I didn’t realize that the reason most people disliked Azulaa cast was because they thought she was “ugly” which is so stupid. The reason why I wasn’t sold on her casting was because she looks too sweet to play such a viscous character. This was a great and enlightening video thank you.
Yeah definitely I think most people are very poorly trying to say she looks unthreatening and very soft/sweet compared to azula who is meant to be intimidating with a sharp strong appearance
Sorry but the Cartoon Azula looks 33 years old and she is meant to looks like this to apear more menacing. because if you think of it,in reality people do fear grown woman going crazy with power. If the Cartoon had a more realistic design for Azula, audience would not persive her as threatening and the David VS Goliat moment would be ruined. The thing is that this won't translate to live action. Because the actual age of the young actors is extreamly apparent.
Depends on how you define an adult. In a historical context, what constitutes an adult now and what constitutes an adult way back when is wildly different. Think of all the coming of age ceremonies (Sweet 16s, Quinceñeras, Bar mitzvahs/Bat mitzvahs). These are celebrations of children reaching "adulthood," but they are still technically children.
I think that the way the show displayed these characters was acceptable. They put them in realistic outfits for the beach setting and they made sure the camera was not focusing on their bodies too much. This is just how the the girls looked, just like millions of other girls look in bikinis. As long as the camera doesn't ogle them then I feel like the characters were treated respectfully.
Should be the opposite? So curvier girls are automatically more provocative and problematic than thinner girls? I guess they ought to just lose weight or cover up…
I don't think the purpose of the girls being animated the way they were was to sexualize them. Attractiveness does play a part of Azula's character; she is "perfect" is a Regina George type of way. This is more of a pretty privilege issue than an oversexualization one. The main characters are all seen as conventionally attractive in the ATLA universe. It SHOULDN'T matter how the live action actors look but fans generally do want them to "look the part".
I have an issue with the casting but not because of attractiveness and I think most people are trying to say she looks really soft and unthreatening which conflicts entirely with azulas character
@@hshsidieahsbd7242 lol not what I said at all and it doesn’t matter what her age in lore is it’s part of her character to look sharp and intimidating not round and adorable
I don't think it's the beach episode that pushed the idea of them being percieved as "sex objects". I think that, trough the sole existence of conventionally attractive character designes you're going to get serious creeps (especially with underage characters). The way I see it, it's fine to give an attractive character a revealing outfit in the context of a beach because it goes to show that they know they're drawing in eyes and they might like the attention (also to use it to their advantage). It can also be a simbol of stauts with how they care so much about serving up the idea that they're perfect. I do think tho that they would've gotten the point across better if they also showcased a character from the group like Mai who doesn't care for the attention and might even find it invading and uncomfortable to show next to no skin and maybe even have her talk about why she feels this way so that the episode presents more perspectives and doesn't just feel like it blatantly oversexualizes them just for the sake of it.
I feel like we're missing the fact that Ty Lee did sexualize herself. Her character thrives off of attention. Azula literally says "You make it so easy". And her storyline full cirlces to being a fully clothed and armored Kyoshi warrior by the end no longer seeking male or anyones validation for anything. The depiction of her is the male characters in shows perspective and idea. It was a real human coming of age storyline..but the premise of this idea wasnt even the eisode itself it was the fanboys perception of it?? Soo..? Besides that no one shoud compare humans to animated characters, absolutely. That besing said Lizzy Yu herself stated she does not have martial arts training (with all due respect) we can ignore her kind sweet face and soft voice but with Dallas doing 360° and back fips every episode...its hard to suspend disbelief that she's a flawless let alone better combatant than Zuko. Azula is a parkour specialist thats what makes Aang saying "I can't pin her down, shes too quick" so special. When hes THE MOST agile person in the entire show.
I don’t think Ty Lee ever sexualized her self. Ty Lee wanted to look DIFFERENT. That was what her mini arc was about. She had a bunch of sisters and they all looked the same and she hated it so much that she joined the circus just to be DIFFERENT. Her joining the Kiyoshi warriors and wearing a uniform where they all nearly look alike can be perceived as her learning to be okay with looking similar but understand she is her own person. When Azula calls out Ty Lee for making herself so “easy” she was actually jealous that Ty Lee’s kindness and attractiveness had gotten her the attention Azula wanted as well. Edit: To add on to what I said about Azula’s jealousy, we see it on screen when she’s frowning at Ty Lee with those boys offered to help her, when she then tries to get them to do the same for her (or maybe it was different boys idk it’s been a minute since I’ve seen the shown) she LOOKS and SOUNDS intimidating and they don’t really want to be around her. We know that Azula is perceived as attractive when even the boy who was throwing a party at his parents home came up to her, and even kissed her. However the fact that she then starts becoming intimidating is what scares him away.
@@ningmushii The point of this video and discourse is (why was she seemingly sexualized. Based off the clothing and framing) I only focused on adressing that and nothing else. In that episode Mai said "attention issues, you couldn't get enough attention as a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now." And "guess that explains why you need 10 boyfriends" Ty Lee suffers from childhood neglect having 6 identical sisters. And a real world example of a trauma response to neglect is seeking male validation. Seeking attention and validation are present in her character but whether or not that qualifies into sexualization. 🤷♂️ Thats up to you. Both of our comments are aspects of her arc. I agree. 👍
@@Thismeekpotato I wasn’t saying you’re wrong I was just saying I don’t think she was sexualizing herself, but when you put it that way (with her wanting attention), then yea I can see how anyone can see it as her sexualizing herself. I think when Mai made that comment, she was talking about her liking the attention but not necessarily anything sexual or even male-gazey either. Only reason I say this is because we don’t see anything subtle about her actively pursuing attentions from mostly males, but she was loving the attention she got from the people who were giving it to her in the moment: guys. I think the creators did a good job respecting the female characters in the show (also because they’re MINORS!!) and I don’t understand why every once and awhile I see people claim the female characters are sexualized, when the sexualization actually comes from the fans.
