Avatar The Last Airbender Book 3 Episode 5 & 6 Group Reaction
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2023
- The Beach / The Avatar and the Fire Lord
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The episode that cements Sozin as the greatest bastard in the entire series. Ozai was mad with power, Azula and Zuko were victims of their father, but Sozin looked his lifelong friend in the eye, weighed his options real quick and went "nah you can just die"
At the same time, he then had to search for the next avatar and failed, so.... passion over reason.
Someone pointed out it's like with the sparring and the tree root. Sozin sees the root as a danger, he swoops in to help Roku when he falls to the root, and then ultimately lets the root take him out. Sozin started out with noble intentions that quickly went bad. He's a ends justify the means kind of guy. "I'll invade, kill, maim, pillage, and rule over you until you love me and see how better off you are."
I disagree
Sozin at least had a reasoning for his madness
Ozai didn’t man just evil for the sake of it
Hell no, Ozai inherited a war, grew up just as brainwashed by his father as zuko and azula probably, and also has the pressure of the entire country on him. Sozin didn't have any of that, and his intentions were good at the start but he turned it into just a massacre and literal genocide because he was what? Salty? Butthurt? Maybe he was just a bastard but he is infinetely worse than Ozai in my book @@painvillegaming4119
@@AjZ530 I disagree. I think Sozin had good intentions. But, he lost it after letting his best friend die. Azulon fought his father's war. Yet, he griefed for and with Iroh when Luten was killed. In any case, Azulon had no intentions on letting his youngest son, Ozai, rule because he knew how cruel and crazy Ozai was.
Had they won the war the Fire Nation would've ruled the world like they ruled the taken cities. Ozai only want to kill everything not Fire Nation, and build new Fire Nation cities on the ashes of the dead. One is the philosophy of a tyrannical king , and the other is just plain evil and ruthless.
It’s crazy to think about how azula can hardly partake in normal activities, she was raised for war and that’s what she’s good at. It’s always entertaining to see people expect a standard beach episode but then you get great character interactions, that ending picture is the best😮💨🤝🏾
Being a lifelong soldier might be less of an issue than being a lifelong psychopath.
I mean she can do normal stuff. She just acts like she normally does, a princess with all the power in the world. 🤷♂️
Roku was so weak and stupid, not killing Sozin the moment he mentioned his plans at the wedding, and not fleeing the island on his dragon. Places, people, and things can be taken away from you, so never attach yourself to these things, that's what it means to be an avatar.
@@ncard00 I'll give you two of those, but Aang's attachment to people is what saved the world.
@@ncard00 that's not what aang did though and for him it worked out pretty well.
Did u notice when Roku learning waterbending,
They showed the northern water tribe without the wall,
Because there is no war at the time so u can see the city from the ocean.
I thought the wall is always there
I never noticed that, DAMN. I've seen ATLA 50 times but I always learn something new. Wow.
I believe Sozin did want to help as a first instinct. But as he saw Roku dying, he realized what his friend’s death would mean for his plans. I don’t think he went there to make sure Roku died
I agree. I think is only donned on Sozin what he could do when he saw Roku collapse.
Which makes him an even bigger bastard, he went to help but actively surpressed that emotion and looked his childhood friend in the eyes and was like, nah you can die so I can continue to genocide these people
@@hallofguns8174the amount of times he must have thought "I wouldn't kill him, no.. but let him die .."
This is the only explanation that makes sense to me. Why would he go to the island? Why would he start helping Roku at first? Why did we see so much of his perspective? The only answer is because he did genuinely care...he just threw that friendship away for his own ambitions.
I don't think he wanted to help out of caring for Roku. I think Sozin believed that Roku was going to beat the volcano on his own, and it would look good for him to show up and help. He still thought he could convince Roku to join him by feigning helpfulness.
Aang doesn't want to kill because he's an Air Nomad, you can assume previous Air Nomad Avatars felt the same way. They're raised with the belief that all life is sacred.
Even critters
Even if previous air nomads had chosen to kill, aang is literally the LAST airbender. Their entire legacy lives through him. And if he kills, it dies with him too...
