing the tsungi horn!” Zuko’s theme: *is a tsungi horn*

[@Isaac-vd4vz]

i mean it's like a take on the blue spirit's theme, symbolising his independence from the fire nation.

[@Movman82]

@@Isaac-vd4vz But the blue spirit theme is also a path that he starts down that Iroh wouldn't encourage, but support.

[@God_3712]

I read somewhere that he's actually a good player?

[@zedx50]

@@God_3712 Canon is that he's actually not just good, but actually a PRODIGY level Tsungi horn player, he just doesn't care for it since it doesn't help him fight. Another reason it's such a GREAT representation of his freedom as the Blue Spirit.

[@MrDrProfessorSir962]

@@zedx50 OMG 😭

[@justsomeannoyingredpanda]

"the fire nation gets a leitmotif, but the airbenders don't." Me: um, what airbenders?

[@silkyspider4239]

I feel like I got hit by a truck when I read that.

[@ms_it_is]

Is it leitmotif? Because it sounds exact like what we say in Germany to this kind of music pattern, but we write Leitmotiv with v

[@rubi6977]

Too soon 😢😂

[@Nickachuuuuu]

@@ms_it_is yeah, the German term is used internationally.

[@roelant8069]

@@ms_it_is Yes, it's a loanword from German because the concept is heavily associated with the German composer Wagner

[@TheGreaterDane]

“Everything that gives Team Avatar a problem gets its own leitmotif” *looks at momo*

[@pinkajou656]

LMTOOOO I DIED

[@MidgetMatty]

I mean technically he was a problem xD Sokka wanted to eat him and Aang wanted to keep him as a pet, sounds like some group turmoil to me XDD Oh and he also totally dragged Aang to Monk Gyatso's body which is a whole new and bigger problem

[@halinabruntrup997]

@@sicongli6594 HAHAHA I love that!! You’re a genius 😆😆😆

[@Vivigreeny25]

*Looks at Sokka*

[@thevikingbear2343]

Momo almost responsible for making Aang blow up like an atomic bomb buly taking him to see Gyatso with no prep time. I think he gave them a huge problem.

[@JaytheBee]

I love that some characters don't get their own leitmotif but Uncle Iroh gets several, including one for doing "relaxing and tea-related activities". Absolute legend

[@anthonythompson6053]

“Alexa, play ‘tea-related activities’ “

[@pabloaulestia6310]

I think there’s a reason for that, the characters that get their own leitmotif are the ones that usually act as comedic relief the most, Aang, Sokka, Momo and uncle Iroh, they are either funny carefree or straight up comic by nature like Momo, and their leitmotifs come whenever this part of their personality is highlighted in a scene, in contrast Katara Toph and Appa are more serious even though Toph is more funnier most of her jokes are more directed to the audience that the other characters so they don’t get that since those leitmotifs only sound when something funny happens

[@mrditto2032]

The "tea-related" theme is played at times other when Iroh is involved. We just noticed it in the "Toph's parents' tea and dinner" scene. Some themes are tied to activities rather than people, it's just that Iroh does more tea than most.

[@melisastone231]

banana

[@emilianogarcia9181]

@@pabloaulestia6310 ,,

[@GodlessLawman]

I wouldn’t say Iroh’s theme being connected to the earth nation is odd. The siege of Ba Sing Se defined his military career, that’s where he lost his son, that’s what changed his outlook on life and his time in Ba Sing Se brought him closer to Zuko and was a turning point in Zuko’s character arc which was heavily influenced by Iroh. Plus, Iroh later re-liberate’s Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation and settles there, going on to wear Earth Nation garb in the Spirit Realm in LOK. Makes sense to me that, at heart, Iroh is more Earth than Fire at heart and his theme subtly reflects that throughout the show.

[@OReily08080]

Ah that’s some good interpretation

[@kevinwells9751]

He also says that he was shown in a dream that he would one day conquer Ba Sing Se, and it was his journey from military leader to spiritual leader that brought that to reality, so having main themes that are Earth Kingdom and Spirit World related are on point

[@Jokkkkke]

That whole aspect of his character really plays into his philosophy: that all cultures have value and that we are not bound by where we are born. You can see that in the episode where he explains his lighting redirection technique, where he both explains that philosophy, as well as how he specifically has adopted a water bending technique - which is his signature move aside from his dragon breath technique

[@BW-xe2zk]

The Revolution + also why Iroh is so well-versed in folk song traditions from other nations, e.g. ‘ It’s a Long long way to Ba Sing Se’ 🎶 or Four Seasons, perhaps a folk song belonging from trans-nation alist tradition. I’ve yet to watch the four season exclusive analysis though..

[@Jokkkkke]

@@BW-xe2zk Great point! The four seasons analysis video doesn't talk about that so your point is entirely original 😁

[@loverboymadita7811]

"Zuko is everyone's favorite character" This is blatant Cabbage Merchant erasure

[@lindseysquire8417]

Zuko is my favorite character but at the same time YOU'RE NOT WRONG. Cabbage Merchant is the recurring legend we all need and love.

[@amplifi3dgaming608]

see, I never really got the whole cabbage man thing... like its funny, but the fact that he showed up in the ENTIRE SHOW only three or four times.... I don't get why he's SOO popular

[@loverboymadita7811]

@@lindseysquire8417 We all have our individual favorite characters, but we all collectively would kill for the Cabbage Merchant

[@frosted_glaceon5513]

Zuko is my favorite because he's a great redeemed villain. Peridot is my favorite in Steven Universe

[@forgemakesstuff2734]

The Cabbage Merchant will reign supreme

[@dviproductions3493]

I loved the moment when Zuko tried to firebend and almost nothing came out, and the music did a wimpy version of the firenation theme

[@takealilpill347]

True lol

[@dinowibisono99]

with fart sound effect

[@dacolib]

Or the scene in the serpents pass where they show the fake aangs and there is a joke of the avatar theme

[@lmea27]

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HEARD IT

[@j-j8984]

"Listen to what we get when Zuko cuts his hair." Not even a second later I got a Geico ad with bagpipes playing

[@InchonDM]

I damn near dropped my phone in frustration when it threw a Febreze ad at me about there. Whoever is choosing these ad breaks is sick.

[@j-j8984]

@@InchonDM ikr?

[@anthonythompson6053]

I got head-and-shoulders and almost fell out of my chair

[@dapperdabber13]

The Southern Water Tribe not having a leitmotif but the Northern Water Tribe having one actually makes sense-considering there WAS basically no Southern Water Tribe by the start of the series thanks to the Fire Nation having wiped out all of their culture and benders save for Katara. So it makes sense that once they get to the cultural hub of the tribes, then that would show through the music.

[@krystalkat3452]

don't forget the blood bender she was southern water tribe too but your point stands.

[@Vee_9001]

Is there a leitmotif for the warriors of the southern water tribe? It might be worth it to go back to episodes like Bato of the Water Tribe and the Southern Raiders and see if there is one.

[@AngieDeAguirre]

Exactly the same reason why there is no Air benders tribe leitmotif

[@nowhereman6019]

Also they show up in like 2 episodes minus the war fleet.

