lilbagdermole - Tumblr blog

[lilbagdermole]

Toph is often seen very close to Appa and Momo in ATLA. Momo in particular is seen almost exclusively on her shoulder, in her lap or cuddled up close to her after she joins the Gaang. It's such a sweet little inclusion but it means the world to me.

It's nothing extraordinarily big but the thought that Aang's closest link to the Air Nomads are so comfortable and keen on Toph makes me want to sob.

I also headcanon that Aang realizes his feelings for Toph go beyond platonic when he watches his Earthbending Master cuddled up into Appa's paw with Momo in her arms and she looks so beautiful and at peace and he has a moment of realization strike him like lightning.

ALSO LOOK AT AANG'S SMILE IN THIS PIC!!!My man is in love!

[lilbagdermole]

I'm rewatching ATLA and I just noticed how softly Aang looks at Toph.... Compare his expression to Katara or Sokka's. His eyes quite literally softened when she arrived!

YOUR HONOR, THIS MAN IS ENAMORED!!!

[lilbagdermole]

Adult Taang just look so good together! I am deprived of canon content of them, but, I will take what I can get!!

- Illustrations from 'The Legacy of The Fire Nation'

[lilbagdermole]

[lilbagdermole]

sometimes it makes me sad that sasuke will never true love. naruto has attachment issues and is stuck on a fantasy he created when he was 12, sakura can’t name why she likes sasuke, kakashi doesn’t give a single fuck about sasuke’s feelings, itachi mentally abused sasuke, and he doesn’t even know sarada.

he’s doomed to a life where nobody loves him for him. everything has always been transactional when it comes to sasuke, which sucks because underneath his rough exterior, he’s probably the most considerate character.

sasuke truly has the biggest heart out of everyone in the show.

[lilbagdermole]

TYSM for tagging me @wingchunwaterbender! It was so fun to do this!

Tagging: @lumina-luceat @nalgasde-hao @omegansamurai @burst-of-iridescent

Feel free to join in if you'd like!! 💛✨️

Going down a Picrew rabbit hole.

@johnskleats @cablesscutie @cahirismybae @burst-of-iridescent @stardust948 @naladot @cynical-mystic @gemgirl28

Join me!

[lilbagdermole]

Alright - first of all, I will not be ashamed for stating a personal opinion and posting a harmless analysis about two fanon ships I enjoy. I tagged not only with the aforementioned couples but also with anti tags so it wouldn't distupt people who enjoy the canonical ships.

Secondly, Avatar the Last Airbender is visual media. It's a means to tell a fictional story and since fiction isn't reality, people can choose to intrepret it as they want (as well as create headcanons, analysis posts and different pairings). It's also illogical to force people to like endgame ships or conclusions - and no, you don't have to write your own series, get a degree in literature or be a well-known producer/author to critic ATLA.

But since you want to get technical with me, let's analyze what you just said.

"They didn't want Katara with Zuko and that's completely their right." Correct. Bryke have the right to not ship Zutara. But we, as the audience and consumers of ATLA, also have the right to enjoy Zutara as a couple, write about them and consume media centered around them, even if they aren't headcanon. Like I stated before, you can't force your preferences on other peopl; everyone has a different interpretation to a certain piece of media and it doesn't make one superior over the other.

"Aang released Katara" Excuse me, please pin point me the exact episode and timestamp where Aang "released" Katara. By release I assume you mean letting go of his obsession over her. And that never happened. You can argue at the end of Season Two he almost did, but in Season Three his feelings for Katara become even more possessive, obsessive and down-right toxic - to the point that he non-consensually kisses her and drives her away from him. He never released Katara and him earning the Avatar State via the rock was a major plothole.

"Katara looked for him." WHEN? When did she ever reciprocate his feelings? Besides the occasional blush or the few and in-between moments where we see Katara jealous... she basically never initiates anything romantic with Aang UNTIL the finale where the kiss and hug was unearned and out of place. In Season 3 - Aang initiated 2 (non-consenual) kisses, they bickered more than ever before (most of which were left unresolved) and Katara expressed her confusion on their relationship. I simply do not see where Katara reciprocated Aang's emotions.

