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So yeah, I'm going to write about Avatar again--and again I feel like I'm just stating the obvious but nothing excites me more than a story that just stuff really really well so I'm satisfied!
So...Zuko. Oh, what a satisfying story. ::sigh:: Especially having just finished the 7 books taking place in the Potterverse, aka "The Land that Redemption Forgot (but if you earn it our hero may grant you some measure of approval and won't that be wonderful for you)." I was listening to ATLA commentaries the other day, and the creators talked about how they were kind of surprised when fans figured out where Zuko was headed back in the first season. Not that this bothered them, because it wasn't about the surprise but how they got there. (And that alone makes me love them, because what is the obsession people have with surprise at the expense of all else sometimes? If all you've got going for you is the surprise, there's no reason to think about it later.)
Anyway, the creators said how they got all these angry letters when Zuko chose "evil" in CoD, but they felt that was the only choice he could have made at that moment, as he was angry and confused and angry and confused people make bad decisions.
But here's what I love about it, is that it's not just about redemption but maturity...and in fact those two are linked together, which is one of my favorite pairings! I love it when stories show that being a good person is actually smart and intelligent and badass. If Zuko had chosen to side with Aang and Iroh et al. in CoD--well, it still could have worked, but he wouldn't have really switched sides because he would still be confused. His choice there would have been less about him truly choosing the Avatar and more about him choosing one father (Iroh) over the other (Ozai as represented by Azula). He would be doing what Uncle thought was right and also still following along his muddled ideas about fate. If they had done that, I think they would have needed Zuko to waiver and be untrustworthy to the group until they truly finished that part of the arc. They knew he wasn't done changing yet. He was still in the middle. (Iroh was not completely correct—this wasn’t Zuko’s crossroads. He was rushing it.)
I mean, at that point in the series he's admitted that he has these impulses towards protecting or helping Aang and others, that he isn't so sure about the war. But he still isn't sure those aren't just weaknesses that keep him from being a good Fire Nation Prince. Iroh tells him that he's stronger and wiser and freer than he was before, and he's right, but Zuko doesn't see that yet so it’s just Iroh trying to get him to take the path he (Iroh) thinks is best for him. (Zuko’s still operating under that pesky Bad Faith!!) Actually, it's kind of interesting given Iroh's own past and relationship with Zuko that he always avoids the real thing that Zuko's about, which is his father. Azula doesn't--she jumps right in about how if he fights with her he'll have his father's love. That's what even later Zuko admits it was more about for him. I wonder if Iroh just didn't want to go there. Because he can't really say to him: "That stuff you long for as a son? Not gonna happen."
In fact, the whole Iroh/Zuko father/son relationship probably deserves its own post the way it informs that whole relationship and especially Iroh's actions imo, while at the same time Zuko has to work out his dad issues completely on his own with no overt help from Iroh.
The creators just totally hit a personal story kink of mine by not having Zuko switch sides here where he'd be listening to Iroh. He's not just Iroh's successful project. In order to make a strong decision he had to be thinking completely for himself for the first time. So we get that whole section where he returns to the Fire Nation and still feels uneasy and angry. But it takes him a while to really know why. At first he keeps trying to find old reasons for his anger, ones that fit his old child pattern. If he just feels badly for not doing what Iroh wanted he's back to where he was with his father and can lash out at Iroh. Only Iroh refuses to play that role. Zuko’s last scenes before he decides to switch sides play on that even more--he's angry because he's been cut out of the war meeting and sulks that he won't go--that's the sort of thing he was always angry about before. But then it turns out he has been invited and they're waiting for him and he's still not really happy.
He's trying to fit himself back into his old role at court but he's outgrown it. Unfortunately he has not grown to fit the new role he's being offered either. So ultimately, as he tells Sokka in TBR, leaving the Fire Nation isn't that hard because it's the only thing that feels right for who he is. It's hard, but staying would be a lot harder.
Of course, just because he's not just making decisions based on what Iroh thinks doesn't mean Iroh's not still a role model and Zuko can't still imagine what Iroh would say when he's confused. That's another thing I love in the post-DBS Zuko, the way he can't ever be Iroh when he's trying to be (his imitation in WAT and "silver sandwich" blathering in TBR) and yet doesn't notice the times when he actually is being Iroh. When he tries to imitate him he focuses on Iroh's personal quirks of language, using metaphors from the natural world and speaking in abstractions. He sucks at that because that's not how he talks.
