Drive Until You Lose The Road

[redbrunja]

Okay, let's make this quick and dirty:

The bad:

I knew they were going to do the shipping that they did, but I still didn't like it. I don't think any of those problems that Mai/Zuko and Katara/Aang have were resolved, so it felt really, really fake to me. Especially the Kataang post-EIP. In Avatar, relationships usually feel so pasted on.

Aang. God, he was fucking annoying. I loved the resolution for the Fire Lord, but I hated that it took Aang three episodes of desperately trying to find someone to give him the answer he wanted while he whined about it to get there.

Forgoing finding out what happed to Zuko's mother so we could see Katara and Aang suck face.

The good:

Everything with Zuko. God, he is so much more interesting than Aang. I loved his fight with Azula, and how Katara dealt with her. The music was heartbreaking.

Fantastic season 2 finale homage. As my mother says upon seeing Zuko in Katara's arms: "Now what are they going to be about Mai?" (meaning, since Katara and Zuko are clearly meant for each other, and mama red loves Mai.)

Speaking of Azula, my heart was breaking. Seriously, Mai and Ty Lee betraying her totally fucked her up. I loved how she was shoving people away in an effort to get control, and just losing it more and more.

I was thrilled that Katara was the one to defeat Azula - I was afraid that Katara wouldn't get much to do in the finale.

Toph and Sokka and Suki (and especially that scene with Toph hanging from Sokka's fingers) was fantastic.

I adored Ty Lee going off with the Kyoshi warriors. That was just perfect.

Comments

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Oh, man . . . I started out as a Kataang shipper, but this? This leads to so very much awesome Zutara. He took lightning for her!

Also, the fucked up thing about Aang not wanting to take a life? When he crashed the airship that Ozai had been on, he probably killed at least a few crewmembers. Perfectly innocent guys who were doing their job. And he couldn't deliver the killing blow to the jackass who tried to melt an entire nation into slag.

The bit with Ty Lee was perfect.

HE TOOK LIGHTNING FOR HER.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Yeah . . . I forgot about that. A bit of airbending, he could have kept them in the hive until everyone got a safe distance away.

Katara never really needed revenge. She needed closure. She needed the chance to look the bastard in the eye and make the decision for herself which path to take. And Zuko understood that.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

HE TOOK LIGHTNING FOR HER.

Rallying cry of Zutara. I know so many shippers o have switched allegiances based on the last couple of episodes, which should tell you something right there.

And I find Aang such a problematic hero, I can't even tell you. Mainly in that I don't think he's heroic, really.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

And we've seen this quite a few times now -- Zuko considers Katara the best one to have at his back in a fight. Even in the training exercise, he picked her to go with him. Their fight scenes (against each other and together) have enough passion that it easily translates into something else.

Zuko . . . with everything he's been through, the girl for him is a) One he trusts to watch his back and b) One he knows is powerful enough to defend it.

That's Katara. I've got nothing against Mai, but Katara is Katara.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods*

The fact that they work so well together, and Zuko in particular knows it... just says so much.

And my problem with Mai and Zuko is that when we see them actually in a relationship, they made each other worse, not better, plus we never got to see if Mai actually changed her opinions about the war - last we heard, she was firmly on the 'fire nation is the greatest, you're a traitor Zuko.'

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Yeah . . . she's never actually left the Fire Nation; unlike Zuko, she's never actually seen the world, seen what it's like out there, seen what her country is doing. I can see how she'd feel that way -- being raised in the ruling class, weaned on propaganda when even her grandparents wouldn't remember a time when the Fire Nation was on its way to becoming the greatest -- the only -- nation on earth. Understandable, sympathetic in a way, but not someone who's really best for the position of power she'd have as the Fire Lord's wife. She wouldn't consider him a traitor now -- he's clearly working for the best interests of the people -- but I feel there'd still be a part of her that believed the basics of the propaganda.

Katara, he can trust with his life. He can trust her to do the right thing, even if her emotions are elsewhere. Your icon? She grabbed him and pulled him to safety even when she still pretty much hated him. And now . . . she'll even pull him into the group hugs.

[wolfhowlers.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

I know this probably comes off weird and random, but I would like to add on to your comment:

can you honestly imagine pairing yourself to someone who, despite your numerous attempts at impressing that person, doesn't even show a hint of appreciation or interest?

