That recurring bit about Toph being able to tell whether someone's telling the truth or not - really makes the scene with Katara telling her she's really pretty sweeter.
Aang took longer to learn waterbending in Book 1 because he was being taught by an amateur for most of it. He and Katara only started training with a master Waterbender in the last few episodes of Book 1. By contrast, Toph is one of the greatest Earthbenders in existence. Plus, it's assumed that a lot of training happens offscreen in between episodes.
Also I already kinda assumed that he picked up basic waterbending skills faster than Katara because he already mastered another element previously. Same with Earth where he's already got two down. While each bending style is different I think once you get the general hang of the movements it's easy to combine your knowledge of other techniques.
@@frauleinzuckerguss1906 That's true only for certain elements that don't conflict with each other. The reason why Aang was having such trouble learning Earth bending is because its nature is in direct contrast to airbending. Whereas, Kora found it harder to learn Airbending since it is more spiritual in nature. The mentality for each element's bending is different. While each Avatar has their own personality which would affect how quickly they pick up on each element's bending.
@@brendanmystery isnt Korra waterbender by nature? Which would coincide with airbending pretty well? KORRA EP1 SPOILERS BELOW, SINCE I WENT AND WATCHED IT AGAIN AFTER WRITING THIS COMMENT Forgive me if I'm wrong, I still havent watched Korra (I know I should) I'm just going off what ive heard Edit: I stopped watching Korra a few minutes into the first episode because it seemed like it was too goofy and Korra was too prideful (please understand, the series started when so many series were getting lazy continuations for money, so i kinda assumed thats what was happening) After making this comment I immediately went back to try it again, what you said is literally what one of the people in the beginning says about her, and now that im a little bit more mature, I think I may enjoy it. Guess Korra is what im watching this month lol Edit 2: Just finished episode 1, still a bit torn. Ive got some complaints about the pacing of several characters (im also kinda confused about the characters relations with the cast from TLA, but im sure ill get used to it) but overall its got me pretty hooked. Crazy how modern its gotten tho. The whole first episode I was thinking "nooooo Korra this is a modern society you cant do that" lol. Not sure if I like the more modern type setting. Ill know by the end of book 1 tho, im sure. Edit 3: About a 3rd through episode 2, Korra is like, the exact opposite of Aang, isnt she? Edit 4: Okay, im totally hooked. Also i love how "Pro Bending" is basically Sumo Dodge ball, and that thats how Korra first started understanding the go with the flow part of airbending. Ima watch all of season/book 1 tonight. This is my ladt edit for the night lol. Cant believe I gave up on this series so easily after just a few minutes of ep1 way back then
@@zeallust8542 glad that you're getting into it. Just be warned tho that the original show was supposed to be one season long and then once it started picking up more popularity they extended the series to more seasons. That's why if it seems a bit odd or awkward between seasons, that's the reason why. It has it's flaws, and while it is nowhere as good as the ATLA I believe that it is still a really good show.
@@brendanmystery So far im loving season 1, but even just at episode 4 it definitely feels like it was supposed to be a short series. Dont spoil me on anything, but yeah, Korra starting already knowing 3/4 elements pretty well (not mastery of course) gave me a "rush" type feeling, but knowing it was meant to be a shorter series makes that make more sense. Btw this season 1 villain is pretty scary. I remember my first time seeing Aang taking somebodys bending away was both an amazing and horrifying moment, seeing that a villain has this power is... Well its a whole thing lol
This episode was also in memoriam to Mako, who did the original voice acting work for Iroh and passed away. He did a TON of voice acting jobs, and had a really dedicated fanbase.
The fact that so many of these plotlines aren't resolved within an episode, or even a season, shows a lot of respect to the viewers, especially being targeted at a young audience
Iroh was so weak and stupid. He let his emotions cloud hos judgement, instead of just killing Zuko, Azula, and Ozai, who were evil, or at risk of becoming evil. The white lotus also didn't fight in the war until after 100 years. And Iroh put his health at risk by being overweight, and thereby not being able to protect the world for as long as he could have.
This show was targeted at the adults who were trapped watching kids shows with their kids, so they wanted to make something that had surface appeal for kids but depth appeal for the adults watching with their kids.
Personally, it's not Iroh singing that really gets me, it's the line he says right before that "If only I could have helped you". After watching him spend all day being the kindest man, helping complete strangers (in a city he once tried to conquer, no less), I just break down every time I hear that line.
Each person he helps are in difference stages of maturity, and note each one is a boy. The entire Tale of Iroh is about Father/Son relationships... from cheering a baby up, to playing with and helping as a kid, to helping a young man find their place in the world, each interaction represents different stages of Fatherhood.
My favorite Iroh line in this season is "No! Zuko! You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." it always hits me.
i mean, it was her mission which is why she was leading the drill. maybe she got off screen new orders but she def was trying to conquer it while teh avatar took a backseat for a while.
@@mitchhamilton64 I don't believe she was there to conquer the city at all. New off screen orders or not. Azula is very clever so I don't doubt that she'd predict that Ba Sing Se would be where the Avatar would end up going. I suspect that she was merely trying to get a small group (her and her two friends) inside the city walls to search for him if he'd already gotten there or to wait for him to arrive if he wasn't there already. They literally only had the one drill and the soldiers that were inside and to make a genuine attempt to seige such a large city would require a lot more of a military presence. A full scale seige would have likely looked to have numbers more akin to the naval attempt on the North Pole. Aang revealed himself while defending against the drill and that just confirmed what she already suspected in regards to his presence. The Kyoshi garb was a good cover for getting inside but I find it unlikely that she had the intel to have devised the subsequent plan ahead of time, but she's just that good at her plotting that she was able to take advantage of the situation that had unfolded and everything fell into place for her as though it had been carefully crafted well in advance.
Aang *did* die. That's the thing. When you see him struck by the lightning you see all of the previous Avatars dissapear. The cycle was broken. It was only because of the water and Katara's incredible healing ability that she was able to bring him back to life.
The cycle was not broken. He is still able to connect to the past Avatars after this point. The cycle does end and begin again in season 2 of the Legend of Korra.
@ZRC if katara had not healed aang with the spirit water, aang would have stayed dead and the avatar cycle would have ended permanently. because katara healed him, he lived and the avatar cycle continued to korra. that's what the comment is pointing out. aang *was* dead, the avatar cycle *was* broken, katara and the spirit water healed both.
@@kiera1017 if she restored the cycle as well, wouldn't she have been able to do the same for korra? aang was for sure dead, so im not sure why he is still connected to the past avatars. im not sure if its a continuity issue or if im missing something, but if aang died and Katara was able to bring him back to life (as well as revive the avatar cycle), then why was she not able to when the cycle was broken in TLOK. maybe because korra wasn't killed? I dunno, but this show is insane
@Linda McDaniel yup, pretty much my thoughts on it. if it wasn't just plot convenience, then maybe it's because it was a direct attack on the connection (and raava) and there wasn't anything physical to heal there. i dont think katara knew/knows how to reconnect the cycle, she was just healing a physical wound on aang. i mean, healing a lightning wound seems a lot easier than healing and re-weaving spiritual connection that took thousands of years to weave. maybe it's possible and katara just wasn't the person for the job 🤷
@@venndogsun i think it might be the circumstances that the cycle was broken in, for aang it was because he was killed but then brought back to life, for korra it was because the thing that was the reason for the avatar even existing was taken away, also katara didnt have the magic spring water
I always get emotional when Aang lose it hearing Appa being muzzled. He enters the avatar state as a %100 defensive tool, so it makes you realize how much he loves and cares about Appa, taking any harm dealt to him as a directly attack and danger. Always gets my eyes watery.
My favourite part is it's also the first time he is in control enough to speak directly to someone while in the avatar state, before then it's always been Avatar Spirit Auto-pilot. Goes to show just how much he was overcome with rage in that moment.
Even Aang losing to the enemy and Ba Sing Se finally being conquered is like how Empire Strikes Back ended in a way where it seemed like all hope was lost.
Zuko was self-sabotaging his date with Jin. I think it's that she represents settling down, accepting that this is his life now, rather than a passing phase. He can't face turning his back on being a Prince, on being Fire Nation, and the true reason he's really upset he feels he has to prove to his father that he, Zuko, deserves to be loved. Everyone cries during Appa's lost days, but for me, the Tale of Iroh is worse. Lu Ten didn't just die there, Lu Ten died under Iroh's command. It is literally Iroh's fault that his son died, all for a purpose that Iroh now realises was wrong. No matter how many acts of kindness Iroh carries out, it can never undo what happened, and that's... soul destroying. No wonder Iroh was so scared for Zuko at the North Pole. I really love Sokka and Hakoda's interactions too. I lost my father at a young age, and it's so wholesome it makes me tear up every time. It's also a perfect foil for Zuko and his father. Thansk for sharing this Nat, I'm gonna sign up to your patreon so I can watch the whole episodes, I think. I was gonna wait until season 3, but I just can't :)
It's easy for us as omniscient viewers, especially when so much of the world is at stake, to see that Zuko is doing something wrong, but deep down he's really just a kid desperate for his father to love him, and the decision he makes here is informed most by that, if he sides with the avatar that means completely rejecting his father which is something Zuko just can't bring himself to do at this time.
One thing that I love about this season is that you get a bunch of hints that Zuko will turn good, then he gets the opportunity to turn good, but chooses bad.
37:00 I don't think Katara was healing Jet's brainwashing; she was just helping him think clearer while they questioned him. The brainwashing probably uses a lot of trauma triggers to repress things.
Yeah, you're right. She didn't heal the brainwashing. She just cleared the fog in his mind that was hiding his memories that led up to the brainwashing. Waterbenders are incredibly impressive. I love how it gets even better from here with what they introduce next (even though it's foul play 🩸😂).
