#I suppose this only applies to season 1 Zuko

[jamesrb4th]

American Dragon Jake Long is a fun, charming show from the mid 2000s about a young boy taking on the role of protecting the hidden magical world with his dragon form, while trying to live a normal life in his human form.

As the title character is a teenager with fire powers played by Dante Basco, the comparisons are inevitable, but there are many (probably more) contrasts, my favorite being that you would never guess just by looking at them which one has killed more people

[burst-of-iridescent]

The Choice of Compassion: A Scene Analysis of Aang vs Zuko

should aang have killed ozai?

the age old question. the discourse secondary only to the infamous kat.aang vs zutara ship war. the argument that's been raging for sixteen long, long years and inspired dozens upon dozens of thinkpieces on either side.

so naturally, i'm here to add one more that no one asked for.

now, this debate keeps getting mischaracterized as The Side That Respects Pacifism vs The Side That Wants A Preteen To Commit Brutal Murder when, for the most part, i don't think anyone is really staking their life on the homicide hill. the real issue most people take with aang's arc in the finale isn't him sparing ozai, but rather the deus ex-machina mechanism through which he's able to do so. i agree with that, but i would also take it further to argue that the real problem is that aang's ending is not thematically and narratively consistent with the rest of his arc as set up in the show.

to illustrate this, let's take a look at another scene that plays with similar themes: zuko choosing to save zhao in the siege of the north.

the basics of both scenes are the same: both boys choose, against all logic and common sense, to spare someone who would never show them the same mercy. when it comes down to compassion versus violence, they choose compassion, even at risk to themselves.

but where the siege of the north differs from sozin's comet is that zuko choosing to save zhao is thematically consistent with his arc in season 1, and aligns with where it will go in seasons 2 and 3.

zuko's journey throughout the show is one of rediscovery. he has to find his way back to who he used to be, before his family and his nation warped his perception of right and wrong, and forced him into believing he had to become someone he didn't want to be. it's clear as early as the storm episode that zuko is fundamentally kind, and the person he is now is as a result of being indoctrinated in a culture that perverted violence and cruelty into honour and strength.

in trying to save zhao, the personification of the fire nation's worst qualities and most twisted teachings, zuko turns against the values he's been raised with most of his life and instead chooses to remain true to himself and what he believes is right. it's a triumphant moment because it's zuko returning to the heart of who he is, and who he's truly supposed to be.

and even though his decision may be logically unsound (why risk yourself trying to save someone who tried to kill you?) you don't see anyone complaining that zuko shouldn't have tried at all, because his choice here is a direct - even if brief - resolution to the internal conflict the show has previously established for his character. the narrative consistency of the set-up and payoff allows the audience to recognize the thematic cohesion of this moment in zuko's arc - which is what makes it so powerful and satisfying.

so, the question is: does the same apply to aang's choice not to kill ozai?

the argument supporting aang's decision is usually something as follows: "aang sparing ozai is his way of remaining true to his people and making sure they aren't forgotten. it's a powerful symbol of how he's keeping their culture and beliefs alive even though the fire nation tried to wipe them out."

now that's not a bad argument, in theory. the problem, though, is that if this is the resolution of aang's arc, it has to be a direct response to a conflict established in said arc... and remaining true to air nomad values is not a struggle the show ever set up for aang until the finale.

not once in any of the previous seasons does aang seem to be forgetting his people's ideals, or losing his identity through assimilation, or struggling to reconcile his air nomad beliefs with the ideas he's encountering in this new, changed world. there isn't a long-term, sustained arc about him being worried or concerned about air nomad culture dying out completely, or about taking on the burden of keeping it alive. in fact, the only episode that does reckon with this theme in any capacity - the northern air temple - seems to push the opposite message: that aang should move on and adapt to this changing world instead of remaining mired in the past, and protecting the culture of a people long gone.

(note: i don't like how the NAT episode handled this theme, but for the purposes of this post, we will take it as it was written.)

both zuko and aang are characters whose arcs revolve around change, but if zuko's arc is about moving back to who he truly is, then aang's arc is about moving forward. it's about going from the last airbender to the avatar - about drawing wisdom from different places, about immersing himself in the practices, beliefs and cultures of the other nations, and learning to value them as he values his own.

it's the classic want vs need: what aang wants is to be nothing more than a goofy, peaceful airbender but what he needs is to become a fully-realized avatar, the embodiment of four nations in one. and this conflict is established and re-established repeatedly over three seasons, most especially in his struggle to learn earthbending and firebending, both of which called for him to adopt new perspectives and beliefs contrary to his own.

this is why aang refusing to kill ozai feels so narratively unfulfilling, because it's the complete antithesis of what the show established for aang's narrative over three seasons. the plot point of his absolute pacifism not only comes out of left field (where was this problem when he was going to battle ozai during the eclipse?), it's also incongruous with the depiction of other air nomads in the series (both yangchen and gyatso don't seem to practice absolute pacifism) and with where aang's own arc appeared to be leading.

additionally, it also conflicts with the thematic clash that the aang vs ozai fight is supposed to represent: what was meant to be balance and harmony vs dominance and supremacy now turns into... air nomad beliefs vs fire nation beliefs, which runs contrary to the fundamental message of the entire show. not exactly what you want for the final battle between your protagonist and antagonist!

all of this is not to say that aang should have gone turbo avatar state on ozai and singlehandedly yeeted him into the spirit world. but there were a dozen other ways to handle ozai's end: give him a disney death, let aang learn energybending of his own accord and incapacitate him the way katara took down azula, or - my personal favourite - bring in the spirits in a neat parallel to the book 1 finale, and have ozai's death be a consequence of the imbalance he propagated in the world (i've always felt the avatar being the spirit bridge was a plotline that kinda got shafted in book three, and bringing back someone like koh, for instance, would've slapped).

the point is that for the resolution of aang's arc to be thematically consistent with the established narrative (the validity of this narrative, and whether it should have been different, is another point entirely, but it cannot be denied that this is what the show chose to go with), he needed to place the values and beliefs of the other nations on equal footing with his own, and win because of this willingness to draw from all nations instead of relying solely on his own.

ultimately, remaining true to his compassionate, peaceful nature is not a struggle in aang's narrative the way that it is in zuko's, which is why him choosing to spare ozai doesn't have anywhere near the emotional resonance or satisfaction of zuko reaching out to zhao. meanwhile, the conflict that does characterize aang's arc - being forced to become the avatar - never comes to a meaningful resolution the way that zuko's does. rather, it's thrown out the window in favour of a last minute plot point that robs aang of both agency and development, and destroys the thematic cohesion of his narrative for nothing.

[hello-nichya-here]

I really want Mai to have more depth than "I only changed because of my bf" but we don't see her ever go through the realization that imperialism is bad and what the FN are doing is wrong, so why did she change if it wasn't for Zuko? It definitely wasn't a political/moral decision and I don't think it was because of hatred towards Azula, because we don't really see her mistreat Mai when she fails missions or disobeys orders or being disrespectful. If anything, we still see them vent to each other and playing wing(wo)man for each other, so they seem to be close friends.

So of it wasn't about being against imperialism/racism, and it wasn't about hating Azula and it wasn't about Zuko with, what was it about?

1 - Mai's decision to change sides not being about "I realized imperialism is bad" doesn't mean it was all about Zuko. She clearly didn't like being told what to do, it is not that hard to assume she'd one day realize she was ALWAYS gonna end up being bossed around, by her parents, by Azula, by anyone with more power, in a system like the one she lived under.

2 - Mai doesn't hate Azula. That doesn't mean there was nothing wrong with how their dynamic worked. When refusing to follow Azula's orders in "The Drill", Mai says "She can shoot all the lightning she wants at me." It doesn't matter that, either out of a rare moment of mercy or just because she was too focused on other things, Azula didn't do anything about it - knowing that there's always a very real possibility your friend will hurt or KILL YOU if you don't do what they want you to is more than enough reason to decide "I really shouldn't be friends with this person."

3 - Mai loved Zuko and she wanted to make sure he would survive. Where's the sin in that? Zuko and Iroh saved each other a billion times, including after fights (see Iroh helping in "The Chase"). Same for the Gaang. Why is "I don't really agree with you, but I care about you so I won't let anyone hurt you" only a bad thing when Mai does it?

Why is Mai, who had an entire season of characterization in which Zuko is only mention twice and VERY briefly, reduced to "lives solely for her boyfriend" when she saves him, but he doesn't get the same treatment when he says "I left my girlfriend behind even though I really didn't want to, because leaving Ozai put a target on my back and I couldn't drag her into this mess"?

Sounds like yet another case of this fandom being VERY sexist. Male character does a nice thing for his love interest? That's just seen as one side of character. Female does the exact same thing? She's "defined/held back by romance and has nothing going on outside of it" - again, even though we spent an entire season watching Mai doing her thing, with Zuko rarely coming up.

Hell, even if Mai HAD been defined by her relationship with a guy, that wouldn't automatically mean she was a bad character. Azula's every action revolves around what would or would not please her father, to the point of destroying her friendships with Ty Lee and Mai, with ocasional moments of her trying to salvage her sibling bond with Zuko, and she immediately gets absolutely jealous and resentful towards Ty Lee because she's the one getting all the attention from random boys Azula doesn't care about, yet she still wants their praise more than she wants the praise of her female friend.

We saw where that need to be "perfect", the absolute best at everything, and please a man that did not hesitate to ditch her on what was supposed to be THEIR glory day and even gave her the title she always wanted - only now it was completely hollow, since he greated a higher ranking position for himself anyway - led her, and it was not pretty.

"Character needs to reconsider their priorities" does not always translate to "This character was poorly written." And like I already said, "boyfriend obsessed" doesn't even apply to Mai in the first place.

She ditched her parents and ran around traveling with Azula because it would offer her more freedom than she had in Omashu. But she was not Azula's equal, so when she had to choose between her and Zuko, the flawed but loving boyfriend that never tried to abuse his status as a prince to control her and was trying to get his shit together, it really is no wonder Mai chose the obviously better alternative.

If anyone want to see me rant about how this fandom should PUT SOME RESPECT ON MAI'S NAME ALREADY, here's the thing:

[miraculouscontent]

Ask Explosion #9:

Asks answering previous posts:

Sabrina, I have one word of advice for you...