Except even the air Nomad Avatar before Aang told him that he needed to put aside his personal beliefs and do what he had to do to take care of Ozai which at the time was to kill him
@@SlimKim3 That doesn't say anything about the air nomads though that's a point about the responsibility of the avatar. I'm sure air nomads would struggle accepting that like Aang did and everyone that isn't an avatar could never imagine killing. Nowhere does it imply that the air nomads agreed to that either. I personally would've loved if in Korra due to her hotheaded personality if at first she would've given into the injustices she felt and anger and felt like she NEEDED to kill her opponents but would see if she did do that she herself would see and reflect that it wouldn't solve anything conflict wise and nobody on her side would get the answers they needed and learnings from Aang that her hot headed approach always got the best of her and every life is as precious as the Avatar's
except for gyatso who murdered at least 7 fire benders during sizing comet. bro was badass
I love the headcanon that Iroh used heat sensitive ink because he assumed Zuko would get frustrated and try to burn it
Literally
It's funny cause you can see in earlier episodes where Zuko's mom wore the artifact meant for the crown prince. It doesn't make any sense that she was wearing it, until you find out it was an heirloom from the previous avatar. THe question is, how did Iroh get it after she disappeared?
She could have given it to Iroh before she left, or left it behind so she wouldn't be found.
She gave it to him perhaps?
Perhaps before she was banished she was kept in that cell. Put it there herself, leaving that part of her behind. Iroh happened to find it.
Just a thought
You could say it was a *hairloom.*
@@pavlosurzhenko4048
Ba dum tss!
The beach episode really showed how different and out of touch Azula and the others are. They're teenage warriors that have no understanding of having fun and just being normal.😊
The only one who's a bit more normal is Ty Lee because she probably got to be around people her age when she left her family. She's not great at it, but she's much better than the other three.
@@Arkayjiya Plus her personality helps.
The Beach is unironically one of my favourite episodes of the show. It's a nice break, but it also humanizes the antagonists in a way that makes you finally understand how they got to be who they are.
It's very "Breakfast Club". They even slip in the quote "Answer the question!"
Very certain Sozin fully intended to help Roku but the moment he saw him weak on his knees, begging for help, compared to last time they met, it dawned on him how perfect the opportunity was
Yeah, and imo that makes Sozin even worse. He didn't hate Roku, and even after all those years he went personally into danger to help his old friend. But then came a moment Sozin realized that Roku would die without his help, when Sozin realized he could just let him die, and he did.
Yep that is my thoughts exactly
His ambition trumped his morals
The thing I love about the reveal of Ursa's being related to Roku is that it is explained why she married Ozi in the comics. The Fire Sages thought it would produce a strong heir to the throne if the Fire Lord sired someone from a direct descendent of the Avatar. It was an arranged marriage for the sake of power.
Why was she married to Ozai though? Iroh was heir to the throne
@@monkeyknuckles4540 he was already married at the time and was expecting Lu Tin.
I was looking for this comment 😂
Mei and Zuko were dating before his banishment, they basically picked up their relationship as if nothing happened when he came back
"Do you really think friendship can last more than one lifetime?" I loved Toph's question there... it's a teensy tiny moment that is super meaningful if you've seen Legend of Korra and know whats to come.
I hadnt realised but in a way toph is Korras equivalent of gyatso
@@SorchaSublime She approaches it the opposite, being really tough on the Avatar, but on the other hand, she never hides her friendship with Aang. Gyatso never mentions it. Although it could be that he would've if Aang grew up.
@@hopejaworski9097Gyatso didn’t know Aang was the avatar growing up. He found out at the same time as Aang did so they were just genuine friends.
@@jackyoungiii3770didn’t he find out from Aang picking the right toys?
@@brolytriplethreat Damn I think you’re right
Notice this, Rokkus and Sozins dragons were the same colors from the ones in Zukos nightmare. Great way of symbolizing the conflict in Zuko mind.
*Roku
If you guys thought the beach was a fever dream you ain’t ready for the ember island players.
If you rewatch the scene of Zuko and Iroh you will notice that it always looks like Zuko is behind bars instead of Iroh. Since emotionally, Zuko is the ine who's trapped, not Iroh
I love how the Beach episode humanizes the whole Fire Nation troop including the weird ladies that teach Azula.
Also the reveal about Zuko's heritage is amazing, I love how the Fire Nation started the war out of a misplaced sense of wanting to help and improve the world.
Eh... sense of wanting to help may have been more of an excuse to conquer that sounded nice... but I'm not sure it was ever really about that. After all, wanting to "help out" other nations assumes they can't help themselves. That the Fire Nation is superior. And there are plenty of ways to "spread prosperity" without taking over already inhabited land. But honestly, it's hard to say.
They didn't want to help anyone. Its just classic imperialism. An abundant nation expanding its reach. Sharing their "prosperity with the world" is the flimsy justification they tell themselves and the citizens. Its propoganda.
