#atla: air nomad revival

[awanderingmuse-ficrec]

The Lost Book Air (Series)

Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender

Author: BrusselsSprout, @royaltealovingkookiness​

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Strong(ish) Language, Alcohol Mention

Word Count:  67,073

Pairings: Sukka

Characters: Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Azula, Iroh, Aang, Katara, Toph Beifong, The Gaang, Sun Warriors, Druk, Ty Lee, Kuzon

Tags: Adventure, Friendship, Post Series, Minor Sokka/Suki, Humour, Fire Siblings bring the drama, Azula Redemption, Zuko dragon mama, Fire Lord Zuko, Some angst, Post-Canon, Fire Nation, Air Nomads, Reincarnation, Worldbuilding

The war ended, the world is moving back towards balance - but can Team Avatar ever really return to their old life after what they have experienced?

Post-series adventures, featuring Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang, and all of the Gaang in various configurations. Because everybody deserves a field trip with Zuko.

The Great Eggspedition

Zuko is Fire Lord and Sokka is a returning guest to the Fire Nation Palace to do "library research" in quotation marks. It has nothing to do with Suki being there, obviously. When someone from Zuko's past shows up bearing grave news, their only lead is Azula. The four of them set out on an adventure to rescue an egg (and possibly the world).

A field trip with Zuko is never just a field trip, but a life-transforming experience: Zuko becomes mother of dragons, Azula stumbles towards redemption, Sokka makes plans, and the Gaang is along for the ride.

The Things We Lost in the Fog

The war has ended, but without air-benders, can there ever be balance?

Aang visits his childhood home looking for answers, but all he gets is a strange dream that leads him right back to the Fire Nation and to Zuko. The Avatar and the Fire Lord set out on a journey to retrace the past - revealing the secret history of forgotten heroes, lost airbenders and a friendship that lasts more than a lifetime. In the meantime, Azula tries to untangle the web of a conspiracy.

(Sequel to The Great Eggspedition)

[charmedreincarnation]

So, I was watching ATLA and LOK for the millionth time, and there are so many elements in these shows that I have applied to my life, it's not even funny. This isn’t even really meant to be particularly educating but honestly I could have used atla and lok alone at the beginning of my journey and still come to the same conclusions as I had today. They’re both some of my fav shows since I was a child, and looking back and seeing its influence on me is very nostalgic. Also the live action is getting produced soon so I can’t think of a better time to make this post.

Chakras

Anyways In Avatar: The Last Airbender," Aang learns about chakras from Guru Pathik. Chakras are like energy points in our body. Each one is linked to a different part of life, such as love, truth, or survival. When Aang clears blockages in these chakras, he can use his Avatar powers better. I had made a post about I will link here but honestly watching the scene in a kids show is more appealing 😭😭

Meditation

Meditation is used a lot in the Avatar series. It helps characters like Aang to focus, feel calm, and understand themselves better. In real life, meditation does the same thing! It can obviously help reduce stress, improve focus and make us feel happier. In both shows I saw characters use meditation to induce a plethora of things.

Talk to Past Lives: Aang uses meditation to talk to his past lives for advice.

Ask for Help: Aang meditates to ask spirits for help.

Clear Minds: Characters meditate to think clearly and make good decisions.

Astral Projection: Aang and Jinora can travel as spirits, separate from their bodies, and etc

Yin and Yang

Avater uses the Moon (Yin) and Ocean (Yang) spirits to symbolize balance. Yin (Moon spirit) is like the subconscious mind, it's quiet, internal, and creative. Yang (Ocean spirit) can be seen as the conscious mind, it's active, external, and logical.

Just like in Neville Goddard's teachings, both aspects need to work together for balance. In the show, when the Moon spirit is killed, chaos ensues because the balance is disrupted. It's only when the Moon spirit is revived that harmony is restored. This is similar to how our subconscious (inner self) and conscious (outer self) minds need to work together to achieve our desires as we want to experience both of the worlds as they work in unison.

Astral realm and the sprit world

Atla and lok also talks about a spirit world. This is like another dimension filled with spirits and mystical beings. It's similar to what we call the 'astral realm' - so a space beyond the physical world where our consciousness can go. Also Jinora, a character in "The Legend of Korra," has a unique spiritual ability that allows her to astral project. So she can separate her spirit from her physical body and traverse both the physical and spiritual worlds in her spiritual form.

Jinora displays astral projection abilities multiple times. For instance, in Season 2, she uses this skill to guide Korra, who is lost in the spirit world, she also uses it to find and save Kai in seasons 3. Her astral form appears as a glowing butterfly-like spirit, and she used it multiple times to lead her friends to safety.

The Void state

In lok a character named Zaheer learns to fly. He was put in jail for trying to kidnap the Avatar. But he obviously didn't waste time while in jail. Instead, he used it to meditate and try to reach enlightenment. He does this by entering a 'void' state when he meditates. He lets go of all his earthly attachments and desires, and this makes him weightless. His ability to fly is deeply intertwined with his spiritual beliefs and his interpretation of the teachings of Guru Laghima, an ancient Air Nomad.

In the show Guru Laghima, who lived 4,000 years before Zaheer's time, was the first airbender known to have unlocked the ability to fly. According to his teachings, one could achieve flight by "entering the void" - which meant letting go of all earthly attachments and desires to attain true freedom. When his gf dies This emotional event helps him truly let go of his last earthly tether, thus allowing him to "enter the void" and unlock the ability to fly.

Reincarnation and the avatar cycle

I knew the shows were probably based of real life because I’ve seen air nomad clothing, and I know monks are very closely reflected onto the show but really every aspect rings true and is similar to beliefs in Buddhism. This is especially true when looking at the Dalai Lama, who is a spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.

People believe that the Dalai Lama is a new version of Avalokiteśvara or Chenrezig, who is known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion. When a Dalai Lama dies, it's believed he comes back to life in a new person. Then, high-ranking lamas look for signs to find this person.

This is like the cycle of the Avatar. When an Avatar dies, they come back to life in a new person from the next nation in a set order (Air, Water, Earth, Fire). The new Avatar is found using different tests, which is much like how the new Dalai Lama is found.

But there are some differences. For example, the Avatar can remember their past lives, but the Dalai Lama usually doesn't say they remember theirs. Also, the Avatar is special because they can control all four elements, which is a fantasy idea and doesn't have a real-life counterpart in Buddhism.

I was researching my a specific Lama and his story was a reflection of Korra’s character. It's interesting to note that both the Dalai Lama and Korra knew from a young age that they were special. In the show, Korra knew she was the Avatar when she was very young. Similarly, the Dalai Lama also recognized his identity at a young age.

Honestly, it's just a really good show to watch. I probably even missed some elements from the show bc I’m more concerned about watching it than learning something. But I love both ATLA and LOK and I've even shifted to LOK and will shift to ATLA as well! I really suggest watching its so good y’all. Byeee

[zutarasbuff]

I watched the Netflix adaptation of ATLA today and being a hardcore fan of the OG series who knows every nook and cranny of the ATLA world, here’s my unbiased and truly honest review (It contains both the negatives and positives of the series, so dear reader please enter to read at your own risk).

