My wife and I watch Avatar: The Last Airbender for the FIRST time || Book 3 FINALE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- Today my wife and I are watching the series finale of Avatar the Last Airbender, reacting to it, and giving out final thoughts on the show.
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i personally like that Katara was the one to defeat Azula because they’re character foils. they’re both the younger sibling, both excel at bending their element, both have no mother, but the only difference is that Katara had a loving father, while Azula had a manipulative and mentally/emotionally abusive one that just used her
Plus it great for Zuko’s arch. Azula had friends though fear and lost them because they care about someone more then the feared, Mai loved Zuko more and Ty lee loved Mai more. Zuko made friends and allies through trust and love. His philosophy beat hers, what he was taught made him weak actually made him stronger in the end since he had Katara at his side.
@@MrSophire Zuko basically won with the power of friendship, except not in a really stupid way like it usually works. lol
@@MrSophire Damn!! Well said sir, well said!! 😁👍🏆
It is easy to criticize the direction the writers went with but if you actually think about it this was the best option. At this point Zuko has already beaten Azula, the last move Azula had was lightning bending and we all know that is useless against Zuko. But the dark side of that is that if Azula fires lightning at Zuko there is only one thing that Zuko would do... redirect it and KILL AZULA!
They're also both royalty - being the daughters of the ruling families of their respective nations
I like that the reason Toph didn't have a life-changing adventure with Zuko is that she was the only one who didn't need it. Everyone else had preconceived notions about who Zuko was, but Toph was his first advocate from the Gaang. She's didn't need to have her mind changed about him.
She had something much better, she had a one on one talk with Iroh, who needs a life changing trip if you can have a cup of tea with Iroh himself?
@IKMS correction, she had stakes everyone that is not citicen from the fire nation had stakes in the war. What she did not had was a personal connection she lost no one nor she had any personal thing to prove in it.
@IKMS no stake? Ozai was literally going to wipe her nation in the finale
@@guilhermefreire8352 She told Aang the war wasn't her problem, and she said that knowing that her nation's suffering was growing. The thing about Toph is that she deals with things in a don't-give-a-crap way because she's strong enough and insensitive enough. If the worst happened she'd probably just escape and go live in seclusion. Even if she cares, she doesn't care *enough* unless someone confronts her about it.
@@AugustoEL Fair point--but it would have been nice to see Iroh give Toph some more advice. From what she tells Zuko, it sounds like her childhood was much lonelier than she let on to Iroh.
One of my favorite parts about the reunion with Uncle and Zuko is that it demonstrates just how much Zuko has grown as a person. In the first episode he wakes Uncle because he found the Avatar. In the finale, he patiently waits until Iroh has gotten his rest and is ready to see him. Just a cool little callback.
Also, the reunion mirrored when Zuko was begging for his father's forgiveness during their Agni Kai, until Iroh hugged him. Zuko was really scared because the last time he had to beg forgiveness was from his father and he got burned and banished. Iroh chose to embrace him and was proud of Zuko for doing the right thing. Just a little juxtaposition between Iroh and Ozai that I love.
Dude, Nice!
Wow i didnt think that
I didn’t notice this myself!!!
Man i’ve watched this show so many times, but your juxtaposition between Iroh and Ozai is spot on. Iroh really makes this show for me, and what you said completes that. Even though I didn’t think about that juxtaposition until you compared that.
@@olavtetteroo4204 I think what you said really goes to show how you can feel something without being 100% able to pinpoint exactly what it is
Azula's breakdown is even more heartbreaking when you remember that she's only 14 years old. 💔
Underrated comment. That bit always hit me hard.
Thank you!
@@MichaelLewisRyan bro
From what I remember, when the actress had to record that scene, they put her in the sound booth, started the recording and everyone left, to give her privacy. She reported that she had to dig deep into some personal stuff to make those cries real. I really like that she went to that length to make that scene as good as she could, and that the crew were sensitive and understanding enough to accommodate her.
@@MichaelLewisRyan tf
The Agni Kai was simply stunning. The music, the animation, and the poetry of Zuko Vs Azula was so emotional.
And it looked like Zuko was calm the entire time and Azula was frantic.
Absolutely this. I honestly think the Agni Kai was stronger than Aang's battle (though they are both top-notch) the beauty of the contrasting fire contrasting with the sadness of the music underscoring the tragedy of the whole situation: two siblings that with better parenting might have been really close having a deadly fight. With the context of Azula's decent into madness, she comes off as such a tragic figure in this fight to me.
@@velinion1 It's debatable about the stronger in the sense of the feelings portrayed, but anything else is Aang V Ozai. But I love how different the fights are. Majority of it was serene and calm for the Zuko V Azula. Especially for Zuko. The Aang V Ozai was just overwhelming power. The first half Ozai was overwhelmingly powerful then 2nd half Aang (Avatar State) was overwhelmingly powerful. More so than when Ozai was dominating. But he did fair very well against Avatar State Aang.
Yup, while Fire lord Osai vs Aang was epic, Azula vs Zuko was poetry in motion.
Zuko being willing to sacrifice himself to save Katara is how he beat Azula. He could have taken her in combat, but that doesn't sum up the totality of his character arc. Learning to have friends he's willing to defend is his real victory.
Helll yeah
Everyone saying won the fight cause he took the hit. Bruh no he didn’t yes in terms of story telling and character development and morality yeah he won. But he very much lost the fight itself.
@@brianlaureus well what I notice is the only reason she won is because she fought dirty, and he fight's with honor. So, poetic.
@@brianlaureus Technically, Azula lost the fight, as it was an Agni Kai, and she broke the rules by attacking someone outside of Zuko. As a side note, I like that Zuko got hurt so badly, because he had to use the technique in such a rush he wasn't able to make the path for the lightning through his stomach. You can see that it crosses through his heart, just like Uncle Iroh warned him against.
@@samuelvincent557 Having Azula break the rules is 100% in character though and both Zuko and Katara should have anticipated that.
