Overanalyzing Avatar: Bitter Work 

Good video! I wish, though, that you had commented on Toph not allowing Aang to get Sokka out of the hole because Aang is obviously still a novice and could crush Sokka. It makes total sense. Aang got over his initial mental block that was keeping him from doing any earthbending, he can earthbend now. But only really in the sense that a child learns 2+2=4. He still has a long road ahead of him.

Actually, Toph used positive reinforcement earlier-every time she nodded at him, and even when he jumped out of the way of the boulder, she said “You had a perfect stance, and perfect form.” She was letting him know he had the _technique_ right, and just needed the mindset. :)

That little homage you did with Iroh as he's explaining the 4 nations is one of the finest contributions to the Avatar community I've seen. Well done.

I was wondering about that bolder and Ang, and if Ang is 1.4 meters tall and the bolder is a sphere of almost the same height (aka 1.4 meter in diameter) that means it has ~1.4 m3 in volume and if the density of the rock is the same of sandstone (2300 kg/m3).That means that Ang is carring 3200 kg or 7000 lbs. ("Quoting a bike-helmet study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, it was wrote that 235 kg (520 pounds) or 2,300 newtons of force would be needed to crush a human skull, almost twice as much force as human hands could possibly muster. Now “collar bone” only takes 3.175 kilograms to break .")

You’re right about “horse stance” naming

Oh my, never realized that duality before

@@str8a lol me neither actually

It's actually a good thing Zuko wasn't hit with lightning in this episode. Redirecting lightning uses the same principles as creating it, so his inner turmoil would prevent him from being able to redirect the lightning effectively, and he might have died. It was his decision to turn against his father and the Fire Nation that resolved his inner turmoil and allowed him to use the technique successfully.

@@irohdw6055 not necessarily. Iroh taught him how to redirect the lightning because he couldn't create it. The redirection technique is one Iroh learned from water benders. You take the lightning in one hand, redirect it down and around your heart and then back up and out your other hand Iroh stressed that if zuko accidentally let the lightning pass through his heart it could be fatal (which you see in the last episode where zuko dives to take the lightning for katara but cannot perform the technique properly in midair)

​@@CrumbsLamond Redirecting lightning requires manipulating the energy in your body. Creating lightning requires manipulating the energy around you. They are both manifestations of the same principle. This is the reason we only see firebenders perform the technique. If anyone could learn it, then Zuko would have taught it to everyone, and Katara would have easily redirected Azula's lightning back at her. The reason Zuko fails the technique against Azula is because he was surprised by the change in target and barely ran in front of the lightning in time. He didn't have the time or the concentration to perform the technique correctly. If you look closely, you will see that instead of performing the motions with his fingers, he clutches his hands around his heart.

And don't forget that, from his perspective, the symbols were upside down.

And using just a stick. Have you ever tried to draw with a stick? Really effing hard

my man's got some serious inner peace

dude, this guy could draw Kirby just like in Kirby's Adventure!

i mean he was a general, drawing out plans is probably something he's had alot of practice in, in which case that is an amasing detail.

The way he fits in all four people makes him seem like an unofficial Avatar.

agreed.

​@@BlueTerror7446 this ❤

Bro dropped the hardest Uncle Iroh edit and thought we wouldn't notice

I was gonna say the same thing, so instead I’ll just boost the engagement of this comment

zuko is my spirit animal everyone loves zuko and im like i see too much of myself in him

I love that even then the universe doesn’t hold back on him. (Yes maybe the universe saved him from being killed by lightning) but in doing so it STILL denied him what he wanted. The universe still wouldn’t let up on him even an inch. I mean, half of him probably wanted to die there, but the universe wouldn’t even let him succeed at killing himself. Up until this point, fate just never gives Zuko anything but failure, pain, and suffering.

⁠@@pIayingwithmahwiiMan i don't know why but "the universe won't even let him kill himself" is so hilariously cruel it has me cackling And I totally agree with what you said. It's almost like when Iroh told him improperly redirecting could've proved fatal, he became even more excited to test his odds. Are you capable enough to survive, or are you truly better off dead? Oy vey.