@@kateorgera5907kinda like how the US has been "spreading democracy" in the middle east
@@kateorgera5907 Take a look at the technological advancement of the fire nation compared to the other nations. And pay close attention to the actual sequence of events. Before acting on anything, Sozin asks his best friend to his face about an idea of spreading prosperity to the world. And instead of even attempting to discuss further, Roku just says "no, not a thing, shut up, I won't hear it". Leaving his best friend who wants to help to figure shit out on his own. Sozin came seeking the wisdom of the many lifetimes of the Avatar, and Roku refused to impart that wisdom. Yes, the path Sozin chose without guidance was wrong. But he sought guidance first and foremost.
Zuko and Mai’s grumpy love is like a 90s teen movie
Monk Gyatso being friends with Avatar Roku really reframes everything between Gyatso and Aang. Gyatso was charge of Aang's care because he knew Roku better than any other Airbender. Making pies with Aang just to throw them at the other monks, he's having fun and getting into mischief just like they used to. He wouldn't let the other monks send Aang away because he was being protective and didn't want to lose his old friend again.
Azula would definitely turn bedroom time into a competition
she'd win
Fan art of her older makes it look like you got no choice or chance of topping.
"As the princess of this nation, I challenge you to an Agni Klaimax, first one to make the other climax, wins this duel"
*Final Round*
Me:💀💀💀
@@Dkmaster69
Well, that was enough Internet for the day.
I just wanna give a shoutout to Ron Perlman's performance as Firelord Sozin. For me, it's definitely one of his most underrated voice roles, that and Clayface in the Batman Animated Series
The beach episode is so good. It reminds of Zuko's story, in the tales of ba sin se episode, when he went on a date and disnt know how to act. These characters have grown up in a weird way, they've been trained for war. Each of them grew up in high class. They are not normal. So putting them in a normal situation like this highlights that really nicely
it's not just high class, as the guy who invited said, this was an vent for kids from rich/influential families, maybe not royal but still. However the prince and princess in particular lost any semblance of a normal childhood once their mother disappeared. Zuko got to have more time with his mother and then was taken under Iroh's wing so his hangups aren't as extreme. Azula has been under her dad's sole control since she was likely 6-8 years old. He's her sole influence on socialisation and he just wants living weapons. She is practically non functional in any situation where she has to be human, she can fill many roles as a tool for her father, but lacks any social skills outside of those.
The Beach is an episode you have to watch more than once to catch the little things about Azula, notice the split second she feels sad when Ty Lee gets mad at her for laughing at Zukos circus freak comment etc
I forgot the entire context but the beach episode here (along with all animes) actually fit quite well within the story pacing. Its based on a japanese legend where a legendary samurai and his friends take a break at the beach before fighting the final boss of the story.
It's totally a beach episode but they took the concept and made something cool and inspired with it.
@@Arkayjiya
Ik but what what im saying is, those beach episodes in animes are a thing because of that Japanese certain legend.
@@alexosphere3414 Oh I wasn't contradicting your point, I was just saying that the Avatar team themselves took inspiration from Japanese beach episodes (who as you said took inspiration from a legend).
The reveal that Roku is his great grandfather is so cool. The Beach has several great moments
Ah yes, the "fun beach episode" and the first proper introduction of Sparky-Sparky-Boom-Man.
What I find interesting is how even when talking about her feelings Azula dismisses them and even tho she only talks about the tip of the iceberg
Yeah she's so emotionally stunted. Imagine being Ozai's prodigy daughter. Her feelings never mattered to him any more than Zuko's did. She was just a very talented extension of Ozai's ego. She never learned empathy, even for herself. There are just layers and layers of armor - and I think she really believes she's not "weak" and emotional, at least until things start to fall apart for her and then she can't handle the fear and pain she's hid underneath.
Katara: "do they have bathrooms in the spirit world?"
Sokka: "as a matter of fact, they do not."
Remember how Sokka was trapped in the spirit world for a couple days back in season 1?
The Beach is literally one of the best episodes. Seeing a diff perspective and how socially inept they all are is too spot on/funny
Glad to see no confusion about the whole two great-grandfathers thing (even though they kept saying grandfather instead lol). Another funny thing I noticed about a lot of reactions is how nobody realizes that the whole being the descendant of both the Firelord and the Avatar thing also applies to Azula lol
My favorite thing about The Avatar and the Firelord is the implication that Iroh is LEAVING HIS CELL and then coming back.