I feel that you guys are missing that Zuko did beat Azula, she had to specifically target Katara because she was about to lose. Also him getting a scar from Azula on his chest helps complete the mirror comparison with, Aang who has the lighting scar on his back
Yeah he had her beat. I also think it's dumb when people get pissed at Katara for being in the way/ "stupid enough" to be close by. Zuko asked her to come with. What was she supposed to do? Leave the damn palace? Sometimes reaction people can be so damn stupid.
@@Goomyx1492 yeah she shouldn't LEAVE the palace but the creators deliberately had her run closer in the background literally before that last shot, which i personally thought could've been executed better ? like if we saw katara AND the palace people standing by to watch, then people would've also had less of a chance guessing that azula would target her too
@@Goomyx1492 she shouldve been to the side like she was right before it happened... she runs in like an idiot right before, it just didnt make much sense and was the dumbest thing katara has ever done 😂 still the best show ever
Ehhhh no he very much lost and katara took over he lost in a shitty way but he lost.
@@brianlaureus An Agni Kai is a traditional firebender honor duel between two firebenders. If other parties were allowed to be involved at all without consequences there would be no point of the duel and Zuko wouldn’t have his scar, you can see this by his uncle protecting him against Zhao and not his father. Also I don’t know what fight you watched but before Azula attacks Katara she is out of breath, disheveled and was already been knocked to the ground. Zuko has barely left his starting position and barely had to adjust his footing during a head on clash. If Katara wasn’t there for Azula to attack Zuko’s taunt would have worked and when she shot her lightning it would have been sent right back at her.
What's pretty interesting to think about is when Aang redirects Ozais lightning, there is a brief shot of surprise and shock on Ozais face. Because he only saw that move once before, when he tried to electrocute Zuko on the day of Black Sun. The day Zuko said he would find the Avatar and teach him what he knows. That look of shock on Ozais face is him realizing that Zuko did what he said he would do, and he couldn't believe it.
its a cool thought but im pretty sure he was surprised because he was about to get hit by lightning lol
I mean I’m sure it’s possible I’ve heard time can slow down for people in near death situations and their brain can process a lot, but I definitely took it more as an “oh shit I’m fucked” face
I also think that Ozai and Azula couldn't redirect lightning because they didn't think they'd ever need to. Now, Ozai is facing the lightning and *knows* he can't redirect it.
@@jl5574 And in that moment, he knew, he fucked up.
That is great context. That scene was already great but realizing the context. Makes it even deeper.
Dammit, the Zuko/Iroh reunion makes me cry like a baby every time. Prodigal son.
20:36 I heard that little quiver in your voice too, Holden.
saaaame
Toph invented metal bending.
Hama invented blood bending.
But Iroh invented tear bending.
@@LegioXXI no that was katara in the ember island play
Oddly enough, this finale actually did have one more episode than originally planned. This finale was originally three parts, but, as they were working on it, they realized they couldn't fit everything into just three episodes.
Also, you mentioned the music, so here's a fun fact: this set of episodes is the only time the show used a live orchestra instead of MIDI music. It was something the creators had wanted to do for a while, and it just so happened to work out that they could do it for the finale.
So glad you guys enjoyed it. I thought Holden would have more of an issue with Aang not wanting to kill, a lot of reactors see it as naïve or childish, but its more about wanting to do right by his culture being the last to carry the torch of his people.
Edit: **This is a rumor and likely untrue.**
So about Zuko's mom, I have heard from of the people who worked on the show they wanted to do a Edit:*4th season* as a prologue about finding Zuko's Mom and dealing with the after math of the war, but that turned into the live action movie due to nickelodeon that we don't talk about. Its bad, don't watch it, unless you want to watch very painful butchering of season 1. So that instead turned into the comic books which are great but obviously not as good as a full movie would have been.
I see where Jen is coming from with Katara defeating Azula instead of Zuko, but think about it from Azula's perspective, she was the ruler of her nation one of the best firebender ever, had to cheat to try and win an Agni Kai and sees someone selflessly sacrifice themselves for someone else and then is defeated as by someone she saw as a "Filthy Peasant". She saw true compassion and friendship before her eyes, something she never had with her friends Mai and Ty lee and I think that is what broke her and caused her to cry. All the power in the world doesn't fill a deep empty hole she has in her. We wouldn't have gotten that without it going the way it did. We could already see that he was gonna win, he was confident and calm and wasn't breaking a sweat while she was panting and ragged. I do think there is a lack of closure but with how she was he would never get that, defeating her wouldn't do that.
Some Trivia:
These episodes were fully orchestra, which they got because the musical composer Track Team throughout the show wanted one and were going to pay for themselves but the head of animation for Nickelodeon loved their ambition so much they gave them the budget for the full orchestra.
The Lion Turtle was a creature that was mentioned a few times in the show, In the Library episode, Aang hold a book and says "look at these weird lion turtle things." and sculptures of them appear in Master Pian Doa's Garden (Sokkas Master).
Also as a symbol of the progression of Aang's character the first episode of the series is titled "The Boy in the Iceberg" and the last episode is "Avatar Aang" Kinda showing the journey from just some boy to a fully realized avatar. Which despite your issues with him in season 1 I think his childish nature was good to show how much he had to grow.
I mean they can watch the live action if they want. At least they'll be paid for their time
@@silentassason i don't think they wanna waste their precious time watching a reality bad movie which they definitely will not like at all!
Edit: okay nevermind, apparently they will be reacting to the movie but i still kinda doubt that the money is gonna be worth it considering that they could also use that time to react to TLOK instead but i guess we just gonna have to wait and see how it gonna turn out
I completely agree with your opinion with them to use Katara. She got to see Zuko win in a way she never truly could with how she chose to be and that was with true friendship.
You sure do know about ATLA.
@@Blue_Ninja_Lover If you want to know even more, I'd highly recommend the TH-cam series Overanalyzing avatar.
No idea if someone's said this or if you'll even see this, but if you watch the Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula, you'll see Zuko uses a bunch of techniques borrowed from other bending styles, which is exactly what Iroh told him to do when he was teaching him lightning redirection. This, in a way, completes his story as a foil to Aang by making him a pseudo-avatar and completes his learning from his uncle and shows how much he's grown compared to Azula. Just a perfectly designed fight. Also, another perfect story wrap up, Zuko started the series with no one to care for and willing to sacrifice anyone to get his goal and he ended willing to sacrifice himself for someone who was a true friend.