@@ningmushii lol its cool I personally don't have a strong opinion on whether or not the specific term (sexualization) has a place here. Like I said in my original comment- the premise of this video wasn't actually the content itself but the perception of the content by certain male fans soo.....ya know. Lol it is weird. But you're good, I just accepted the videos use of the term and replied accordingly, that's all. Your view is that the character herself nor creators directly or indirectly sexualize Ty Lee. Then cool I got you. I could agree.
Lizzy Yu doesn’t even look overweight to me. Being overweight isn’t inherently bad either way, but I would literally have never looked at her and thought that if not for the fandom. Lizzy is beautiful no matter her size and people need to leave her the hell alone. EDIT: same goes for Thalia as well
Both Lizzy and Thalia aren’t overweight I agree they’re perfectly normal, both of them just have a round face shape, and wide cheekbones which made them look chubby or youthful, same goes for me i have a very round face, back then at online school my teacher thought i was chubby because of my fat face, but when she saw me personally i was skinny lol. You know what my advice to people is to just enjoy life ignore toxic societies they’re a waste of time and beauty is all temporary, most important is our kind souls.
I dissagree with them being sexualized (except mabe Ty Lee). Their bathing suits are not bikinis, and are actually LESS revealing than the normal bathing suit. Azula wouldn't be awkward flirting, or it would work out anyway if she was sexualized. Mai is kinda just there, noone really notices her before the famous "I love Zuko more than I fear you." moment. And you hear fandom thirsting only over Ty Lee, not the other two.
I listen to a podcast about writing, and although the host rips into the Avatar live action series, they and their cohost praise Azula's casting: "She's so cute, and so vicious!" One of the things about the original series I was slightly annoyed with was that Azula looked and sounded more mature than Zuko, which, though it provided a contrast for her eventual breakdown, kinda took me out of the story. Here, in live action, she acts, and looks, like a deeply malevolent child.
To everybody saying how Azula and Ty Lee aren't sexualized: I'm sorry but THEY ARE. Maybe it does seem tame in comparison to blatant sexualization of minors in anime, but its still there. The're shots of Ty Lees body in the beach episode which show off her cleavage und up her skirt and an adult animator probably spend hours drawing 14 year old girls chest and underwear which is super creepy. You probably would say that "yeah, but thats the part of her character you know", alright but the're THOUSANDS of ways you can show a character being attractive without sexualizing them (like letting their hair flow in the wind or smh).In Azulas case the sexualization is much more subtle, but she is still voiced by a much older actress who talks in seductive, mature tone while voicing Azula, she appears to wear make up and looks much more older than her age and looks rather suggestive in some shots (the one where she sits on Zukos bed in her bath robe). I mean there is a reason why so many people in fandom lust over Azula and not for example Jinora who is the same age as her (also if you compare these two it becomes obvious just how sexualized Azula is)
Ok first of all, I have watched this show over 5 times and I don't remember there being any overly explicit shots of Ty Lee's cleavage or her underwear. I think you are overexaggerating with that point. Second of all, when they show Zuko shirtless and jacked in the same episode is that sexualizing Zuko? Just because a character is conventionally attractive doesn't mean they are being sexualized. Azula and Ty Lee are both characters who thrive off attention and adoration from others. It makes sense that they would play up their surface level attractiveness in order to get more validation. In contrast, Mai and Jinora are both not as obviously attractive as Azula and Ty Lee because they don't care about attention or validation from others. Therefore they have no need to show off surface level attractiveness. I agree that sexualizing underage characters is a problem in animation. But Avatar The Last Airbender is not in any way an example of it.
I always thought in regards to Tai lee, it is the fact she appears sexually appealing her biggest weakness in life. Not in a combat sence, but in character sence. Despite her charm as a person, athletic and combat skills, or her being a good friend, she was always regarded by everyone either as a circus freak, or the hot babe. Nobody cared about her as a person, so the end of her arc being joining Kyoshi warriors makes sence for her, as there she is equal, part of family. Thats my interpretation.
thats not what they are exactly saying, they just think its weird for adults to make this. In fact I just figured out azula is 15, which i thought was like 18.. thats how bad it is
@@sayuriartsy5108 that’s so obviously not what they’re saying. As an adult it’s your responsibility to restrain yourself from sexualizing your teen characters.
Most people didn't like the casting for Azula because she didn't look intimidating to play her. She has softer and sweet features, which contrasts with animated Azulas sharp and intimidating structure. She just looks too nice imo, i'm sure she played the part well, tho. 😂
How do you know its most people? The comments on her social media pages and any post related to her is flooded with hate comments directed at her appearance
@areeba7045 A lot of those people were folks who didn't think she looked like Azula, but instead of being constructive, they were just being hateful. Plus, there were and are people who had genuine constructive things to say about the casting, but the trolls and haters are always gonna have the louder voice. This ain't nothing new, unfortunately. 🤷🏾♀️ Edit: Not to mention, the silent majority were probably (hopefully) not doing all of that, lmao.
Man we really have become puritans since the days when this show came out. Nobody was complaining back then but now people are in kind of this hysteria around anything involving minors that they perceive as sexual (even things are not actually sexual).
I have very mixed feelings on the designs for the beach episode. On one hand, teens are curvy sometimes. As a curvier girl myself, I like seeing characters like Jin that have are a little more top-heavy. I don’t think inclusion of that is a bad thing. The bikini was a bit too much though 💀
I disagree. If you’re going to cast someone to play a character, you should cast someone who looks like the character. That’s really the only important thing regarding their looks.
Or maybe they just don't agree with this puritanical bs. Stop acting like your opinion is unblemished. Its so annoying when people try to smugly act like their dumb ass opinion is rock solid.
I agree with your general point about the sexualization of said characters in that episode. But I don't see a connection to how asshole fans reacted to the live action actress. Both are bad and stem from sexism, but I wouldn't say the beach episode is somehow a cause for fans fat shaming
I don't see how the way the girls are designed in the Beach episode is sexist. When they show Zuko shirtless and jacked in the same episode is that sexualizing Zuko? Just because a character is conventionally attractive doesn't mean they are being treated as sex objects.