For a kids show, it really says a lot that one of the saddest moments in the show that really pull your heartstrings which encapsulates wholesomeness and overall good nature belongs to a member of the fire nation, something that is drilled into the audience as the main enemy. In a lot of kids shows, there's good and bad, if you're on good team you're a good guy and the same applies vise versa. But as most people know, that's not how things works and it's amazing how the writers respect children's intelligence to show that the people of the fire nation aren't bad people, but the government is and how war changes people
If you split season 3 into three parts, you'll probably want to make the four part series finale it's own video so you have to cut less of the finale! It's an epic ending to an epic tale, that's for sure! And it's so good to see that you're enjoying the series!
I love how the show shine a light upon how awkward the kids are. Which makes sense when no one really have been allowed to be a kid or teenager, growing up in a war torn world. Also, the TIME it takes to even show us Appa again in Appas lost days, a horrific episode, is still amazing. The time (amount of episodes without him as well as the "4 weeks earlier" title card) really put the weight in the whole thing. Also... glove benders... The phrase the gauntlet have been tossed just got a whole other meaning!
Well not per se. Aang, Ty lee, Suki, and Mai are relatively normal and not awkward when out amongst people, later on in the series we see other teens and kids be normal as well from different nations . The only really awkward ones would be Toph, Azula, zuko, Sokka, and Katara since they grew up in a somewhat bubble. Azula and Zuko being looked at as more of weapons for their father, Sokka and katara being at the remnants of southern water tribe where there wasn’t a lot of kids their age, and Toph cause she was literally cut off from the world by her parents.
@@henrybelman7424 It was not a Peta award, thankfully. It was a genesis award. An award from Peta would have been a stain on that episode, as Peta is known for abducting and killing pets.
it's not explained very well in the show, but what the Guru means by "letting your earthly attachments go" is that the Avatar is an extremely powerful individual. ultimately, any Avatar has to put the needs of the world above their personal wants and needs. if it came down to saving Katara or saving the whole world, Aang has a duty to the world. he can't let his personal attachments to anyone (be it Katara, Appa, or any of his other friends) influence his decisions and get in the way of true justice. plenty of avatars have friends and lovers, that's fine and even encouraged. and as you saw, the show punishes him for choosing Katara over finishing his training. he was able to meditate and let her go fairly quickly in the middle of a fight, so if he had stayed behind and finished meditating, still knowing Katara was in trouble, he could have arrived with the full power of the Avatar state and easily secured Ba Sing Se. unfortunately, because he chose her in that moment, he was unable to perform his duty as the Avatar and ultimately almost died, ending the cycle permanently.
Technically if he had been killed before he let her go and went into the avatar state he wouldn't have ended the cycle. It was only if he died IN the avatar state (which was after he let her go) the cycle would have ended. Really if he was able to enter the avatar state before he went that or after, the result could still have been the same as it was, Azula was waiting for him to go into it to strike, it just probably would have been earlier in the fight if he had had the ability from the start.
@@Wolfer1OOO That's what i said...he chose her when he was with the guru, locking his chakras and forcing him to have a moment of vulnerability in a heated battle. If he was able to enter the Avatar state like he did in the final battle against Ozai (and afterwards), he wouldn't have been as much of a sitting duck. it would seem that the first time you fully unlock your chakras, you have to "ascend", which makes you extremely vulnerable to anyone looking to take advantage of that. of course Azula would still try to kill Aang, especially if he was in the Avatar state, but it would be a lot harder to do if he was zipping around and actually fighting back instead of just floating ominously. **note: I don't think this was a bad story decision by the writers, i think it was a bad decision on Aang's part.
@@tonisassano8409 it's not what you said, what you said is that if he was able to go into the Avatar state before he arrived at the city he wouldn't have nearly died. It has nothing to do with him having to 'ascend' because he just unlocked his chakras. He ALWAYS enters the Avatar state within a fight, he was never going to go into the Avatar state out of the city and then fly in and find them. Whether he had the ability to earlier or not, Azula would still wait for the moment he was entering it to strike him. His timeline for unblocking his chakras makes no difference whatsoever apart from the fact that if he didn't do it at all he wouldn't have been risking the cycle.
As a person who is studying film, the scene where Sokka and Suki almost kiss is just amazing. The moon is right between them. It symbolizes he’s still holding onto feelings for Yue
This show still gets to me after so many years. Something about watching a close group of children forced to grow up quickly and witness how war has affected their world really amplifies the emotions I have for them. I love all the animals in the show, even the non-hybrid ones like Miyuki 🐈 EDIT: I think you’re spot on about Lu Ten’s death being responsible for putting Iroh through a spiritual awakening. He may have realized what he was putting his soldiers (and everyone in Ba Sing Se) through when he lost the person he loved the most. It would explain why he cares so much for Zuko, because he knows the destiny chosen for him by his father would lead to a similarly tragic outcome. Even though it was in a filler episode, it was such a powerful tale 😭
There’s a theory that all of the pure-bred animals are actually spirits. Hay-bai was just a panda. There was a regular monkey in the spirit world (the stolen face one). But I do love the Bosco jokes. “Platypus bear? No it.. it just says bear”
Bruh im 27 & ATLA is still my go-to show i watch after a big night on the disco biscuits! Nothing calms the old heart like ATLA… or Forgetting Sarah Marshall
I love the reference to Michelangelo's "The Pietà" at 50:17 with the way Katara is holding Aang's body. I hadn't noticed it the first couple times I watched this show. Tho now that I think about it, adding that parallel symbolism with Katara as the Virgin Mary and Aang as Jesus does kinda seem odd given their relationship in the show -- I mean, making such a reference seems more in line with the idea of Katara being the mom friend or a big sister friend to Aang than a love interest and almost feels out of place. But as an art major I'm still just geeking out a little for catching the reference.
The Pieta is a popular motif that is in comics and animated other animated media, from what I've noticed, the emphasis is usually on the fall or loss of a savior/hero character so it's likely they didn't consider the implications for Aang and Katara's relationship as you pointed out. A particularly famous one is in the death of superman arc,nearly every iteration of that story tends to have a scene with Lois cradling Superman's body in the same pose and their (Superman and Lois) relationship is decidedly not familial. But you're absolutely right about how cool these little references are. Every time I rewatch I find something I didn't notice before
@@adjoaocran there's also a comic with Superman holding Batman in that exact pose too. And they're just friends, of course. So it doesn't necessarily have to do with a lover relationship
@@Ireee702 you're absolutely rigt! Didn't mean to give the impression that it's always a romantic relationship. I used the Lois and Superman example because that was the first thing that came to my mind as an example of two people in the pose that didn't have a familial relationship. My original comment only meant to point out that the emphasis for that pose seems to be on the loss of a hero/saviour by someone who cares about them and not necessarily a definitive comment on the nature of the relationship between the individuals in the pose.
This series is great for little kids, teenagers, young adults, and even adults. There are so many layers and lessons for all ages and situations. They spent and entire season world-building and character-building. So, now you care what happens to each and everyone including the 'pets'. All the characters are flawed in their way. They make mistakes, sacrifice for others, and grow. They are scarred and those scars don't disappear any more than the scars we all carry disappear. My daughter loved it at age 5 and she still loves watching it at age 11. I enjoy watching it and I'm well.....I'm older.
Something really important to understand is that Appa is the last bit of the airbenders that Aang has. His last bit of his old life. The only thing that is from his real home. Losing Appa was such a big deal for Aang because without Appa he had nothing left of his people. And him going into the Avatar State shows how utterly devastated he is by the possibility of him never seeing Appa again. Aang crying in the Avatar State is so emotional for me. That is all the avatars crying and mourning with him. Such a powerful ending.
The second half of season two is just punch after punch in the gut, i cried so many times this section of the season. There’s so many emotional moments and it’s all so well made, plus the finale of the season is perfectly designed to rip out your heart 😂 I’m glad you are loving the show haha
49:55 a lot of people thought that, that Aang was giving up love for good by accepting the avatar state over Katara, but, I think it just meant that Aang needed to learn how to mature: learning to let things be and accept that loss is inevitable (i.e. like accepting that your parents will die and there's nothing you can do about it) is a sign of growth and maturity that stabilizes you emotionally and thus, would grant you control over this powerful force.
Aang took it how a lot of us did (and some still do), that he has to let go of Katara completely. So really, if it really isn't that, the Guru explained it poorly, perhaps intentionally...
It might also help to neutralize the *EMOTIONAL DAMAGE* from the loss of a loved one (at the cost of sounding like you don’t care). With what Aang was already taught about time being an illusion, she’ll still be there.
Natalie, the ending of the desert is the single part that makes me most emotional in the whole show. Showing how much Appa means to Aang, but also showing how much Katara is willing to stand by for him. That part just gets me so bad. Crying over this show is more than valid
The moment where the girl from the Earth Kingdom reveals her own firebending scar to Zuko always struck me from this season, both worldbuilding to how Zuko doesn't get odd looks from his own and being another leg on his journey through the series seeing, understanding, and appreciating the people behind the nations. Seeing the world helps put our own hate and obsessions in perspective.
When zuko faced azula the fireball he summoned was actually a waterbending move. This happens a few times in the show and it just shows how much of an effect the avatar is having on people around him. Its showing that benders can look beyond the elements and pull techniques from other nations to make them stronger. One of the many reasons I love this show
At last, the Natalie tears I expected to see when she started ATLA. Was actually shocked by how well kept together you were up to this point. You'll likely be a puddle by the end of Book 3 LMAO
@@joaosoares-rr5mj I think because it was telegraphed so much by the viewers telling her just wait till you get to "Leaves From The Vine" that she was already braced for it. 100% if she had went into a viewing of that episode cold with no mentions, she'd of been a wreck lol
@@WhelmedButReady yeah, is a shame, when i mentioned it in the previous episode, i didnt give any spoilers saying "you gonna cry in leaves from the vine" i just made a coment she wouldnt understand but otehers would. is kind of a shame that people acctuly prepare her for it, or maybe it was good, we might have killed nat right here if she wasnt warned.
