Current Events > I'm rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender

(+) Yeah! (+)

Now that I've got a sound system for my new TV, I'm going back and rewatching some things. I'm planning to rewatch the whole series, including Korra.

I might go through the Pirates of the Caribbean movies after that

I'm up to the third season now. I thought Zuko would finally join their team during the season 2 finale in time for Aang to learn fire bending. But damn that did not go as I expected.

Also, the episode that ended with For Mako got me fucked up.

SomeLikeItHoth posted...

I'm up to the third season now. I thought Zuko would finally join their team during the season 2 finale in time for Aang to learn fire bending. But damn that did not go as I expected.

Also, the episode that ended with For Mako got me fucked up.

That was a genius twist. Katara must be fucking pissed at zuko after giving him the benefit of a doubt and like, 5th chance.

Revisited posted...

That was a genius twist. Katara must be fucking pissed at zuko after giving him the benefit of a doubt and like, 5th chance.

Oh definitely. Especially since she offered to use her water to heal his scar, which I hope never happens because it makes his character stand out.

I've seen bits of seasons 1 and 2 when they aired, but I've never seen any season 3 episodes so excited to see what's next.

And then on to Korra.

SomeLikeItHoth posted...

I'm up to the third season now. I thought Zuko would finally join their team during the season 2 finale in time for Aang to learn fire bending. But damn that did not go as I expected.

Also, the episode that ended with For Mako got me fucked up.

That's exactly what makes Zuko so compelling. I had heard that he was the poster child for redemption arcs, so when he and Katara bonded in the catacombs, I was like "Okay this is it, I guess." And then I WAS WRONG AND IT WAS SO GOOD.

Zuko is the best character. I just watched through the series a month or two ago

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I got an LG S95QR 9.1.5 sound bar.

MaxEffingBemis posted...

Zuko is the best character. I just watched through the series a month or two ago

Zukos awesome, but Azula is clearly the best character.

That is nuts, my brother and his girlfriend are rewatching it as well. Trying to get the friend whoose never seen it to watch it.

I recently rewatched it myself. Sokka probably my favorite character but the entire cast is a 10/10 for me.

The short stories ep with Iroh...

Did anyone else feel Toph was OP as fuck right out of the gate? I disliked when they over tune handicapped individuals in shows to the point that their disability becomes barely even a inconvenience.

Prismsblade posted...

Did anyone else feel Toph was OP as fuck right out of the gate? I disliked when they over tune handicapped individuals in shows to the point that their disability becomes barely even a inconvenience.

No because she's the only one that can do it, and they still get into trouble even when she's on the team. She's not Mary Sue and having her abilities aren't a cheat. First large roadblock is Appa getting bison napped, there's literally nothing she can do to help.

Wang and Sapphire Fire are my favs

Secret tunneeeeellll
Secret tunneeeeellll

Already on The Cave of Two Lovers? Binging this quickly.

Prismsblade posted...

Did anyone else feel Toph was OP as fuck right out of the gate? I disliked when they over tune handicapped individuals in shows to the point that their disability becomes barely even a inconvenience.

She is strong as hell, but it makes sense mechanically, and serves the narrative. One of the rare instances where the disability is both part of what makes her strong and seriously relevant as a disadvantage. What would be dumb is if literally any non-earth bender was blind and as strong as her.

My wife has never seen it, we started a couple months ago watching it with our kid. Both of them are loving it, we're half way through Book 3.

I've personally been a fan of the series since it first aired.

rideshort posted...

Already on The Cave of Two Lovers? Binging this quickly.

I was already toward the end of book 1 when I made the topic.

Enclave posted...

My wife has never seen it, we started a couple months ago watching it with our kid. Both of them are loving it, we're half way through Book 3.

I've personally been a fan of the series since it first aired.

I loaned a coworker the Blu ray at my old job. His whole family loves it now

One of the best shows of all time, imo. And I really love Korra, too. People watching it live seem to hate it, but people like you and me that got to watch everything back to back seem to enjoy it a lot more

Bad_Mojo posted...

One of the best shows of all time, imo. And I really love Korra, too. People watching it live seem to hate it, but people like you and me that got to watch everything back to back seem to enjoy it a lot more

I watched Korea live and on Netflix. I thought it was really good, for the most part. Season 2 was the weakest overall but still had good parts.

Bad_Mojo posted...

One of the best shows of all time, imo. And I really love Korra, too. People watching it live seem to hate it, but people like you and me that got to watch everything back to back seem to enjoy it a lot more

I didn't watch it live and I absolutely despised The first and second season. First season started out decent but then I got more and more disappointed as I realized they were never going to leave that city and we were subjected to more pro bending. Oh god and the forced relationship drama . Literally the only good thing we got was the origin of the first avatar, actually felt like Avatar again.