Perfectly said.
Regarding the Avatar state:
Back in the episode with the Guru, it is explained that the earth chakra, located in the base of the spine, deals with and is blocked by fear.
When Azula killed Aang, she did so by firing a lightning bolt directly through his spine. His chakra was locked not just due to the injury but due to Aang's immense fear after the fact, having failed once again and in the worst way imaginable. The chakra was locked and thus his ability to use the Avatar state was as well.
This is also confirmed when Katara mentions sensing alot of energy being built up in Aang's back injury during the season 3 premiere (water healing uses the chakra pathways, as explained towards the end of season 1 in the North pole).
In the episodes prior to the fight, Aang visibly still had immense fear of facing Fire Lord Ozai, something which he overcame when he actually went to fight him. The rock hitting his injury was basically the last push needed to fully unlock the earth chakra, which in turn gave him access and control over the Avatar state again.
The different connections are never directly stated, but laid out in front of us over time so that we could piece it together ourselves.
It's some pretty ingenious storytelling over all.
So in short an a33pull?😂
God I forgot how dumb fan theories for this show can be. Inventing deep reasoning and philosophy for events in the show
@@Poosley it actually all connects tho. Accident or not it makes sense
@@ricardovao.3479 Guys is not quite as deep as that. Yes we're dealing with a show that has elemental benders, but Gurus are ALWAYS talking about Chakras and Chis. The very simple reality is that Getting hit by lightning jolted Aang so intensely, that he likely had a slight disc misalignment. And to someone who heals through water and has NO actual medical nor surgical knowledge "a build up of energy" is what a cluster of compressed nerves would appear to be. So when Aang got thrust into that rock it pushed his disc back into place and the sudden shock of that realignment triggered his Avatar State, because he was terrified. All this talk of mystical reasons why it happened and NO ONE seems to want to just believe that Aang had a cluster of nerves that were being compressed by a misaligned disc. as someone who actually has THAT exact issue, I can Tell you when you get readjusted you get a tingling shiver going through you, because the nerves are free to work without being blocked and circulation returns.
@@patrickcromwell7554 how is that better than other theories 💀💀💀. I mean its true but thats if your talking about real life. This is a show and the theory mentioned above connects points that were actually said in the show. This is just comparing a fictional cartoon to a real life situation. If your idea were to be true in the show, then all of the falls that aang took would have been deadly. So it doesnt really fit here
The ending makes me so proud of Aang, every time. Seeing how every little thing comes full circle at the end. Aang not only stuck up to his values, to his people, he also faced his biggest fear, the Avatar State, and won. It's really funny because had he given to the Avatar State/the other Avatars controlling his body and "giving justice" the way they see fit, Aang's spirit would have been "bendable" and he would have never mastered the ability to take someone's bending away. Back then really, it was something to behold, a show taking death seriously, showing that your progagonist could be kind and stick to their value through and through, and that killing wouldn't make them feel like a hero, even when it's killing "the bad guy". I really love the complexity of the ending, and in the end, Ozai's punishment is way worse than death (to him, I mean, because of the dude's ego). The ending, telling you that sticking up for what you believe in, fighting for it despite everything others think is what makes you THE STRONGEST person on earth, is really something. I just love Aang, my boy, he got everything he deserved. Carried Gyatso's legacy, his people's legacy. Got the girl. Got the fame. Got the friends. Got the power. 💖
As for Azula, I feel like her journey is really well explored in the comics, you should check them out. I feel like they adress her trauma and condition and all pretty well. Giving her some time to shine and all.
Common Aang appreciator W
I agree completely! it felt like complete justice for the airbenders. Aangs Airbender tradition didn't make him weak. In sticking to his people's teachings, he proved his spirit was incorruptible AND that Ozai was wrong. his people weren't weak just because they valued peace and life. I can't even say how much I love it.
@@anthonyjay8048 unrealistic? Listen to yo self
Love that Aang creates his own destiny despite using the other Avatars' knowledge. I believe that is every Avatar's destiny.
Take two seconds and think about what you just wrote
@@chand911 I think thats the point of the comment its meant to be "deep"
Lmaooo that’s rough buddy
@@chand911 I have a Lamborghini in my garage with a degree in Rocket Science right behind it. I read all 3 Avatar Books in one sitting. Get on my level.
@@Brandon.S.Brooker no wonder no human has hit Mars yet
Azula was mentally broken the moment Mai said "I love Zuko more than I fear you."
As a die hard avatar fan, it being my favorite cartoon all time. I love your honesty. I’ve always enjoyed all your videos and I’m just happy you guys gave my favorite show a chance.
Nah, they don't sound honest. They sound trying to be a hard ass Simon Cowell of reaction shows. It sounds fake as hell.
@@lilywong9672 as someone who’s been watching them for awhile, that’s not the case at all. I started watching this channel when it was “My Friend Watches”. Any comments or anything they do is how THEY enjoy the show. You want them to be quiet and boring? No let them have their fun, and if you don’t enjoy it then don’t watch. As for me, imma stay tuned for any future videos.
@@lilywong9672 If they weren’t being honest there’s no way they would’ve had so many criticisms.
This is probably the most real reaction channel I’ve come across.
@@lilywong9672 we watched this show when we were children and it hit right as we grew up with it. It’s not the same when you are mid 30s with developed criticism and used to clichés and overused tropes. I love Star Wars for example but if I were to sit down and watch it for the first time as a grown up now (1-6) I’d say it’s B+ series.
Nostalgia and a child brain have a lot to do with goating a series.
@@anglishbookcraft1516 I disagree, i showed my mom this when she was almost 40 years old and she has loved it every since and watched it repeatedly. it's pretty obvious that holden and jen just don't like animated media and it's very much skewing how they feel about things. they even said they have a hard time getting connected to animated media.
Most people don't realize how devastating it would be for Aang to kill Ozai. A lot of reactors say it's inevitable and annoying that Aang prolongs it, so I'm always satisfied that he never caved in to sacrifice his morals (and probably his state of mind).
