Like A Gaggle Of Geese, I Wonder What A Group Of Zukos Would Be Called?

Avatar VS Korra:  Disconnecting to a changing world.

Why do fans complain that there is too much technology in Legend of Korra?  

There have been a lot of fans who are unhappy with how much the world of LOK has technologically advanced in the last 70 years.  

While at the same time, other fans argue that major technological changes in 70 years is completely plausible, and sight recent history.  

The issue here is that people keep comparing LOK to real life. A story isn't meant to be 100% realistic; otherwise we'd have very few "happily ever after".

The real issue is that the world of Avatar has changed so much that many fans no longer feel connected to it. It's going back to a favorite restaurant and the menu has completely changed. Or picking up a favorite game, only to find the rules are so different that you can't play anymore.  

Regardless of how a franchise changes, there will always be people who feel confused or left out.  Fans should be empathetic toward each other, and not try to tear down someone just because they have a different opinion.  

Major changes in 70 years are completely realistic to our modern day, but that doesn’t mean it's enjoyable. If you asked an 80-yr-old what they thought of the present day, You'll find that many are unhappy with how much has changed and the struggle coping with that change.

LOK isn't reality. It's a story. And the main purpose of every story is to be enjoyed.

Water Bending Pamphlet:  (Portuguese)

For @sol-em-gemeos

Eu não falo português.   Mas eu posso usar o Google translate.

We know that water bending gets stronger at night; Katara says as much at the end of ALTA Book 1.  However, the Moon is only in the night sky 50% of the time with the other 50% in the daytime.  Since Katara probably has better sleeping habits than me, I’d assume she goes to bed before midnight.  Therefore, she would only see the Moon at night about 25% of the time.  

It’s a common misconception to think that the Moon only appears at night.  In fact, it is more likely for people to see the Moon during the day because people are awake more in the day.  

Then why is water bending stronger at night, if the Moon is only there 25% of the time?

The answer is interference from the Sun.  We know that water bending and fire bending can interfere with each other in the case of a solar eclipse.  The Moon moves in front of the Sun and blocks the “Fire Bending WIFI Signal”.  water bending is interfering with fire bending, so it would make sense if it works both ways.  Fire and Water are usually considered opposites, so it makes sense that water bending would be weaker during the day and at full strength during the night.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.   

The Cycle of the Fire Lords AKA Generational Daddy Issues

You know how in the series finale Ozai declares himself the Phoenix King? I’ve always found that odd, since dragon seems to be the prestige animal of the Fire Nation. However, once I realized what the phoenix in Avatar actually was, it all clicked.

The “phoenix” that Ozai is referring to is the “Vermilion Bird” or Zhūquè (朱雀). The Vermillion Bird is a mythological bird that is portrayed as bright red and perpetually on fire, basically the closest equivalent to a phoenix in Chinese culture. The Vermilion Bird also represents fire and the season of summer, the two most defining attributes of Sozin’s Comet.

So, essentially, Ozai is declaring himself the king of fire and summer and Sozin’s Comet and all things Fire Nation-y. We all could’ve figured that out without the cultural context, but it goes much so much deeper.

The name of Ozai’s father is Azulon, which I mentioned in an earlier post means “Azure Dragon”. The Azure Dragon is associated with spring. When Ozai declares himself “Phoenix”, he is basically calling himself the “natural” successor to the Azure Dragon. Summer comes after spring, after all.

Think about that. Ozai has been Fire Lord for 5 years already and he’s still obsessed with proving that he deserves the throne. That he was “destined” to have it. He knows he isn’t a dragon like Azulon or Iroh, so he decides he’ll be be even better than that: A phoenix! The ruler of summer! He’s the embodiment of fire—Yup, Mr. Fire Lord, the most Fire Lord man to ever Fire Lord, coming through. It’s all so very dramatic and pathetic and reeking of insecurity.

