PATREON: www.patreon.com/storystreet TWITTER: twitter.com/StreetOfStories If you liked the video, I'd really appreciate it if you guys shared it around and expressed your thoughts on it. It would be a really big help in growing the channel. But only if you want to, though. No pressure.
StoryStreet I don’t know your name, but thank you for making such an amazing story time. I grew up watching Anime...but anime from a very different time from you...anime that was very similar to Avatar. My favourite was Robotech, from about 15 years before you were born. LOL. I think I have a genetic defect that prevents me from aging...or it just could be my Japanese blood. 😜 But anyways, I’ve always loved animation and cartoons...just like my bro and our dad. So even when Avatar came out, I was 32 and my friends would come over and we’d watch a few episodes at a time. We also used to analyze it in the same way you did...we just weren’t as eloquent as yourself. Anyways, thank you for this video and I will definitely be sharing it...and I just subscribed so I’m gonna check out your other videos tomorrow. Hope u and ur ohana are staying safe and healthy during this pandemic! Much love and aloha from Hawai’i and take care. 😁🤙🏽
This video was absolutely amazing and enjoyed every second of it from the editing to the background music and how deep your analysis was.absolutely amazing
StoryStreet dang dude this video was poetry, you made me think in ways I haven’t thought before, and you made me see a AVATAR in such a different and inspirational way so, thank you really, I really enjoyed this video
interesting how zuko kneels for forgiveness with his father and receives a scar.... contrasted to him kneeling to Iroh for forgiveness and receives a hug.
*Iroh (to Azula):* _“Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname, ‘The Dragon of the West?’”_ *Azula:* _“I’m not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.”_ *Iroh:* _“It’s more of a demonstration, really.”_
Me every time I watch that scene. And Zuko yelling at the lightning storm. And Zuko pleading for mercy from his father. And everything about Zuko and Iroh's relationship because it's beautiful.
Buddy did a really great jo bediting this, his essay flowed and demonstrated emotions alongside the series, creating a true story with emotion within itself.
Ditto 👉👉 It was also nice to see the various reactions to the burn throughout the show: contempt from the fire nation, pity from others who don't know who Zuko is, acceptance from his friends and uncle (Iroh ignores it for the most part, and just treats Zuko like normal, but helps him to deal with it when it comes up). Plus, Zuko never has the scar removed even when healing water is available- after the third season- which is nice 😊 sorry for the essay 🤦♀️
When zuko was trying to get struck by lightning he was low key suicidal. He had lost his fathers love, his right to the throne, his life, his family, almost his uncle, and his pride. At 16 years old mind you
@@birodactyl_of_the_web As I grow up it seems more and more that the world expects us to be good at hiding our feelings, though. Being grown means being able to judge for yourself when it's worth it to reveal how you feel in spite of that expectation. Rather than being open about everything, if a "grown" (reserved) person is willing enough to say that he legitimately cries over something, then it shows even more so that there's an important reason. You probably already realize that and just wanted to focus on that it seems wrong to you that people feel the need to stifle their emotions, but there are reasons and benefits to that as I've briefly referenced here. It's just necessary as an adult to be able to put on a game face and keep a clear head so that we can handle reality, and then deal with emotions when the time is right. TLDR: It's not that grown people aren't allowed to have feelings or have lost them, it's that they need to judge for themselves when it's important enough to reveal those feelings, otherwise they'd be a mess unable to handle day-to-day life. So obviously Avatar is a masterpiece based on the start of this comment thread.
"Come on! Strike me! You've never held back before" screamed the 16-year-old with far too much hurt in his heart than any 16-year-old should ever have to deal with.
Zuko’s voice actor deserves the world. Every word he speaks has so much emotion. He’s the reason why Zuko is such a double edged sword and why Zuko can scream and cry in the same scene and still make the viewer feel pity and hate towards him, even in the very beginning.
@@nahbirdie4773 yup, honestly his only real problem is that sadly his voice is so damn distinctive, which isn't a problem with zuko but it makes it hard for him to really be versatile as a voice actor. so every character after Avatar that he voices instantly brings to mind Zuko which makes it sort of hard to separate the characters. not a flaw with his acting, just the way his voice naturally sounds lodges itself into your brain. a good example of a versatile voice actor is Mark Hamill. you would never think that Firelord Ozai is the same guy that voices The Joker from the batman animated series, but there you go.
@@drachepumpernickel7056 agreed with that! Its hard when someone has a distinctive voice that they cant easily change. Doesnt take away his talent bur you can't think of anyone else but rhe character he played that really stood out
@@drachepumpernickel7056 For me personally, it was very easy to instantly recognize Mark Hamill as the VA of Ozai. Nowadays, pretty much everything he plays sounds more or less like Joker from BTAS, even Luke Skywalker.
"I feel the need to reiterate that this is a show made for kids" So true. This show didn't treat kids like the couldn't understand complex characters and themes and only needed mindless noise
Yes I’m tired of every kids movie poorly animated garbage that has a poop or fart joke every 2 minutes. I’m 13 years old I grew up on TMNT cartoon (2012) and Ninjago (to this day but liked especially season 1-5 maybe 6 I tolerate 7-10 for the fact that that they still allow me to get invested). I would frequently watch these shows as soon as I got home. These were my favorite shows for a time and even though it wasn’t the best it was good enough for me cause I could get invested in the Characters. Adventure Time, Regular Show, and to an extent Gumball are shows I frequently rewatch. I hate the fact that Cartoon Network, Disney, or Illumination don’t even try to create quality movies and TV. Rango while a more mature film is an example of a “kids film” that is actually good. Has good plot and it's not a cuddly animal movie it's a gritty movie with gritter characters). I don’t understand why people are so offended by the fact that a Female character can be feminine is so stupid. You literally have to make a female character written as a man. That’s why the all female Ghostbusters failed because the all male version had more depth and hit our heats in so many places through script. A strong female character is a strong character who happens to be female. That’s why I love the complex character arc for all the women in this show. Azula, Korra, Katara, Tye Lee, Suki, and Toph all feel different. Azula is more masculine because she lost her mother and she also suffers from schizophrenia. She also is a little Tomboy but we realize she is a women character not just a character. She has layered feelings, emotions, and is worth taking the time to research. Katara is caring and supportive which makes her a good character. No character is based off Chi so they have their strengths and weaknesses. Even the Cabbage Guy, the most important side character ever, has more character arc than most main characters in kid shows today. I hope we can get back to this level of quality
I am annoyed that people feel the need to point that out. For many reasons First of all animation isn't a kids genre. It's a medium Avatar isn't a "kids's show" . It is a high fantasy show. You can argue that the show has the extra positive attribute of writing with so much care that it made sure kids could understand it's narrative as well, but saying "oh my god guys it's a kids show and they had mental ilness and genocide in it, that's so rare and balzy" diminshes both the medium of animation and the show itself It also led to the excessive love triangles and violnence pandering they shoved down our throats with Legend of Korra because that's the only way the writers had to convince the audience to not see it as a kids show
@@thecabbageman1 no he was just saying that it aired on a program that mostly geared toward children. He’s saying that the topics that the show covered were things at the time people viewed as adult or teenage issues
@@thecabbageman1 In this context, saying that Avatar is a kid's show wasn't devaluing animation. Avatar is a high fantasy show targeted at a young audience. And we are praising it for being so accessible and enjoyable to both children and older audiences
@Ty The Great That's the point, you could enjoy it even without having to understand all this "stuff" while it also has value in rewatching at a later point, maybe as an adult, and now you're picking up all these things you didn't notice when you first watched it because you weren't mature enough to understand it.
I think my favorite part about the beach episode is that it really shows just how dysfunctional Azula is. Her childhood has been completely robbed from her, by being turned into a weapon by her father. She's Zuko's _younger_ sister, she's something like 14, and yet all she knows is war. Which is also why I love the school episode. It shows how much the Fire Nation itself has suffered from the war as well. It hasn't lost territory, but its people have suffered nonetheless. I mean, imagine yourself as someone in their 30s during the show. Your children are raised by their schools to fight in a war that you were raised to fight in. You almost certainly know others who have died at sea and in endless campaigns against the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes. Odds are several of your family members have been killed over the years. You aren't free to criticize the Fire Lord, your children pledge to the Fire Lord, can't dance, and everything serves the State. Or, the river village, a settlement of Fire Nation citizens, being poisoned by a Fire Navy factory, and no way to stop it. The war benefited nobody but Sozin, Ozai, and those like them, including the Dai Li. They didn't have to go to that length to humanize the enemy, to make them sympathetic, but they did.
I’ve always really loved the beach and the headband for the same reason. Like the headband is both a silly footloose rip off and an amazing depiction of indoctrination. The children of the fire nation live the most relatable life to the shows target audience. Nothing that happened at the school would be out of place in a school in the US but what is familiar becomes uncomfortable because the audience has been following the gaang around and know what its really like. War and nationalism is clearly negatively effecting the school children WHILE ALSO being foreign to them. They’ve never seen war in the way the children from the nations have. It’s just like so relevant to 2007.
I mean in a way the millennial generation in a way grew up in mostly dysfunctional or broken families and during the war on terror after the events of 9/11 also they were raised mostly by the school system and television. Since most kids had parents who we're divorced so... yeah I know it was not everyone but it was quite common
Kids need these type of shows. I like how this show doesn’t dumb down important lessons. Kids are smart and are able to digest/understand complex issues. I enjoy the fact that this show gives kids (and adults)the opportunity to enhance their emotional intelligence and critical thinking.
I’m 12, and the themes, characters, worldbuilding, animation, lore, narrative and much more is just so fucking GOOD. I wish more kids my age watched actual good shows like avatar.
I got to this show a little late to the party, after what I’d call my childhood was more or less over, but it (and the Legend of Korra too!) have legitimately changed the kind of person I want to be. It’s changed how I want to be seen, and it’s changed how I want to behave. It’s never too late to have your life changed by a funny little kids’ show.
"That's what the show is about: Unbalanced people trying to find balance." Great analysis. One of the best I have watched, maybe the best. Zuko's analysis was terrific, heartbreaking.
26:20 When he started building up to talking about Zuko here I honestly expected a switcheroo to the truly most conflicted character, the Cabbage Merchant.
I was hoping for someone to focus on Aang. It wasn't until multiple watchings that I just deeply fell in love with him as a character - how he took what was given to him, how he won't let his job as an Aavatar define who he is as a person.
One of the most horrible truths of Zuko's journey is that sometimes, parents DON'T love their children. It's such a terrible thing to try and articulate to a child, it's something no child should ever have to learn but unfortunately we live in an unjust world. It's such a shattering truth and it's so commendable that Zuko came to that truth on his own and moved forward rather than shrinking inward.
This was the one show that reflected the way I felt about the relationship I had with my parents. Only problem is not everyone is even lucky enouph to have an uncle Iroh.
@@alexbraswell5021 This is so true. But you know, I think there is an Iroh in us all. Iroh himself became who he is through experiencing different things throughout his life and learning compassion for himself and for others. I think we are all capable of doing the same thing and being an Iroh to ourselves when we don't have anyone else to do so.
I love the strong female characters in avatar. they're not written as "strong girl" they're written as "strong person that is also a girl too lmao" and it is beautiful.
@@00Batman I feel like comparing Korras character and Captain Marvel is wrong, I really dont remember a scene where korra says "im a woman and i can also do things men do". I rewatched the entire series a while ago and while I can understand why people don't like korras attitudes in book 1 or 2 I really saw her change. I dont know if you really saw the 4 books legend of korra have but I really liked and empathysed with her mental struggles trough book 3 and 4.
@@00Batman Well the reason why those characters are hated is bc there's absolutely no context as to WHY they can do the things they can do. Take Korra for example. She was what, fOuR and had already mastered tHrEe elements? This lack of writing is becoming a really popular thing today and it scares me
I love that about their writing, gender has nothing to do with achievements and abilities. It's what Hollywood fails to get, even society itself, people aren't great because of their gender, but rather because they are who they are. Thats the true egalitarian pursuit, where equality is based not in putting those with differences on a pedestal, but to reward people for what they have done and who they are in their lives.
I CRIED watching this “scars don’t have to define us” is a beautiful way of wrapping a neat bow over Zuko’s amazing story arch. And this is genuinely such a well put together video essay with an overarching theme and knowing how each part of the video feeds into the other. Very well done.
@@shock226 When you realize Iroh never forgave because he was never angry in the first place - just very worried, and deeply hurt. Iroh always loved Zuko unconditionally. Hits me right in the ol' feels.
Seeing Iroh's face when he flinched as Ozai hit Zuko with fire, makes me realize part of why he tried so hard to help Zuko. Sure, it had to do with losing his own son, among other motivations, but I think he regretted that Zuko was hurt because of his own lack of action. He was supposed to be Firelord, so it was his fault a tyrant like Ozai was in charge. It was his own weakness that resulted in Zuko, the most moral person in the room, being hurt. He knew Zuko needed redemption because he needed it himself but realized so late in life that he could never fully make up for the terrible things he had done before his son died. He couldn't bear to Zuko also do things he might never be able to fix. And when I think about it, Zuko had one foot across that line of no return before he came back. He was almost gone for good. That would've destroyed Iroh.