Agreed. Aang killing Ozai would have also completely destroyed the air nomads as he was the last living airbender to pass on the air nomad legacy.
I think people constantly forget that Aang is literally 12 years old. Sure, they recognize he's a kid, but I dont think people realize that they wanted an actual child to murder a grown man who's also a psychopath. 😅
@@misskat7567 Even if Aang was older, I think it was unfair to disregard the fact that it goes against his culture and personal beliefs.
@@OpticalSorcerer Idk if I agree about this part - As Yang Chen said herself, this isn't about his culture and personal beliefs, it is about the world. Selfless duty requires him to sacrifice his own spiritual beliefs and needs. But I do agree it's the fact that he is 12 is what makes it even more devastating and hard.
@@farhansaber9330 I get that, though it shows how "right" and "wrong" are concepts based on perception. Roku spoke from personal decisions that led to his death, while Yang Chen and Kyoshi spoke of situations they had to deal with swiftly. Odds are even if an avatar like Kyoshi knew how to take away bending, she'd likely use it sparingly on enemies--or not at all. One may see that fate as worse than death, or worry that evil people could still harm/corrupt others even without their bending.
Aang made the best decision for his own mental health, and that's kinda what matters, seeing how Kuruk ended up.
The first two sequel books, "The Promise" and "The Search" are quick reads with beautiful artwork, and phenomenal followups to this series. The Promise is about postcolonial politics and Zuko's/Aang's attempts to make a better world out of the chaos the Fire Nation leaves. The Search is about Zuko's search for his mother, and you get more resolution with Azula. I really hope these are adapted eventually.
I hope Avatar Studios delves more into the post war stuff. Like as great as the Promise is and seeing how Zuko has nightmares because of so many failed assassination attempts, they never really helped us see what the Fire Nation citizenry thought or anything. I mean, they'd have to restructure the education system and prolly reeducate some adults since that's what they've been taught and I know Smoke and Shadows has dealt with some of the dissent the Fire Nation has with the post war, but that's still not really enough. And somehow 70 years later everything's fine?
i hope they even improved it, but i think it is highly likely that we will get seaon 4 of ATLA sometimes in the future
@@vailingbow1068 Yeah, an avatar movie about the post war stuff and especially Zukos search for his mother would have imo. been a great closure ...
We will get a few Avatar movies, but none will adapt the comics though ...
@@f1ll3rn It is highly unlikely, that there will be a season 4 and iirc. they even said that it will not happen.
That's what the comics are for. They tell the story between the end of the ATLA show and the beginning of LoK.
@@BestAnimeFreak Yeah. More post war stuff in the Fire Nation. The Search delves into Zuko's search for his mother so that's not something that needs attention anymore.
People don't love Soka because he's a comedic character, they love him because he's Batman. He's just a normal guy with no bending abilities, but always punching above his weight and often the unacknowledged leader and voice of maturity and reason, and he keeps at it despite getting no respect for what he does because he knows it's the right thing to do.
The man took out Fire Benders while they were superpowered by the comet with only his trusty sword and boomerang while saving Toph and doing it all with a busted leg. My guy is the truest champ of the series.
34:02 I love the attention to detail in the animation here. When Azula breathes fire, it actually dries up the water that her fire touches on the ground.
On that moment when Ozai tells Aang "you're weak just like the rest of your people. They did not deserve to exist in this world, in MY WORLD!" it always makes me feel that sadness in my throat. Like how far does somebody have to be to say about an entire group of people
Unfortunately, these days, it's becoming all too apparent how common that mindset really is... 😔
8:48 Aang couldn‘t access the avatar state since Azula hit him with lightning. That blocked one of his chakra. (Until Ozai unintentionally opened it again in the final battle.)
Aang mentioned that shortly before the invasion.
I just had this thought… hear me out. The lion turtle reopened the chakra using the energy bending and taught Aang how to use it. Aang never wanted to go into the avatar state unless he absolutely had to. When Ozai unintentionally hit him there he was injured or came very close to a serious injury and his past avatars took over (a defense mechanism) and also shown by the flashing of the past avatars. When they were about to kill ozai Aang took over again and the rest is history.
I feel like Zuko almost treats Katara like the sister he wanted to replace Azula. Azula and Katara are the same age and lost mothers at around the same time but one is caring and the other is manipulative. He definitely is shown to be protective and supporting of her similar to Sokka. Taking Katara with him to take out Azula is almost like him taking his adopted sister to help take out his real sister.
Stop with this adopted sister bs! 😂 zuko cared for azula and you could see that a lot and stop creating adopted sister narrative cause you mad that zuko and katara are literally perfect for each other and they connected in every sense of the way! Zuko replacing azula with katara might be the craziest made up theory ever😂! Katara was literally a mother to ang😂
@@johnnyboy509 You seem to be the one mad about something; mad that the creators themselves disagree with you.
Also everytime I see someone mention Katara being a mom to Aang I'm reminded of a meme I saw where it was a picture of Katara looking at Aang during their dance in "The Headband" and said "If my mom ever looked at me like this I would've called CPS".
@@nathanielreik6617 your whole made up adopted sister theory is based on zutara dislike and you know it! your like forcing this narrative because of that! Its oke if you dont ship them idc but this fake adopted sister stuff its not true what so ever haha! Zuko and katara complete each other in every sense of the way! fire and water / blue spirit and painted lady / sun and the moon / like i could go on and on… they were literally meant for each other but the writers did definitely mess up in the end with them in my opinion. I have literally nothing against your ship but the adopted sister stuff was way to made up for me to ignore…
@@Aangxious first of all i aint wasting my time reading this because if you think this adopted sister bs makes sense rest of your theory/perspective doesn’t make sense and i couldn’t care less for your made up theory.