R U N

“Chat, please stop talking.”

“But that’s my thing!”

“YOU JINX EVERYTHING!!”

Ayyyyyy~

Well, it’s something, I suppose?

Answered this here.

It absolutely did. Bless you, kind and hilarious citizien. ;P

I’m torn because... on one hand, I want to give proper mythology and such for like--anything that’d be put into the show, but on the other, I liked the idea that Alix’s brother was just sort of a conspiracy who thought of stupid stuff (which is why I kept the concept for MC Jalil Kubdel).

Zoe did it really well in Scarlet Lady where Alix knew the actual mythology and started blurting it out whenever Jalil got it wrong.

New Asks:

Considering “Ikari Gozen,” I imagine Alya and Kagami don’t get along as well. I agree with basically everyone that Marinette and Kagami not getting along is bad, but Alya and Kagami not really getting along makes more sense and is more tolerable.

Since Alya is Marinette’s “““BFF”““ (supposedly), I could see her kind of being like, “You’re competing with my girl over the same guy,” and keeping Kagami at arm’s length, worried that keeping Kagami close will allow Kagami to be closer to Adrien since Adrien is an extension of their friend group (kinda, sorta, not really, but Marinette calling him a friend so technically--)

You know, Alya trying to be a good friend and help Marinette with Adrien in more subtle ways. It’s the wrong way to go about it but she’s trying.

LUKANETTE IS AMAZING IN TERMS OF PROGRESSION KDJNGJDFG, I ADORE IT. Every episode they share together, we either learn something new about them or see more details on their relationship.

I think I was already all-in before “Silencer,” but man, that episode just sealed it even more. I was like well dang, why does the love square even EXIST???

jfdngjkfdjgfdg

Incredible. Only problem is that the creator doesn’t know how to use it properly.

You mean fourteen year olds aren’t perfect human beings???? :o

(no, but really, that’s me all the time; like, she’s barely a teen!)

He’ll believe it if it’s Chat Noir who’s doing it. If Marinette ever does it though, he’ll be sure to shut it down. ;P

Ugggggh, the worst part is that I have the same exact fear that they really are going to be like yeah Ladybug you silly fool Chat Noir has been with you since the beginning!

I mean, we’re already basically getting that with the New York special; Chat was supposed to protect Paris and then didn’t tell Ladybug that he “had to” leave for New York (and the New York thing is inadvertently Marinette’s fault and parts of the fandom actually did blame her for it even though it was Chat’s choice not to say anything), then Ladybug gets upset with him when she discovers it mid-battle, which leads to Chat being distracted and Cataclysming someone (another thing that Ladybug can be “inadvertently” blamed for), then Chat gives up his miraculous so Ladybug isn’t even allowed to be angry and cue the later line of “I can’t imagine being Ladybug without... him.”

So clearly that’s saying something. Adrien doesn’t get anything close to that level and Marinette is chewed out for not asking him to stay when Nino had already asked him too.

It’s like--Marinette chooses to go after Adrien and then gets either nothing in return, or humiliated by the narrative, and then in the New York special, she decides to do nothing and everything still goes wrong while Alya yells at her for it. The “damned if she does, damned if she don’t,” on display is stunning. The girl tries to confess and it’s like, “no, not allowed, but Chat is allowed to confess.”

I still don’t understand this logic of his overarching plot but also “there’s not much of a timeline.” I think the only solid thing we’ve ever gotten was something about all the episodes in one season coming after all the episodes in a previous one, but there are still things that don’t add up? The only thing the season 3 production order will give is making sure the hero debuts work out (so no Viperion or Pegase before “Party Crasher,” for example).

It’s not really reliable. I mean, like--I’ve been experimenting with timelines for a while, and stuff like “Miraculer” baffles me. It’s basically non-canon with no value whatsoever. All it does is make “Heart Hunter” look even more confusing and treats Marinette even more horribly for not picking Chloe when she explicitly told Chloe that she wasn’t getting it back.

I’m not familiar with that one! Is it any good?

(Okay, I actually was too curious and ended up looking it up; fancy! I couldn’t have guessed that it was a webtoon! I started reading the 1st issue and before I knew it, I was on the 6th! Oops~)

Lila is totally Rashta, 100% agree. The fact that the comments have a nickname of “Trashta” for her, equivalent to Liar Rossi, says as much ;P

Because lessons that involve telling someone that they’re valid and allowed to feel a certain way don’t apply to Marinette. Isn’t it nice? :3

Not that I know of? Though I also don’t look for that kind of thing, so it’s possible that it exists and I just don’t know about it.

Even if it did exist thought, I don’t see a problem with you doing your own regardless. Good luck if you do!

No. No I do not. ;P

GREETINGS FELLOW INTJ!

And yeah, I’m not really capable of not analyzing shows. There are some small exceptions, but they’re usually not full shows in the normal sense. If there’s an ongoing plot, my mind tends to be working at all times.

In terms of Miraculous, Season 1 was harmless enough where I was bothered but pretty quiet about it, but then it just got progressively worse. It really feels like one of those things you can’t unsee when it finally hits you, y’know?

I’m glad I was able to help you get that satisfaction you need (and appreciate Lukanette, of course ;3)!

Non-Miraculous Asks:

(some heavy Puella Magi Madoka Magica salt below)

Wow, this is a really dedicated ask! Nice!

Gonna go point by point here:

1 - Yeah, the whole thing with Homura not “being able” to save everyone... kinda questionable, and I didn’t really buy the arguments they used to explain it away. I think there was this one PSP game or something with Madoka Magica where you could kind of choose what happened (like, there were bad ends where Sayaka didn’t get her soul gem back in time and her body was partially decayed; ick) and I think there’s a good end where Homura saves everyone but--yeah, not canon.

I just don’t care for twisted stories like that unless there is actually a good end on the horizon (and I mean like “Everyone Lives and is Happy” good end). Angst is just so exhausting so the second I saw Mami’s head being bitten I was just like, “Ah, okay, so we’re doing this then.”

2 - Eugh, the sexism thing. It’s so... yeah, and especially this because the whole “girls are emotional” thing, I don’t really care whether or not the show is trying to “subvert” or “explain” anything, it just feels like poor taste and I don’t like it. (I also didn’t know about that Death Note thing because I didn’t watch it, but geez.)

3 - Wow, I’ve been away from the show for so long that I forgot what Mami’s wish was; I thought it was to “not be alone” or something (or maybe not die alone?? I really don’t remember), but either way, the fact that it follows some sort of genie wish logic is just--*sigh*--they’re teenage girls, come on (plus, the “genie wish logic” is really overdone to me anyway).

4 - The other thing about Sayaka is that it’s really predictable that she’d “die so quickly.” Basically everything was pointing to her just being annihilated at some point, and being Madoka’s best friend, it was pretty inevitable that she’d go.

((semi-unrelated, but someone also asked me which character’s name was lied about before episode 3 hit and they wondered if it was Sayaka’s; it was Kyubey’s))

Yikes. Sorry you had to experience that.

Anyway, I guess I’m not experienced enough in multiple fandoms to say for sure? If I was ever in a fandom, I would just blacklist the people/stuff I didn’t like, so I didn’t get to see a tong of “bad things” going on.

+ I try really hard not to generalize fandoms into one thing.

𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓝𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓼 𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓾𝓹𝓲𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓸𝔂𝓼 𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓐𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮 “𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵𝔂” 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼

Oof, uhhh, shows, huh? That’s tough.

I think the main ship from Given (Mafuyu and Ritsuka) is really adorable (you might’ve seen the amusing video of their love being mutual before), and while I would’ve said the same thing for the kinda-sorta side ship, it gets--uh... really bad during the movie/rest of the manga, I’ll just say that much.

Mafuyu and Ritsuka though, totally adorable.

Inuyasha kinda? Though Inuyasha and Kagome are definitely not the kind of romantic chemistry that I lean towards (I find “the bickering couple” to be rather exhausting). Plus, Cardcaptor Sakura did the “male tsundere” better than Inuyasha did (though the Clear Card Arc was terrible, at least it’s not canon kinda-sorta? idk it seems like a mix of the anime and manga so...).

After that there’s...

uh

...

hm.

I mean, there’s probably a couple more examples somewhere, but--yeah, I’ve got nothing. Maybe if I thought back to all the generic children shows I watched when I was little (like those old Disney live-action shows; I had no taste when I was younger), there might’ve been something that satisfied kid me but idk.

I don’t remember what post inspired this, but I have no problem answering regardless, ahaha~

My main issue is Aang’s attitude about the whole thing. I’m not saying it was right of Katara to go out and get “revenge via murder” exactly, but I also think that Zuko had the right idea with allowing her to go and face the man who killed her mother so she could get some form of closure (also note that Zuko doesn’t express any sort of opinion when Katara decides not to kill him; he just wanted her to have whatever she thought she needed to heal).

It’s also the episode where Zuko directly confronts Aang on his “violence isn’t the answer” rhetoric which then goes completely ignored as Aang lionturtles his way out of the conflict. Aang is also not confronted on his point of “forgiveness is the first step to healing” (when Katara has a right not to forgive and Aang isn’t challenged outside of Katara commenting on it) and was permitted to ride his high horse when Katara “steals” Appa like, “It's okay, because I forgive you... that give you any ideas?” which is just--

reaaaaaally "holier than thou”-esque when Aang is like, ten, and Katara is a sort of motherly figure to him. The episode even has Sokka praise Aang for how “wise” he is and I groaned through the entire thing.

Another smaller thing is that it sort of makes the air kingdom look way too “perfect” by having Aang be the “source of wisedom,” especially when it’s like “violence isn’t the answer” while all the other airbenders are dead.

[schmokschmok]

star dust imprints on her waiting skin

I'm really happy to finally share the pinch hit I wrote for @avatar-rarepair-exchange-2021 for @loopy777, I had so much fun writing this!

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Relationship: Azula x Yue

Characters: Azula, Yue, Zuko

Wordcount: 5100 (17 Triple Drabble)

Tags:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Arranged Marriage

POV Second Person

Summary:

This is the stranger you’re supposed to marry. The princess presented to your father as your equal. The girl you have never seen before.

aka: The politically motivated engagement of Yue and Azula that soft-boils Azula's heart over the course of several years. (5 facts disguised as secrets that Yue shares with Azula, + 1 secret disguised as fact that Azula keeps for herself.)