"Something she never wanted with Zuko"

Please, if you don't enjoy Zutara or Taang or any other non-canon couple... just stick to consuming your preferred content and let people enjoy what they like.

It's common knowledge that Zuko and Aang, throughout the duration of ATLA, are a mirror of one another; a reflection of each other - not necessarily opposites but parallels.

So whilst I was analyzing the finale of the show, I noticed a really interesting parallel between our two protagonists:

Zuko was close to dying in his final confrontation with Azula and what pulled him back up, what saved him from dying was water. More necessarily Katara's healing abilities - but nonetheless, his opposing element saved his life.

On the other hand, Aang throughout his harrowing fight against Ozai utilizes Earthbending time and time again to save himself, techniques that we've come to associate with Toph (rock armor and seismic sense). And to access the Avatar State, that had since been blocked, Earth had been the ultimate catalyst to unlocking his Seventh Chakra.

And if we take into consideration what Guru Pathik told Aang - to unlock the Seventh Chakra he would have to let go of Katara. In a sense, this could have been a visual representation of how Aang lets go of his love for Katara, and how Toph (Earth) could take up that role.

Earth, his opposing Element, saves his life.

It's also interesting that our protagonists' conclusions and destinies are integrally tied to the aforementioned girls. Destiny and Fate are two major themes in ATLA, alonside the moral lesson shared to us by Uncle Iroh about the unity of the four elements and how each element can learn and grow from the other.

Zuko's destiny to bring honor to Fire Nation whilst also challenging his conflicting natures (Sozin vs. Roku; Ozai/Azula vs. Iroh) would have never come into fruition had it not been for Katara. Katara was the first person (other than his Uncle) to show him genuine compassion and humanity, she was the first person to glimpse into his true, kind and gentle nature. Additionally, had she not fought alongside Zuko to defeat Azula and save his life, he would have never been able to step up to the Throne and fulfill his destiny. Thus Katara is linked and bound to Zuko's destiny.

Aang's destiny was to restore peace to the world and end The One Hundred Year War. The Aang we meet during Book One - is timid and soft, a strong bender and with limitless potential, but he lacked the confidence, the back-bone, the grounding to step-up to his duties as the Avatar and defeat Ozai. Katara coddled him and never challenged him to look beyond himself. It's only after meeting Toph does Aang begin to confront his opponents with a different viewpoint, he gains a certain matureness in himself and suddenly we see him step up into his role and responsibilities. Toph's Earthbending not only saves him from death but it also gave him the strength to face his destiny. Thus, Toph is linked and bound to Aang's destiny.

It would have tied a lot of unexplored themes as well as provide a more satisfying conclusion (Aang entering the Avatar State because he followed through with Guru Pathik's lessons instead of pointy rock triggers it) and it would have been cohesive with the narrative thematic of ATLA.

I'm still astonished at how badly Bryke fumbled the bag with their romantic sub-plots. 🗿

[lilbagdermole]

I believe one of the reason's why people are suddenly so appalled by A/ang & Katara's age difference in the new Netflix Live Action Adaptation isn't because they aged up Katara from 14 to 16. It's because now, we get a visual representation of their age and maturity difference and it's striking.

With this I mean, in the original ATLA series, since the series was animated and the animators needed to create a consistent art style amongst most of their characters, it could be argued that Aang and Katara looked very similar in age. Yes, we had their height difference and Aang, in Season One, seemed a bit rounder - but by Season Three, Aang was close to Katara's height & had a build that wasn't on par with Zuko's, however, he was lean. He looked like a teenager. He looked like every other male character in the show.

Katara developing romantic feelings for him doesn't seem too implausible in the animated series. At the end we see them kiss and we don't immediately question their age difference because they look similar in age.

With the Live Action adaptation, Aang's actor is Aang's age, so is Katara's. And you look at these actors and you think to your self... there is no way an adolescent girl would ever fall for a pre-pubescent child. It's unrealistic.

