Avatar: The Last Airbender

[kerravonsen]

Thanks to lizbee, I have been watching the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I've just finished watching episode 13, "The Blue Spirit". Now, before this episode, I would have said that I liked ATLA, but I didn't love it. There have been episodes like "Jet" and "Imprisoned" that did not go down the usual cliched route, but actually touched on difficult issues raised by war. That was good, that was impressive; it means that the series is not as shallow as one would expect from a kids' cartoon. Good.

I also have to say that Uncle Iroh is made of awesome. But even Uncle Iroh wasn't enough to make me fall in love with this show.

However... we come to The Blue Spirit.

I was thinking the whole time that the Blue Spirit was actually Jet in a new career as rescue-ninja. And then the reveal. Oh My Goodness! I really really did not see that coming. Zuko! It was Zuko! But it makes sense in retrostpect, and explains why the Blue Spirit had no hesitation in threatening Aang's life when they were cornered.

But I was just as stunned as Aang when that mask came off. And I really didn't know what Aang would do; leave him at the mercy of Zhao's troops, or take him with him?
And then that scene in the forest... where Aang speaks of his good friend, who was of the Fire Nation, and "If we'd both lived back then, do you think we could have been friends?"

And my heart went out to both of them.

And again, this show doesn't take the saccharine way out; Zuko responds with a burst of flame, which Aang dodges easily, and Aang leaps away through the forest, back to his friends.

And Zuko, back to his ship. And he has trouble sleeping.

My heart goes out to Zuko because his is a tragic story. I really don't see how it could end well for him. He is trapped in an impossible situation, and I can perfectly understand why he lost hope earlier on in this episode. And I really don't think that the Fire Lord intends to reinstate Zuko at all, no matter what he said to Zuko when he banished him. Zuko is pursuing a false hope, but it's the only hope he has. Of course, I was aware of this before this episode, but that was back when I thought that Zuko was just a spoiled brat. But no, Zuko can not only kick ass, he can do ninja stealth and cunning. Why does that contribute to changing my mind about him? Because it shows that he's not just a lazy spoiled princling, he has skills that he's honed to a fantastic edge. Probably due to Uncle Iroh.

Could Zuko and Aang ever be friends? No. And that's part of the tragedy too. Because I think that in other circumstances, they might have been, and good friends, too. And that breaks my heart.

Comments

[jedibuttercup]

♥ I fell in love with this series last year. And it was somewhere between Blue Spirit and the end of Season One that did it for me, too; that's when I started writing drabbles for it. One of these days, I want to go back and write something longer; but it felt kind of complete in itself, you know? A fabulous show, extremely complex for something intended for kids. I'll keep following your reactions. =)

[kerravonsen]

Oh, I'd forgotten that you were into it. Probably because it's not the kind of thing one can really cross over with Buffy (smirk).

but it felt kind of complete in itself, you know?

Yeah, some universes are like that; one likes them a lot, but one isn't drawn to write for them.

[cheyinka]

Yeah, it really impressed me, the first time I saw this episode, that Zuko's response wasn't "Of course we would have been friends! I rescued you so we could run away together and defeat the Fire Lord!"

[kerravonsen]

But of course Zuko wouldn't ever do that, because he still loves his father and his country.

[lizbee]

YES! "The Storm" and "The Blue Spirit" were the episodes where I realised just what this series could be, and why so many people were really into it.

Because it shows that he's not just a lazy spoiled princling, he has skills that he's honed to a fantastic edge. Probably due to Uncle Iroh.

*nodnodnod*

And for the first time, he's really competent -- without firebending. Which demonstrates that he has skills that the Fire Nation (and he himself) don't necessarily value.

[kerravonsen]

The Storm didn't surprise me as much as The Blue Spirit, probably because, as you recall, I had sussed very early that Aang had run away, and I already knew from your posts that Zuko had been scarred by his father. So neither of those reveals were as surprising as what happened in The Blue Spirit. Though I admit I did become a mite more sympathetic towards Zuko from his backstory in The Storm, but I didn't yet respect him.

Which demonstrates that he has skills that the Fire Nation (and he himself) don't necessarily value.

Oh, interesting point!

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

I am carefully not reading the post so as not to be spoiled, because Dan and I just started watching this show last night! :) I've had friends telling me about it for years, and so far, I am finding it funny, entertaining, and with a world I should like to continue exploring.

The above-cut bit of your post encourages me that there is better yet to come. :) Thank you!

[kerravonsen]

\o/