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29186226

Translation into German available: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29231442

CN: Food, Toxic Relationships (Azula and her father)

#1

You straighten your back before your father can reprimand your posture. Your pointy shoecaps point towards the door, and you clasp your hands behind your back to keep you from fiddling. They dressed you in your finest garbs, pulled your hair back into a perfect knot. It was your mother who crowned you princess with a sharp needle and golden hair ornaments. The incarnation of royal poise confined in the flesh and bone of your nine-year-old body.

They talk about contracts, safeguard, and tributes. They talk about localities and modalities, about peoples and connections. They talk about alliances, coalescences, and loyalty. – What they’re not talking about is you.

Zuko and you are stood unmoving behind your parents and their advisors, feet aching and fingers twitching for safe ground. He doesn’t reach for your hand, and you don’t reach for his, but you wished he were closer to you every time your eyes fall upon the white-haired girl on the other side of the negotiating table who doesn’t lift her head a single time to meet your gaze. You just want an allied soul in this room that can soothe the fire in your veins that flares up again and again and again as you examine the straight line of her shoulders; as your gaze falls upon the blue of her clothes and the brown of her boots; as her name is dropped as little as yours.

You can’t do anything other than look at her. Not only because she’s in your direct line of vision but also because you hope you can read your future in her clasped hands, star dust imprints on her waiting skin.

This is the stranger you are to marry. The princess presented to your father as your equal. The girl you have never seen before.

  #2

Your father beckons you to step forward. You’re supposed to bow and not say a word because everything has already been said without you. But perchance you’re able to catch a genuine glimpse of her face. The face of the girl who steps up in all her graceful serenity, fingers wound around an object in front of her body so firmly you can’t even see it up close.

Now she stands right before you and you can see the allusion of a smile on her lips; that small and invisible that no one but you may notice; a conspiratorial smile just for you, a secret between you that no one else is privy to. – You don’t want her intimacy, her conspiracy, but yet you answer by swallowing down the anger and helplessness that spreads through your veins. All that remains is the embers beneath your midriff.

In the hollow of her hands lie a dark ribbon and a blue, cut stone. She bows her head, avoiding your gaze and stretching out her hands, she’s offering you a necklace, and you don’t know if it would be justified to reach for it, so you reach for her hands instead and bring them to your neck, although everything in you rebels against the thought of strange hands on your vulnerable throat. But when her touch, as she puts the necklace on your neck, is feather-light you seek her gaze in surprise. You can’t find it. She doesn’t stop not looking at you. And as she lets go of the necklace and takes a step back, the weight of the stone brings down the weight of her gift onto your shoulders.

You’ll be married once you’re sixteen, and although your entire life so far is ahead of you, it feels like the end.

  #3

In the evening you put the chain on your bedside table, in the morning on your neck, at night it disperses the light of the moon and at noon your will.

Zuko says he’s your father’s heir and that there is no place for you anymore. Zuko says the only place for you is in the midst of ice and snow. Zuko says they’re going to send you away because you’re not getting married, you’re being married off. You, however, know he’s wrong. You know your father would never allow them to send you away. You know your place is on the throne of the Fire Lord and nowhere else.

Ty Lee says it’s so very romantic that you can carry around your fiancée’s promise every day for everyone to see. Ty Lee says it’s so very sensible that the stone was cut just for you, by hands that tried to create the perfect gift for you. Ty Lee says you’re so very lucky that you know what awaits you in your future. You, however, know she’s misguided. You know the stone is your brand mark. You know everyone should be able to see who you really belong to, that you don’t belong here anymore, like Zuko said.

Your mother says it’s alright to be sad. Your mother says you can cry whenever you feel the urge. Your mother says she understands how you feel because she had been in your situation herself before she married Ozai but she’s so very happy now with Zuko and you. You, however, know she’s lying. You know she’s the one who told your father to accept the plea of the Northern Water Tribe. You know she’s the one who doesn’t want you to be here, and that Zuko will end up being right.

  #4

They have kuspuk and parka and mukluks ready for you. Thick and lined und far too much too blue. In the clandestineness of your room, you slip into the heavy fabric and you don’t recognise yourself underneath all that winter. Your own eyes stare back out of the mirror but the rest of you that you can see belongs to the fiancée of the princess of the Northern Water Tribe.

Most of the time you’re able to forget what is awaiting you, the heavy necklace an everyday weight, but in moments like this the weight of the world rests on your shoulders. The day you must leave for good is approaching and no amount of hoping and pleading and begging will keep them from sending you away.

“You look like one of them,” Zuko says and in your haste to turn around you trip over the mukluks behind you. Arms crossed in front of his body and head tilted, he watches you struggling with your balance.

He’s about to turn away as if he has been only waiting for a chance to taunt you and disappear, coming away full-handed, but then he pauses and his wandering eye studies your room until it finds its way back to you. Maybe he views the hard line of your mouth as victory, maybe the fur-trimmed hood as triumph. Maybe he wants to bask once more in the realisation that it is you who was wrong; that your mother has achieved all her goals. You must go and Zuko is going to ascend the throne.

Before he finally turns to go, his gaze softens only for a moment, you almost don’t recognise him, and he says: “Blue suits you.” And suddenly, you’re alone again, drowning in a parka made for someone bigger than you.

  #5

The seasons pass you by, in reality, however, it is you passing by the landscapes. It doesn’t comfort you, the steady progress of the royal sloop, the constant trampling of the Komodo rhinos, the never-ending roar of the sea you can always hear, feet on board or land. The cold air an incessant memory that you have left the Fire Nation and its heat behind. Proof that it doesn’t matter that you’ve spent your entire life being better and best; that it’s worthless, the word of your father to whom you’ve given all your loyalty; it doesn’t make a difference that you would become heir to the throne if Zuko would misstep because you’ve already gone too far. You’ve reached the outskirts of the Northern Water Tribe and the masses of snow and ice are shining towards you.

From now on, this is to be your home, the place you’re going to live, the realm where you’re merely the consort of the regent. You are made for greater things but Zuko is the one who will end up on the throne because your mother’s care has ensured that you will never attain what you’ve fought for.

It is the first time in your life you will not get what you want; the first time you will have to submit to a decision made against your will; the first time it looks like you will just have to resign yourself to your fate. And your fate is to live out your existence at the North Pole while the cold drives the fire out of your veins.

But the reality is actually this: Your mother is no more and Zuko is gone, but they still didn’t call you back, all three of you were mistaken. You, however, don’t know anything about it.

  #6

You miss Mai, Ty Lee and your afternoons in the palace garden. You miss trainings fights and talking behind closed doors about the things Ty Lee and May can’t confide in anybody else. You miss the warm feeling of gratification that spread through the pit of your stomach whenever Mai asked in a low voice: “Don’t tell anyone, Azula, not even Ty Lee.” You miss the intoxicating feeling of sprinkling barely decipherable hints of all their secrets into conversations, always bordering on revelation. You miss the feeling of being needed, of being in control, of not being alone.

At the North Pole, you’re lonely, an oil lamp amidst arctic wind.

Sometimes you’re lonely together with Yue. Lonely because she doesn’t belong to you but to the Northern Water Tribe; expressions of loyalty would be nothing but hollow phrases. Together because sometimes she looks at you as if wants to whisper soft words meant only for your ears. But most of the time she blinks decidedly and averts her gaze from you as if she had just noticed who’s sitting in front of her. (That you’re sitting in front of her.)

(Sometimes you wonder what Yue could confide in you. You wonder what secrets lie dormant in a person like Princess Yue; what feelings and thoughts, that she wouldn’t share with anyone else, are hidden behind her superficially polite words; what vulnerabilities are buried beneath her introspective smile and kind eyes. You wonder how far you would have to dig to reveal what is hidden inside her. But most of the time you are preoccupied dealing with the anger that is constantly threatening to burn its way out of you that you can’t concentrate on anything but breathing in and breathing out and breathing away all the need for rash action.

  #7

The first secret she confides in you isn’t really a secret, it’s a “this one is my room, don’t hesitate to knock if you need anything, doesn’t matter the time of day” and an imploring “no matter when” as you walk past Yue’s door. But it feels like a secret, in this residence where every ice pillar looks the same and where, on some days, you can barely find your own room (which is not far from hers).

You try to think as little as possible about the fact that you now know the place where she is most vulnerable, because there can only be one reason why Yue has taken this step towards you: She is trying to gain a strategic advantage by laying the groundwork to be able to extract information from you without you seeing through her game. It doesn’t matter that you find yourself at her door on bad days, hand only moments away from knocking, because the thing is: Yue is not the only one capable of coming up with a game plan – a battle plan, really – and you’re tired of waiting for the situation to change on its own; tired of waiting for your father to finally bring you back home; tired of being passive and deedless and waiting. You want to finally take action, and maybe the only way to achieve that goal is to beat Yue at her own game; even if that means taking different paths than you’re used to go. (You know what your father would ask of you to win Azulon over. And how difficult could it be to conquer a princess that has already laid claim to you far too long ago? You can be perfect for her, you think, doesn’t take too much effort. A cinch, really.)

  #8

“I’ve never been interested in card games,” you say in way of greeting, your shoulder leaning against the doorframe and the offer of peace in your voice. Yue winces, visibly taken off-guard by your appearance. “My strength has always been more in Hide and Explode and the shell game.”

For a moment, her fingers fiddle with the Water Four she was about to place on the second pile from the left. Then she places the card next to the board and indicates for you to enter.

Your shoes almost slip on the ice, but you carry it off well that the floor catches you unprepared in unsuspecting moments and throws you off balance.

As you sit with her on the carpet in front of her bed, she says: “Usually, I play Pai Sho.” For a moment you’re reminded of Uncle Iroh, whom you have seen playing Pai Sho so many times but who never offered you teach you – just as he never wanted to teach you generating lightning. (You took up the lightning, discarding the Pai Sho.)

“I’ve never played Pai Sho,” you retort, while you can’t believe that a first opportunity to gain her trust presented itself so quickly and so obviously (a mundane opportunity, but you’re patient. This is your road to the throne, albeit the wrong one), and you swallow your anger at Iroh.

