Airbender: The ending (And hook me up!)

[thistlechaser]

I'm not sure what to say or how to start this. There were some really really good parts of the ending/last four eps, but all in all I'm sorry to say I found the ending to be very unsatisfying.

It's not just that Aang didn't kill the firelord. That was understandable. It was in his character not to kill. However, all the avatar spirits inside him said to do it, even the airbender one said he had to put his mission before his own personal spirituality. Locking the lord's firebending abilities was an acceptable out... but that's exactly what it felt like: An out.

Azula's insanity was understandable, but it strongly felt like she went way too insane way too fast. The cause behind it was totally understandable, it should have even been predictable (love and frienship overcomes hate~!), but... but. I can understand where it came from, so I have no idea why it felt so unsatisfying. It almost seemed more plot-driven than character driven: They needed to get those secret police force members out of the way for the final battle, so she went crazy as an excuse to banish them all... and her advisors as well. Felt like another 'out', though this time taken by the writers instead of by a character.

From the very first time they got together, I hadn't believed the whole Zuko/Mai relationship. I had thought that Azula put Mai up to it as another way to control (or hurt) Zuko. Even at the end, in the final minutes, I expected her to turn around and say "Ha ha, fooled you!".

As for the good part, the whole Uncle Iroh/Zuko reunion was amazing. One of the best, perhaps the best, scenes I've ever seen on TV. Heartbreaking and wonderful and I cried and it hurt but it felt so good. Zuko's voice actor is amazing. (I'm tearing up again right now just thinking about it. The way Iroh pulled Zuko into a hug, the way Zuko's voice kept cracking, how they both were crying...)

Based on my viewing of the ending as a whole, I realized that for me, the whole series was about Zuko's redemption. Aang learning to use his powers and eventually saving the world was very much the weaker part of the story for me. That's not to say it was bad or all of it was terrible or anything like that, it's just that to me everything with Zuko was better, stronger, more emotional.

I want to rewatch the whole series, I'm sort of looking forward to doing so, but something about the ending has put me off it. The odd part is that I know that's not a fair reaction. Everything the characters did was understandable, it was just... unsatisfying. Would killing off the fire lord have been enough to change my feeling about that? I'm not sure, but I don't think so. The Zuko/Mai and Aang/Katara loving/kisses took away a lot for me. (Aang still feels like such a kid, not a sexual being in any way, the kiss just felt wrong.) I could almost see Zuko/Katara better than the two other couples.

I really wish I felt differently about the ending, I really did want to love it.

Anyway, hook me up! Good fics, good authors, good videos, good archives? How big is the Avatar fandom? And a question that's been bugging me since I started watching: Who in the world do people slash? I see no couple-potential at all. :/

Yay not worrying about spoilers anymore! *goes to hunt down fics and stuff*

Comments

[gmth.livejournal.com]

I'm not in the fandom and don't read the fic or know anything about it, but I've been a casual watcher of it with my son since it started. IMO, there's a lot of potential for the Zuko/Aang ship, at least when they were enemies. I don't know so much after Zuko turned. I guess I haven't shaken off the Snape/Harry, Harry/Lucius thing from HP all the way yet. Adversary ships are still very attractive to me. :-)

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Agreed, agreed, and agreed. I really didn't see the point of pairing Zuko up, and I'd much rather have seen Aang and Katara go out on the hug - though I'd add that the writers were very much aware of Zuko/Katara shippers, to the point of roasting them and other alternative shippers with a fanart slideshow at a con, which might have influenced their decision to end the series with definitive couples. It's another aspect of kids' shows that's harder for adult fans to swallow, I think - the idea that the first person you date as a teenager is your One True Love. It's right up there with the notion that a seventeen year old ruler is going to do just fine alone in a hostile and treacherous political environment.

I found the whole resolution rather meh, and the theme of "the four kingdoms must never be united, but there are things we can learn from each other" to be kind of weirdly "separate but equal." But the Iroh/Zuko reunion was everything to me. A friend got me to watch the show in the hopes that I would slash those two, being a fan of May/December relationships, but I just can't. It's a perfect, beautiful father/son relationship and I only want to picture them having tea and hugging.

I've been apprehensive about wading into the fandom, myself, since there are no couples I ship. I'd definitely be open to reading some well-written, plotty prequels or sequels if anyone recs some, however - and I might just have to write myself some Iroh backstory someday...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

But the Iroh/Zuko reunion was everything to me. A friend got me to watch the show in the hopes that I would slash those two, being a fan of May/December relationships, but I just can't.

That was the only potential couple I could see... and I didn't want to see it. It was the only close male-male relationship, and they were perfect as-is. Father/son was just right for them. I tried to imagine it evolving into more, but it doesn't work for me.

since there are no couples I ship

The only maybe-couple that might work for me, and it still might be a stretch, was Jet/Zuko. They did have some interactions, and it was interesting, but still... I'm sure a good fic could sell me on it, but as-is it's still a stretch. :/

though I'd add that the writers were very much aware of Zuko/Katara shippers, to the point of roasting them and other alternative shippers with a fanart slideshow at a con

I found a video of that! Was very amusing. :D

It's another aspect of kids' shows that's harder for adult fans to swallow, I think - the idea that the first person you date as a teenager is your One True Love. It's right up there with the notion that a seventeen year old ruler is going to do just fine alone in a hostile and treacherous political environment.

Yes and yes. But more to the point on the second one: That the new, young, ruler is going to do fine... when the old one is still alive, in the home nation, and accessible. How many of the old guard Fire Nation folks are going to like this "love and peace" idea? How many would turn to the old ruler, no matter that he no longer has his bending abilities?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I enjoy adversary ships and I have no issues at all with a difference in age (though in the case of Zuko/Aang it's not such a big one... eh, unless you count the 100 years he was frozen). I suppose that's my most likely ship, I just wish it would spark for me.