Firstly, let’s talk about the wonderful additions to the already magical world of ATLA.

1. The depth of the genocide

Well, I always wanted to know how the air nomads were suddenly wiped out and how it would have been for them? Why didn’t they resist? I got my answers in the first episode where we explore how the unhinged power of the comet was “actually” used to create a genocide on a massive level. Before that, I had only heard about it in the OG series. Those few scenes were so powerful that they had left me sobbing uncontrollably and Gyatso’s concern regarding Aang had me bawling.

2. Suki’s Characterization

In the OG series, we do find our Suki the fiercest warrior, but here in the live action, she’s an absolute goddess. She is perfect in every sense. She understands the responsibilities she has being a non-bender and is fearless. Her character is what I believe to be was the strongest one of all.

3. Graphics & Music

We never talk about a film by M.Night (that didn’t happen), but this one is really a visual treat for you can readily set yourself up for some mind-blowing bending scenes, plus the fight scenes are quite impressive. It seems that the VFX team had really done their homework this time. Plus, both Momo and Appa are so freaking cute. I loved the fluffy Appa. Good work over there. The revival of the OG theme is also a highlight plus the sun warriors’ chanting in the end is given a new but intriguing twist. The background music especially in scenes where Aang unravels his Avatar powers is mystical in every aspect.

4. Life in motion

I don’t know about others, but I have always been a sucker for animation as well as live-action where characters are operating even in the direst of the circumstances. Life is there and even after they know what happened a hundred years ago, they are still trying to believe and regain their past confidence. This is beautifully portrayed and I was very much impressed by the way people are continuing their day-to-day activities even in the middle of a crisis.

Overall, the series serves the purpose of an adaptation carrying its unique colors (at least better than the previous live-action disaster that didn’t happen).

Now let’s move to the bad side, and when I say it’s honestly what I felt, you need to take my word on it being a hardcore Atla fan.

1. Weak writing & lots of exposition

ATLA remains at a 9.2 IMDB rating even after years because of its writing, strong plot, and very few plot holes. This time, the writers are the real amateur ones. Despite adding more to the already flourishing universe of ATLA, sadly, they killed the quest of the viewer to find answers. There is too much exposition. It seems that every character just wants to see the end of the war and keeps on revealing things after things. Plus, some of the OG moments that were the soul of the series are not even included. The way Aang finds Momo and then decides to keep it with him as a last remnant of their bygone air nomad civilization is nowhere to be found. In fact, the replacement of Roku with Kyoshi is the biggest disappointment. I love Kyoshi like no one else but that was unnecessary as per the cycle.

2. Bland acting

Even the worst writing shots can be digested only if the acting appears real good. Sadly, this is another issue that I found with the NETFLIXED version. No doubt the characters must have done a lot of hard work for this, yet, they lack the expressive power. Gordon as Aang is super cute but the goofiness is not even there. Katara seems a nerd who doesn’t like to talk much even when it’s necessary and Sokka’s jokes are forced. Meanwhile, Dallas seems to save the day at one point, but again his over-the-top angry young man attitude ruins it for me. Maybe the actors will learn from the criticism in the upcoming season (if Netflix plans to go with it).

3. Major changes

Yes, it’s okay to change the narrative while you are working on an adaptation, but targeting the loyal viewers who are OG fans of ATLA means that you have to be very careful when you are trying to implement your changes in scenes that are the real soul of the OG. You can’t change the Omashu myth as if it’s nothing when we actually see even the cute animated version of the folklore. You cannot portray Roku more as a perpetrator of the genocide and Bumi as the evil king when in truth he’s the mad king who’s known for his genius ways of teaching. I hated that. Plus, reducing Zhao’s authority and taking Uncle Iroh’s sarcastic attitude is just meh. Mai again doesn’t even seem perfect as a cast. Jet is good as far as the aesthetics are concerned but Jet being in Omashu doesn’t even sit right with me. The amalgamation of multiple storylines creates so much confusion and this persists till the end.

4. Bending at convenience

We all know how Katara’s bending progressed throughout the first season and it’s little effort each day. However, in series, one day she’s unable to bend even a droplet of water and the next day she is capable of producing ice crystals. This was unacceptable for me because I was anticipating her learning strategies. Besides, Aang doesn’t learn much water bending throughout this season and in the end, it’s him being the savior in Avatar state. Thoughtless bending sucks despite the great VFX and that’s one thing at which you can’t convince me otherwise.

5. Forced friendships

We all know how it took some time for Sokka to embrace Aang as a chum. However, here Sokka keeps on calling him “the kid” and remains mostly alienated from Aang. Talking to Katara, then she also seems more interested in helping Avatar fulfill his goal than being with a friend. I hated the scene where Aang comes into the Avatar state and instead of hugging him just like in the OG series, Katara runs along Sokka and keeps on calling his name. How is that going to build any organic friendship? I think the first mistake began right from the very moment when Aang was taken back to Wolf Cove on a boat in his unconscious state. Upon opening his eyes, the first person he finds near him is neither Katara nor Sokka but a tribesman who’s playing guessing games. Writers were really high when they wrote that.

6. Lack of the four nations’ biodiversity

Maybe in live action, it’s difficult to create all the marvels of the four nations when we talk about their natural biodiversity. In the OG series, it is indicated by Aang that even after 112 years, he has still not forgotten the animals that define different regions in the four kingdoms and that’s exactly why he wants to finish those “important tasks” alongside saving the world. His important tasks included keeping a check on the natural biodiversity of the lands and exploring whether the Hundred Years’ War had not damaged the majestic animals. Actually, his first dialogue right after regaining consciousness is to go for an otter penguin’s ride with Katara. When I thought about that I felt that somewhere in Aang’s mind he was always connected to nature and that’s why he wanted to regain that connection by being an avatar. Sadly we never see much of the biodiversity but I hoped that maybe they will.

Also, how come Aang had that silent whistle for one hundred years when in the series he only discovers that accidentally? I missed the OG Yip Yip for our Appa. There are lots and lots of problems with the Netflix version, and no I am not being a nitpicker. I appreciate how the current creators credited the original ones, but now I know why Bryan and Michael bade farewell to this project. On a scale of 10, it’s a 4 for me or 4.5 if I am being too generous.

If I am asked to review the live action in a single line, I would only say this:

“The Netflixed ATLA makes you go back to the OG series and you end up watching the animation to give your mind a much-needed respite from a carefully crafted artistic disaster aimed at the sensationalized generation.”