“Oh,” Yue says quietly. “I can show you how it’s played.” She makes no move to stand up. “But you’ll have to do something for me in return, all right?” A conspiratorial smile spreads across her lips; a smile you have seen before, and you brace yourself for the worst. But you do nod determinedly. “You gonna explain to me what Hide and Explode is.”

This will be even easier than you expected.

  #9

The second secret she confides in you is not necessarily a secret either, but you let it pass as one because it means moving a step forward. You sit outside the palace and she explains the rules of Ice Marbles, which, unlike Pai Sho, seems like something you might actually enjoy. (You’re good at Pai Sho, a natural-born strategist, but little comes close to the sweet satisfaction of a victory evoked by a game in which you had to really put yourself out.)

Her hand cups yours as she corrects your grip, and you concentrate all your strength on simply accepting her feather-light touch. (You remember the first time she touched you, you feel the stone on your neck, making you much less of an outcast here.)

“Since you’ve arrived,” Yue says suddenly, without taking her hand from yours, “I wonder how on earth it’s possible that you don’t freeze.” She looks at your red and black coat, clearly not designed for North Pole temperatures.

You stare at the marble in your hand and reply: “Fire.”

The temperature of your fingers increases, and with the melting of the ice marble, Yue pulls her hand away to avoid burning her skin on yours. You regret a little that you didn’t tease the same indignant reaction out of Yue that Zuko would have displayed in this situation. But you also don’t expect her to say in a low, concerned voice: “You must be awfully hungry from all that bending.”

She doesn’t ask why you’re still dressed in the thin coats of the Fire Nation and not the warm parkas of the Water Tribe, even though so much time has passed by. Instead, she shows you the way into the kitchen and the best way to obtain a midnight snack without getting caught.

 #10

Your hot fingers bend metal, that was once a necklace of yours, into a new shape and you wonder what exactly it is you are doing here. Or rather: You know exactly what you are doing, but you cannot explain why you are doing it.

For years, the betrothal necklace around your neck hasn’t felt as heavy as it did when you were still in the Fire Nation, and by now you know the necklaces are given away by the courting to the courted. You know that wearing the necklace marks you as courted, as ensnared, as smitten, and you’re so very tired of seeing Yue’s bare neck peeking out of the collar of her parka. You’re not the kind of person whose benevolence is ensured without wearing your sign, too. Showing your allegiance so very publically when Yue’s not also constantly reminded that you’re not the only one who belongs to someone else.

So, you sit in the snow, wrapped in your coat and focusing your full attention on the gentle, precise bending of the metal to make a pendant for the red ribbon you pulled from another one of your necklaces. (You have no use for all the jewellery they bestowed upon you when you were forced to leave. There is only one necklace left for you to wear until you’re married.)

You dip the pendant into the snow to smother the glow and you look at the teardrop shaped thing into which you still have to engrave flames to avoid any confusion about who Yue is belonging to.

(In the end they look more like churning waves, you’re not an artist by any means, but Yue’s smile is so frighteningly genuine and so surprisingly infectious that you don’t mind it as you put the necklace on her.)

  #11

The third secret she confides in you may not be a deep, dark secret but it must be enough to reassure you that you are on the right track.

“I know a spot,” Yue said before she led you outside late at night and posited you right behind her on a polar bear dog. You rode for quite a while and, after she asked you to, you actually kept your eyes closed. (You tell yourself that you did it because you want to convey to her that you trust her, so she can completely and utterly hand herself over to you. But she has never given you any reason not to trust her, hasn’t she?)

Suddenly, the polar bear dog halts and you feel Yue lowering herself from its back to the ground. You pause until you feel her hand rest on your thigh, the back of her hand facing down, the inner palm turned up so you can put yours into hers so she can help you down.

“All right,” Yue says after leading you away from the polar bear dog. She stops you and turns you in another direction, then, without letting go of your hand, she says: “You can open your eyes now.”

And as you open your eyes, the vastness of the cold tundra and the polar light stretching above hits you right in the heart. You feel so small and overwhelmed that only Yue’s hand in yours can stop you from turning back to the polar bear dog and fleeing. (You’ve never felt like this before, and you don’t know how to deal with so many feelings that aren’t anger or defiance or spite.)

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Yue asks softly, and you can’t help but look at her out of the corner of your eye.

  #12

The only reason you came back to the place she showed you was because you wanted to be alone. Truly and utterly alone. Just a few precious hours without another living creature, while the North Pole sleeps and you can be finally in your own element again. (The constant control of your own body temperature and the perpetual cold drains you because there is so much more inside you that isn’t allowed to come out.)

You stole a midnight snack from the kitchen and wolfed half of it down before shaking out your limbs and stretching them.

Everything in Agna Qel’a is made of ice and you can’t afford to lose the goodwill of the city by melting its infrastructure or damaging a few buildings. So you must use the empty expanse of the tundra to scratch the itch inside of you; to finally get back to doing what you were born to do.

At first your joints feel unwieldy and frozen, as if you’ve never bend fire in your life, but the longer you twist and turn across the ice, the smoother your movements become, until eventually you feel as if you’ve never done anything else in your life. Laboured breathing, you slip your coat off your shoulders, your upper arms and face steaming in the cold. As you stretch your arms above your head to stretch the muscles in your shoulders, you suddenly hear a voice you didn’t expect: “That was beautiful.”

Surprised, you turn to Yue, whose hand clasps the reins of a polar bear dog. You reply slowly: “Firebeding is powerful.”

Yue shakes her head and it almost looks like she is smiling at you as she says: “No, what I mean is: It looked beautiful.” And you don’t know what to do with that statement.

  #13

It’s the Avatar.

The damned Avatar is at the North Pole and you don’t know what to do. (Or rather: You know very well what would be expected of you. You know that if you father knew about the Avatar, he would expect you to report to him without hesitation. You know that he would expect you to put a quick end to the Avatar. And you could, because he is so young and so inexperienced and so powerless that it would be easy for you to overpower him. But why should you do what your father expects of you? Why, after all this time of not hearing a word from him beyond the order to report back, should you do what he asks of you? You have waited so long for him to explain to you why he left you alone. You have waited so long for him to take you back and tell you that it was just a gambit to give you the space you deserve. You waited so long and were disappointed).

(And then there’s Yue, who doesn’t want to hide from you that the Avatar is at the North Pole; who looks into your eyes with vulnerable, brittle faith and tells you not to tell anyone; who begs you to keep quiet, even though she knows your father would demand otherwise).

The damned Avatar is at the North Pole and you don’t know what to do. (And you remain silent, just as your father remained silent when you had to leave the Fire Nation. And you stay silent because you have to gain Yue’s trust after your father lost yours. And you just watch the Avatar becoming stronger and stronger, because he’s going to affect your father in a way you could never possibly have).

  #14

The moment you realise that your loyalties cannot lie with your family and the Northern Water Tribe comes in the form of General Zhao laying siege to your city. (It is the first time you think of Agna Qel’a as your city; feel Agna Qel’a as your city). You must decide which side you’ll extravert.

This acknowledgement should not be difficult for you, even though your father is everything you have ever lived for. But still you stand rooted to the spot in a pile of snow and cannot lift a finger. Everything inside you freezes and you can only watch as Zhao makes his way to the oasis.

Your heart wanders reluctantly to Yue, who asks you in a trembling voice to support the Avatar and help the Northern Water Tribe; who desperately grabs your hand and asks you urgently if you are on the same side.

(Are you on the same side? So far you have only ever been on your side and the side you would share with other people has always had to be yours. Mai and Ty Lee have been on your side and you’ve been kind of on your father’s side. But now it’s different, now everything is different, and maybe it’s time to take a side that you’ve chosen all by yourself).

“General Zhao,” you call out with all the potency in your voice, and you surprise yourself. Even though you live at the North Pole and no longer have the same power as before, you are still his princess and he must do as you ask. “What do you think you are doing? Whose orders do you think you are acting on?” And with that, your battle lines are drawn and you are not sure how you found yourself on this side.

  #15

The fifth and final secret she confides in you sounds like the greatest revelation Yue is capable of.

You sit together in the middle of the tundra, five-fingered gloves and thick parkas with fur-trimmed hoods protecting you from the icy cold of the wind. The only other creature in sight is the polar bear dog on which you sneaked out of town.

“Can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone before?” Yue asks quietly, without looking at your face. You brace yourself for her to tell you something that will somehow move you forward, that will tell you how to finally take another step further.

When she doesn’t continue, you encourage her to keep talking: “Sure. Go on.”

“When I became old enough to be inducted into political business,” Yue begins, and you perk up, because until now you’ve been kept out of most political matters, because as the princess’s consort you don’t have the right to participate in the conversations and discussions, “my father forbade me to keep on penguin sledding with the other children because it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to do so. But I still sneaked out one time at night because I couldn’t stop myself.” A blush spreads across her cheeks that you’ve never seen on her before, you almost don’t recognise her.

“Penguin sledding,” you repeat, bewilderment creeping into your voice. (You were expecting a mystery to match the abysses of yours, but this one is so far from your understanding of what mystery truly is that you can’t stop yourself from laughing a little.)

Her cheeks turn even redder and she tries to hide her face from your gaze as she embarrassingly exclaims “Yes!”, which makes you laugh a little more. Suddenly you are no longer sure if you remember the plan.

  #16

The scroll in your hands looks as if you had never opened it, only the broken seal proves that you know the contents. You look at Yue, who is sitting on the carpet in front of her bed, and you say: “I must pack.”

Frowning in surprise, Yue asks: “What?”

“My father wrote to me,” you reply, then hand Yue the scroll so she can read for herself that your father is ordering your intervention in the doings of Iroh and Zuko.

Her eyes dance frantically over his words and with strained disbelief in her voice she asks: “And now you must pack?”

“I must pack and begin to search,” you declare, your thoughts already half buried in a map of the world.

Yue sighs sea-bottom-deep before she can stop herself, noting: “You must obey his command, for your people, I understand.”

You snort, and the laughter that falls from your lips afterwards could almost be about Yue if it wasn’t so damn entertaining that it doesn’t matter how much time people spend with you because they fail over and over again at being able to read you.

