despite playing volleyball for over a dozen years, sakusa kiyoomi now thinks the sport is too dreadful for him to play.
it’s not that his team had lost their winning streak or that he no longer finds joy in the sport. no, he just abhors the fact that he’s required to remove his wedding ring.
“i hate this horrible rule… no, i loathe it! yeah— wait! abhor! i absolutely abhor this horrible rule!” kiyoomi drunkenly exclaimed while on your honeymoon after you mentioned he’d have to remove his ring during practices and matches.
with his head on your lap and your fingers in his hair, he mumbled, “fuck the volleyball gods.” and you couldn’t help but agree as you watched his fluttering eyelids and soft little grin.
and so every morning, just before he steps out the door for volleyball practice, he’ll plant a kiss against your forehead, on your nose, and on your lips. he’ll take your left hand and bring it towards his face, and his eyes will shine a bit brighter seeing your ring, a reminder and a signification that he’s yours and you’re his.
then, he’ll press a kiss right atop the band wrapped snuggly around your ring finger. he’ll cup your face, allowing you to feel to cool metal from his ring on your skin, and mutter a soft i love you, showing you the smile kiyoomi reserved just for you.
…so maybe, you can forgive the volleyball gods and this horrible rule just a teensy tiny bit.
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My Interpetation of The Southern Raiders: Part 1 – A\ang
Warning: The views expressed in this analysis will be very critical of Aang. If you aren't critical of him in this episode, you aren't going to enjoy this post. This is your chance to leave. I probably won't have a debate for personal reasons.
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The Southern Raiders is probably one of the most discussed episodes in the fandom. Everyone knows Zuko Alone is great, but the discussion surrounding this episode is a war zone. In this essay I will try to answer every question posed in the discourse. This is part 1 out of three. In this part, I will discuss A\ang. I believe that understanding both Zuko and Aang's decisions in this episode will give us great insight into Katara's. Because the this episode is hers.
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1. Is Aang's philosophy of forgiveness valid?
(1) "Revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself".
(2) "You do have a choice: forgiveness". // "It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive". // "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing".
This philosophy is indeed morally sound. Revenge comes from rage, a negative emotion that causes harm in the long run. Forgiveness is letting go of that rage, which is healing. I cannot write a full thesis, this essay is not about that. But on paper, I do agree with A\ang. He's right to say that letting go of rage is a better alternative than getting consumed by it. (However, his philosophy might not help some).
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2. Was A\ang being insensitive when talking to Katara?
First I must reiterate, a lot of people frame the conflict of the episode as one regarding the ethics of murder. In my interpretation, it is not. During this episode Katara was in a deeply emotional place. Her rage stemmed from intense grief and those around her should treat her as a mourner - with great sensitivity.
Now, was Aang being this sensitive with Katara? Well, in my opinion, very much so.
Imagine a scenario where A\ang just happens to meet Haru, and he's about to go on a quest to find revenge on who imprisoned his father. He tries to help him with the following sentences:
(1) Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?
(2) Wait! Stop! I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?
(3) I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge.
(4) Haru, you sound like Jet.
(5) The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself.
(6) Haru, you do have a choice: forgiveness.
(7) No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive.
(8) You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing.
Everything makes sense, right? The pieces fit.He just talks about his cultura\personal values, nothing about what Katara needs at the moment. He could have had this exact conversation with Haru without changing a thing.
Therefore his lines are impersonal and thus preachy. In this conversation he doesn’t show signs of trying to convince Katara not to end her mother’s killer because she is, fundamentally, a good person and couldn’t live having committed murder. He shows signs of trying to make her obey his cultural ethos. This is highly insensitive. Katara was in a very emotional place, filled with rage and grief. And his response was, intentionally or not, to impose his own cultural principles onto her.
But his lines weren’t insensitive just because they were preachy, some of them were judgmental and even harsh. When A\ang is first confronted with Katara’s intentions, he says:
A\ang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?
You can tell from his tone and how the rest of the conversation plays out that he does know what Katara thinks this will accomplish. He asks the question as a form of disapproval - that he thinks that going after Yon Rha won’t accomplish anything. He’s not being genuine, he’s casting judgment on her. He’s almost looking down on her and Zuko, looking down from a moral high ground and sarcastically interrogating the two. Another line that sticks out is
A\ang: Katara, you sound like Jet.
He says she sounds like the man who wanted to flood an entire village full of innocent civilians. He’s insulting her, and greatly so, all the while wanting to keep a moral high ground. This is incredibly rude and condescending.
In the next scene, right after the intense argument concludes, it appears as though A\ang comes around to the journey Katara was about to go through.
A\ang: I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man.But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.
While he’s still discouraging Katara, it’s not outright condescending. But it’s as clear as day that he’d just preferred if she didn’t go on the journey at all. When he sees Zuko and Katara taking Appa to find Yon Rha, he says:
A\ang: So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?
Clearly disapproving of Katara. He doesn’t want her to go on the journey to find inner peace, he wants her to forgive the man who killed her mother right here and right now. He couldn’t change her mind on the subject, so he’ll advise her the next best thing. It is worth noting that in the beginning, before he advises her, he cracks a joke.
A\ang: It's okay, because I forgive you. [Pauses.] That give you any ideas?
Overall, A\ang’s behavior is unsympathetic and callous.Instead of placing his focus on Katara’s wellbeing, he preaches about Air Nomad teachings and goes as far as insulting her. Even when he comes around, it’s not because he realized his mistakes, it’s because he knew he couldn’t change her mind. And then he makes a humorous remark while giving him his supposed new found advice. The answer is: Yes. Aang was very insensitive when talking to Katara.
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3. Did A\ang know what Katara needed?
I don’t think he did. A\ang thought Katara needed to forgive Yon Rha, and as we previously established, without going after him. But even if we look at his second advice, she still doesn’t follow it.
A\ang: This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. [Katara situates herself on Appa's head.] But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.
Katara explicitly didn’t forgive Yon Rha, and yet the whole point of the ending is that she’s in a better place now. No matter what Zuko says, A\ang didn’t know what Katara needed. And considering that his lines in the episode were as impersonal as they were, it isn’t a surprise.
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In conclusion, A\ang’s behavior in The Southern Raiders is questionable at best. He might have had pure intentions, and had a good message, but the way he put out the message was degrading and preachy. And in the end, he didn’t know what was the right thing for Katara.
Continued
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