I have never thought of this before. Thank you, that was beautiful. And it only makes it more meaningful when Iroh talks about how Zuko has become another son to him. Iroh was supposed to be that person in power, instead of Ozai, so instead he became that father that Ozai was supposed to be.
I didn't grow up on Avatar like a lot of people did, I just watched it now that it came out on Netflix and I have become so attached to it. I think something that makes Avatar so beautiful is that it appeals to anyone, it's not just for children. It can teach an old man that has all the wisdom in the world something new. It can make a person numb to emotion, feel everything. It touches upon the darkest subjects without making the show feel dramatic and depressing. It makes you feel at home when you're far far away. I never thought that I would fall so deeply in love with this show and this video is the first thing Ive seen that accurately describes and explains the show and what it means to its viewers. Thank you
I recently rewatched the show and only now I really realized and appreciated the fact that Aang didn't kill Ozai. This whole time it was all about "Aang has to defeat the firelord" which kind of made you subconsciously think he has to kill him. When the final battle came near Aang started to seriously struggle with the thought of killing a person (no matter how bad they are) and tried to come up with a better solution despite everyone (EVEN THE FORMER AVATARS) telling him there is no other option. But it was simply against his nature and he eventually came up with a way better solution to defeat the firelord. That really impressed me.
You could really feel his pain when even his past lives told him to kill the firelord and he was so lost. It makes me emotional thinking of how good this show is.
What’s interesting about the Ozai fight is that it seems like the universe itself is really trying to make a push for Aang to kill Ozai at nearly every turn. His friends tell him to do it, his past lives, the avatar state, and Ozai himself. But Aang obviously doesn’t give in to any of this, which is why his will was strong enough to do energybending.
The crazy thing is Zuko’s father tasked him with finding an Avatar who supposedly spent the last 100 years mastering all 4 elements all the while never being seen by a single member of the fire nation-and capture him. An avatar that at the time of the quest being given, didn’t even exist in the real world. It was an infinitely futile quest. And without Iroh, Zuko would’ve spent his whole life on that road.
@@Nijilove78 yeah of course, but to me that’s WAY more than just toxic. You’re not just saying “do this hard thing and I’ll love you,” you’re saying “complete this impossible task that me, my father, and his father before him hadn’t even begun to achieve-and then you can come back home.” It’s basically banishing him for life, but also giving him a purpose he could never hope to realize.
@@glyle2504 oh for sure. I didn’t consider that- i was thinking of how azulon lost his grandson lu ten in this war and then told his other son to kill his only remaining grandson (and ozai agreed, wtf) then after his wife bargained for his life he hurt him (physically and mentally) and sent him on an impossible mission to get him out of his sight
@Gabriella Maroney Now that i have thought about it... Ozai really wanted Azula to be next in line, but her lying to Ozai about Aang's death and her failing to capture Zuko when he decided to choose his own destiney, he maybe doubted Azula's ability and decides to rule on his own.
You can tell the show is good when you identify with a character as an elementary-schooler and realize more and more how profound that is as you grow up. It genuinely renews my hope in myself when I remember these character arcs and how as a kid I would say to my mom that I feel like Zuko a lot of the time. If he can make it, then we all can make it.
Watching this show again as an adult, I couldn’t believe a kids show tackled subjects like genocide, death, loss, oppression and war better than all these modern “woke” shows. I’m not going to lie, this show hit so much harder as an adult, it almost brought me to tears.
Agreed, and the more you dig into it the deeper and deeper all of these themes and characters get. Like, Katara gets a lot of hate for bringing up her mom so often, but A she was 14, B she had to fill in her mom's role and support her _older brother,_ and C her mom sacrificed herself to protect Katara. Or all of the trauma zuko went through, though that ones more obvious. Or the fact that "In honor of Mako" was the first voice actor who died, that one sure went over my head when I watched this at 8. Or Azula who also sometimes gets hated on for just being born bad because of the flashbacks showing her constantly lying and manipulating Zuko even as a kid, but in reality she's a victim of child abuse, conflicting parents one of whom had depression, and an overdemanding household that in addition to being ruled by Ozai, was completely separated from normal people that she could have seen and been like "somethings wrong here" AND she never had the opportunity to learn from Irohs wisdom. I mean like... Avatar creators... _How have you done this._
Zuko has one of the best character arches in TV history. I like how he symbolizes a lost soul, that's easily influenced by adult figures around him. Zuko tries to be the moral high ground when he spoke against his father in the war room and this was reflective of what he learned from his mother, empathy and caring. This is always how he was as a young boy. Example: that one flashback when Azula was throwing rocks at the ducks. Then when he fought his father in the Agni Kai and received his scar, he genuinely believed that he deserved it. In his mind, he shouldn't have been disrespectful and naive. His father is royalty and all knowing, this contradiction towards his highness causes Zuko's personality to change immensely. Now, he feels like he has to toughen up, not show emotion, and be a ruthless leader... like his father. As he embarks on his journey of delivering the Avatar to his father, he slowly starts to regress back to his empathetic true self through influence by the most level headed character in the show, Iroh. And just when you think he finally found his own way and is on the verge of completing his arch... BAM... given the perfect circumstance, he responds out of pure emotion and betrays his uncle, his one true father figure. This sets him back to square one and now he truly has to find his own way, only this time it's entirely on his own. Brilliant
"avatar is not a series about escaping struggle or healing scars but a story about finding ourselves through struggle and finding hope within our scars, it's about finding the brightest lights we can in the darkest tunnels of our lives" I think I shed a tear
I'm one of those moms too. My nieces and nephews and son raved about it. I'm the one that watched the movie and thought it was ok and couldn't understand the hate....then I watched the show and was like...oh, yeah that sucks. I freaking love the show.
@@IMadeAThingOKC I'm still trying to get my parents to cave in to watch it. My mom still thinks cartoons are "for kids." My dad loves cartoons. I'm hoping to at *LEAST* get my dad to watch it........without falling asleep that is. ;~;
it's a family show, not a children's show. anyone can watch it and enjoy it. fun for kids, action and emotions for teens, layers and depth for adults. all tied into a single series. so many adults around me simply scoff at animation as "for kids" when it's it's own medium. there are things you can do with animation that simply can't be done in live-action. some of the heaviest hitting emotional stories I have ever come across have been in animation. Avatar is a excellent example of what the medium can do and show
Same! My mom and I watched it back when I was 6 years old. This is a show for everyone, and it's nice to see how well it aged over 15 years. Definitely a show that was far ahead of its time.
Zuko begging Iroh for forgiveness and Iroh telling hi he was never angry is my favorite scene in all of media. It's the one scene that always gets tears from me.
I've struggled with self harm since i was 12. The scars i have are something i can never ignore. Your words about how scars dont define us, but instead help us heal made me cry. Thank you for making this video.
Man, I know right? My self harm scars are gone but the emotional ones still hurt like yesterday. Its surprising how you close yourself off of the idea of being you without considering all of the baggage and shit you've been through.
If you guys need any help then go and get it. I recommend help from people who care about you and also professional help like a therapist. It helped me and my friends.
Anyone else start crying when the scene of Iroh forgiving Zuko played? This is the children’s show that teaches kids what a wise adult looks like. Thank you for all your wisdom Iroh.
"The animators learned the fighting style to animate it better" imagine you see somone everyday come out of a animation studio so you think he must be a animator therefore he doesnt do much physical work so he should be weak and you try to mug him but he beats the sgit out of you in 4 diffrent ways
I’m commenting in the middle of watching but the music plays a huge part in the culture of each nation and adds to the world building. The music adds that extra layer and really brings it to life.
I think one of the scenes where music plays such a big role is when azula and zuko fight against each other at the end. It really brings out that that it wasn’t a fight between good and evil and one of them is the „hero“. It’s a tragic fight between siblings and Ofcourse Azulas mental illness. Sorry for my English it’s my third language 😅
Lana banana you should watch Sage Rain’s take on Azula and Zuko’s Agni Kai. He tackled how the music impacted the already great narative between the sibling’s final fight.
Honestly, when I used to practice martial arts I would sometimes try to envision myself firebending. It actually did help me get a grasp of where all my force is being projected, and due to firebending’s intensity it also helped me envision how to control that force. It’s legitimately a good exercise in controlling your strength and improving technique - if your form is sloppy it will be wild, unpredictable, and dangerous to yourself like an explosion, but if you’re precise and can control your power you will be able to control the damage you can potentially cause.
For me its because the last time zuko kneeled down, cried, and apologized to someone, he got a permanent mark. But instead, with iroh he receives love and fogiveness. Always tears me up
A children’s show, a children’s show guys... the meaning, the morals, the lessons, the whole thing. Oh my, shows like this are what develop such strong young minds and hearts fuelled with love, content, happiness, and acceptance even though coming from a hard place. It’s crazy to think that this, this, is where i’d learn to be free. Thank you so much for that beautifully said text at the end, i’ve been sadly going through an ‘unstable’ state of mind even at my young age, and seriously i might come back and re listen to that constantly. Absolutely, stunning piece of production.
Exactly I feel like out all the avatar essays This shows the true identify off avatar so well, avatar feels so different from other shows it feels natural it feels real which is weird since it has bending and all these magical things but it does and it gives me wisdom, and understand the depth of people and makes me actually feel like to work to a better me I can't explain it well but it motivates me in such a weird way to actually try and be happy and free and let go
@@Yumyum-yo6op honestly i think part of the reason so many of us (not-so) secretly try to bend when we're alone is because the show makes it feel so natural, like yeah, this is something these characters could do in our world
In the novel The Rise of Kyoshi, Avatar Kyoshi mentions how "It was said that each Avatar was born in fitting times, to an era that needed them." Just like how Kyoshi brought justice to an era full of corruption, Aang brought hope to the world after the 100 Year War. Hope was a prevalent theme throughout the show and the character and personality of Aang was PERFECT in so many ways, especially for his time.
The world needed to go through so much pain and suffering so that they learn to love one another, and come together. Roku said it himself, that the four nations NEEDED to be separated. Then the war happened, Avater Aang brought hope and peace. He started a city dedicated for the nations to come together in peace. The world becoming connected because they were separated for so long.
I’m happy to say that the voice actors in the spanish dub also did an EXCELLENT job, they really delivered every single line with passion. Such a great team.
It is a crime that this has so few views. You've made a really incredible video essay that's up there with the best of them Edit: When I commented this the video had around 127 views. Finally, the youtube algorithm got something right
THELAZERGUNSTUDIOS1 This was freakin’ AMAZING!!! I haven’t teared up since I first watched the entire series...I saw so much of myself in Zuko...and his story telling brought a few tears back. This was truly a beautiful story time.
moony Are there that many of these? I dunno but this looked like something I’d see from big channels like Looper and or New Rockstars...so to find out that he’s a 21-year old dude who did all the amazing editing, the music, the narration, etc. all on his now...not to mention that his commentary were quite nuanced and I thoroughly enjoyed his sense of Humour, especially the parts where he zoned out and just kept rambling.
I love how Avatar is just as much Aang’s story as it is Zuko’s, just as much Zuko’s as it is Katara’s, and so on. It doesn’t feel like Aang is the only really vital and important character, every single character and episode has an importance to the story. Loved this video and I think you did a really good job with it!
Yuki James totally forgot about this comment, but I agree with you. My brother and I discussed it a few days ago and realised the purpose of the episode :)
People only really hate on it because it was the episode that continuously got played on Nickelodeon when the show stopped airing too much as it was an easy access episode due to not requiring previous knowledge of the plot to get into it.
Elvis I think they only became such powerful benders because of their friendship. They learned from each other and even use moves from other bending types during fights which make them stronger than sticking to one bending style
Yeah even monk gyatso was his friend from a past life (not to say gyatso wasn’t friends with Aang specifically but his previous friendship with roku is more on par with aangs friendships with toph, Katara and zuko)
I watched this show back 2010 during a deployment to Afghan. I was going thru a really bad time in my life and all I would look forward to was pulling my laptop out before I went to sleep and watch this show it will always have a special place in my heart
She’s definitely the epitome of a strong female character done right. She has weakness, but one she has learned to accept and work around. She’s independent, but also learns that receiving the support of another is necessary. And the show doesn’t beat you over the wit how she’s a “strong female character”. She’s just a great character at the base level.
@@FrogEnjoyer17 the water tribe is Inuit, the fire nation is Japanese, the earth nation is Chinese, and the air nomads are chinese/Tibetan. Edit: there all based off these races and cultures.
@@FrogEnjoyer17 But because it isn't American and black and Mexican or whatever first comes to mind, don't make it not diverse. Also, as I like to say, Asia is a continent, not a country. There are so many cultures that just calling them all Asian feels like you're marginalizing their cultures.
My mother and younger siblings call me immature for continuously watching Avatar because "it's a cartoon for kids". But this show has so much depth and hope. It's lowkey changed my outlook on life.
There's plenty of adults that still re-watch this show to this day. It's a reason that it has near perfect reviews. It's a mastery in storytelling and animation. And I'd argue children will love it but you don't fully appreciate avatar until you are old enough to understand it in it's totality. This show literally tackles war, oppression, sexism, death, loss, grief, fatherhood, propaganda, politics, figureheads, corruption, torture, enslavement, love, disabilities, animal abuse, domestic abuse, spirituality, colonialism, fascism and not to mention how much justice they did for Asian culture. I can literally go on for hours, but you get the idea. Not to mention I have a very low attention span and it's hard for me to finish all of the hundreds of shows and movies I watch. But I have literally watched ATLA more than 60 times and I still don't get tired of it. I don't think I ever will.
