#anti ursa

[nagararitsu]

idk nothing abt ursa’s favouritism seems surprising like I think she’s just a textbook boy mum. like some women just genuinely think their boy child is inherently more loveable than their girl child

[korrssami]

ACCORDING TO ATLA FANDOM

AZULA

The same girl that was STUCK in a mental asylum getting abused

MANIPULATED her brother (THE FIRELORD)

LIKE

She was STUCK IN A MENTAL ASYLUM AND HALLUCINATING

But she MANIPULATED

The FIRE LORD

HER POWER!!!!!

I am done

You lot are SOOOOOO DUMB

[linnaearosie]

Today I rereaded some of atla comics and I must say Ursa is stupid, whole plot point with letters to Ikem is dumpster fire. Imagine, you and your husband were forced to marry each other to product pawerful fire benders/royal babies. Your husband is unfavourite child and he desperatlly wants to please his father. Your social status changed so much from theater actress to wife of prince but also outside of your bloodline you are usless to fire lord. What would you do? Try to play your part and protect your children the best you can? Mayby try to be civil with your husband? Or mayby send secret letters to your ex that claiming your son is his even if it is a lie?

Ursa chosed the last option and she is lacky one because the one that readed her letters were her husband not someone else in palace. In fact I belive if anyone that is not Ozai or directly serve under him read letters they would inform Azulon about this.

Azulon would kill Zuko, because if there was the smallest chance that Zuko is not his blood it would make his little experiment not possible. In fact ursa would be dead next. Ozai despite knowing that Zuko is his son is not fighting to protect him or ursa because Azulon order is final to him. Ozai reacted badly and I think his unnessessery crualty towards Zuko is sign that he is monster but at least Zuko is alive.

People are saying that Ursa favoured Zuko but after reading comics again I think Ursa treated him better then Azula because she felt guilty. Guilty, because her dump decision could easily put Zuko live in danger. Guilty, because even if it was Ozai crualty and it should be punishment for her Zuko was the one that experienced it more. I would even pity her if she truly belived that Zuko was Ikem son but it was not possible. Ozai was 100% sure Zuko is his son and Zuko looked like baby Ozai.

It is sad that by trying to expend the avatar world the authors decided to make Ursa so stupid and unlikable and I'm not loving that they are making it open to interpretation if conception of zuko and azula were consensual or not. In fact I hate it because I think it only is use by people to explain Ursa cold behavior towards Azula and to take blame away from Ursa. Also Ozai doesn't need to commite every crime possible to be the worst. The same way sozin didn't need to be homophobic to show that he was evil. In conclusion atla comics are not as good as netflix adaptation of atla.

[the-badger-mole]

What's your thoughts on Ursa as a character? What do you think about her in the show vs the comics? What do you think about her actions and choices, (specifically the choice to forget her past life and not even attempt to rescue Zuko with her new face)?

I prefer the original story of Ursa being a noblewoman who knew she would probably end up married into the royal family to the story the comics gave her. I actively hate Ursa in the comics, and I hate that Zuko reconciles with her with no real reckoning with the fact that she left her older children with a man who has proven himself willing to kill one of them, and then chose to forget them. I hate her even more for being a huge part of the reason why Ozai treated Zuko so badly, and then choosing to forget him. I'm so angry at her on behalf of her kids, especially Zuko. Honestly, I think he would have been better off if she was just dead.

[blinday]

Everyone talks like Azula was an out of line kid, but really, if that's out of line you'd consider my little sister a psychopath. She's actually my little aunt. Yeah, aunt. Long story short, she came live with us, my grandpa sobered up and her mom is legally not allowed to be near her.

Context aside, she beat up my dog so much the poor thing couldn't walk for a week. She's been abusing it ever since arriving our home, as well as my cats ever since they were kittens. She constantly steals and lies about the smallest things, even when there would be no trouble for telling what she is asked. She used to manipulate us when we didn't know better, and to this day she can look me in the eye and deny something she clearly did. Dude, she used to force vomit to get away with stuff because she noticed no one would put her in time out if she was ill, and only stopped because last time she tried my dad gave her a scare.

