The line where Aang said "if we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends?" in The Blue Spirit really hits different in this episode. I know some people don’t like the Legend of Korra, but I think it’s really cool how Toph asking Aang if he thinks friendships can last multiple lifetimes kind of foreshadowed Korra being trained by her in the future. I like how instead of struggling with firebending, Korra struggled with airbending. It’s not just ‘the opposite element’ but the opposing ideals. Aang originally didn't have the means to be an earthbender, he’s free and adaptable. Earthbenders are stubborn and hard minded. Korra was short tempered and determined and outspoken. The opposite to airbenders. If you noticed at the beginning, Roku trips backwards over a tree root. Sozin stops his fall, but then let's him fall over in the end. This is a direct foreshadowing of the end of the episode. Sozin came to Roku's aid during the volcano eruption but ending up letting him "fall" in the end. Brilliant visuals. Like how in every shot of Zuko, he is shown to be behind bars and in the dark, while Iroh is always shown to be in the light and free. Even though Iroh is the one in jail, Zuko is the one who is mentally trapped.
"Do you really think Friendships can last more than one lifetime?" I was NOT expecting tears streaming down my face in the final moments of this video. "Nice to see you again. Twinkle Toes."
Sozin's name, spelt as 蘇進 in Chinese, translates to "revival and progress" and is closely related to the Persian name Souzan, which means fire. What happened to Roku's island is exactly what happened to the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean. In July 1995, the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano became active. Eruptions destroyed the former Georgian-era capital city of Plymouth and buried it in ash by a series of pyroclastic flows and lahars. Two-thirds of the population was forced to flee primarily to the UK, and the majority of the island became an exclusion zone because of the volcano's dome, with visitors generally not permitted in the zone unless you have special permission like if you're a scientist. When it comes to the background designs for each episode of the show, the creators said this episode was the most complex featured more new backgrounds than any other episode of the series, in addition to the crew also having to deal with the challenges of visually and narratively depicting Roku, Roku's wife, and Sozin throughout various points in their lives. The background of an iceberg in the South Pole seen during Sozin's flashback of searching for Aang was based on a photo sound designer Benjamin Wynn took while in Antarctica. Needing to depict the submerged portion of an iceberg in the actual episode, creator Bryan Konietzko flipped the original image of the visible icy mass upside-down.
Roku always seems so calm, but he's the guy that blows up buildings when he feels disrespected. Meanwhile Kyoshi is like "screw you guys, I'm taking my whole town and leaving"
Great episode. It makes you care about 2 new characters and their entire journey in just over 20 minutes. Granted we already knew Roku at this point, we never got such a detailed account of his backstory. Zuko’s ancestry reveal is also awesome and a key moment in his journey that will affect his actions going forward.
my favorite episode of the series. a perfect reminder for me on the concept of history. you should always revisit the past but never dwell on the past. one thing that always puzzled me when roku was battling the volcano...why wasn't he water bending? 😳
You are absolutely delightful! My boyfriend Ethan and I are both huge fans of the show and your performance, (Toph is my favorite), and it's such a delight to watch you watch the show lol. Thank you!!!
Maddox is SO CUTE! Also... man, this is one of my favorite episodes. I love the dual perspectives that have been used so much with Aang and Zuko, and the line 'Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?' gives me chills (and sets up great stuff later)
yo Michaela! huge fan of ur channel and atla and tlok! Just wanted to say smth, my bsf died a few weeks ago and I was incredibly depressed and ur vids really cheered me up and made me feel a lot better! if you see this comment, I just want u to know ur a really nice person. keep up the great content!
Circumstances and choices. Both shape us. There are two states of being: things which act and things which are acted upon. Sometimes we allow others things to act upon us, but we have the ability to act-to shape our lives and the world around us.
Maddox is a sweetie. So last time Zuko saw Iroh was here I think before he meets up at the end? Sozin's desire doesn't sound bad, to unite the world under peace and prosperity and share the wonderful things going on but doing it forcefully doesn't quite turn out well for everyone. The two brothers torn apart by how they were raised trope is always a fascinating one to me. I think we are shaped by our experiences and that is compounded by each interaction.