I'm more annoyed by the choice to have her act like she's going to cry every time Ozai says anything mean to her. Azula's trauma manifested itself through anger and a rigid need for control. This idea that girls' trauma/ abuse is only valid if their response isn't raw anger and lashing out. Is such a common idea. It seems like their trying to make her softer and more palatable. Which is not the actress's fault. But I just take issue with the whole approach to the idea of azula being to tone her down. And part of that is the actress being cast as a softer less scary alternative in mind. It makes everything about azula and her story lose its impact. They've also screwed over Ty lee's character thus far.
Thank you! I don’t like how in the live action this happened to both Azula AND Katara. They were both passive in their trauma and I did not like that. I like how they showed the more sad and “weakened” part of Katara when it comes to her mom’s death but that’s all they showed. They didn’t show how her not being able to do anything to save her mom made her angry. Same with Azula, they showed the part where she does actually feel insecure and wants the impress Ozai, but then they make her come off as a brat who can’t have her way. When she talks about Zuko she just sounds annoyed and not actually hurt or even mildly competitive. It’s like how teens are written in teenesque shows.
Ty Lee's large bosom in the animation is especially bizarre because hard-core female gymnasts and acrobats are well known for being extremely thin and flat chested due to the nature of the physical demands of their craft. Olympic level training - especially from a young age - is known to delay certain traits of puberty because it's so taxing on the body. And considering the physical feats Ty Lee is capable of at all of 15 years old and that flashbacks show her practicing since she was around 6, And that she's one of the characters without any inherent magical bending powers that could enhance her body, It adds a whole other level of un-realism to her bikini body in the beach episode.
Not nessasarily. Our state college trains some of the best gymnasts and acrobats in the south, and these girls are thick. I mean, full chest, wide hips, not slender at all. They're strong. I don't know why, but if they were Ty Lee's age, they'd look about the same. For these girls, puberty didn't step back it yelled "HEY, BITCH! YEET!"
@@seto_kaiba_ Of course not all. Obviously. But exceptions don't invalidate a larger trend. And yes. There are many anime works that are shameless in their exploitation of the women characters. But just because someone else does it worse doesn't mean that these guys shouldn't be criticized for their questionable choices.
Someone posted an image on tumblr of what azula looks like without makeup- SHE LOOKS LIKE A CHILD. and more like Zuko. People need to remember these were kids and I'd love if the makeup adultification aspect was explored in the live action series as it added more to what azula was facing.
First of all the Netflix show took a LOT of artistic liberties and I kind of hope that if they get to the beach episode, they'll have them wear more conservative 1800s-1920s style swimsuits which are basically tiny dresses to emphasize how this show is meant to parallel the mid-1800s. As for the show in and of itself: Azula is supposed to be 14, and she's written and drawn in a way that's meant to juxtapose that fact with how her lifestyle choices are geared around having people forget that fact - she wears full-body armor and red lipstick to make herself look like a seasoned warrior and a grown woman. 4:25 actually shows how stunted and out of place she is by having her in as revealing and sexy an outfit as Ty Lee, except she literally falls flat - her chest is smaller, her buttocks are flatter and her torso is shorter, making her legs look more gangly, all despite being taller than Ty Lee. For the first time Azula actually looks like a developing girl, and it's a vehicle for her budding jealousy over how easy Ty Lee finds it to get attention without the need for authority. I think Ty Lee is sort of like a PG Cassie - she's obviously curvy and sexy and uses that attention to compensate for the void in her own life - where Cassie lacks identity Ty Lee lacks recognition. It's on full display in The Beach and is finally addressed.
Okay. Here's the thing. For me, it wasn't how she looked. It was her acting skill and the horrific dialogue, which was mostly due to the writing. The only casting that I thought was atrocious was Mai. She looked absolutely nothing like Mai. Mai was very slender and tall, and she had a more inverted-triangle shaped face. I personally wouldn't say that any of the actresses were "ugly", but Thalia Tran definitely didn't fit Mai's character. Thalia Tran has a very pronounced rectangular shaped face, and she was far from tall or slender. Mai is the tallest and most slender out of Team Azula.
I don't think the sexualization is an issue with the cartoon, but with the people who watch it and simp over the characters themselves. Azula and Ty Lee are both children in the show, and I find it disgusting how men portray them in a provocative light as if using the element of fiction as an excuse for literal pedophilia. The live action casted an adult to play Azula, and as far as I know (since I haven't watched it) she wears relatively modest clothing both in the Netfix adaption and the original series (which I have watched). That was only one episode, and I don't like when people make problems out of things that weren't problematic before because there is already such a huge stigma around the oversexualization of women in media and real life. I also don't really care about Azula's physical appearance in the new tv show because that's more of a racism thing than an attractiveness one. She just isn't right for the role. It really seems like they only casted her because she's East Asian and not because she has good acting skills.
I will agree with naysayers on one thing. How are we going to see the full combat style from the current cast? That said I agree the pool of asian women who are both actresses, martial artists/gymnests who speak perfect english is exceptionally low. I just hope the physical changes that linger are going to be played well into in the live action without compromising the characters.
I feel that because of the country we live in, everything that sexualized is suddenly normal to us. Why is it that we find it normal to see women (or teenagers) going to the pool wearing practically a bra and underwear? No other country does that, it’s just us.
What about men just wearing shorts? Its weird when u make it weird?!? Yk? I mean what else are u supposed to Wear on the beach? A Body suit like swimmers and Surfers ?
I have to disagree at some point, I don't mind the casting of Azula as she does give off Queen Bee popular girl vibe but You mean to tell me that there are NO ASIAN women that look like Mai? What about Chiaki Kuriyama (Go-go from Kill Bill)? I am just saying, that it comes off as a tad distracting, Also didnt Katara's and Suki's fire nation disguise have a bare midriff? So it is not just the villains.