@@catsinwonderland7473@playingwithmahwii wow loved both of your takes here, got me even more emotionally than I already was lol

Got me teary-eyed 😭

Perfectly shows how Iroh learned and embodies each of the four elements.

VAAAAANCE

@@kung-borean30 Pain time

*YYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO* * inhales * *OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO* -

I think i've heard it was an animator's mistake when recreating the concept sketch. There was a hole over her mouth originally.

I always thought it was her just being cheeky

Yeah, because we all know how pampered Toph is. Can’t be uncomfortable ever. It’s not like she sleeps on the ground or anything.

@@SnailHatan her idea of comfort is.....interesting. I get the feeling she'd react to the Bright Moon beds the same way Adora did

Also probably acts as a breathing hole

I figured you’d have already unlocked it thanks to “leaves from the vine”

@@Fantaghoul Leaves from the Vine was one of the most advanced Tearbending moves ever performed. this show is so good.

The montage included the reunification, that moment always makes me tearbend. Even just thinking about it sometimes does the trick, which is weird because I don't think any other moment in any media has had that kind of effect on me.

Honestly Sokka has the absolute best lines in this series and no one can convince me otherwise.

even funnier that he asked the vegetarian pf the group for meat lmao

Does make you wonder how Azula was able to fry Zuko later. If lightning generations requires no emotion, how did she do it when she was clearly unhinged?

@@artsman412 Perhaps even a mentally unhinged person could have calmness for a brief moment, like how a sane person could act crazy for a moment. I would imagine like a hurricane or storm that randomly gets calm in one random spot for brief moment.

@@artsman412 My take on it is that Azula just has the mentality. Despite being a fire-bender, she's cold, calculating, manipulating and unfeeling. That is just how her mind works, all the time. So despite being clearly unhinged, that doesn't change the way her mind fundamentally works. She's still cold, calculating, manipulating and unfeeling.. until the moment where she completely breaks down after Katara puts her on ice.

@@Dahxelb That does make a bit of sense, though I still question it a bit.

@@artsman412 I would add to it that "peace of mind" doesn't necessarily mean you're emotionless of empty of mind. Being without anger and such is a good start, but technically you could still be absolutely furious if your mind wasn't in conflict about it. Moreover, we seem to see throughout the series that you don't necessarily have to be fully in that mindset once you've learned it, in order to apply it in the moment. Otherwise, Aang would never be able to earthbend and airbend at the same time, as he does on multiple occasions. Sometimes he even uses them to complement each other in the same action, such as to cushion the fall of a rock with air as he takes hold of it to throw it in a new direction in The Drill.

Isn't he usually using it to direct "air slices" that smash the rocks, rather than actually making contact with the staff, though?

If he is, it must not be shown. My best example is season 2 episode 17 the earth king. And i will admit he is clearly using it as a conduit for his earthbending, just like zuko and the dude with the hammers did in Zuko Alone with theirs. But he IS still smacking rocks with it

He's bending it

Its a delicate instrument -loses it in almost every fight -uses it in almost all fights -flys through explosions -hits the ground with it even if airbending assists the hitting of the enimies Yeah really delicate Like Sakka's pride A suit of invisabke armor coats that staff till seasion 3

What do you mean? Which conflict is Toph avoiding here? I think Toph did go with the positive reinforcement, she told Aang it was impressive that he stood his ground even against her. And that really did work wonders.

@@MsRafanatic Not my reading really. I think she just tave him his proper dues after he faced the challenge head on her way. Toph just let Katara think that she used positive reinforcement because, and here comes my point, she also learned from Aang not to die on undeserving hills.

​@@willnash7907 And Toph realized that she can't force an earthbending mindset to Aang. When she found out that how Katara teaches him, she realized that Aang took to waterbending much easier because their philosophies and mindset is easy for an airbender to understand. So Toph needed to think outside the box and think like an airbender to find what would make one stand up for themselves. Hence why she acted like a jerk.