[bruhstation]

a few days ago, I revived my years old hyperfixation. so what better way to keep it in memory than to make an AU based on it with my current special interest <-- has happened several times before

I present to you all: ttte atla AU! set in an era (or rather alternate universe) where the hundred year war didn't happen, the air nomads are still around, and the main conflict -- though it still came from the same source which is the fire nation -- is different now; which is a crazed nonbender scientist from the fire nation with a strong dislike for bending arts and having his own army of technology-boosted soldiers

[burst-of-iridescent]

Hi! I love all your posts regarding atla and deep diving into Zuko and Katara's relationship-those analysis's are *chief's kiss* perfect

Anywho, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm guessing you heard about Bryke wanting to expand the atla universe, and will be creating a new movies, one of which, with the Gaang as adults, but as far as I know won't have any of the returning head writers like Aaron Ehasz..

so my question is: do you think there is any hope for these movies? Because to me I feel like it might just be a fully animated comic (we all know how those turned out) & just be 2 hrs of Katara and Aang saying "Sweetie" back an forth. Yes I'm still saltly

frankly? no.

and that's not even me saying it as a salty zutara shipper who doesn't want to see kat.aang as an established relationship. i doubt how good these movies are going to be because bry.ke have little-to-no understanding of their characters, especially katara and zuko, and at least since atla, haven't shown the self-awareness to hire a writer's team that can compensate for their shortcomings. i've said it before and i'll say it again: they have great, creative ideas and an excellent eye for stunning visuals and an immersive world. but when it comes to the nuances of characterization and story-building, they cannot do it on their own. lok proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

but more than bry.ke, these movies are also emblematic of a larger problem that i see in multiple franchises: the subordination of creative, meaningful storytelling in service to shameless nostalgia cash-grabbing. ask yourself, do we really need a story about the adult gaang? most of the main plot threads that they could've expanded on from atla have already been (mostly badly) answered in the comics: what happened to ursa, azula's potential redemption, decolonisation, industrialisation vs tradition, the founding of a new air nomad legacy, zuko's struggles as fire lord. any new story would either have to retcon previously established "canon" or put a new spin on old themes. the latter of which i severely doubt bry.ke's capability to pull off, particularly if any level of nuance is required.

atla is slowly but surely heading in the direction of star wars/harry potter/the mcu in producing new material just for the sake of making money instead of truly adding something impactful to the canon. the fact that absolutely no new atla material since the show itself has ever managed to live up to the original is proof that the franchise has no idea what it's doing.

and before someone comes at me to say that it's impossible to ever live up to the original - just take a look at the hunger games revival happening right now. the ballad of songbirds and snakes has been received so well because it isn't just a shameless cash-grab. it's a valuable contribution to the series that expands on the universe and themes of the original trilogy, giving more depth and nuance to the original books instead of detracting from them. because collins adds to the canon only when she has something meaningful to say, and for a franchise that she could have milked to absolute filth, that restraint reflects not only her integrity as a creator, but the value she places on the stories that she tells - which in turn makes her readers value and respect them as well.

and that's a lesson that i think every single storyteller should take to heart. if you want to be respected as a writer, you have to respect your characters and your stories first. because if you, the creator, don't... why should anyone else?

[quillthrillswriting]

sooo.... anyone else ever wondered how different ATLA would have been if aang had been frozen at age 16 instead of age 12?

yeah... me too 😌 my new fanfic "the teenager in the iceberg" follows the events of the show, but with only aang aged up, while everyone else remains their canon age.

also...cmon....how funny is it to switch zuko and aang's iconic dialogue to "you're just a teenager!" "...so are you?"

this idea was originally inspired by the talented @allgremlinart's aged up aang drawings, so please go show them some love!!:)<3

enjoy the excerpts from chapter three, that just dropped this morning!

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

Katara watched Aang take one last, painful look at the temple, then turn to the sky ahead, lit up in shades of orange, pink, and gold. She swore she could see arrows in every cloud, arrows like the ones inked across Aang’s body, and the gentle breeze that carried the crisp night air towards them seemed to wrap around them like a loving spirit.

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“...You have no idea where we’re going, do you?” Sokka sighed, turning the map that was held against Appa’s saddle with a couple of rocks toward himself. “I’ve been charting our progress, and it’s starting to look more like a scrap of paper a toddler is practising circles on than a navigational tool.”

“C’mon Sokka, I’m an Air nomad, travel is in my blood. I have a very strong internal compass. Besides, you’ll find that as a nomad, I’m a master of evasive manoeuvring.” Katara raised an eyebrow, looking up from her spot near the back of the saddle as she stitched a rip in Sokka’s pants. “Besides,” Aang continued, typical teenage boy overconfidence emitting from his tone of voice. “I know it’s near water.”

Sokka leaned over the edge of the saddle, eyes scanning the blue expanse below them that stretched as far as the eye could see. “We must be getting close then,” he scoffed, his tone dripping in sarcasm as he slouched back into his spot across from Katara.

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“Aang,” she said distractedly, “could you hold this for me?” She handed him the mirror. 

“Y-yeah, no problem.”

She tugged out her hair ties, flipping her head upside down for a moment to make sure that it had all gotten loose, then she gingerly tugged a few tendrils of water from the nearby ocean and wrapped tiny streams around her hair, tugging out the crimped braid pattern and reviving her curls. Then, she carefully bent the remaining liquid back out. 

She couldn’t see his face through her thick hair as she stood back up, but from his voice, Aang seemed impressed. “I get that you haven’t been able to learn any big combat moves, but for someone whose bending is self- taught, you sure have a pretty good handle on these smaller things.”

She properly flipped her head up now, curls and waves bouncing around her face. Her dark brown locks shone with honey-toned highlights, all different shades of caramel and chocolate sparkling as they framed her face. She reached up, gently twisting and clipping a few strands out of the way, but a few wayward pieces still fell forward, gently brushing against soft, full lips and smooth skin. Aang awkwardly froze for a moment, caught off guard by how different she looked when her hair was loose and free. He had a weird urge to tell her so, but bit his tongue, instead focusing on her answer. 

“I learned most of the smaller things from helping Gran-Gran.” Katara’s eyes sparkled, clearly caught up in a vision of home as she reached up to brush up her hair. “ As she’s gotten older, her range of mobility has started leaving her. It’s not really comfortable or safe for her to stoop over to wash her hair, so I learned how to bring the water to her and wash it while she was sitting up, then I learned how to dry it for her fast.”

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

Sokka yelped, his voice defensive and offensive all at once. “There is no way a bunch of girls in cutesy makeup and dresses managed to tie me up.”

“Awe, you think our makeup is cutesy? How sweet .” The girl's voice was crooning at first, sweet and gentle, but Katara could see from the way her muscles flexed as she held Sokka by the collar that there was venom hiding behind those words. She was right. “Throw him to the Unagi.”

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“Katara, c’mon, we’re supposed to be sticking together, where are you going?” Aang tugged at her arm until she was facing him, looking at her earnestly as if he hadn’t basically been flirting with all of those girls back there.

The words came out before she could stop them. “I thought monks weren’t supposed to go around flirting with any random girl, and they’re definitely not supposed to go around catering to a village full of fangirls.”