Aang destroying the drill is one of my favorite action sequences of the show. & Zuko lighting those lamps was smooth as hell too. Everyone in this show has had so many moments to show off their skills. Never gets old.
Avatar will forever be my favorite animated show. I watched it as it aired when I was in elementary school and the fact that it's just as good or better as an adult, is legendary. Making complex theme and topics easily digestible by balancing it with humor and the lightness of the art style is amazing.
Just a little FYI: the scene at 7:18 is considered one of Katara's most powerful moments in the series. Remember in Episode 1 of Season 2 (The Avatar State), Katara met with Aang regarding the Avatar State. She said, "for the people that love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is really scary." However, in this episode, Katara is completely sad, putting away the fear, and comforted Aang. A powerful moment expressed with no words at all.
44:38 This scene with the Guru talking about the connection of the elements and transitioning to Toph learning to metal bend with the ringing music gave me absolute chills. Avatar is such a masterpiece....
From the wiki on Appa's Lost Days: On March 27, 2007, this episode received a Genesis Award from the Humane Society of the United States in the category "Outstanding Children's Programming", which the HSUS Genesis Award press release described as "[...] a mythical tale about animals held captive for human entertainment that resonates with the way animals are used in circuses today".
I love the fact that the girl knew Zuko was a firebender. She just saw his burn and didn't bring it up. Just that little clip made me think she would have been ok for him as well as the other girl.
A little detail about the Mako tribute: the picture of Irish’s son is actually based on a portrait photo of Mako when he was younger. And reportedly the singing of “Leaves from the Vine” was one of the last things he did for the season before he passed
I was upset with Zuko initially here. But he has to get what he thinks he wants so he has no regrets when making important decisions later. His overall story is SO good!
The way I interpreted the “let her go” thing is that he doesn’t have to abandon her, he just has to be willing to abandon her. He can still love her, but he has to be willing to let her go.
@@taylorstratford9717 assuming you are referring to when Yangchen talks to Aang in season 3, the actual quote is “Many great and wise Air Nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment, but the Avatar can never do it, because your sole duty is to the world. Here is my wisdom for you. Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world.” It’s not exactly the same, but in this scenario it would basically mean that if the need came, Aang would have to choose his duty to the world over Katara.
@@joseph_p that's pretty spot on from what i have been able to find. he can love and live, but if it ever came down to the world or Katara, he would have to choose the world every time. like the train track changer. he was about to change tracks for an oncoming train when he saw his son playing on the track where the train needed to go. don't change the tracks and kill every on the train or change them and kill his own son. after the train passed, he carried his son's body back home.
37:57 So if I remember correctly, Longshot was originally going to point his arrow at Jet (the implication being he mercy kills him), but Nickelodeon was like “there are 5 year olds watching this my dude, you can’t do that”
Toph inventing metal bending is still so cool years after I saw it for the first time. Of course she is the one who figured it out. Can’t wait for season 3 reactions!! The 4-part finale is one of the best finales of all time.
I think Katara and Toph's tale is even sweeter when you realize that Toph can tell when people are lying so she knew in that moment that Katara was 100% genuine when she said she was pretty.
It’s sadder when you realize Iroh so desperately wants to help Zuko to keep him away from the fire nations clutches since he couldn’t help his son and lost him due to the war they caused and that’s why Iroh changed his ways, but he felt it was too late since he couldn’t save his son but will do everything in his power to save Zuko
7:22 Aang's expression is legit terrifying. He be like: HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!!?!?! He was ready to deliver his fury but then quickly realized that's Katara
I've had friends recommend The Avatar to me for a long time. It wasn't until the first year of the pandemic that I was finally able to watch it. I truly loved it. The first season was good but in the second season everything starts coming together. The third season is just epic. I am really enjoying watching your journey through this great show so soon after my my own.
Hey give the king a break. He’s been manipulated and lied to his entire life, kept ignorant and naive. That’s not gonna go away immediately. And the people who helped him discover that vouched for the kyoshi warriors. They weren’t there to verify it wasn’t the real warriors. Why wouldn’t he trust them?
Agreed. He's naive because he was made to be, but I think he's a lot smarter than people give him credit for. For example, when they proved Long Feng was lying about never having seen a sky bison and he says it doesn't prove the whole conspiricy, a lot of people disagree, but that's totally fair. One lie from a trusted advisor isn't enough to overtrhow everything he has ever known, in fact, I think he should be praised that he's even willing to look into it.
Probably seen this comment already but the "Tale of Iroh" holds a special place in this series because the voice actor of Iroh, named Mako, passed away during the production of season 2. The song "Leaves from the Vine" was a original song that Mako wrote. This song was the last time we hear the original voice actors voice for the rest of the show. Also the picture of his son he put up when singing was actually a portrait of a young Mako. The rest of the series Iroh is voiced by Mako's apprentice.
"Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player." May be my favorite line of the entire show. But that is the downside to this condensed format. :/
This show is miraculously good. It's for all ages. It's not about superpowers. It's not about fighting. It's about character growth... like all good fiction. The learning that these characters go through, and the maturity they gain: it's just beautiful.
@@David_randomnumber actually just about the last episode here, the one where she gives a whole speech about the divine right to rule and owns the peasants for being poor
@31:43 one of the saddest parts of the whole series that I don't think people get. Alot of animals when they're depressed or ready to die will go find a hidden spot to just wait out their death. Appa found that cave and days passed by. I think Appa had given up and was just waiting to die.
I always wondered whether Azula went to Ba Sing Sei to grab Aang, and conquering the city was just one of those "well, I'm already here" things, or if she went there intending to weaken it from the inside all along.
I think she suspected the Avatar would go there and was only trying to infultrate with a small team. That single drill was nowhere near enough of a military presence to suggest a real seige attempt. Aang confirmed her prediction when he revealed himself to defend the wall. Once she had gotten inside I think she was just clever enough to take advantage of the situation that had unfolded because it seems unlikely that she would have any intel ahead of what she witnessed herself. She's just _that_ dangerous.
I hadn't seen this show until my early 20s, and I had the EXACT SAME experience you've been having. By the end, it was and still is one of my absolute favorite shows of all time. I can't wait to see your videos for the final season.
The reason Zuko had to turn his back to the girl was that in order for the relationship to progress he would have to lie about being a firebender, and he would rather turn her down than lie to her an potentially put her in danger
More like he didn't want to accept the he could start a new life in ba sing se and forget about his past his "honor" and they years he spent searching for the avatar.
@@moonmanstan Sure. It could also be that he wouldn't want to have to experience the (sort of) justifiable hatred he received from that village, despite helping that family
Maybe there isn't just one simple reason why Zuko didn't want to kiss the girl, I think all reasons mentioned are contributing to that, but I think it's just been very overwhelming for Zuko. He has been on the run for the past few years, from losing his spot as the prince of the fire nation to hunting the avatar, to then eventually having to run from his sister and become a refugee in the country where his uncle lost his son and lost his battle. So from what I think, Zuko isn't really in the space of mind to really think about dating, he didn't want to go on the date, Iroh accepted that invitation for him, he even made Zuko's hair. Zuko probably hasn't had a normal life for a while, he's so not used to eating with someone at a table, have a normal conversation, he just never truly gets out of his head and by the end he actually manages to open up and immediately starts firebending for the girl and I think in that moment he realised how quickly he opened up to that girl and how quickly he put himself and Iroh in danger so he immediately reverted back to his flight mode. I also feel like he's not that into her, I mean he probably would be had he ever even considered her, but the moment he actually does feel sympathy for her he panics, so Zuko just wasn't ready to open up. He was still overwhelmed by how much just had happened.
No, it's because he still loves Mai. That's why he says, 'it's complicated." He doesn't want to start a new life here. He wants the one back home. It has nothing to do with her, or protecting her, or being found out about being a fire bender. He refuses to accept his life is in Ba Sing Sae. That's the whole point of the story: it foreshadows his reaction to seeing the Appa poster, and why his turning point isn't until he lets Appa go.
Really glad that you’re watching stuff like this. There’s really a lot of mature storytelling even in animated series/ anime. If you’re ever looking for more stuff along these lines, most of the DC animated movies on HBO max, and the series Young Justice specially is really deep. Or if you are down for slightly more “kid” things with mature storytelling, gargoyles on Disney plus also has some pretty adult themes.
To see that Iroh try to be a fatherly figure to every and anyone he meets because he couldn't be the father his son needed him to be breaks my heart so much. When Leaves from the vine starts playing I automatically cry.
I think the show greatly benefitted from ditching the more episodic nature of Book 1 in favor for more compelling arc-driven storytelling where conflicts aren't resolved so immediately. This is in large part to all roads leading to Ba Sing Se. Everything that happens there raises the stakes to great new heights and cements the show as an all-time classic.
Something to keep in mind about Aangs progress is that Bending is like training a martial art and training different forms is still going to improve your over all skill so it's much easier for someone like Aang to pick up a new style than someone who has to start from the basics.
I think it’s not just that sokka missed yué in that episode but that he felt guiltly for kissing another girl so soon in front of the moon. Like he feels that moving on would be him betraying her and failing her all over again
You will hardly hear a difference with Irohs new voice actor. I actually couldn't believe that there were two different people voicing him when i learned about it. They did both a incredible work!
I very much disagree, and when I was watching the series I wondered why they changed voice actors, only to look it up and see that the actor died. The replacement did as good a job as can be expected, but for me at least it certainly was very noticeable.
I guess your ears are waaay better than mine then^^ I found a short clip about them, and even in a direct comparison it's hard for me to tell who is who ;D ua-cam.com/video/PD0kJmEJwvs/v-deo.html
When it originally aired it was two weeks before a new episode. To 8 year old me Appa was missing for ages. It was horrible. I remember really not being okay because of it.