Because you compare Aang to Sokka and Zuko, the other teenager male characters, and you can see the difference. You can distinguish an adolescent from a child.

Then you analyze their relationship and Katara's maturity that resulted from the hardships of war - and you suddenly find yourself struggling to defend any romantic relationship between these two characters beyond Aang having a harmless crush on Katara.

If we saw these two actors kiss at the end of the series we would immediately find it odd (perhaps a bit concerning) because it's a visual representation of their age and maturity difference. They look like a teenager and a child. No sane teenager would fall for a child.

Does this even make sense?? I'm just rambling at this point and I have no idea if my thoughts make any sense 😭😮‍💨

[lilbagdermole]

Why Katara's Acts of Kindness towards Zuko differ from others

I recently received a reply on one of my posts where I stated that Katara was the first person (besides Iroh) to show Zuko genuine kindness and compassion, in the 'Crossroads of Destiny' when they were down in the Crystal Catacombs.

The comment state that Aang was the first person to show Zuko humanity (Episode 13, The Blue Spirit; Episode 20, The Siege of the North, Pt.2) and even brought up other characters that we see throughout Zuko's journey such as: Song and Jin.

And whilst yes, these characters did show Zuko concern, care and warmth, it differs greatly to Katara's own.

Let's begin with Aang:

Aang's character is motivated and driven by the Air Nomad teachings, philosophy and morals and one of his core principles that he follows is "all life is sacred'. In 'The Siege of the North, Pt.2' - he saves Zuko because he cannot allow another living being to die, especially when he can prevent it by simply saving him from the winter cold. It's part of Aang to save people - no matter how much wrong they've done.

In 'The Blue Spirit' - Aang once again saves Zuko - and not only because of his moral compass because Zuko had saved Aang from Zhao. They have a moment to talk once Zuko awakes, and Aang questions if had the circumstances were different between them, could they have become friends. Aang, in this part of the story, is very childish and believes that everyone has good to them; he's also someone that seeks friendship and attention - and it plays into his character that, as he mourns his lost friend Kuzon, he thinks of a potential friendship with another firebender: Zuko.

So Aang's compassion and kindness comes from a place of morality and of loss.

With Jin and Song - I won't reflect too much on their acts of kindness given that, in that moment of Zuko's journey, he was secluding his true identity. In both of these womens' perspective, Zuko wasn't the Fire Nation Prince. He was Lee, an earth kingdom refugee, a victim of the war, someone like them. Had they known Zuko was a member of Fire Nation Royalty, I'm certain their reception wouldn't unfold as it did.

Now with Katara...

Katara knows Zuko. To Katara, Zuko is the face of the enemy, the face of the opposing side of the war, the face of evil. In that precise moment, Katara had her mother's necklace "stolen" by him; had her home ambushed by his fleet and her grandmother threatened by his very hands; she'd been chased down by him and they had fought multiple times before. They relationship at that point is hostile, fueled by hatred.

And Katara is also a character that doesn't forgive quickly. Unlike Aang, Katara doesn't follow the same moral compass and she doesn't seek out friendship in the enemy that took her mother; the enemy that led her Father to fighting in the war and abandoning his children; the enemy that tried time and time again to kidnap/burn/kill her friend and the Avatar... Katara's unforgiving with Zuko because:

Katara: It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.

Yet, despite all that, when Zuko reveals his loss and empathizes with Katara's own loss of her mother; once he reveals himself more vulnerable, small and defenseless than he has ever been before... Katara shows him compassion, apologizes for her outburst and offers to heal Zuko's scar. Because, though it's in Katara's nature to hold a grudge towards the enemy, it's not in Katara's nature to hate blindly. She's a caring, loving and patient person - and she quickly shows Zuko all those attributes.

It's the first moment in the story that Zuko has received unadulterated humanity and sincerity (despite all the hurt he'd brought to Katara and her friends).

Katara was the first person to forgive Zuko. It was the first glimpse into the start of his destiny to bring honor and forgiveness towards the Fire Nation.