But at times when he's just being sincere and passing on his own wisdom gained through experience (which is what Iroh was trying to do) he can be quite the guru! Just in more straightforward language. Like his speech about honor when he approaches the GAang the second time to explain why he wants to join them or his advice to Sokka on what not to base his decisions on in TBR. He isn't aware of it, since he's still speaking in his own straightforward way, but the concepts can still be confusing. He even gets a confused reaction from Sokka in TBR like he might have given to Uncle in the past, but with Sokka's personality ("Is this supposed to be helping?") when he talks about failure.
Zuko's been wonderfully goofier since embracing his Avatar love, since he's not taking himself so seriously and isn't so afraid to show when he's at a loss or make mistakes. But in the moments where he knows what he's doing, he's far more interesting and charismatic than his old, robotic self. Zuko's cool!
So...Zuko. Oh, what a satisfying story. ::sigh:: Especially having just finished the 7 books taking place in the Potterverse, aka "The Land that Redemption Forgot (but if you earn it our hero may grant you some measure of approval and won't that be wonderful for you)." I was listening to ATLA commentaries the other day, and the creators talked about how they were kind of surprised when fans figured out where Zuko was headed back in the first season. Not that this bothered them, because it wasn't about the surprise but how they got there. (And that alone makes me love them, because what is the obsession people have with surprise at the expense of all else sometimes? If all you've got going for you is the surprise, there's no reason to think about it later.)
Anyway, the creators said how they got all these angry letters when Zuko chose "evil" in CoD, but they felt that was the only choice he could have made at that moment, as he was angry and confused and angry and confused people make bad decisions.
But here's what I love about it, is that it's not just about redemption but maturity...and in fact those two are linked together, which is one of my favorite pairings! I love it when stories show that being a good person is actually smart and intelligent and badass. If Zuko had chosen to side with Aang and Iroh et al. in CoD--well, it still could have worked, but he wouldn't have really switched sides because he would still be confused. His choice there would have been less about him truly choosing the Avatar and more about him choosing one father (Iroh) over the other (Ozai as represented by Azula). He would be doing what Uncle thought was right and also still following along his muddled ideas about fate. If they had done that, I think they would have needed Zuko to waiver and be untrustworthy to the group until they truly finished that part of the arc. They knew he wasn't done changing yet. He was still in the middle. (Iroh was not completely correct—this wasn’t Zuko’s crossroads. He was rushing it.)
I mean, at that point in the series he's admitted that he has these impulses towards protecting or helping Aang and others, that he isn't so sure about the war. But he still isn't sure those aren't just weaknesses that keep him from being a good Fire Nation Prince. Iroh tells him that he's stronger and wiser and freer than he was before, and he's right, but Zuko doesn't see that yet so it’s just Iroh trying to get him to take the path he (Iroh) thinks is best for him. (Zuko’s still operating under that pesky Bad Faith!!) Actually, it's kind of interesting given Iroh's own past and relationship with Zuko that he always avoids the real thing that Zuko's about, which is his father. Azula doesn't--she jumps right in about how if he fights with her he'll have his father's love. That's what even later Zuko admits it was more about for him. I wonder if Iroh just didn't want to go there. Because he can't really say to him: "That stuff you long for as a son? Not gonna happen."
In fact, the whole Iroh/Zuko father/son relationship probably deserves its own post the way it informs that whole relationship and especially Iroh's actions imo, while at the same time Zuko has to work out his dad issues completely on his own with no overt help from Iroh.
The creators just totally hit a personal story kink of mine by not having Zuko switch sides here where he'd be listening to Iroh. He's not just Iroh's successful project. In order to make a strong decision he had to be thinking completely for himself for the first time. So we get that whole section where he returns to the Fire Nation and still feels uneasy and angry. But it takes him a while to really know why. At first he keeps trying to find old reasons for his anger, ones that fit his old child pattern. If he just feels badly for not doing what Iroh wanted he's back to where he was with his father and can lash out at Iroh. Only Iroh refuses to play that role. Zuko’s last scenes before he decides to switch sides play on that even more--he's angry because he's been cut out of the war meeting and sulks that he won't go--that's the sort of thing he was always angry about before. But then it turns out he has been invited and they're waiting for him and he's still not really happy.