But fans mostly agree that the only characters that were poorly casted were Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. No one has a problem with say, Katara's actress, even when she's also chubbier than cartoon katara, because she's not supposed to be super athletic in the show. Azula, Mai and Ty Lee show be, to compensate for not being benders. I'm not saying make them kpop models, but at the very least, don't make them fat.
I haven’t watched the video yet (I will do later) but I think that the show doesn’t sexualize any of the female characters but because it is an animated show especially in the 2000s, most of the main cast/side characters that’s apart of the main cast/characters that’s supposed to at least be seen as serious and not one episode only characters, are drawn attractively. I don’t think the writers did it on purpose for you to only view them as attractive I mean these characters have depth to them. You don’t really have the show focusing on how they look unless it’s how that characters looks to other characters (Aang seeing Katara with the new necklace he made for her and he’s admiring her beauty, and how Ty Lee comes off to the other characters in the beach episode). The problem comes down to the fans of the show. The fans are the ones who really sexualize the characters and only pay attention to their attractiveness (and even go as far to criticize the designs for doing what they are doing). I mean look at how most people “joke” and compliment s3 Zuko as the “hot emo” guy, and how I see from most guys commenting on how Ty Lee is the hottest.
Okay, I'm gonna have to do a hard no to this. As someone who was raised in a very conservative and controlled household and culture, I wasn't allowed to explore my sexuality or anything sexual for that matter, which destroyed a part of me understanding of myself and what I'm attracted to. I learned that you're teenage years is such an important stage in you're life where you can try new things, sexuality is a big thing and adults have fucked that up. Did you know that when I was a teenager I wanted wear the same bikini outfits that Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai were wearing? It was a cute bikini too, it wasn't even that revealing and it had beautiful colors and was sparkly but because adults, especially conservatives and people that were uncomfortable with kids wearing such revealing clothing, found it was sexual and it made me look like a slut, so I never got to wear it but instead I was taught to hide my body and that woman that wore things like that have no self respect for themselves and do it for male attention, which made me incredibly self conscious and made me hate my body even more (it certainly didn't help that I was curvy and well endowed as a teen). It was only in my 20s that I could finally experience and explore my sexuality in peace, along with the realization that some adults that claim to hate seeing teenagers wearing "revealing clothing" or being sexual are the same adults that are staring at those teenagers when they should be minding their damn business because why are you concerned over I put on my body? Point is, while we should guild teens on what is an appropriate time and place to wear certain clothing, we should absolutely never dictate their creativity with their clothes and what they think looks good on them.
To me the bikinis in the beach episode don’t look like sexual or revealing they just look like normal bikinis that girls wear on the beach and the only people who are sexualising Azula , Tylee and Mai are creepy fans who are grown men and I’ve seen lots of sexualised thumbnails of videos on UA-cam of all the female characters on the show especially Azula and Tylee they seen to get sexualised the most and I’ve only also seen underaged teenage male characters getting sexualised too I’ve seen people calling Sokka a back bender just because a couple of girls were interested in him and a couple girls had crushes on him and I’ve seen people sexualised Zuko and calling him hot and grown women wanting to marry him
whats funny about this azula actress hate is that I've seen plenty of comments on random white female atla fans with black hair that they look exactly like azula
Самое тупое это то,что создатели адаптации от нетфдикс просто не смогди дать того ,что хотел зритель...А зритель не просил шедевра,хотя бы выдержанные образы. Но сценарий и актеры это калл. Образ персонажа Азулы полностью не соответсвует ожиданиям. Этот толстый пельмень которым движет исклеченно зависть перед Зуко никто не хотел, она не есть та самая смертносная и хлоднокровная Азула которую я помню из детства.К черту...
Azula's actress is not fit. It has almost nothing to do with her face. When people picture Azula, they think of a young woman with a well trained physique and conventionally attractive light skinned eastern woman. And there's almost no chance anyone was expecting her to look like a K-pop star, as we're all very aware that a part of their act is to look almost otherworldly. It is not a crime to be attractive, and it's not a crime to be cast because you are attractive. Azula should've been fit. That's all.
@ThePrincessCH lol, that's funny. But once again, if you put yourself out there, you should expect this. They receive harsh, undeserved criticisms, hate mail, and death threats. You name it. That's just the way it is.
I didn’t realize that the reason most people disliked Azulaa cast was because they thought she was “ugly” which is so stupid. The reason why I wasn’t sold on her casting was because she looks too sweet to play such a viscous character. This was a great and enlightening video thank you.
Yeah definitely I think most people are very poorly trying to say she looks unthreatening and very soft/sweet compared to azula who is meant to be intimidating with a sharp strong appearance
Sorry but the Cartoon Azula looks 33 years old and she is meant to looks like this to apear more menacing. because if you think of it,in reality people do fear grown woman going crazy with power. If the Cartoon had a more realistic design for Azula, audience would not persive her as threatening and the David VS Goliat moment would be ruined.
The thing is that this won't translate to live action. Because the actual age of the young actors is extreamly apparent.
@@MrCandi00 She looks more like 18 imo.
and ALL the fan casting are of the racially motivated white woman asian which is part of the point.
The actress for Azula is very attractive imo but she just doesn't feel like she fits the role. You're kind of right she doesn't look all that vicious.
I see a lot of people calling Azula “evil WOMAN” which like shes 14…
She’s still pretty evil though, upbringing was sad, yea but still
Shes evil of course but yea shes just a child
Fair, but didn´t she kill people?
Depends on how you define an adult. In a historical context, what constitutes an adult now and what constitutes an adult way back when is wildly different. Think of all the coming of age ceremonies (Sweet 16s, Quinceñeras, Bar mitzvahs/Bat mitzvahs). These are celebrations of children reaching "adulthood," but they are still technically children.