And that is why I believe that Katara and Zuko's destinies were linked to one another. Katara would have never dispelled the demons and trauma of her past had Zuko not aided her in searching for Yon Rha; And Zuko would have never become Fire Lord and uphold his responsibilities and destiny - had Katara not fought beside him and showed him that he could be forgiven.

[lilbagdermole]

It’s here 💜 why is it so beautiful!!! 💗

[lilbagdermole]

Hello lilbadgermole, I looked at your Taang post about their dunebabies and it was so cute. I was wondering if the dunebabies have any names?

Thank you so much!!!

BTW, you guys can just call me Adri, instead of my full username, if you'd like ofc!

But as for the names:

Oldest Son (Airbender) [16]: Gyatso - Aang would want to honor his mentor and friend. Toph agrees (and also believes that it'll be omen that their first born would become just as good a bender as the deceased Gyatso once she discovers he's an airbender).

Second Son (Airbender) [14]: Tenzin - I have no explanation for this one other than the fact that I like the name (and he's one of the only good characters to come out of TLOK);

First Born Daughter (Airbender) [13]: Daiyu - It means 'black jade' in chinese. In Ancient China, jade is symbolic of purity, morality, integrity and wisdom; jade was understood to connect people with the ancestral spirits. I think it was a perfect fit to name their first girl of a mineral (Earth) that represented spirituality (Air). Note: This could be wrong and if anyone from chinese descent could confirm this, I would greatly appreciate it.

Second-Born Daughter (Earthbender) [10]: Ying - it means “brave beauty.” And Toph, after three tries, finally gives birth to an earthbender, and a little girl at that. Aang named her.

Third-Born Son (Earthbender) [8]: Bumi - though hesitant at first given Bumi had questioned Toph's self-proclaimed title as the best earthbender in the world, Toph had agreed that Aang could honor his late friend with their third son. Turns out the name suited their kid perfectly, as little Bumi was a menace the moment he learnt how to walk on his two feet.

Youngest Son (Airbender) [7]: Banzan - in Tibetan, this name means indestructible mountain. Toph had hoped her youngest kin would be an earthbender, just to equal out the playing field - her son, after a particularly nasty tantrum, nearly destroyed their home with a tornado. Though he couldn't move mountains, he carried himself with the same attitude as an earthbender.

Aang names all their children, though never without Toph's consent and approval. Toph never held any interest for meaningful names, all she concerned herself with was their well-being and making sure the six of her and Aang's offspring were in good shape and loved (she loves all of Aang's names and finds it endearing how much time and effort he places into finding the perfect name, though she would never be caught alive admitting it to him).

I thought really hard on these names! I read somewhere that Earth Kingdom names are based on Chinese names and Air Nation names are inspired by Tibetan culture.

[lilbagdermole]

Hey adri! do you think we'll be seeing any taang or zutara moments in the new film with them as adults?

Hi anon!! Thanks for sending me an ask 😊

In regards to your ask, well...

I wouldn't get my hopes up, anon.

Not because I don't want to... I would pay good money to see adult Toph and Aang just kicking ass and serving look; or any Zutara interaction that isn't OOC or hostile at this point.

But considering that the main producers for the upcoming film are non-other than Bryke themselves, I really can't help but prepare myself for the inevitable disappointment. ATLA isn't a romance-centric story, nor should it ever be praised for it's romantic themes given how poorly the canon couples are built and written. I'm certain the film won't be focused solely on Aang and Katara's relationship, but, Bryke are very biased for the ship and have proven, time and time again, that they do not hold any respect for the fan favorite non-canonical couples, especially Zutara.

What I'm most concerned for is how they'll depict these characters. In the post-ATLA comics, all of the cast are horrendously OOC; Zutara's chemistry and history are erased and forgotten; characters become one-dimensional and distinct from the characters we grew to love; K@taang is forcibly shoved down our throats in an attempt to prove to us, the audience, that they are, in fact, perfect from one another and are in a 100% secure, perfect and happy relationship. It's bad. So, I'm preparing myself for what's to come.