That's pretty much Maiko in a nutshell.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

She wouldn't consider him a traitor now -- he's clearly working for the best interests of the people -- but I feel there'd still be a part of her that believed the basics of the propaganda.

Yes. And I can't help but feel that that will get the Fire Nation into a lot of trouble in the future.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Well, that depends on how much power she has as Zuko's . . . well, just girlfriend for now. The wife of the Fire Lord, certainly, but just dating him, she wouldn't be able to do more than, perhaps, order some servants around. I think the issues would affect the relationship before they could affect the Fire Nation.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Well, we hope. ^_^

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I love hearing that.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Aang's already been responsible for lots of deaths. He only capsized a whole naval FLEET in freezing arctic waters. And then in DOBS when he cut several air ships out of the sky.

I guess he was just angsting over the willful intent of murder as opposed to blowing up an airship or tank with people inside it that you can't see, and thus don't look in the face when you kill them.

What's odd about the way Aang's was written is that Kyoshi herself said that there wasn't any real difference in war between causing death and murder, not when you're the all-powerful Avatar.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

And she said it was okay to do so, a necessary thing, controlling the nastier types to keep from disrupting the balance of the world.

And Aang did accept that he'd kill Ozai for about ten seconds, before he got the lionturtle loophole. But . . . he was still dodging too much in the fight. Wouldn't the better move to be to overwhelm him, stop him before he built up steam, so to speak, pinned him, and cut off his bending then? Instead of the extended "I'm not running away, no really" fight scene.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I keep changing my mind about this, depending on whose analysis I read.

I'm also kind of feeling like "He's just a kid!" and really, that's enough for me. I can forgive him a LOT because of that. Though that's not exactly a popular "reason" for the people who do OR who don't like Aang.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean.

And . . . he may be twelve, but he's not a kid anymore. Not really. None of them are. That's what war does to people, it ages them before their time.

Not to mention that he's a powerful bender in his own right, could take in the power of the comet like Ozai was, and has managed more in prior fights.

Like it or not, he's got a huge responsibility, and he can't just run off and go penguin sledding. I don't hate Aang, but I just can't help seeing the blood on his hands while he's saying he won't kill. I accept the blood, know it's there for a damn good reason, but it gets frustrating sometimes.

Also, regarding Katara feeling confused back in Ember Island Players -- she's fourteen. No one feels certain about love when they're fourteen. It's a floaty kind of crush or quiet friendship, but no dead certainty like Aang seemed to be expecting. Not to mention, no one feels certain about the love they had when they were fourteen, ten years down the road. . .

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

but he's not a kid anymore. Not really. None of them are. That's what war does to people, it ages them before their time.

No, but he IS still a kid. Shit can happen to you when you're a child, and you may lose some some of your innocence, but that doesn't magically make you any older, it doesn't give you any higher ability to reason out complex ideas, differentiate between fiction and reality, or make mature decisions. Zuko, Sokka... they're 15-16-17, not kids anymore. Katara? Edging very very close at 14-15. 12-13 is still a world away from 16-17, and he *is* a child. He still thinks, behaves, and reasons like a kid.

In DOBS, Zuko himself said that starting an Agni Kai with a thirteen year old boy was "cruel and wrong", and that he was picking a duel with "a child."

And that is EXACTLY what the final battle was: Ozai dueling a thirteen year old child.

And the thing with kids is... where do you draw the line of responsibility? Yes, he accepted responsibility of being Avatar. As best as he could. Yes, he tried, and yes, he succeeded, but none of that makes him an adult. And ultimately, I don't even know if "accepting" responsibility really means to a 13 year old what it means to a 17 year old.

And if he hadn't succeeded, I don't think I would have, seriously and honestly, held it against him. Because he's not a grown up, but he is fighting a grown up fight. It's not a mistake that with the exception of Toph, every single ally is older than him.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't the better move to be to overwhelm him, stop him before he built up steam, so to speak, pinned him, and cut off his bending then? Instead of the extended "I'm not running away, no really" fight scene.

YES! So much of the problems with the episode are because of HOW they did it, not because o WHAT they did.

[renegadekitsune.livejournal.com]

I am too pissed for words. I WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO URSA GOD DAMMIT! You can't do that to me Mike and Bryan!

(My brother watched it when it replayed again, he came up to my room and goes "That can't be the end. They left too much unanswerd."

ROAR.