I've got my hibiscus tea and honey (I think I accidentally boiled my honey omg what happened) and my rice with with soy sauce and chili powder in my limited-edition Atla bowl, i am so ready
Best part of this episode: Maddox for sure. Also the actual ATLA episode has one of the most impressive displays of bending in the entire show, imo, but it’s hardly ever talked about. Sozin is bending the physical heat away from the lava and just turning it into solidified rock
6:48 to answer your question. Sozin’s anger came from jealousy because he wanted to be the Avatar. When Roku was selected, at first Sozin was chill, until he felt that Roku went against him when he didn’t see the same vision that he did. Led to conflict. And then betrayal when Sozin left Roku to die during the volcano eruption
Your dog is so adorable! All hail the mighty Mr. Maddox! I adore this episode! It’s my second favorite of Season 3. Been watching these tea times and I’m really enjoying them! I grew up watching ATLA and I always enjoyed Toph. She’s my favorite character! Thanks for doing these!
6:55 I think it was the fact that while Roku grew up learning to bend all four elements, Sozin was being directly influenced by his advisors, the royal family, or many people who believed that the Fire Nation needed to expand. The anger is most likely from the fact that both men were raised by two different lifestyles and by the time they got to have conversations or speak face-to-face about it, their motives and personal feelings had already been kept divided and away from each other for far too long. Reasoning with each other wasn't an option and both of them fought. 7:30 Also, since Kyoshi was the Avatar before Roku, I wonder what her reaction from the spirit realm would have been like. There are a few pieces of fan art that were illustrated that are pretty entertaining. Roku: "I'm letting you go because of our past friendship." Kyoshi: "Right... how's that working out?"
Loved this episode on the story of Roku and Sozin. I always get teary eyed when Roku’s Dragon, Fang chose to die with him. 😢 Speaking of animals, I don’t know how you got through it without completely coddling your dog, Michaela. You know, more than you already were. XD I can’t go 5 min without cuddling my own dog whenever he decides to rest on the couch with me. He’s just so cuddly.
I can’t wait until I’m old enough to pull of the Roku look Seeing him disappear at the beginning of every episode always kinda crushed me as a kid , his silhouette was so iconic , and I wanted to know who he was …. But as a kid I didn’t see season 2 or 3 , I finished the series a few days ago This episode was by far my favourite, getting to see the mysterious avatar I always wanted to see as a kid was great , and the part where he mastered all 4 elements and controlled them simultaneously was the AWESOME
Oo! I'll have to try out Cherry tea... Hang on, are we just glossing over the part where Rokus airbender friend was Gyatso? The choices done with the framing in the Zuko-Iroh scene; where Iroh is the one imprisoned but it's Zuko that is "shot" through the bars. so great!
12:41 In the words of Lucy Gray Baird in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, “I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.”
Ron Perlman voiced Sozin, Deathstroke, Mr.Lancer from Danny Phantom, and later on Optimus Primal from Power Of The Prime's and then Transformers Rise Of The Beasts.
I definitely feel like this change in ideas with Sozin came when Roku left to spend years learning all 4 elements... not excusing Sozin, but its similar to going to a different high school/college as a childhood friend and then meeting up again and they're a completely different person... usually though a childhood friend doesn't become a nationalist psycho
But usually the said friend isn't constantly entoured and pressured by people like that. Ideas like that don't come one day like by magic. While Roku was learning from various cultures and remained open, Sozin was more isolated and influenced. That doesn't excuse him one second but could explain it.
Toph: "Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?" Aang: "I don't see why not" Roku: "Some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes" Aang: "If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends?" Those lines hits harder each time you realized that "The Avatar and the Firelord" repeats itself, but with much brighter side. That and the fact that Zuko basically befriended the reincarnated version of his maternal great-grandfather, and both him and Toph met Aang again as Korra. If you think about it, the big question is, why Azulon, Sozin's son, matchmake his son Ozai with Ursa, granddaughter of Avatar Roku? Is there any some sort of will or something? Was Azulon know such fact beforehand? IDK
Michaela, there was a part in this episode when Roku did his earthbending training with Sud. The theory is that Sud is believed derive from the early concept design for Aang's earthbending teacher, who was originally going to be a male teacher, before creating Toph. Not sure if you knew, but I thought it was interesting.