It's kind of surprising how hard of a time I'm having finding a fandom for this. Other than fanfic.net (ugh) I'm not finding much. No archives or anything. I wonder if the fandom isn't that active (or if I really am spoiled by HP). *keeps searching*

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

The only maybe-couple that might work for me, and it still might be a stretch, was Jet/Zuko.

Jet so had a crush on Zuko when he first met him :-D. And I find myself liking the idea of Sokka/Suki/Toph, though not enough to write it. I'm really not a fan of Zuko/Mai, but you just know they'll end up married - he 'owes' her for going to prison for him, and she's a proper social match, and in their circles, successful marriages have probably started with less. Though of course they'll both be having discreet affairs the other pretends not to notice by the time they're thirty.

That the new, young, ruler is going to do fine... when the old one is still alive, in the home nation, and accessible.

Not to mention that the old ruler's chosen heir is still alive as well. Yes, she's crazy, but not everyone would know that. That's just inviting factionism. I would have loved to see Iroh agreeing to give up his tea shop for a few years until Zuko was more firmly ensconced - or even to see some White Lotus members staying on as advisors.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I would have loved to see Iroh agreeing to give up his tea shop for a few years until Zuko was more firmly ensconced - or even to see some White Lotus members staying on as advisors.

Hell yes, to both parts. Guess that wouldn't work with "happily ever after" though, it'd imply things might not be perfect in the future.

And I find myself liking the idea of Sokka/Suki/Toph

My problem is that I generally dislike het and hate F/F, so that restricts my pairings further...

I'm really not a fan of Zuko/Mai, but you just know they'll end up married - he 'owes' her for going to prison for him, and she's a proper social match, and in their circles, successful marriages have probably started with less. Though of course they'll both be having discreet affairs the other pretends not to notice by the time they're thirty.

Unfortunately agreed, for all those reasons. Luckily I can buy Zuko as bi (heck, the vast majority of the unnamed "NPC" Firebenders come off as gay/bi to me), so I can happily see him having some lovers tucked away somewhere, for when Mai gets boring. Boring-er. :P

And I finally found some fandom stuff, fics and fanart and mailing lists and such! Yay! I haven't had time to read any fics yet, still sorting through pages and comms, but hopefully I'll find some good stuff. If so, I'll post links!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*dies* On Jet/Zuko (http://booter-freak.deviantart.com/art/Gagstrip-74-93963508)...

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

Far from seeing it as an out, some people's problem with Aang's sealing of the Fire Lord was that it was actually too cruel. Personally, I didn't have a problem with Aang destroying and disgracing Ozai instead of killing him. For the Fire Lord, a position pretty much defined by its awesome power, to have bending denied to him is a fate worse than death. Taking away his power (both mystical and political) was pretty much the most effective way of destroying him, better even than just killing him. He was an extremely charismatic leader: Killing him may have left his reputation and the spirit of his cause intact, making him a martyr; this, however, destroyed his ability to lead or wage war, severed his all-important influence, and reduced him to a harmless shell.

Also: Iron Toph rocked my face off.

Oh man, Avatar Shipping. Don't even open up that can of worms (too late, I know). Since you've seen the shipping slideshow, you might also look up the little omake short, "School Time Shipping". Like I've said, the creators are very aware of their fandom.

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

I try to keep a safe margin between myself and shippers, just for health reasons, but I'll admit that Tokka, Junroh, and Mai-Ty are guilty pleasures of mine...

Don't judge me.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I won't judge you, I was too busy trying to figure out who the heck "Junroh" was and how I totally couldn't remember a character with such a unique name. :P Google set me straight.

These darned ship names are killing me. I need to get the character names straight first! I started rewatching the series today, hopefully that'll help.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Far from seeing it as an out, some people's problem with Aang's sealing of the Fire Lord was that it was actually too cruel. Personally, I didn't have a problem with Aang destroying and disgracing Ozai instead of killing him. For the Fire Lord, a position pretty much defined by its awesome power, to have bending denied to him is a fate worse than death. Taking away his power (both mystical and political) was pretty much the most effective way of destroying him, better even than just killing him. He was an extremely charismatic leader: Killing him may have left his reputation and the spirit of his cause intact, making him a martyr; this, however, destroyed his ability to lead or wage war, severed his all-important influence, and reduced him to a harmless shell.

I've been thinking about all that since you posted it. I'm not sure if I agree, though I do see the logic in it.

One of the big themes of the series was 'hope'. So long as the Fire Lord is alive, there's hope. Could he get his powers back? (Is the Avatar the only one able to spirit bend? I don't recall if the lion-turtle-whatever had said that.) So long as the Fire Lord is alive, there's hope for something. However, it takes a certain person to... accept hope? See the power of it? Believe in it? 'Good guys' tend to do all that stuff, would the Fire Lord do it? It might depend on how strong he is, if/what kind/how much contact he gets with his former government people/subjects/whatever.

Worrying about him becoming a martyr is a good point. I'm just not sure if it outweighs the risk of keeping him alive. The Fire Nation was the strongest nation around, now they're all peace and love and flowers and stuff. Would that please the majority of the nation's people? How about the army/government/people who are/were in power before the change in lords?

Hm. He did call himself the Phoenix King, I wonder if there was anything to that. Maybe if Aang had killed him, he would have somehow risen again? Or maybe he had some sort of fire power/magic/trick/whatever in place to save him the moment he was about to be killed...

I appear to be in a slashy mood today. / / / /s for all!