I just realized why earthbender soldiers use their fire resistant helmets as shields rather than using, you know, *actual* shields. Earthbending is all about facing a problem head on. So where better to put a fire shield than on the head?
Watched it for the first time this month (I'm 26). I regret not watching it as a kid but I think I have a greater appreciation for it now than I ever would have if I watched it back then.
Yeah and the interesting thing is, as a kid it doesn't feel like something adults would watch and enjoy, it would feel like just a fun little cartoon with super cool powers. However rewatching the show years later made me realize how much depth and dimension this show has, honestly this show is a straight up blessing.
Shahd Al-Ali took the words straight out of my mind. I watched the show back when it aired and I was around 4 years old lol. Now I’m 19 and since the show is on Netflix, I’m deeply in love with the show more than ever. I’m even thinking about getting a tattoo about the show haha!
I consider myself a (secular) humanitarian. This has humanitarian philosophies written all over it, therefore it's not a "kid's show", it's a human one.
“The scar on Zuko’s face is iconic. It was the scar he recieved for refusing to fight his own father after speaking out in a war meeting. It was the scar that labeled him as the disgraced fire nation prince, banished from his own country by the very father that he strove to make proud. It was the scar that drove him to find the avatar restore his honor and return to the only happiness he’s ever known in a picture from so long ago. It was the scar that identified him, defined him, given to him by those who were only ever disappointed in him because he could never live up to the standards they had set. Zuko’s father fire lord Ozai was distant and abusive towards Zuko, he was someone obsessed with power and oppressing those under him and that gave him very little time for a son who he grew to realize was nothing more than a disappointment to him a failure who could never live up to the expectations that he had set, and it was in Zuko’s sister, Azula that he found the child that he could be proud of. Azula was everything Zuko wasn’t skilled, decisive, assertive just as her father was, and when Ozai has the child he’s always wanted he’s free to throw the other in the trash. All Zuko wanted was to make his father proud, be the child he could brag about love and adore. All Zuko wanted nothing more than his fathers love, even if it had to be earned but all he got instead was a scar for not being what his father wanted him to be.” That’s my favorite
2 years late... but I feel like one of the biggest reasons people love this show so much, even so many years later, is because of how rare it is to get genuinely good kids shows nowadays, especially one created so long ago that we got to grow up with. nostalgia makes things special, but Avatar is a special kind as the nostalgia grows into a special kind of relatability into adulthood
I’m 21, I just finished it for the first time (watched it here and there as a kid) and I’ve been in a deep state of intense emotion for the last 4 days. Never felt this connected to any type of art I’ve ever watched. Afraid to rewatch it honestly
So true. I just rewatched it at 18 (saw it when I was little but barely remember it) and I’m struck by how deep the emotion I feel from this show is. Truly a masterpiece
we're literally the same. I just heard and watched a few scenes when I was a kid, so I never really understood the story. I decided to watch it last month because of the quarantine boredom and its recent hype on socmed. I finished it for only a few days because I was so invested to it, which is rare on my case because I get bored easily with tv shows/anime and I tend to stop watching it midway. But it was different with ATLA. Now that I've finished it, I've been too attached with the characters and I often think about them out of nowhere. I'm having a hard time moving on with this show, and I tried to watch LOK to fill the emptiness I felt bec of ATLA but I still feel connected with the old characters. This is by far the best tv show I've seen and the lessons I've learned from it can never be forgotten.
@@ibizamarquina793 It feels so weird as an adult being so attached to a kids cartoon but I feel the same way. I rewatched it for a third time to help get over the feels
Ikr, I was tearing up. Everything about this video was great. The points were spot on, the dramatic pauses, the music, everything about it was great. I’d consider this the greatest show review I have ever seen and I find it kinda funny because I wasn’t planning on watching the whole thing at first but I’m glad I did.
I got misty-eyed as soon as you started the thunderstorm scene introducing the Zuko section of this video. Such a powerful moment in what may be the best character arc in TV history.
They way he says “You’ve never held back before”, is so heart wrenching. Like it’s so true for his story, the world never stopped giving him bad cards, why should it stop now?
I've just ended watching the show not to long ago. I've been always told that this was a great show, that has lovable characters with different personalities and great development and... I haven't realised how good was all of that until I cried on Aang getting angry of losing Appa and Katara quieting him down. That scene, that damn scene made me inmediately think: "this is not a regular kid show", this is something else. I continued watching, Zuko's development, Toph's jokes, Katara and Soka's relationship. This is a show about human relationships and their effect on those people. By the end of the show I partially forgot about the firelord and the war and just wanted this GREAT characters to grow. Thank you, whoever made this Masterpiece and thank you StoryStreet for making us know why Avatar: The Last Airbender is so great
@@Sony-ny3xx what I like about toph is that despite her being very tomboyish and likes to be independent, she still has a more feminine side we see in her from time to time. Like how she hangs out with Katara during Tales of ba sing se or how she has had a huge crush on Sokka because of numerous amount of times he supported and saved her.
"but there's one character that embodies this theme of balance, this concept of an unbalanced identity more than any other. it's a character that if you watched the show you probably knew deep down that I was going to talk about because he's easily one of the most beloved characters. so much so that I considered not talking about him in depth because so many other people have done it before. but to me, there is no better representation of what this show is about, and what it means to me personally. so, let's talk about..." *"MY CABBAGES!"*
This show should air yearly everywhere in the world and should be used as a model for social and life skills. It is filled to the brim with profound philosophies like, human compassion, being kind to one another, respecting the lives of all beings, learning to forgive, learning to find your destiny, learning to trust, learning to love yourself regardless of societal standards, loving your friends, cherishing the people around your, taking responsibility and so much more!! I cannot express all the gratitude I have for the creation of this masterpiece and I can't wait for the live-action remake!
Would I be exaggerating if I said this show been such role model in my life. If someone asked who was my role model in life I could say Uncle Iroh. There are so many great principles and philosophies like you mentioned that has been a strong influencer in my life. Like someone mentioned, anyone could watch Avatar no matter the age and learn from it.
Too bad that its restricted to the US on netflix. I tried using a vpn service but they interrupted me midway of ep 4 ssn 1,they had caught me lol. So now i had to pirate it XD.
One good memorable reference is the Secret Tunnel episode where the nomad was like "hey look, it's river people" and katara was like "we're not river people" and the Nomad was like "you're not? Well then what kind of people are you?" and Aang responded with "just... people" and the nomad was like "aren't we all brother?" 😃😃😃
The only problem with that logic is some people try to do that with religion because they say that certain religions will help people to be more compassionate and so if you tried to make everyone watch Avatar it probably get the same reaction because people say oh join my religion it's so great and you would be saying watch Avatar it has great life lessons but no one is going to want to do something if they're forced to do it, but I do agree that Avatar has some good lessons some great ones in fact
It was a show made to be a good influence on children who were parented by television. That slowly grew, for me, to be into the internet around my middle school years; but my parents were never there, and my grandparents were in their 80’s and had their list of problems as well- so most of my influence came from television. I know I’m not the only one too. I feel like this show was made to give you amazing examples and to provide at least a tiny bit of what you were lacking. I look back to scenes with Iroh with such nostalgia and I have no memories I can look at that way with my family; none at least I can recall. He was stable and calm, at peace, and extremely patient- but still rounded and human. He was what I needed in my life and what I was lacking. But it also provides relatable characters for the situation you’re going through.. I could just go on and on
I was doing well for the entire vid, but as soon as that scene came on I had to hold back from sobbing and just ended up having some tears fall while trying to catch my breath
Zuko's story helped me realize, I never needed my dad's approval, I just needed his love. He didn't give that to me either and I've struggled to find the balance between abusive narcissism and hope within myself. Zuko's story is very very real.
same... People dont realize this isnt a "kids show", they knew exactly what they were written and theres plenty of hidden spiritualy truths in this show. Some are even so subtle that if you dont have the enough awareness you dont even realize
Damn that cut where Iroh embraced Zuko... This scene always manages to give me chills but the way you cut it was just... _perfect_ Thank you for this video, it really is one of the best I've seen so far
Peer ulijn K Exactly! When Avatar was being developed, it’s target audience was probably 8 or 9 to maybe 14 or 15 year olds. That’s around the age I was when I watched it. Now I’m in my early twenties and I find myself discovering hidden meanings and lessons in the show. I’ve watched it once or twice a year since I was 12, because I just keep learning from it
This is one of those shows that i would give absolutely anything to be able to watch for the first time again. From the intense and complex emotional tension and scarring in every single character, to the beautiful storytelling in just the animation itself, to the beautiful soundtracks. This show is such a good development show for young kids and even adults, the lessons at the surface that are easy for a younger child to understand and digest and the deeper meanings to these characters trauma and emotional stance can easily school any adult in emotional cues. Truly beautifulshow
I'm 35 years old and still watch this show at least once every year. Can't wait for my daughter to grow up so that we can watch it together. Such an amazing show
To me this show is so great because it's dripping of psychology, character and world building, culture and symbolism. No matter how many times you watch this show, you will always find something else, a deeper meaning. it conveys childhood, war and trauma so perfectly
Zuko's character development especially. He went from an honor-finding, obsessed, traumatized kid to realizing that his past doesn't define him, and that earning his father's approval will never bring him happiness. Aang also went from a clueless, childish, avoiding conflict child to a brave and strong kid who trusted his gut and believed that violence is never the answer. I just love everything about them ❤❤
14:55 I think in that the episode, "Bitter Work", we also learn a little about the water nation as well. Katara throughout the episode is doing her best to advise Toph to be more gentle and encouraging to Aang, which demonstrates the gracefulness and soothing nature she as a water bender has. When Katara tries to speak with Aang about his roadblocks in trying to learn earth bending, she is trying to "metaphorically" seep through the hard cracks in Aangs insecurites to help him, like how water falls between the cracks of rock and smoothes its rough edges over time. So, I would say all four nation's personalities were represented in that episode; just in unique ways.
And thats a testament to how much depth is actually in the show. I love watching ATLA video essays because different people have favorite parts and somehow it seems like every time I watch one, someone else has combed through and revealed a section I overlooked or wouldnt have even considered.
This also applies with the fire nation even though firebending was hardly mentioned in that episode. Although the earthbenders always seemed to have been hardy people, who pushed through adversity (seen in the first human earthbenders’ story of love challenged by their tribal rivalries), this hardiness was pushed further by the oppression of the fire nation. It probably caused an even greater need for earthbenders to lean into strong and dominant personalities to cope with their oppression. Toph overcame the adversity of blindness but also, living in a society that constantly is fighting back, has learned to hide her insecurities and maintain strong control over others to compensate. These four cultures apply so much to every character in seemingly every episode… it’s insane how deep Avatar goes and I love the show for it
It took Zuko almost 4 years to become the loving person he is now. He has grown so much that now he wants to be the one who gives unconditional love to those who were never leave loved. He hated Azula for being the one who was "born lucky" and now? Now he wants to help Azula find peace and her destiny. I think that's a beautiful conclusion of his character ark.
I'm sorry what are you talking about? It's always SERIOUSLY bothered me how Azula didn't get a chance at redemption, are you saying there is a comic or something I'm missing where Zuko actually helps her???
Originally there was supposed to be a 4th season where Azula gets her redemption and Zuko goes to find his mother. They left it dangling on the last show of Seaspn 3 but they never continued it.
When you watch this as a kid, you want to be a bender, and like the jokes and the fighting scenes. When you watch it as an adult you realize this is masterpiece
That line “Scars don’t have to define us, but they can still help us find who we are” gave me chills. Excellent quote from and excellent video about an excellent show!
My kids were 6 and 4 respectively when this show first aired and would constantly ask me to watch this show with them and I was 35 at the time. They watched the first season but quickly lost interest afterwards. But within that long first (20 episode) season, I became totally invested in the characters and their development. The more the season went on the deeper down the rabbit hole I went. To me most interesting relationship was the one between zuko and Aang. And it started in Season one episode 13 "The blue spirt" (The very first episode that I watched) Aang was having a conversation with a barely conscious Zuko, whom which he had jusr carried to safety, and asked "if we knew each before the war do you think we could have been friends back then" For some reason that scene had me locked in. And I had to watch more and know more. I could not get enough. I was blown away by how a children's animated series could have so much depth. Needless to say I am eager to see Netflix's live action series. And I can only hope that it does justice to the original series, which in my opinion was a masterpiece.
i loved this show as a kid and when it dropped on netflix, my now 20 year old self rewatched and when aang said that to zuko i wanted to cry so bad. this show displays war and its affects so well. kids are stripped of the most wonderful aspects of childhood; making new friends without care or worry about politics and nationalism. kids just can’t be kids.
@@animepabu5526 the creators were working on the new upcoming netflix remake, but announced that they were discontinuing the collab due to limited and ignored input... so im expecting it to be another disappointment.