@@mimovres9300that makes her an evil GIRL not woman, that’s the point lol not excusing her 🫶
I think that the way the show displayed these characters was acceptable. They put them in realistic outfits for the beach setting and they made sure the camera was not focusing on their bodies too much. This is just how the the girls looked, just like millions of other girls look in bikinis. As long as the camera doesn't ogle them then I feel like the characters were treated respectfully.
Should be the opposite? So curvier girls are automatically more provocative and problematic than thinner girls? I guess they ought to just lose weight or cover up…
@InternetIsWildty lee wears the least amount of clothing even when not on the beach. Plus fits her personality, she's flirty and very affectionate
@InternetIsWild Ty Lee is the most flirty and affectionate of the 3. Neither did I say it was sexually revealing.
I don't think the purpose of the girls being animated the way they were was to sexualize them. Attractiveness does play a part of Azula's character; she is "perfect" is a Regina George type of way. This is more of a pretty privilege issue than an oversexualization one. The main characters are all seen as conventionally attractive in the ATLA universe. It SHOULDN'T matter how the live action actors look but fans generally do want them to "look the part".
You're right, it's very much a Regina vs Karen sort of situation.
I have an issue with the casting but not because of attractiveness and I think most people are trying to say she looks really soft and unthreatening which conflicts entirely with azulas character
That my biggest problem I didn’t even think about the attractiveness
So ur upset that a child looks like a child
@@hshsidieahsbd7242 lol not what I said at all and it doesn’t matter what her age in lore is it’s part of her character to look sharp and intimidating not round and adorable
@@hshsidieahsbd7242 they don’t even sexualize azula either she just has sharp features that YOU are making sexual
I don't think it's the beach episode that pushed the idea of them being percieved as "sex objects". I think that, trough the sole existence of conventionally attractive character designes you're going to get serious creeps (especially with underage characters). The way I see it, it's fine to give an attractive character a revealing outfit in the context of a beach because it goes to show that they know they're drawing in eyes and they might like the attention (also to use it to their advantage). It can also be a simbol of stauts with how they care so much about serving up the idea that they're perfect. I do think tho that they would've gotten the point across better if they also showcased a character from the group like Mai who doesn't care for the attention and might even find it invading and uncomfortable to show next to no skin and maybe even have her talk about why she feels this way so that the episode presents more perspectives and doesn't just feel like it blatantly oversexualizes them just for the sake of it.
So now diversity of thought and perspective is important ha?
I feel like we're missing the fact that Ty Lee did sexualize herself. Her character thrives off of attention. Azula literally says "You make it so easy". And her storyline full cirlces to being a fully clothed and armored Kyoshi warrior by the end no longer seeking male or anyones validation for anything. The depiction of her is the male characters in shows perspective and idea. It was a real human coming of age storyline..but the premise of this idea wasnt even the eisode itself it was the fanboys perception of it?? Soo..? Besides that no one shoud compare humans to animated characters, absolutely. That besing said Lizzy Yu herself stated she does not have martial arts training (with all due respect) we can ignore her kind sweet face and soft voice but with Dallas doing 360° and back fips every episode...its hard to suspend disbelief that she's a flawless let alone better combatant than Zuko. Azula is a parkour specialist thats what makes Aang saying "I can't pin her down, shes too quick" so special. When hes THE MOST agile person in the entire show.
I don’t think Ty Lee ever sexualized her self. Ty Lee wanted to look DIFFERENT. That was what her mini arc was about. She had a bunch of sisters and they all looked the same and she hated it so much that she joined the circus just to be DIFFERENT. Her joining the Kiyoshi warriors and wearing a uniform where they all nearly look alike can be perceived as her learning to be okay with looking similar but understand she is her own person. When Azula calls out Ty Lee for making herself so “easy” she was actually jealous that Ty Lee’s kindness and attractiveness had gotten her the attention Azula wanted as well.
Edit: To add on to what I said about Azula’s jealousy, we see it on screen when she’s frowning at Ty Lee with those boys offered to help her, when she then tries to get them to do the same for her (or maybe it was different boys idk it’s been a minute since I’ve seen the shown) she LOOKS and SOUNDS intimidating and they don’t really want to be around her. We know that Azula is perceived as attractive when even the boy who was throwing a party at his parents home came up to her, and even kissed her. However the fact that she then starts becoming intimidating is what scares him away.
@@ningmushii The point of this video and discourse is (why was she seemingly sexualized. Based off the clothing and framing) I only focused on adressing that and nothing else. In that episode Mai said "attention issues, you couldn't get enough attention as a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now." And "guess that explains why you need 10 boyfriends" Ty Lee suffers from childhood neglect having 6 identical sisters. And a real world example of a trauma response to neglect is seeking male validation. Seeking attention and validation are present in her character but whether or not that qualifies into sexualization. 🤷♂️ Thats up to you. Both of our comments are aspects of her arc. I agree. 👍
@@Thismeekpotato I wasn’t saying you’re wrong I was just saying I don’t think she was sexualizing herself, but when you put it that way (with her wanting attention), then yea I can see how anyone can see it as her sexualizing herself.
I think when Mai made that comment, she was talking about her liking the attention but not necessarily anything sexual or even male-gazey either. Only reason I say this is because we don’t see anything subtle about her actively pursuing attentions from mostly males, but she was loving the attention she got from the people who were giving it to her in the moment: guys.
I think the creators did a good job respecting the female characters in the show (also because they’re MINORS!!) and I don’t understand why every once and awhile I see people claim the female characters are sexualized, when the sexualization actually comes from the fans.
@@ningmushii lol its cool I personally don't have a strong opinion on whether or not the specific term (sexualization) has a place here. Like I said in my original comment- the premise of this video wasn't actually the content itself but the perception of the content by certain male fans soo.....ya know. Lol it is weird. But you're good, I just accepted the videos use of the term and replied accordingly, that's all. Your view is that the character herself nor creators directly or indirectly sexualize Ty Lee. Then cool I got you. I could agree.