But that does mean she learned and adapted. And she definitely does absorb the attributes of the other elements, because she learns to be less rigid and more fluid eventually, and along with that she picks up sandbending

You're right, that is oddly funny.

"Nailed it."

@@cr0w342Unlike Zulo with the tea

Interesting how everyone else realizes it too and doesn’t want to break it either.

Dosent want it to break Pulls it out when dudes have swords *seems legit* -.- XD

nah I remember one fight scene where he kinda throws it at Zuko, Zuko diverts it and the stick goes offscreen, all in a matter of seconds.

That might hold water, except even before he gets the new one he uses this one (along with his bending) to break rocks. The attack on the castle in Ba Sing Se.

@@VanillastumpAang is a complete clutz pass it on

Finnally someone gets it You can apply these techniques to real life, not the stances But the logic You cant control the power, but you can control your interacting with it You might even summon it But you dont control it

​@@donovanulrich348 @techfreak1182 Very wise comments from both of you.

Good comparison

Good comparison

Good comparison

Good comparison

G R E A T comparison

He wasent called the dragon of the west for show He litterally could have fought the 2 dragons we see in seasion 3 And might have won

@@donovanulrich348 didn't he actually learn from those dragons and keep their existence a secret though?

He lied about killing the dragon so others wouldn't go after them (and for the sweet title)

@@donovanulrich348 He didn't actually fight them, he learned from them and pretended he killed them to preserve them. Though, if anyone in the fire nation could solo a dragon, it would be Iroh (or Ozai, I guess).

Both physically and mentally

This reminds me of the theory that if Aang had died (which some people refer to as he was SUPPOSED to die), who would have been the next Avatar in the cycle? I know it can't be Iroh, because it'd have to be a water bender, and many theories suggest it would've been Katara. I'm not sure how much I like that theory personally, but it would be interesting to hear OA's thoughts on it.

@@kimwasalreadytaken it couldn't have been katara. If aang died when he ran away, then his spirit would've been sucked into the first waterbenders born at that exact moment. Which was 100 years ago. The only way tht theory makes any sense is if aang got trapped in an iceberg for 86 years and died, then his spirit would've been reborn into katara (I forget, but I assume katara was 14).

@@ferdinandvillafuerte468 I completely agree! It's why I'm not sure how much I like the theory - but nonetheless, I would like to hear his thoughts on it at some point

but now that i'm thinking about it, if aang died when he ran away, it's possible that the avatar spirit would have gotten into Hama or Pakku. Assuming they're the right age, considering they're the most powerful waterbenders that may have been born around the same time the war started, then they would've likely been the next avatar. 🤷‍♂️

@@kimwasalreadytaken I've seen a lil' neat theory once about how the next Avatar might've been Yue. She was supposed to inherit the Avatar spirit, but when it remained within Aang at the time of her birth, her physical body wasn't ready to function without it - hence the Moon Spirit shenanigans.

I also cried at water tribe part. Iroh's forgiving scene never fails me to cry.

Meanwhile the opportunist laughs at both morons before tripping and hitting himself on the head

Neat.

Pessimist: Zuko Optimist: Aang Realist: Iroh

Who is Ioh?

@@Thisisthegreatestatofalltime Misspelling of Iroh

It's so good T_T. I felt like it applicable even to adults as much as to kids

Ioh

I used part of his speech in my graduation speech... :)

their relationship and how they clearly care so much about each other destroys me.

Well that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever fucking read

I love how this personality trait carries over to Korra when she struggles with/finally learns airbending, too.

@@ember-brandt i never really got that though water bending and air bending have similar principles and mind set's which is why aang was naturally gifted at it while earth which is the antithesis to the teachings of air bending came difficult so why was it airbending that gave korra trouble of all elements it feels like they did that just for 'it was aangs best element how about she struggles with it"

Lol XD ^^^ Never seen Kora But yeah, why can a kid bend 3 elements Before mastering 1 Why not all 4 and she had difficulty with spirits. . . The point of the Avatar you know

@@justanothercommenterwithan9089 although she was a natural born water bender, her personality was much more similar to a fire bender, but as im typing this i realized that thats not the opposite of air bending so this theory doesn’t even make any sense

@@justanothercommenterwithan9089 Not only she had a more 'fiery' personality, I think one important thing even Iroh mention here is that the air nomads detached themselves from wordly concern, found peace and as we learn they are a very spiritual people, while Korra is very much grounded on the real world at the start and focused on how 'awesome' it is being the Avatar.