HE TOOK LIGHTNING FOR HER!!!

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

ME TOO!

And that seems to be the rallying cry for Zutara. HE TOOK LIGHTNING!

[nephthysmoon.livejournal.com]

I was so disappointed. Aang really pissed me off. I spent the entire finale annoyed with him - but I've been annoyed with him for most of this season. I thought the whole damn thing was LAME!

EPIC FAIL, BRYKE!

And I won't even get into the shipping, because that is a whole side vent.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Hell yeah.

And I think Aangs lameness is what makes the shipping so hard to stomach.

[keirelle.livejournal.com]

Aang was pretty much infuriating. Might as well just forget The Guru ever happened, writers definitely didn't even pay it attention. Aang didn't have to let anything go, didn't have to sacrifice anything. Hero gets it all and doesn't have to worry.

Ursa > Kataang
Zuko > Aang

Also, dang. Poor Azula. I've never felt more sorry for her.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much for that comment! You totally clarified something that was bugging the hell out of me, and which I'm going to yammer more about in my next post.

Ursa > Kataang
Zuko > Aang

Word.

[superlazygirl.livejournal.com]

I agree that Katara beating Azula was AWESOME and omg Azula's final moments were just alkasldkjfsja OH SHOW <3

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

It was. Some of the best fights take the least time. (Like, how the Agni Ki was a quarter of the time of the Ozai/Avatar fight, but ten billion times more heartbreaking.)

[yumi-maki.livejournal.com]

Azula is a poor, poor soul - I actually thought that they would show what happened to her but they only showed Ozai.

I felt bad for Aang (not because of the killing thing) but because at the end of it all, he just didn't appear happy. I don't know - I'm not mad at Bryke, I get what they were trying to do.

Btw, Sokka, Toph and Suki are so awesome. As is Iroh.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I really hated Azula for most of the series, but here? I really felt for her. In large part because of her voice actress. The uncontrolled sobbing when she's tied up? I've been there - where you can barely breath and can barely keep from screaming.

What made you think he wasn't happy, if I may ask?

[yumi-maki.livejournal.com]

How could you not? She was crying - I really didn't expect that.

His expressions mostly - even after the battle, he still appeared troubled. He never seemed truly pleased that it was all over.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Ah.

[iapetusneume.livejournal.com]

My favorite parts in the finale were Zuko and Iroh first seeing each other again, and the whole sequence of Zuko vs. Azula and Katara vs. Azula. I actually teared up for the Zuko Iroh reunion.

Close seconds to favorite parts would be Sokka coming up with the plan to take down all the airships, and the events that followed to do it.

And even though I am a Aang/Katara fan, I think would have rather found out what happened to Ursa than see Katara and Aang kiss.

Now I want to write fic! I haven't felt this way in ages.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Those were my high points as well.

And even though I am a Aang/Katara fan, I think would have rather found out what happened to Ursa than see Katara and Aang kiss.

*nods* I'm not a Katara/Aang fan, but even if I were, I would be disappointed in how that played out. It didn't answer the questions that it raised, and frankly, I didn't think Aang even earned Katara. I don't mean that in that she's a prize, but in that I didn't see him become the kind of person to change her confusion to clarity, and the last five minutes felt horribly rushed.

[iapetusneume.livejournal.com]

I would have been much more satisfied if they left shipping out of it completely. But maybe it's because I'm one of those people who don't need my pairing to be canon for me to ship it... I dunno.

Or maybe it's, again, because I don't like the idea of reading fic for any of them until they're older. I'm not cool with them getting together now! Aang is 13! I'd rather read fic of them getting more romantically involved when they're older.

(I am seriously considering writing post-series fic. If I do, there will be canon Aang/Katara, but it won't be the focus and it'll probably be like middle-school romance. Which is to say, nothing like the real thing.

But yeah, there probably won't be a lot of that in there. But you know what I mean?)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I do know what you mean. I don't need my pairing to be canon either, but right now I have no desire to write fic, because I don't want to have to deal with the (very easy, admitadly) writing my characters out of relationships, you know?

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I was more into Aang/Katara in the beginning of this season by the end. I still can't quite believe that they outright voiced the issues of that relationship in 3x17 and then just skipped over them at the end. I really would have liked to see them work through it.