Aang raised an eyebrow, his expression teasing in a way that made Katara want to splash the smirk off of his face in a wave of water. “You sure have a lot of opinions on what you think monks are supposed to do, considering that I’m the only one you’ve ever met.” He shifted his weight, leaning in a bit closer. “Matter of fact, maybe it's just that you have a lot of opinions on what you think I’m supposed to be doing.”

Katara stiffened at the memory of the words that Sokka had just said minutes before. “Why would I care what you’re doing? I don’t. ”

Aang shrugged, reaching past her to grab a papaya and biting into it. After swallowing, he reached into Katara’s satchel, his hand brushing her waist as he pulled out some coins and quietly thanked the vendor. “Keep telling yourself that, Katara.” Hearing her name from his lips did something to her, but she kept her gaze level, eyes blazing with flame until Aang backed off.

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

♥ check out the three chapters of this (ongoing) fic & my ao3 here! ->

[abrthephantomq]

WIP Wednesday...?

I -- okay. Just like with any fic I post here, I have no idea how much of this I'm actually going to write. Or if I'll even finish it.

But this crazy idea is based off of a literal dream I had last night. Basic premise is "ATLA AU: 4 Nations' "Match Making" Tradition Revived to commemorate the ending of the near-100 year war. Sokka and Katara are sent as a show of good will from the Southern Water Tribe."

Oh, and Sokka is trans.

Sokka folded his arms over his chest, meeting his father’s eyes. “So, Dad, let me get this straight,” he began, doing his best to keep his annoyance from creeping into his voice. “You want me and Katara to travel across the ocean, to the Fire Nation, in some – show of goodwill? For some – some contest that hasn’t happened in decades because the Fire Nation literally tried to take over the world?” 

Hakoda did not look away. Hakoda, instead, folded his own arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. “The war is over,” he said. “It’s been over for almost as long as you’ve been alive, Sokka.”

“That contest is a – a couples matching contest!” Sokka protested, waving his arms in emphasis. “And they specifically ask for women –” 

Hakoda’s raised eyebrow did not lower, though something did flicker across his face. “Well, technically, you were born a –”

“Don’t,” Sokka warned, pointing a finger in his father’s face. “Don’t ‘technically,’ me, Dad. I’ve done everything I can do to be the man I am today. Don’t – take that away from me.” 

Hakoda’s expression softened, and he placed a heavy hand on Sokka’s shoulder. “You’re twenty-one, now, son,” he said, offering Sokka an apologetic smile. “Tribe tradition says that you need to find yourself an appropriate suitor. This – contest, as old as it is, is a great way for you to meet someone, and it’ll help build good will between us and the Fire Nation… or us and the Earth Kingdom, or us and the Air Nomads…” 

Sokka’s teeth ground together. “I’m. Not. A. Woman.”

“You’re not,” Hokada agreed. “Yes, traditionally, this event – as it’s not actually a contest – only required visiting nations to send women. But this time, they’re opening it up to both men and women. All of the nations of the world suffered as a result of the war. If Avatar Aang hadn’t been discovered in the ice when you were a baby, it probably would’ve gone on for even longer.” 

That didn’t make it any better. Nothing about any of this made it better. “I’m going to be the only man there –” 

“The Fire Nation’s offering up their Prince as a – participant,” Hakoda said. 

Sokka narrowed his eyes at him. “You were gonna say ‘contestant,’ weren’t you?” 

“Nope,” Hakoda said with a quick cough. “I was not.” 

Sokka studied Hakoda for a moment longer. Then another, letting his absolute disdain for this whole debacle show on his face. “I don’t like this,” he hissed, slicing downward with his hand. “I really don’t like this. What if they make me –”

“They’re not going to make you participate as a woman,” Hakoda said, cutting Sokka off. “They don’t know that about you, Sokka – that you were born a girl.” 

“But – the medicines I have to take, and –” he gestured to his chest. The chest currently hidden underneath his thick coats designed to keep out the freezing temperature of the South Pole. “It’s – not cold there, Dad. Not like here. What am I gonna do about my…?” He couldn’t say it. Not in front of his father. 

Hakoda gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Katara said she’d help you with that.” He stepped away from Sokka, pulling up a scroll. “I also checked with the Fire Nation’s palace physician. They have the herbs needed to make your medications. Katara said she’d make as much as she could before the two of you left, too. So you might not even need it.” 

Sokka’s mind reeled. “When did you get to talk to Katara?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “You just told me about this five minutes ago!” 

“She and I’d talked about it this morning,” Hakoda said, moving on to another scroll. He offered Sokka a crooked smile. “She seemed to think you’d be ready to get on the boat tomorrow, since it’ll allow you to get to see parts of the world you haven’t seen, yet.” 

Sokka cursed underneath his breath, which earned him a sharp look from his father. Of course Katara would think that – he’d only been bitching about how neither one of them had been allowed to travel past the revived Southern Air Temple since they were teenagers. 

“But – the Fire Nation?” he managed eventually, though even he could hear how weak his voice sounded compared to his earlier ire. “The same Fire Nation that almost wiped out all of the Air Nomads? And forced them into hiding? You wanna send us there?” 

“They’re the ones hosting,” Hakoda said with a shrug. “The Northern Tribe has already sent word that they are sending a small selection of participants.” 

“And the Earth Kingdom?” Sokka pressed. “What about the Air Nomads?” 

“Avatar Aang himself will be participating,” Hakoda said with a quiet hum. “The Fire Nation made that abundantly clear in their invite – they’d even said it was his idea to revive this world tradition.” 

Sokka noticed his father hadn’t answered about the Earth Kingdom, but – considering Avatar Aang himself was going to be participating in this stupid tradition….

“Fine,” Sokka said. “I’ll go – but you owe me!” 

“Of course,” Hakoda said, as if he hadn’t expected anything less from Sokka. “Let me know what it is you want when you come back.” 

Sokka knew a dismissal when he heard one. Or maybe he was just absolutely done with this entire conversation – with the entire idea of traveling to the Fire Nation to mingle with a bunch of people from across the world and maybe, just maybe, hit it off with any of them. Either way, he stomped his way out of their home and out into the icy cold. 

He needed to find Katara, anyway.