“I must find the Avatar to teach him firebending,” you retort mockingly. There is nothing in this world that edges you on as much as malice and invidiousness and the mere gratification of doing something out of spite. (To your father, not to just anyone. The days he could enjoy your unquestioned loyalty are over. You want your throne, and the Avatar is the only one who can make it happen).

“I’ll come with you,” Yue says suddenly, already standing on her feet, and you can’t explain the warm feeling that spreads through your entire body. After all, you didn’t ask her to come.

You say: “Good.” And she smiles at you.

  #17

The boat Yue has organised for you is small and wooden and not at all meant for royal travellers in its sheer simplicity, but it will have to suffice to find the Avatar who is supposed to be in the Earth Kingdom. Yue has brought on board two waterbenders for your plan, who will not rat you out to Arnook (because they love Yue; a nonbender who is not even trained in combat, but who is so close to their hearts that they see nothing wrong with doing anything for her, even if their chief would not agree) and who are trained in steering boats.

You take one last look at the illuminated palace that has been your … home for the last few years, even if the thought doesn’t necessarily bring the same kind of comfort as knowing Yue at your side. (Yue, who, without questioning your motivation, has been immediately willing to do anything for her people, and thus somehow for you; who, in all your time at the North Pole, you haven’t had to convince of yourself in the same way as Mai and Ty Lee and your father, and in whom you can sometimes recognise parts of your mother that she only revealed to Zuko, but never to you).

“You want to tell them to put out to sea?” Yue asks, after checking her bag one last time to make sure she has packed everything. She has let you tie her hair into a topknot, and if it weren’t for the Water Tribe symbol on the medallion she has attached to it, you could easily mistake her for a Fire Nation princess.

You shake your head. “You do it.”

And then you reach for her hand and together you board the boat. Your journey is just beginning.

[korranguyen]

Officially my new favorite character moment of ATLA.

I know I just made a post about this very recently (private now) but... I feel like there’s just so much to digest in this moment and I want to just put in perspective how damn meaningful it is in perspective with Zuko’s arc and everything ATLA stood for.

Especially since I’ve never seen it quoted before. (Seriously, guys? “That’s rough, buddy” over this? It’s in the same damn episode, for crying out loud)

Sokka: Maybe sometimes it’s just better to call it quits before you fail. Zuko: No it’s not. Look, Sokka, you’re going to fail a lot before things work out. Sokka: That’s supposed to make me feel better? Even though you’re probably going to fail over and over and over again,— Sokka: —Seriously, not helping— Zuko: —You have to try every time. You can’t quit because you’re afraid you might fail.

(On second thought, maybe it’s because Zuko doesn’t sound incredibly eloquent on paper-- as I’ll get to later. But damn, just rewatch the episode and listen to the characters’ voices behind it.)

Okay, first off, I love how it mirrors this scene.

... from all the way back in Season 1.

It really does roll a lens over just how dynamic and realistic a character he is, pitting different elements of himself he either preserves or transforms over time. Whether on purpose or by accident, the continuity of that mantra, delivered in different forms (a bitter monologue vs. encouraging a friend), really puts in our faces how far he’s come from the “banished prince” he used to be.

Keep in mind that Zuko’s been raised in a way that deems him a failure over and over again, oftentimes before he even takes action in the first place. Zuko grew up dubbed “the failure”, even “lucky to be born” by his abusive father (shit). Think back to Zuko Alone: he failed to defend himself until he whipped out his firebending, and then when he does get a fighting edge he gets his worst shortcoming (at the time)-- his father “burning and disowning him”-- shoved straight back in his face. Yet, thanks to the positive influences of his mother and uncle, he’s learned to be resilient even in the face of almost certain failure and conceptualize that strength as part of his identity. Tell me his quote doesn’t mirror Iroh’s much-wordier-sounding proverbs about hope:

“No Zuko. You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope Is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” -Iroh

Okay, so Zuko’s conversation with Sokka mimicking his uncle’s advice does a number of things. To start, it reminds us just how huge of an impact his uncle has on him. Even though he hasn’t yet reconciled with his uncle at this point, he always carries his uncle with him-- whether in the form of half-written jokes, botched proverbs... or the actual philosophies he has adapted like muscle memory from Uncle’s encouragement and his own experiences simultaneously.

I know @araeph in the past has talked about how Zuko isn’t good with words so much as he is with his actions-- which I do agree with-- but I’d say this right here is pretty damn close. After all the stuff about “silver sandwiches” and “looking within yourself to save yourself from your other self to reveal yourself”, it really speaks volumes that the time that he emulates his uncle the most when he isn’t consciously trying, because that’s how big a part his uncle has in his life, and that’s how well he interacts with and applies the lessons he learns over time.

Furthermore, I love how Zuko not only acts upon his uncle’s advice, but he is quite literally adopting his uncle’s role amongst the rest of the Gaang. I loved how this demonstrates the cycles of parenthood in such a positive light :)  (especially since we’re so badly deprived of healthy child-to-parent admiration anywhere else in the Avatar franchise NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT moving on)

Anyway...

Oh yeah, of course this brings us to the whole Zutara “co-parenting” discussion! The way he puts his hand on Sokka’s shoulder reminds me of one other scene:

Yet another instance of co-parenting. Co-supporting. Zuko and Sokka aren’t just “bros”-- this is also Zuko being an instinctive, almost parental support system to him: just like someone else we know :)

Anyway... Zuko is an incredible character. His growth from a bitter teenager concentrated on self-blame and pleasing his abuser to an unselfish mentor figure sends such an inspiring message to the kids like him struggling their way into adulthood.

Fuck, it’s amazing how something as out-of-world as an children flying around on a giant fluff ball in an elemental war can hit notes that hit this personal, and this moving, but his arc is just so damn meaningful it does the job incredibly.

[flaming-pancakes-4819]

A Talk About Redemption

Hello everyone, and welcome to my TED talk. 

Spoilers, if that wasn't clear

 As the big bold letter ontop say, this little discussion will be a sort of educational talk on redemption. Or, in other words, how to do it right.

Be warned: I’m not the best at explain - and it’s currently 12 am- but I’ll try my best to get my point across.

 Now, I would like to point it out right now that I actually thought the new star wars movies were decent- not perfect, but decent. I understood vaguely what whoever was writing this trilogy wanted this new saga to go but, of course, there were a lot of flaws. One flaw I will talk about is, of course, redemption.

 Now, another warning before you read on: I am a reylo fan. Yes, yes, I can hear you judging me for this, but listen for one sec. I liked reylo, yes, but it wasn’t done right. I loved the trope and where it could have gone. I loved the characters and the potential for each- especially ben and rey. The thing is: the characters arcs wasn’t done right. it was full of flaws and chopped up arcs; these characters could have been amazing- if done right. 

 But I’m not gonna talk about all these characters because, as the big letters say, I’m here to talk about redemption. Specifically, about Ben’s redemption arc since that’s what the trilogy clearly shows. A villian turning into a hero in the end.

 Now, for one moment, tell me: does this sort of arc sound familiar? I wonder what other character had this development. A character who was evil and hated and yet, in the end, managed to redeem himself and fight on the good side.

 If it wasn’t clear, I was talking about Zuko from The Last Airbender. As far as I know, this guy had the only good redemption arc I can think of at the top of my head.

 This guy who has done terrible things and raided villages in this self-centered quest to find the avatar for a father who basically used/abused him, had, in the end, joined forces with the avatar- the good side- and defeated the man who tormented him for so long.

 And it’s this characterization and its’ steps that I want to talk about and how it correlates with Ben’s- and how Ben’s arc could have been better. Way better. Before we begin, I will like to point out that I will be introducing the most basic steps in a redemption arc- in my eyes anyways.

 Anyway, let’s begin.

 Step 1: Misguided illusion

The first dip in the pond I see when looking at Zuko’s character is one thing: his goal. His wants, his needs, and the faith he has. Basically, the tinted glasses of illusion. Zuko was all about getting his father's approval. He wanted it, he thought he needed it. He was hellbent on finding the avatar to restore his honor. It was his whole being, in a sense; his one drive in life. He wanted to gain back acceptance in something that was not as perfect as it seemed; he wanted this misguided acceptance from a nation/father who didn’t deserve it.

 It’s this small list that makes up the beginning of a redemption arc: the goal and faith of a character.

 Now, for Ben, what is his goal? What does he have faith in?

 It’s clear his faith is in the dark side but his want? To me, it’s unclear or not developed enough. This has always been a con to me;  I never understood what Ben really wanted since he was in the dark side- or almost as Snoke said he wasn’t “there yet” idk- he was a key player and a right hand man to Snoke, so now what? Does he want power? Control? What does he want? My guess is to become a full member of the dark side.

That goal is what gets up to the next step.

 Step 2: Internal Struggle

In Zuko’s case, the thing that toppled his world and shook his faith was when he met Song, a girl who had been scarred during a Fire Nation assault. Sure, there were other instances of existential conflicts in Book 2, but with Song, it showed Zuko that the Fire Nation wasn’t as great as he thought it was. It challenges his faith.

 Now for Ben, what is that key moment? Where does his conflict get challenged? I would say  when he killed his dear ol’ dad, Han. Now, I thought this was a great conflict; he feels guilt over his dad’s death. But the thing is, it wasn’t enough. For me, I needed more of that struggle, of that conflict in which that moments hurt him- not really in TLJ but in TROS.

 Step 3: Back To The Beginning

 Now this is a step in which the character reverts back into their old ways when the opportunity of their “goal” appears. Think of it as a set back.

 For Zuko, this was clear when he betrayed his uncle to achieve that chance at earning his father’s acceptance and his honor. But the thing is, he’s learned. He’s struggled. He has a new mindset now and that mindset is now a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit anymore. He now has a clearer picture of what the Fire Nation is and what he thinks it should be. Peace for all nations. This is his new want.

 Now what about Ben?

 I think it’s clear to what his set back is: when he killed Snoke and took control as Supreme leader. While this clearly shows a goal for him, it’s not enough because, as stated before, his goal was to be one with the dark side and he just… kills Snoke? That’s what he wanted before. So was I wrong? Did he want  power? Why does he want to rule? Because he’s evil? Okay, then why all the mumbo jumbo about his guilt over his pops and his supposed “not there yet” dark side transition. Also, does the guilt over his dad over transition to guilt over his actions?