Ozai knowing of the invasion plan wasn’t even a plot twist. No it was the logical extension of the Eath King revealing the plan to what he thought was the Kiyoshi warriors. However he instead revealed important military secrets to the daughter of the enemy. Thus the failed invasion on the day of black sun wasn’t a plot twist but an expertly crafted Chekhov’s gun. (Unless you count the Earth Kong’s initial information reveal, which definitely counts as a plot twist.)
i wouldnt really say it was a Chekhov's gun, since it was pretty clear that that conversation would have a large impact later on (we as viewers already knew Azula was masquerading as the Kyoshi warriors after all)
Kronman590 you deserve an award for pointing out my misinterpretation of a Chekhov’s gun, while simultaneously failing to address my mistaken spelling of the earth king.
I've gotta say, anytime I rewatch ATLA, I've never gotten tired of any episode, nor have I only ever been able to only watch one. This was my first show that was truly 'bingible'. I've since stopped considering Avatar as a 'kids show', because of just... how universal it is. People talk about Lord of the Rings, and it certainly will be remembered, but in my eyes ATLA will always be a gut-wrenching story about tragedy that never gets old, and is always guaranteed to bring me to tears at least once. It's characters feel so real and human that I find myself often comparing them to my own self, even the villians (in some way, especially the villians, we all love our angsty boy), the world feels tangible and easily visualized, and the bending/ spirituality of the show is some of the most inspired art I've ever seen, not even to mention how seriously you can see the directors took this show. If I ever have kids, you can guarantee it that we will watch it the first chance I get.
Isn’t weird how Avatar is the best show ever and the movie of it is one of the worst? Like we don’t talk about the movie. I just did. Forget I did. I’m sorry.
One of the things that make ATLA amazing, is how they dont just build one storyline and add characters. Insread, they make a storyline for every single character. Even the ones that are dead. It makes you feel what they feel... it maked you entertained for their story, and it made the show great!
I'm 31 years old. Back when avatar aired on nickelodeon i was about 14 to about 16 at the time. And I never watched it back then. Then a couple years ago when Netflix put it on and it blew up again. I thought "eh why not. Let's check it out" and my god...what a fantastic series. Even the movie critic in me believes that this is probably one of, If not THE greatest show/s of all time
I was 25 or so when I 1st watched it... the end of the 2nd season is when I caught on.... I am now 41. it is THE greatest show ever made.... ( I've seen a lot of shows).
The Characters Gave Meaning To This Show I Will Remember Aang When I Have To Do What's Best For My Family And Friends I Will Remember Sokka When I Need To Have Confidence I Will Remember Katara When I Need To Have Faith I Will Remember Toph When I Feel Underestesmated I Will Remember Suki When I Need Courage I Will Remember Princess Yue When I Have To Do A Sacrifice I Will Remember Zuko When I Have To Prove Myself Worthy I Will Remember Iroh When I Need To Be Open Minded I Will Remember Azula When I'm Being Selfish I Will Remember Ty Lee When I Try To Find My Place In The World I Will Remember Mai When I Try To Be Perfect One Day In The Future This Show Will Be The Most Succesful And Most Emotional Tv Series.
I found myself relating to Zuko from the very start. The relationship I have with my father is rocky, to say the least. I happen to be a closeted trans boy and he happens to be violently transphobic, and that combination is doomed from the start. I've spent so much time desperately trying to prove myself to my family; trying to show them that I'm deserving of their love despite being an abomination. I want to show them that I'm worthy of being called their son. And boy, has it been stressful. While my father has never directly abused me, and certainly hasn't challenged me to a duel and cooked half my face off, I still have my fair share of scars. I've weathered his less-than-friendly comments towards people like me for a good chunk of time. It burns away at you, hearing the man who raised you since birth saying those searing words almost every day of your existence. It got to the point where I didn't even know if I would make it to adulthood. I thought I was unlovable, unwanted, doomed to be the black sheep. The dishonored son. If anything, Zuko's character showed me that my past does not define me. My parents' approval does not define me. My scars, as hidden as they might be, do not define me. And even though the past might be rough and painful, I can still move forward, rise up against my circumstances, and with the help of friends who love and accept me for who I am, achieve a happy ending.
@Lesbian Amazon Sister i understand the intent of the message, and I agree that acceptance of yourself is important, but often times for some trans people, acceptance of the body you are born with can conflict with acceptance of yourself (plus not everyone has an environment where they are allowed to do that). forgive me if im interpreting your comment wrongly (it seems like you're sticking to 'all trans people must accept the bodies they were born in' in your comment, let me know if I'm wrong on that), but it's not accurate to state that many trans people medically transition to fit society's standards at all (most of them voluntarily do it SO that they CAN accept themselves), and it kind of sounds like you're using the concept and of 'accepting the body you are born with' to generalise the complexity of trans peoples' lives and feelings. sure, there are trans people who accept the body they are born with without medically transitioning, and that's okay too, but there are also trans people who accept themselves better after medically transitioning. but otherwise i very much agree with your message of acceptance outside of that
I hope one day your family can learn to accept you as you are. Regardless, I'm so glad that you've been able to persevere in spite of your father's hatred, staying true to yourself in that kind of environment takes true bravery and strength. It's not fair that you've had to endure all that, and I hope you know that it isn't your fault in any way. You're worth so much more, whether they know it or not.
PATREON: www.patreon.com/storystreet
TWITTER: twitter.com/StreetOfStories
If you liked the video, I'd really appreciate it if you guys shared it around and expressed your thoughts on it. It would be a really big help in growing the channel. But only if you want to, though. No pressure.
StoryStreet I don’t know your name, but thank you for making such an amazing story time. I grew up watching Anime...but anime from a very different time from you...anime that was very similar to Avatar. My favourite was Robotech, from about 15 years before you were born. LOL. I think I have a genetic defect that prevents me from aging...or it just could be my Japanese blood. 😜 But anyways, I’ve always loved animation and cartoons...just like my bro and our dad. So even when Avatar came out, I was 32 and my friends would come over and we’d watch a few episodes at a time. We also used to analyze it in the same way you did...we just weren’t as eloquent as yourself. Anyways, thank you for this video and I will definitely be sharing it...and I just subscribed so I’m gonna check out your other videos tomorrow.
Hope u and ur ohana are staying safe and healthy during this pandemic! Much love and aloha from Hawai’i and take care. 😁🤙🏽
This video was absolutely amazing and enjoyed every second of it from the editing to the background music and how deep your analysis was.absolutely amazing
It is very sad when the characters get aang-ry
Only if you want though hahaha. I will! lol
StoryStreet dang dude this video was poetry, you made me think in ways I haven’t thought before, and you made me see a AVATAR in such a different and inspirational way so, thank you really, I really enjoyed this video
I am a simple woman. I think about Zuko and Iroh's relationship, I cry.
Felt that 🥺✊🏾
Iroh best uncle!
@@gxriz2044 Yep 😊
everytime
Wait a minute... your name's Sophee D?
There's a pornstar named Sophie Dee
interesting how zuko kneels for forgiveness with his father and receives a scar.... contrasted to him kneeling to Iroh for forgiveness and receives a hug.
This deserves to be read more
this comment puts onions in my eyes
Iroh is honestly more Zuko's father than Ozai ever was.
*ugly crying*
Iroh is a much better father figure than Ozai.
me: im not gonna cry
uncle iroh: says literally anything
me, holding back tears: he's so right
Fax😭
I thought that said "he's so tight" at first aha ha
me, sobbing: ain't that the truth
Uncle Iroh: How could a member of my own family say something so horrible
Me, in tears: I AGREE.
Flash 314 everyone gangsta until uncle iroh starts singing leaves from the vines
"I was never angry at you. I was sad because I was afraid you lost your way."
TEARS
I was bawling at that part I was so happy iroh forgave him 😭
that moment broke me
tears actually started rolling down my face xD
Dang it, reading this making me cry.
That scene punched me as hard as leaves from the vine
"Avatar is a show about unbalanced people trying to find balance." I'm not gonna lie. This line gave me chills.
Same it touched my heart avatar is literally one of the best shows ever made no questions asked
@@Flome810 YES
Storystreet is very underrated
@@AnuAnoop07 Agreed
Because we can relate
*Iroh (to Azula):* _“Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname, ‘The Dragon of the West?’”_
*Azula:* _“I’m not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.”_
*Iroh:* _“It’s more of a demonstration, really.”_
Me: "DEMONSTRATE! PLEASE!!!" And he did :)
I love this show so much that when i read the lines i listen to thevoice actors in my head!!!
TIFFANY PERSAUD
Actually I would prefer no fire in my face.💀
Quotes you can hear.
Lavish Jules
True.
"Instead of being angry he decides to- "
**Iroh hugs Zuko**
Me: ugly crying
Just @ me next time why don’t you
just called me out. also love your pfp
@@m3rkbullw0rm48 thx
Me every time I watch that scene. And Zuko yelling at the lightning storm. And Zuko pleading for mercy from his father. And everything about Zuko and Iroh's relationship because it's beautiful.
Buddy did a really great jo bediting this, his essay flowed and demonstrated emotions alongside the series, creating a true story with emotion within itself.
For those who disliked this video: we are not angry with you; we are just sad because you lost your way
Everyone liked that.
The question is : Who has the psychotic mind to hate it
@@quanicybynoe8628 Probably the same psychos who see their banished mother's in mirrors when they aren't even there
Everyone understood that you seem to be balanced a bit of struggle but you know your way
@@da2166 damn you
the grass is wet
the ground is muddy
"my girlfriend turned into the moon"
"that's rough buddy"
🤣🤣🤣🤣
This made me laugh. Thanks.
Comments like these that make me wish we could save youtube comments
This poem is EVERYWHERE
youre the reason i look at comment sections
Avatar is the best thing Nickelodeon ever funded.
Hey bro don't you remember spongebob?
@@21schznoidjimmy that's a tuff choice
It is the best thing that anyone ever funded
אורי כהן
They’re milking it so dry.
Avatar was the best thing.
As a scarred burn survivor myself, having someone like Zuko in the media I grew up with was so important to me.
Holy shit...
I never even considered that part and it only makes me love the show even more.
Stay strong. And thanks for speaking up.
Ditto 👉👉
It was also nice to see the various reactions to the burn throughout the show: contempt from the fire nation, pity from others who don't know who Zuko is, acceptance from his friends and uncle (Iroh ignores it for the most part, and just treats Zuko like normal, but helps him to deal with it when it comes up). Plus, Zuko never has the scar removed even when healing water is available- after the third season- which is nice 😊 sorry for the essay 🤦♀️
Look on the bright side
You can call people smooth skins
The United States Of America lmao
@@ethanmcfarland8240 As a bonus they can also call them "smoothies:
When zuko was trying to get struck by lightning he was low key suicidal. He had lost his fathers love, his right to the throne, his life, his family, almost his uncle, and his pride. At 16 years old mind you
Hah! This could never happen to...
oh...
wait...
And at the time he thought his mother was dead
I’m a grown man, but that scene where Iroh just pulls Zuko in and forgives him makes me tear up literally every single time
Don’t be ashamed it’s completely justified
I don't get comments like this. I mean, being grown doesn't mean you don't have feelings.
It is so fucking good tho
@@birodactyl_of_the_web As I grow up it seems more and more that the world expects us to be good at hiding our feelings, though. Being grown means being able to judge for yourself when it's worth it to reveal how you feel in spite of that expectation. Rather than being open about everything, if a "grown" (reserved) person is willing enough to say that he legitimately cries over something, then it shows even more so that there's an important reason. You probably already realize that and just wanted to focus on that it seems wrong to you that people feel the need to stifle their emotions, but there are reasons and benefits to that as I've briefly referenced here. It's just necessary as an adult to be able to put on a game face and keep a clear head so that we can handle reality, and then deal with emotions when the time is right.
TLDR: It's not that grown people aren't allowed to have feelings or have lost them, it's that they need to judge for themselves when it's important enough to reveal those feelings, otherwise they'd be a mess unable to handle day-to-day life. So obviously Avatar is a masterpiece based on the start of this comment thread.
@@birodactyl_of_the_web Yes
Additional reason: it’s soundtracks are absolute bangers
SECRET TUNEEEELLLL
The Agni kai theme tho 🔥
cue me, bopping to the yuyan theme for ages. it's honestly so nice to listen to
Leaves from the vine always hits me hard
@@bertiec1593 Falling so slow
"Come on! Strike me! You've never held back before" screamed the 16-year-old with far too much hurt in his heart than any 16-year-old should ever have to deal with.
which episode is this from?
@@mango_lipbalm the one where Iroh is teaching Lightning Redirection. I don't remember the title, sorry
@@mango_lipbalm it's "bitter work" episode 9 maybe?
@@mango_lipbalm bitter work
It’s even sadder because he didn’t get struck
Damn. Even a video essay's second hand account of Iroh forgiving Zuko had me tearing up.
every time...
Even just reading about it in a comment before watching the video
Zuko’s voice actor deserves the world. Every word he speaks has so much emotion. He’s the reason why Zuko is such a double edged sword and why Zuko can scream and cry in the same scene and still make the viewer feel pity and hate towards him, even in the very beginning.
This is true! He is a skilled voice actor to begin with tho
@@nahbirdie4773 yup, honestly his only real problem is that sadly his voice is so damn distinctive, which isn't a problem with zuko but it makes it hard for him to really be versatile as a voice actor. so every character after Avatar that he voices instantly brings to mind Zuko which makes it sort of hard to separate the characters. not a flaw with his acting, just the way his voice naturally sounds lodges itself into your brain. a good example of a versatile voice actor is Mark Hamill. you would never think that Firelord Ozai is the same guy that voices The Joker from the batman animated series, but there you go.