I don’t think another piece of fiction will ever make me feel *disappointment in a characters actions* like with Zuko in the season 2 finale. It’s written so well and makes so much fucking sense that it just hurts, it’s goddamn heartbreaking, to see him come so close to touching the light only to plunge back into the dark. He sees one sliver, one tiny chance to get his old life back, even if it means destroying the progress he’s made, and *he can’t help but take it.* Its like a damn relapse and it always fucks me up.
Mako, the actor who played Uncle Iroh, passed away in the middle of production, and the "Leaves from the Vine" song was the last thing he recorded before he died. Mortality's weight came to him as he was singing--that crying was 100% real. They pay tribute to Mako in the ATLA sequel series, The Legend of Korra, by naming one of the MCs after him. I implore you to watch Korra after ATLA--it's so good, at some points even better than this series
@@pickleboy6059 while I think it isn’t as good as the original it wasn’t that bad it was really good aside from maybe the latter half of season 2 but that’s cause season 2 wasn’t even supposed to happen but season 3 had amazing villains, season 4 had an understandable villain, and season 1 had a villain without morals but with a good mission it had ups and downs and that’s ok so long as it was worth it and at least to me it was
I also happen to be under the weather, and being sick usually makes me more emotional, too. I think emotions and the immune system are somehow connected, though. Let us both get well soon! ♥
They really decided to put the three saddest episodes all in a row. Tales of ba sing se, Appa’s Lost Days, and Lake Laogai all broke me one after another🥺
S2 > S3 imo... S3 is a little too much filler/episodic, and it fucks with the pacing a little bit... ATLA still my favorite animated show tho , and one of my favorite shows of all time... (probably top 5)
@@ashe9837 I'm more of a fan of worldbuilding and character development instead of plot... And those things are way more prevalent in season 2... But yeah Season 3 is awesome too i would say almost as good as Season 2, but yeah everyone has their opinion...
Avatar is one of those series where I can rant for hours about how good it is. But Lake Laogai has one of my all time favorite Zuko and Iroh moments. We've seen Iroh gently try to push Zuko towards being a better person, even seen him be strict when teaching him firebending. But this is one of the first times we see him almost at the end of his ropes and yelling at Zuko. It just shows how much he cares about him. Damn I love this show so much.
You should watch the follow up series, The Legend Of Korra after this. It was aimed at the generation that grew up with Avatar, so there are more mature themes to it. The first season revolves around a group of extremists and class struggle between benders and non-benders. It's really great.
There are few shows that I would consider perfect because you can nitpick and find flaws in most things, but this show really is about as good as it gets IMHO. Every episode is important (even the Great Divide), looks mean nothing when it comes to strength, and the character growth is absolutely amazing. There's so much chemistry, the voice acting is spot on, and it blends action, humor, and drama all into one. I've watched it many times and it's always so freaking enjoyable.
15:28 Sokka is just popular with the ladies ...and frankly, I get it. He's cute and funny and an idea guy. Basically the full package. Edit: Ok, watching this again, I think it's official. The Tales of Ba Sing Se, Appa's Lost Days and Lake Laogai are the most emotional three episodes to me. Probably my favorite part of the whole series. In terms of badass bending moves though, I gotta go with Toph turning the stairs into a slide. My absolute favorite move right there! 45:48 Yes. ...Yes, it is. Very much so. And I love it. "Steal from the best" is what they say.
"Who taught this girl boxing-acupuncture?" It's never been stated, but there's a theory that it's a form of altered Airbending. The full theory is that some Airbenders escaped and hid where they could, developing chi-blocking techniques out of their Airbending moves. And Ty Lee has facial features shockingly similar to other Airbenders, most notably she and Aang are the only two characters with grey eyes.
I know it will probably be officially never more than a fan theory, but I fully subscribe to the Ty Lee Airbender descendant theory. The Airbenders were literally nomads, there had to have been a couple of them traveling in other parts of the world when the fire nation attacked.
A moment that always gets me is when Aang is in the avatar state in the desert and speaks with many voices. It's a rare thing when all the past avatars speak through one body, and the avatar losing their animal companion is one time that results in that.
I'm so glad to see you so enthralled and that you're enjoying the show as much as you are; even as an adult 17 years after the show first aired, it still remains my favorite show of all time which is just a testament to its quality Season 3 arguably contains some of the best content from the entirety of the series, and I can't wait to see you watch it and enjoy the depth of progression and character growth it provides
DUDE. I watched Avatar for the first time as an adult, and no exaggeration: I cried at Zuko's relapse here. Like, legit ugly crying. I won't spoil it for you, but I promise, everything will be okay in the end. :) I'm so glad you're enjoying this!!!
For your chance to win the Sprinter Van and support a great cause, enter at: www.omaze.com/nataliegold
Everyone beside sokka is a bender but Sokka is also a bender, The "Backbender".
you can always watch legend of korra after its also decent but man i forgot how good the writing is in this show
The shows continues on the legend of korra..
I come before you to ask you, please, watch The Clone Wars, thank you
I hope you do Korra next I think you’ll really love it
That recurring bit about Toph being able to tell whether someone's telling the truth or not - really makes the scene with Katara telling her she's really pretty sweeter.
Also I love how everyone forgets Toph is blind.
that's a good point! Hadn't thought of that
I never thought of that, that is so adorable
Omg... I never thought of that. I wonder if the writers thought about it when they made the scene. Good catch!
Aang took longer to learn waterbending in Book 1 because he was being taught by an amateur for most of it. He and Katara only started training with a master Waterbender in the last few episodes of Book 1. By contrast, Toph is one of the greatest Earthbenders in existence. Plus, it's assumed that a lot of training happens offscreen in between episodes.
Also I already kinda assumed that he picked up basic waterbending skills faster than Katara because he already mastered another element previously. Same with Earth where he's already got two down. While each bending style is different I think once you get the general hang of the movements it's easy to combine your knowledge of other techniques.
@@frauleinzuckerguss1906 That's true only for certain elements that don't conflict with each other. The reason why Aang was having such trouble learning Earth bending is because its nature is in direct contrast to airbending. Whereas, Kora found it harder to learn Airbending since it is more spiritual in nature. The mentality for each element's bending is different. While each Avatar has their own personality which would affect how quickly they pick up on each element's bending.
@@brendanmystery isnt Korra waterbender by nature? Which would coincide with airbending pretty well?
KORRA EP1 SPOILERS BELOW, SINCE I WENT AND WATCHED IT AGAIN AFTER WRITING THIS COMMENT
Forgive me if I'm wrong, I still havent watched Korra (I know I should) I'm just going off what ive heard
Edit: I stopped watching Korra a few minutes into the first episode because it seemed like it was too goofy and Korra was too prideful (please understand, the series started when so many series were getting lazy continuations for money, so i kinda assumed thats what was happening) After making this comment I immediately went back to try it again, what you said is literally what one of the people in the beginning says about her, and now that im a little bit more mature, I think I may enjoy it. Guess Korra is what im watching this month lol
Edit 2: Just finished episode 1, still a bit torn. Ive got some complaints about the pacing of several characters (im also kinda confused about the characters relations with the cast from TLA, but im sure ill get used to it) but overall its got me pretty hooked. Crazy how modern its gotten tho. The whole first episode I was thinking "nooooo Korra this is a modern society you cant do that" lol. Not sure if I like the more modern type setting. Ill know by the end of book 1 tho, im sure.
Edit 3: About a 3rd through episode 2, Korra is like, the exact opposite of Aang, isnt she?
Edit 4: Okay, im totally hooked. Also i love how "Pro Bending" is basically Sumo Dodge ball, and that thats how Korra first started understanding the go with the flow part of airbending. Ima watch all of season/book 1 tonight. This is my ladt edit for the night lol. Cant believe I gave up on this series so easily after just a few minutes of ep1 way back then
@@zeallust8542 glad that you're getting into it. Just be warned tho that the original show was supposed to be one season long and then once it started picking up more popularity they extended the series to more seasons. That's why if it seems a bit odd or awkward between seasons, that's the reason why. It has it's flaws, and while it is nowhere as good as the ATLA I believe that it is still a really good show.
@@brendanmystery So far im loving season 1, but even just at episode 4 it definitely feels like it was supposed to be a short series. Dont spoil me on anything, but yeah, Korra starting already knowing 3/4 elements pretty well (not mastery of course) gave me a "rush" type feeling, but knowing it was meant to be a shorter series makes that make more sense. Btw this season 1 villain is pretty scary. I remember my first time seeing Aang taking somebodys bending away was both an amazing and horrifying moment, seeing that a villain has this power is... Well its a whole thing lol
This episode was also in memoriam to Mako, who did the original voice acting work for Iroh and passed away. He did a TON of voice acting jobs, and had a really dedicated fanbase.
And acting jobs
Dude was a legend
I love him in Conan, his work was always so good.
@@HendarsChannel when was he on Conan?! Ive never seen him in the show
@@-gemberkoekje-5547 The movies with arnie he's the wizard guy and the narrator of the two movies :)
The fact that so many of these plotlines aren't resolved within an episode, or even a season, shows a lot of respect to the viewers, especially being targeted at a young audience
Yep. This was the show that really showed that serialized Western animation could be fantastic and have a big audience.
Wish Korra had been given this chance with her losing her powers.
Iroh was so weak and stupid. He let his emotions cloud hos judgement, instead of just killing Zuko, Azula, and Ozai, who were evil, or at risk of becoming evil. The white lotus also didn't fight in the war until after 100 years. And Iroh put his health at risk by being overweight, and thereby not being able to protect the world for as long as he could have.
@@ncard00 love how no one bit on this trolling 😆
This show was targeted at the adults who were trapped watching kids shows with their kids, so they wanted to make something that had surface appeal for kids but depth appeal for the adults watching with their kids.