[@nerdkernels3398]

I wonder if they have one in the legend of korra since the southern tribe was rebuilt. Ill have to watch out for it. Cant wait for a korra analysis, its totally different to avatar's but still enjoyable

[@Angryoyster]

It’s all fun and games until leaves of the vine starts playing

[@susanaghostp679]

Yes T^T

[@darastarscream]

(cries)

[@sadeairbender1129]

I hope you do a video on Legend of Korra’s music. Love your videos.

[@LU-qr3kh]

I first read the comment normally then because I've only seen like one Avatar episode, didn't know what the song was. I read it again and sang the words "Leaves of the vine" in my head to see if I could remember how it goes, since I think I've heard it. I read/sang it to the beat and melody of Feliz Navidad.😂

[@nixian_zwaylus]

i mean, overused, but true.

[@realityisanillusion2312]

Iroh being connected to the Earth Kingdom through music is actually REALLY genius: he lost his child attacking the Earth Kingdom, he spent time hiding from the Fire Nation in the Earth Kingdom, and he helped liberate Ba Sing Se in the finale. Not to mention he is an INCREDIBLY GROUNDED character like most Earthbenders are.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

@Greasel Snatches OMG I'm an OG fan and didn't even think of this but he DOES lol

[@dapperdabber13]

@Greasel Snatches I didn't give much thought to this but considering everything especially his technique on lightening bending....yeah. Makes sense.

[@micp4130]

As the head of the white lotus Iroh is above borders and learns from the philosophies of all nations. But yes he does seem to have a greater connection to the Earth Kingdom - it was the place where he was destroyed (his military defeat and loss of his son) and the place where he was reborn (refugee from the fire nation and where he found peace). It's probably no coincidence that when we see him in the spirit world in legend of korra he is not in fire nation garb, but rather his clothes and hairstyle are that of the earth kingdom.

[@DanPurcell]

ALSO the same instrument for whenever Iroh does something peaceful (the Guzheng as mentioned around 10:46) is the same instrument used in Iroh's story in "Tales From Ba Sing Se" when he sings "Leaves From the Vine." It makes total sense storywise because the instrument is tied to both Iroh's character development prior to the show, as well as the city of Ba Sing Se. He's taken the tragedy he experienced when he laid siege to Ba Sing Se and has transformed it into something peaceful!

[@theorchdork9070]

EXACTLY!!

[@jaylocke2879]

My favorite musical gesture? Easy, it has to be: SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL!!!

[@failingeverything5793]

Secret tunnel reminds me of country roads

[@pinkajou656]

@@failingeverything5793 LMTO

[@paigeh1644]

THROUGH THE MOUNTAAAIIIINNNNN

[@cipollalord8066]

@@paigeh1644 SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNELLLLL!!!!!!!!!

[@theangrypotato1525]

YEAH

[@averagelurker1577]

I’m kinda surprised he didn’t go over the final Zuko vs. Azula theme. Best musical and choreographical part of the show imo

[@Tibovl]

There's plenty of videos that discuss the final agni kai.

[@jbyker5851]

We don't need to hear about something we have already heard.

[@edwardvandermeer7455]

@@jbyker5851 we might want to tho

[@zhaquiri]

But didn't they hire a 3rd party to make the music for the final 4 episodes because the creators wanted it to feel like "a movie"? They said so in Avatar Spirits, the documentary about the show. The music was great, but it wasn't part of the show's long-term identity.

[@lizbonosavestheday]

The agni kai brings me to tears

[@ziah8995]

He better talk about the Final Agni Kai theme or imma throw some hands. EDIT Imma throw some hands.

[@singenstattatmen5096]

Need some more hands to throw? I'll offer mine. That was so freaking powerful, made my heart drop.

[@ziah8995]

@@singenstattatmen5096 Hell yeah brother

[@mel-burnes]

let the man to write his 10k essay on why zuko and aang are canonically soulmates (for legal reasons, this is a joke, I don't even ship them myself)

[@redwitch95]

@@mel-burnes i genuinely thought he was gonna end the video with that instead of the yin-yang thing, i was thinking "i've been around since it aired but honestly you've convinced me on this one mate"

[@mel-burnes]

@@redwitch95 yes, exactly! like, it all was kinda leading up to that and he doesn't take the opportunity. how dare he.

[@jonpino]

"Until she turns into a fish. This show is wild." "That's rough buddy."

[@lexin8139]

"My first girlfriend turned into the moon"

[@almightyEsquilax]

@@lexin8139 that's rough, buddy.

[@batatanna]

Both my exes are now dating

[@microwave._.]

@@batatanna thats rough buddy

[@andrewdeleon559]

HE SAID THE FUNNY!!!!!!1!!!!!!

[@wildcatste]

The fact that there's still no official soundtrack album available for ATLA is a travesty.

[@rattyeely]

Yeah

[@phil8378]

I heard that the Track Team is working on a remastered album to release as of February this year 👀

[@emoshrek8902]

@@phil8378 but we're already past february

[@phil8378]

@@emoshrek8902 Like February is when it was announced

[@emoshrek8902]

@@phil8378 oh I see, that's pretty cool

[@zoinksscoob7020]

broke: Yue turns into the moon woke: Yue turns into a *fish*

[@smolboye1878]

That's rough, buddy

[@unblorbosyourshows9635]

ASCENDED: Yue turns into a pickle. Funniest shit I've ever seen

[@bobbywatson942]

Jeanette Cabrera you wot

[@Laydralae_Joy]

TFW you realize that Yue needed the moon spirit because she was suppose to be the next Avatar after Aang, but he was frozen in the ice so she never got the avatar spirit and needed the moon spirit to survive

[@MCjossic]

The Lady Laydralae Nice theory, but can I have a source? Is there any proof for or against this?

[@SpiffierShindigs]

I've always been super impressed by the fact that Azula's leitmotif can be reduced to a single note. *chord

[@thesixaddict5174]

*ding*

[@cat_bag_cat_bag]

@@thesixaddict5174 why am I able to hear it-

[@josephmarin8086]

I think it’s an interval - tritone - which is one of the more dissonant intervals in 12 tone equal temperament (western music’s widely adopted temperament). Adam Neely did a video about myths surrounding the tritone. It could be a good watch if you’re curious.

[@brendanharan4501]

It’s because she is so focused and precise

[@lisaa4446]

Triangle Intensifies

[@bo0mpalo0mpa66]

"You might even go so far to say that these two are like..Yin and... *Y-aang* " Me: Did he just-

[@pwilll]

I also just realized their names are A ang and Z uko literally opposite ends of the alphabet.

[@Tacticslion]

I grinned so wide the entire outro because of that. SO GOOD.

[@Monie71793]

🥰😂😂💀💀

[@DakkogiRauru23]

Me: Y’ang slick

[@Diamond1234]

Me: AAAAAAY~ Also Me: Yo he talking shit about Zuko's puns when he made an even worse pun-

[@marcoantunes1813]

Just an interesting observation: Aang dances with the blue dragon, probably representing his internal journey of freedom and love. Zuko dances with the red dragon, representing his external quest to attend to somebody else’s expectations. When they finish dancing on the top of that staircase, Zuko faces the blue dragon and Aang faces the red one. Pretty neat, huh?