I can see that Zuko/Mai was resolved too quickly, but the end scene with them basically mimicked their entire relationship pattern (teenagers!) so actually, I was okay with it. I was more annoyed that Mai was presented as a Gift With Purchase for Zuko getting the throne. They could have written that with more elegance--I never before regarded Mai as a 'prize' style female character but that's what they turned her into.


I liked a lot of things about Aang (badass avatar fighting!), but I was disappointed that he never confronted his issues with letting go of the people like KAtara he's dependent on, and the only reason he faced Ozai alone was because he was unconsciously/unwillingly separated from them. I also agree with the folk who say that Aang wasn't ultimately required to sacrifice his beliefs or change or grow. I consider this a flaw by the writers, for having Aang's personality too much embody the main philosophy of the show. Aang's philosophy = the show's philosophy from day 1, so he never had to grow into it. It shaped itself around him. It was, actually, a very "shonen manga" way to end it. He didn't change. Zuko had to change. Katara had to change. Sokka did as well, to a lesser degree, and in some ways Toph had ALREADY changed before joining the group.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I still can't quite believe that they outright voiced the issues of that relationship in 3x17 and then just skipped over them at the end. I really would have liked to see them work through it.


I know! It's like, rifle on the mantlepiece, people! I am so bitter that we were given NO indication for the last 14 episodes that Katara felt that way about Aang and then are expected to believe that she's suddenly all over that.

but I was disappointed that he never confronted his issues with letting go of the people like KAtara he's dependent on, and the only reason he faced Ozai alone was because he was unconsciously/unwillingly separated from them. I also agree with the folk who say that Aang wasn't ultimately required to sacrifice his beliefs or change or grow. I consider this a flaw by the writers, for having Aang's personality too much embody the main philosophy of the show. Aang's philosophy = the show's philosophy from day 1, so he never had to grow into it. It shaped itself around him. It was, actually, a very "shonen manga" way to end it.

Yes. The the episode before the finale in season 1 and 2, he was confronted with an issue (letting go of Katara, killing the Fire Lord) and the first was never dealt with functionally (he appeared to be controlling the avatar state without letting go of Katara) and the second he evades utterly. There are characters who can get away with lying or not having their facts straight, but the mentor types who never have the credibility taken away are not one of them.

Also, I feel like there is a story behind your icon that I want to know. Am I right?

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Ahh yes, my icon to out myself! I generally don't use pictures of me, but I fancied one up for my gratuitous picture spam (http://rashaka.livejournal.com/1342605.html) so I could show some people at comic con what I look like this weekend.

The "spy no jutsu" part was just because I always wanted to be a spy.


...I could be one now, and maybe I actually succeeded at that dream, and the icon is just my meta way of laughing at the internet because they don't know the truth...

Or it could just be an icon.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I respond with my super!spy icon.

[mshepnj.livejournal.com]

Aang's philosophy = the show's philosophy from day 1, so he never had to grow into it. It shaped itself around him.

Which is why - for me (and probably a lot of others) - Zuko's story was more compelling over the term of the series.

Aang is "works-in-a-box"...well, in an iceberg, from the moment he emerges. He's spiritually complete and except or some personal moments of doubt, and normal childish fears (and behaviors) hesitation and indecisiveness, he doesn't have anywhere to grow - spiritually. He doesn't have to compromise his ethics, but manages to make excuses when he does it unintentionally. I respect that he succeeded in finding a non-letal solution, but I feel like he was never really faced with any kind of moral challenge. I suppose this was meant to be a good thing, but to me it seems static.

Aang could have grown emotionally, but doesn't really. He's indecisive and hesitant to the end. He tries to postpone and deflect, and he practices avoidance - even of his own feelings about Katara - except for the moment when he kisses her in DoBS and they talk in EIP. He assumes she's his girl and then she says she's confused he kisses her hoping for a different ansnwer, perhaps.

Yeah, anyway he's 12/13 and if he were living in our culture he'd be in 7th/8th grade. I can't help thinking of Aang with a skateboard or pack of Pokemon cards hanging out in the court yard of my daughter's middle school with the other boys. I can't help thinking of his romantic feelings for Katara in the context either. So yeah, crushes I get. A 12/13 year old boy hanging out with a "girlfriend" at the school dance I get. Buying Valentines Day presents for each other I get. Awkward kisses I get.

But "Happily ever after" with his "forever girl", and passionate (seemingly endless) kiss at 12/13? Does not compute.