Many questions, not enough time. Or evidence, for that matter.

Step 4: New Ideals

 This is where the fun begins.

 So after the whole fiasco of seeing his family again and going back home, Zuko leaves. By his own choice again, but for what he truly believes in: peace. His changed ideals are what drive him to this step. He doesn’t want honor anymore but about something bigger- seeing the Nation he once believed in not be what it was supposed to be and going out of his way to change that.

 And Ben?

 Well, he did throw that saber into the ocean so there you go.

 Step 5: One Of The Boys

 Last step is pretty short but a nice bow ontop of a wrapped present.

 Zuko goes to the good side- aka. Aang and the squad- and defeats his father. Yay! Hooray! Give this man a medal. But that’s not the important part here; it’s that he made this choice with his own reasoning behind it and his own ideals. He’s learned and applied it accordingly.

 Going back to Ben. What about him?

 This part was understandable and heartbreaking. Ben went to help Rey, sacrificed himself for her, and then become one with the force. Yay?

 Now, this whole chart may make it look like Ben got almost all the check marks- but there’s one problem, and that’s his actual characterization.

 Ben is an unstable man in my eyes. He doesn’t know what he truly wants and his goals are all over the place. Yes, he was a crap guy who did bad things but so did Zuko and look how he turned out. No, it’s all about how Ben was portrayed and what was missing- and that’s his goals.

 For instance, how does his goal affect with what he’s learned? Yes, he killed his dad and felt guilt, but how do you apply that to killing Snoke? Why did he take control after that? How does that connect to his want of being one with the dark side and his guilt over his dad?

 It doesn’t and that’s the problem. 

  Now, I don’t mind that throne room fight scene; it was visually beautiful, but still, somewhere along the lines, something happened and Ben’s character was muddled in the middle to the point that the ending was as clear to Ben’s character arc and how it connected.

 Yes, some of you might say “Well, Avatar was 3 seasons and Star wars was 3 movies.” Well, that doesn’t excuse writing a good redemption arc- or a better one in which that arc is clear on the whys.

 Anyways, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading all this. It’s currently 12am and I just came back from watching the movie. Hope I wrote this well. I am tired.

[formerlyrunephoenix6769]

Catra: Journey to Redemption.

(Long post and spoilers for Season 1 SPOP)

In the run up to the release of ‘She-Ra: Princesses of Power.’ season 2 on April 26th 2019, I have been seeing lots of posts about our resident, ‘misguided; villain and all around badass who knows damn well how to rock a suit. 

Yes, of course, I am talking about Catra!

The nature of the posts I have been seeing have all had a similar vein or sentiment. 

“Give Catra her redemption arc.”  or  “Start Catra’s redemption arc.” 

I am just as hopeful as the the next person for Catra to have a redemption arc, if that is in fact what Noelle Stevenson and the rest of the team have planned for the character. But one thing I will say, is ‘patience’ and a small warning to be prepared,  

Catra is going to get much worse before she can even begin to get better! 

Catra could not possibly even begin to start on a path of redemption by the end of S2 because at the end of S1, she hasnt even begun to explore the full depths of her villainy.  (Being we dont know exactly how many seasons are planned, or what the overall narrative end goal is when it comes to the final conflict and Good triumphing over Evil, much of this is speculative. 

We can however use Avatar Last Airbender and the industry standard of best Redemption Arc ever, in all mediums, Zuko, and their timeline, which I think Noelle Stevenson said in an interview that if a redemption arc was to occur, that they would like to do something that could stand next to Zuko’s redemption arc. 

I will also be using Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces, and his hero’s journey map as a resource but try implement it for villains)  

If you would like to take a look at my thoughts on redemption arcs in general the feel free to check out the link below. 

https://formerlyrunephoenix6769.tumblr.com/post/182640410231/are-all-villains-redeemable

I’ll be covering similar sentiments here. 

Ok first. 

TIMELINE:. 

ATLAB is only 3 BOOKs long, however the number of episodes, 61 over all, containing 20 minimum in each Book is far more than SPOP’s standard 13, meaning that technically Zuko’s redemption arc played out over just under 6 SPOP seasons, meaning that Zuko’s penultimate episodes, detrimental to his redemption arc, ‘Blue Spirit’ episode 13 in Book 1 and ‘Zuko Alone’  Episode 7 of Book 2, didnt technically take place until till the end of season 1 and half way through season 3 ... going off an SPOP standard time. 

Meaning there was over a season and a half between Zuko doing something right for the wrong reasons and also then moving off to really begin the start of his redemption arc in earnest, which he continues to struggle with right the way into Book 3 ( season 5/6)  

The difference here, I would also like to point out is that Zuko at the very beginning of ATLAB is already technically way ahead of Catra due to him being physically away from his ‘abuser’ and direct control of the life long indoctrination. He also has one up on Catra at this point as he has a ‘Mentor/Guide’ helping to facilitate the transition and help him see the error of his ways.

Technically, this puts Zuko’s character development on the road to redemption (OTRTR)  at least ONE season ahead of Catra. Meaning that his moment of ‘doing something right for the wrong reasons’ in ‘Zuko Alone.’ does not take place until at least the end of season 2, SPOP standard time! 

In other words... 

It's going to take some time for a pussy riot to manifest.

Taking this into account. 

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES. 

We can not continue without addressing the fact that there are many similarities and differences between the supposed ‘villains’. 

Both were the Scape Goat to a favoured Golden Child yet their interactions with the ‘Gold Child’ are vastly different. 

For Zuko, Azula was an antagonist. For Catra, Adora was an ally. 

Both suffered abuse from their primary caregiver, both were belittled and chastised for supposedly being ‘lesser’. However the fundamental difference is their reactions, Zuko continued to attempt to receive his Father’s favour, whilst Catra, on the surface didn't care, resulting in acting rebelliously. 

Both have issues surrounding self worth and how they express it is vastly different. 

Zuko is hugely unaware of his ‘Empire’s’ indoctrination and the imperialistic rule, believing the propaganda he was raised with. 

Whilst Catra is fully aware of the Horde and its intentions. 

And I think this is worthy of note!

Their ‘villainy’ and motivations are seated in entirely different places. 

Zuko starts out  wishing to ‘reclaim his honour’, prove his worth in his father’s eyes, and reclaim his birthright as the heir to the Fire Nation throne, in the words of his sister,

  It is only as he travels over the next SPOP SDT, 4 seasons that he realises his true purpose. 

Catra, is aware the Horde is evil, is given an opportunity to leave, but chooses not to, instead she willingly sets herself on a dark path to gain power and prove her self worth to everyone around her, esp her abuser, step mom of the year, Shadow Weaver,

Thus setting up the whole shenanigans of SPOP season 1.  

CONFLICT. 

As I covered in my previous post in the link above, a redemption arc cannot occur without showing that the ‘villain’ is conflicted. 

A redemption should be a slow burn, from starting point of why/how they are villains,  also showing the seeds of discontent, inner conflict, conflict of their actions, conflict of their ideals,  whether indoctrinated/learned/or their own misguided musings, then later a larger amount of focus should be placed on how they have overcome that villainy and change of perspective culminating with coming full circle.

What makes Zuko’s particular redemption arc so good is the work that goes into showing this. The time, the attention to detail, not being shied away from by the writers, that  intentionally trickles down and infuses with the character’s essence of being. 

Yes, Catra is conflicted about her relationship with Adora and what Adora means to her. 

This conflict about her and Adora’s relationship was partially resolved with Catra taking Adora’s motivations the wrong way, due to her own issues surrounding her self worth. 

This ‘resolution’ only serves to push Catra further down the a dark path.

But we have yet to see Catra conflicted about her actions and dont expect to see that happen until after we see her fully embrace her villainy, which by the end of S1, she was nowhere near close to doing. (See Triggers and Turning points)

Meaning that “Catra Alone”  might not even occur until midway S3  and actual beginnings of feeling conflicted about her actions, until S4.  

TRIGGER A TURNING POINT.

So we have discussed conflict. Conflict about ones actions can come about in many different forms, but it must be triggered by something that is enough to shake the core foundations of a villains motivations. 

In order for it to be believable and carry weight, a villain cannot  suddenly overnight go, 

 And the protagonists accept it at face value, as the audience wont.  

 A redemption should be a slow burn, from starting point of why/how they are villains and most importantly,  focus on how they have struggled to overcome that villainy and change their perspective. 

The link below is to a previous post, with an avenue of thought of what could trigger Catra on ONRTR.

https://formerlyrunephoenix6769.tumblr.com/post/182601000156/catra-could-she-be-a-lost-princess-and-if-so

Another avenue of thought is that Adora is gravely injured. I am not normally one for such an easy and over done trope but in this instance it is highly possible, because as it stands now, Catra has never nastily physically injured Adora, only She-Ra! 

(When she raked her darn claws down She-Ra’s back. Showing that Catra see’s a difference between to two personalities and isn't as of yet willing to cross that line... Maybe crossing that line will be a stepping stone to embracing her chosen darker path?) 

In fact, Catra has gone out of her way to avoid just that, much preferring to go after Adora emotionally.  

FALLING INTO OLD PATTERNS:

Even after ‘Zuko Alone’ and the Ba Sing Say arc, Zuko begins on a false start redemption by bonding with Katara but by the next episode falls back into old patterns by choosing to side with Azula as the ties that bind and the potential to reclaim his birthright is too hard to ignore. 

Which is totally normal for a teenager. 

This adds so much depth to his inner conflict, a catalyst that later cements his realisation at his true purpose, ushering him through the gates of his redemption arc, towards trying to make amends with the protagonists before they can accept him.   

Catra strikes me as someone who will never be wholly ‘good’, in the sense of the word when it is applied to Bow, Glimmer or Adora, but rather someone who will make super dark comments and morally grey suggestions of how to deal with an issue, which is what we have been shown of her from the very beginning. 

It is hard to say is Catra will ever have this step in a redemption arc due to her already morally grey nature, this could very well be skipped over entirely. 