Basically, he doesn't pull a Korra and airbend randomly by throwing punches

@@xiNerdLordix aah, a fellow enjoyer of pretending korra doesnt exist

delicious writing 👨‍🍳💋👌

"average boulder material"

Jesus Christ, Marie, they're minerals!

@@Merlincat007 No, they're Dwayne.

not to be a d*ck here, but i literally curious, what is 7k lbs in kg?

@@dianputra7336 3175 kg

THANK YOU! This is some quality info, thanks for sharing

I was about to comment this, we’ve always called it “horse riding stance”

In karate we just called it "horse stance" so maybe the show got it from a similar source?

The full name could also just be specific to the place that I go to

yeah, many of the stances you see in eastern martial arts forms are meant for conditioning your body's muscles, and making your reflex movements almost second nature to the ones in the form.

Far enough that in LoK she can use the Great Swamp Tree to look upon the world like some sort of blind viking god.

Let's put like it's 2000 meter raduis

One could try to calculate this based on the energy released by the vibrations she has sensed at what distance to get an idea of what she should be capable of seeing. I would volunteer Austin from game theory.

Yeah in Legend of Korra her seismic sense was global so... I'd think it's pretty far at this point in the story.

@Isaiah Stovall we do kinda know actually . She didn’t spot the drill for a very long time and it creates a lot vibration

Aang is so clear of mind he could learn to direct lightning Zuko already thinks hes the best and capable of the technique Its because you need to train your student accordingly Aang needs a spine, Zuko needs to learn to bow his head more often

Exactly

Aang gets it in the end of the episode, Zuko doesn't

@MPROX, precisely

@@donovanulrich348 I personally don't see it as Zuko being full of himself thinking that he's the best, I see it as him seeing a chance to finally do something that Azula can do, and failing once again. Zuko has always failed to measure up to Azula, his prodigy sister, which I think his self worth is most definitely tied to, and his failure in this episode to direct lightning is a culmination of that and resulted in his lowest point at the end.

The universe doesn't care, the universe gives nothing but cold indifference.

My guess would be the issue with water/fire is that water is all about guiding water and going with it's natural flow, while fire is more about DEAR GOD DON'T LET THAT SHIT GET OUT OF HAND

@@purebloodedgriffin Fire is more forceful yeah, firebenders can apply their will to their surroundings whether that’s good or not, while Water is about adapting

@@somerandomfurry2169 yes i always saw fire bending mentality of biuld it up inside yourself then let it go as its core principle and guide it with the same passion that created it

Honestly The Avatar should struggle with 2 elements Air and earth ar opposites sure Nothing vs somthing But air + fire = fuck you XD A air Avatar should struggle with fire like Jongjong stressed Not because your weak in bending it but you amplify it Roku wuld struggle with water and air fo the same reasions He was a fire Avatar Keoshi air and water Water wouldnt be amplified but mud would be a easy middle ground to learn on for a Earth bender Same but opposite true for a water bending avatar

earth people are earthly, and air people are spiritual. people have always conflated spirit and air in ye olde classical elements manuscripts

I don’t mind the Wan stuff. It feels like a folk tale

I really liked the first half of LoK, because the industrialized world thing really had potential in world building. Like tech can do so much, who needs benders and the avatar. But then I was disappointed by straight and boring story design. LoK doesn't take the time it needs to describe feelings and situations, like atla does.