Toph: “Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?” Many years later: "Nice to see you again Twinkle-Toes." Toph to Korra. I also love how this episode highlighted the very reason why Gyatso was so attached to Aang. It was because he grew up with Roku and found his friend again in Aang. 🥰
I like that Roku stood his ground and did as much as he could to prevent the volcano's superheated steam & debris from reaching his neighbors and loved ones. That shot of Roku creating a huge air sphere is my favorite of this episode. Unfortunately even if Fang did grab Roku and leave I think Roku was done for considering how damaging volcano dust/glass particles would be to his lungs. Lastly for those who say Roku would've been reprimanded in the spirit world by Kiyoshi for letting Sozin live, Kiyoshi formed the Dai Li who eventually became corrupt, caused trouble for the Gaang & sided with Azula, who nearly killed Aang & almost broke the reincarnation cycle.
There's a great line in the Yangchen books, "Threatening the Avatar with regrets was like trying to drown a Fish." None of them are without mistakes or choices they wish they had made one way or another. They aren't going to reprimand each other like that.
It was quite a twist when I first found out that Zuko was a descendent of an Avatar. Also, Maddox is so freaking adorable!🥰🥰🥰 I’m just a big sucker for dogs, especially puppies!
I keep forgetting that the actor who played Hellboy did the voice for Fire Lord Sozin since we'll most likely see the fire nation attacking the air temples in the live action series do you think they'll have dragons? And it's so cool that they pay off Toph's line about friendships lasting more than one lifetime in The Legend Of Korra
I just can't get over how good this episode is. I could easily watch an entire movie focusing on Sozin and Roku's friendship. It's crazy how in a way all this time, Zuko was hunting down and fighting his own great-grandfather!
I'm not sure where the name originally comes from, might be Dutch, or it could be from Afrikaans (my language) But Rooibos actually translates to "red bush" Pronounced like Roy-boss Just a fun fact...
I think by definition people are born inherently neutral. But we have some weird shift as individuals towards the "good" I know good is subjective but I can't see where empathy would be considered evil. With that in mind, it's considered abnormal to lack empathy. Therefore, the standard is to have empathy: a good thing.
i refuse to believe this episode is anything other than the result of fire lord sozin having an unrequited crush on roku, eventually asking him to rule along side him. its canon that sozin outlawed gay marriage in the fire nation, so its possible it was a ‘if i cant have it, no one can’ attitude that galvanized it.
“Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?”, that moment when you watching s3 korra and then you hear "hello twinkle toes"......that's tuff man 😭
What I never really understood is that Azula has the same grandparents as Zuko, but she's psychotic and all bad. It never looked like she was ever good (from Zuko's memories, so maybe there's bias there).
It depends on circumstances as well. Zuko took more after Ursa (Roku's side), and spent 3 years with Iroh. Azula took more after Ozai (Sozin's side), and was continuously under his tutelage
@@beckhambrooklynpenza1708 But even when they were kids Azula was a monster. Her words. It seemed that Zuko had some kindness in him when he was a kid.
@@coni3538 My argument still stands, I think Ozai groomed her from childhood to be the psychopathic weapon we see throughout the show, however I do believe she had some innate psychopathic traits herself, and Ozai just made them flourish
@@beckhambrooklynpenza1708 Ozai must have saw that flicker of "conquer the world" essense in her when she was little and did all that he could to nurture it. I haven't read the comics, but I wonder if the creators ever went into Alzua's backstory.
@@coni3538 I have read the most recent comic about Azula in the Spirit Temple, and it goes in some depth about her past and psyche. It shows visions of either her memory or imagination where Ozai was overjoyed that she started firebending at a very young age, and that she was his favorite child. And although Ozai lost his bending, Azula still speaks good of him, even though she does call him weak now
People can be born with mental disorders that makes them more capable of doing bad, but it is ultimately the people closest to us that inspire and shapes who we become.
It's complicated. There is so much that goes into making a person who they are even from birth. The genes, the history of their ancestors, what they went through, what they taught their children. I don't think it's as easy as people are born good or evil. People are taught by others and their surroundings. We definitely know that. Maybe it comes down to a matter of if what they're taught resonates enough to stick around throughout their years.