Narratively speaking and characterization wise, this particular part of an arc could present itself not as a ‘false start’ but could come from ‘Subterfuge and infiltration’ , whereby Catra pretends to come to their side only for her to betray them later, for her own ends. 

OR, 

We could very well have a ‘false start’, where she is trapped with any of the protagonists and they need to work together to escape, similar to the aptly named  ATLAB ep 40 ‘The Crossroads of Destiny’ and SPOPS s1e9 ‘Promise’, which would be a nice mirror, from a narrative standpoint, only for her to run off and return to the Horde once free. 

Again note, that this false start occured for Zuko the very end of S3 SPOP SDT. 

CONCLUSIONS.

Before Catra’s Redemption arc can come to fruition , we need her to go on her journey. Something akin to this, but for villains. 

On this map, if Resurrection is Catra being genuinely accepted by the protagonists as being changed and truly on their side.  I would see Catra as in between Meeting of Mentor (Hordak) and Crossing the Threshold into full blown villany 

So, we need to see her, 

1) Become a true villain. 

2) 1st Trigger.

3) baby Conflict

4)False start, falling into old patterns

5) 2nd Trigger

6)Conflict and Realisation/ (Seizing the Treasure) 

7) Through the Gates 

8) Trial of Proof.

9) Acceptance/Resurrection. 

We could be waiting for some time for a Catra redemption arc to kick in, and please dont be disappointed or frothing at the mouth if we dont see it starting in Season 2... No matter how much you want it out of the way so that ‘other’ things can occur.. 

Please keep in mind.. 

A good Redemption Arc has to be earned! And doing it well takes time!

MEANWHILE  ...

There is ALL OF THIS.... 

I dont even know where to begin starting to unwrap all this tension and awkwardness., 

Think I’m going to leave that for a an entirely different post.

[spirit-science-blog]

Hey there, welcome back! Today we’re going to talk about everyone’s favorite Saturday morning Grandpa...or I guess Uncle would be more accurate...that’s right..we’re finally going to dive into the Sagely Wisdom of Uncle Iroh and the immense spiritual knowledge that he teaches the main characters….and us in the process...so sit back, grab a Tsungi horn, heat some Jasmine Tea, and one more thing before we get started, on the subject of Wisdom - we do a live event every full moon, every month called the Wisdom Moons. The next one is coming up soon! Use the link below to see how you can join our live event. I hope to see you there!

For those of you who haven’t seen the show, Iroh is the oldest main character that we follow actively through the series.... and is pretty much your Lao Tzu or Mystical Buddha kind of guy. He was a general of the Fire Nation and one of its greatest warriors, having the title “The Dragon of the West,” laying siege to the Earth Capital, but retired after his son Lu Ten was killed in action, and he became disillusioned with the war effort. When we first meet him though, Iroh is introduced as the uncle of Zuko, and acts as a father figure to him, as well as a moral compass, giving him great advice -which Zuko often ignores…..and accompanies him on his hunt for the Avatar, slowly teaching him to accept his true nature and become more in balance with himself.

Despite his fire nation origin, though.. he’s not a bad guy...in fact, he’s probably one of the beating moral hearts of the show, who -in stark contrast to Zuko, is easygoing, friendly, and dryly good-humored….let’s face it, aside from Sokka, he’s probably at the top of the list for most peoples favorite characters growing up. Exceptionally… when I’m old and grey, I want to be just like Iroh… and Gandalf… and Dumbledoor anyways right from episode 1, we see Iroh’s greatest virtue and wisdom...patience. Iroh doesn’t have it easy on the show, for, in the beginning, Zuko treats him pretty poorly, ignoring his advice and shouting at him a fair bit. Yet Iroh is there for him, no matter what, as he understands the importance of family and being there for the people who matter, undoubtedly coming from his son's loss.

As the series progressed and he got more screen time, we started to see his actions' real wisdom, but season 1 set his groundwork up as embodying patience, serenity, and mindfulness. Unlike most of the fire nation, he’s a man who sees beauty in the most superficial aspects of life, treating his self-imposed exile almost like an extended vacation to see the world. As Colin Mchannan points out...Iroh is a great man, sure, but what makes him truly wise and believable is his journey. He didn’t start as a mystical Buddha with life all figured out. He was broken….having lost the thing that mattered most to him -his child, and it defined him. The best part, though, and the ultimate lesson, is that Iroh let it define him in the best way. He could have been bitter and angry, but he instead chose to live the remainder of his life to the fullest in an attempt to avoid the mistakes and regrets from his earlier life….

In fact, in "Tales of Ba Sing Se" (one of the best episodes ever…), it’s suggested in that section where he sings Little Soldier Boy that some of that great optimism and generosity that he’s known so well for are a form of post-traumatic growth coming from the loss of his son. Like the waterbenders, he embraces the concept of flow and learns to move with the tide of life rather than stay stagnant and bitter.

Speaking of Waterbenders, this brings us to some of his best attributes that countless people have learned from…..his quotes...of everything, he’s probably best known for his words of wisdom as he freely advises most of the characters throughout the series. One passage, in particular, is often brought up as one of his best. When teaching Zuko in season 2 about lightning bending, Iroh explains that “It’s important to draw wisdom from many places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.” Adhering to this philosophy eventually led him to develop a lightning bending -a technique never before seen, by studying the push and pull of water bending. Equally, he tries to convince Zuko that understanding Earth bending is just as important when he's fire turning to develop a real understanding of the element...which amazingly, Zuko then carries on to Aang during his training later on..

One of the best parts of Season 3 is when we learn that Iroh lied about killing the last Dragon to protect the ancient Dragon Masters Ren and Shaw, and even be their student. Through his compassion, he drove his firebending powers from vitality, heart, and life force rather than from rage as most of his contemporary firebenders did, thereby gaining a power none of them had.

For us, wisdom is essentially the same when applied to any aspect of life. Suppose you learn about something from only one source. In that case, you’ll pick up all the biases and influences from that source and never form your own opinion...but if instead, you look in different places for the inherent wisdom, you’ll end up a much more whole and balanced individual. I think Iroh’s insight here stems from his understanding of the four nations as balancers of each other. See, his nature and the course of his life have brought him to a philosophy that embraces peacefulness, harmony, and mutual understanding rather than conflict….but what’s more, it seems like he would much rather see the four nations live in mutual peace as opposed to single fire nation rule, as each one brings something unique to the table

While people often compare him to a Budhha like figure, I think a much better comparison is Budhai, the Chinese monk who’s often depicted as the fat or laughing Buddha, rather than Sidhurtta himself. Ironically, despite his carefree and detached attitude, he is something of a hedonist in his old age. He likes subtle pleasures, fancy tea, and seems to focus his life much more on relaxation and fun than he does on helping Zuko find Aang or engage in his nation’s nationalistic war. He often flirts with loads of girls in the series and is called handsome a couple of times! And he loves it….maybe he watched our recent episode on materialism and took it to heart…. Or maybe it’s a natural result of his earlier years conquesting, his soul is liberated from war, and all he wants now is to be jolly.

Ironically though, despite his focus on pleasure and relaxation, he does remark in season 1 that “the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup,” implying that it’s what’s nurtured inside that truly matters…..but he does accidentally poison himself with a flower in that episode too...sooo...you win some and lose some I guess.

The point is, like the kids of Avatar, he doesn’t take himself too seriously and takes the time to take “moments of quiet” in the face of a decision…..I was joking last time about him being a big kid. Still, the more I look at him, he kind of is…..and it’s excellent...while many of the series' notable characters were maturing throughout the show. Of course, there’s the 14-year-old warlord to boot, Iroh was already a "changed man" who already suffered tremendous loss and "matured" through that it…reminding us that “Failure is simply a chance to start over anew, this time only wiser.” Even when opening his tea shop, he points out that “There’s nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity,” advising Zuko to abandon his quest for honor….but even then, he never forces him because it has to be Zuko's decision to understand that on his own

Speaking of starting things, remember earlier how we explained that Iroh liked to draw wisdom from all the elements rather than just fire? A couple of fans have pointed out that his attitude towards tea is the perfect example of this. While Iroh’s love of tea is often played for laughs, there’s an underlying meaning and purpose -and to some extent, lesson, behind his passion for jasmine and ginseng tea that’s not often talked about.  

To make an outstanding cuppa tea, all four of the bending elements are required. You need clay for the teapots and cups or the leaves from the ground, the water for the substance, Fire to heat the Tea, and the air to blow on the hot tea to cool it so you can drink it (even if you leave it out to cool naturally, it would get cold and taste worse). If you take one element out, the tea is either impossible to make or worse without it.. Iroh knew this, just as he knew that the only way to defeat the Fire Nation was for all four elements to work together. When on the boat to Ba Sing Se, Iroh gets a cold cup of tea and heats it with fire breath to the perfect temperature -all the while accidentally revealing to Jet that he’s a fire bender…

Iroh learned several things by watching other bending tribes. He knew that understanding others was the only way to be whole. Tea, then, is a physical manifestation of these teachings. On the surface, Iroh’s love of tea could be viewed as nothing more than a simple character trait, but it also serves as a representation of his spirituality and calming nature. In the context of achieving harmony and balance among the four nations, it's a lesson on the value of tolerance, balance, and listening that Uncle Iroh passed on to Zuko. And while this theory is just Reddit headcanon, it's a deep and meaningful way to look at Iroh's love of tea in a new light….he didn’t enjoy any old cup, only one that was truly and fully balanced with all the elements working together in unison

But the beautiful thing about Iroh is that he also can stand for the intensity of the fiery element and knows precisely how and when to use it. He rarely exhibits such power; one example is when he yells at Zuko under Lake Laogai.

Play clip: It's time for you to look inward and start asking yourself the big question: who are you, and what do YOU want?!

And that’s when he’s delivering compassionate wisdom with intensity! He also liberates all of Ba Sing Se at the very end of the series, after a getting ripped in jail montage, and shows exactly why they called him the Dragon of the West. All in all, Iroh’s philosophy of flow is undoubtedly inspired by Taoist values and helps to bring profound spiritual wisdom to a younger audience. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would recommend wholeheartedly going and checking out the series...even just for him alone….I could have written this entire video made up of just his quotes, and it would be equally as great...so I think Iroh is a modern-day ascended master. Even his bending forms are influenced by Southern Shaolin, Dragon, and Form-intention styles of Kung-Fu, all of which match his personality pretty well.