I always figured that at least one of his guards was a member of the White Lotus. It explains how he was able to get the note to Zuko's chambers and get the headpiece into his own.
I like that Roku mentioned he struggled with waterbending the most. Just like how Aang struggled with Earth the most, it seems whatever element is opposite the one the Avatar is born into is the one that's most difficult for them to learn, which makes total sense. Its the little stuff like this that make the worldbuilding of the show so freaking good
“So [Sozin] wasn’t there to help…” He absolutely was there to help. They were close friends after all. But when Roku was suddenly dying, and all he had to do to “share peace and prosperity with the world” was do nothing in that moment… He chose to do nothing and let his friend die. And unsurprisingly, people don’t like things forced on them, even “peace”. And two generations later, Ozai doesn’t even care why the war was started, he just wants to rule.
Pretty sure Sozin did intend to help Roku at first, but when Roku went down he saw the possibility of taking over the other nations with him out of the way and chose to abandon him
Fang dying with him was heartwarming yet heartbreaking.
"You lived on a volcano bro, what did you expect?"
What other choice did he have when all of the Fire Nation is essentially just Hawaii... except every island is active all at once?
The Beach is one of the most common favorite episodes, both for the introduction of the new bad guy to Aang Gang, but also for us to learn a bit more on the Zuko group. Some big things to notice, Azula showed she isn't perfect, to the point she can't handle normal teenage moments. She also showed how she does have concern for her friend when she mocked her and then apologies. It gives more depth and complexity to her character. Zuko is realizing some things. Its an all around fun episode that is both filler fun as well as lore filling. Also the giant reveal at the end of episode 6 holy crap!! Its insane the cursed mental war inside Zuko's soul. This episode had huge power when it dropped. Anyone capable of both good and evil, and friendship transcending lifetimes, kid me had huge eyes of wonder at this lol. This is considered Nickelodeon's Magnum Opus. Its perfect! Also Korra is an awesome sequel to this series, plus we have possible another sequel coming with adult Aang in the future.
Iroh had the royal artifact because he was the crown prince to the firenation. Its even more sad when you think that he probably kept it to give it to his own son one day.
A lot of people figure that Iroh wrote the letter with invisible ink because he knew Zuko would get angry and try to burn it.
lets go, best beach episode ever. thanks to the second half/ending. so much great character stuff there.
genuinely the beach episode was one of my favorites to rewatch as a kid. you get fun goofy teen shenanigans for the first half and then some real shit in the second
One thing I would like to say is that while Aang is naturally gifted, I think one of the reasons why he catches on to bending really quick compared to Roku is that Roku had to learn the culture + bending. Aang never got the chance to fully enrich himself into the cultures and just needed to focus on bending. Plus Roku could relax while learning since there was no world war going on
Episode 6 makes Zuko's fever dream make more sence that the Red Dragon with Iroh's voice was the voice of good and the Blue Dragon was evil with Azula's voice.
now that i ended the avatar series, seeing Toph saying that in the end about the friendship through lifes hit me hard
i love that the beach episode was just about how these trained from birth noble kids who kind of run the military at this point are just total weirdos who cant make friends with anyone who isnt each other
That combustion firebender technique is focusing heat at the focal point in the center of the forehead and releasing that compress heat at will which takes an extreme amount of concentration
This series picks great voices for the fire lords we get Mark Hamill for Ozai, and Ron Perlman (Hellboy, SOA) as Sozin.
Book 3, Episode 5: So in this episode, Ty Lee mentions being one of 7 daughters and “being part of a matching set” is why she ran away to the circus. In comics, we see her sisters and we see that the sisters all actually paired off, leaving Ty Lee all alone. Also in this episode, you can really see how much weight and muscle mass Zuko lost due to starvation from his time as a fugitive/refugee in the Earth Kingdom. You can also see both Aang’s scar from where Azula shot him in the back but also on the bottom of his left foot where the lightning exited his body.
