slightlyembittered

Latest Posts by slightlyembittered

The Final evolution of my Avatar Sub-Elements/ Sub-Bending Chart. (hopefully)

I've been playing a lot of "Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" and this is my idea of what a "Bionicle Version" would look like. You'd go to the different temples to gather each element, and the Nuva Gauntlet would change color depending on what element you're using.

Just finished version 3.0 of my Avatar Sub-Element chart. It's come a long way since version 1.

In Defense of the Elemental System & Energybending

So I’ve seen and heard many people describe the magic system in Avatar as being based in the four classical elements. While this isn’t an inaccurate description of the show, the word “classical” has a very strong Western cannotation (Greco-Roman, to be specific). I’d like to make the argument that the elemental system in ATLA is far more Eastern than people give it credit for.

The concept of dividing the physical world into water, earth, fire, and air is just as much Ancient Indian in origin as it is Ancient Greek. Additionally, the existence of a fifth element that represents the absence of the physical or a world beyond the physical— which is often translated as “void” or “space”— is present in both Hindu and Buddhist philosophy.

This “void” concept is acknowledged in ATLA through the existence of energybending, an ability granted to our hero after coming into contact with a primordial being who existed before the four elements system. Whereas the other bending arts focus on overcoming obstacles using the physical world (elements), energybending allows one to subdue the enemy by looking beyond the physical and taking away the ego-driven brute force that lies within the opponent.

A solution steeped in a Buddhist conception of the world.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

Avatar VS Korra:  Disconnecting to a changing world.

Why do fans complain that there is too much technology in Legend of Korra?  

There have been a lot of fans who are unhappy with how much the world of LOK has technologically advanced in the last 70 years.  

While at the same time, other fans argue that major technological changes in 70 years is completely plausible, and sight recent history.  

The issue here is that people keep comparing LOK to real life. A story isn't meant to be 100% realistic; otherwise we'd have very few "happily ever after".

The real issue is that the world of Avatar has changed so much that many fans no longer feel connected to it. It's going back to a favorite restaurant and the menu has completely changed. Or picking up a favorite game, only to find the rules are so different that you can't play anymore.  

Regardless of how a franchise changes, there will always be people who feel confused or left out.  Fans should be empathetic toward each other, and not try to tear down someone just because they have a different opinion.  

Major changes in 70 years are completely realistic to our modern day, but that doesn’t mean it's enjoyable. If you asked an 80-yr-old what they thought of the present day, You'll find that many are unhappy with how much has changed and the struggle coping with that change.

LOK isn't reality. It's a story. And the main purpose of every story is to be enjoyed.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is the G.O.A.T. | Video Essay

A love letter to the show.   

The Cycle of the Fire Lords AKA Generational Daddy Issues

You know how in the series finale Ozai declares himself the Phoenix King? I’ve always found that odd, since dragon seems to be the prestige animal of the Fire Nation. However, once I realized what the phoenix in Avatar actually was, it all clicked.

The “phoenix” that Ozai is referring to is the “Vermilion Bird” or Zhūquè (朱雀). The Vermillion Bird is a mythological bird that is portrayed as bright red and perpetually on fire, basically the closest equivalent to a phoenix in Chinese culture. The Vermilion Bird also represents fire and the season of summer, the two most defining attributes of Sozin’s Comet.

So, essentially, Ozai is declaring himself the king of fire and summer and Sozin’s Comet and all things Fire Nation-y. We all could’ve figured that out without the cultural context, but it goes much so much deeper.

The name of Ozai’s father is Azulon, which I mentioned in an earlier post means “Azure Dragon”. The Azure Dragon is associated with spring. When Ozai declares himself “Phoenix”, he is basically calling himself the “natural” successor to the Azure Dragon. Summer comes after spring, after all.

Think about that. Ozai has been Fire Lord for 5 years already and he’s still obsessed with proving that he deserves the throne. That he was “destined” to have it. He knows he isn’t a dragon like Azulon or Iroh, so he decides he’ll be be even better than that: A phoenix! The ruler of summer! He’s the embodiment of fire—Yup, Mr. Fire Lord, the most Fire Lord man to ever Fire Lord, coming through. It’s all so very dramatic and pathetic and reeking of insecurity.

