Wow, so great to see you guys. 6 years ago I first was exposed to you guys after being a superfan of Matts channel and his Star Wars EU and VS content. Long story short, lost 120 lbs, became a competitve marathon runner. And now the "council" keeps me company on long runs in my earphones instead of when Im being lazy in my room. Funny how some things change and others stay static. Im so glad to see you guys work on Avatar. It maybe somewhat ironic, given that I was the target audience for this show. I was born in 1992 so am righr around Matts age. But aside from seeing a few episodes from Book 1 I never got into it. This PAST AUGUST, my then 29 year old self finally watched all of it and also Legend of Korra. About 20 mins in, my only gripe is that to my taste ; Tales of Ba Sing Se was always Irohs tale. I get the message they are goinh for with Toph and Katara but personally I always thought Toph was being truthful. Shes the greatest Earth Bender in history, and given how we see her characterization in Korra; I legit think she really didnt give a crap about what people thought about her looks. Really; the Iroh segment just cuts so much deeper for me becauase its tackling a very mature and visceral subject matter. Watching it im reminded of Theoden telling Gandalf that no parent should bury their child. Its a real moment of the human condition captured on screen.
I’ve noticed that writers (not Bryke) gave Azula more about her character. Avatar State: Aaron Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch, Tim Hendrick, and Josh O’Bryan. Almost perfect isn’t good enough! Return to Omashu: Elizabeth Welch. Decides to travel with her two nonbenders “friends” without the Royal Procession. Zuko Alone: Elizabeth Welch. Playing pranks but also playing with Zuko. Being jealous of Ty Lee. The Chase: Joshua Hamilton. Sense of humor. The Drill: Bryke. Nothing we learn anything new about Azula. Just she didn’t confront Mai about her disobeying her orders 🤷🏻♀️. I really want to know what she would have done or said to Mai. Appa’s Lost Days: Elizabeth Welch. She makes a pun. The Guru: Bryke. Nothing we learn anything new about Azula. Crossroads of Destiny: Aaron Ehasz. Debated about why she talks to Zuko in the cave. Did she really need him? She failed to see Iroh as the powerful benders he is.
Omg is that Antoine on a FAnalysis video? Hooray! There are a lot of good episodes and Book 2 is overall stronger than Book 1 was. There isnt a single bad episode. Maybe some are meh. Tales of Ba Sing Se always hits me in the feels super hard and its one of the best episodes in the entire franchise. Btw Appa's Lost Day won a Humane Society award for its portrayal of the mistreatment of animals. Does this mean you will finally tackle Book 3?
I am sure the LOK episodes were meant to reference Zuko Alone, but it feels really weird to me since it is hundreds of Avatars ago, who individually can live potentially well above 100 years. The same stone coin things have been used for these millenia. Almost feels like it should be more likely a more recent battlefield. Like it looks like an old battlefield, not one that has endured all of history with only some slight changes. It's like you saw a field with a bunch of arrow tips lying on the ground and assume that these were created and left there out in the open by the first few homo sapiens and not changed since then. Looking back something that is kinda weird about Return to Omashu is how relatively weak Mai and Ty Lee feel for their first showing. Katara only has her flask worth of water, but is still pretty much taking both on, even grabbing Ty Lee by the ankle and throwing her around, before eventually getting overwhelmed by the 2v1. My loose ranking: 1. Zuko Alone 2. The Chase 3. Crossroads of Destiny 4. Tales Of Ba Sing Se 5/6. Blind Bandit/The Desert 7. The Drill 8. The Library I think it is funny how The Earth King is in nobodies top 10 or bottom 3. Even though it is basically a huge action scene where they defeat the arc villain it ends up leaving pretty much the smallest impact out of any of the Ba Sing Se episodes and has little consequence.
I liked this season by alot? like nearly all good things about near everything. my only real issue besides minor tidbits is Azula/ Long Feng nonsense. like all they needed was Azula to say three main things, the Avatar is dead. you have betrayed the earth king. and Sozins comet is returning. Surrender. its a bit of a problem massively for me in terms of making the story and threat believable? cause without the palace intrigue of Long Feng its no way near believable that the earth kingdom just lost from what they show us of Ba Sing Sae alone. like WHY ARE YOU ALL SURRENDERING CAUSE OF ONE 14 year old. its a MASSIVE issues with the threat of the villains? like if the earth kingdom was THIS incompetent they should have lost like a long, long time ago. the fact that Omashu and Ba Sing Sae are just SURRENDERED for no REASON is infuriating. like I can perhaps buy Bumi being a century old KNOWS that Sozins comet is returning? so better surrender the city now, evacuate, overthrow the occupiers eventually, only to leave them nothing of value to TARGET with the comet. and if they had ended the long Feng and Azula scene with a Long Fang oh fuck what did I just do it I destroyed would have really built Azulas threat level up? instead its a I smirk at you and win thing. which is annoying. also probably would have had some Long Feng/Ozai worked together to kill Lu Ten but that is just me. give Ozai more villain credits then just my wife killed my dad and then I burned my son stuff. like if not for long feng actively sabotaging the plot, the whole might of the earth kingdom could have prepared for the day of the eclipse and just WON the war, even if they did not win in those ten minutes cause youd have an entire armies in the capital and hell attacking like every fire nation holding everywhere. then a game of fire nation can we hold out till comet, which would make the fire nation feel like the underdogs and cant have that I guess but bleh. althought he war getting desperate as the earth kingdom tries to end it before the comet and the fire nation trying to hold out and prepare to use the super day, with Aang desperate training and all the tramua cause seeing the war going on... that's a structural issue I have with the entire series really? and the annoying thing about how simple to fix, literally three lines. we have just killed the avatar, you guys are ALREADY betraying the earth king, and oh by the way sozins comet is returning in a matter of months. just surrender and end the war! have a bit of Long Feng defeated by his own blindness and hubris instead of oh bow down cause pretty 14 year old smiles at me. cause after this fact its less a 100 years war and more the rebel insurgents against the big bad empire. so GHA. like what in gods hell was the point of Ozai doing his great big fleet? the two biggest and last capitals of the earth kingdoms had already surrendered. what were you going to burn the north pole again? did he know about the white lotus and was aiming at his brother? GHA. so pointless. like Mark Hamill is mark Hamill so I forgive much but MY GOD. its amazing how much Long Feng is a rail road into the spine of the heroes agency.
good joke at the end matt lol but I'm seriously keen for the harry potter books to continue again as well as Darth Bane and the next fantastic beasts movie review
Here are my three least favorite episodes: Cave of Two Lovers: One, Katara and Zuko shipper and two the theme works so much better with Zuko and Katara. Appa's lost days: Beside Azula VS Suki boring. I know this will get me burn at the stake but Tales of Ba Sing Se. Now Before you come after me, please let me explain. The Iroh short was a master piece but the other where just boring as heck. I don't care if Aang builds a zoo, I don't care if Katara and Toph have girl time, I don't care if Sokka gets laid. Zuko having an awkward date was cute but still boring. All of the other shorts just don't hold a candle to Iroh's and it just make the episode a disappointment. Top five: 5. Lake Loaogai, action, drama and the ending bring a tear to my eye. 4. Bitter Work, character drama and development and a few laugh. Plus ending scene with Zuko screaming at the sky was heart breaking. 3. Blind Bandit, my bronze always goes to just a fun episode. Seeing a little girl beat a dozen grown man and the sass. 2. Crossroads of Destiny, I screamed at my TV until I went horse. 1. Zuko Alone, The Storm but better.
