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So, I finished watching Avatar up to the latest episode in the second season. In general, I thought the pacing and humour picked up. There are actually some really fantastic, funny lines and the shows parodies of other things are spot on. I was cracking up over the anthropologist guy with his squeeing over Aang and of course his first question was "What was the primary agricultural product of your people? (Not to mention Aang's rather puzzled response, "Are fruit pies and agricultural product?") It does occasionally hit me as odd that I'm watching, in a sense, a western anime. Sometimes the differences hit you in big ways, like when you notice that none of the fight scenes except in the finale have ever lasted over two episodes (gasp!). Even weirder is that I was trained in the same philosophical school as their martial arts advisor, so everything they keep saying about the various elements I just keep nodding my head and enjoying the excellent fight scenes.
Iroh just gets cooler and cooler. His obsession with tea is really entertaining, as is his subtle goal of raising Zuko into a young man who can be proud of himself. It was interesting that he never really condemns Zuko's descent into thievery. I suppose after all those years of generaling, he prefers a very hands off approach. Not to mention, Zuko really doesn't respond well to confrontation. I really like that the older boys in this show actually get girls and go on dates. It's cute. Though I also wish one of the Aang-tachi had had the wherewithall to stay and heal Iroh in that one scene... Haven't seen enough of the white lotus group to make a decision about it.
Oddly enough, what's happened with Jet, I pretty much pictured happening from the moment he reappeared. I'm not so sure about the brain-washing but oh well. Ba-sing se reminds me of Venice actually. I was so not surprised when we discovered the intelligence service ran the place. Though geez, those earth benders who push the trains there must get tired...
I think that losing Appa was a good thing story-wise, and while his own episode was kinda boring most of the way through, it was also really heartbreaking near the end. With the exception of Aang's old friend, there doesn't actually seem to be any earth bender leaders worth helping.
Katara's water bending moves continue to be very cool, and I like her as a master. Sokka is slowly growing up, and I enjoy that while he's not perfect, they still use him as the brains of the outfit. Toph's introduction was handled very well. There should always be conflict when new characters are introduced. Azula is creepy and I do hope she's not on the road to redemption, though it looks like her friends probably are. I really wish they'd give Mai more characterization, but she seems the typical bored teenager.
Does anybody else find the idea of vultures crossed with bees really repulsive? Yeah. Also, very amused they made fun of their own weird animal crosses (which keeps reminding me of One Piece) with the bear joke. (Hmmm, and the guy who voices Zuko was Rufio in Hook. lol.). I really liked the episode Zuko Alone. It was kinda like the poor man's Yojimbo *L* not to mention a really interesting look into Zuko and the Fire nation's past.
Incidently, it occured to me that Avatar, unintentionally or not, is yet another descendant of Monkey. It's got the powerful monk travelling with his companions on a goal. Katara gets to be the water kappa, with Sokka as the pig (for his womanizing ways *snerk*) and Appa as the white dragon. Which makes Toph Goku since she's the one always associated with rock and earth. And yes, I put way too much thought into this. Good day.
I wish they'd stop using such stylized kanji in the series. I always feel like I can almost read it, but it's just too old for me to recognize half the time (since it's closer to the orignial stuff you find in the Shang dynasty, ne?). I can just barely read the kanji saying "tea house" in the tea house Iroh and Zuko work in in Ba Sing Se, and I can read part of the title. Meh.
Is is wrong that I want Avatar to come to Japan so I can discuss it with my students? *sigh*
Am off to bike for breakfast. Mwahaha!
Iroh just gets cooler and cooler. His obsession with tea is really entertaining, as is his subtle goal of raising Zuko into a young man who can be proud of himself. It was interesting that he never really condemns Zuko's descent into thievery. I suppose after all those years of generaling, he prefers a very hands off approach. Not to mention, Zuko really doesn't respond well to confrontation. I really like that the older boys in this show actually get girls and go on dates. It's cute. Though I also wish one of the Aang-tachi had had the wherewithall to stay and heal Iroh in that one scene... Haven't seen enough of the white lotus group to make a decision about it.
Oddly enough, what's happened with Jet, I pretty much pictured happening from the moment he reappeared. I'm not so sure about the brain-washing but oh well. Ba-sing se reminds me of Venice actually. I was so not surprised when we discovered the intelligence service ran the place. Though geez, those earth benders who push the trains there must get tired...
I think that losing Appa was a good thing story-wise, and while his own episode was kinda boring most of the way through, it was also really heartbreaking near the end. With the exception of Aang's old friend, there doesn't actually seem to be any earth bender leaders worth helping.
Katara's water bending moves continue to be very cool, and I like her as a master. Sokka is slowly growing up, and I enjoy that while he's not perfect, they still use him as the brains of the outfit. Toph's introduction was handled very well. There should always be conflict when new characters are introduced. Azula is creepy and I do hope she's not on the road to redemption, though it looks like her friends probably are. I really wish they'd give Mai more characterization, but she seems the typical bored teenager.
Does anybody else find the idea of vultures crossed with bees really repulsive? Yeah. Also, very amused they made fun of their own weird animal crosses (which keeps reminding me of One Piece) with the bear joke. (Hmmm, and the guy who voices Zuko was Rufio in Hook. lol.). I really liked the episode Zuko Alone. It was kinda like the poor man's Yojimbo *L* not to mention a really interesting look into Zuko and the Fire nation's past.
Incidently, it occured to me that Avatar, unintentionally or not, is yet another descendant of Monkey. It's got the powerful monk travelling with his companions on a goal. Katara gets to be the water kappa, with Sokka as the pig (for his womanizing ways *snerk*) and Appa as the white dragon. Which makes Toph Goku since she's the one always associated with rock and earth. And yes, I put way too much thought into this. Good day.
I wish they'd stop using such stylized kanji in the series. I always feel like I can almost read it, but it's just too old for me to recognize half the time (since it's closer to the orignial stuff you find in the Shang dynasty, ne?). I can just barely read the kanji saying "tea house" in the tea house Iroh and Zuko work in in Ba Sing Se, and I can read part of the title. Meh.
Is is wrong that I want Avatar to come to Japan so I can discuss it with my students? *sigh*
Am off to bike for breakfast. Mwahaha!
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From:
no subject
shortreally well done, so yey on that.Um. Am always happy to find other people who watch the show and aren't scary shipper types, in case that wasn't obvious. :D
From:
no subject
I'm not much of one for ships. I'm finding it amusing how many people Zuko is paired with in fic. Him and Katara is actually kinda cute (I am very amused that he inavertently proposed to her in canon.) though I find him and Mai annoying if only because Mai has very little personality so far, but I've been reading anything atm cause one can't be picky in smaller fandoms. It's kinda hard to find genfic unfortunately, though I've been reading one about Iroh when he was young that's pretty cool.
Really must make some Avatar icons... And I think it's your comments fault that I'm writing an avatar fic atm:P
From:
no subject
There's an amazing amount of nasty shippiness, which I ignore by writing about minor characters and shipping Sokka with anything that moves. I have some random genfic favorited on my ff.net account, but yes, it's extremely hard to find. Irohfic especially, which makes me sad, since Iroh is made of tea-loving mysterious-past awesome. On LJ
Bwahaha. *enables*
From:
no subject
This Prince Iroh (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2915248/1/) fic is pretty good. And I've already recced a few on
Take that (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3209382/1/), Enabler:P