Lizzy Yu doesn’t even look overweight to me. Being overweight isn’t inherently bad either way, but I would literally have never looked at her and thought that if not for the fandom. Lizzy is beautiful no matter her size and people need to leave her the hell alone.
EDIT: same goes for Thalia as well
Both Lizzy and Thalia aren’t overweight I agree they’re perfectly normal, both of them just have a round face shape, and wide cheekbones which made them look chubby or youthful, same goes for me i have a very round face, back then at online school my teacher thought i was chubby because of my fat face, but when she saw me personally i was skinny lol. You know what my advice to people is to just enjoy life ignore toxic societies they’re a waste of time and beauty is all temporary, most important is our kind souls.
I dissagree with them being sexualized (except mabe Ty Lee). Their bathing suits are not bikinis, and are actually LESS revealing than the normal bathing suit. Azula wouldn't be awkward flirting, or it would work out anyway if she was sexualized. Mai is kinda just there, noone really notices her before the famous "I love Zuko more than I fear you." moment. And you hear fandom thirsting only over Ty Lee, not the other two.
I listen to a podcast about writing, and although the host rips into the Avatar live action series, they and their cohost praise Azula's casting: "She's so cute, and so vicious!" One of the things about the original series I was slightly annoyed with was that Azula looked and sounded more mature than Zuko, which, though it provided a contrast for her eventual breakdown, kinda took me out of the story. Here, in live action, she acts, and looks, like a deeply malevolent child.
"As creepy fans are gonna be creepy fans regardless" I laughed.
To everybody saying how Azula and Ty Lee aren't sexualized: I'm sorry but THEY ARE. Maybe it does seem tame in comparison to blatant sexualization of minors in anime, but its still there. The're shots of Ty Lees body in the beach episode which show off her cleavage und up her skirt and an adult animator probably spend hours drawing 14 year old girls chest and underwear which is super creepy. You probably would say that "yeah, but thats the part of her character you know", alright but the're THOUSANDS of ways you can show a character being attractive without sexualizing them (like letting their hair flow in the wind or smh).In Azulas case the sexualization is much more subtle, but she is still voiced by a much older actress who talks in seductive, mature tone while voicing Azula, she appears to wear make up and looks much more older than her age and looks rather suggestive in some shots (the one where she sits on Zukos bed in her bath robe). I mean there is a reason why so many people in fandom lust over Azula and not for example Jinora who is the same age as her (also if you compare these two it becomes obvious just how sexualized Azula is)
Ok first of all, I have watched this show over 5 times and I don't remember there being any overly explicit shots of Ty Lee's cleavage or her underwear. I think you are overexaggerating with that point. Second of all, when they show Zuko shirtless and jacked in the same episode is that sexualizing Zuko? Just because a character is conventionally attractive doesn't mean they are being sexualized.
Azula and Ty Lee are both characters who thrive off attention and adoration from others. It makes sense that they would play up their surface level attractiveness in order to get more validation. In contrast, Mai and Jinora are both not as obviously attractive as Azula and Ty Lee because they don't care about attention or validation from others. Therefore they have no need to show off surface level attractiveness.
I agree that sexualizing underage characters is a problem in animation. But Avatar The Last Airbender is not in any way an example of it.
I always thought in regards to Tai lee, it is the fact she appears sexually appealing her biggest weakness in life. Not in a combat sence, but in character sence. Despite her charm as a person, athletic and combat skills, or her being a good friend, she was always regarded by everyone either as a circus freak, or the hot babe. Nobody cared about her as a person, so the end of her arc being joining Kyoshi warriors makes sence for her, as there she is equal, part of family. Thats my interpretation.
They’re sexualized because… they’re wearing swimsuits?
thats not what they are exactly saying, they just think its weird for adults to make this.
In fact I just figured out azula is 15, which i thought was like 18.. thats how bad it is
@@AmethazzAzula is 14 actually
@@Amethazz Soo you want the designs to have been made by actual teenagers?
@@sayuriartsy5108 that’s so obviously not what they’re saying. As an adult it’s your responsibility to restrain yourself from sexualizing your teen characters.
@@basscanon6687Its a beach episode.. And they are teenagers..? Do u want them all to wear one piece swin suits?
Most people didn't like the casting for Azula because she didn't look intimidating to play her. She has softer and sweet features, which contrasts with animated Azulas sharp and intimidating structure. She just looks too nice imo, i'm sure she played the part well, tho. 😂
How do you know its most people? The comments on her social media pages and any post related to her is flooded with hate comments directed at her appearance
@areeba7045 A lot of those people were folks who didn't think she looked like Azula, but instead of being constructive, they were just being hateful. Plus, there were and are people who had genuine constructive things to say about the casting, but the trolls and haters are always gonna have the louder voice. This ain't nothing new, unfortunately. 🤷🏾♀️
Edit: Not to mention, the silent majority were probably (hopefully) not doing all of that, lmao.
Man we really have become puritans since the days when this show came out. Nobody was complaining back then but now people are in kind of this hysteria around anything involving minors that they perceive as sexual (even things are not actually sexual).
Exactly, people need to get their minds out of the damn gutter!
I have very mixed feelings on the designs for the beach episode. On one hand, teens are curvy sometimes. As a curvier girl myself, I like seeing characters like Jin that have are a little more top-heavy. I don’t think inclusion of that is a bad thing. The bikini was a bit too much though 💀
I disagree. If you’re going to cast someone to play a character, you should cast someone who looks like the character. That’s really the only important thing regarding their looks.
the comments are in extreme denial run lmfao
Or maybe they just don't agree with this puritanical bs. Stop acting like your opinion is unblemished. Its so annoying when people try to smugly act like their dumb ass opinion is rock solid.
Nah, they just don't have their minds in the gutter lol
I think this video needs a Photosensitive seizure warning!!! That line effect is not good.