@@johnnyboy509are you okay??? LMFAOOOO even the creators don’t agree with you or else they would have put it in the show. Stay MAD loser 🤣 Aang and katara forevaaaaa 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 nananana boo boo 😝
Ohhh snap!!! My fav part besides Aang combining all the elements in the Avatar state, but Zuko’s battle with his sister…the colors and the sound they used with their fire bending…one of the best things I’ve seen 🎉
Not the music? 🤦🏾♂️
@@cjjackson2423 your 100% right, I thought of that after I sent the comment…there’s so much more too. Especially when Uncle Iroh hugs Zuko after his apology speech…I still tear up every time
@@joshfuller7103 Honesty, I don't see how people don't tear up everytime 😅
I felt Zuko asked Katara to work with him on the mission against Azula because in his heart, he feared he couldn’t hurt his sister, despite everything she had done to him and to others. He had seen Katara fight and respected her water-bending mastery.
Let's go!!! It's been an exciting journey. Glad we could join you for the ride 😊
This show is so amazing and I love every bit of it. I think Azula was a victim of Ozai as well. By him focusing on her and isolating her from her mother, molding her into perfection, he taught her that friendship and kindness were weak. That she had to rule over everything. And it began to seep into her friendships, how she went about her life. Then when her friends betrayed her, and Ozai just as quickly was willing to toss her aside, she began to question herself. She had to IMAGINE her mother saying she loved her. And everything she built up for her father's approval shattered around her. She was only 14. Truly deserved better.
As for what happens to their mother and how things play out from here, the comics exist.
I love that the aang’s beam of light almost goes away symbolizing how close he was to betraying his beliefs and then sticking to them in the end
I actually only caught on this reaction that interestingly Roku's advice was possibly the most important one for Aang; to be DECISIVE. Because Aang was constantly being told by everyone else to bend to kill the fire lord, but he did not want to. For Roku to tell him to be decisive I feel allowed him to stick by his ideals and his monk upbringing.
It's also very similar to the beam that shot out when he got out of the iceberg, kinda symbolizing the completion of the job he's had since the moment he woke up (even if he didn't fully realize it at first).
The thing I'll mention about Book 1 again is, you can't have growth if you don't start in a different place. Book 1 establishes their youth, naivete and lack of worlds experience. Then as the show moves forward, you see Aang, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka grow into what they need to in order to face the realities of their world and situations. You need to see them as goofy children to appreciate what is to come.
Aang sticking to his core values in defeating the Firelord without killing him is something I carry into my life. In sticking to his core values the Universe delivered him the answer in the form of the Lion Turtle granting him the power to take the bending away. Loved it! Hope to see y’all do Korra; very dark, more mature, also really spiritual, and I LOVE the characters. A lot of great development for them.
I mean, lets be honest, if aang didnt had the amount of luck that the rock hit him exactly in the right spot to unlock his avatar state, his core values would have probably caused all of the earth benders to go extinct.
20:09 This scene never fails to make me tearbend.
Sokka’s not beloved because he’s comedic relief; his growth is evident as well. Started off skeptical of bending and spirituality, being the oldest boy and only warrior in his village-the weight of responsibility. He was sexist and through traveling the world with his sister and coming across warrior like Suki, he humbled himself.
In fact he got real with himself and recognized how insecure he’s felt. He’s a leader and his skepticism has helped the group plenty, like w/ Jet. He’s suffered loss like everyone else (lost his mom, not being with his father, lost his first love). He’s a protector, although he feels he hasn’t proved himself. He’s strategic and innovative. He stepped to Master Piandao with humility, and excelled because of his creativity. He’s always ready to give up, but he looks at his friends and he’s inspired to keep going. Sokka proved himself as an important member of the team and a vital piece in saving the world.
And let’s not forget he handled Sparky Sparky Boom Man and he orchestrated them taking out that fire-blimp fleet.
Uncle Iroh is probably one of the greatest characters ever made. Wise, kind, honored and experienced. You can tell how his priorities are just simple things. For me was amazing his answer on the reunion with Zuko because despite being bullied by him many times, he never once considered turning his back.
The final Agni Kai will always be my favorite fight. It's just so beautiful.
5:40 I wouldn't say Book 1 never took itself seriously. It has more lighthearted moments than the other two, but it definitely has serious moments as well. "Imprisoned", "The Storm", "The Blue Spirit", "The Waterbending Master", and "The Siege of the North, Parts 1 & 2" are some of the show's best episodes, all from Book 1.
Imprisoned is not one of the best. We get a better prison break with Boiling Rock
Small detail I feel like people don't often notice is at the end when Katara and Aang kiss: Aang doesn't move in for the kiss, but instead lets Katara initiate because he overstepped in Ember Island players and didn't want to presume again. Super small detail with such a high level of maturity and touching on the subject of consent. So good
Also they hug first which shows that first and foremost they are friends and they care for each other before any romance.
would've been better if he actually apologized to her before, but i agree that the writers tried to show Katara having some agency at the end
Just to nitpick when yall said you don't think you got to see emotional stuff like Zuko/Ty Lee/Azula/Mai around the campfire talking about their trauma in Book 1, literally in episode 3 Aang saw the remains of what was left of his home as well as seeing the skeleton of Monk Gyatso. Not to mention moments like The Storm as well.
Along with Legend of Korra, there are some awesome comics that show more of the aang gang directly after this and covers some of the things not entirely resolved, like Zuko's mom and Azula and other stuff.
I think they might use it for the Zuko or Gang grown up movie.
They did continue their story in the comic books
Watching you guys go on this journey has been absolutely amazing! You've rocketed to become one of my favorite reaction channels on TH-cam. I know there will be detractors to this idea but you guys should really really watch the sequel series Legend of Korra next. It has it's ups and downs but the highs it reaches rivals anything in the original series plus I think it will start in a place that is much closer to what you guys wanted out of season one of AtLA.
Can you explain how they became your favorite reactors? I'm just curious why you like them the most over the other reactors is all
If you guys do Legend of Korra at some point, it's good to note that each season was wrapped up as if it were the last season due to issues with the studio, but worth the watch, especially Season 3 (The best in my opinion).
Korra is so good, and imo a more mature show with more political intricacies. I think seasons 1, 3 and 4 are actually better than season 1 and 2 of ATLA.
Season 1 and 3 of legend of korra are some of the best stories in this universe
Season 3 of Korra is better than 95% of ATLA. I love it SO much
LoK is way better than AtLA
@@CrossOutBryce yall are heathens.