@@drachepumpernickel7056 agreed with that! Its hard when someone has a distinctive voice that they cant easily change. Doesnt take away his talent bur you can't think of anyone else but rhe character he played that really stood out
that's rough buddy
@@drachepumpernickel7056 For me personally, it was very easy to instantly recognize Mark Hamill as the VA of Ozai. Nowadays, pretty much everything he plays sounds more or less like Joker from BTAS, even Luke Skywalker.
"I feel the need to reiterate that this is a show made for kids" So true. This show didn't treat kids like the couldn't understand complex characters and themes and only needed mindless noise
Yes I’m tired of every kids movie poorly animated garbage that has a poop or fart joke every 2 minutes. I’m 13 years old I grew up on TMNT cartoon (2012) and Ninjago (to this day but liked especially season 1-5 maybe 6 I tolerate 7-10 for the fact that that they still allow me to get invested). I would frequently watch these shows as soon as I got home. These were my favorite shows for a time and even though it wasn’t the best it was good enough for me cause I could get invested in the Characters. Adventure Time, Regular Show, and to an extent Gumball are shows I frequently rewatch. I hate the fact that Cartoon Network, Disney, or Illumination don’t even try to create quality movies and TV. Rango while a more mature film is an example of a “kids film” that is actually good. Has good plot and it's not a cuddly animal movie it's a gritty movie with gritter characters). I don’t understand why people are so offended by the fact that a Female character can be feminine is so stupid. You literally have to make a female character written as a man. That’s why the all female Ghostbusters failed because the all male version had more depth and hit our heats in so many places through script. A strong female character is a strong character who happens to be female. That’s why I love the complex character arc for all the women in this show. Azula, Korra, Katara, Tye Lee, Suki, and Toph all feel different. Azula is more masculine because she lost her mother and she also suffers from schizophrenia. She also is a little Tomboy but we realize she is a women character not just a character. She has layered feelings, emotions, and is worth taking the time to research. Katara is caring and supportive which makes her a good character. No character is based off Chi so they have their strengths and weaknesses. Even the Cabbage Guy, the most important side character ever, has more character arc than most main characters in kid shows today. I hope we can get back to this level of quality
I am annoyed that people feel the need to point that out.
For many reasons
First of all animation isn't a kids genre. It's a medium
Avatar isn't a "kids's show" . It is a high fantasy show.
You can argue that the show has the extra positive attribute of writing with so much care that it made sure kids could understand it's narrative as well, but saying "oh my god guys it's a kids show and they had mental ilness and genocide in it, that's so rare and balzy" diminshes both the medium of animation and the show itself
It also led to the excessive love triangles and violnence pandering they shoved down our throats with Legend of Korra because that's the only way the writers had to convince the audience to not see it as a kids show
@@thecabbageman1 no he was just saying that it aired on a program that mostly geared toward children. He’s saying that the topics that the show covered were things at the time people viewed as adult or teenage issues
@@thecabbageman1 In this context, saying that Avatar is a kid's show wasn't devaluing animation. Avatar is a high fantasy show targeted at a young audience. And we are praising it for being so accessible and enjoyable to both children and older audiences
@Ty The Great That's the point, you could enjoy it even without having to understand all this "stuff" while it also has value in rewatching at a later point, maybe as an adult, and now you're picking up all these things you didn't notice when you first watched it because you weren't mature enough to understand it.
I think my favorite part about the beach episode is that it really shows just how dysfunctional Azula is. Her childhood has been completely robbed from her, by being turned into a weapon by her father. She's Zuko's _younger_ sister, she's something like 14, and yet all she knows is war.
Which is also why I love the school episode. It shows how much the Fire Nation itself has suffered from the war as well. It hasn't lost territory, but its people have suffered nonetheless. I mean, imagine yourself as someone in their 30s during the show. Your children are raised by their schools to fight in a war that you were raised to fight in. You almost certainly know others who have died at sea and in endless campaigns against the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes. Odds are several of your family members have been killed over the years. You aren't free to criticize the Fire Lord, your children pledge to the Fire Lord, can't dance, and everything serves the State. Or, the river village, a settlement of Fire Nation citizens, being poisoned by a Fire Navy factory, and no way to stop it.
The war benefited nobody but Sozin, Ozai, and those like them, including the Dai Li. They didn't have to go to that length to humanize the enemy, to make them sympathetic, but they did.
I’ve always really loved the beach and the headband for the same reason. Like the headband is both a silly footloose rip off and an amazing depiction of indoctrination. The children of the fire nation live the most relatable life to the shows target audience. Nothing that happened at the school would be out of place in a school in the US but what is familiar becomes uncomfortable because the audience has been following the gaang around and know what its really like. War and nationalism is clearly negatively effecting the school children WHILE ALSO being foreign to them. They’ve never seen war in the way the children from the nations have. It’s just like so relevant to 2007.
“I’m doing it again aren’t I?”
I mean in a way the millennial generation in a way grew up in mostly dysfunctional or broken families and during the war on terror after the events of 9/11 also they were raised mostly by the school system and television.
Since most kids had parents who we're divorced so... yeah
I know it was not everyone but it was quite common
I know some great videos on Azulas psychology I might link one. They’re very interesting I would recommend watching them
Got one th-cam.com/video/R4544ZUr_gA/w-d-xo.html its really good please watch it
Kids need these type of shows. I like how this show doesn’t dumb down important lessons. Kids are smart and are able to digest/understand complex issues. I enjoy the fact that this show gives kids (and adults)the opportunity to enhance their emotional intelligence and critical thinking.
I’m 12, and the themes, characters, worldbuilding, animation, lore, narrative and much more is just so fucking GOOD. I wish more kids my age watched actual good shows like avatar.
@@Flome810 13 and I know exactly what you mean :)
@@Flome810 ayeee same here I’m twelve. I watched this show again a few months ago and I was AMAZED at how much they could portray as a kids show
I got to this show a little late to the party, after what I’d call my childhood was more or less over, but it (and the Legend of Korra too!) have legitimately changed the kind of person I want to be. It’s changed how I want to be seen, and it’s changed how I want to behave. It’s never too late to have your life changed by a funny little kids’ show.
@@messeduppotato6398 Yeah, agreed.
"That's what the show is about: Unbalanced people trying to find balance." Great analysis. One of the best I have watched, maybe the best. Zuko's analysis was terrific, heartbreaking.
Im choking back tears watching zukos analysis
@@hundbait same i was sobbing
26:20 When he started building up to talking about Zuko here I honestly expected a switcheroo to the truly most conflicted character, the Cabbage Merchant.
The world isn't ready for the cabbage merchant analysis.
i was hoping for it.
I mean... "Hello Future Me" did it...
I was hoping for someone to focus on Aang. It wasn't until multiple watchings that I just deeply fell in love with him as a character - how he took what was given to him, how he won't let his job as an Aavatar define who he is as a person.
Meanwhile I thought it was Iroh... Oops
Why no one is talking about how good is the music in this show?
Ikr! It’s so memorable and I feel so much nostalgia when I hear it!
Agni kai theme is ao epic
I listen to its score all the time.
I can agree on that, the score is underrated
The music is phenomenal.
One of the most horrible truths of Zuko's journey is that sometimes, parents DON'T love their children. It's such a terrible thing to try and articulate to a child, it's something no child should ever have to learn but unfortunately we live in an unjust world. It's such a shattering truth and it's so commendable that Zuko came to that truth on his own and moved forward rather than shrinking inward.
This was the one show that reflected the way I felt about the relationship I had with my parents. Only problem is not everyone is even lucky enouph to have an uncle Iroh.
@@alexbraswell5021 This is so true. But you know, I think there is an Iroh in us all. Iroh himself became who he is through experiencing different things throughout his life and learning compassion for himself and for others. I think we are all capable of doing the same thing and being an Iroh to ourselves when we don't have anyone else to do so.
Conditional love. Something that technically shouldn't exist, how can love be conditional when in order for it to be love you must give it freely.
Literally one of the saddest truths 💔
I love the strong female characters in avatar. they're not written as "strong girl" they're written as "strong person that is also a girl too lmao" and it is beautiful.
No stupid over sexualized characters is always great when im looking for great writing
toph is the greatest earthbender in the world and don't you dunderheads forget it
@@00Batman I feel like comparing Korras character and Captain Marvel is wrong, I really dont remember a scene where korra says "im a woman and i can also do things men do". I rewatched the entire series a while ago and while I can understand why people don't like korras attitudes in book 1 or 2 I really saw her change. I dont know if you really saw the 4 books legend of korra have but I really liked and empathysed with her mental struggles trough book 3 and 4.
@@00Batman Well the reason why those characters are hated is bc there's absolutely no context as to WHY they can do the things they can do. Take Korra for example. She was what, fOuR and had already mastered tHrEe elements? This lack of writing is becoming a really popular thing today and it scares me
I love that about their writing, gender has nothing to do with achievements and abilities. It's what Hollywood fails to get, even society itself, people aren't great because of their gender, but rather because they are who they are. Thats the true egalitarian pursuit, where equality is based not in putting those with differences on a pedestal, but to reward people for what they have done and who they are in their lives.
I CRIED watching this “scars don’t have to define us” is a beautiful way of wrapping a neat bow over Zuko’s amazing story arch. And this is genuinely such a well put together video essay with an overarching theme and knowing how each part of the video feeds into the other. Very well done.
me too
Me three
zuko has the best story arch of any show I've seen
Least imo
man when it immediately cuts to Iroh hugging Zuko in forgiveness I cried man.
i didnt cry only because i stopped the video like 10 times in 20 minutes
No matter how many times I see that scene, I'll forever cry when Iroh hugs Zuko midsentense
I just finished the show again and I will honestly always cry at that scene
Same, especially when you know how he treated him and how iroh can forgive him so easily, really makes you cry
@@shock226 When you realize Iroh never forgave because he was never angry in the first place - just very worried, and deeply hurt. Iroh always loved Zuko unconditionally. Hits me right in the ol' feels.
He was never angry, he was just sad because he thought Zuko lost his way😭
Bryan Castillo anyone who says they didn’t cry or don’t cry today when watching that scene are lying. ❤️
Seeing Iroh's face when he flinched as Ozai hit Zuko with fire, makes me realize part of why he tried so hard to help Zuko. Sure, it had to do with losing his own son, among other motivations, but I think he regretted that Zuko was hurt because of his own lack of action. He was supposed to be Firelord, so it was his fault a tyrant like Ozai was in charge. It was his own weakness that resulted in Zuko, the most moral person in the room, being hurt. He knew Zuko needed redemption because he needed it himself but realized so late in life that he could never fully make up for the terrible things he had done before his son died. He couldn't bear to Zuko also do things he might never be able to fix. And when I think about it, Zuko had one foot across that line of no return before he came back. He was almost gone for good. That would've destroyed Iroh.
I have never thought of this before. Thank you, that was beautiful. And it only makes it more meaningful when Iroh talks about how Zuko has become another son to him. Iroh was supposed to be that person in power, instead of Ozai, so instead he became that father that Ozai was supposed to be.
I didn't grow up on Avatar like a lot of people did, I just watched it now that it came out on Netflix and I have become so attached to it. I think something that makes Avatar so beautiful is that it appeals to anyone, it's not just for children. It can teach an old man that has all the wisdom in the world something new. It can make a person numb to emotion, feel everything. It touches upon the darkest subjects without making the show feel dramatic and depressing. It makes you feel at home when you're far far away. I never thought that I would fall so deeply in love with this show and this video is the first thing Ive seen that accurately describes and explains the show and what it means to its viewers. Thank you
Same! Binged the entire show on Netflix and fell in love
Welcome to the Avatar World.
Have a seat and enjoy a nice, hot cup of jasmine tea 🍵
For being a "show for kids", Avatar has very real wisdom in it that can benefit anyone. It's a masterpiece.
It was amazing to grow up with Avatar. Now I can look back on it with nostalgia and to be able to re-watch it on Netflix.
Well welcome aboard
I recently rewatched the show and only now I really realized and appreciated the fact that Aang didn't kill Ozai. This whole time it was all about "Aang has to defeat the firelord" which kind of made you subconsciously think he has to kill him. When the final battle came near Aang started to seriously struggle with the thought of killing a person (no matter how bad they are) and tried to come up with a better solution despite everyone (EVEN THE FORMER AVATARS) telling him there is no other option. But it was simply against his nature and he eventually came up with a way better solution to defeat the firelord. That really impressed me.
You could really feel his pain when even his past lives told him to kill the firelord and he was so lost. It makes me emotional thinking of how good this show is.
Later in comics/kora show you find that even though aang could take away bending, not killing some people led to a bunch of problems.
well give the lion turtle some credit too my man
@@chrome7695 Fax
What’s interesting about the Ozai fight is that it seems like the universe itself is really trying to make a push for Aang to kill Ozai at nearly every turn. His friends tell him to do it, his past lives, the avatar state, and Ozai himself. But Aang obviously doesn’t give in to any of this, which is why his will was strong enough to do energybending.
