chromeknickers
Bender
I'm somewhere where I don't know where I am!
Posts: 216
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Post by chromeknickers on Dec 1, 2012 12:06:32 GMT -6
What I don't get about Bryke slamming Zutara and mocking Zutarians is that from an economical standpoint it's suicide. Alienate half your fans so that they refuse to buy your products. How wise is that? I think most fans can tolerate Kataang and I don't think there are many out there that are disappointed with Kataang kids and grandkids. They produced awesome. What they fans don't like it the butchering of the Zutara friendship. They went through so much to get to that point and they effectively tear that away, along with stripping the characters of their personalities. That can't please many fans, shippers or not.
They could have just kept their mouths shut and left the shippers to fight amongst themselves. But they had to weigh in, insulting more than half their fanbase by making ad hominem claims ("Your relationships will be doomed if you think Zutara could work"). Oh, so a relationship built on friendship, trust, and mutual respect could never work? Okay, Bryke. I'll look for the guy who will beat me or the one that sees me as his surrogate mum. MUCH healthier.
(By the by, I do believe that Kataang would eventually become something sweet and special. I just can't wrap my head around them being so in love at 12 and 14, and with Aang being more like 10. Sorry, but girls mature faster and Katara was very mature for her age. It might as well have been 10 and 18.)
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Post by manzanasverdes on Dec 1, 2012 12:53:22 GMT -6
D'oh! I missed a 'partly' in that sentence, I meant to asy that his design was actually partly based on DiMartino. In Aang's page on the Avatar wiki, one of the bullet points in the Trivia section reads "As an adult, Aang's beard resembled the one of co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino." Which, you know, no big deal, but draw a blue arrow on DiMartino's forehead and then YOU CANNOT UNSEE IT. I know I can't, anyway, but then we've established how I may be biased here, already sensing self-insertion vibes and all.
(there is a side-by-side comparison image over on tumblr. Somewhere. I'd go hunting but, yeah. Totally can if you want me to, though)
Right? Dude, we know this is what happened. You don't need to keep on repeating it in sotto-voice to yourself to us. Though I understand how they may have shot themselves on the foot by making the airbenders genocide so absolute, the only hope for airbending to remain an actual thing (and for someone to teach new avatars, if nothing else) would be to have Aang sow his wild oats. On Katara, naturally. And so, Kataang spawns. Personally, I think they missed a huge opportunity to tell a story about airbenders in hiding/refugee settlements, or something along those lines.
Although the need to have Aang father the new generation of airbenders brings up that question about whether bending is genetic at all (we're told that all air nomads are benders because of the high level of spirituality of their culture, so not genetic necessarily, but does this apply to all bending disciplines? does it apply to the specific soul being incarnated, or is it related to the level of spirituality of a whole group of people and their descendants born into that environment? is this what the air acolytes are aiming for?). I think they said it wasn't, which is, again, another wasted potential story line, afaic.
Maybe if LoK had taken place farther into the future, with at least another Avatar between Aang and her, then his presence (and thus Kataang's) needn't be so prevalent. I got this impression that Aang cast too large a shadow on Korra and the world as it is now, originally I thought part of her personal journey would be to differentiate herself from him, establish her own Avatardom (Avartaness? Avatarhood?) and sort of cut ties with the past going by Katara's own words, but in the end the main antagonists' motivations were directly connected to Aang's actions, and he himself is the one to resolve Korra's greatest challenge for her, so it all felt too much like 'here, have some more Aang' for my tastes.
Aang is just their golden boy, so it makes sense to me that they'd frown upon people who think that his forever girl is better off in the arms of another dude. They didn't need to be petty about it, though.
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Post by mrspettyfer on Dec 1, 2012 14:04:52 GMT -6
I did too. Aang and his beliefs and goodness is constantly shoved down our thoats STILL. It makes me not like his character very much to be honest. Aang made a lot of mistakes--made a huge one by running away AGAIN before facing Ozai. Lucky that lion turtle popped up huh? But I feel bad for Korra because it's like whatever she does will be compared to how amazing Aang was. Personally I'm so happy she's like the opposite of him. I think she has more potential as the avatar because she's able to keep that balance between personal life and her duties. Aang struggled with that a lot. I didn't like when Tenzin said "I've tried to guide Republic City to what my father wanted.." or whatever. Because didn't Zuko also help build the city? It's not all about Aang. I think Zuko was definitely one of their favorites, but I don't know if they expected everyone to love him more than Aang or root for him with "Aang's forever girl." Aang is presented to us as the hero, but I honestly thought Zuko was more of one.