[@icypear4717]

dang... this show just gets deeper and deeper

[@justapuffin7303]

It shows who they are in the beginning, when they’re dancing with dragons, then at the end they switch because it’s who they need to be.

[@clemenceguichard4582]

Oh and also !!! When Zuko faces Azula, his fire is red and her's blue, and when Aang removes the fire Lord's bending, his energy is blue and the fire lord's red ! The symetry is everywhere dammit, so cool ! Sorry for the english I'm french XD

[@marcoantunes1813]

@@clemenceguichard4582 yeah that makes a lot of sense, the visuals of this show are certainly amazing

[@marcoantunes1813]

@@clemenceguichard4582 (I’m Brazilian so my English isn’t perfect either ☺️)

[@waffle2434]

The reason the Air Nation and the Southern Water Tribe do not have a leitmotif actually cinematically makes sense because the Fire Nation basically whipped both of these groups out, which is why they do not have a leitmotif, because it showcases just how completely the Fire Nation destroyed the cultures associated with these groups. This is why we do not hear the Water Nation leitmotif until we get to the Northern Water Tribe, because that is the only place left were the culture of the Water Nation is still thriving. For the Air Nation, you could actually consider Aang's leitmotif the leitmotif for the Air Nation, because he the only Air Nomad left, and thus the only representation of that culture left in this world. The leitmotifs for nations in the show are not for the nations themselves, but for the cultures that are associated with those nations, this is also why (imo) Iroh's music is so different from the rest of the Fire Nation, because it is to showcase the contrast between the openness of Uncle Iroh accepting and learning from other cultures around the world, compared to the Fire Nation that is steeped in tradition and is against outside influence.

[@redmetric4084]

that said, i still do think they missed a perfect opportunity to represent the airnation with monk gyatso, a part of Aangs story is overcoming his grief after he found out that his entire nation has been annihilated. but the character that stands out is monk gyatso, everytime aang looked back to his past with the air nation we could see monk gyatso. it could have played a part in aangs theme as he didn't always know how to be an air nomad and the avatar at the same time and an air nation theme could have reflected how the fire nation had its theme and characters often represented that theme as in azula and zuko, the air nation could have had a similar theme that sounds opposite to the fire nation one but behaves the same, plays in its rawest form when aang does something that is pure air nomad as zuko did when he was still serving the fire nation, and gyatso could have an altered version of that theme just like azula. but it would sound calming and relaxing as opposed to the fire nation intimidating theme. edit : oh and this might be a stretch but it would have been amazing if the air nation had air instruments like the flute or something, it could have been the same as iroh's zungi horn and zuko with monk gyatso playing an air nomad instrument that was used in the air nation theme

[@sohandsomejack8994]

true 5head

[@fasdaVT]

The Earth Kingdom doesn't have a single leitmotif of its own because the Earth Kingdom is a large and diverse place made of many peoples .

[@AaronHenise]

Damn, couldn't have said it better! lol Seriously too true, also nice on the wording. ^-^

[@Midnightwolf1333]

I agree, when he said that Iroh is often represented by Chinese instruments I thought to myself that that was perfect. Iroh is deeply entrenched within the Earth nation culturally. He was the one that nearly conquered Ba Sing Se, and he eventually freed the city from the Fire Nation practically single handedly. He also decided to live the rest of his days there with his tea shop. I think it makes complete sense that he would thereby be represented with Chinese instruments, I would say he theme is foreshadowing.

[@bluecat3338]

“Okay, but listen to what we get when Zuko cuts his hair.” * USAA commercial plays * “I don’t remember that part”

[@harryeast95]

Clearly you've been watching bootleg copies.

[@kats938]

🤣🤣🤣

[@raisyahumaira5602]

Instead i got a soap ad that says: “tO bE bEauTifuL dOes nOt mEaN yOu nEeD tO bE tHe SaMe”

[@conorreedR2C]

Just got a Joe Biden ad at the same spot lol

[@dezzydream]

i got a toy ad for some sparkly troll things that come out of eggs

[@rorikaye3911]

"and they were narrative foils" "omg they were narrative foils"

[@abadabax6374]

THIS IS SERIOUSLY UNDERRATED

[@elliart7432]

best comment, lol

[@Tekfamily]

The thing I love about avatar is that even though I've *only* watched through it 3-4 times, I instantly know which episode I'm on due to the music at the start. I dont have to look at the title, dont have to remember what the last episode was. From the instant the music starts, I can sigh and say "damn it, not the great divide again"

[@heyitsjayjay2809]

It's always gotta be the Great Divide 😓😓

[@mmmirei]

Eh, let’s keep flying

[@nathanielreik6617]

Gotta admit that’s impressive. I can get a few just by music but generally I need the title.

[@alex.d09]

i’ve watched it 15-16 times

[@josebarrozo7620]

That damn banjo man…

[@lukedufner792]

When Zuko was crowned fire lord, a redeemed fire nation theme played it was so great. It only happened once in the show, which was fascinating to me

[@MangaMarjan]

I don't really remembered how it sounded but there's also a new (?) theme when we see Aang in his monk robes right before that. Always gives me the chills.

[@msk-qp6fn]

If we got another season we might have gotten more of it thoo

[@larryshipper8070]

I just went to check that and omg now I appreciate that scene so much more

[@tomatopotatu8137]

I'm sad that he did not talk about how amazing the song SECRET TUNNEL is

[@ahmedhisham6483]

yes

[@camilamontenegro811]

that masterpiece deserves a whole video

[@warriorcatskid003]

Two lovers Forbidden from one another

[@thedragonboy7914]

Audrey the cat nerd a war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart. Built a path to be together And uh I forget the next couple of line but then it goes SECRET TUNNEL SECRET TUNNEL THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNNNEEEEELLLLLLLL YEAH

[@xxyzxxyz690]

@@thedragonboy7914 hey, I just remembered the rest of that song ...and diiiiieeee

[@hughmilner7013]

"Everything that gives Team Avatar a problem gets its own recurring leitmotif in the show." Well that explains why Momo has one then.

[@et99366]

Don't disrespect my boy Momo like that

[@Godzeller3143]

I love how Sideways is fairly aware that telling the internet ATLA is really good is akin to telling people at a car show that cars can go fast

[@zukosilwal1441]

Zuko is everyone's favorite character. Uncle Iroh: am i a joke to you?

[@wherermytacos5903]

yeah but Z is still the fan favourite

[@coolfeet1]

@@wherermytacos5903 nah

[@redherring984]

@@coolfeet1 iroh may be popular but zuko comes out on top on all the polls

[@coolfeet1]

@@redherring984 I dont think the system works

[@embop1266]

katara is my favorite character. i HATE zuko lol

[@ImDemonAlchemist]

Fun Fact: Nicktoons often cut off the actual credits of the show, and just showed a little box of credits in the corner while it played a preview. So, the reappearance of the credits theme may have been lost on a lot of people.

[@Tacticslion]

Oh, that is *terrible*. Learning this actually managed to remove the smile his Yin and Y'aang joke had. :(

[@leirawhitehart1236]

Man, I always hated it when networks started doing that. It ruined a lot of good post credit content of so many shows...