The crazy thing is Zuko’s father tasked him with finding an Avatar who supposedly spent the last 100 years mastering all 4 elements all the while never being seen by a single member of the fire nation-and capture him. An avatar that at the time of the quest being given, didn’t even exist in the real world. It was an infinitely futile quest. And without Iroh, Zuko would’ve spent his whole life on that road.
Ozai learned toxicity from his father Azulon and used it to raise his children
@@Nijilove78 yeah of course, but to me that’s WAY more than just toxic. You’re not just saying “do this hard thing and I’ll love you,” you’re saying “complete this impossible task that me, my father, and his father before him hadn’t even begun to achieve-and then you can come back home.” It’s basically banishing him for life, but also giving him a purpose he could never hope to realize.
@@glyle2504 oh for sure. I didn’t consider that- i was thinking of how azulon lost his grandson lu ten in this war and then told his other son to kill his only remaining grandson (and ozai agreed, wtf) then after his wife bargained for his life he hurt him (physically and mentally) and sent him on an impossible mission to get him out of his sight
@Gabriella Maroney But he still wanted to remain in power so he made himself the Phoenix king therefore making the title fire lord useless.
@Gabriella Maroney Now that i have thought about it... Ozai really wanted Azula to be next in line, but her lying to Ozai about Aang's death and her failing to capture Zuko when he decided to choose his own destiney, he maybe doubted Azula's ability and decides to rule on his own.
You can tell the show is good when you identify with a character as an elementary-schooler and realize more and more how profound that is as you grow up. It genuinely renews my hope in myself when I remember these character arcs and how as a kid I would say to my mom that I feel like Zuko a lot of the time. If he can make it, then we all can make it.
Same
Same, but iroh for me lol ☺️☕
I hope she was more like Ursa then
Iroh is the man
Yes
He’s just the chillest bro ever. I would love to know him.
Yes
Ingmar Fris everybody gangsta till Iroh pulls out his prison bod
Agree completely, Iroh is the kind of uncle everyone should have
"Avatar is a show about the unbalanced people trying to find balance"
Well said!
Watching this show again as an adult, I couldn’t believe a kids show tackled subjects like genocide, death, loss, oppression and war better than all these modern “woke” shows. I’m not going to lie, this show hit so much harder as an adult, it almost brought me to tears.
Agreed, and the more you dig into it the deeper and deeper all of these themes and characters get. Like, Katara gets a lot of hate for bringing up her mom so often, but A she was 14, B she had to fill in her mom's role and support her _older brother,_ and C her mom sacrificed herself to protect Katara. Or all of the trauma zuko went through, though that ones more obvious. Or the fact that "In honor of Mako" was the first voice actor who died, that one sure went over my head when I watched this at 8. Or Azula who also sometimes gets hated on for just being born bad because of the flashbacks showing her constantly lying and manipulating Zuko even as a kid, but in reality she's a victim of child abuse, conflicting parents one of whom had depression, and an overdemanding household that in addition to being ruled by Ozai, was completely separated from normal people that she could have seen and been like "somethings wrong here" AND she never had the opportunity to learn from Irohs wisdom. I mean like... Avatar creators... _How have you done this._
It was already tuff we were little
"Almost?" You must have a heart of stone.
Avatar is one of the best shows of all time FIGHT ME!
Agreed him being the only one of his kind is always heartbreaking especially today
Zuko has one of the best character arches in TV history. I like how he symbolizes a lost soul, that's easily influenced by adult figures around him. Zuko tries to be the moral high ground when he spoke against his father in the war room and this was reflective of what he learned from his mother, empathy and caring. This is always how he was as a young boy. Example: that one flashback when Azula was throwing rocks at the ducks. Then when he fought his father in the Agni Kai and received his scar, he genuinely believed that he deserved it. In his mind, he shouldn't have been disrespectful and naive. His father is royalty and all knowing, this contradiction towards his highness causes Zuko's personality to change immensely. Now, he feels like he has to toughen up, not show emotion, and be a ruthless leader... like his father. As he embarks on his journey of delivering the Avatar to his father, he slowly starts to regress back to his empathetic true self through influence by the most level headed character in the show, Iroh. And just when you think he finally found his own way and is on the verge of completing his arch... BAM... given the perfect circumstance, he responds out of pure emotion and betrays his uncle, his one true father figure. This sets him back to square one and now he truly has to find his own way, only this time it's entirely on his own. Brilliant
I love how unanimous people are about who has the best redemption arc because it was just that good
"avatar is not a series about escaping struggle or healing scars but a story about finding ourselves through struggle and finding hope within our scars, it's about finding the brightest lights we can in the darkest tunnels of our lives"
I think I shed a tear
A tear? I was bawling like a hundred.
My mother, a person who never watched any animated shows would tell her friends about this show when it was airing. This show is demographic breaking
I'm one of those moms too. My nieces and nephews and son raved about it. I'm the one that watched the movie and thought it was ok and couldn't understand the hate....then I watched the show and was like...oh, yeah that sucks. I freaking love the show.
@@IMadeAThingOKC I'm still trying to get my parents to cave in to watch it. My mom still thinks cartoons are "for kids." My dad loves cartoons. I'm hoping to at *LEAST* get my dad to watch it........without falling asleep that is. ;~;
it's a family show, not a children's show. anyone can watch it and enjoy it. fun for kids, action and emotions for teens, layers and depth for adults. all tied into a single series. so many adults around me simply scoff at animation as "for kids" when it's it's own medium. there are things you can do with animation that simply can't be done in live-action. some of the heaviest hitting emotional stories I have ever come across have been in animation. Avatar is a excellent example of what the medium can do and show
@@drachepumpernickel7056 IKR!?
Same! My mom and I watched it back when I was 6 years old. This is a show for everyone, and it's nice to see how well it aged over 15 years. Definitely a show that was far ahead of its time.
Zuko begging Iroh for forgiveness and Iroh telling hi he was never angry is my favorite scene in all of media. It's the one scene that always gets tears from me.
What about... leaves from the vine, falling so slow--
I've struggled with self harm since i was 12. The scars i have are something i can never ignore. Your words about how scars dont define us, but instead help us heal made me cry. Thank you for making this video.
Man, I know right? My self harm scars are gone but the emotional ones still hurt like yesterday. Its surprising how you close yourself off of the idea of being you without considering all of the baggage and shit you've been through.
If you guys need any help then go and get it. I recommend help from people who care about you and also professional help like a therapist. It helped me and my friends.
Jesus loves you, I'll pray for ya
@@eveleene3613 Jesus loves you, I'll pray for you
I am in the same situation
Anyone else start crying when the scene of Iroh forgiving Zuko played?
This is the children’s show that teaches kids what a wise adult looks like. Thank you for all your wisdom Iroh.
Yes, I did?
"The animators learned the fighting style to animate it better" imagine you see somone everyday come out of a animation studio so you think he must be a animator therefore he doesnt do much physical work so he should be weak and you try to mug him but he beats the sgit out of you in 4 diffrent ways
😂😂😂
Yeah, do not underestimate other's power.
Sgit bending.
four hundred*
@@PongoXBongo lol
I’m commenting in the middle of watching but the music plays a huge part in the culture of each nation and adds to the world building. The music adds that extra layer and really brings it to life.
Great observation! Unfortunately, I'm not at all qualified to talk critically about music.
But I'm glad some of my commenters can pick up that slack!
@@StoryStreet I wish you did talk about the music. The music that plays during their battles is so awesome and just full of culture ❤💯🔥
I think one of the scenes where music plays such a big role is when azula and zuko fight against each other at the end. It really brings out that that it wasn’t a fight between good and evil and one of them is the „hero“. It’s a tragic fight between siblings and Ofcourse Azulas mental illness.
Sorry for my English it’s my third language 😅
Lana banana you should watch Sage Rain’s take on Azula and Zuko’s Agni Kai. He tackled how the music impacted the already great narative between the sibling’s final fight.
Bruh the music is so gooood I get feels every time
"With the motherly nature of Katara..."
Picture: Katara yelling and seeming annoyed
Well Storystreet isn't wrong.
Sounds like a mother to me.....
Which is accurate.
That's very motherly in my opinion :)
"I can do this...I can watch a ATLA video essay without crying"
The lies I tell myself
Almost fam but that iroh scene god damn
@@elvis4868 ikr
Underrated comment this is
same
Iroh : "If only I could have helped you."
"why is this show still good?"
Because 15 years later its stil r e l e v a n t
Hi uncle iroh
And probably even more relevant than ever before, comparing it with alot of shit we get today 😔
Yeha , your right Nico
*yeah, fuckin auto correct
@@Flome810 Uncle Jessica lmao.
you know its a great show when it is still constantly talked about 15 years later
Yup! It’s an amazing show and one of the best series of Nickelodeon
Isabel UJ best series of all time to be honest, considering only full metal alchemist has comparable quality (at least in my opinion).
exactly! ATLA is one of my favorite shows of all times,alongside the wire.
And so will be constantly in the futurr
To paraphrase Avatar Roku, this show will transcend lifetimes
Honestly, when I used to practice martial arts I would sometimes try to envision myself firebending. It actually did help me get a grasp of where all my force is being projected, and due to firebending’s intensity it also helped me envision how to control that force. It’s legitimately a good exercise in controlling your strength and improving technique - if your form is sloppy it will be wild, unpredictable, and dangerous to yourself like an explosion, but if you’re precise and can control your power you will be able to control the damage you can potentially cause.
Did you make the fire sounds with your mouth?
Iroh hugging zuko always make me tear up such a sweet moment :,)
One of my fav moments
it’s so beautiful 🥺
For me its because the last time zuko kneeled down, cried, and apologized to someone, he got a permanent mark. But instead, with iroh he receives love and fogiveness. Always tears me up
A children’s show, a children’s show guys... the meaning, the morals, the lessons, the whole thing. Oh my, shows like this are what develop such strong young minds and hearts fuelled with love, content, happiness, and acceptance even though coming from a hard place. It’s crazy to think that this, this, is where i’d learn to be free. Thank you so much for that beautifully said text at the end, i’ve been sadly going through an ‘unstable’ state of mind even at my young age, and seriously i might come back and re listen to that constantly. Absolutely, stunning piece of production.
I hope all kids will always get to watch this.
Exactly I feel like out all the avatar essays
This shows the true identify off avatar so well, avatar feels so different from other shows it feels natural it feels real which is weird since it has bending and all these magical things but it does and it gives me wisdom, and understand the depth of people and makes me actually feel like to work to a better me I can't explain it well but it motivates me in such a weird way to actually try and be happy and free and let go
@@Yumyum-yo6op honestly i think part of the reason so many of us (not-so) secretly try to bend when we're alone is because the show makes it feel so natural, like yeah, this is something these characters could do in our world
In the novel The Rise of Kyoshi, Avatar Kyoshi mentions how "It was said that each Avatar was born in fitting times, to an era that needed them."
Just like how Kyoshi brought justice to an era full of corruption, Aang brought hope to the world after the 100 Year War. Hope was a prevalent theme throughout the show and the character and personality of Aang was PERFECT in so many ways, especially for his time.
I love your comment soo much, I agreed wholeheartedly 💕💕
Yes but TECHNICALLY he was already born before the 100 year war began.
The world needed to go through so much pain and suffering so that they learn to love one another, and come together.
Roku said it himself, that the four nations NEEDED to be separated.
Then the war happened, Avater Aang brought hope and peace. He started a city dedicated for the nations to come together in peace.
The world becoming connected because they were separated for so long.
The world needed Kyoshi for 260 years apparently-
I just realized, she has a similar name to my mother. It’s Jiyoshi. Cool
I’m happy to say that the voice actors in the spanish dub also did an EXCELLENT job, they really delivered every single line with passion. Such a great team.
It is a crime that this has so few views. You've made a really incredible video essay that's up there with the best of them
Edit: When I commented this the video had around 127 views. Finally, the youtube algorithm got something right
Thank you so much!
THELAZERGUNSTUDIOS1 Totally agree!!!
THELAZERGUNSTUDIOS1 This was freakin’ AMAZING!!! I haven’t teared up since I first watched the entire series...I saw so much of myself in Zuko...and his story telling brought a few tears back. This was truly a beautiful story time.
Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I also felt it didn't add much new to the discussion
but maybe i just watched too many of them.
moony Are there that many of these? I dunno but this looked like something I’d see from big channels like Looper and or New Rockstars...so to find out that he’s a 21-year old dude who did all the amazing editing, the music, the narration, etc. all on his now...not to mention that his commentary were quite nuanced and I thoroughly enjoyed his sense of Humour, especially the parts where he zoned out and just kept rambling.
I love how Avatar is just as much Aang’s story as it is Zuko’s, just as much Zuko’s as it is Katara’s, and so on. It doesn’t feel like Aang is the only really vital and important character, every single character and episode has an importance to the story. Loved this video and I think you did a really good job with it!
Yuki James totally forgot about this comment, but I agree with you. My brother and I discussed it a few days ago and realised the purpose of the episode :)
People only really hate on it because it was the episode that continuously got played on Nickelodeon when the show stopped airing too much as it was an easy access episode due to not requiring previous knowledge of the plot to get into it.
Soooooooooo true i feel the same way
I removed what I said about the great divide because it is incorrect :)
@@Dirty20 as a kid i remember that episode a lot which is so funny cuz it mightve been due to the reruns? lol
I just think it's cool that Aang ended up being taught bending from his friends.