And if Azulon is spring, and Ozai is summer, then Zuko is autumn. Which makes sense, since Zuko’s reign is defined by the dismantling of the Fire Nation empire; the branches of their imperialism withering away. In Chinese culture, the season of autumn is represented by the element of Metal. The-Hot-Zone, @the-hot-zone, put it best:

For Zuko to also be associated with metal is… pretty fitting. Metalbending is an entirely new style of earthbending, and it completely changes how people view earth. This can symbolize the shift Zuko will bring to the Fire Nation: re-associating fire with life, with passion, with light. It’s about the new understanding of an element.

Also, the animal associated with fall is the White Tiger, which is pretty rad. Zuko’s fierceness is very tiger-like.

Avatar:  Only there for the group photo

One question I often see is:  

“Why are Katara and Zuko so underused/ weak in the “Legend of Korra’?”

The answer is quite simple:  Fan service.  

Bryke wanted the Aang Gang to be in LoK for fan service, but didn't want them to get in the way of other characters.   Therefore Toph, Zuko, and Katara are present but are almost useless.  

Which feels out-of-character for them, and frustrating for the fans when pre-established characters do nothing to help.  

Avatar:  Dragon Eggs and the Solstice

In Episode 313 (The Firebending Masters) Aang and Zuko enter a secret chamber and discover a ‘gem’ that “feels almost alive”.  This has led many fans to believe that the ‘gem’ is actually a dragon egg.  

Let’s assume this theory is correct.    

But if it’s a dragon egg, why would the Sun Warriors hid it here?

The obviously reason is for protection.  Dragons had been hunted almost to extinction, and a dragon egg would be rare and very precious thing.   

But I have another theory.  

The Sun Warriors hid the egg in a chamber that could only be opened during the solstice (most likely the summer solstice).  In the avatar world, the solstice is when the spirit world and the physical world are closest together and spiritual energy is at its peak.  The solstice is also when the Sun is at its strongest/ weakest (relative to the perspective on earth).  The Sun is the source of firebending.  And since Dragons are the original firebenders, it would make sense for dragons to have some connection to the Sun and the solstices.  

My theory is that secret chamber is specifically designed to hatch dragon eggs.  

On the solstice the chamber would open.  Then Sun Warriors would bath the egg in sunlight concentrated from the sunstone outside.  The concentrated sunlight during the solstice would fill the egg with spiritual energy and cause it to hatch.  (Just like how Roku used the solstice to talk to and empower Aang.)  

To me at least, it makes sense that the original firebenders would be born on the solstice.  

How would a person actually find out they have the ability to bloodend and if it's possible to know without training to do it.

Of the four bending arts Waterbending is most versatile and adaptable. After all, it is the Element of Change.

Waterbending is also the only element where most people can learn ALL the subtypes. (Provided they spend the time to learn.)

So to answer your first question: Most waterbenders have the ability to bloodbend but also need three things:

A deep understanding of the body and its anatomy, which is usually gained after becoming an expect healer.

Immense bending strength. Bloodbending works by dominating the water and Chi in another person’s body. A bloodbender must be strong enough to overcome their victim's Chi.

The Full Moon. Most waterbenders do not have the strength to overcome another person's Chi, therefore they need the added strength coming from the full moon in order to bloodbend.

All in all, bloodbending is a master level ability which can only be learned by very strong or master waterbenders.

As to your second question: 'Can someone know bloodbend without training?"

Answer: No. Bloodbending requires too much skill to be done by accident. (Just like you can't accidently do Calculus.) It's a skill that has to be learned and developed.

Apologies for taking so long to reply.

it’s father’s day!

Like a Gaggle of Geese, I wonder what a group of Zukos would be called?

An Honor of Zukos?

The meeting of the Zukos

zuko们的会面

Avatar: Is Roku to blame for the War?