I don't expect much and I'm not going into the theaters in 2025 with the expectations of seeing Taang or Zutara interact at all. Bryke, quite literally, forgot about Toph and Aang's supposed connection and sublot (foreshadowed in 'The Swamp') and shipbaited Zutara during the final season of ATLA just to spite shippers.

It should also be important to keep in mind that Aang and Katara are the confirmed main leads and protagonists of the film whilst Sokka was downgraded into a side character. If Sokka (one of the main characters in the animated series) is reduced to a side character, I can only imagine what Toph and Zuko's roles will become. Hopefully they'll given more than a one-time appearance or cameo... I NEED to see adult Toph in her prime (I would also like to see her stand beside Aang just so we can get their canonical height difference as adults, it'd be glorious).

But hey, anon, listen, whatever happens it shouldn't erase your love for the series and ships. We've survived this long off off what was gifted and hinted at throughout the show. Luckily for us, our fanbase is filled with a plethora of talented artists, fanfic authors, editors, theorists, etc. that I'm certain we'll be well fed and thriving!

[lilbagdermole]

sometimes i think about how sokka literally invented submarines and how aang is literally the avatar but when the both of them put their braincells together, they come up with ideas like writing a letter to katara from toph

[lilbagdermole]

This one ended up doing numbers on twt so it’s here now as well lol

[lilbagdermole]

It's common knowledge that Zuko and Aang, throughout the duration of ATLA, are a mirror of one another; a reflection of each other - not necessarily opposites but parallels.

So whilst I was analyzing the finale of the show, I noticed a really interesting parallel between our two protagonists:

Zuko was close to dying in his final confrontation with Azula and what pulled him back up, what saved him from dying was water. More necessarily Katara's healing abilities - but nonetheless, his opposing element saved his life.

On the other hand, Aang throughout his harrowing fight against Ozai utilizes Earthbending time and time again to save himself, techniques that we've come to associate with Toph (rock armor and seismic sense). And to access the Avatar State, that had since been blocked, Earth had been the ultimate catalyst to unlocking his Seventh Chakra.

And if we take into consideration what Guru Pathik told Aang - to unlock the Seventh Chakra he would have to let go of Katara. In a sense, this could have been a visual representation of how Aang lets go of his love for Katara, and how Toph (Earth) could take up that role.

Earth, his opposing Element, saves his life.

It's also interesting that our protagonists' conclusions and destinies are integrally tied to the aforementioned girls. Destiny and Fate are two major themes in ATLA, alonside the moral lesson shared to us by Uncle Iroh about the unity of the four elements and how each element can learn and grow from the other.

Zuko's destiny to bring honor to Fire Nation whilst also challenging his conflicting natures (Sozin vs. Roku; Ozai/Azula vs. Iroh) would have never come into fruition had it not been for Katara. Katara was the first person (other than his Uncle) to show him genuine compassion and humanity, she was the first person to glimpse into his true, kind and gentle nature. Additionally, had she not fought alongside Zuko to defeat Azula and save his life, he would have never been able to step up to the Throne and fulfill his destiny. Thus Katara is linked and bound to Zuko's destiny.

Aang's destiny was to restore peace to the world and end The One Hundred Year War. The Aang we meet during Book One - is timid and soft, a strong bender and with limitless potential, but he lacked the confidence, the back-bone, the grounding to step-up to his duties as the Avatar and defeat Ozai. Katara coddled him and never challenged him to look beyond himself. It's only after meeting Toph does Aang begin to confront his opponents with a different viewpoint, he gains a certain matureness in himself and suddenly we see him step up into his role and responsibilities. Toph's Earthbending not only saves him from death but it also gave him the strength to face his destiny. Thus, Toph is linked and bound to Aang's destiny.

It would have tied a lot of unexplored themes as well as provide a more satisfying conclusion (Aang entering the Avatar State because he followed through with Guru Pathik's lessons instead of pointy rock triggers it) and it would have been cohesive with the narrative thematic of ATLA.

I'm still astonished at how badly Bryke fumbled the bag with their romantic sub-plots. 🗿

[lilbagdermole]

Hello! It's always great to meet another Taang shipper!

What do you love most about Taang?