I agree with your general point about the sexualization of said characters in that episode. But I don't see a connection to how asshole fans reacted to the live action actress. Both are bad and stem from sexism, but I wouldn't say the beach episode is somehow a cause for fans fat shaming
I don't see how the way the girls are designed in the Beach episode is sexist. When they show Zuko shirtless and jacked in the same episode is that sexualizing Zuko? Just because a character is conventionally attractive doesn't mean they are being treated as sex objects.
I'm more annoyed by the choice to have her act like she's going to cry every time Ozai says anything mean to her. Azula's trauma manifested itself through anger and a rigid need for control. This idea that girls' trauma/ abuse is only valid if their response isn't raw anger and lashing out. Is such a common idea. It seems like their trying to make her softer and more palatable. Which is not the actress's fault. But I just take issue with the whole approach to the idea of azula being to tone her down. And part of that is the actress being cast as a softer less scary alternative in mind. It makes everything about azula and her story lose its impact. They've also screwed over Ty lee's character thus far.
Thank you! I don’t like how in the live action this happened to both Azula AND Katara. They were both passive in their trauma and I did not like that. I like how they showed the more sad and “weakened” part of Katara when it comes to her mom’s death but that’s all they showed. They didn’t show how her not being able to do anything to save her mom made her angry.
Same with Azula, they showed the part where she does actually feel insecure and wants the impress Ozai, but then they make her come off as a brat who can’t have her way. When she talks about Zuko she just sounds annoyed and not actually hurt or even mildly competitive. It’s like how teens are written in teenesque shows.
Ty Lee's large bosom in the animation is especially bizarre because hard-core female gymnasts and acrobats are well known for being extremely thin and flat chested due to the nature of the physical demands of their craft.
Olympic level training - especially from a young age - is known to delay certain traits of puberty because it's so taxing on the body.
And considering the physical feats Ty Lee is capable of at all of 15 years old and that flashbacks show her practicing since she was around 6,
And that she's one of the characters without any inherent magical bending powers that could enhance her body,
It adds a whole other level of un-realism to her bikini body in the beach episode.
Not nessasarily.
Our state college trains some of the best gymnasts and acrobats in the south, and these girls are thick. I mean, full chest, wide hips, not slender at all. They're strong.
I don't know why, but if they were Ty Lee's age, they'd look about the same.
For these girls, puberty didn't step back it yelled "HEY, BITCH! YEET!"
If you wanna see what I mean, Google LSU Gymnasts.
Not all gymnasts have small busts. Plus if you think Ty-Lee's bikini/bust was too much, I hope you never watch an actual anime.
@@seto_kaiba_
Of course not all. Obviously.
But exceptions don't invalidate a larger trend.
And yes. There are many anime works that are shameless in their exploitation of the women characters.
But just because someone else does it worse doesn't mean that these guys shouldn't be criticized for their questionable choices.
@@gooderambles Big boobs =/= "exploitation"
This is the video I've been waiting for, for years!
Someone posted an image on tumblr of what azula looks like without makeup- SHE LOOKS LIKE A CHILD. and more like Zuko. People need to remember these were kids and I'd love if the makeup adultification aspect was explored in the live action series as it added more to what azula was facing.
First of all the Netflix show took a LOT of artistic liberties and I kind of hope that if they get to the beach episode, they'll have them wear more conservative 1800s-1920s style swimsuits which are basically tiny dresses to emphasize how this show is meant to parallel the mid-1800s. As for the show in and of itself:
Azula is supposed to be 14, and she's written and drawn in a way that's meant to juxtapose that fact with how her lifestyle choices are geared around having people forget that fact - she wears full-body armor and red lipstick to make herself look like a seasoned warrior and a grown woman. 4:25 actually shows how stunted and out of place she is by having her in as revealing and sexy an outfit as Ty Lee, except she literally falls flat - her chest is smaller, her buttocks are flatter and her torso is shorter, making her legs look more gangly, all despite being taller than Ty Lee. For the first time Azula actually looks like a developing girl, and it's a vehicle for her budding jealousy over how easy Ty Lee finds it to get attention without the need for authority.
I think Ty Lee is sort of like a PG Cassie - she's obviously curvy and sexy and uses that attention to compensate for the void in her own life - where Cassie lacks identity Ty Lee lacks recognition. It's on full display in The Beach and is finally addressed.
Okay. Here's the thing. For me, it wasn't how she looked. It was her acting skill and the horrific dialogue, which was mostly due to the writing. The only casting that I thought was atrocious was Mai. She looked absolutely nothing like Mai. Mai was very slender and tall, and she had a more inverted-triangle shaped face. I personally wouldn't say that any of the actresses were "ugly", but Thalia Tran definitely didn't fit Mai's character. Thalia Tran has a very pronounced rectangular shaped face, and she was far from tall or slender. Mai is the tallest and most slender out of Team Azula.
I don't think the sexualization is an issue with the cartoon, but with the people who watch it and simp over the characters themselves.
Azula and Ty Lee are both children in the show, and I find it disgusting how men portray them in a provocative light as if using the element of fiction as an excuse for literal pedophilia.
The live action casted an adult to play Azula, and as far as I know (since I haven't watched it) she wears relatively modest clothing both in the Netfix adaption and the original series (which I have watched).
That was only one episode, and I don't like when people make problems out of things that weren't problematic before because there is already such a huge stigma around the oversexualization of women in media and real life.
I also don't really care about Azula's physical appearance in the new tv show because that's more of a racism thing than an attractiveness one. She just isn't right for the role. It really seems like they only casted her because she's East Asian and not because she has good acting skills.
I will agree with naysayers on one thing. How are we going to see the full combat style from the current cast? That said I agree the pool of asian women who are both actresses, martial artists/gymnests who speak perfect english is exceptionally low. I just hope the physical changes that linger are going to be played well into in the live action without compromising the characters.
"I don't want to sound like a prude or an old person." You say that as if these are bad things.
People like you are why live action avatar was terrible
I feel that because of the country we live in, everything that sexualized is suddenly normal to us. Why is it that we find it normal to see women (or teenagers) going to the pool wearing practically a bra and underwear? No other country does that, it’s just us.