When something goes wrong in the world, people have a tendency to blame others; especially those in power.  In the United States for example, it's very common for people to blame the president for current problems, regardless on whether or not he/ she has any actual control over the problem.  

Likewise, people in the world of ATLA tend to blame the Avatar when something goes wrong.

The fire nation attacks; blame the Avatar.

People get hurt in a war; blame the Avatar.

Can't solve your own problems; blame the Avatar.

The Avatar's mission is to bring balance to the world.  However, the Avatar did not create the world's problems, and is ultimately not responsible for the actions of other people.

Like the janitor for the world, the Avatar cleans up messes and helps bring order to the world, but more often than not the janitor is blamed for the mess existing in the first place.  The irony is that if people cleaned up their own messes, there would be no need of a Janitor.

This brings me to the subject of Avatar Roku.  Many Avatar fans blame Roku for the 100 yr war, and Roku even blames himself.  

But is it really Roku's fault?  

Roku grew up in the Fire Nation with his best friend Sozin, eventually finding out he was the Avatar, and traveling across the world.  When Roku returned to the Fire Nation, Sozin told Roku his plans for world conquest which Roku immediately rejected.  Later, Sozin invaded Earth Kingdom territory for which Roku confronted and defeated Sozin.  Roku had given Sozin two warnings, and there would not be a third.  However, as soon as Roku died, Sozin renewed his plans for global domination.

Although fans and Roku himself blame him for the war, I can not fault him.  Roku saw a problem and did something about it.  He was decisive.   

Just because his wasn't able to prevent a war, doesn't mean he caused the War nor is he responsible for the actions of other.  (Sozin's an adult.  And can be responsible for his own actions.) 

Roku's actions were natural and reasonable.  Plus, most people don't think of murder as their first solution to everything.

(Seriously, execution isn't the only way to solve problems.)

On a similar note, companies do "preventative measures" to keep people safe.  However, people will still get hurt because no rules or regulations can protect stupid people from themselves.

The Avatar isn't some perfect person who can perfectly solve every problem.  (Say that 5 times fast).  They are a human being who is doing the best they can.  

Random Thought:  Avatar vs Percy Jackson

A while back some people arguing who was better/ stronger; 

Percy Jackson or a water bender.  

Most of them concluded that Percy Jackson was stronger, but I always thought this was an unfair comparison.  

First, demigods in the world of Percy Jackson are primarily warriors who only occasionally/ rarely use elemental powers.  Second, the rules and limits in Avatar are very clear, whereas a Demigod's power doesn't have any clear limits.   The two worlds treat magic so differently that it feels unfair to ask "who is better".  You might as well compare “Dragonball” to “Harry Potter”.

Epic Fail.  

Fantasy vs Science Fiction: The modern dramatic duo

From Greece, to Shakespare, to modern day, Tragedy and Comedy have been staples of storytelling.  The two were even played back to back to help contrast each other.  These two genres also play an important role in the human psyche, which are reincarnated today as Fantasy and Science Fiction.  

There’s an old saying that goes:  

“Comedy makes you feel while Tragedy makes you think.”

Comedy focuses on emotion and entertainment.  Everyone enjoys having a good laugh and Comedy is all about having a good time.  Comedy seeks to create emotional relief and catharsis through good humor.  

Tragedy on the other hand focuses on the mind.  Typically, the audience already knows everything will end badly, so the story focuses on why everything went wrong.  

What makes it a Tragedy is that the characters brought it upon themselves.  This wasn’t some inescapable disaster; the ending was entirely preventable.  For example, if Hamlet and Othello switched places, neither play would have ended in tragedy.   

In our modern world of fiction, fantasy holds a similar role as comedy while science fiction holds a similar role to tragedy.

Fantasy is all about those feelings of Wonder and amazement. The world allows the reader to simply enjoy and experience “The Magic”, no math skill required.  Fantasy usually draws in a younger crowd because it connects to their emotions.  

Sci-fi on their hand wants to engage the mind of the reader. It wants to intrigue you with how things work. Sci-fi usually draws in an older crowd because it engages more of your critical reasoning skills.  