Book 3, Episode 6: This is one of my favorite episodes of the show. I love the line “Some friendships are so strong they can even transcend lifetimes.” It’s honestly the most impactful lines of the series, in my opinion. I love that we see the parallels between Zuko and Aang again. What’s also cool is how the first flashback of Sozin saving Roku from the tree root before letting him fall mirrors the volcano because Sozin came in to help Roku before letting him fall to the volcano. And the replacement voice for Mako is Greg Baldwin, Mako’s protégé. This episode is also the first time that Iroh speaks in the whole season. The writers kept him silent for the first third of the season out of tribute and respect for Mako. And when Zuko is speaking to Iroh, all the camera angles depict him as the one being trapped behind bars in the darkness, while Iroh has a much open space, being closer to the light because even though Zuko got what he wanted, he is still trapped and even though Iroh is imprisoned, he’s really free. It's also revealed in the comics that Ozai married Ursa because she was Roku's granddaughter, and that's the only reason. Also, Sozin is voiced by Ron Perlman, which is just awesome. And they just announced that the next Avatar Chronicles novel will follow Roku at 16/17 when he, a young irritating airbender monk named Gyatso, and then Prince Sozin go and try to work out a territory dispute between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, trying to the Earth Kingdom from claiming a remote Fire Nation island. But what I love about this is that this means that Gyatso and Sozin knew each other.
The beach might seem like a filler episode, but it does a good job highlighting how the teens, especially Axula are actually really fucked up due to the war and being in positions of power basically, by putting them next to relatively normal kids their age
“What’s with this show and feet?”
As far as I can find, there isn’t any connection between Dan Schneider and this show.
Also, Sokka answered the spirit world bathroom question from experience. He got sent for a day back in book one when Heibai was attacking that village and immediately needed a bathroom when he got back lol.
Remember 8th episode when Aang was speaking with Roku for the first time. Zhao captured Sokka, Katara and Zuko, Roku said he will help and when he appeared he released not only Katara and Sokka, but also Zuko, and now we know why
By the way, BIG RESPECT for keeping the discussions after episodes recently. You used to just cut it off as soon as the episode ended and this is a much more enjoyable experience. Keep up the great work guys!
2 Fun Facts!
Combustion Man’s bending is invisible to in-universe characters. Like air bending, the visualization of the transparent streaks are purely for audience benefit. To the characters, Combustion Man just looks someplace and suddenly there’s a burst of fire.
Avatar Roku’s teacher is not only the earth bender in the intro, but he was also slightly based off Toph’s original design (which was just a dude.)
No idea what episode you’re on with Korra, but I hope you’re having fun with it too! :D Friendships do indeed transcend lifetimes… Also #ZangGang 😂
The scene when Zuko reminisces of the "good ole days" shows two instances of Ozai with a reassuring/comforting hand on Zuko's shoulder. This always makes me sad because it shows why Zuko longs for Ozai's acceptance to the extent of betraying the trust of someone he loves as dearly as his uncle. He remembers a time when his father seemed to love him and actually showed pride in Zuko as his son. Now Ozai shows pride, but for the wrong reasons...
In the DVD commentary with the creators, they said that the idea for the beach episode came when one day while walking around the different art departments, someone had a piece of concept art stuck on their cubicle of Ty Lee in a bikini laying down on a beach chair. Its crazy to think that this weird, awesome, zany and memorable episode came from this one piece of art
25:30 Kyoshi's relationship with killing was a lot more complicated than most people realize, mainly because most people haven't read her books, to be fair lol. So to go with stuff from the show it self, most people who did what she did when she formed Kyoshi Island would not have taken responsibility for that war chiefs death when he fell from the cliff, that was his own stubborn stupid fault for refusing to move. Kyoshi doesn't see it that way, her actions lead to his death whether it was intentional or not. She takes it VERY seriously actually when you think about it lol
There's a quote from another character that I think sums up her attitude quite well: "I don't enjoy killing, but, when done righteously, it is a chore like any other." She's willing to kill, however, she gives that course of action the proper consideration it deserves.
Roku’s backstory is maybe my favorite episode.
Yea it's definitely in my top 3 best episodes. Plus Zuko learning about his great grandfather on his mum side being Roku is just amazing.
Of the two I definitely prefer the beach.
You know the more i reflect on the show the more tragic Azula gets. She cannot function as a normal teenager because she was groomed for war her whole life. Like Zuko she has also been mistreated but she didn’t get someone like Iroh in her life.
She realizes her own weakness in this episode, that she's not good at something. I think it freaks her out. Being bad at things doesn't feel safe to her, because all she's known is being valued for her talent and skill. So you see her on the verge of showing actual vulnerability with her friends. But all she knows is that there's something she's missing. She can't really understand what or why. And the sad thing is, she can't show that vulnerability because it's always been terrifying for her to not be in control and ahead of everyone else. So she fails to make real connections with them, and they end up betraying her, leading to her mental state unraveling.
I think if there was a moment in the show where she could have made a step towards being less of a terrible person, it was at the beach.