What about men just wearing shorts? Its weird when u make it weird?!? Yk? I mean what else are u supposed to Wear on the beach? A Body suit like swimmers and Surfers ?
@@adaradavina7450 that’s because it’s fully covering their private parts…
@@adaradavina7450Some people actually do yea, but I mean some people come in like a t-shirt or shorts, or a full body suit, just depends
I have to disagree at some point, I don't mind the casting of Azula as she does give off Queen Bee popular girl vibe but You mean to tell me that there are NO ASIAN women that look like Mai? What about Chiaki Kuriyama (Go-go from Kill Bill)? I am just saying, that it comes off as a tad distracting,
Also didnt Katara's and Suki's fire nation disguise have a bare midriff? So it is not just the villains.
Please dont hate actor actress, HATE THE PRODUCERS
finally someone's talking about this
But fans mostly agree that the only characters that were poorly casted were Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. No one has a problem with say, Katara's actress, even when she's also chubbier than cartoon katara, because she's not supposed to be super athletic in the show. Azula, Mai and Ty Lee show be, to compensate for not being benders. I'm not saying make them kpop models, but at the very least, don't make them fat.
I haven’t watched the video yet (I will do later) but I think that the show doesn’t sexualize any of the female characters but because it is an animated show especially in the 2000s, most of the main cast/side characters that’s apart of the main cast/characters that’s supposed to at least be seen as serious and not one episode only characters, are drawn attractively. I don’t think the writers did it on purpose for you to only view them as attractive I mean these characters have depth to them.
You don’t really have the show focusing on how they look unless it’s how that characters looks to other characters (Aang seeing Katara with the new necklace he made for her and he’s admiring her beauty, and how Ty Lee comes off to the other characters in the beach episode).
The problem comes down to the fans of the show. The fans are the ones who really sexualize the characters and only pay attention to their attractiveness (and even go as far to criticize the designs for doing what they are doing). I mean look at how most people “joke” and compliment s3 Zuko as the “hot emo” guy, and how I see from most guys commenting on how Ty Lee is the hottest.
Okay, I'm gonna have to do a hard no to this.
As someone who was raised in a very conservative and controlled household and culture, I wasn't allowed to explore my sexuality or anything sexual for that matter, which destroyed a part of me understanding of myself and what I'm attracted to. I learned that you're teenage years is such an important stage in you're life where you can try new things, sexuality is a big thing and adults have fucked that up. Did you know that when I was a teenager I wanted wear the same bikini outfits that Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai were wearing? It was a cute bikini too, it wasn't even that revealing and it had beautiful colors and was sparkly but because adults, especially conservatives and people that were uncomfortable with kids wearing such revealing clothing, found it was sexual and it made me look like a slut, so I never got to wear it but instead I was taught to hide my body and that woman that wore things like that have no self respect for themselves and do it for male attention, which made me incredibly self conscious and made me hate my body even more (it certainly didn't help that I was curvy and well endowed as a teen). It was only in my 20s that I could finally experience and explore my sexuality in peace, along with the realization that some adults that claim to hate seeing teenagers wearing "revealing clothing" or being sexual are the same adults that are staring at those teenagers when they should be minding their damn business because why are you concerned over I put on my body? Point is, while we should guild teens on what is an appropriate time and place to wear certain clothing, we should absolutely never dictate their creativity with their clothes and what they think looks good on them.
To me the bikinis in the beach episode don’t look like sexual or revealing they just look like normal bikinis that girls wear on the beach and the only people who are sexualising Azula , Tylee and Mai are creepy fans who are grown men and I’ve seen lots of sexualised thumbnails of videos on UA-cam of all the female characters on the show especially Azula and Tylee they seen to get sexualised the most and I’ve only also seen underaged teenage male characters getting sexualised too I’ve seen people calling Sokka a back bender just because a couple of girls were interested in him and a couple girls had crushes on him and I’ve seen people sexualised Zuko and calling him hot and grown women wanting to marry him
Cheyenne, i say this whole heartedly. YOU would play a better Azula than Appa.
We're care about the accurate of actor,not the attractiveness
whats funny about this azula actress hate is that I've seen plenty of comments on random white female atla fans with black hair that they look exactly like azula
Same!! It makes me roll my eyes cause they don’t even look like Mai either.
Azula is the live action is actually ...well 🥴 knows nda my type. I don't mind it.
Самое тупое это то,что создатели адаптации от нетфдикс просто не смогди дать того ,что хотел зритель...А зритель не просил шедевра,хотя бы выдержанные образы.
Но сценарий и актеры это калл.
Образ персонажа Азулы полностью не соответсвует ожиданиям.
Этот толстый пельмень которым движет исклеченно зависть перед Зуко никто не хотел, она не есть та самая смертносная и хлоднокровная Азула которую я помню из детства.К черту...
And that’s on peridot
Azula's actress is not fit. It has almost nothing to do with her face.
When people picture Azula, they think of a young woman with a well trained physique and conventionally attractive light skinned eastern woman. And there's almost no chance anyone was expecting her to look like a K-pop star, as we're all very aware that a part of their act is to look almost otherworldly.
It is not a crime to be attractive, and it's not a crime to be cast because you are attractive.
Azula should've been fit. That's all.
People still shouldn't give her a hard time about her looks, though.
@@ThePrincessCH If you don't like criticism, don't put yourself in the spotlight.
@elisabethpuck Criticism is one thing. Comparing the actress to Appa is another.
@ThePrincessCH lol, that's funny. But once again, if you put yourself out there, you should expect this.
They receive harsh, undeserved criticisms, hate mail, and death threats. You name it. That's just the way it is.
The most famously athetic character is an Italian plumber, physique is hardly important.
Yawn are you done complaining about white men already?
I don't know much abt the cast but those in this vid look pretty white? Right?
You’re so right queen. Thanks for speaking up and sharing your perspective
SMASH next question