[@Tacticslion]

@@leirawhitehart1236 It really did. Silly as it is, I stopped watching a lot of shows simply because it killed a lot of the fun.

[@leirawhitehart1236]

@@Tacticslion and it was even worse when they started cutting off shows that weren't even finished yet, like, what was up with that!? Let the episode finish before you go onto the next one! Geez! Are you in that much of a rush to get to the next show!? I really don't understand why they started doing that, but if I had to guess, it was probably something to do with corporate (as most sucky things in entertainment tend to be).

[@Tacticslion]

@@leirawhitehart1236 YUP (and how they marketed commercials to which, and how many shows they could brag about pushing all of which gave them hypothetically increased commercial revenue)

[@sociallyacceptablepi7449]

"Everyone's favorite character, Zuko" The Iroh fanbase: I'm sorry, what now

[@vay5540]

I mean you can kinda automatically assume everyone loves Uncle Iroh

[@ricks8_]

Uncle Iroh doesn't count, he's more than a character xD

[@ObaREX]

You know the Fandom has problems when they wanna make it a competition between Iroh and Zuko.

[@ObjectsInMotion]

*Laughs in Toph*

[@gokuss15]

Uncle Iroh is kind of like Obama, he’s so likable that everybody forgets about the war crimes he committed.

[@chelseal8448]

my little child brain years ago hearing that chant in the episode was blown away. like, all that time, the music we hear for firebending and the end credits was the music of the original firebending masters?? that moment felt magical

[@bumbabees]

shit, me this year was blown away. i recognized the music from the end credits and was just like "YOOOOO" that episodes one of my favorites from season 3, its just absolutely gorgeous.

[@SerratedNinja]

SIDEWAYS AND AVATAR LETS GOOOOOOOO

[@rishat3952]

Yay!!

[@JoelHenryMusic]

I THOUGHT THE SAME

[@fdtrillo]

Same here!!!

[@maxiapalucci2511]

Sameeeeeee

[@rbarajas86]

I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna cry! ... *tear of joy* one isn't crying. 😢🤣

[@TommyElijahCabelloReal]

“Master Pakku the Jerku” Lol I like this guy

[@maxstauder5035]

„Yin and Y-Aang“ LOL I line this guy too

[@jeanettecabrera9368]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Brazil

[@abbyfisher8079]

@@jeanettecabrera9368 what

[@julianxamo7835]

It's such a sin that this TV show never got an official soundtrack release, let's hope that the new live action one keeps the best themes

[@SnoopySenpai]

The soundtrack is readily available, just not officially released. You just need to become a pirate. Yarrr.

[@DeathKitta]

@@SnoopySenpai I didn't find all the tracks(

[@why3994]

wait... LIVE ACTION??

[@ShinziiArt]

I thought it wasn't live action :(

[@DeathKitta]

It's live action. And by Netflix. Their cartoons are awesomes but live actions? Remembering Death Note... imma scared(

[@henryclifford1247]

"Let's talk about everyone's favourite character" But you just spoke about Iroh... "Zuko" Oh yeah...

[@robertloop7847]

"Let's talk about everyone's favorite character's favorite character."

[@akish302]

@@robertloop7847 that’s so unbelievably accurate

[@laalratty]

Yep, exact same thought.

[@ontologicallyaxiomatic]

cabbages

[@100nodog]

Originality

[@beccag2758]

🥬

[@Marshmallow_Embers]

I somehow knew I'd find this comment down here.

[@tinytuzi8167]

Not my cabbages!!

[@itmedana]

so true

[@HalVerArt]

when he ended with the Sun Warrior/end theme I just..... Everything clicked and I started crying. Avatar the last Airbender is legit the best show I've ever seen

[@joydoe7938]

I love the end theme, I hated when the show would end as a kid but I loved the music, was so suspenseful.

[@aweckzs]

me the entire video: yeah hes just reiterating stuff most people know sideways: oh btw zuko's firebending theme is the same as the one for the shows conclusion *proceeds to flex on us with knowledge* me: WAIT WHAT

[@stockholmstyles]

that shit blew my mind

[@snakearekat2634]

That was so shocking honestly

[@martinasera825]

The 4 nations aren’t strictly modeled after one culture. It’s a mixture. That’s why you find Chinese references in fire nation culture for example.

[@sunshineshipping]

this, oh my god, i waas wondering why no one else has mentioned this.

[@chrisgarrett6305]

And Icelandic geography

[@brianmureverwi8085]

Yeah there's are a lot of SEA influences in the architecture and outfits.

[@yourresume373]

Yeah. The elements throughout the show (including music) are meant to serve the story, nothing more. They're inspired by real life cultures, not symbolic of them, as it's a work of fiction.

[@lemueldeinla1676]

the creators of the show specifically avoided referencing japanese culture too much in building the fire nation. associating japanese culture with the culture of the titular antagonists in the avatar world would provoke criticism that the show is biased against japanese. especially given the context that japan did launch a war in the past and committed war crimes against other people.

[@MCLegoboy]

Sideways a few months ago: Avatar's scoring sucks. Sideways now: But the REAL Avatar's scoring rocks.

[@noelpeterson8766]

Nice to see you here :P

[@duskydancing6409]

The realization that Iroh's relaxing tea theme plays when Zuko's making tea for Team Avatar hit me wayyy harder than it should've.

[@HighLow_Milo]

DuskyDancing saaaammmmmeeee

[@FaithOriginalisme]

I actually didn't consciously pay attention to much of the music in ATLA, but that is one I noticed... it's about the only thematic one I noticed

[@xXthetwiggXx]

Oh man the “I just bought this on blue ray and THEN Netflix released it” hit hard because I also had that happen 😂

[@Verebazs]

Trust me one day, you're going to grateful for having physical copies.

[@36inc]

physical blurays are good thing so when the show is taken outback old yeller style by streaming you will still have access to it

[@FosukeLordOfError]

I've owned the box set dvd's since the show wrapped up

[@SessVlogs]

Honestly, I own it on DVD, and I have access to it on Netflix.....but I still want the Blu Ray SO BAD!

[@joshmarten-brown7220]

thats rough buddy

[@kurtacus3581]

I think its also really cool that iroh teaches that firebending comes from the breath, and musically firebending is represented with like the only "vocal" performances of the soundtrack expressed through quick exhales

[@larryshipper8070]

Wow great observation 👏🔥

[@camdotcoms]

“master pakku the jerku” IVE BEEN MAKING THIS JOKE FOR 10 YEARS THANK YOU

[@bluejohnnyd]

Re: instruments not "matching" nations, this doesn't strike me as all that inconsistent. Thing is, none of the ATLA nations are based on *only* one real-world culture. Air Nomad culture draws heavily from Tibetan Buddhist traditions - but also from Hindu traditions, and their architecture resembles Chinese Shaolin pagodas; the Water Tribes draw heavily from Inuit and Native American culture, but their facepaints and ships are based more on Polynesian traditions, and the architecture of the Northern Tribe capital draws heavily from the canal systems in Venice; the Earth Kingdom incorporates a lot of Korean influence into its predominantly Chinese aesthetic, with significant and variable contributions from many other cultures across the vast and diverse empire (including Japan, Egypt, and temporal variation within Chinese culture - elements are pulled from Tang, Song, Ming and Qing era Chinese empires); and the Fire Nation is a hodgepodge of Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian influences set on a geography based largely on Iceland - as well as in-universe remnants of Sun Warrior culture, which itself is a hybrid of Cambodian and Mesoamerican influences. It seems to me that the creators of the show very consciously integrated elements from all over the real-life world into each of the four nations, avoiding any strict typing in favor of more vague and broad similarities. The lack of specific instrumental identification with each nation fits that pattern, IMO.