She comes from an abusive/neglectful background wich contributes to her many problematic behaviours. She has shown egotistical and narcissistic behaviours, and lacks the basic concept of empathy. I can't even tell if she has any of it because she is so good in faking.

So yeah. Azula was a chill kid compared to my lil sis and I'm still trying. Fuck you Iroh.

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

Ursa would be a much more interesting character if she had been executed by Ozai before the start of the series under false charges of treason, Anne Boleyn-style, you know what I mean? Zuko could have grown up like Elizabeth I, blaming the victim due to brainwashing and admiring his father, although obviously still missing his mother. The exile plot was dumb (Why not kill her if you just want drama?) and obviously a cash cow for future projects aka those bad comics. If they really wanted a cash cow that was also good, later it could have been revealed through Zuko's research that she did have anti imperialist sympathies and was trying to change the system from inside out (Therefore not truly treason but obviously Ozai found her dangerous). Azulon ordering Ozai to kill Zuko (One of Azulon’s few literal heirs, like, even if Azulon too favored Azula he needed a spare, that plot point was so, so stupid “oh look how evil the fire nation is, literal genocide is not enough to show it”) even for the reasons he did was also a pretty stupid plot point meant to overkill how much of a victim of the fire nation Zuko also is from the very beginning, as if being abused and maimed by his own father weren't more than enough.

[yumnasfunblog]

You know, if we apply the same logic people use to justify Ursa disliking Azula, the same reasons Ursa disliked Azula, then technically Kiyi would be the favorite because she was born out of a loving marriage with a man Ursa actually liked. Wonder how that will affect Zuko when he realizes he's the second favorite of his mom.

Edit: the thing about this is that Zuko puts a lot of stock into how his mom treats him and views him, and she's an inspiration to him too. Finding out he's his mom's second favorite out of no fault of his own would wreck him, and it may also give him more sympathy for Azula.

[m00nchildwrites]

Atla Hot Take, and I don't even care if people get mad about it:

Ursa was a shit mom.

[waterfire1848]

I was today years old when I realized that’s Ozai in this picture of the Search which could mean two things.

One. He told Azula to go with her mother and brother because he didn’t want to deal with her anymore so Azula literally has no one in this picture who actually wants her/wants to spend time with her.

Two. Azula saw her father but opted to continue following her brother and mother in the hopes that they would notice her and include her.

Either way 😭😭😭

[phoenix-king-ozai]

You gotta wonder what comic Ozai was thinking when his dad just goes up to him and basically says he has to marry some girl he's never met for the sake of the bloodline and have children with her even though he won't get the throne anyway.

I think it depends on certain factors. According to the ATLA comics, Ozai is at least a decade Ursa's senior. It is possible that Ozai already had a lover who was closer to his age and possibly had to abandon that relationship due to the Fire Sage's prophecy and Fire Lord Azulon's demand. Regardless of Ozai’s own wishes and desires regarding his own marriage and love life.

However, the comics try to make Ozai an irredeemable monster and caricature of a villain. So this interpretation is too sympathetic. Even though the original ATLA creators and OG ATLA Wiki on Nickelodeon stated that Ursa was raised as royalty and was the perfect betrothed and possible wife for Fire Prince Ozai.

However, Zuko’s flashbacks showed that Ozai did make an effort to try to be a good father and husband to Ursa and their children. The good memories of the Fire Nation Royal Family on Ember Island hurt Zuko and Azula during the Beach episode. This is why Zuko desired Ozai's love, respect, and admiration from him. If Ozai was only a cruel bastard to his family and son why would Zuko want to go back to his father and homeland to be abused again?

The Search Comics by Yang just took the most stereotypical, uninteresting, and non-complex lazy route regarding the Urzai relationship. Ursa is a good woman! Ozai is a bad man! She must have been kidnapped and physically, mentally, emotionally, and sexually abused! This is why Yang goes out of his way to demonize Ozai and bastardize his characteristics for his own personal fanfic OOC named Ikem. Yang has a horrible habit of adding new uninteresting characters into other established characters' lives. Yang destroyed Urzai with Ikem and also Maiko with Kei Lo.