Personally, it's not Iroh singing that really gets me, it's the line he says right before that "If only I could have helped you". After watching him spend all day being the kindest man, helping complete strangers (in a city he once tried to conquer, no less), I just break down every time I hear that line.
Think about him holding it together the first time, when he sang for the little boy...
Each person he helps are in difference stages of maturity, and note each one is a boy. The entire Tale of Iroh is about Father/Son relationships... from cheering a baby up, to playing with and helping as a kid, to helping a young man find their place in the world, each interaction represents different stages of Fatherhood.
@@peregry god so Iroh is being a father to the world since he feels like he let his son die 😩 this show is really top 5 all time
@@AWEhardy top 5? nah
exactly... the only thing more painful than loosing a child, is thinking it is your fault that they died...
My favorite Iroh line in this season is "No! Zuko! You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." it always hits me.
It wasn't even Azula's mission to conquer Ba Sing Se lol girl literally said 'shit while I'm out I might as well'
It was on the way right
i mean, it was her mission which is why she was leading the drill. maybe she got off screen new orders but she def was trying to conquer it while teh avatar took a backseat for a while.
I've watched this entire show four times over and I'm always surprised at just how powerful Azula actually is.
Yeah, i love that her mood is like "meh, i feel like conquering an empire today".
@@mitchhamilton64 I don't believe she was there to conquer the city at all. New off screen orders or not.
Azula is very clever so I don't doubt that she'd predict that Ba Sing Se would be where the Avatar would end up going. I suspect that she was merely trying to get a small group (her and her two friends) inside the city walls to search for him if he'd already gotten there or to wait for him to arrive if he wasn't there already.
They literally only had the one drill and the soldiers that were inside and to make a genuine attempt to seige such a large city would require a lot more of a military presence. A full scale seige would have likely looked to have numbers more akin to the naval attempt on the North Pole.
Aang revealed himself while defending against the drill and that just confirmed what she already suspected in regards to his presence.
The Kyoshi garb was a good cover for getting inside but I find it unlikely that she had the intel to have devised the subsequent plan ahead of time, but she's just that good at her plotting that she was able to take advantage of the situation that had unfolded and everything fell into place for her as though it had been carefully crafted well in advance.
Aang *did* die. That's the thing. When you see him struck by the lightning you see all of the previous Avatars dissapear. The cycle was broken. It was only because of the water and Katara's incredible healing ability that she was able to bring him back to life.
The cycle was not broken. He is still able to connect to the past Avatars after this point. The cycle does end and begin again in season 2 of the Legend of Korra.
@ZRC if katara had not healed aang with the spirit water, aang would have stayed dead and the avatar cycle would have ended permanently. because katara healed him, he lived and the avatar cycle continued to korra. that's what the comment is pointing out. aang *was* dead, the avatar cycle *was* broken, katara and the spirit water healed both.
@@kiera1017 if she restored the cycle as well, wouldn't she have been able to do the same for korra? aang was for sure dead, so im not sure why he is still connected to the past avatars. im not sure if its a continuity issue or if im missing something, but if aang died and Katara was able to bring him back to life (as well as revive the avatar cycle), then why was she not able to when the cycle was broken in TLOK. maybe because korra wasn't killed? I dunno, but this show is insane
@Linda McDaniel yup, pretty much my thoughts on it. if it wasn't just plot convenience, then maybe it's because it was a direct attack on the connection (and raava) and there wasn't anything physical to heal there. i dont think katara knew/knows how to reconnect the cycle, she was just healing a physical wound on aang. i mean, healing a lightning wound seems a lot easier than healing and re-weaving spiritual connection that took thousands of years to weave. maybe it's possible and katara just wasn't the person for the job 🤷
@@venndogsun i think it might be the circumstances that the cycle was broken in, for aang it was because he was killed but then brought back to life, for korra it was because the thing that was the reason for the avatar even existing was taken away, also katara didnt have the magic spring water
I always get emotional when Aang lose it hearing Appa being muzzled. He enters the avatar state as a %100 defensive tool, so it makes you realize how much he loves and cares about Appa, taking any harm dealt to him as a directly attack and danger. Always gets my eyes watery.
And the patient sad understanding of Katara... wow.
same, and the music...emotion...it just makes it more emotional.
My favourite part is it's also the first time he is in control enough to speak directly to someone while in the avatar state, before then it's always been Avatar Spirit Auto-pilot. Goes to show just how much he was overcome with rage in that moment.
@@RB_Eldritch really good point
I audibly said “Yes! Yes Natalie!” when you compared Aang leaving the Guru to Luke leaving Yoda. It made me so proud tbh
I tried to click the thumbs-up button when she said that, but I realized I already had. I'd give two if I could.
@@jackplume9045 so relatable
i had never made that connection till she said it. i felt dumb for having been watching and rewatching this show for 10 years.
@@1stGameerMan ATLA is the greatest Star Wars ripoff/homage ever.
Even Aang losing to the enemy and Ba Sing Se finally being conquered is like how Empire Strikes Back ended in a way where it seemed like all hope was lost.
Zuko was self-sabotaging his date with Jin. I think it's that she represents settling down, accepting that this is his life now, rather than a passing phase. He can't face turning his back on being a Prince, on being Fire Nation, and the true reason he's really upset he feels he has to prove to his father that he, Zuko, deserves to be loved.
Everyone cries during Appa's lost days, but for me, the Tale of Iroh is worse. Lu Ten didn't just die there, Lu Ten died under Iroh's command. It is literally Iroh's fault that his son died, all for a purpose that Iroh now realises was wrong. No matter how many acts of kindness Iroh carries out, it can never undo what happened, and that's... soul destroying. No wonder Iroh was so scared for Zuko at the North Pole.
I really love Sokka and Hakoda's interactions too. I lost my father at a young age, and it's so wholesome it makes me tear up every time. It's also a perfect foil for Zuko and his father.
Thansk for sharing this Nat, I'm gonna sign up to your patreon so I can watch the whole episodes, I think. I was gonna wait until season 3, but I just can't :)
Iroh's story hits me so much harder now that I'm a parent. I'm curious if you are a parent or not.
@@jasenjacobs1365 I'm not. I can imagine it must be terrifying.
Man, I started crying just reading your comment about Iroh. I love him so much and his story is just utterly heartbreaking.
@@fullmetalandtheflame438 My friend always says "nothing he gets can ever be good enough for him". Gotta agree.
It's easy for us as omniscient viewers, especially when so much of the world is at stake, to see that Zuko is doing something wrong, but deep down he's really just a kid desperate for his father to love him, and the decision he makes here is informed most by that, if he sides with the avatar that means completely rejecting his father which is something Zuko just can't bring himself to do at this time.
One thing that I love about this season is that you get a bunch of hints that Zuko will turn good, then he gets the opportunity to turn good, but chooses bad.
Arguably the strongest 10 consecutive episodes of the entire show. But yeah book 3 gets even better. This show really is peak fiction.
I’d argue that season 2 is a bit stronger overall, but the highs in season 3 are higher.
2 is better 3 had great moments but 2 had great overall season
Honestly, I don't really like some of the early episodes of season 3. But from 6 onwards everything is perfection
I can't forgive 3 for that utter asspull and bad villain.
@@erikperhs_ This is the correct answer
37:00 I don't think Katara was healing Jet's brainwashing; she was just helping him think clearer while they questioned him. The brainwashing probably uses a lot of trauma triggers to repress things.
Yeah, you're right. She didn't heal the brainwashing. She just cleared the fog in his mind that was hiding his memories that led up to the brainwashing. Waterbenders are incredibly impressive. I love how it gets even better from here with what they introduce next (even though it's foul play 🩸😂).
Yeah I took it as sensory deprivation. Good call
God, that scene with Jet’s death always makes me cry. The moment Toph said “he’s lying”, my eyes started to well up.
Did Jet die? It was really unclear.
@@dougallen9689 It isn't is confirmed by the creators. Search info about it.
@@yotuel9064 *SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4* ua-cam.com/video/4rRAkTkJi8Q/v-deo.html
@@yotuel9064 Doug Allen was making a reference to "The Ember Island Players."
@@dougallen9689 longshot said he’s be fine but toph said he was lying so probably
For a kids show, it really says a lot that one of the saddest moments in the show that really pull your heartstrings which encapsulates wholesomeness and overall good nature belongs to a member of the fire nation, something that is drilled into the audience as the main enemy. In a lot of kids shows, there's good and bad, if you're on good team you're a good guy and the same applies vise versa. But as most people know, that's not how things works and it's amazing how the writers respect children's intelligence to show that the people of the fire nation aren't bad people, but the government is and how war changes people
If you split season 3 into three parts, you'll probably want to make the four part series finale it's own video so you have to cut less of the finale! It's an epic ending to an epic tale, that's for sure! And it's so good to see that you're enjoying the series!
Especially since I don’t want her to cut too much of episode 11 in book 3 :)
I second this!!!
THIIISSS!!!!
UP FOR THIS! PLS DO THIS NAAATT
@@ApexCalibre the way I didn't even need an episode title to know what episode that is 😂
I love how the show shine a light upon how awkward the kids are. Which makes sense when no one really have been allowed to be a kid or teenager, growing up in a war torn world. Also, the TIME it takes to even show us Appa again in Appas lost days, a horrific episode, is still amazing. The time (amount of episodes without him as well as the "4 weeks earlier" title card) really put the weight in the whole thing.
Also... glove benders... The phrase the gauntlet have been tossed just got a whole other meaning!
Well not per se. Aang, Ty lee, Suki, and Mai are relatively normal and not awkward when out amongst people, later on in the series we see other teens and kids be normal as well from different nations . The only really awkward ones would be Toph, Azula, zuko, Sokka, and Katara since they grew up in a somewhat bubble. Azula and Zuko being looked at as more of weapons for their father, Sokka and katara being at the remnants of southern water tribe where there wasn’t a lot of kids their age, and Toph cause she was literally cut off from the world by her parents.