[@trequor]

Yeah it seems like buddy fell in love with that idea before thinking it through.

[@PeteLepley]

I always loved it - reminds me of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles where instruments from all over the world are blended to create entirely new cultural sounds

[@aarongreer7621]

See? This guy/gal gets it. It really isn't that hard.

[@vlogily8043]

Which is pretty much the point of the show, this is considered to be such a great show because it’s actually a metaphor for our world about not getting so caught up in our people or our nation at the expense of everyone else

[@dandanthedandan7558]

So what's the swamp water tribe thing from

[@houston-coley]

They play that Avatar's Love kalimba theme and I just curl up into a ball and feel warm and fuzzy feelings and cry. It's like the opposite of cringing.

[@DareToEntertain]

Lol I found out he uploaded this video from your tweet. KZbin didn’t notify me. Also that love theme kills me. It’s so perfect and the opposite of cringing is the perfect phrasing.

[@welcome2myhappyworld]

Serenity is the way I describe it.

[@katet2065]

Yo that analysis of Aang and Zuko's opposite journeys being reflected in the music was MINDBENDING. I am straight up blown away.

[@elizatoponce9375]

Yin and yaang. That’s a pun worthy of Sokka’s approval.

[@peytonwarren1936]

That zuko percussion part at the end made me say “holy shit” out loud

[@Angweenie]

It was so good I actually had a "holy shit" in my pants.

[@sumgirl720]

ya, mind BLOWN. I had not realized this and I've watched the whole show at least 5 solid times

[@spinningpeanut]

It kinda showed us why they were worthy to the Masters

[@sirmyself]

@@sumgirl720 same here, I've watched the show several times as well and just enjoyed it, never really putting thoughts in all the details and just experiencing the show as a whole. But when I heard that I was like "Yeah that makes so much sense". Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino had a story to tell and build a show on it. Unlike some other tv shows that are like "they need to create a show so they make up a story for it". So of course both would know where the story was going to end and they just prove it with these kinds of detail.

[@marioksoresalhillick299]

I think the "Four Seasons" song is redone for Sokka & Yue because the song is about love and how it passes on, like the seasons (if I am remembering correctly).

[@alisonwallace5619]

Not to mention, Yue becomes the Moon Spirit and is thus vital to the seasons as well.

[@duchi882]

Avatar The Last Airbender deserve all the praise it gets

[@isaacwright4910]

I mean, a lot of the first season was kinda not super super great. I love the show, though

[@janes8714]

IkeRite to be fair the gaang kind of had no clue what their plan was until the season 1 finale

[@sameerpervez1165]

No. It deserves MORE.

[@Deoxys911]

It would certainly be nice to see some other amazing American action-oriented animated series get more love akin to Avatar, though. Everything else feels niche by comparison online these days, which is a shame.

[@kwabzycomposer]

I just adore this show to death, ESPECIALLY the final 4 episodes are just *MWAH. MASTAPEECE.*

[@phoenixevahill]

Sideways: I'm sure everyone has their favorite scene that has their favorite little musical moment. Me: SECRET TUNNEL, SECRET TUNNEL!

[@Tacticslion]

As I commented elsewhere, I totally sing that to my kids all the time. They are less than amused. (I love it.)

[@ItsIntelligentDesign]

2:40 "So maybe Uncle Iroh is a secret earthbender" - Remember that Uncle Iroh spent years on campaign as a military general in the Earth Kingdom and laying siege to Ba Sing Se, and afterward his spiritual journey took him through all four nations' cultures. Plus he seems most in his element while he and Zuko are hiding in Ba Sing Se, so it makes total sense that his musical themes would reflect their instrumentation

[@JoseLuisGarcia9540]

Also I think that in The Legend of Korra he is wearing Earth nation clothes in the spiritual world

[@ratboygirl]

@@JoseLuisGarcia9540 he was basically reformed in ba sing se, it makes sense that he would don the garments of a humble tea shop owner rather than a fire nation general ♡

[@Bulhbluhbuy]

This is exactly what I was thinking! Iroh wasn’t a secret earthbender but he did have a deep connection to the earth kingdom and felt most at home there

[@mehmetalimesut170]

This is just what i was going to write

[@maks7355]

It wouldn't really make sense for Iroh to have a theme that "comes from" the fire nation bc he is arguably the most in touch character with every nation. He learned techniques from the other nations and his life changed when he was in Ba Sing Se so maybe his theme being a part of the Earth Kingdom makes more sense because though he was born in the Fire Nation, he was reborn in the Earth Kingdom. Ik it's cheesy but that's what this show is about is finding yourself

[@suzanelzawahry4763]

so we’re just not gonna talk about the fact that the first time we hear the entirety of Avatars love is at the end of the series finale when aang and katara kiss??

[@sweetenlemons8659]

Damn

[@RedBlitzen]

Didn't he mention something about how there are so many moments he's not going to talk about? Count the episodes in AtLA. There are quite a few musical moments in just one of these episodes and I don't think we're getting a 2-3 hour long KZbin video from Sideways any time soon. But thanks for mentioning this, I didn't notice and it's cool. (I also only just realized this 10 month old comment could have been a joke as I was typing this. Please don't yell at me like I almost(?) did to Suzan Elzawahry(?).)

[@nathanielreik6617]

That’s probably my favorite piece of music especially paired with that moment. It plays in my head a lot.

[@Ill-think-of-something-later]

Zuko is everyone's favorite character?!?!? Nah fam, you need to take a step back and realize that iroh is the real best boy

[@tainasiman2107]

he isnt though? he only became a decent person because he lost his son

[@wisdommanari6701]

Iroh is a mentor not a protagonists, but yes still a good character

[@TheRibottoStudios]

@@tainasiman2107 Ahhhhh hello newbie what's up. Nah he was a good man before that-remember he didn't kill the last two dragons when he very well could've. He lied to save them and their species. He was always good at the SOUL just complex. Runs in the family.

[@dapperdabber13]

@@tainasiman2107 see takes like this make me hate the revival of the fandom DID YOU EVEN WATCH THE SAME SHOW

[@BergsArt]

Zuko, Iroh and Toph have been fighting for the top spot of popularity for over a decade.

[@DakNJaxter]

*Iroh's flute music* "Clouds have two sides. A dark and a light. And between is a silver lining... it's like a silver sandwich."

[@NorthernDruid]

Of minor note: The part of the opening theme that's used in the series as the "heroes doing all heroic things" theme starts right when Katara exclaims her faith in Aang as a hero.