I hope you have a great day!!!

Hey!!

Oh, it's so nice to see that Taang is still loved by so many people (and it's always really nice to see active blogs about them ^^)

What do I love most about Taang?

I love their dynamics. They bounce off each other almost harmoniously, because they are opposites in so many aspects of their lives: beliefs and morals, elements, backgrounds and childhoods. They clash and struggle and are far from perfect, yet, no matter how big the storm, how complex the disagreement - they always reconcile, they always listen to one another, they always learn and grow and strive to become better people. They respect one another so much to work around their oppositions and thus balance and understand one another in ways that no other member of the ATLA cast can replicate (with Aang and Toph).

And though they are natural opposites, they still have so much in common if you delve deeper. Aang and Toph are the youngest in the Gaang - and share the same love for teasing and joking; they share a very deep connection with the the original benders of their respective elements (Toph with the Badgermoles and Aang with Appa); they both runaway from their homes at a young age because of paramount expectations; both are masters of their bending - even inventing a new form/bending style at 12 years-old (air scooter and metalbending).

Aang represented all Toph needed in her life - freedom, loyalty, companionship and a friend. He saw her beyond her perceived weakness and never underestimated her capabilities as an earthbender and his potential master. He taught her to trust and confide, understood her when no other person did and soften the hard edges that she'd constructed to protect herself from her suffocating reality. In a sense, Aang was a breath of fresh air in her life.

Toph, on the other hand, represented all Aang needed - stability, confidence, strength. Aang, being the Avatar, had been coddled and protected by almost everyone - Katara, Sokka, admirers, etc. He wasn't Aang, he was a symbol - a symbol of hope and peace. But Toph didn't care about his divine-like power, didn't care that everyone around him praised the very ground he stepped on - in Toph's perspective, Aang was Aang. A kid just like her and she treated him as equals; never afraid of pushing him to further his growth; she taught him to stand his ground, face his enemies head on, become a stronger, confident bender. She was the ground that anchored him to the mortal world and made him feel normal.

It's also poetic, in the finale - Toph is in the air whilst Aang is mostly on Earth. And, may I add, that at the end, whilst Zuko and Katara ultimately did teach him plenty so he could face the Firelord, Aang's preferred bending style, that was not his own, was Earthbending. The element that had once stumped him, frustrated him; the hardest element to master, his opposite... and now, he used it to protect himself, to shield and fight. He used every technique Toph taught him - rock armor, crushing earth, even seismic sense... Toph ultimately saved Aang during the Finale.

I can go on and on about them, but I'm in the midst of writing a dissertation on Toph and Aang's development and potential in ATLA - so I'll save most of my thoughts for that whenever I get to completing it.

And... let's be honest. Aang and Toph together just look so beautiful. They would be the IT COUPLE in ATLA - their canonical height difference should be reason enough to stan Taang. Avatar and The World's Greatest Earthbender... come on now! And it would just fit right - Aang as an adult would have to travel the world and Toph would gladly travel alongside him since she doesn't have a "home" (Aang is her home); and, as adults they could built Republic City from the ground up whilst also balancing raising a family... UGH! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD!!!

[lilbagdermole]

maybe it’s just me being dense, because the first time i watched avatar, i was sixteen. and like, they introduced a twelve year old earthbender who was probably the only one in the cast who was never awed by aang’s being the avatar, and they seriously expected me to believe he ended up with the fifteen year old waterbender (with a somewhat uncomfortable amount of mother-symbolism in relation to him) whose finale moment was her saving the reformed fire prince who helped her finally get closure about her mother’s murder?? so we’re throwing out ALL the element parallels AND you expect me to believe that toph’s keeping her feet squarely on the ground (pun intended) was not laying groundwork for how aang’s position would lead to many people not ever questioning him and that such reverence would very likely impede a healthy romantic partnership?? not set-up for providing a ‘grounded’ practical parallel to the airbender who can basically fly and has his idealistic head in the clouds?? so was that just a fun gag to have her being the only one to effectively and consistently call aang out and get him to actually listen and consider another opinion??