The entire LoK series is such a shame really. There was potential, but the writers tried to explain politics without understanding the ideologies they tried to critique, let me give one example of each book, because oh boi there is so much wrong with them, but here are my top contenders: Book 1: They tried critiqueing communists, yet failed to understand the entire ideology, and the - now - centuries-old movements happening all across the world. Like the analogy of bending being the problem doesn't make sense, because it's not redistributable, socialist movements in the avatar universe would call for people of all bending styles and non-benders alike equal socially, like they do IRL with different races. (Like if you actually think about it, the equalists are pretty much fascist, they differentiate based on this world's version of race.) Book 2: This is kinda of a weird one, but I would say it's about the third world's struggle with constant civil wars and globalism. And boy did they miss the mark... I really thought they had it for a second, when they were showing Varryck off as the war criminal villain, he is, but then nah, he is just a goofy dude bruh, and that's just one of the many problems. Book 3: Zaheer is supposed to be an anarchist, yet he doesn't know that a revolution needs people backing it to succeed. And like okay, maybe that's the point, he doesn't understand how societies work, but it's actually writers that don't understand jack: when the queen dies everybody starts rioting and setting fire to their homes, like, that just doesn't happen. (Movements can happen when leaders are changed, but it's not like they depict wtf) Book 4: At the end of the season it's literally fascist apologia, like "oh yeah I understand why you genocided people based on ethnicity and built nukes and shit, you were just sad". I would've been fine with the political tone, IF the writers understood anything about politics... or sociology. There's just so much wrong with how they depict different ideologies like damn... And to think this is why the self-adventures got a backseat is just sad really. The animations looked dope though, gotta give credit where credit's due.

@@mcduckington i always thought you were supposed to find the equalists akin to racists

@@gotoShiba01 Well, they are pretty much the communist boogiman: people who are sour and not reacting to a wide range of problems in society and just want to take and pillage, lead by people who are powerhungry and not people who actually believe in the change they fight for. And when we apply neoliberal capitalist democracy everything is perfect and nobody is rioting anymore.

When I watched the finale for the first time I fully expected that to happen. when she was still able to do it it did feel inconsistent to me

I honestly think Iroh would have ended the war if he was elected fire lord with a Hair behind him He didnt believe in the war Azula wasent wrong, if he honestly though the people he was fighting were the problem why stop? But he disnt believe in the war effort Daddy said so And he lost his son, because he couldnt tell his own father no Iroh was already Dragon of the west And spared the 2 living dragons So he was a White lotas member And the white lotas dont see borders in wisdom/knowledge Why agree to a war weakining the 3 remaining nations

Iroh learned a lot from the spirit world You have to imagine it made him stronger with not just bending But the midset behind the understanding

Iroh's speech about the four elements and their respective nations is one of the best moments in the entire series imo, easily top 10.

Then a at the end of book 2 they double down And dont give Aang a eye hole in the gem armor Genius, he mastered seismic visualization from Toph But only in intense situations Like session finales XD -.-

​@@donovanulrich348I'm pretty sure he has eye holes in his gem suit

One of only 2 videos ive seen that truly unnerved me was a horse grazing on grass. Without missing a beat it ate a baby chick & continued on like nothing happened. Horrifying.

Nah man youre spot on. Theres no magic hidden bloodline power or super ninja scrolls that just give these characters a brand new ability. Its because theyre taking the time to perfect the craft, applying it in different ways. These kids are training whenever they can, training with the only person who can use an almost extinct element, and doing everything they can to hone him to his best. Theyre doing everything they can to make this 12 year old kid ready for a life or death fight, and in doing so are forced to apply their own skills in different and better ways in order to train him better. And in doing so, their understanding of their own element and abilities changes.

@@ac3ofangels897 This. Why hasn’t metal bending and blood bending been discovered already? Because no other benders traveling the world, learning, practicing, fighting, on a daily basis. Why is Iroh wiser than Ozai even though they’re brothers? Because Iroh grew from his experiences. Ozai might’ve changed too if he had a chance to travel.

He uses emotion He dosent let it rule him But check that shit at the north pole All fire bending weaker, Zuko's blasts noticeably smaller And Iroh jumps in with the biggest fire blasts of the seasion At night, during the full moon Chill Iroh, your gonna explode dog XD

The creators admited it was a goof, but only discovered when the scene was already fully animated and all, they couldn' redo it

I always thought it was just Toph’s way of being cheeky