[rynliadon]

question just bc I'm wondering: since we know that Aang can energybend (which can both give and take away bending), and that there were air acolytes who would have LOVED to be airbenders, why couldn't Aang just. make new airbenders. like that was a Whole Thing™ in Legend of Korra (one of my favorite storylines actually) but. couldn't Aang have done it himself when he was alive? could he have? WAS THAT GOING TO BE THE PLOT OF BOOK FOUR AIR?? WAS BOOK 4 GOING TO BE AANG BRINGING BACK THE AIR NOMADS? WAIT-

[appadorable]

the aang discourse is like idk i guess there ARE stories where it could be interesting to see a pacifist accidentally kill someone but atla is not that story. atla is a show for kids about a survivor of genocide reviving part of his culture, bringing back something the world lost but needed. having him kill ozai wouldn’t even be a satisfying ending. why can’t you guys let aang have a relatively happy ending where he keeps his culture alive in his own way and finds a way to circumvent the problem that is uniquely air nomad

THIS ALL OF THIS

[innsjovide]

Major Language Groups in Avatar

because i'm a nerd about both linguistics and atla

note: this is all speculation/theories/headcanons, so don't take it super seriously

also this is long af so i'm putting it under a cut

Air Nomads

Although the Air Nomads have one language, it's highly dialectisized, with separate, distinct dialects existing within each temple region

The languages of each temple are often more closely connected to the nearby regions (i.e. the Southern Water Tribe for the Southern Air Temple, the Fire Nation for the Western Air Temple) than they are to the other dialects of Air Nomad

most Air Nomads could instantly recognize another nomad's place of origin by their accent

Most inter-nation documents were written in a standardized dialect of Air Nomad, designed to be intelligible from any temple/regional dialect

Despite all text in Avatar being written in Chinese Hanzi, I think that the Tibetan script suits the Air Nomads, mostly due to their real-life inspiration

After the Hundred Year War, Aang's Southern Air Temple dialect is the only surviving variation of the Air Nomad language. Since it's close to the Southern Water tribe language, he's able to easily teach it to Katara and Sokka and less easily teach it to the rest of the gaang, keeping the language alive

During Korra's time, most Air Nomad official documents are written in the Southern Air Temple dialect, though efforts are being made to restore the other dialects through historical documentation

Most Air Nomads were taught the other Air Nomad languages and other nation's languages from an early age since communication and acceptance are valued in the community

Water Tribe

The Water Tribe language exists in two primary dialects, Northern and Southern

While the languages are distinct enough that most tribesmen consider them separate languages, most outsiders group them together as one language

While sharing a common ancestor (proto-tribal), after the initial southern migration, the tribe's respective languages evolved into distinct dialects

Most intertribal documents were written in Northern Water Tribe's dialect up to when the Southern Water Tribe became independent when the Southern Tribe adopted their own language for official documents.

Due to the extreme isolation of the poles, the language is very distinct from languages used in the rest of the world, and many foreign officials aren't well-versed in the language enough to conduct business in it. Therefore, most Water Tribe foreign affairs are conducted in the language of the other nation

While most foreign documents would be written in Hanzi, most national documents would be printed in Inuktitut syllabics

After the devastation of the Hundred Year War, the Southern Water Tribe dialect experienced an extreme decline due, but efforts are being made to restore it

Most children learn both tribal languages at an early age to promote tribal unity.

Earth Kingdom

Due to the Earth Kingdom's extreme size and diversity, equal diversity exists among the languages spoken amongst the continent, with dialects from the north and south being barely intelligible with one another

Most languages fall under the Earthen Standard language family, with slight variations depending on the region. Examples of these dialects are the Yokoyan Dialect (spoken in historical Yokoya, Kyoshi Island, and the surrounding regions), the Omashu dialect, the North-Western Dialect (spoken around the United Republic of Nations before the Hundred Year War), and the Ba Sing Se dialect, which is considered the standardized and 'proper' version of the language, and used on official documents and in foreign affairs

All languages in the Earthen Standard language family use Hanzi as their primary script, a trait adopted by the other nations for legal documents

Other minority language groups exist, notably around majority/minority populations. Notable among these are the village Song was from (the girl from the first few episodes of ATLA season 2) where the Hangul script is used, the waterbenders of the Foggy Swamp Tribe (whose language is a creole of an archaic dialect of Water Tribe and the local Earth Kingdom dialect). The Foggy Swamp language does not use its own script but has enough linguistic difference to be classified as its own language.

The most notable minority language is actually classified as its own language group and is the family of languages spoken by the Si Wong tribes. The languages of the various tribes are diverse and very distinct from those of the rest of the continent, using a separate script and grammar system. Most sandbenders only bother to learn the standard Earth Kingdom language for trade.

The Si Wong language can be written in many scripts but is most commonly written in Arabic script.

As stated before, the Ba Sing Se dialect is most commonly used in official or nationwide documents and is considered the standard dialect. It is also the dialect taught to foreign students in the Fire Nation and United Republic.

Fire Nation

Like that of the Earth Kingdom, the language of the Fire Nation is highly dialectisized, with most dialects being specific to clans.

After the unification of the Fire Nation, a standardized version of the language was created, based off of the dialect spoken in the capital. Despite this standardization, most clans opted to teach, speak and write in their clannish dialects up until the start of the Hundred Year War, when Fire Lord Sozin fully standardized the language and enforced its teaching across the nation.

The Fire Nation language is often written in the same character-based script as Earth Kingdom languages (Hanzi), though other phonology-based scripts are sometimes used, based off of Japanese Kanji and Kana scripts (hirigana and katakana)

While most clannish dialects have been lost to the ages, efforts are being made to revive those with surviving documentation.

The Fire Nation standard dialect is the most common foreign language taught in the Earth Kingdom

The United Republic

Since the United Republic is so diverse and functionally a nation of immigrants, there is no national language, and most official documents are printed in more than one language

However, a unique dialect of Earth Kingdom developed during the Fire Nation's century-long occupation.

Extra Notes

This is all in speculation and for fun so don't take it too seriously

The Avatar is probably required to learn languages from each nation

I left out a lot of ideas for simplification

[daily-tiktoks]

ID:

[[MORE]]

Hope by Twista is playing in the background.

If ATLA had a black ending:

Suki serves as the head of Zuko’s security force along with the rest of the Kyoshi warriors.

Toph opened a metalbending academy in yu dao and shows no mercy.

Sokka went back to the South Pole and is helping it rebuild.

Katara also went back to her home to rebuild, but serves as a waterbending instructor beside master pakku.

Zuko rules as fire lord ushering in an era of love and peace and is guiding his sister into healing.

Aang found the air acolytes reviving the air nomad culture and continues to bring balance to the world

But is still a simple monk

[whentheynameyoujoy]

So the ATLA Movie Is... Good, Actually?

Just kidding, of course it’s not, it’s so bad it sucked the paint off my walls. But after ten years of people pointing out its glaring flaws, why would anyone bother talking about this garbage heap if not to go the other direction? So here’s a very brief and very superficial list of things the movie does get kinda... not atrociously wrong.

And they won’t be fake hipster pokes, like “It’s fun to laugh at”, “The Rifftrax for this is OK”, or “Kudos to the actress for managing to say we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs with a straight face”.

(though now that I mentioned it, it is fun to laugh at, the Rifftrax for this is OK, and massive props indeed.)

Rasta Iroh

Yes, I know it’s not exactly the aesthetic of the real Iroh or that it makes no cultural sense for him to sport this do when no one else in the racebended Indian “OMFG what were you thinking Shyamalan” Nation does but goddamn, long-haired dudes are my one mortal weakness and I will ogle the hell out of him.

Jesus is that a man bun I see that’s it mum I’ve been deaded

Yue’s hair

No.

Now we’re talking. Yue’s hair turned white when the Moon spirit gave her life, so it makes sense for it to go black again when she sacrifices herself to revive the koi fish. It’s a neat detail I find myself expecting whenever I rewatch the scene in the show. Yes, I realize it’d be a pointless hassle to animate since she, unlike in the movie, immediately goes on to become the Moon herself but still. I like.