With this season, if you look at Aang's foot, you can see the scar where Azula's lightning bolt grounded out. That's an attention to detail in the animation.
I really like these two episodes. They bring a lot to the table the 5th exploring the antagonist side which was very interesting, and the 6th going in depth of the relationship between Roku and Sozin. What more can I say except that these are some of the finest episodes of S3 imo.
Fun fact: The avatars take the appearance of the previous avatar's lover. In Aang's case, his appearance is similar to Roku's wife.
I always thought that although aang has his master tattoos, he is only 12. the older monks absolutely kept things from him and all the other kids. there's just a lot of stuff we dont know about the actual air nomad way of like. aang may be really on the no kill rule but who's to say the other air nomads wouldn't kill if the situation seemed to require it.
I mean, like you said, he's only 12. Would you tell a 12-year-old it's okay to kill? It may be that had Aang stayed and trained with the monks, they would have given him dispensation, as the Avatar, to do so. But at the same time, is that mindset really good for a kid? Look at the Fire Nation kids in this episode, they are seriously screwed up by the warlike mentality they've been raised with. And honestly, I like that Aang's morals allow there to be more creative solutions than killing or even taking out.
Giatso left a few bodies.
I love the Kyoshi books! I highly recommend if you haven’t read yet.
Also, this series meant so much to me as a kid. So glad you are watching it! I also recommend reading the supplemental graphic novels that take place after the show. It’s cannon, and adds so much!
Y'all had some real interesting conversations about the attitudes the avatars in the past had towards conflict resolution, versus what Aang's might be. very well timed too, may I say 👀
Did you notice: that was the first time we heard Uncle Iroh speak in Book 3. With his new voice actor, Greg Baldwin. Apparently, he will never sing "Leaves from the Vine" out of respect for Mako.
"Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?"
The fact that it was Toph who asked that question and that was the think she kept from that whole story and specifically from Roku and Gyatso's friendship...if you know you know.
I love how even the seemingly random, off-hand comic relief episodes actually have great character work still
Yes, Sozin WAS there to help with the volcano, after their duel, Sozin found out the hard way that he couldn't overcome Roku in direct combat, so he gave up on his idea of conquest. It wasn't until the volcano incident that Sozin saw how old and vulnerable he had gotten that the temptation came back to him, similar to Zuko at the end of Book 2.
Completely forgot Iroh is still a fire bender in prison and was probably able to weaken the bars with his bending. I have spent the last 16 years since I was like 7/8 just picturing him ripping the bars apart with pure strength. It didn’t even cross my mind he would still need his bending to do that, my brain just went “he’s buff af he totally just did that with his bare hands alone”.
Sozen here was essentially a contrast to Zuko at the end of season 2 for me,
He did have good intentions at heart, he came in to help Roku. But at the end, seeing Roku in that state, you can practically see him weighing his options, and ultimately choosing his goal over what's right. A moment of selfishness leading him to betray someone who legitimately loves him, and he loves too.
The rest, was a spiral downwards for Sozen, getting worse since.
Sozin did go to help Roku due to their past friendship, but when he saw Roku choking on the poisonous gases he didn't see his friend but the Avatar and the only thing blocking his path towards world domination.
6:08 also you gotta think about how those portraits would be done, usually they embellished the subject (even if the meaning of what embellishing is changes through time)
People in the past wouldn't recognize the king if he was using peasent clothes
He never intended for Roku to die. But after he saw him down and couldn’t stop sozin he left him. He took his opportunity. He knew as long as Roku was alive he had no chance to expand. With Roku gone he knew he had atleast a 16 year head start because the avatar was supposed to be revealed on their 16th birthday. However you remember in the storm they told aang when he was like 12 because they saw the war coming.