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Post by avatarfreak14 on Dec 1, 2012 23:08:51 GMT -6
I definitely prefer Zuko. Zuko made a lot of mistakes while Aang supposedly made none. And I think it's safe to say that Zuko is the most complex character on the show. His development throughout the three seasons was perfect and I think one of my favourite things of the show. Everyone else had their own problems and dilemmas but Zuko's whole story was worthy of it's own show. What I love about Zuko is that he's seriously one of the most original characters of all time. It's really hard to try to pin him or describe him in one specific way. Aang is okay but I agree with a lot of the comments. He made me angry towards the end because even though Katara told him he matured and stuff, it certainly didn't show it when he ran away a day before the most important battle in the world. The worst thing is that no one even reacted reasonably. Toph was like: "He probably ran away again" like she was saying "We're having fire flakes again". And Katara was like: He'll show up". If it was me and it was the second time I'd have been like: "AANG WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, THE WHOLE WORLD IS DEPENDING ON YOU, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?
Just a thought.
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Post by mrspettyfer on Dec 1, 2012 23:47:17 GMT -6
It does, but I think Yangchen--who grew up with the same beliefs/morlas--said it best: "Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world." I just think there will be times that he will have to sacrifice his monk teachings for the greater good of the world. It's a downside of being the Avatar, but anyone with that kind of power and leadership will have to make some tough choices that go beyond what they personally believe. The lion turtle, to me, was a huge cop out so he wouldn't have to kill Ozai. I know it's a kids show so I figured there would be a loophole, but still. Morally, I find stripping someone's bending to be just as bad as taking their life. It's like taking away someone's sight or hearing. Seems wrong to me. I felt the same way about Amon taking "bad benders" bending away. To me no one, not even the Avatar, should have that right. Doesn't settle well with me, not even with Ozai. As far as killing Ozai, I wish it had been handled the way Harry and Voldemort was. When Ozai fired the lightning at Aang, I wish Aang had redirected the lightning back at Ozai. (Like Harry does with the killing curse) Because then Ozai's own wrath and "evil" would turn on him and be his downfall. I think that would have been the most suited ending, without cop outs, and without turning Aang into a killer. Now I'm not saying I wanted Ozai to die, but that's how the story should have gone IMO, at least if rating wasn't an issue. If he had just been captured and held for trial to determine his fate, then fine. I just think stripping his bending wasn't the best solution. Idk, I just wasn't happy with Aang's character and the way the writers treated him in general. Got on my nerves quite a bit.
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Post by mrspettyfer on Dec 2, 2012 0:09:24 GMT -6
It does make me curious what he would have done had the lion turtle not popped up. I don't think Korra will either, especially now that she's felt what it feels like to lose it. She'll probably just kill them, lmao. Okay probably not, but she'll beat them up a little before making them face trial, haha.
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Post by avatarfreak14 on Dec 2, 2012 0:51:20 GMT -6
He went in a trance..? I didn't know that. I freaked out when I saw the flashbacks in LoK. I don't think it was healthy. I rushed to my sisters room and I was like: "Look at him! Look at him!" They picked REALLy good voice actors for Toph, Sokka and Aang. Even though they were all adults with different voices I swear I heard them speak the exact same way s they did when they were young and the voices suit them all really well. I just want to see Katara and Zuko grown up now. That one picture didn't satisfy.
P.S. I laughed when I saw Old Katara..
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Post by advocaat on Dec 2, 2012 1:13:17 GMT -6
I actually had the strangest urge to cry when I saw Old Katara. It was like the Katara from A:TLA was gone forever. It's silly, but it just made me feel really weird, like it was goodbye, or something.
I like to think of LoK as an entity separate from A:TLA, just so that I can keep the characters I loved just as they were at the end of the cartoon in my heart. I don't want their story to end. (especially with awful pieces of slag like The Promise)
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Post by mrspettyfer on Dec 2, 2012 1:36:53 GMT -6
^I agree. I try to keep ATLA and LOK separate as well. If we had a season or two with the gaang as adults, the transition would have been easier. I actually didn't like older Aang or Sokka's voices. I thought Toph's was pretty close. But I wish they just used the originals and tweeked the tones to make them sound a little older. I'm sure they are talented enough anyway to do that. Just like Grey voiced Azula at 14 and 8.
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azuremoon
Pro-Bender
~Azuremoon ♫ ΣΑΙ ♫
Posts: 524
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Post by azuremoon on Dec 2, 2012 20:43:32 GMT -6
I'm going to be really, really disappointed if we don't get to see old people Zutara friendship. It just has to be friendship, and I really don't think that's too much to ask considering they are the only two of the original Gaang left. I've accepted Zutara is not canon but that doesn't mean it's not my headcanon. I don't care if it's not what ATLA finished with. I enjoy it regardless. I too would like at LEAST friendship from Zutara. I mean...Old People...Old Zuko and Katara...that would be hilarious and adorable! And awesome. Please pleaseeee Bryke? Give us FRIENDSHIP in LoK.
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