How Big Is The Ocean On The Other Side Of The Avatar World?

Let’s talk about Zuko. And since it’s October, let’s talk about “Creepy Zuko”. And how Ozai’s abuse has effected his children.  

I am an Earth Science Teacher who studied the four elements in university.  I hope to make a series on the science within Bending.  

Respect in Theater and Science.

When theater people or stunt people critique a film, play, or movie, they are often much more kind and forgiving.  This is because they understand the difficulty that goes into making the piece.  When they are critical, It is very well informed and focuses on specific points.  (More than just, “It was terrible.”)

A similar amount of respect exists among scientists.  The essence of Science is to better understand the world, and we do that through evidence and experimentation.  Science is always learning new things and so is always growing.  Hence, no matter how smart you think you are, you can always learn more.  

This creates a sense of respect among scientists, because no matter how right you think you are, there is a better answer out there.  Hence, discussion and debate are encouraged, not a single dogma.  

WaterBending101

Avatar:  Only there for the group photo

One question I often see is:  

“Why are Katara and Zuko so underused/ weak in the “Legend of Korra’?”

The answer is quite simple:  Fan service.  

Bryke wanted the Aang Gang to be in LoK for fan service, but didn't want them to get in the way of other characters.   Therefore Toph, Zuko, and Katara are present but are almost useless.  

Which feels out-of-character for them, and frustrating for the fans when pre-established characters do nothing to help.  

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Fantasy vs Science Fiction: The modern dramatic duo

From Greece, to Shakespare, to modern day, Tragedy and Comedy have been staples of storytelling.  The two were even played back to back to help contrast each other.  These two genres also play an important role in the human psyche, which are reincarnated today as Fantasy and Science Fiction.  

There’s an old saying that goes:  

“Comedy makes you feel while Tragedy makes you think.”

Comedy focuses on emotion and entertainment.  Everyone enjoys having a good laugh and Comedy is all about having a good time.  Comedy seeks to create emotional relief and catharsis through good humor.  

Tragedy on the other hand focuses on the mind.  Typically, the audience already knows everything will end badly, so the story focuses on why everything went wrong.  

What makes it a Tragedy is that the characters brought it upon themselves.  This wasn’t some inescapable disaster; the ending was entirely preventable.  For example, if Hamlet and Othello switched places, neither play would have ended in tragedy.   

In our modern world of fiction, fantasy holds a similar role as comedy while science fiction holds a similar role to tragedy.

Fantasy is all about those feelings of Wonder and amazement. The world allows the reader to simply enjoy and experience “The Magic”, no math skill required.  Fantasy usually draws in a younger crowd because it connects to their emotions.  

Sci-fi on their hand wants to engage the mind of the reader. It wants to intrigue you with how things work. Sci-fi usually draws in an older crowd because it engages more of your critical reasoning skills.  

Unfortunately, being depressed is often confused with being intelligent in modern society.  Intellectual writing like tragedy is considered more refined, while comedy and fantasy are considered low tier garbage.  

This is also why all major English classics are about terrible things happening because somehow negativity is more important than feeling happy.

This prejudice is why things like animation, popular books and fantasy are looked down upon, while SciFi and dark literature are often praised.  

However, people aren't just walking brains, they are living creatures. And those creatures have emotional needs.

This is also why I’m not a huge fan of Sci-Fi; because it often confuses misery for good writing. 

Just finished version 3.0 of my Avatar Sub-Element chart. It's come a long way since version 1.

Posters for the Earth Kingdom and such.  

I wanted to create a simple symbol for metal, like the circle for the earth kingdom, and I’m pretty satisfied with the result.  

Bending 101

Lesson 1:  What is Bending