These are episodes I understand a little better each time I see them. At first, I didn't understand why Sozin betrayed Roku or why the beach party was destroyed at the end. But Aang is right, the men we associate with good and evil came from the same place down to their birthday. Yet while Roku traveled the world, learned about other cultures, and achieved spiritual balance. Sozin stayed and stewed in the fire nation. He only ever learned one way of doing things, which is the way of fire. Grow and consume for as long as you have energy. And Sozin's account sounds almost sorrowful about it. Only on his deathbed does he realize how small of a life he really lead. He was fine for a while, but eventually his ambition caused him to commit atrocities in the name of glory. By his own admission he wasted the back half of his life chasing ghosts. While Roku grew old peacefully and full of love, Sozin became increasingly isolated. Even his best friend is just another solider for the fire nation at the end of the day. And we see this story play out so many times. Zuko, Zhao, Azula, Ozai, young Iroh. I think the reason why the meanteen squad destroys the party for no reason is to show that the way they do things doesn't actually line up with who they are. They're villains and children of war. Even when they take a step towards self actualization, they still only know how to channel that through conquering others. But like Iroh says, everyone has more than one great grandfather. They can all lead new legacies and find new destinies if they choose to. Even someone like Azula. She knows her and Zukos household was "depressing". She's also way smarter and more perceptive than Zuko. I don't buy that she isn't at least a little conscious of the abuse they've suffered. Unfortunately, like her brother, Azula just doesn't think she has a choice. She is the talented fire nation princess. A weapon of war and the most beautiful smartest perfect girl in the world. Combine that with her personality and its only natural she thinks it's her place to control everyone else, and that "almost" won't cut it. Fire doesn't only disrupt a party, it burns down the whole venue. But unlike Zuko, Azula never had a real parental figure like Iroh that could rescue her from that mentality. She barely even had her mother. Instead, she had Ozai. Forget banishment, Azula had to live with this guy. So in another context where her status doesn't matter, she really doesn't know how to act. She never learned to make choices for herself that aren't some means to an end. But it's not like firebenders can't be happy, or that it's inherently more evil than other elements. It's just another form of energy. Zuko and Azula come from the same place, and are both capable of great good and great evil. They're just left very unbalanced from the scars of their upbringing, and that's what makes them so vicious. It's no different from Sozin. To be honest, the only difference is Zuko got scarred on his face. That and he sucks enough at fire bending that people can tell there's something wrong with him. Azula has only ever been rewarded for dominating others. Zuko being banished was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Just a masterful dissection of the main villains in these two episodes. Beautiful.
The reason why no one on Ember Island recognize Zuko and Azula, is the same REAl reason no one in Metropolis recognize Superman as Clark Kent
Every civilian on DC knows that Superman have his Fortress of Solitude, so when they see Clark Kent randomly on the streets is like "That can't be Superman. He's on his Secret Fortress of Solitude, this is just a guy who look like him"
Same thing here, all those kids on the island probably though "Nah, Zuko and Azule are Fire Nation royalty, they must be on the capital with the Fire Lord, it can't be this two random teens from the beach"
The fact that they got Ron Pearlman to voice Firelord Sozin makes this episode all the more special
The saddest thing is, I think when he got there, Sozin had good intentions, he really did want to help his friend with that disaster. but at the end of the day the possibilites were too alluring to him. He couldn't see past his own ideals, his own power.
Not only is the beach episode great for character development but totally starts setting up for the Boiling Rock and Azula's insanity
Actually that set up started with Azula saying its a shame you can’t trust ppl close to you
I love the visual storytelling so much. Zuko's scar has always been used for that. And they have already shown us how whenever Zuko visited Iroh, it looked as if he was behind bars bc he was trapped in his conflicting emotions whereas Iroh was at peace and free with his position in the war. But how they used the prison bars to differentiate the two sides of Zuko when Iroh told him who his maternal great-grandfather is vs how it showed his scar when talking about his paternal grandfather? absolutely amazing storytelling.
8:35 Fair, they literally surrounded her and backed her in a corner. Glad they said something
I like that Boom actually is already questioning if Aang is gonna become more jaded towards life in the future
i just watched all ur ATLA reactions in about a week. First time watcher of your channel and i love the breakdowns by the 3 of you. And you are right, how is this a Nickelodeon show?! I feel special to have grown up with it, even having dreams about it (season 1 Finale epic)
Everytime when Iroh sais: "You have more than one grait-grandfather" and somebody reacts with "What?!", I wander if they are from Allabama.
Sorry XD, just such a good opportunity.
Even in our modern time it's possible to not notice someone famous. There were 2 American tourists walking around one of the royal estates when they happened to stumble upon the Queen and I think one of her guards/aids. They asked her if shed ever meet the Queen before, she replied she hadn't had the opportunity, but he has many times. *pointing to the guy with her*
Like they showed it in S02E05, there's always been war and a new tyrant to fight but every civilisation was built on conquest and in the avatar world, the fire nation and the earth kingdom (maybe the water tribes and the air nomads) were just one small town/city to expand by beating everyone else around.
The only difference between the current war and all the previous one is that each side have different bending and that doesn't make the fire nation more illegitimate or bad that every conqueror before them.
in Sozin's case, his goal in the beginning wasn't selfish but ultimately, his greed take the worst out of him.