Zuko vs. Azula is my favorite fight in the series. I love everything about it, from the art/animation, to the story boarding, to the muffled sound design and dramatic music. Loved all of it.
Korra is way more anime-esque and has a lot of "teenage drama", as opposed to the "kid dynamic" in ATLA
A little too much at times (personally)
But also I think Korra has a lot of darker and more mature moments than TLA too.
There’s also a dog as a main character 👍 (hopefully this information pushes Jen into wanting to continue)
I’m in the minority who actually likes Korra better. LOVE ATLA, don’t twist my words. But the improved art style, the more adult themes, etc…Yeah that’s my jam.
@@1dudecrush can dig that.
20:42 The writing is so good that they are able to insert a really good joke into a very emotional scene and it doesn't ruin moment at all.
Really hope y’all watch Korra eventually. I absolutely love that show and I honestly think you two will like it more than this. Just knowing what y’all normally prefer
I've been making this exact comment on almost all of their Avatar vids. I 100% agree that they would like Korra much better than ATLA
@@TheoBrownMusic7 haha I was thinking the same thing! Legend of Korra just has that mature tone to it
Agree with this!
Couldn't disagree more. I don't see in no way how they would like the character of Korra, she is so entitled and bratty, yet super weak. Basically didn't win a single fight she engaged in besides with non benders. The "avatar team" wasn't as likeable as avatar. Could go on, but each his own.
@@fsociety7494 it's more so about the tone of the overall show. Korra as a character sucks. But I think they would enjoy the show from beginning to end, more. Especially season 3
The scene at the end when Zuko asks his father about his mother is to tease the 4 season that was scraped at the end. Fourth season would be about Team Avatar searching for Zukos mother, but at the end it was repurposed for series of comicbooks "The Search".
Based on your guy's main critique with ATLA I think you may like The Legend of Korra(Avatars sequel series) more, even though it does have a worse story imo, but it is more mature overall as Korra starts the show at 17. Season 3 of Korra is on par with Season 3 of ATLA in my opinion though.
hard agree.
I don't think it's that good, but it is good.
They'll hate S2, though. And probably s4. S3 IS the best of all Avatar, though.
Korra comes across as more bratty than Aang is childish, honestly. And she resets to entitled brat with every new season. In that regard I don't know how much they'll enjoy Legend of Korra. That's without adding other characters, story or the world itself into the equation. I find it hard to recommend for that reason though there are parts or moments here and there that are enjoyable.
I can't wait for the next series it's confirmed to be happening and this time with an earth bender
My big thing w/ Book 3 is that a lot of what people love about it just wouldn’t work without Books 1 & 2, in particular the heavy themes that are addressed.
You want to see contrast in where your characters end vs where they start to say they had a satisfying growth arc. People appreciate it easier in Zuko because he’s the villain initially, you expect him to be flawed. It makes us uncomfortable to see flaws in the heroes we’re because we identify with them easier and it’s tougher to acknowledge that EVERYONE, good or bad, is flawed. It’s in contrast w/ finale Aang that Book 1 Aang truly shines and vice versa. Seeing how his journey has shaped him without breaking his spirit, his morals and the Air Nomad philosophy and way of life.
And now when I start a new show and meet flawed characters I’m excited because I’m anticipating their growth and seeing how their journey informs that growth instead of being annoyed by them.
I'm glad you stuck to your guns and didn't flinch in expressing your feelings towards the show, and I'm also happy to see you came around by the end even if it took a little longer than some of us hardcore fans are used to. ATLA is one of my all time favorites, basically from minute one, but the different perspectives on how and why other folks feel the way they do is always interesting to hear and makes discussion about the show more interesting. I've definitely seen some other reactors cave and start pretending they like shows or songs or movies when you know they're not enjoying them. I'd rather have someone disagree with me truthfully than lie to me to satiate my emotions.
Funny that Holden said the same thing I always say after watching the series, what a journey. I loved the show from the beginning and they took their time, paced things so well that it felt like a journey and more importantly, an ending that felt deserved.
What a Journey. I'm sensing a different vibe from the editing in this video. I can tell you put a lot of hard work into this video.
Thank you! After 16- hours of fiddling with things under the hood and polishing it/making an intro that was WAY too complicated for a one time deal, I’m glad you noticed! 😂
@@DMFX1 Thank you for all the work, man!
Yall thought I wouldn't notice that at 32:20, lmaaaaoooo this gave me a good laugh. Had to rewind to make sure I wasn't trippin. 😂😂
So glad u guys enjoyed this series at the end! ❤️
i cry everytime i see azula cry at the end because she didnt change like zuko did. she couldnt because of her father. she wants friends and a happy family but strives to keep her father happy. zuko saw what he was doing was wrong and left leaving azula to take all the pressure...AGAIN. so seeing her cry i always cry because she wanted more for herself and didnt want to turn out how she did. truly a top villain and i love the show
Zuko and Iroh reuniting is sooo powerful. I ended up naming my son Zuko because his arc is so meaningful.
also Zuko and Katara definitely go well together.
Hearing Uncle Iroh get a shoutout at the beginning feels good, man. Such a wonderful character.
BTW, the actor (Dee Bradley Baker) who does all the animal noises for Appa and Momo plays all the Clones in Clone Wars. (shoutout to Rex)
When Aang gets told by Avatar Yang Chen that selfless duty requires he sacrifice his own spiritual needs and when Iroh says he’s gonna reconquer his tea shop and play Pi’Sho, I get teary eyed
One of the things I hope now with "Avatar Studios" being a thing, is that they can actually animate or retell parts of the comics stories for a wider audience now (Zuko's mom story and Azula's follow-up story), plus the new stories coming in 2024, "The Adult Aang Gang" animated movie, plus the follow up Korra movie, that prequel Avatar movie and a new follow up series, which would put it in a "modern day" style adventure.
By the way, there was an actually idea to make Katara and Zuko and item ("Zutara" if you will), but that fell to the way side, but the fandom ship is still strong to this day.
They've said they are not gonna adapt the comics storylines but will do other stories.