Pretty sure the episode "Appa's lost days" won an award for the realistic depiction of animal abuse or something like that
Yes it did
Yeah, It won the Peta award
@@henrybelman7424 It was not a Peta award, thankfully. It was a genesis award. An award from Peta would have been a stain on that episode, as Peta is known for abducting and killing pets.
It was actually on the depiction of animals in circuses, if I remember correctly. I could definitely be wrong, though.
@@henrybelman7424 It was a Genesis Award from The Humane Society.
"The tale of Iroh is so cute."
Some real picture taken seconds before disaster energy there.
it's not explained very well in the show, but what the Guru means by "letting your earthly attachments go" is that the Avatar is an extremely powerful individual. ultimately, any Avatar has to put the needs of the world above their personal wants and needs. if it came down to saving Katara or saving the whole world, Aang has a duty to the world. he can't let his personal attachments to anyone (be it Katara, Appa, or any of his other friends) influence his decisions and get in the way of true justice. plenty of avatars have friends and lovers, that's fine and even encouraged.
and as you saw, the show punishes him for choosing Katara over finishing his training. he was able to meditate and let her go fairly quickly in the middle of a fight, so if he had stayed behind and finished meditating, still knowing Katara was in trouble, he could have arrived with the full power of the Avatar state and easily secured Ba Sing Se. unfortunately, because he chose her in that moment, he was unable to perform his duty as the Avatar and ultimately almost died, ending the cycle permanently.
Technically if he had been killed before he let her go and went into the avatar state he wouldn't have ended the cycle. It was only if he died IN the avatar state (which was after he let her go) the cycle would have ended. Really if he was able to enter the avatar state before he went that or after, the result could still have been the same as it was, Azula was waiting for him to go into it to strike, it just probably would have been earlier in the fight if he had had the ability from the start.
There's no such thing as "needs". Or "duty". They are myths.
@@Wolfer1OOO That's what i said...he chose her when he was with the guru, locking his chakras and forcing him to have a moment of vulnerability in a heated battle. If he was able to enter the Avatar state like he did in the final battle against Ozai (and afterwards), he wouldn't have been as much of a sitting duck. it would seem that the first time you fully unlock your chakras, you have to "ascend", which makes you extremely vulnerable to anyone looking to take advantage of that. of course Azula would still try to kill Aang, especially if he was in the Avatar state, but it would be a lot harder to do if he was zipping around and actually fighting back instead of just floating ominously.
**note: I don't think this was a bad story decision by the writers, i think it was a bad decision on Aang's part.
@@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps why you watching a show about legends and myths then?
@@tonisassano8409 it's not what you said, what you said is that if he was able to go into the Avatar state before he arrived at the city he wouldn't have nearly died. It has nothing to do with him having to 'ascend' because he just unlocked his chakras. He ALWAYS enters the Avatar state within a fight, he was never going to go into the Avatar state out of the city and then fly in and find them. Whether he had the ability to earlier or not, Azula would still wait for the moment he was entering it to strike him. His timeline for unblocking his chakras makes no difference whatsoever apart from the fact that if he didn't do it at all he wouldn't have been risking the cycle.
As a person who is studying film, the scene where Sokka and Suki almost kiss is just amazing. The moon is right between them. It symbolizes he’s still holding onto feelings for Yue
This show still gets to me after so many years. Something about watching a close group of children forced to grow up quickly and witness how war has affected their world really amplifies the emotions I have for them. I love all the animals in the show, even the non-hybrid ones like Miyuki 🐈
EDIT: I think you’re spot on about Lu Ten’s death being responsible for putting Iroh through a spiritual awakening. He may have realized what he was putting his soldiers (and everyone in Ba Sing Se) through when he lost the person he loved the most. It would explain why he cares so much for Zuko, because he knows the destiny chosen for him by his father would lead to a similarly tragic outcome. Even though it was in a filler episode, it was such a powerful tale 😭
Non hybrid's are basically shiny Pokemon change my mind
And then watching them again after years of life is gonna hit harder
There’s a theory that all of the pure-bred animals are actually spirits. Hay-bai was just a panda. There was a regular monkey in the spirit world (the stolen face one).
But I do love the Bosco jokes. “Platypus bear? No it.. it just says bear”
Bruh im 27 & ATLA is still my go-to show i watch after a big night on the disco biscuits! Nothing calms the old heart like ATLA… or Forgetting Sarah Marshall
same. i think an intentional overarching theme of the show is that war destroys more lives than just those of the soldiers who fight in them.
I love the reference to Michelangelo's "The Pietà" at 50:17 with the way Katara is holding Aang's body. I hadn't noticed it the first couple times I watched this show.
Tho now that I think about it, adding that parallel symbolism with Katara as the Virgin Mary and Aang as Jesus does kinda seem odd given their relationship in the show -- I mean, making such a reference seems more in line with the idea of Katara being the mom friend or a big sister friend to Aang than a love interest and almost feels out of place. But as an art major I'm still just geeking out a little for catching the reference.
The Pieta is a popular motif that is in comics and animated other animated media, from what I've noticed, the emphasis is usually on the fall or loss of a savior/hero character so it's likely they didn't consider the implications for Aang and Katara's relationship as you pointed out. A particularly famous one is in the death of superman arc,nearly every iteration of that story tends to have a scene with Lois cradling Superman's body in the same pose and their (Superman and Lois) relationship is decidedly not familial. But you're absolutely right about how cool these little references are. Every time I rewatch I find something I didn't notice before
It’s just a common pose. I’ve seen plenty of romantic iterations of this
@@adjoaocran there's also a comic with Superman holding Batman in that exact pose too. And they're just friends, of course. So it doesn't necessarily have to do with a lover relationship
@@Ireee702 you're absolutely rigt! Didn't mean to give the impression that it's always a romantic relationship. I used the Lois and Superman example because that was the first thing that came to my mind as an example of two people in the pose that didn't have a familial relationship. My original comment only meant to point out that the emphasis for that pose seems to be on the loss of a hero/saviour by someone who cares about them and not necessarily a definitive comment on the nature of the relationship between the individuals in the pose.
This series is great for little kids, teenagers, young adults, and even adults. There are so many layers and lessons for all ages and situations. They spent and entire season world-building and character-building. So, now you care what happens to each and everyone including the 'pets'. All the characters are flawed in their way. They make mistakes, sacrifice for others, and grow. They are scarred and those scars don't disappear any more than the scars we all carry disappear. My daughter loved it at age 5 and she still loves watching it at age 11. I enjoy watching it and I'm well.....I'm older.
There's no such thing as "flawed". "Imperfection" and "perfection" are two sides of the same myth.
@@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps What a horrendously dumb comment. Though, with a name like "mansplainer" it's obvious you're just trying to troll.
@@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps ok sir
@@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps ok guru pathik
I literally could not agree with you more this show is such a great timeless show
Something really important to understand is that Appa is the last bit of the airbenders that Aang has. His last bit of his old life. The only thing that is from his real home. Losing Appa was such a big deal for Aang because without Appa he had nothing left of his people. And him going into the Avatar State shows how utterly devastated he is by the possibility of him never seeing Appa again. Aang crying in the Avatar State is so emotional for me. That is all the avatars crying and mourning with him. Such a powerful ending.
"You muzzled appa" and straight into the avatar state always gave me chills
The second half of season two is just punch after punch in the gut, i cried so many times this section of the season. There’s so many emotional moments and it’s all so well made, plus the finale of the season is perfectly designed to rip out your heart 😂 I’m glad you are loving the show haha
49:55 a lot of people thought that, that Aang was giving up love for good by accepting the avatar state over Katara, but, I think it just meant that Aang needed to learn how to mature: learning to let things be and accept that loss is inevitable (i.e. like accepting that your parents will die and there's nothing you can do about it) is a sign of growth and maturity that stabilizes you emotionally and thus, would grant you control over this powerful force.
Kind of like force-less Jedi type thing lmao
Agreed. It was moreso about being able to detach himself from Katara to protect the world. Not put her life above everyone else's.
"Let go of all you fear to lose" as a certain Jedi master words it
Aang took it how a lot of us did (and some still do), that he has to let go of Katara completely. So really, if it really isn't that, the Guru explained it poorly, perhaps intentionally...
It might also help to neutralize the *EMOTIONAL DAMAGE* from the loss of a loved one (at the cost of sounding like you don’t care).
With what Aang was already taught about time being an illusion, she’ll still be there.
Natalie, the ending of the desert is the single part that makes me most emotional in the whole show. Showing how much Appa means to Aang, but also showing how much Katara is willing to stand by for him. That part just gets me so bad. Crying over this show is more than valid
The moment where the girl from the Earth Kingdom reveals her own firebending scar to Zuko always struck me from this season, both worldbuilding to how Zuko doesn't get odd looks from his own and being another leg on his journey through the series seeing, understanding, and appreciating the people behind the nations. Seeing the world helps put our own hate and obsessions in perspective.
When zuko faced azula the fireball he summoned was actually a waterbending move. This happens a few times in the show and it just shows how much of an effect the avatar is having on people around him. Its showing that benders can look beyond the elements and pull techniques from other nations to make them stronger. One of the many reasons I love this show
At last, the Natalie tears I expected to see when she started ATLA. Was actually shocked by how well kept together you were up to this point. You'll likely be a puddle by the end of Book 3 LMAO
Between the tales of ba sing se and appas lost days it shouldn't get worse than those moments
right? i taught she would get destroyed by leaves from the vines...
@@joaosoares-rr5mj I think because it was telegraphed so much by the viewers telling her just wait till you get to "Leaves From The Vine" that she was already braced for it. 100% if she had went into a viewing of that episode cold with no mentions, she'd of been a wreck lol
Dragon dance incoming, will be a lot of "Yaaay!" stuff probably.