He's trying to fit himself back into his old role at court but he's outgrown it. Unfortunately he has not grown to fit the new role he's being offered either. So ultimately, as he tells Sokka in TBR, leaving the Fire Nation isn't that hard because it's the only thing that feels right for who he is. It's hard, but staying would be a lot harder.
Of course, just because he's not just making decisions based on what Iroh thinks doesn't mean Iroh's not still a role model and Zuko can't still imagine what Iroh would say when he's confused. That's another thing I love in the post-DBS Zuko, the way he can't ever be Iroh when he's trying to be (his imitation in WAT and "silver sandwich" blathering in TBR) and yet doesn't notice the times when he actually is being Iroh. When he tries to imitate him he focuses on Iroh's personal quirks of language, using metaphors from the natural world and speaking in abstractions. He sucks at that because that's not how he talks.
But at times when he's just being sincere and passing on his own wisdom gained through experience (which is what Iroh was trying to do) he can be quite the guru! Just in more straightforward language. Like his speech about honor when he approaches the GAang the second time to explain why he wants to join them or his advice to Sokka on what not to base his decisions on in TBR. He isn't aware of it, since he's still speaking in his own straightforward way, but the concepts can still be confusing. He even gets a confused reaction from Sokka in TBR like he might have given to Uncle in the past, but with Sokka's personality ("Is this supposed to be helping?") when he talks about failure.
Zuko's been wonderfully goofier since embracing his Avatar love, since he's not taking himself so seriously and isn't so afraid to show when he's at a loss or make mistakes. But in the moments where he knows what he's doing, he's far more interesting and charismatic than his old, robotic self. Zuko's cool!
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It's such a sad and tragic thing that he was repressing all that silliness, just like a good little boy prince should, I guess. <3 I didn't consciously realize he was being robotic 'cause he was so ANGRY, but I guess he was an angry robot. He certainly didn't have a large repertoire of emotions. Maybe firebenders can be angry in their sleep. THEY PROBABLY CAN <3. I was just thinking about elements and the weird way I love fire/fiery/brooding-angry people (at least in fiction...) and how it's totally like nails on a chalkboard to me in most ways but I can't resist it. In some way all that anger is so... it's almost always somehow naive, or a sort of childish defense. A mature fieryness is oddly steady and earthy-- not quite as attractive; an immature 'adult' fieryness is all aggression and ego and rage (like the one who started the war). When they're on the cusp, though, they've got such a disarming earnestness that no other type has in the same way; earth-type boys are also earnest, but so transparent. Fire boys are pure but also totally deluded and full of, well, hot air, which is pretty much adorable when the mask slips and they sort of toddle around being lost (and angsty & insecure). 'Love me, love me, see how great and awesome I am!' SO CUTE. <3 The whole fire nation attacking 'cause they wanted to prove they were awesome, the best, the mightiest-- it's the same thing writ large. Oh man. It makes me happy to think the height of aggression, if caught and transformed at the right time, can be successfully 'managed' and defused by caring and head-petting (and some butt-kicking for their idiocy of course). This is why I'm a sucker, right there in a nutshell :P Anyway, it's also why the Avatar at the time failed so miserably to defuse the situation; he should've been reassuring and caring, not confrontational and challenging. Ah well :(
'Zuzu logic' is brilliant! That's exactly what he functions on! Although part of the blame goes to Iroh-- all those wise tales and sayings, and they mutate horrifically inside of Zuzu's head in his attempt to make them 'make sense'. Haha the 'destiny' thing is kind of hilarious to me. He really is so earnest. Awww. It's sort of adorable that he's about as earnest as Aang. Even SOKKA is more crafty emotionally, though he wears his heart on his sleeve. HEE!
I feel like he makes Aang feel oddly more confident by acting like he knows what he's doing-- I guess all the others just expect more self-confidence than Aang has, or think it should be obvious (he's the Avatar!) and yet here's someone who knows Aang doesn't have all the answers and yet he believes in him anyway. It's very much a 'dad' energy like I believe someone (you?) said a few comments up :D
I also think Zuzu wants to be responsible for something just as Aang wants to be an eensy bit *less* responsible. It's so cute! I swear, all of them have such interesting dynamics every which way <3.