His help on the island showed why he's a gray character, he sincerely came to help Sozin but when he see the opportunity, his greed showed up once again and he let Roku behind (if he was completely bad, he will kill Roku on the spot).
He was just like Zuko, a good guy with good intentions but made bad choices.
The only issue with the episode is the timeline because Roku (and Sozin?) being Zuko great grandpa is biologically impossible.
Roku was around 70 when he died so his child (Zuko maternal grandpa/ma) should be at least 20 back then and 130 or more in the current time but Zuko's mom being around 40 made that impossible (same thing with Azulon who was still alive 5 years ago and so couldn't be Sozin son) and they should add another generation on both side of the family tree to fix the problem
Sozin was genuinely trying to help, but when he saw roku dying he realized it was opportunity to make his plans real
I think a lot of people don't immediately remember that Island was in the fire nation, so of course he would run in to help his own civilians.
"that felt like a mission in a yakuza game" I hate how true that is
I really like the beach it was cool that it didn't follow aang
1:45 You're thinking of Dan "hold her tighter, she's a fighter" Schneider. He was a producer on a bunch of live action tv shows on Nick at the time, and was accused of sexual misconduct back when the MeToo movement was taking off. Nick/Schneider paid off the ones bringing the issues up, gave Schneider a decent farewell going away gift, and swept everything under the rug. Dan "gag her, she's a biter" Schneider never faced repercussions for his behavior with underaged nickelodeon actresses.
The beach episode is funny but it kinda kills the mood of the season. I love the next episode with the Roku and Sozin relationship and the reveal for Zuko at the end. I also want to add how cool it is the way they switched POVs throughout the episode. They've done that before with Aang/Zuko episodes but this is the best version of that because you get the switch between Roku/Sozin as well.
Toph: "Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?"
Remember this line from her, ladies and gents. It'll be kinda important in the future.
I love the beach episode I kno alot who don't but it's 1 of my favorites from season 3, avatar and the firelord is 1 of the best especially the reveal about who zukos grandfather is.
In the comics it is even said that Zuko's dad actually sent out people to seek out the descendant of Roku to marry her for power reasons or whatnot
It's time to start looking deep into our characters; starting with the Beach. Zuko and the Azula Squad got stuck in the Anime Beach Filler void filled with teenage angsty drama and they somehow came out exposing their mental baggage, well except for Azula she's still got that compartmentalized, trashing a jock's house and sowing the further conflict within Zuko.
And that conflict is in his blood, because Aang is finally told the full story by Roku about the origins of the war. Sozin wasn't all an asshole, but leadership, greed and probably insecurity led to him seeking to expand his borders. A tragic end for Roku too betrayed by his former friend just when he noticed the possibilities, his paranoia of his prior ass whooping pushing him to genocide the Airbenders until he died, and then his grandson Ozai goes all Game of Thrones trying to merge his and Roku's bloodline. Meaning Zuko from at least a spiritual standpoint is somewhat related to Aang.
Also our silent head-tattooed assassin has a unique style of firebending, one where he triggers a pressurized explosion, very deadly but it also takes a lot of concentration - and the straining of his stomach, the fire chakra .
Sozin pulling a Batman with the “I won’t kill you…but that doesn’t mean I have to save you”.
"make sure he gets your good side" while transitioning the shot to the scarred half of Zuko's face * chef's kiss *
Don't forget that Iroh was the crown prince and was supposed to inherit the throne, it would follow that he would have kept the headband thing for his son
“Do you really think friendships Can last more than one lifetime?” Remember that 😭
29:37 ok 2 things. 1. Roku didn't lava bend it was due to using earth bending to create an opening so lava could flow freely and 2. The fire lord didn't cause this volcano to the village. I'm sure he realized what he said but I'm just noting it.
1:51 Jup. Its Dan Schneider he is the Producer of Zoey 101, Drake and Josh, Icarly, Victorious ect.
He is accused for Sexual Harassment on various actresses.
Yes, he made various scenes where the actresses have do stuff with their bare feet.
Not only the feet thing, he also treated some actresses poorly and the worst part ist that those actresses where Teenies at that time or even Kids
So remember when Aang first time met Ruko. When Ruko helped Aang against the firebenders, the first thing he did was freeing Aang's friends including Zuko. Coz Ruko is Zuko's great grandfather that Zuko didn't know. Freaking cool ha?
30:23 One color dragon in Zuko fever dream for each grandpa