Interestingly, Kaci Ferrell pointed out in reviews that after the season 2 episode of Legend of Korra where Iroh appeared to her in the spirit world, Korra became a much more likable character with the fans because she took Iroh’s wisdom on board…..even in death he’s bringing the fandom together! So with that, thanks so much for watching! We’ll leave a link to some of Iroh’s best quotes and snippets of wisdom below so you can check them out, but otherwise, totally go and watch ATLA cause there’s so much more wisdom hidden inside it...and always remember, above all else…….that being sick of tea is like being sick of breathing. Toodles!

Sources:

The Lost Scrolls: Fire, page 159 of The Lost Scrolls Collection.

Director: Ethan Spaulding; Writer: Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (April 7, 2006). "Return to Omashu." Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 3

Ferrell, Kaci (November 9, 2013). "The Legend of Korra season 2 episode 10 review: A New Spiritual Age". Den of Geek.

McMahon, Colin (March 28, 2014). "The Wisdom to Be Learned from Uncle Iroh." The Red Rings of Redemption.

Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (2006-09-15). "The Drill." Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 13. Nickelodeon.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/gtuca1/avatar_the_last_airbender_irohs_love_for_making/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: Dagashi Kashi

How did this get a dub?

Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful it got a dub, of course, since I enjoyed Degashi Kashi, but… how did an anime about Japanese Penny Candies/Snacks earn itself a dub? It’s so niche, so obscure, and so unlikely that American audiences would experience any of these foods for themselves,[1] that I wouldn’t even dream of it receiving a a Sub-only Release, let alone a dub. Heck, my even knowing about it was a combination of vaguely recalling some random bit from LoadingReadyRun discussing its upcoming release, and accidentally finding it through Funimation.

And it’s second season is also getting a Simuldub, which makes this series even more inexplicable, as it doesn’t strike me as a show that would inspire a revival.

Why does Dagashi Kashi have a dub? How does any of this happen?

I love anime.

(Spoilers below the page break)

Degashi Kashi is a slice of life comedy about a young boy who kind of wants to be a Mangaka, but whose dad wants him take over the family business: a Japanese Candy Store.[2] The young boy would rather not. Then a quirky, Degashi-obsessed girl arrives looking to recruit the father for her family’s snack company, but the father will not take the job unless his son will take over the family store.

Hilarity ensues. Also lot of trivia and history lessons about the Dagashi and its surrounding culture.

It’s a charmingly odd show that makes the most out of having only five cast members. There’s Kokonotsu (the noted son) his father Yo, Hotaru (the girl seeking to get Kokonotsu to take over the store) Saya (Cafe operator crushing on Kokonotsu) and Tou (Saya’s brother who looks like Dave Strider).

There’s pretty much no major plot to speak of, with only enough premise to carry the episodes between various Dagashi lessons.

Also some pretty tame fan service. And odd character designs.

The eyes are weird. Kokonotsu’s are mostly fine, as far as generic protagonist designs go, and Yo and Tou don’t have their eyes visible often enough for comment, but the girls have pretty out-there eyes.

Hotaru’s eyes are concentric circles, making her look a little crazed and possibly unearthly. Her design over all is pretty eccentric, as she’s dressed in a simplified gothic lolita style and is the only one without natural hair and eye color, but that I’m broadly used to, because… anime. She sticks out like a sore thumb, but that fits her role so I’m okay with her design.

Also, her dub voice is… unconventional. There’s a usual timbre and speaking pattern that I’ve grown to expect from female characters. Usually sweet and light, but able to range into comedic anger. A little wiggle room for personalization, but mostly samey.[3] Hotaru can have that quality, yes, but when she really gets going, it’s usually a little lower pitched, and there’s this vocal quirk that’s… very difficult to put into words, where she’s not actually putting on a mocking tone, but is next door to it in pattern.

Please try and find examples of this dub voice. I was surprised at first, but I quickly grew to like Tabitha Ray’s performance for sounding very distinct.[4]

Returning to eye criticisms, Saya looks constantly crazed.

Her irises remain constantly tiny. The thing about giant anime eyes is it allows space for fine tuning emotions. Normally, the pupils/irises take up about 40-60% of the total space, allowing space to make them grow to show interest or more emotion, or (as is more to the point) shrink to show shock or extreme anger or just a loss in mental stability.

There’s an expressive language one learns as they watch anime, and Saya is locked in the tiny iris end, so she looks like she’s supposed to be crazy, possibly planning on burning you alive with a scalding pot of coffee at any moment.  But that isn’t her personality at all. Sure, her introductory scene was pretty textbook Tsundere, but she quickly eased into the Childhood Friend archetype, and either way, her shrunken eyes are unjustified. I got mostly used to the eyes, but it’s still poor design, since (ideally) character design should tell you something about the character, or at least be deliberately misleading.

Which leaves one last topic to discuss: Fanservice!

The portrayal of sexual elements is important for creators to consider. Good Art should hold a mirror to the human experience, and how an artist approaches the subject can say a lot.

Still, cultural norms and the ebb and flow of societal expectations, as well as the desire to draw in the target audience, makes the execution of fanservice fascinating to me. Where are the lines, on both a community level and personal level? Does the medium itself have an influence? Because a single misstep in fanservice can bring forth harsh criticism.

And, let me remind you that Avatar: the Last Airbender, one of the best animated series to broadcast on an American children’s television station, dedicated an episode to showing cute girls (and Zuko) at the beach in bathing suits. The oldest of whom was 16.[5]

So, Dagashi Kashi, to its credit, doesn’t feel fanservice-driven. Sure, some situations might be a little contrived (mostly surrounding Hotaru), but like the comedy of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, the show at least shows the steps that bring forth fanservice. And, to be honest, it’s pretty tame after the first episode. Mostly rain or sweat making Hotaru’s white shirt a little sheer to show off a little frill of her bra. Then the camera takes the perspective of Kokonotsu, who takes a very quick glimpse before averting his gaze.

Now, before I go further with my analysis, let me be clear: if the show cut all the fanservice scenes and took the maybe five total minutes they took (in twelve episodes) and expanded the Dagashi lessons, there would be no real loss. It’s superfluous material. But the fanservice shots also aren’t distracting nor derail the plot. They’re also mostly tasteful, and work is put in so the fanservice does work in context.

The element to execution that I think is most important is that it’s viewed through the the lense of youths, particularly Kokonotsu. No one’s ages are explicitly stated (not that I noticed, anyways), but there’s enough mention of homework that points to at least Kokonotsu, Saya, and Tou being school aged, most probably High Schoolers.[6] Hence, some awkwardness on the subject of romance and sex. So, yes, there will be some curious glances when the opportunity is presented.

Second, beside one scene concerning Saya, no one’s particularly victimized. The concept of fair consent is… curious when applied to fictional characters and the audience. It’s a debate that’s plagued superheroes for literal generations, and I’m not so foolish as to take a firm stance at this point.

So, setting aside arguments that fictional characters are inherently in a relationship of power imbalance with their writers,[7] in what cunning ways do you write a character (male or female) as being okay with a level of objectification?

You could have a character say they lack a nudity taboo, but that breaks the ‘Show, don’t Tell’ rule, and doesn’t clear accidental slips.

Dagashi Kashi manages to establish Hotaru’s lack of care in a such a blaze of insane glory that you don’t actually realize what the writers pulled until you’re writing a review spending an awkward amount of time discussing the show’s fanservice.

In the first episode, Saya meets Hotaru when the former sees the latter laying in the rice paddy she crashed into, coating her in mud. Being neighborly, Saya lets Hotaru use her shower. After which, Hotaru shows a casual disregard at being fully naked in front of both Saya and Tou. This is the most explicit scene in the series (in a PG-13 way) and is such obvious pandering, that you don’t even notice the show has taught you that Hotaru carries no reservations, so when the show very briefly shows off her body through the rest of the show, the audience knows Hotaru isn’t a victim.[8]

It’s a blatant, pandering scene that still serves a mechanical purpose. So that’s worth studying.

The only time either girl is victimized, it’s a transgression by Tou against Saya, when he uses a sticky hand to flip up her skirt. Credit to the direction, the camera stays firmly in front of her, where her skirt remained in place, and the audience sees nothing. Tou is also violently punished.[9] So the show went out of its way to show there’s a line: “accidental” fanservice from the indifferent Hotaru is kosher, intentional malice towards the unwilling Saya will not be justified by the camera.

I mean, obviously I’m not telling my fellow writers to showcase what they don’t think is okay to show, but I will say this: establish what you’re comfortable portraying and what you’re not, and try your best to inform the audience what the extreme is so they can decide if they’re on board.

Say whatever cynical thought you carry, I appreciate that many animes tend to front load the most egregious fanservice in the first episode, so after one episode you know what to expect.

Dagashi Kashi is a fun show, very educational about niche Japanese culture, and rife with things to overthink. Or not. The Japanese Snack trivia is a delight if you just want to watch at a surface level.

If you enjoyed this… frankly rambling navel-gazing review, consider supporting me on my patreon, checking out my webcomic or other works, or even just sending me questions or comments. Any support is nice. Helps me feel firm in following managka dreams instead of taking over the family candy store.

Except my family doesn’t have a candy store…

Man, why doesn’t my family own a rural candy store? That’d be cool.

Kataal kataal.

[1] Internet markets and subscription boxes aside. [2] Specifically a Degashi store, which seems to be a genre of Japanese snack foods. I cannot give further context, I’m afraid. [3] If I may have one quick dig at Japanese voice acting, girls always seem to have obnoxiously high pitched voices. [4] I should see if she’s done anything else. [5] A fact I present not as condemnation, but to provide an interesting perspective. I never see any debate over “The Beach”, which I think is also interesting. [6] I assume. Then again, Usagi of Sailor Moon is in middle school, so you can’t always trust your eyes. [7] Because it’s not a real person, and trying to apply such parameters to creator and creation is ridiculous. [8] And they don’t break the suspension of disbelief like Funimation did with Luccoa. [9] Now, the fact that this is a brother harassing his sister is a kettle of fish I will not dive into.