His friends were some of the most powerful benders too
Elvis I think they only became such powerful benders because of their friendship. They learned from each other and even use moves from other bending types during fights which make them stronger than sticking to one bending style
@@Tigerlilly7827 just like Iroh
Yeah even monk gyatso was his friend from a past life (not to say gyatso wasn’t friends with Aang specifically but his previous friendship with roku is more on par with aangs friendships with toph, Katara and zuko)
They evolved from and off of each other and it's beautiful to watch it happen before your eyes.
He never lost his way.
He found it.
Zuko was never alone.
He was just a lone victim
I watched this show back 2010 during a deployment to Afghan. I was going thru a really bad time in my life and all I would look forward to was pulling my laptop out before I went to sleep and watch this show it will always have a special place in my heart
This makes me happy to read honestly. Bless
watching a show with major themes of how imperialism is bad while being used for it in the army, rip
Thanks for your service
We salute you
The aggressive praise of Toph being a blind, female, asian CHILD made me laugh and just appreciate this show so much. I love her character so so much.
She’s definitely the epitome of a strong female character done right. She has weakness, but one she has learned to accept and work around. She’s independent, but also learns that receiving the support of another is necessary. And the show doesn’t beat you over the wit how she’s a “strong female character”. She’s just a great character at the base level.
Isn’t everyone in the show asian and the entire main cast are children? That’s not diverse
@@FrogEnjoyer17 the water tribe is Inuit, the fire nation is Japanese, the earth nation is Chinese, and the air nomads are chinese/Tibetan.
Edit: there all based off these races and cultures.
@@FrogEnjoyer17 But because it isn't American and black and Mexican or whatever first comes to mind, don't make it not diverse.
Also, as I like to say, Asia is a continent, not a country. There are so many cultures that just calling them all Asian feels like you're marginalizing their cultures.
@Good Name But I thought Asia was a country! :p jk
My mother and younger siblings call me immature for continuously watching Avatar because "it's a cartoon for kids". But this show has so much depth and hope. It's lowkey changed my outlook on life.
Whoever thinks that, you’re missing out.
There's plenty of adults that still re-watch this show to this day. It's a reason that it has near perfect reviews. It's a mastery in storytelling and animation. And I'd argue children will love it but you don't fully appreciate avatar until you are old enough to understand it in it's totality. This show literally tackles war, oppression, sexism, death, loss, grief, fatherhood, propaganda, politics, figureheads, corruption, torture, enslavement, love, disabilities, animal abuse, domestic abuse, spirituality, colonialism, fascism and not to mention how much justice they did for Asian culture. I can literally go on for hours, but you get the idea. Not to mention I have a very low attention span and it's hard for me to finish all of the hundreds of shows and movies I watch. But I have literally watched ATLA more than 60 times and I still don't get tired of it. I don't think I ever will.
Tell them to watch it with you babe
I see they have lost their way
Dude, I am a 42 year old dude and I rewatch the show every 2-3 years.
Katara saying “EARTHBENDIBG STYLE” is the most hilarious thing ever 🤣
Earth style: Gargoyle Jutsu
I just realized why earthbender soldiers use their fire resistant helmets as shields rather than using, you know, *actual* shields. Earthbending is all about facing a problem head on. So where better to put a fire shield than on the head?
you just blew my mind. (that just made my day)
Wow!
Check your grammar
Alexander Supertramp Yes it is. Rewatch the episode “Bitter Work”
Tristan Neal you comment still Makes no sense you say shields rather than actual shields
As a 40 something year old man who watched this show in his 30's, this is not just a kid show.
Watched it for the first time this month (I'm 26). I regret not watching it as a kid but I think I have a greater appreciation for it now than I ever would have if I watched it back then.
Yeah and the interesting thing is, as a kid it doesn't feel like something adults would watch and enjoy, it would feel like just a fun little cartoon with super cool powers. However rewatching the show years later made me realize how much depth and dimension this show has, honestly this show is a straight up blessing.
Shahd Al-Ali took the words straight out of my mind. I watched the show back when it aired and I was around 4 years old lol. Now I’m 19 and since the show is on Netflix, I’m deeply in love with the show more than ever. I’m even thinking about getting a tattoo about the show haha!
I consider myself a (secular) humanitarian. This has humanitarian philosophies written all over it, therefore it's not a "kid's show", it's a human one.
@nerainikil karthikeyan dude same, I'm trying so hard to forget about it so I can watch it again but it's so hard...
“The scar on Zuko’s face is iconic. It was the scar he recieved for refusing to fight his own father after speaking out in a war meeting. It was the scar that labeled him as the disgraced fire nation prince, banished from his own country by the very father that he strove to make proud. It was the scar that drove him to find the avatar restore his honor and return to the only happiness he’s ever known in a picture from so long ago.
It was the scar that identified him, defined him, given to him by those who were only ever disappointed in him because he could never live up to the standards they had set.
Zuko’s father fire lord Ozai was distant and abusive towards Zuko, he was someone obsessed with power and oppressing those under him and that gave him very little time for a son who he grew to realize was nothing more than a disappointment to him a failure who could never live up to the expectations that he had set, and it was in Zuko’s sister, Azula that he found the child that he could be proud of. Azula was everything Zuko wasn’t skilled, decisive, assertive just as her father was, and when Ozai has the child he’s always wanted he’s free to throw the other in the trash.
All Zuko wanted was to make his father proud, be the child he could brag about love and adore. All Zuko wanted nothing more than his fathers love, even if it had to be earned but all he got instead was a scar for not being what his father wanted him to be.” That’s my favorite
Dayum. Thanks for that. (Also thats a lot to type out, good job)
69 years ago 😂😂
Zuko will always be my favorite character. This part of the video hit.😪🤧
Thank you F.B.I. very cool👌
2 years late... but I feel like one of the biggest reasons people love this show so much, even so many years later, is because of how rare it is to get genuinely good kids shows nowadays, especially one created so long ago that we got to grow up with. nostalgia makes things special, but Avatar is a special kind as the nostalgia grows into a special kind of relatability into adulthood
I’m 21, I just finished it for the first time (watched it here and there as a kid) and I’ve been in a deep state of intense emotion for the last 4 days. Never felt this connected to any type of art I’ve ever watched. Afraid to rewatch it honestly
u described it perfectly
So true. I just rewatched it at 18 (saw it when I was little but barely remember it) and I’m struck by how deep the emotion I feel from this show is. Truly a masterpiece
Bro how’d you get over the feels I’m struggling through this rn as I finished the show yesterday lol
we're literally the same. I just heard and watched a few scenes when I was a kid, so I never really understood the story. I decided to watch it last month because of the quarantine boredom and its recent hype on socmed. I finished it for only a few days because I was so invested to it, which is rare on my case because I get bored easily with tv shows/anime and I tend to stop watching it midway. But it was different with ATLA. Now that I've finished it, I've been too attached with the characters and I often think about them out of nowhere. I'm having a hard time moving on with this show, and I tried to watch LOK to fill the emptiness I felt bec of ATLA but I still feel connected with the old characters. This is by far the best tv show I've seen and the lessons I've learned from it can never be forgotten.
@@ibizamarquina793 It feels so weird as an adult being so attached to a kids cartoon but I feel the same way. I rewatched it for a third time to help get over the feels
Idk why I cried at the end of the video. You made such a good many points in this video thank you
Ikr, I was tearing up. Everything about this video was great. The points were spot on, the dramatic pauses, the music, everything about it was great. I’d consider this the greatest show review I have ever seen and I find it kinda funny because I wasn’t planning on watching the whole thing at first but I’m glad I did.
Same T T it was so good and literally captured all my thoughts and feelings on the show!!
Same
My eyes just couldn't stop watering. What a beautiful ending to an incredible video.
same
I got misty-eyed as soon as you started the thunderstorm scene introducing the Zuko section of this video. Such a powerful moment in what may be the best character arc in TV history.
Let’s be honest he has like 5282369358764 arcs... and they’re all the best
@LegendofZia same...
Not gonna lie, that's my favorite scene from the show.
They way he says “You’ve never held back before”, is so heart wrenching. Like it’s so true for his story, the world never stopped giving him bad cards, why should it stop now?
Took the words right out of my mouth
I've just ended watching the show not to long ago. I've been always told that this was a great show, that has lovable characters with different personalities and great development and... I haven't realised how good was all of that until I cried on Aang getting angry of losing Appa and Katara quieting him down. That scene, that damn scene made me inmediately think: "this is not a regular kid show", this is something else. I continued watching, Zuko's development, Toph's jokes, Katara and Soka's relationship. This is a show about human relationships and their effect on those people. By the end of the show I partially forgot about the firelord and the war and just wanted this GREAT characters to grow. Thank you, whoever made this Masterpiece and thank you StoryStreet for making us know why Avatar: The Last Airbender is so great
24:56 "Toph is a BLIND. FEMALE. ASIAN. CHILD. Thats like 15 diversities in one." Just love it!
I mean yes, but being a female child Is not a diversity.
I mean yes, but being a female child I'd not a diversity.
@@veronicagroner6533 it is when you think about the kind of character she is, we don't get very many burly female children portrayed in media
I liked your comment, but took it back because that would mess up a beautiful 69 likes
@@Sony-ny3xx what I like about toph is that despite her being very tomboyish and likes to be independent, she still has a more feminine side we see in her from time to time. Like how she hangs out with Katara during Tales of ba sing se or how she has had a huge crush on Sokka because of numerous amount of times he supported and saved her.
"but there's one character that embodies this theme of balance, this concept of an unbalanced identity more than any other. it's a character that if you watched the show you probably knew deep down that I was going to talk about because he's easily one of the most beloved characters. so much so that I considered not talking about him in depth because so many other people have done it before. but to me, there is no better representation of what this show is about, and what it means to me personally. so, let's talk about..."
*"MY CABBAGES!"*
Momo!
He has suffered the most in the entire series. F for cabbage man
@@dumlord1581 F
@@dumlord1581 F
@@dumlord1581 F
This show should air yearly everywhere in the world and should be used as a model for social and life skills. It is filled to the brim with profound philosophies like, human compassion, being kind to one another, respecting the lives of all beings, learning to forgive, learning to find your destiny, learning to trust, learning to love yourself regardless of societal standards, loving your friends, cherishing the people around your, taking responsibility and so much more!! I cannot express all the gratitude I have for the creation of this masterpiece and I can't wait for the live-action remake!
Would I be exaggerating if I said this show been such role model in my life. If someone asked who was my role model in life I could say Uncle Iroh. There are so many great principles and philosophies like you mentioned that has been a strong influencer in my life. Like someone mentioned, anyone could watch Avatar no matter the age and learn from it.
Too bad that its restricted to the US on netflix. I tried using a vpn service but they interrupted me midway of ep 4 ssn 1,they had caught me lol. So now i had to pirate it XD.
This
One good memorable reference is the Secret Tunnel episode where the nomad was like "hey look, it's river people" and katara was like "we're not river people" and the Nomad was like "you're not? Well then what kind of people are you?" and Aang responded with "just... people" and the nomad was like "aren't we all brother?" 😃😃😃
The only problem with that logic is some people try to do that with religion because they say that certain religions will help people to be more compassionate and so if you tried to make everyone watch Avatar it probably get the same reaction because people say oh join my religion it's so great and you would be saying watch Avatar it has great life lessons but no one is going to want to do something if they're forced to do it, but I do agree that Avatar has some good lessons some great ones in fact
It was a show made to be a good influence on children who were parented by television. That slowly grew, for me, to be into the internet around my middle school years; but my parents were never there, and my grandparents were in their 80’s and had their list of problems as well- so most of my influence came from television. I know I’m not the only one too. I feel like this show was made to give you amazing examples and to provide at least a tiny bit of what you were lacking. I look back to scenes with Iroh with such nostalgia and I have no memories I can look at that way with my family; none at least I can recall. He was stable and calm, at peace, and extremely patient- but still rounded and human. He was what I needed in my life and what I was lacking. But it also provides relatable characters for the situation you’re going through.. I could just go on and on
The Zuko Iroh hug will NEVER cease to bring a tear to my eye.
I was doing well for the entire vid, but as soon as that scene came on I had to hold back from sobbing and just ended up having some tears fall while trying to catch my breath
"my first girlfriend turned into the moon"
"That's rough buddy"
That line is iconic 😂
How would anyone react to it, really.
"my first girlfriend turned into a rough body"
"That's moon"
"your third boyfriend shattered from a star"
_those are soft, bruh!_
The funniest moment in the entire show
The first word in this series is "It's" and the last word in this series is "perfect."
That's pretty darn true.
facts
Me: wait....
Also me: IT IS
you smart
Sokka starts with "Its" and Toph said "perfect"
You said the thing
It’s a masterpiece
Zuko's story helped me realize, I never needed my dad's approval, I just needed his love. He didn't give that to me either and I've struggled to find the balance between abusive narcissism and hope within myself. Zuko's story is very very real.
same... People dont realize this isnt a "kids show", they knew exactly what they were written and theres plenty of hidden spiritualy truths in this show. Some are even so subtle that if you dont have the enough awareness you dont even realize
Damn that cut where Iroh embraced Zuko... This scene always manages to give me chills but the way you cut it was just... _perfect_
Thank you for this video, it really is one of the best I've seen so far
yah it got me too.