Even though I don't think Ozai was Prince Charming regarding Ursa initially due to her being the granddaughter of Avatar Roku and possibly being a non-bender. Ursa possibly could have been seen as a blood traitor by the royal court and Fire Nation nobility and royalty due to Avatar Roku attacking and stopping Fire Lord Sozin during his early stages of imperial conquest until he died on Ember Island giving Sozin the chance to end the Avatar Cycle by killing the Air Nomads. However, I do believe that Ozai eventually warmed up to Ursa and bonded with her by the time they had Zuko and Azula. We even see Ozai be quiet and somber regarding her favorite spot by the Turtleduck pond after her banishment and disappearance.

[songazula]

iroh and ursa fans will do anything but accept that they failed azula

[korrssami]

LISTEN UP AZULA STANS

If you say that zuko, katara and sokka abused Azula during the search then you're wrong because you are ignoring the context clues as to why they.... *checks notes* beat azula while she was having hallucinations, threaten azula after forcing her go on the search for her mother, even though she it would only make her feel worse, beat azula while she was defending herself

Oh wow

Yes the gaang did all that but please understand, there are context clues behind it

[punkeropercyjackson]

Avatar:The Last Airbender,show of extremely bad and liberal messages such as 'Genocide and imperialism is the ultimate evil','being gendernonforming is good and empowering and dosen't make you unattractive or lame','women are just as good as men and don't have to conform to be a specific type of femininity or behavior to be considered female','all cultures of color are valid and deserve to be preserved after being oppressed' and 'kids are people'

[balanceoflightanddark]

...well, I haven't talked about the comics for a hot minute so...here's my thoughts on the central theme of Smoke and Shadow: fear.

Disregarding the sheer amount of how badly the characters are butchered, about how Yang seems to disregard canon just so he can make his own fanfic, the basic theme of the comic is fear. He's talked about it in interviews. It's a running theme for characters to talk about how they're afraid. You could even argue that Azula's main motivation in the comic is a flanderization of her quote on fear.

I will be the first to admit that I'm no stranger to fear. I have high levels of anxiety and I have a tendency to get worried or scared very easily. So being afraid is nothing new to me.

With that said...Smoke and Shadow's message about fear is asinine.

The basic message seems to be is that the thing you fear isn't worth getting afraid over. That it's not worth the hassle. We see this with Zuko declaring he's not gonna be like Azula or Ozai at the very end. Or how Ozai pathetically screams at Ursa to fear him. And yes. There are some things that aren't exactly worth getting worked up over or dwell on for the rest of your life.

But that's not what's going on here. If that were the case, why does Zuko insist on Azula being some kind of hellspawn and being "put in her place"? What exactly does Ursa's speech to Ozai accomplish? Really? Especially since we go from someone who is scared of his photo to standing up for herself with almost no development in between?

Which makes me wonder...does Yang not understand what fear is?

Fear and anxiety don't come from nowhere. More often than not, they're the result of something that really shaped someone as a person. Or perhaps as some primal instinct passed down from generation to generation.

Yet Ursa is never shown gradually coming to grips with what Ozai did to her. We also never see Zuko struggle with his fears about becoming his father, just more about Azula and what she's up to. And neither really grow at the end of the story aside from saying they're gonna do better.

I'm sorry, but coping with fear isn't that easy. It's a gradual process, understanding what makes you afraid and coming to grips with it. Knowing where the anxiety comes from and how to properly address it. It's complex and differs from person to person. And it's never. Simple.

With how pathetic Ozai is portrayed in his final scene and how minute the development for Zuko and Ursa were...I kind of think the real message was "Fear is a choice". Which is NEVER the answer. Fear is real, and you don't choose to be afraid. It's a natural response to when you feel threatened. And often, there is something concrete at the root of it like I mentioned before.