And if Azulon is spring, and Ozai is summer, then Zuko is autumn. Which makes sense, since Zuko’s reign is defined by the dismantling of the Fire Nation empire; the branches of their imperialism withering away. In Chinese culture, the season of autumn is represented by the element of Metal. The-Hot-Zone, @the-hot-zone, put it best:

For Zuko to also be associated with metal is… pretty fitting. Metalbending is an entirely new style of earthbending, and it completely changes how people view earth. This can symbolize the shift Zuko will bring to the Fire Nation: re-associating fire with life, with passion, with light. It’s about the new understanding of an element.

Also, the animal associated with fall is the White Tiger, which is pretty rad. Zuko’s fierceness is very tiger-like.

Romantic Moments vs Romantic Intent: A Shipping problem

If you are a fan of animation/ anime, then you are probably familiar with the term “Shipping” or “Relation-shipping”.  This is basically when you think two characters should be a couple and you “ship” them.   As an Avatar: the Last Airbender fan, I am well aware of ships such as Zutara or Kataang.  However, it’s very common for shippers to ignore “Romantic Intent”.  Romantic Intent is when the characters are romantically interested in each other; this can be one sided or mutual.  Romantic moments might lead to romantic intent, but the two aren’t mutually exclusive.  

Being in a romantic situation (taking someone to dinner, hanging out with them, or giving them gifts) does not mean their intentions are romantic.  They could just be a really good friend, or they might be a relative.  For example, my sister and I did a lot of things together in High School, so many people assumed that we were dating.  

Why I bring this up is because many shippers ship characters purely because “they look cute together”, or “they have so much in common”, or “I would love to see these two become a couple.”  However, in their zeal shippers often forget that these characters might have their own desire and aspirations.  These aren’t dolls to make do what ever you like.   

Second, there’s often a huge amount of entitlement that comes with shipping, which I think is kinda funny.  Whether Jill ends up with Bobby or Max, isn’t your decision to make.  Stories are fun, and speculation is fun, but we the readers are really only outsiders looking into someone else’s story.  

And even though these are just fictional characters, we can’t force someone to fall in love with someone else.  

“You and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be: AGNI KAI!”

Also, probably the best animated fight I’ve ever seen, a heart-wrenching tragedy, and also callbacks to All The Things.

You remember Zuko’s Agni Kai with Zhao? Remember his previous fights with his sister? Remember his 540 degree turn?

Well.

ATLA Creators Leave NETFLIX Project:  And I’m not worried.

This might be a Very Unpopular Opinion, but I'm not overly worried about the creators leaving the Netflix Avatar the last Airbender remake.

Let me explain:   Despite how much Mike and Bryan are praised, they didn't come up with everything good in ATLA.  Like any project, they worked with a team and other team member contributed many things that fans love about the show.  Good team member act as "checks and balances" to prevent personal biases from taking over, and to yield a better product.  

Mike and Bryan made ATLA but they also made Legend of Korra.  They made Korra without their full team and LoK wasn't as good.  Because Mike and Bryan didn't have their full team, many of their biases didn't get ironed out of the final product.  And because they were more in control, their inadequacies shone through.  Thus, Korra's quality suffered because the creators aren't perfect, and they didn't have others to balance them.  

Therefore, I'm not overly worried to see Mike and Bryan go because they aren't the source of all goodness.   Just like with J. K. Rowling, maybe it's time for someone else to nurture the franchise.  

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.  

Epic Fail.  

Avatar:  Glory and Shame

Personally, I think Mike and Bryan get too much credit for what was really a team effort.  A good team balances out each other's weaknesses.  While making Avatar, Mike and Bryan were balanced out by other great writers.  However, Korra was mostly made by Mike and Bryan, so any personal biases they might have don't get edited out.  

Taking all the glory also means taking all the shame. 

I’ve always thought Sokka with his hair down looked like James from Team Rocket.  Wonder if they could cosplay as each other.