Unfortunately, being depressed is often confused with being intelligent in modern society.  Intellectual writing like tragedy is considered more refined, while comedy and fantasy are considered low tier garbage.  

This is also why all major English classics are about terrible things happening because somehow negativity is more important than feeling happy.

This prejudice is why things like animation, popular books and fantasy are looked down upon, while SciFi and dark literature are often praised.  

However, people aren't just walking brains, they are living creatures. And those creatures have emotional needs.

This is also why I’m not a huge fan of Sci-Fi; because it often confuses misery for good writing. 

Bending 101  

Lesson 2:  Physical Limitations

Korra:  The Airbending Drop-Out

There’s a lot of speculation on who would win in a battle between Avatar Aang and Avatar Korra.  Of course, neither is alive at the same time so this battle would be purely hypothetical.  However, there’s one argument I’ve never seen mentioned.  Korra is an airbending drop-out.  

Korra first came to Republic City to learn airbending.  She learned most of the forms but couldn’t produce a single puff of air until the season 1 finale.  

In season 2, Korra could now airbend but she hadn’t mastered it.  As Tenzin put it, “...you’re still a long way away from mastering airbending.”  “You’ve mastered Korra-style airbending.  Now you need to master real airbending.”  

Unfortunately, Korra stopped listening to Tenzin as soon as she unlocked airbending.  Worse still, Korra dismissed him as her teacher soon after, and that was the end of her airbending training.  

Because of her choices, Korra never mastered airbending.  Instead, she relied on her bending strength and the avatar state to make up for her lack of skill.  

To Korra airbending was just firebending without the burn.  

This became an obvious weakness because airbending relies heavily on skill, dexterity, and agility; skills Korra is in desperate need of.  Therefore, Korra has always struggled fighting against agile opponents like Zaheer or the Equalist.  

Which brings me back to Aang vs Korra.  When it comes to airbending, Aang would demolish Korra.  Aang was a airbending prodigy, Korra is a drop-out.  Even Tenzin could beat Korra in airbending.  

Bending 101

Lesson 1:  What is Bending

How big is the ocean on the other side of the Avatar world?

We can find out how big the ocean on the backside of the Avatar world is by using these maps from LoK. According to my calculations, the backside ocean spans from about 140 degrees to 220 degrees, making it 80 degrees wide. This is about a quarter of the globe. To put this in perspective, the backside ocean would proportional be about the same size as our Pacific ocean.

Maps are from LoK S3 ep 2 & 11 respectively.

Which kind of bender are you?

Why does Sozin’s comet make firebending stronger?  

Updated:  Corrected some grammar mistakes from the original.  

Earthbending Video:  https://youtu.be/rPDgXwazBaw

Avatar:  Glory and Shame

Personally, I think Mike and Bryan get too much credit for what was really a team effort.  A good team balances out each other's weaknesses.  While making Avatar, Mike and Bryan were balanced out by other great writers.  However, Korra was mostly made by Mike and Bryan, so any personal biases they might have don't get edited out.  

Taking all the glory also means taking all the shame. 

Before you watch “The Legend of Korra”

Before you guys watch Korra you should know a few things, or maybe you've already started.  Don't worry, this is spoiler free.  

Avatar and legend of Korra are made by different people.  Yes, the "creators" worked on both shows, but surprisingly few others did.  If you look at the head crews of both shows, you'll notice they are very different.  

Why this matters is because Korra is a very different show from Avatar, by virtue of being made by different people.  A number of things from the original show get retconned, and some characters even get different personalities.  This is because there are different people that are making the show, and this is their interpretation.  

This issue isn't unique to Korra,  many shows/movies/series change when they get a new director, producer, or if they're bought by a different company.  (Like how StarWars was bought by Disney.)  Some of these changes you might like; others you might not.  Just don't feel you have to blindly accept whatever happens. 

Added the Spiritual forms of bending to my so it’s pretty much done.  (I hope)

Below are it’s previous versions:  

AIR BENDING PAMPHLET

Now we have one for each element.  

My pamphlet for earth bending.   Air still to come.  

Feel free to ask questions.