Instead, Ursa just chooses not to be afraid of Ozai anymore, ignoring that A. she's talking from a position of power and B. it doesn't address the pain she went through. And while Zuko chooses to be a more benevolent Fire Lord...he has a habit in the comics of saying things he doesn't mean nor does it actually ACT on his words. And it's STILL not addressing his real issues of growing up under Ozai and he's STILL blaming Azula for everything.

You can't choose to be afraid. But you can choose to address it, lest you become somebody you're not.

[prodogg]

Can’t even speak your daughters name, please just spare me the false pretense, it’s sickening Heuchlerisch/Scheinheilig . Why "care" suddenly now hours later after she could be dead in some jungle but not right then and there when you still were at Hiraa and got your memories back…. okay vent over it continuous in the tags

Edit: Since people like to miss the point here, the writing decision of making Ursa suddenly care out of nowhere without showing any interest or care after getting her face in Hiraa for Azula or Zuko’s face is just very shallow to me, they can tell me all they want how Zuko searched, and apparently Ursa "helped". Her reaction upon seeing them for the first time again told me everything I as reader have to know. Then, seeing her crying on the boat is like a slap since it’s then feels very shallow, especially since she can’t even name Azula by name and says the "other" one.

[akiizayoi4869]

The Search: A story about abuse, abuse apologism, and ableism.

So as you guys all know, I spent my night reading The Search for the second time, and much like the first time I read it last year, I wasn't impressed. At all. It gives us a detailed backstory about Ursa, and what her life was like before and after she married Ozai. To make a long story short, she was forced into an abusive marriage. And the comic goes out of its way to show us just how abusive it was, and that this was a bad thing.

These panels show us an abusive marriage, and how that was bad. The panel that shows they're wedding night shows a prelude of what will be an abusive marriage. Ozai also happens to be abusive to his children.

This is verbal abuse, not just to Zuko but to Azula as well(even though the writers clearly don't see her as an abuse victim) and it's framed as a bad thing. And it is. No child should have to go through this. As far as all of this goes, Yang did a good job with depicting Ozai as an abusive person, and how it had a negative effect on his family.

Now let's move on to the abuse apologism and ableism that this comic had when it comes to Azula.

Every time Azula has an outburst, she's immediately attacked because she's seen as dangerous, even though the characters should have used their damn brains and asked her who was she seeing and what was she talking about, rather than constantly attacking her. It's heavily implied that she was abused at the asylum, and yet this is framed and written as a good thing by Yang, simply because she was mean to people, fought on the wrong side of the war, and dared to be better than her brother. She's forced into a straight jacket that she wears 24/7, which realistically she shouldn't have even been able to MOVE after being in that thing for so long, and she gets chi blocked for no reason at all. OZAI has better imprisonment conditions than she did, when he was the one who nearly committed genocide in the earth kingdom. When he was the one who had no intention of stopping the war. When he was the one gave Zuko his scar, who had his father killed. That same person is treated better than Azula. And for what? Because he's not "crazy" like she is? The way how this whole thing is framed when it came to Azula makes it seem like Yang was pretty much saying that she deserved the abuse that she suffered in the asylum, that she deserved to be constantly attacked by everyone, as a consequence for her actions during the war. Even though she didn't do anything worse than what Zuko, Iroh, Zhao, and Ozai did. And yet she's the only one getting treated like this.

How many times do we have to see this shit in media? See the woman who was abused by a male who was dominant in her life be treated horribly because of the way she turned out as a result of said abuse? To have the people who supposedly love her, BLAME her for the abuse that she suffered. How many woman in reality go through this bs? And yet Yang and the other writers thought that this shit was ok to put in a book for a young audience? That's the wrong kind of message to be sending. Yang makes this message ten times worse by doubling down on it by making Azula "insane and nutty", which he uses to justify the treatment that she gets. And it's disgusting. The stigma surrounding mental health is already bad enough in this society, we shouldn't have to see it in a book that's meant for kids.

So in conclusion, fuck this book. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.