After being subjected to two seasons of shit, I was ready to give it up. I'm glad I didn't because I actually really enjoyed the third and fourth season. Maybe I'll rewatch them to see if they still hold up but story-wise that's going to suck if all I want to see is the last two seasons.

BlueFalcon posted...

Zukos awesome, but Azula is clearly the best character.

I once saw a topic on reddit about "unhinged characters", and Azula was one example.

Someone replied "Azula is beyond unhinged. In fact, I think it's fair to say she's no longer attached to the frame." ^_^

DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC posted...

I once saw a topic on reddit about "unhinged characters", and Azula was one example.

Someone replied "Azula is beyond unhinged. In fact, I think it's fair to say she's no longer attached to the frame." ^_^

Quite true. She flew out the window, up high in to the sky, and is 100 miles from the frame.

deoxxys posted...

No because she's the only one that can do it, and they still get into trouble even when she's on the team. She's not Mary Sue and having her abilities aren't a cheat. First large roadblock is Appa getting bison napped, there's literally nothing she can do to help.

Im not sure why it matters that her talent is unique. But Her earth bending right out the gate was likely second only to the earth bending king. And that was before she learned to bend metal.

And most times the team was in trouble she usually either wasnt around or preoccupied. Like for your aforementioned event. That and at least in the show I dont think she ever had a serious fight that pushed her to her limit.

Guide posted...

She is strong as hell, but it makes sense mechanically, and serves the narrative. One of the rare instances where the disability is both part of what makes her strong and seriously relevant as a disadvantage. What would be dumb is if literally any non-earth bender was blind and as strong as her.

Shes a blind person with absolutely none of the usual weaknesses they have. Shes immune to deceit, sneak atks, and due to how rare her ability is most opponents have no clue how to even counter it. Which gives her a significant and inherit advantage over most foes.

Shes still a great character but idk why they even bother making her blind.

Prismsblade posted...

Did anyone else feel Toph was OP as fuck right out of the gate? I disliked when they over tune handicapped individuals in shows to the point that their disability becomes barely even a inconvenience.

I wouldn't say that Toph has no disadvantages, far from it. But I do agree that Toph being a battle goddess right out of the gate does hamper her character growth a bit, since so much of the other character's fantastic growth is intrinsically tied to them developing their bending skills (or in Sokka's case, learning how to have value in the group without bending). This is the main reason why, as fantastic a character as Toph is, I'd still rank her lower than Zuko, Iroh, Sokka, and even Katara in a personal favorites list. It also occasionally borders on feeling contrived when the show has to specifically put her in situations where her powers are nerfed just so she won't have a chance to solo everything.

The biggest kick in the ass is that Toph could have had the most poignant character growth in the show. There are three moments in the series that get me to tear up every time: "Leaves on the Vine" (obviously), Iroh forgiving Zuko (obviously), and that brief 30-second flashback / life story where Toph explains how she learned Earthbending from the badger-moles. It's such a sweet, heartfelt little moment of seeing a lost, disabled little girl find her place in the world, and a too-tiny slice of what could have been; if they'd scrapped that awful Nightmares and Daydreams episode in favor of a genuine Toph and Zuko 'field trip' intercut with Toph's backstory, it could've been one of the best eps in the series.

Nah Toph was a pretty uniquely refreshing character 15+ years ago.

I like that scene where she tried to save appa while also saving the gang and was like "I'm sorry appa" that scene always gets me.

Also I love the scene where she's like hey how come I never got an episode with zuko and tries to pull him along, that was a funny bit. I like how she doesn't have a direct connection to Zuko like the original trio so it helped to have an outsider be neutral towards him. The show went from "really good" to "spectacular" when she was introduced, coinciding with season 2's general uptick in quality from season 1 all around

Prismsblade posted...

Shes immune to deceit, sneak atks, and due to how rare her ability is most opponents have no clue how to even counter it. Which gives her a significant and inherit advantage over most foes.

That part is partially false. She's immune to being deceived by an honest person. They blatantly showed that Azula was able to lie to her because of her sociopathy.

DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC posted...

Also, Aang could sneak up on her by floating around

DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC posted...

That part is partially false. She's immune to being deceived by an honest person. They blatantly showed that Azula was able to lie to her because of her sociopathy.

Wait, are you telling me that Azula ISN'T a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings?!

Enclave posted...

Wait, are you telling me that Azula ISN'T a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings?!

Actually, she is. She's THAT GOOD.

Prismsblade posted...

Im not sure why it matters that her talent is unique. But Her earth bending right out the gate was likely second only to the earth bending king. And that was before she learned to bend metal.

This is somewhat addressed with her small backstory on learning earthbending from the badgermoled, but its re-emphasized during Aang and Zukos fieldtrip, albeit indirectly. Bending in all of its forms predated human benders, and Toph learning it directly from the species that developed it instinctually seems to have given her an edge over people who learned it based on techniques passed down over hundreds of years. Zuko and Aangs firebending techniques coming from the dragons also gave them an edge I think. Avatar as a series is very much a be in tune with spirits and nature philosophy, so the closer to the natural techniques a persons bending is, the stronger it will be.