The Blue Spirit’s mop

Zuko, hun, what’s with the dance-off?

First of all, I want to imagine that Zuko the Theatre Nerd was about to leave his ship with just the mask like in the show but then stuck his head into the cleaning cupboard and went, “Yeah, more coverage might be good, even though it do seem mighty fried to shit”.

Which makes me giggle. I like to giggle.

And secondly, the hair’s movement is what makes the static mess of the Blue Spirit’s solo fight scene appear at least bit more dynamic because God knows the cinematography isn’t doing it.

Any particular reason why it’s at the edge of the action, shot all boring-like?

Now, I get why circular shots would be reserved for Aang while he’s in the practice area and then used once the two join forces. What I don’t get is why Aang’s part of the action scene has a defined visual style while Zuko’s delegated to a few stationary wide shots from afar as though he’s a tertiary goon, meaning that when the time comes to combine the respective pieces of cinema language and visually convey collaboration, there’s not really much to combine.

But as long as Zuko is stuck in this static mess, it’s that awesome disaster on his head flopping about that draws the eye, helping me understand that something even is going on over there.

It also prevents me from paying much attention to how the extras are mostly just staying put and a lot of the hits don’t land, so that’s good.

The music slaps

James Newton Howard is too good for this.

Pls ignore that the word “gods” is used in the ATLA universe

I can’t be the only one who constantly uses this piece to daydream about writing specific fanfic scenes instead of, you know, actually sitting down and writing them. It’s just so good at communicating a sense of sorrow while speaking of rebirth that I find myself getting misty-eyed whenever I listen to it. Unfailingly, the soundtrack as a whole manages to break through the mile-thick crust of horrible acting, confusing writing, and uninspired cinematography and make me feel things. And considering how everything on screen is working against it, that’s no small feat.

Imagine what a powerful experience it would be if the score was used in service of an actual movie.

Dev Patel

No wonder since he’s the only one in the film occupying that crucial intersection between “is a good actor” and “was given something to work with”. It also doesn’t hurt that he breaks with the trend of actors starring in martial arts flicks despite never having done any martial art.

And all EIP-jokes about “stiff and humorless” aside, he’s a pretty decent Zuko considering how abridged this version of the character is. A while ago, I remember hearing a reviewer say that with his comedic chops, Patel should have been cast as Sokka. And on one hand, yes, god, absolutely, I need to see that asap. But on the other? He captures all layers of Book 1!Zuko, the desperate obsession, rage, and self-loathing, and at the same time gives you a peek at the soft momma’s boy dork that’s buried underneath. For Christ sakes, he exudes intensity and ambivalence even when acting against an emotionless hunk of wood that’s giving him nothing in return.

Oh, and I guess there’s a tree in the frame.

Ba dum tss

What can I say, the guy’s good.

Showing vs telling

OK, so this movie is all tell and no show, except for one single moment. And it’s the exact moment where the original goes in the other direction in terms of how information is conveyed.

See, I never liked this. The revelation is preceded by Iroh giving advice to Zuko who scolds him for nagging. Iroh then apologizes, moves in to say the line above, and is interrupted by Zuko who seems rather uncomfortable with Iroh laying his feelings out like this. And once they’re out, Zuko verbally confirms that he knew already and Iroh didn’t need to bother.

All this extraneous information and pussyfooting ends up weakening what should be a profound scene that reveals to us, the viewers, how deep the relationship between these two in fact runs.

Compare to the movie where Dadroh acts like a parent by fussing and worrying, with Sonion needing a single look to tell him and us that he understands what it’s all really about.

It’s genuinely efficient and just good.

No Cataang

Fine, a bit mean-girl bitchy from me since I only start minding the ship in Book 3. And probably unintentional on the part of the creators since there are moments where I think they’re trying to set the romance up? There’s a, well, an attempt to recreate the famous introductory shot of fateful meaningful destiny of meaningness, there’s some slight note of saving each other’s bacon going on, I’m pretty sure they’re the only ones in the film who smile, and oh, right, Katara’s shoved into her post-canon useless role where she doesn’t ever do anything, and is all about Aang right from the get go.

Yes, I will blame the “executive producers” because a) I’m incredibly petty, and b) it’s perfectly in line with their vision of the character so why the hell not.

Hilariously, none of it reads on screen because the actors are just... yeah. These poor kids are struggling so much with delivering their own lines and portraying their own characters they don’t seem to have any strength left to create something between them. To be fair, the bare-bones shot-reverse shot style of their scenes doesn’t exactly lend itself to the idea they occupy the same universe, let alone are friends or each other’s crushes.

And I enjoy this immensely because it allows me to forget the depressing horror show Katara’s life turns into post ATLA.

Yes Zutara

I need to delve into this because it’s fucking hilarious. So in a movie which fails to establish the original’s central romance so spectacularly that if Aang got lost in a crowd I don’t believe Katara would notice, SomEOnE thought it’d be a good idea to add an utterly unnecessary non-canon moment where Zuko for some reason feels the need to pause his character-defining hunt for the Avatar which otherwise has him ignore everything and snap at everyone, and explain his central conflict to an unconscious peasant he doesn’t know, complete with gently pushing the hair from the pretty girl’s the soulmate’s the Water Tribe Ambassador’s the Fire Lady’s the love of his life’s her face away, AFTER his uncle nagged him twice to find a girl and settle down.

I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page and this is what we really saw.

Celibate Avatars

I have no idea why the decision was made, if TPTB thought expecting viewers to understand the story through the lens of Buddhism would be too much, or if the “executive producers” already worked their retconny magic. What I do know, however, is that there’s a big shift in worldbuilding and Aang’s struggle with his role as the Avatar stops being a personal conflict defined by a) his grief for Air Nomads, b) his notion of being robbed of the loved ones in his life, and c) the selfish attachment to Katara he confuses with true love. Instead, what he has a difficulty to accept is apparently a general notion of who Avatars are supposed to be, i.e. a fantasy version of Catholic monks, no family and worldly relations, period.

I guess either someone understood the original’s portrayal of de/attachment as “hermit no freaky”, or thought the audience would so why not go there outright.

Now, do I like this on its own? No, God no, it makes the world infinitely poorer and changes the story from an exploration of ideas which aren’t all that ingrained in the West, to a cliché tropester about a Catholic priest going Protestant so that he could be with a girl.

At least I assume that’s where they were going to take this eventually.

I mean, I think the direction was “look conflicted, this isn’t the final stage of your journey”?

But consider this—the show went there, it built on the concepts of Eastern philosophy and touched upon the ideas of spiritual awakening, only to swerve in the end and strongly imply they’re bullshit and Aang should have never wasted his time with them.

So honestly, I much prefer scanty worldbuilding to an insulting retcon by a damn rock.

Multiracial Air Nomads

Probably the most substantial “no hint of irony” point on this list and a genuinely good addition to the universe’s worldbuilding.