[@MaggieGraceWebb]

or you could say that's of a MAJOR note! i'm sorry, couldn't help myself

[@Deadshadow1405]

The fact that after this many years people still find new details in the show that show just how well it's made is insane

[@wolfishpotato6978]

Right? It's amazing, this is exactly why atla will forever be my favorite show of all time and I can't wait to have kids literally just so that I can raise them on avatar XD

[@Leo0718]

Won't you analyze the masterpiece that is “Secret tunnel, trough the mountain: or a tale of two lovers.”

[@allnaturalfigjam310]

I can't remember how the next bit goes but... AND DIIIIIIEEEEE

[@wheeinsdimple926]

@@allnaturalfigjam310 SECRET TUNNELLLL, SECRET TUNNELLL

[@allnaturalfigjam310]

@@wheeinsdimple926 It's a goddamn masterpiece

[@Xbsnsiisywgwbwkapapaiuw888]

IN THE MOUNTAIN SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL YEAH

[@ariyuril]

"Both of these characters have traveled to equal and opposite jouneys to find each other." That's very romantic, not gonna lie.

[@yvrelna]

If by "romantic" you meant pause at 17:02, then yeah...

[@maks7355]

@@yvrelna NO

[@lost7149]

@@maks7355 Y E S

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

@@lost7149 *M A Y B E*

[@lost7149]

@@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750 _P_ _E_ _R_ _H_ _A_ _P_ _S_

[@helpsnag3903]

"these two are almost like Ying and Y-Ang" Was so unfunny that it cracked me up lmao

[@mitchelle.3559]

One of the best songs in AtLA? Leaves From the Vine 🥺 it's not that it's technically perfect, or classical in any way; because it certainly isn't. It's raw emotion; an expression of loss, and boundless grief. It wouldn't win any awards; not even a hometown competition. But it serves its purpose in spades, and is so emotionally evoking. Definitely my personal favourite piece of music from AtLA. It still brings tears to my eyes when I hear it, all these years later. 🥺

[@Arkantolas]

sometimes when people are watching it around me i have to leave the room otherwise i WILL cry. when i need to cry on command that's what i go to to get those tears flowing.

[@remusteahan3521]

It's such an emotional scene in the show but then coupled with the fact that it's the voice actors final goodbye as he died and in turn a final goodbye to the VA as he knew he would pass soon is just. It was one thing when I just knew the show context but gods when you add in the context that yer man is crying because he knows he's dying is just,,,, ow

[@larryshipper8070]

Same 😢❤

[@anonymousfellow8879]

Four Seasons is essentially a love ballad-simple enough for amateur musicians like Iroh’s crew to plunk out to blow off some steam, but its original meaning as a LOVE Song is highlighted by it being Sokka/Yue’s Theme-especially since Iroh sang the lyrics for us (and has been shown to be a romantic in simple pleasures and life’s “seasons” as well as literally a romantic with his flirtations with various women and encouragement of Zuko on his Ba Sing Se date) Which...what is most associated with seasons is...the Moon. The Moon and its phases marks the passage of time as well as influences the Earth’s tilt to even HAVE seasons at all. So, this use of a reused song always made sense to me. (Unlike the mismatched cultural instruments...although I like the music aesthetically it’s still snarly culturally)

[@sakareeh]

I love that idea

[@TenisJr]

Just one correction: there are 3 things responsible for the seasons: 1. The Earth's tilt 2. The Earth translation around the Sun 3. Earth's slightly eliptic orbit The seasons are defined by each hemisphere proximity to the Sun. The moon doesn't play no part in the changing of the seasons.

[@Mahongler]

Music in a fictional world doesn’t have to exactly conform to one culture. That’s the political left version of “but it’s not historically accurate to have black people in D&D”. It’s nonsense.

[@racquelslushy1168]

I mean the mismatched instruments make sense when you really take a look at the cultures each nation takes from. Each nation isn't exactly a replication of one single culture. For example the fire nation takes elements from japan, china, and indonesia. Its not really clean cut in any aspect, and thats reflected in the music as well.

[@bulletproofwhale5869]

Honestly, the reveal that the ending percussion turned out to be Sun Warrior Trial theme... that blew my mind as a kid.

[@Punz18]

Pros: Sideways is now a fan of avatar and his favorite episode is my favorite episode. Cons: He didn't mention anything about "leaves from the vine", although the effect is the same exact one that happens in UP resulting in everyone who has a soul becoming sad and crying. Sideways has discussed this when he analyzed why Pixar movies make you cry. Edit: also the last agni kai not being talked about. Easily best scene musically in the finale.

[@DS-lr8kj]

Not talking about Last Agni Kai is almost like borderline blasphemous :((

[@MR-ek6yk]

I was really hoping he would cover the last Agni Kai. For all that I laughed and cried in the episodes leading up to it, the battle between Zuko and Azula had me absolutely entranced. Like, I didn't even want to breathe. Simply one of the best final fights of any show ever.

[@ShamelessLainLover]

I think this analysis was more focused on the shows main theme and purpose, expressing (in this case musical) the dichotomy between Zuko and Aang. I'm sure if you all request enough he'll cover more of it in another video.

[@am3iq.464]

Iroh singing 4 seasons just makes sense to me. It adds to the world building. It's a widely known love song in the Avatar universe, and then is used in another place at another time to show the love between two people. He happens to know it and sing it. Not really surprising.

[@rensburggraaf595]

Dont you just hate it when your girlfriend TURNS INTO A FISH TURNING INTO THE MOON

[@whisperingbardasmr6569]

Rens Burggraaf that’s rough buddy

[@matt98785]

Juancho Baclagon that is rough buddy

[@idunoh1902]

*ITS THE QUENCHIEST.*

[@groofay]

Sideways: "Everyone's favorite character," Me: "Oh cool he's gonna talk about Uncle I-" Sideways: "Zuko" Me:

[@uselesscamel5360]

Lol he could’ve said almost any character and I probably wouldn’t question it

[@henryzelman4541]

UselessCamel Mai

[@daliaweinstein3802]

This

[@FaithOriginalisme]

“Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame.”

[@siddiqsmouse5004]

Me: 👁👄👁

[@Flumpfy]

"Hey babe, the leitmotif guy did an Avatar video" "Ooh put it on!"

[@CreoTan]

The biggest misconception is “each of the four nations is perfectly analogous to a real culture”-that’s just not true. Yes, certain groups take more inspiration from certain cultures, but the entire world is created as a blend of inspirations and cultures. Trying to strictly associate certain real life cultural themes to the ATLA nations-like Japanese music = fire nation-will always be futile, because the fictional world isn’t structured that way. The music is written for the entire aesthetics of the show, not based on the real world connections of the instrument/musical style. Xiran Jay Zhao has a fantastic series going over the cultural inspirations of ATLA

[@graceyang9022]

The kalimba in “The Avatar’s Love” will never not make me cry from nostalgia

[@fianiramadhania4793]

The other possible reason why the dragon scene music is so satisfying to hear is because we have been hearing it for so long in every episodes before (unless ofc youre the shame shame people who skips the beautiful credit music) that when it plays in the middle of the episode we're all like "Hey! I know this music!" The familiarity mixed with the intensity the scene brings is a good recipe for a dope ass music they got there

[@mikerodrigues9822]

Still nothing near as All Along the Watchtower in Battlestar Galactica, but a good feeling.