@@WhelmedButReady yeah, is a shame, when i mentioned it in the previous episode, i didnt give any spoilers saying "you gonna cry in leaves from the vine" i just made a coment she wouldnt understand but otehers would.
is kind of a shame that people acctuly prepare her for it, or maybe it was good, we might have killed nat right here if she wasnt warned.
Aang destroying the drill is one of my favorite action sequences of the show. & Zuko lighting those lamps was smooth as hell too. Everyone in this show has had so many moments to show off their skills. Never gets old.
Avatar will forever be my favorite animated show. I watched it as it aired when I was in elementary school and the fact that it's just as good or better as an adult, is legendary. Making complex theme and topics easily digestible by balancing it with humor and the lightness of the art style is amazing.
Just a little FYI: the scene at 7:18 is considered one of Katara's most powerful moments in the series. Remember in Episode 1 of Season 2 (The Avatar State), Katara met with Aang regarding the Avatar State. She said, "for the people that love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is really scary." However, in this episode, Katara is completely sad, putting away the fear, and comforted Aang. A powerful moment expressed with no words at all.
When Natalie started clapping when uncle Iroh teamed up with team Avatar, I already knew she was in for a heartbreak lol
44:38 This scene with the Guru talking about the connection of the elements and transitioning to Toph learning to metal bend with the ringing music gave me absolute chills. Avatar is such a masterpiece....
From the wiki on Appa's Lost Days: On March 27, 2007, this episode received a Genesis Award from the Humane Society of the United States in the category "Outstanding Children's Programming", which the HSUS Genesis Award press release described as "[...] a mythical tale about animals held captive for human entertainment that resonates with the way animals are used in circuses today".
Wow that’s great
I love the fact that the girl knew Zuko was a firebender. She just saw his burn and didn't bring it up. Just that little clip made me think she would have been ok for him as well as the other girl.
Don’t worry we all cry over this show. I did many times
True this show can make a person emotional
If you don't cry atleast once while watching Avatar, cough* leaves from the Vine*cough, than you arnt human
@@paulh.9937 am I just an alien then orrr...
the more episodes, the more you cry while watching the show
I cry every single time I watch this damn show
The way that the show captures the stages of grief with Aang is beautiful.
Even the greatest heroes must overcome the most human problems.
A little detail about the Mako tribute: the picture of Irish’s son is actually based on a portrait photo of Mako when he was younger. And reportedly the singing of “Leaves from the Vine” was one of the last things he did for the season before he passed
I was upset with Zuko initially here. But he has to get what he thinks he wants so he has no regrets when making important decisions later. His overall story is SO good!
The way I interpreted the “let her go” thing is that he doesn’t have to abandon her, he just has to be willing to abandon her. He can still love her, but he has to be willing to let her go.
@@taylorstratford9717 assuming you are referring to when Yangchen talks to Aang in season 3, the actual quote is “Many great and wise Air Nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment, but the Avatar can never do it, because your sole duty is to the world. Here is my wisdom for you. Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world.”
It’s not exactly the same, but in this scenario it would basically mean that if the need came, Aang would have to choose his duty to the world over Katara.
@@joseph_p that's pretty spot on from what i have been able to find. he can love and live, but if it ever came down to the world or Katara, he would have to choose the world every time. like the train track changer. he was about to change tracks for an oncoming train when he saw his son playing on the track where the train needed to go. don't change the tracks and kill every on the train or change them and kill his own son. after the train passed, he carried his son's body back home.
37:57 So if I remember correctly, Longshot was originally going to point his arrow at Jet (the implication being he mercy kills him), but Nickelodeon was like “there are 5 year olds watching this my dude, you can’t do that”
I didn't know that!
When Natalie said "It's about the war" who else automatically said "There is no war in Ba Sing Se"?
Me! I said it! 😂👏🏽
Hahaha yes!
Yup, immediately said that
Yep
That's also the effective mantra for... --the M. Night Shyamalan live-action adaption--
...wait: what was I talking about...?
Toph inventing metal bending is still so cool years after I saw it for the first time. Of course she is the one who figured it out. Can’t wait for season 3 reactions!! The 4-part finale is one of the best finales of all time.
Jet: These two are firebenders!!
Zuko: (pulls out swords) Finally, an excuse to beat up a customer!
I wish he used the swords more
I think Katara and Toph's tale is even sweeter when you realize that Toph can tell when people are lying so she knew in that moment that Katara was 100% genuine when she said she was pretty.
It’s sadder when you realize Iroh so desperately wants to help Zuko to keep him away from the fire nations clutches since he couldn’t help his son and lost him due to the war they caused and that’s why Iroh changed his ways, but he felt it was too late since he couldn’t save his son but will do everything in his power to save Zuko
it's been 12 years since i've seen The Tale of Iroh and even that SNIPPET of the final scene brought me to tears again
Hearing Iroh singing “Leaf from the Vine” really makes me miss Mako. A magnificent voice, a wonderful character, and a wonderful actor…
Every reaction to this show, that part makes me cry.
Every time.
My favorite Mako roll was as the wizard in Conan the Barbarian!
7:22 Aang's expression is legit terrifying. He be like: HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!!?!?!
He was ready to deliver his fury but then quickly realized that's Katara
I've had friends recommend The Avatar to me for a long time. It wasn't until the first year of the pandemic that I was finally able to watch it. I truly loved it. The first season was good but in the second season everything starts coming together. The third season is just epic. I am really enjoying watching your journey through this great show so soon after my my own.
"it _IS_ your pleasure" is such a gigachad response lmao
Hey give the king a break. He’s been manipulated and lied to his entire life, kept ignorant and naive. That’s not gonna go away immediately. And the people who helped him discover that vouched for the kyoshi warriors. They weren’t there to verify it wasn’t the real warriors. Why wouldn’t he trust them?
*THANK YOU.*
Sokka, Team Avatar's strategist told him that the Kiyoshi warriors were trutrustworthy. Kuei had no reason to believe otherwise.
His daughter, on the other hand...
Agreed. He's naive because he was made to be, but I think he's a lot smarter than people give him credit for. For example, when they proved Long Feng was lying about never having seen a sky bison and he says it doesn't prove the whole conspiricy, a lot of people disagree, but that's totally fair. One lie from a trusted advisor isn't enough to overtrhow everything he has ever known, in fact, I think he should be praised that he's even willing to look into it.
@@somono5116 EXACTLY. I don't think I've ever seen a reactor consider this and it infuriates me. It's always just "this king is so dumb" *facepalm*
Probably seen this comment already but the "Tale of Iroh" holds a special place in this series because the voice actor of Iroh, named Mako, passed away during the production of season 2. The song "Leaves from the Vine" was a original song that Mako wrote. This song was the last time we hear the original voice actors voice for the rest of the show. Also the picture of his son he put up when singing was actually a portrait of a young Mako. The rest of the series Iroh is voiced by Mako's apprentice.
You skipped the best lines from episode 13:
Sokka: it's so dark, I can't see a thing
Toph: oh no, what a nightmare
🤣
She's the Chandler of the group 😂😂😂
"Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player." May be my favorite line of the entire show. But that is the downside to this condensed format. :/
@@Goomyx1492 I can't believe she didn't show that, but I understand different folks treasure different things. It's good to see the perspective.
This show is miraculously good.
It's for all ages.
It's not about superpowers. It's not about fighting.
It's about character growth... like all good fiction.
The learning that these characters go through, and the maturity they gain: it's just beautiful.
Totally agree
"Azula is only character that freak me out more than Dai Lee"
Guess who's working for Azula now?
I always loved Irohs assessment of Azula. Was this season 3 or did it already happen ?
@@David_randomnumber actually just about the last episode here, the one where she gives a whole speech about the divine right to rule and owns the peasants for being poor
Like her own personal kgb
@31:43 one of the saddest parts of the whole series that I don't think people get. Alot of animals when they're depressed or ready to die will go find a hidden spot to just wait out their death. Appa found that cave and days passed by. I think Appa had given up and was just waiting to die.
I always wondered whether Azula went to Ba Sing Sei to grab Aang, and conquering the city was just one of those "well, I'm already here" things, or if she went there intending to weaken it from the inside all along.
I personally like the idea that she fixated on losing the drill so much that she decided to do her own "destroy them from the inside" plan as revenge.
I think she suspected the Avatar would go there and was only trying to infultrate with a small team. That single drill was nowhere near enough of a military presence to suggest a real seige attempt. Aang confirmed her prediction when he revealed himself to defend the wall. Once she had gotten inside I think she was just clever enough to take advantage of the situation that had unfolded because it seems unlikely that she would have any intel ahead of what she witnessed herself. She's just _that_ dangerous.
I hadn't seen this show until my early 20s, and I had the EXACT SAME experience you've been having. By the end, it was and still is one of my absolute favorite shows of all time. I can't wait to see your videos for the final season.
Natalie: "This show has really been flying by"
Me knowing the last episode she watched was The Library: Well it definitely won't be flying anymore
lol haha
That's rough buddy
Whoa man, low blow. Take a like.
I don't get really affected in movies or shows a ton, but there are many moments in these episodes that make me go, "AAAHHH! IT HURTS MY SOUL!"
The reason Zuko had to turn his back to the girl was that in order for the relationship to progress he would have to lie about being a firebender, and he would rather turn her down than lie to her an potentially put her in danger
More like he didn't want to accept the he could start a new life in ba sing se and forget about his past his "honor" and they years he spent searching for the avatar.
@@moonmanstan I don't know, let's just say "personal interpretation", ok?