See, the notion of the elemental nations being perfectly separate and never mingling before Sozin has always been sketchy but it’s especially ridiculous in the case of airbenders. It never made sense to me for all airbenders to be Air Nomads and for all Air Nomads to be monks and for all monks to be chilling at the temples all the time to facilitate a quick everyone-dies genocide should an imperialistic warlord ever decide to commit one.

Because committing everyone to a single way of life at a handful of places kinda goes against the central philosophy behind airbending. Like the freedom and nomadism part.

Instead, there should be more variety to the airbending culture, with some staying at the temples as monks, hermits, and teachers while others live as nomads, travelling the world and creating more airbenders, with the resulting children in turn being influenced by the non-airbending cultures they grew up in.

And thus, not only should airbenders not be modeled after a single culture to create a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, but they should have the most diverse and dynamic culture out of the four nations.

And it’d be precisely this diversity which would pave way for an eventual reveal that some of them survived, that their complete extermination is impossible.

Because they’re everywhere.

You know.

Like air.

[nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice]

Top 5 underrated ATLA ships? (love your blog by the way)

Ty Lee x a Kyoshi warrior gf 

Aang x Reviving and Spreading Air Nomad Culture after the War 

Azula x a Life-Changing Field Trip where She Visits the Dragons and Learns the Secret of Firebending after Spending the entirety of her Life Defining herself by her Firebending Abilities but Believing that Firebending to be Inherently Violent, Thereby Internalizing the Notion that her Worth Rested in Violence and Nothing More-- but After Visiting the Dragons she Realizes that Isn’t True 

Smellerbee x Therapy 

Jet/Zuko (not in the endgame way but in the nuanced way where both their appeal to each other and the fundamental reasons why they’re bad for each other because they have fundamentally different approaches to healing are recognized. Basically, the Blue and KVerse type Jetko where their attraction to each other is founded in something understandable and kind of sweet, but with an understanding of why they wouldn’t work out.) 

[appassaddle]

In worldbuilding, one of the best touchstones you can give people is in arts. Music is especially great because it’s one of the longest lasting sense-memories people have, so giving that to your fictional characters makes them that much more real and relatable. ATLA, as a great fantasy world, makes great use of this (how many times have you sung a song from the show? be honest.) so this is a list of possible musical influences that could be part of the various nations outside of the music we’re given in-show. The musical possibilities with bending and having benders has just... so much cool potentital, because look at what we’ve got without even having powers!

Check it:

Earth kingdom – lithophones

The Earth Kingdom would have absolutely sick lithophones (instruments made from resonating stone).

Lithophones are also some of the oldest dated musical instruments, going back to prehistoric times, and can be found in locations/cultures around the globe (singing/ringing/sonic/resonant rocks of different types are everywhere) in both natural and man-made settings. (Musical caves/stalactite organs vs carved or shaped settings)

Some examples:

Bianqing: (also known as qing, biên khánh in Vietnam, and pyeongyeong in Korea) A stone gong originating from China, played in a set (or singular) hung on racks, with a characteristic angular shape. (Not to be confused with bianzhong, which are metal bells, often played together with bianqing.)

          [example] [example] [example]

Ðàn đá: a stone mallet instrument from the western/central highlands of Viet Nam. They are a historic instrument and got a revival in the 1950s, so they are fairly common in the modern era as well.

          [example] [example]

          If you’re interested in checking out the work of Viet musicologists, check out their website: https://www.vienamnhac.vn/home-page

For a look into how stone based instruments can be made, check out this report from a small town in Japan that specializes in a specific type of musical stone (sanukite): https://www.kensanpin.org/en/report/no47/

Some examples of instruments made from sanukite: [example] [example]

(I can also totally see towns in the EK having stones specific to their region and their local musical tone.)

Post metalbending revolution they would probably partner up with…

The Fire Nation likely has a strong lean towards metallophones. In Western music the most well known of these would be vibraphones, glockenspiels, and bells. (In the ATLA soundtrack, a notable metallic sound is Azula’s signature sting.) But for the FN, more likely influences could be along the lines of:

Gamelan: this is a genre/type of ensemble from Indonesia, the main three styles being Javanese, Balinese, and Sudanese. (Styles depend on island of origin and cultural purposes.) It has a rich history and cultural importance that cannot be done justice in a few lines her, but it’s absolutely amazing music. Gamelan is used for religious/spiritual purposes, dance, puppeteering/storytelling, theater, general concerts, community gathers, and more. Ensembles range in size and instrumentation, but the main timbre is in the various metallophones (barred, gongs, cymbals, etc.), as well as drums, strings, woodwinds, and singers. [example] [example] [example]

[If you’re interested in learning more, the Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan actually has whole video modules via youtube to learn about the various styles of gamelan and multiple sources both print and online to access!]

Steelpan/steel drums: Originating from Trinidad and Tobago, these instruments have a very universal popularity for their bright tone and accessibility. There are many variations on steelpan such as the hang drum, handpan, steel tongue drum, and others. [example] [example] [example]

For the polar Water Tribes, I’d imagine they’d have a much stronger oral/vocal tradition than instrumental, with the exception being portable/durable instruments like hands drums, bone flutes, etc. (So this section is a little less instrument based and more appropriate vibes.)

Vocal/oral tradition: It’s hard to find a culture that doesn’t have some form of oral or sung tradition, but with the cultural influences behind the Water Tribes, I’d guess that a strong tradition would be in throat singing. Throat singing is found in multiple indigenous cultures around the world with various styles of overtone singing (producing more than one tone at once). Some examples are:

Inuit - [one] [two]

Tuvan (Mongolian) - [one] [two] [obligatory plug for The Hu bc they are some of the coolest people on the planet]

Tibetan - [one] [two]

Italian - [one] [two]

Ainu - [one] [two]

Tan Dun, Water Music: Tan Dun is a composer who has done film scores and currently focuses on what he calls “organic music” where the main focus is using naturally occurring materials/sounds. [performance]

Water drumming: One of the coolest ensemble performances, just straight up using water as an instrument. These examples are from Vanuatu and the Baka people of Cameroon. [one] [two] [three] [four] [five]

Sea Organ: Located in Zader, Croatia, this experimental instrument is played by the tides and waves. [video]

Hand drums/frame drums: these styles of drums can be found around the world, throw a dart at a map and there’s probably a style of hand drum from there. They are among the simplest style of drum to make, needing a round frame and hide to stretch over it. Here are just a few examples: [one] [two] [three] [four] [five] [six]

Air Nomads probably had a hug musical tradition between the temples, skybison herding, and traveling. Both singing and wind instruments were probably very popular (we see Aang being able to play multiple instruments). Simple flutes make good travel instruments and being able to share news and information via song when stopping at towns would be a valued skill (in communities before reading was a common skill, it would usually fall to either dedicated criers or bards to pass along information in an understandable and memorable way).