This makes me wanna watch the show for the 18th time.... I think?
I've been watching Atla analysis for 3 days straight and I feel like crying everytime lmao am I ok
No your fine
Y is this me
Я тоже
We all go thru it 🥺
I'm feeling this
It really is incredible how much impact a children’s show still has over a decade later
I'm, as an adult, now realizing how much the show taught me when I was a kid. Like really valuable life lessons...
i dont really define this as a childrens show anymore. adults can learn alot from this series to
Peer ulijn K Exactly! When Avatar was being developed, it’s target audience was probably 8 or 9 to maybe 14 or 15 year olds. That’s around the age I was when I watched it. Now I’m in my early twenties and I find myself discovering hidden meanings and lessons in the show. I’ve watched it once or twice a year since I was 12, because I just keep learning from it
I'm definitely showing this to the kids of the next generation. This is a great show that can just travel through time.
@@kayleerebekah4884 you would be crazy to think this show is 8 to 14 its has to be 7 to 10
This is one of those shows that i would give absolutely anything to be able to watch for the first time again. From the intense and complex emotional tension and scarring in every single character, to the beautiful storytelling in just the animation itself, to the beautiful soundtracks. This show is such a good development show for young kids and even adults, the lessons at the surface that are easy for a younger child to understand and digest and the deeper meanings to these characters trauma and emotional stance can easily school any adult in emotional cues. Truly beautifulshow
who else cried at the end of iroh's "tales of ba sing se"?
Who didn't?
Everyone old enough to understand
Leaves from the vines falling so slow
Especially when the Mako tribute was shown
I cry everytime I hear that song
"Just hand-wavy nothingness"
*live action flashbacks*
Live action film. That doesn't exist yet
There is no movie in Ba Sing Se.
War flashbacks
there is no war in ba sing sa.
Virginia Watson the earth king would like to invite you to lake lougi
I'm 35 years old and still watch this show at least once every year. Can't wait for my daughter to grow up so that we can watch it together. Such an amazing show
Nice, I’m 12 and I marathon the show every year too. A true masterpiece.
To me this show is so great because it's dripping of psychology, character and world building, culture and symbolism. No matter how many times you watch this show, you will always find something else, a deeper meaning. it conveys childhood, war and trauma so perfectly
i personally think the character development in the series is one of the best examples if not the best for it
Zuko's character development especially. He went from an honor-finding, obsessed, traumatized kid to realizing that his past doesn't define him, and that earning his father's approval will never bring him happiness. Aang also went from a clueless, childish, avoiding conflict child to a brave and strong kid who trusted his gut and believed that violence is never the answer. I just love everything about them ❤❤
14:55 I think in that the episode, "Bitter Work", we also learn a little about the water nation as well. Katara throughout the episode is doing her best to advise Toph to be more gentle and encouraging to Aang, which demonstrates the gracefulness and soothing nature she as a water bender has. When Katara tries to speak with Aang about his roadblocks in trying to learn earth bending, she is trying to "metaphorically" seep through the hard cracks in Aangs insecurites to help him, like how water falls between the cracks of rock and smoothes its rough edges over time. So, I would say all four nation's personalities were represented in that episode; just in unique ways.
And thats a testament to how much depth is actually in the show. I love watching ATLA video essays because different people have favorite parts and somehow it seems like every time I watch one, someone else has combed through and revealed a section I overlooked or wouldnt have even considered.
This also applies with the fire nation even though firebending was hardly mentioned in that episode. Although the earthbenders always seemed to have been hardy people, who pushed through adversity (seen in the first human earthbenders’ story of love challenged by their tribal rivalries), this hardiness was pushed further by the oppression of the fire nation. It probably caused an even greater need for earthbenders to lean into strong and dominant personalities to cope with their oppression. Toph overcame the adversity of blindness but also, living in a society that constantly is fighting back, has learned to hide her insecurities and maintain strong control over others to compensate. These four cultures apply so much to every character in seemingly every episode… it’s insane how deep Avatar goes and I love the show for it
It took Zuko almost 4 years to become the loving person he is now. He has grown so much that now he wants to be the one who gives unconditional love to those who were never leave loved.
He hated Azula for being the one who was "born lucky" and now?
Now he wants to help Azula find peace and her destiny.
I think that's a beautiful conclusion of his character ark.
It is really nice what direction they took Zuko in. his development was great as a character.
Become? No. Find his way back. He was always loving & compassionate, but his father helped break him (that, & his mother left).
I'm sorry what are you talking about?
It's always SERIOUSLY bothered me how Azula didn't get a chance at redemption, are you saying there is a comic or something I'm missing where Zuko actually helps her???
@@briancain7544 Yes, there were several comica made after the show, 4 total I believe.
Originally there was supposed to be a 4th season where Azula gets her redemption and Zuko goes to find his mother. They left it dangling on the last show of Seaspn 3 but they never continued it.
When you watch this as a kid, you want to be a bender, and like the jokes and the fighting scenes. When you watch it as an adult you realize this is masterpiece
That line “Scars don’t have to define us, but they can still help us find who we are” gave me chills. Excellent quote from and excellent video about an excellent show!
My kids were 6 and 4 respectively when this show first aired and would constantly ask me to watch this show with them and I was 35 at the time. They watched the first season but quickly lost interest afterwards. But within that long first (20 episode) season, I became totally invested in the characters and their development. The more the season went on the deeper down the rabbit hole I went. To me most interesting relationship was the one between zuko and Aang. And it started in Season one episode 13 "The blue spirt" (The very first episode that I watched) Aang was having a conversation with a barely conscious Zuko, whom which he had jusr carried to safety, and asked "if we knew each before the war do you think we could have been friends back then"
For some reason that scene had me locked in. And I had to watch more and know more. I could not get enough. I was blown away by how a children's animated series could have so much depth. Needless to say I am eager to see Netflix's live action series. And I can only hope that it does justice to the original series, which in my opinion was a masterpiece.
You must be disappointed because the Netflix remake of Avatar sucked. Wait no, don’t even mention the disgrace.
@@aristarat6658 huh it hasn’t even been released you mean the movie? Yeah that shit sucked
i loved this show as a kid and when it dropped on netflix, my now 20 year old self rewatched and when aang said that to zuko i wanted to cry so bad. this show displays war and its affects so well. kids are stripped of the most wonderful aspects of childhood; making new friends without care or worry about politics and nationalism. kids just can’t be kids.
@@animepabu5526 the creators were working on the new upcoming netflix remake, but announced that they were discontinuing the collab due to limited and ignored input... so im expecting it to be another disappointment.
@@missdifficulty905 yeah I heard that
Ozai knowing of the invasion plan wasn’t even a plot twist. No it was the logical extension of the Eath King revealing the plan to what he thought was the Kiyoshi warriors. However he instead revealed important military secrets to the daughter of the enemy. Thus the failed invasion on the day of black sun wasn’t a plot twist but an expertly crafted Chekhov’s gun. (Unless you count the Earth Kong’s initial information reveal, which definitely counts as a plot twist.)
i wouldnt really say it was a Chekhov's gun, since it was pretty clear that that conversation would have a large impact later on (we as viewers already knew Azula was masquerading as the Kyoshi warriors after all)
Kronman590 you deserve an award for pointing out my misinterpretation of a Chekhov’s gun, while simultaneously failing to address my mistaken spelling of the earth king.
Cosmoniums Comet
I just noticed that, lol.💀👌🏾
I've gotta say, anytime I rewatch ATLA, I've never gotten tired of any episode, nor have I only ever been able to only watch one. This was my first show that was truly 'bingible'. I've since stopped considering Avatar as a 'kids show', because of just... how universal it is. People talk about Lord of the Rings, and it certainly will be remembered, but in my eyes ATLA will always be a gut-wrenching story about tragedy that never gets old, and is always guaranteed to bring me to tears at least once. It's characters feel so real and human that I find myself often comparing them to my own self, even the villians (in some way, especially the villians, we all love our angsty boy), the world feels tangible and easily visualized, and the bending/ spirituality of the show is some of the most inspired art I've ever seen, not even to mention how seriously you can see the directors took this show. If I ever have kids, you can guarantee it that we will watch it the first chance I get.
My younger brother: “I like the movie more”
Me: **Visible Anger**
"I was never angry, I was just sad you'd lost your way..."
*Visible Aanger*
*i sense there is much confusion that clouds your judgment*
Aanger
He said WHAT.
Isn’t weird how Avatar is the best show ever and the movie of it is one of the worst? Like we don’t talk about the movie. I just did. Forget I did. I’m sorry.
Off to Lake Laogai with you
There is no movie in Ba Sing Se, here we are safe, here we are free
You have been invited to lake laogai.
Why is there a blank comment on TH-cam? Weird.
Balance.
One of the things that make ATLA amazing, is how they dont just build one storyline and add characters. Insread, they make a storyline for every single character. Even the ones that are dead. It makes you feel what they feel... it maked you entertained for their story, and it made the show great!
I'm 31 years old. Back when avatar aired on nickelodeon i was about 14 to about 16 at the time. And I never watched it back then. Then a couple years ago when Netflix put it on and it blew up again. I thought "eh why not. Let's check it out" and my god...what a fantastic series. Even the movie critic in me believes that this is probably one of, If not THE greatest show/s of all time
I was 25 or so when I 1st watched it... the end of the 2nd season is when I caught on.... I am now 41. it is THE greatest show ever made.... ( I've seen a lot of shows).
there were times where i literally forgot that zuko wasn't the main character
I like to think they were all the main character. Everyone boiled down into one, perfect.. The Gaang.
@@wolfishpotato6978 God I hate this sentence so much... just take my like and leave
I always thought that Aang and Zuko were the two main characters
@@Gwennerini Aang is THE main character, he’s literally the title of the show. Zuko is the Deuteragonist. Secondary main character.
@@anatoldenevers237 Yeah, basically what I said bro
The Characters Gave Meaning To This Show
I Will Remember Aang When I Have To Do What's Best For My Family And Friends
I Will Remember Sokka When I Need To Have Confidence
I Will Remember Katara When I Need To Have Faith
I Will Remember Toph When I Feel Underestesmated
I Will Remember Suki When I Need Courage
I Will Remember Princess Yue When I Have To Do A Sacrifice
I Will Remember Zuko When I Have To Prove Myself Worthy
I Will Remember Iroh When I Need To Be Open Minded
I Will Remember Azula When I'm Being Selfish
I Will Remember Ty Lee When I Try To Find My Place In The World
I Will Remember Mai When I Try To Be Perfect
One Day In The Future This Show Will Be The Most Succesful And Most Emotional Tv Series.
''One Day In The Future This Show Will Be The Most Succesful And Most Emotional Tv Series.''
Wait! it isnt!?!-
@@vk3aaa I guess a lot can change in 3 months.
I found myself relating to Zuko from the very start. The relationship I have with my father is rocky, to say the least. I happen to be a closeted trans boy and he happens to be violently transphobic, and that combination is doomed from the start. I've spent so much time desperately trying to prove myself to my family; trying to show them that I'm deserving of their love despite being an abomination. I want to show them that I'm worthy of being called their son.
And boy, has it been stressful.
While my father has never directly abused me, and certainly hasn't challenged me to a duel and cooked half my face off, I still have my fair share of scars. I've weathered his less-than-friendly comments towards people like me for a good chunk of time. It burns away at you, hearing the man who raised you since birth saying those searing words almost every day of your existence.
It got to the point where I didn't even know if I would make it to adulthood. I thought I was unlovable, unwanted, doomed to be the black sheep. The dishonored son.
If anything, Zuko's character showed me that my past does not define me. My parents' approval does not define me. My scars, as hidden as they might be, do not define me.
And even though the past might be rough and painful, I can still move forward, rise up against my circumstances, and with the help of friends who love and accept me for who I am, achieve a happy ending.
❤❤❤
UnU
)>'
(=
)>
I'm so sorry his Ignorance and Bigotry has scarred you mi baby TnT
I'm your new and or second Mom (Ursa)
@Lesbian Amazon Sister i understand the intent of the message, and I agree that acceptance of yourself is important, but often times for some trans people, acceptance of the body you are born with can conflict with acceptance of yourself (plus not everyone has an environment where they are allowed to do that). forgive me if im interpreting your comment wrongly (it seems like you're sticking to 'all trans people must accept the bodies they were born in' in your comment, let me know if I'm wrong on that), but it's not accurate to state that many trans people medically transition to fit society's standards at all (most of them voluntarily do it SO that they CAN accept themselves), and it kind of sounds like you're using the concept and of 'accepting the body you are born with' to generalise the complexity of trans peoples' lives and feelings. sure, there are trans people who accept the body they are born with without medically transitioning, and that's okay too, but there are also trans people who accept themselves better after medically transitioning. but otherwise i very much agree with your message of acceptance outside of that
And here I thought I’d stop crying when the video ended
Stay strong man
I hope one day your family can learn to accept you as you are. Regardless, I'm so glad that you've been able to persevere in spite of your father's hatred, staying true to yourself in that kind of environment takes true bravery and strength. It's not fair that you've had to endure all that, and I hope you know that it isn't your fault in any way. You're worth so much more, whether they know it or not.