[@KEKrato]

"I'm getting too old to be relatable" is THE most relatable thing hon

[@khazz33]

What I've learned from you: successful movies and tv shows use leitmotifs (and they have them in mind way ahead of time), because whether the audience realizes it or not, the subconscious definitely picks up on the added emotional emphasis.

[@Emily-lb7rf]

I feel like Iroh being represented by the Chinese instrument foreshadows/highlights his connection with Ba Sing Se

[@spiksplinter]

to this day, whenever i hear a kalimba i get teary eyed because of this show

[@samuraibobafett1118]

I do as well

[@emesegyori4352]

You just tearbend, my friend🙏

[@liesl5313]

Sideways: Look what happens when Zuko cuts his hair Reese's peanut butter ad: Are you- Are you drooling?

[@gremlinshipperontheloose2488]

Yes

[@airyfairyheart2091]

yes we are

[@dezzydream]

accurate

[@jewelssmith5715]

I literally said “whoa” out loud and had goosebumps when he showed his final point. So awesome.

[@johndalenino]

musical symmetry: Azula's iconic ding sound: ding~

[@coolfeet1]

Anytime Azula is on screen, I will say there it was!! The ding! Did you hear it?! And my brother will roll his eyes again

[@MattAsherMusic]

That “ding” motif is actually a tritone as well - the perfectly symmetrical music interval that divides the octave in half.

[@coolfeet1]

@@MattAsherMusic Huh. The more you know.

[@danieneit6830]

@@MattAsherMusic Perfect, just like Azula. Or at least how she believes herself to be.

[@jochar3216]

I think it’s time you breakdown “The Prince of Egypt” I think I’d would be really interesting

[@marig9236]

that movie was #1 for YRS until shrek came in

[@blahthebiste7924]

@@marig9236 someBODY--

[@swo2376]

Fun fact, a song in that show ripped off the opening notes to a Chinese song called Dance of the Yao People

[@blahthebiste7924]

@@swo2376 It's a movie, not a show

[@maks7355]

@@swo2376 I'm listening to that song right now and the resemblance to When You Believe is astounding. Do you know if it was purposeful or just a coincidence?

[@vanchella1]

Hello, a music academic here! I actually presented on Zuko's leitmotifs last year at a conference and it went over really well. I essentially made the same argument that you touch on here: that the leitmotifs change and dissolve as the series goes on. Fire Nation fragments as Zuko grows into his "good" side, and vice versa (Blue Spirit fragments when he falls back into "bad" side). I would love to keep working with the music from this show, so I'd like to request to cite your video in future projects.

[@powerofanime1]

Iroh: "This is just hot leaf juice!" Zuko: "That's what tea is, Uncle." Iroh: "How could my own nephew be so cruel?"

[@buggymah]

It goes like this: *Iroh*: This tea is nothing more than Hot leaf juice! *Zuko*: uncle, that’s what all tea is. *Iroh*: how could a member of my own family say something so horrible.

[@powerofanime1]

@@buggymah Thank you.

[@buggymah]

No problem

[@redsea866]

Oh the "Iroh"ny

[@sam-the-moomin]

I saw this post a long time ago that showed a scene when Zuko and Aang were fighting (I believe it’s the scene with the nuns who make perfume) and they both went to attack and were in exactly mirrored poses before they striked. So this means that the creative team made them Yin and Yang physically in their movements (Aang attacks defensively while Zuko attacks offensively), their character motivations (they are perfect foils for each other), their color schemes, and their personalities. And not only that, but they made them Yin and Yang in their music identities as well. That absolutely blows my mind and I can’t believe 12 years later I’m learning new things about this show. Amazing work as always my dude keep it up

[@ratboygirl]

wow that's incredible! thank you for sharing

[@angeldelgado6299]

You mean, THIS scene: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3WwmpePaMmhsM0

[@sam-the-moomin]

ANGEL DELGADO Yes!!! Exactly!

[@dracocrusher]

Oh yeah, absolutely, if you watch Aang fight with Airbending he's not a direct fighter. He's agile, right? He's all over the place, avoiding the enemy's moves, getting around them and trying to hit them from odd angles, it's a very defensive fighting style where he's constantly running away and trying to avoid the threats, which fits really well with his character while also paralleling his journey of having to stop running away and having to actually face his problems and act decisively. And both Waterbending and Earthbending act as intermediates to that goal with Waterbending being more stationary but still really fluid and passive and Earthbending being all about standing your ground and physically intercepting your opponent's strikes. This might be obvious to some people, but the fighting styles themselves are representative of Aang's arc as a character. Which is why Waterbending comes super easily to him while when he first tries Firebending he just doesn't know what to do and things go out of control. Aang isn't ready to be aggressive yet, he first has to learn control and restraint, which he can only gain through the more precise movements of Waterbending and the hardened discipline and resolve of Earthbending. He has to be willing to actually control his actions and see their outcomes through or Firebending doesn't work.... And then we get the episode with the Firebending masters where Zuko is conflicted over his own resolve and faces the exact same problem, just in the other direction. He needs to fully re-evaluate what he's after to be able to act decisively or it simply doesn't work.

[@ratboygirl]

@@dracocrusher beautifully put!! ♡

[@twinone9121]

Zuko's musical reveal at the end was mind blowing...

[@w.a.pweaponizedassaultpeng7141]

“ but listen to what we get when zoko cuts his hair “ a grub hub add

[@golden.fire.princess9653]

Queue the dancing party

[@phor8567]

My personal favorite leitmotif is Suki’s. If you listen very closely there is a specific melody that plays every single time she appears. When it’s a smaller accomplishment like when she reveals herself to Sokka in the Serpent’s pass, it’s just the melody plus a few other notes that plays. But when he first sees her in the boiling rock after being worried about her ever since Azula revealed to him the she threw her in jail, the music flushes and there is a LOT of ornamentation but you can still hear that melody through it all. I personally think this is to resemble the emotions that Sokka feels whenever he sees her. When he saw her in the Serpent’s pass he was pleasantly delighted, and when he saw her in the boiling rock he was overjoyed.

[@FwendlyMushwoom]

The Fire Nation is actually not based on Japan. In terms of clothing, architecture, and culture, It's a combination of Tang Dynasty China, Thailand, and Vedic India. And the Earth Kingdom isn't just "China", it's specifically combination of Qing Dynasty China and Korea. Of course, the political situation of an industrialized militaristic island nation invading the mainland is similar to Japan IRL, the actual culture of the Fire Nation is not Japanese. One of the ground rules the creators made when they were building the Avatar world was "no Japan." Or rather, none of the 4 nations would be Japanese. There is actually one place/people in the original series based on Japan: Kyoshi Island and the Kyoshi Warriors. But that's it.

[@twheelchairracer26]

So this is nice of the show runners in theory but plays out as being based on Japan. A big thing to note is Early Japanese architecture and much of the architecture we are familiar with is based on Tang (and Sui) Era Chinese architecture imported to Japan (and a lot more of Asia aside from there). Combine that with it being an island nation with Red being a big symbolic color, using the title "Nation" to describe them and an imperialist streak. There is also the linguistic heritage of the ruling family. Zuko, Azula, Ozai, Sozen, Iroh, Roku are all very much in line with Japanese language and distinctly not Chinese. I would guess that most people see the Fire nation architecture and society as based on Japan. And... well I don't think those who think that are wrong. The crew just added too many Japanese cultural markers to the Fire Nation and added a distinct Chinese flair to separate the Earth Kingdom, for it to be a coincidence even if they say otherwise and wanted both to be Chinese.