I hope we get to see Legend of Korra reactions. It's pretty divisive among fans, but personally I like it as much as this series
I like Uncle Iroh because he doesn't develop as a character. He is who he is all the way through. The only thing that changes is our understanding of Uncle Iroh, which I guess is kind of a "development" of a sort, but done opposite of what we usually see as character development.
The Zuko/Iroh reunion is by far my favorite moment in the entire show. Absolute perfection
Legend of Korra keeps the maturity lvl of season 3. Probably moreso, as the characters are older, and dealing with more complex situations that require more thought and smart choices.
The music for the last agni kai is heart wrenching and the creators did so to emphasize the reality of war to a child audience. This is not an epic battle, but an example of how war turns sibling against sibling. War forces children (Zuko is 16 and Azula/Katara are 14) to grow up and prepare themselves to battle to the death.
I just got done binging all of the reactions for the past 3 days… perfect timing
A small but subtle thing I love from part 1: when Zuko attacks Aang, there is no point at which the others even consider that he may have turned on them again. it's a small thing but it really shows how much trust they've built up
Glad y’all enjoyed, can’t wait for the next 1 if y’all get into LOK.🔥🔥🔥🔥
@@N1ghtb1ood LoK was not terrible. She isnt Aang and she wasnt supposed to be. Still not as good as ATLA though.
@@trevorhogen7761 facts. When I was a kid I refused to watch it cause it wasn’t aang lol. But I recently watched it and it’s actually pretty good. Just can’t compare the 2 cause Korra and aang are completely diff ppl
@@N1ghtb1ood first time watching LOK i didn't like it but when I actually settled down to watch it, i realized it was pretty good. Like really good, it's just suffering from ATLA comparison. The bar was too high
@@N1ghtb1ood Cry about it.
I personally absolutely love Korra. In many ways I think it is better than ATLA. They are both top quality. Not flawless but close
I think your audience members appreciate your honesty, I know I do. BUT... For the future, always remember that just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's being done poorly, and people will have thoughts about your criticism, I think you understand that's the way it goes as a reaction channel but seem to get caught up in the moment here and there. As with this series there can very well be thematic reasons or needs that had to be met for the show to stay on air.
..Unrelated, but I love how Jen always says 'I think that's an unpopular opinion' after saying something that's a strongly held belief by at least half the fandom 😂
exactly to all of this!
Imo, it made perfect sense for Katara to be the one to stop Azula. It's poetic because the whole point of Zukos story is that he beleives he has no honor, but it's Azula who has no honor by cheating. Every agni kai Zuko does w/ another firbender in the show, the other firebender cheats. Also, it's poetic that Zuko gets shocked by Azula to save Katara since he's essentially the cause of Azula shocking Aang in the crossroads episode while betraying Katara, (full circle). Theirs many more reasons why it makes sense, but It's best to rewatch the show & notice all the details to show the real poetry behind it.
Also, while it's less along the lines of normal media tropes, it's more healing for Zuko. I don't think there would have been ANYTHING healing to him about defeating Azula, because as we know not only is he a pretty gentle person at heart but he doesn't need to prove himself by comparing himself to his family, and doing so would just be worse for him. It's like if instead of cutting their family off, an abused person went their whole life obsessing over how to get one up on their family; he would never truly be free of them. He needed to be able to stand on his own and with his Found Family, and that's exactly what happens.
So it's important to note that when this aired it aired as a 2 hours special. They didn't split it into 4 episodes until reruns and DVD/digital release. The reason it feels wierd as ending points sometimes is cause they originally werent
Hope you guys watch Legend of Korra. It takes place in a more developed world, around 70 years after the ending of Avatar: TLA. Very underrated show compared to ATLA but not a bad show by any means. It actually has darker and more mature themes in the show.
The great thing about sokka is,mastered all four non bending forms of fighting,he became a skilled warrior in a world where folks control elements and still held his own
Actually Zuko and Iroh are the characters that everyone loves. Katara is pretty split with fan base I believe… but my favorite characters are Aang and Azula. Kataras up there too along with Suki.
i love avatar, love both interactions, but for the man himself got yourself a real one! Keep her close and always cherish even these moments, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Woah, having this video to be the last one for 2022 is so f'ing perfect! You guys are awesome! Thank you!
It's really amazing for me how I relate to all of your comments on the series, not only specifically on the ending !! I'm sure you'd like the Legend of Korra, it's less childish, Korra is more of a young adult avatar so it really changes the perspective ! I know, and you probably read it already, but the series about Korra is really controversial among fans but I assure you it"s worth giving it a shot at least :)) And it expands the universe so much !
Anyways, nice review !
Yeah, they certainly left us hanging with Azula's storyline and getting closure. It almost looks like they were trying to pave the way for a 4th season
Yeah it was supposed to be a movie but nickelodeon wanted that live action... luckily the comics spread out her character arc and kind of finished it with her being missing (i think?) And the first comic after the ending is about zuko's mom and what happened and also some azula parts in
@@humanoidfrog4645 her arc has a good ending in the same comic with the mom and zuko. should read finishes well
@@seand5641 but she came back and if i remember it right she was the mysterious person who was with the faction that wanted the fire lord back in the other comic.
@@humanoidfrog4645 im trying to answer without spoilers but yeah there was questions but it was still a good end to her is what im saying given the psycho stress in the last 2 episodes
@@seand5641 i might be wrong since i haven't read them in a long time that was like 2-3 years ago
this was such a great journey to experience this masterpiece of a show with you!
little information:
-The Zuko’s mom thing is concluded in the “The Search” comics
-In 2023 there’s a live action series coming out on netflix
-In 2025 there’s an animated movie of the adult team avatar coming out
You guys should definitely check out “The Legend of Korra” !! It’s a great spinoff!
sequel*
@@michaelgreenwood3413 Korra SUCKS
It breaks my heart to see what's left of Azula after her defeat. I cannot recommend Legend of Korra highly enough. It starts at a level nearer to where ATLA reached when you seemed to start to like it. There's a comic called "The search" where they seek Zukos mother.