And most times the team was in trouble she usually either wasnt around or preoccupied. Like for your aforementioned event. That and at least in the show I dont think she ever had a serious fight that pushed her to her limit.

Her limitations stem more from the direct contact her bending requires. Any fight or situation where she literally cant feel the earth puts her at an immense disadvantage, with the airship fights, and Combustion Man in particular where he was far enough away she couldnt sense him, completely neutering her ability to do anything. Toph is either insanely strong, or completely vulnerable, no real in-between.

Shes a blind person with absolutely none of the usual weaknesses they have. Shes immune to deceit, sneak atks, and due to how rare her ability is most opponents have no clue how to even counter it. Which gives her a significant and inherit advantage over most foes.

A technique she likely never would have learned without being blind in the first place. Even if she had been super sheltered and tried to run out without being blind, the disability gave her the need to learn earthbending the way she did. Id say its a well-earned advantage, especially because she also had to learn to use her seismic sense to make up for her shortcomings of not otherwise being able to see or adapt to her opponents. Aang in particular caused her problems in their first fight specifically because of how light on his feet he is, and having never fought an Airbender and not being able to know how to react to his movements. His blow that knocks her out of the ring was executed while he was in the air; she literally has no way to fight that kind of bending at that moment.

Shes still a great character but idk why they even bother making her blind.

It presents unique storytelling opportunities, was used to great effect, and allowed demonstrations of earthbending beyond what was standard at the time in the world. You might as well ask why Geordi was blind in Star Trek TNG when is VISOR made up for most of the shortcomings there and was only relevant a handful of times.

Yeah, Toph is one of the best ever because she was blind. Just like other blind characters in fiction. Take Daredevil for example, or any blind samurai. Being blind is the reason why she became so strong.

Horith posted...

Her limitations stem more from the direct contact her bending requires. Any fight or situation where she literally cant feel the earth puts her at an immense disadvantage, with the airship fights, and Combustion Man in particular where he was far enough away she couldnt sense him, completely neutering her ability to do anything. Toph is either insanely strong, or completely vulnerable, no real in-between.

I liked how the show demonstrated the difference between benders who work with physical matter (water/ice/blood, earth/stone/metal) and insubstantial substances (air, fire/lightning): an Airbender, for all practical purposes, always has access to their element; likewise, Firebenders can generate flame with their breath. But if you put Waterbenders or Earthbenders in places where they have no access to their element (plopping Toph on a boat in the middle of a lake, or Katara in a desert) they're almost useless.

Toph's blindness also relates to the badgermoles who were blind.

If your new sound system has a sub woofer, then watching some action movies would be fun too. The explosions sound great with that extra thump. Some anime too. Like the explosion effects in Fire Force have ridiculous bass for no reason lol

https://youtu.be/pQ-wTcn1il0?si=u1VuijuxqY9pBJnh

DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC posted...

I liked how the show demonstrated the difference between benders who work with physical matter (water/ice/blood, earth/stone/metal) and insubstantial substances (air, fire/lightning): an Airbender, for all practical purposes, always has access to their element; likewise, Firebenders can generate flame with their breath. But if you put Waterbenders or Earthbenders in places where they have no access to their element (plopping Toph on a boat in the middle of a lake, or Katara in a desert) they're almost useless.

The show did work to show ways around those as well. Airbenders always have access to air of course, but without sufficient area to build up pressure a solid enough cell is still reasonably impervious (especially if made a sphere to disperse any strong force). That firebreathing you mentioned was really only something Iroh and Zuko displayed, and even then sustained cold probably keeps them tamped down.

The real problem is waterbenders, because their treatment had to be inhumane to keep them contained. Constant dry air, exceedingly limited water to drink to make dehydration perpetual, etc. Katara even demonstrated that a small amount of sweat gave her enough water to break out of a prison. And of course Hama made it clear how powerful bloodbending is, and thats not even going into how not-child-friendly it would be to literally rip the water inside a person out instead of turning them into a puppet.

And I think that kind of helps highlight why Team Avatar is so strong. These kids are *creative*, and rapidly expand their knowledge by either incorporating new techniques and understanding from others, or adapting to new situations in ways more rigidly-minded benders wouldnt think of. Theres several instances of Team Avatar using stances and movements more akin to the other elements own techniques for their bending, and Iroh even states how he developed lightning redirection based on watching waterbending.

NoxObscuras posted...

If your new sound system has a sub woofer, then watching some action movies would be fun too. The explosions sound great with that extra thump. Some anime too. Like the explosion effects in Fire Force have ridiculous bass for no reason lol

Ooooh, Fire Force is definitely next up on the rewatch list. Thanks for that.