[@rachelgrubman4606]

@@twheelchairracer26 To add on to what you mentioned you can also see how the fire nation is meant to be Japan in the actual world-building. The fire nation's colonial power and presence are very reminiscent of Japan in the early 20th century not so much in its visual cues but in the actual text. Now, of course, the fire nation is very reminiscent of most colonial powers but because through visual cues we know it is based on Japan specifically especially with how the earth Kingdom is clearly China. It is important to note with avatar that its worldbuilding draws from multiple very specific eras for its storytelling because while the earth kingdom is in no way an analog for early 20th-century china its relationship with the fire nation is especially in the areas outside of ba sing se.

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

You won't find any ancient Japanese guys named Lee, that's for certain.

[@guangdong6805]

@@twheelchairracer26 isn't Azula Spanish?

[@AthenaBaucum]

This makes waaay more sense than was I thought. For some reason I believed that the Fire Kingdom was Yuan Dynasty China (idk) but I never actually stopped to think about how China was being controlled by the Mongols at the time. I also thought that the Earth Kingdom was Vietnam because China was way into keeping Vietnam as a tribute state because champa rice.

[@sckilham]

I've always said that even though avatar is a children's show, it doesnt shy away from addressing the complexity of the world (for example: fire nation doesnt automatically mean bad). Throughout the show the gaang faces adversity from people of almost every element and it could be confusing for the audience, but the show doesnt shy away. Having a motif for each place or person that brings adversity helps the audience make sense of the complexity of the show. So many shows treat kids like they need to be told everything outright, but allowing the music to tell the story challenges the audience (the kids) to think critically about what they're watching. It give them a lot more credit and ultimately teaches them really important lessons about the world.

[@jamescolm1133]

You have found the best name for the gang

[@anonanon-fm3dv]

Another great thing about the moment in "The Firebending Masters" is that the music is, or at least is partially, diegetic. The sun warriors, who see firebending as a source of light, warmth, and life, a philosophy Zuko will embrace and has been striving toward throughout the show, are performing the music at that moment. This is sun warrior music. The sun warriors are the progenitor culture of the fire nation, but the fire nation has become corrupted and lost their way. And Zuko has been working to understand his place in the world, as a person, and as the prince of the fire nation throughout the show. Now he has found it. And, like you said, this is hinted at with his firebending. He was banished because he wanted to protect his people, he was fighting for their lives. So not only is Zuko regaining the lost meaning of firebending, he is finally figuring out who he is and his place in the world; and connecting that back to his lost heritage and his people, by reconnecting with who he always was, which is associated with his firebending. By having the music be explicitly a sun warrior song it ties this piece of music that is so heavily associated with Zuko, specifically with his firebending and fighting, to this culture's ideals of firebending being life affirming and good. this music shows firebending is not a bad thing, but a good one, and indicates where Zuko and the fire nation fall in the world, what they should be, and what Zuko will help them to be again, by reaffirming his culture, heritage, and himself.

[@Shastaphirre]

Yin and yAANG BEST JOKE EVER I'M HERE FOR IT

[@IMVADER2]

Oh come on, not a *SINGLE* instance of "SECRET TUNNEL!!!!"?

[@tomatopotatu8137]

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT

[@danitron4096]

God that song was so annoying

[@mikeciul8599]

@@danitron4096 Yes, and I love it!

[@kaibe9456]

Danitron you take that back !

[@blackgemstone801]

My wife, seeing the show for the first time last month, rolled her eyes when they showed up. But by the end of the episode, she was jamming out to it 🤣

[@torbjorn630]

Azulas 'clang' is such a recognizable sound effect

[@elim.6609]

This video was the QUENCHIEST

[@Hildegardvonblingin]

Thank you, I was SO PUMPED to see you covering this show!

[@lauren19999]

love seeing legends supporting legends 😌

[@madismith5717]

Oh shit it's one of the most talented people on youtube. I didn't expect to see you here but I'm happy we have something in common.

[@damocles7406]

Iroh having music that doesn't fit the fire nation makes perfect sense though. Given well. EVERYTHING about him.

[@Sinewmire]

One could argue the man he is in the series was born just outside Ba Sing Se.

[@notshelley]

Avatar’s Love is one of the best songs ever. Depending what mood I’m in, it can make me really emotional.

[@Nasuto1702]

I think we can all agree on one thing: MOMO'S THEME IS EPIC

[@Emily-lb7rf]

FOUR SEASONS SONG THEORY: The song represents the earth's balance. The four seasons, the four elements, and the sun and moon are all things that keep balance in the world. Earth cannot be sustained without this balance. Iroh plays this song because he understands the importance of it. It reveals his universal love and respect. In the case of Yue and Sakka, it foreshadows the end of their short lived romance for the sake of restoring balance to the world. Yue must sacrifice herself for the moon.The song, and the yin and yang that is the sun and moon, is a metaphor for the whole purpose of the show. The 4 nations cannot exist without each-other. There must be balance. Which is why Aang goes into the Avatar state when the moon dies.

[@literallyglados]

ok but his name is sokka

[@Emily-lb7rf]

literallyGLaDOS lol tru 😂

[@maks7355]

You make a really good point but the moon and sun aren't the yin and yang in the show. It's the moon and the ocean. Different forces that help/influence each other (if I remember correctly)

[@firexx78]

The yin and yang were actually representing moon and ocean though, push and pull, twi and la

[@deadjunior258]

@@literallyglados it's pronounced with an "okka"

[@VoonNBuddies]

Amazing that after like 15 years, there are still lessons we can learn from this show! Great video! One thing I would note is that, while it is really common in the fanbase to frame each nation as directly inspired by one real world nation (Water Inuit, Earth China, Fire Japan, and Air Tibet) I think it's a bit more complicated. Most of the four nations draw inspiration from multiple real world cultures. The water nation does share similarities with the Inuit people, but it also has parallels with Native American and Polynesian cultures as well. The Fire Nation, an expansionist, industrial, island nations does invite comparison to Imperial Japan, but, its architecture, clothing, and weaponry draw more from Korea (where the show was animated) and its geography pulled heavily from Iceland (another volcanic island nation). It's a small point in the video but I think it is worth noting that none of the four nations can be mapped directly to any one real world culture.

[@phoebeahn8941]

Yeah. I always noticed that the 4 nation's were like a mix of cultures. The fire nation is like a mashup of Japan, Iceland, and hawaii. Also the girl who helped Iroh after he ate the poisonous plant was wearing a hanboks which is a traditional Korean dress

[@williamkrause5831]

Uhh the architecture, clothing, and weaponry all draw more from China than Korea for the fire nation. As the other chick mentioned, the Earth kingdom seems to get more cultural influence from korea than the Fire nation

[@OwlCityMerlinZelda]

Which just backs up the whole confusion behind why each nation 1) don’t all have one specific motif and 2) has music with instruments from other cultures!