@@moonmanstan Sure. It could also be that he wouldn't want to have to experience the (sort of) justifiable hatred he received from that village, despite helping that family
Maybe there isn't just one simple reason why Zuko didn't want to kiss the girl, I think all reasons mentioned are contributing to that, but I think it's just been very overwhelming for Zuko. He has been on the run for the past few years, from losing his spot as the prince of the fire nation to hunting the avatar, to then eventually having to run from his sister and become a refugee in the country where his uncle lost his son and lost his battle.
So from what I think, Zuko isn't really in the space of mind to really think about dating, he didn't want to go on the date, Iroh accepted that invitation for him, he even made Zuko's hair. Zuko probably hasn't had a normal life for a while, he's so not used to eating with someone at a table, have a normal conversation, he just never truly gets out of his head and by the end he actually manages to open up and immediately starts firebending for the girl and I think in that moment he realised how quickly he opened up to that girl and how quickly he put himself and Iroh in danger so he immediately reverted back to his flight mode. I also feel like he's not that into her, I mean he probably would be had he ever even considered her, but the moment he actually does feel sympathy for her he panics, so Zuko just wasn't ready to open up. He was still overwhelmed by how much just had happened.
No, it's because he still loves Mai. That's why he says, 'it's complicated." He doesn't want to start a new life here. He wants the one back home. It has nothing to do with her, or protecting her, or being found out about being a fire bender. He refuses to accept his life is in Ba Sing Sae. That's the whole point of the story: it foreshadows his reaction to seeing the Appa poster, and why his turning point isn't until he lets Appa go.
Really glad that you’re watching stuff like this. There’s really a lot of mature storytelling even in animated series/ anime. If you’re ever looking for more stuff along these lines, most of the DC animated movies on HBO max, and the series Young Justice specially is really deep. Or if you are down for slightly more “kid” things with mature storytelling, gargoyles on Disney plus also has some pretty adult themes.
FINALLY!! I’ve been waiting so long for your reaction to the second half of season 2🥳
Same!!! I've been stalking her page for when it drops lol
SAME !!!
To see that Iroh try to be a fatherly figure to every and anyone he meets because he couldn't be the father his son needed him to be breaks my heart so much. When Leaves from the vine starts playing I automatically cry.
I think the show greatly benefitted from ditching the more episodic nature of Book 1 in favor for more compelling arc-driven storytelling where conflicts aren't resolved so immediately. This is in large part to all roads leading to Ba Sing Se. Everything that happens there raises the stakes to great new heights and cements the show as an all-time classic.
Something to keep in mind about Aangs progress is that Bending is like training a martial art and training different forms is still going to improve your over all skill so it's much easier for someone like Aang to pick up a new style than someone who has to start from the basics.
The empathetic “they don’t have thumbs.” Really got me 😂
I think it’s not just that sokka missed yué in that episode but that he felt guiltly for kissing another girl so soon in front of the moon. Like he feels that moving on would be him betraying her and failing her all over again
You will hardly hear a difference with Irohs new voice actor. I actually couldn't believe that there were two different people voicing him when i learned about it. They did both a incredible work!
yea it s his brother who did the last season
@@ashe9837 No, it was Greg Baldwin, who is very white, where Mako was Japanese american
I very much disagree, and when I was watching the series I wondered why they changed voice actors, only to look it up and see that the actor died.
The replacement did as good a job as can be expected, but for me at least it certainly was very noticeable.
No, it’s he did as good as a job as can be but I immediately noticed the change. And noticed that be voiced a line in the Tales of episode.
I guess your ears are waaay better than mine then^^
I found a short clip about them, and even in a direct comparison it's hard for me to tell who is who ;D
ua-cam.com/video/PD0kJmEJwvs/v-deo.html
When it originally aired it was two weeks before a new episode. To 8 year old me Appa was missing for ages. It was horrible. I remember really not being okay because of it.
“It’s about the war!”
Nat, what are you talking about?
_There is no war in Ba Sing Se_ 🙃
I don’t think another piece of fiction will ever make me feel *disappointment in a characters actions* like with Zuko in the season 2 finale. It’s written so well and makes so much fucking sense that it just hurts, it’s goddamn heartbreaking, to see him come so close to touching the light only to plunge back into the dark. He sees one sliver, one tiny chance to get his old life back, even if it means destroying the progress he’s made, and *he can’t help but take it.* Its like a damn relapse and it always fucks me up.
Nothing kicks off the weekend better than a Nattie G Avatar Reaction Video 💛
Iroh never fails to make me smile, even when he makes me cry. He is my favorite part of the whole series.
Man i've been waiting on this. This show just gets progressively better has it goes along.
Natalie, can i just say that you are literally the most positive, bright spirited ray of sunshine and u make every reaction so enjoyable!!
This show _sprints_ towards the finish line from here on out. It was always good, but seasons 2.5-3 are genuinely great.
The thumbnail killed me 🤣. I'm just coming from Season 2 part 1 where she ends it off saying she may cry. What a transition.
Mako, the actor who played Uncle Iroh, passed away in the middle of production, and the "Leaves from the Vine" song was the last thing he recorded before he died. Mortality's weight came to him as he was singing--that crying was 100% real.
They pay tribute to Mako in the ATLA sequel series, The Legend of Korra, by naming one of the MCs after him. I implore you to watch Korra after ATLA--it's so good, at some points even better than this series
It’s not good, maybe special effects it is good, but story wise and plot it is subpar to terrible compared to ATLA
sry but I think you are pritty much alone with that opinion exapt for azami she is bae
@@pickleboy6059 while I think it isn’t as good as the original it wasn’t that bad it was really good aside from maybe the latter half of season 2 but that’s cause season 2 wasn’t even supposed to happen but season 3 had amazing villains, season 4 had an understandable villain, and season 1 had a villain without morals but with a good mission it had ups and downs and that’s ok so long as it was worth it and at least to me it was
Appa isn't just a friend to Aang, he's also his last connection to his old life. The only other air bender remaining.
Man watching Atla while sick is interesting, usually only Tale of Iroh makes me cry but now EVERYTHING is making me cry
I also happen to be under the weather, and being sick usually makes me more emotional, too. I think emotions and the immune system are somehow connected, though. Let us both get well soon! ♥
They really decided to put the three saddest episodes all in a row. Tales of ba sing se, Appa’s Lost Days, and Lake Laogai all broke me one after another🥺
Yessss, perfect way to start the weekend w/ Nat. S3 is even wayyy better🤌🏽
S2 > S3 imo... S3 is a little too much filler/episodic, and it fucks with the pacing a little bit... ATLA still my favorite animated show tho , and one of my favorite shows of all time... (probably top 5)
I have to disagree with you on that one there are some amazing moment s towards the end of s3 but over I don t think s3 is so much better
@@ashe9837 I'm more of a fan of worldbuilding and character development instead of plot... And those things are way more prevalent in season 2... But yeah Season 3 is awesome too i would say almost as good as Season 2, but yeah everyone has their opinion...
Avatar is one of those series where I can rant for hours about how good it is. But Lake Laogai has one of my all time favorite Zuko and Iroh moments. We've seen Iroh gently try to push Zuko towards being a better person, even seen him be strict when teaching him firebending. But this is one of the first times we see him almost at the end of his ropes and yelling at Zuko. It just shows how much he cares about him.
Damn I love this show so much.
You should watch the follow up series, The Legend Of Korra after this. It was aimed at the generation that grew up with Avatar, so there are more mature themes to it. The first season revolves around a group of extremists and class struggle between benders and non-benders. It's really great.
Yes to this
There are few shows that I would consider perfect because you can nitpick and find flaws in most things, but this show really is about as good as it gets IMHO. Every episode is important (even the Great Divide), looks mean nothing when it comes to strength, and the character growth is absolutely amazing. There's so much chemistry, the voice acting is spot on, and it blends action, humor, and drama all into one. I've watched it many times and it's always so freaking enjoyable.
This 2nd half of this season and all of season 3 is what I’ve been waiting for you to react it’s easily some of the best television I’ve ever seen.
15:28 Sokka is just popular with the ladies ...and frankly, I get it. He's cute and funny and an idea guy. Basically the full package.
Edit: Ok, watching this again, I think it's official. The Tales of Ba Sing Se, Appa's Lost Days and Lake Laogai are the most emotional three episodes to me. Probably my favorite part of the whole series.
In terms of badass bending moves though, I gotta go with Toph turning the stairs into a slide. My absolute favorite move right there!
45:48 Yes. ...Yes, it is. Very much so. And I love it. "Steal from the best" is what they say.
"Who taught this girl boxing-acupuncture?"
It's never been stated, but there's a theory that it's a form of altered Airbending.
The full theory is that some Airbenders escaped and hid where they could, developing chi-blocking techniques out of their Airbending moves.
And Ty Lee has facial features shockingly similar to other Airbenders, most notably she and Aang are the only two characters with grey eyes.
I know it will probably be officially never more than a fan theory, but I fully subscribe to the Ty Lee Airbender descendant theory. The Airbenders were literally nomads, there had to have been a couple of them traveling in other parts of the world when the fire nation attacked.
The face swaps people did of them was enough of a confirmation for me. I don't even need anything official to be said, I'm 100% a believer.
A moment that always gets me is when Aang is in the avatar state in the desert and speaks with many voices. It's a rare thing when all the past avatars speak through one body, and the avatar losing their animal companion is one time that results in that.
I'm so glad to see you so enthralled and that you're enjoying the show as much as you are; even as an adult 17 years after the show first aired, it still remains my favorite show of all time which is just a testament to its quality
Season 3 arguably contains some of the best content from the entirety of the series, and I can't wait to see you watch it and enjoy the depth of progression and character growth it provides
DUDE. I watched Avatar for the first time as an adult, and no exaggeration: I cried at Zuko's relapse here. Like, legit ugly crying. I won't spoil it for you, but I promise, everything will be okay in the end. :) I'm so glad you're enjoying this!!!
I'm glad to see that Nat picked up that the Guru episode was an homage to Empire Strikes Back right away.