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And that was the best description of those fire boys. I love how Zuko is obviously the better one because he's so angry and frustrated and confused--and this also makes him not as good a bender. (Though he will of course be a better one now that he's doing it the better way.) I love how even when he's a kid he's in the exact same situation where it's like everybody in his life is constantly frustrating him and hurting him. All his better instincts get put down by his father and his sister. His mom tries to do her part but she doesn't seem to get just how poisonous the other two are. (That's why we love Iroh when Zuko says he knows he should try to get along with his sister and Iroh says, "Oh no, she's crazy. She has to go." What a relief that somebody sees that!)
Haha! I imagining all those Iroh!sayings warping in Zuko's head--the horror! The horror! Sokka is totally more emotionally crafty (Sokka/Zuko=OTP!) Aang is so much like him only he was raised in a better environment for it. Healthy!Zuko would be a scary amount like Aang. "Maybe we could be friends!"
I feel like he makes Aang feel oddly more confident by acting like he knows what he's doing-- I guess all the others just expect more self-confidence than Aang has, or think it should be obvious (he's the Avatar!) and yet here's someone who knows Aang doesn't have all the answers and yet he believes in him anyway. It's very much a 'dad' energy like I believe someone (you?) said a few comments up :D
I also think Zuzu wants to be responsible for something just as Aang wants to be an eensy bit *less* responsible. It's so cute! I swear, all of them have such interesting dynamics every which way <3.
OMG, I never thought of it that well. The way he responds to Aang is so weirdly different than the others. Katara tries to encourage Aang in different ways, but it's like he was just waiting for an incredible compliment like, "You can do it. You're a talented kid." But then he also sometimes can't help but argue with Aang like an older brother, which is fine too. He respects him and that's why he can point out what he thinks are his flaws.
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I think this is especially important with firebending, because in many ways it's the most direct and aggressive discipline, the most directly tied to ego (and Will). While airbending and waterbending is more perception based, more flowy and less cardinal, earth and fire are more about standing ground, confronting, attacking. But while earthbending is a solid unmovable Will (where it's most important to learn to stand), firebending is the Will ascendent, the Will to power, the Will to Be. But the Will to Stand is also important to firebenders; Zuko couldn't move forward before he truly learned where he stood. :D Before that, he was really blowing hot air :>
I think Zuko would always have been more shy than Aang, actually, hahaha. Awww <3. Aang is more... um, airy, in that he naturally gets along with people, too, and Zuko, well, he naturally doesn't :D He sort of needs to be encouraged. He wouldn't *suggest* being friends, but he'd probably go along with it and like, blush <3333333333 This is sort of why I don't love the Zuko/Mai pairing; it's like it's too easy in a way, 'cause basically he needs someone to show him warm emotion, someone to draw him out, and the reason Mai works is because she doesn't challenge him emotionally 'cause she's also limited. Though she's very INTP (hahah just to bring ALL my favorite symbolic systems into play, WHY NOT), in that she *has* strong and pure emotions. But they're like the deaf man and the blind man together, a bit. :> Orrr, maybe just two blind men :>
I think he's the one who wants to play a role with Aang, 'cause of his being mindful being the Prince in regards to the Avatar, besides everything else. Roles are important to Zuko; they're all tied in with his Destiny, HAHAHAH lfakjsflkajsflaksj he's so silly. It's like that scroll about his great-grandfather & the Avatar-- he wants to do it right, and he'll never forget they have that role-driven relationship that needs to be cultivated besides just being friends. All the others are just friends, see. :>
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Here's (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zGGikz5w0q8&feature=related) a really good Zuko character-study type vid with his father <3. And another one (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yUvqaZVci5M) just about him. And one (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RvYwESRMIyA) with lots of Western Air Temple stuff<3.
Here's (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=U7erwIj39ys&feature=related) a Zuko+Azula one. :> And this Grease-inspired Zuko+Mai (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=on5BwXh_d_M&feature=related) vid from the beach ep is so awesome even though I don't even particularly like them together. :D Oh and the one with Zuko raging at all three of them (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UTIQySkGsWg&feature=related) is really cute too <3<3