Singing/chants: Learning songs from around the nations would be fun for those who travel, it’s easy to imagine an informal song competition for the most variety or strangest or most locations or dirtiest ones learned during their travels. But given the strong influence of Tibetan Buddhism on the Air Nomads, some traditional Tibetan vocal music examples (a couple of other examples are under the Water Tribe section as well)- [one] [two] [three] [four] [five]

(Tibetan musical notation is also regarded as some of the most beautiful in the world, I’d strongly recommend taking a look.)

Sheng- This is a free-reed mouth organ from China and it has an incredibly long history. Traditional shengs are handheld with few keys, more modern versions vary in size, number of pipes, and keys. It’s a pretty delightful instrument imo. [one] [two] [three]

Panflute: There a lots of different kinds of panflutes found around the world, the most famous being the Greek and Peruvian styles. Some different kinds include paixiao (China), wot (Laos, northern Thailand), nai (Romania, Moldova), siku (Andean), and kuvytsi (Slavic). Variations include the cut of pipes to produce the sound, arrangement of the pipes, and materials used.[siku] [paixiao] [wot 1] [wot 2]

It would also be very cool to have carvings into the mountains that could be played by airbending oh man.

All of these are, of course, just barely dipping a toe into the vast amounts of beautiful musical cultures out there, but hopefully it helps inform and build on what is there. If something tickles your fancy, please feel free to go digging and find more about it! (If you aren’t sure where to start, I’m happy to help, just drop me a line and I can at least point you in the right direction. I make no claim to be any kind of expert here, but I can get you to them!)

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

Have you ever come across the takes on kataang in the comics? Like just a few moments- one that anti’s always bring up is the fan club and Aang somehow ‘abuses’ Katara here. Do you have any thoughts or debunks on that? (No pressure replying)

hi anon! it's been a hot minute since i've read the comics so i don't have much of an answer here lol, but i do feel pretty confident in saying that you should just block anyone you come across who's committed to the "aang is abusive!!" rhetoric, be it regarding atla, the comics, lok, whatever. such a claim is blatantly untrue in any avatar medium and isn't worth arguing over at this point. like, if they're gonna make a fool of themselves, it ain't our problem lmaooo

from what i remember of this moment in particular, however, i honestly felt like it was just a very human scene for the both of them. aang gets caught up and overwhelmed with this group doing their best to honor and replicate his traditions (something the gaang hadn't been able to do*). katara finds herself feeling left out, which wasn't anyone's intention ("Bato of the Water Tribe" parallels, anyone?), and also experiences a little jealousy. it's human. they're both human! and moreover, they're kids, and it's only logical that their relationship wavers and hits stumbling blocks in those early days. so personally, i don't understand at all how that translates to abuse and as per usual i am appalled by how this hellsite likes to strip words of their true meaning in such a manner.

opening this up to followers and mutuals who remember more about the comics than i! :)

*and i don't mean that in a bad way or to throw shade! the gaang has been fighting a war and trying to fix the world ffs, it's unsurprising that survival was their primary goal. the fan club made the active decision to look into and revive air nomad customs but also - importantly - had the luxury to do so. all the same, of course aang would be touched and overwhelmed!

[army-of-mai-lovers]

Ok so I have been thinking about this Equalism business all day and it will not leave my brain because the way it’s written in the show makes literally no sense so. Here’s how I would have done it: 

canonically speaking (at least in ATLA) the only nation that systemically oppresses nonbenders is the Fire Nation

think about it: the Air Nomads didn’t have nonbenders (and also considering there’s really not that many of them in Korra’s time whether or not they systemically oppressed nonbenders would kind of be a non-factor), and we never see evidence of it happening in the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribes in Aang’s time (in fact, Earthbenders and Waterbenders are targets for the Fire Nation)

but in the Fire Nation, it’s considered shameful to have a nonbender child. We see this with Zuko (who didn’t show evidence of bending ability until he was 7), whom Ozai wanted to kill when he was a baby because he seemed to lack Firebending, and with Piandao, who was abandoned by his Firebender parents because of his lack of bending. 

We also can imagine that even though Aang defeated Ozai and the gaang ended the war, things still weren’t hunky-dory. Regular Fire Nation citizens may not have been the ones leading the troops or capturing the Avatar, but they were complicit and actively benefiting from FN colonialism

so consider: Zuko and Aang decide to turn the Fire Nation colonies into the United Republic. The Earth Kingdom citizens who had been colonized by the Fire Nation for at least a hundred years (and tbh probably not doing so great while under Earth Kingdom control before then) suddenly govern themselves, alongside the Fire Nation citizens. There is no (official) aristocracy. Allegedly, everyone is equal. 

But Fire Nation citizens had grown used to being superior to their Earth Kingdom neighbors, and especially to people from the Water Tribes, who are immigrating to Republic City. Most of them do not like the ideals of the United Republic at all, and they don’t want balance with other groups. They want to be on top again. 

So how do they go about this? Well, some of them hide these sentiments under layers of academia. Some use dogwhistles when they run for office. Some join the police force, where they treat people with Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe heritage in the system worse than they treat people with Fire Nation heritage. And some form gangs to terrorize people with Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe heritage.

The root of the anti-bending movement is organizing against violence from people with Fire Nation heritage. Benders and nonbenders of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe heritage work together to highlight problems in their communities and to speak out against what people with Fire Nation heritage are doing to them. 

And this is all very, very bad for one Hiroshi Sato.  

The Satos are a new money Fire Nation family. The invention of the Satomobile has brought them into great wealth, but the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe organizers are very vocal about the fact that he treats his workers, most of whom aren’t Fire Nation, quite poorly, and they’ve had a lot of success pressuring the council into passing and enforcing stricter labor laws, which of course, cuts into Hiroshi’s profits. So he hatches a plan to shift the conversation to benefit himself. 

To do this, he enlists two Water Tribe brothers, Tarrlok and Noatak (I’m just going to make it that they left together because their whole backstory is convoluted and I simply cannot) to shift the pro-Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe movement into an anti-bending movement. Tarrlok will campaign on a platform of uniting benders of all nations (very carefully leaving out nonbenders) and slowly ratchet up his anti-nonbender stance once he’s in the council. Meanwhile, Noatak will pose as a nonbender who can commune with the spirits (as Sokka, very popular retired nonbender councilman, did) and say that the spirits told him that bending is an imperfection and must be abolished. 

This successfully divides the Earth Kingdom/Water Tribe movement in Republic City. Noatak, posing under the name Amon, basically runs a cult, and Tarrlok is fanning the flames of bender supremacy, and Hiroshi is watching as the movement falls apart and his profits rise. 

Publicly he is not anti-bender, but he toes the line, discussing his wife’s death by Firebender mugging frequently to garner sympathy with the public. He is never again held accountable for the way he treats his workers.

part of the journey would then be, in addition to defeating Hiroshi, Tarrlok, and Amon, reviving the alliances between benders and nonbenders and between people of Earth and Water heritage so that they could continue fighting for Republic City to be better, this time with the help of the Avatar, who is determined to bring balance and help all the citizens of Republic City