“Here Aang, why don’t you bend these?” Had me rolling
There are books that take place after the show that will give y’all those moments y’all want with Azula and Zuko and their mother
Also I think they didn’t have Zuko beat Azula cause it’s similar to what Iroh said about if he did beat his brother what history would see it has. Same as if Zuko beat his sister.
Those books are terrible IMO. Unfunny, lore ruining, there are some cool parts but some other parts are super bad. I wish they weren't canon.
I had a chance to check a few out from the library and read them recently. I liked them.
Jen: "Azula is so mentally strong"
Series finale: "Allow me to introduce myself"
Some of your questions like what happened to Zuko’s mom and more Azula happens in comics written by the creators. Great books
I appreciate that you guys are being honest about your feelings on the show. That’s exactly what you SHOULD be doing. That’s the point of reaction content. At the same time I think you don’t give this show and it’s characters enough credit. It’s commonly talked about as one of the best shows ever for a good reason.
Hope you guys give Korra a chance in near future maybe after Andor, i doubt itll win animated polls over AoT or Arcane though so it may b a bit if u wait for that. It isnt as consistent and season 2 is meh but it is better in some aspects and i think yall will enjoy it.
Yeah!! They do plan to go into anime. I hope they do My Hero because Shoto is someone Jenn would love. Arcane is amazing thou!!
There's 2 books "The Promise" and "The Search" which is official sequel that never got Animation adaptation unfortunately. It explains what happens to Azula and Zuko's mother. Also the Peace Era for Aang and Zuko doesn't go well. There's a Civil War. Those are great books. Definitely worth reading
An interesting thing I think a lot of people miss is that Zuko didn’t just jump in front of the lightning he tried to redirect it but instead of going through his stomach it went through his heart. That’s why you see the lightning shoot into the sky immediately afterwards.
I'm glad you guys could voice you're thoughts on the series in the beginning. I hope you never have to feel like you can't do that because of us. Not connecting with something is perfectly understandable and frankly, I wouldn't have blamed you for dropping the series before it grew on you. I appreciate you guys a lot
If you want to get more closure on certain things, I'd recommend reading the comics. Plus, they fill in the blanks between this and Legend of Korra, if you ever want to watch that.
This is still one of the most satisfying endings of a series for me. While some people see aang finding an alternative as a cop out or in general a weak point, I see it as a strength, that even when all the previous avatar told him that he'd have to go through it he managed to stumble on the solution. Something none of the other avatars even tried.
And not going to lie that avatar beat down is so so so satisfying
"I was gonna say you could cosplay as her and that'd be fine with me"
holden thomas hardman
For me, Zuko's decision to self-sacrifice means a lot more for his character development than him having the final blow in the battle against his sister and is what makes his story arc feel complete. Considering where Azula's headspace is at, there's not really anything to gain by them having a conversation together, so I never really felt that something was missing. I did always feel that the tease about the whereabouts of Zuko's mother was weird, but it makes more sense when you learn that there were ideas for a 4th Book, Air, but it was cancelled/dropped in favor of a trilogy sometime during development. Much of the elements of the hypothetical Book 4 were explored in the comics/books to mixed success, likely due to the lead writer of the show, Aaron Ehasz, not being involved. While the creators, Michael and Bryan, had good ideas to play with, it was Ehasz who tied it all together almost perfectly. There's a lot less consistency of quality in the Avatar projects that came after Ehasz left. While I enjoyed the comics and the Legend of Korra, it doesn't stand up to the level of the Legend of Aang.
The reason they didn't do all that heavy stuff in book one is because you had to get invested in the characters first before getting deep. You needed to get to know every character at their base before going deeper. in my opinion I don't feel like half of book 3 would hit the way it did without the first 2 books. love you guys and your videos.
I agree you have to have a base from which you can develop. If everyone was perfect at the beginning there wouldn't be any need for character development
it also mirrors the characters development. as they mature, so does the show.
azula’s movements and laughter and emotion in this episode was phenomenal & so dark, ughh book 3 is chefs kiss🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾
In due time, I think you all should watch Korra, as it is a close 2nd to this show. The heavy tones that you all appreciate are immediately introduced in Korra and blended great with the nostalgia from ATLA. The high stakes and mature content/idea are what drives this show from season 1 and it takes all the “cooler” and mature concepts that we’re introduced to viewers in ATLA and builds on them in a story set some decades after ATLA. I will say Korra, because of the world building/setting and concepts explored, is the cooler show, but ATLA executes their show from beginning to end better than Korra. You all will enjoy Korra more just knowing what you all like to watch. Thanks for reacting to ATLA!
My girlfriend and I also watched this together recently The Last Airbender. We both watched your reactions on the show, we got so pumped see this one when it popped on TH-cam. Keep it up you guys, love the videos.
Say what you want about Aang being kiddish, he really is the greatest Avatar there was. He stopped a world war, defeated the Fire Lord without killing, Discovered taking away bending, Got the girl, all in one summer, as a *KID* . He is the most impressive.
One of my favorite reactions to this show out there. Not a must, but Legend of Korra is a show I think y’all might enjoy. Perhaps even more than Avatar at the start at least, mainly cuz it’s more mature and less ‘kiddish’ in that sense. The main reason why people don’t overwhelmingly like the show in comparison to avatar is because of its second season and the incredible standards it was given after this masterpiece of a show.
Happy new year to anyone reading this🎉
Really cool intro this time. Awesome work! Love all the different ones that get made.
I really hope you watch the legend of Korra too. It’s a really good spin off and she’s so different from Aang. To see 2 avatars so different is amazing. And you also get to see glimpses of team avatar grown up as adults as well as their children!!!
I love the new intro!
The two things that i really loved about the finale (that were not mentioned here) was
1. When Aang has all the elements around him (as he is bending all four) is a symbolic representation that he has now finally become the true avatar. If you look back to the episode of the one with Roku and Ozai, when Roku becomes the new official avatar he bends all four elements in a way unique to himself (i suspect this pattern would/does repeat for each avatar)
2. At the very end Aang is wearing the same clothes as Monk Gyatso, to also symbolically indicate he has become a true master of airbending (although he technically already was when the series began). Perhaps more so his accepting his role as one.