"packed with special features, an exclusive behind-the scenes documentary and a beautifully illustrated paperback book that provides a unique, insider’s view of the amazing designs, storyboards, paintings and animation."
Not to mention the fact I'm really digging the box art design.
I totally missed that. Well, I know what I'm buying when it comes out.
Actually, I'm kinda a sucker about special editions of things (Movies, Games, etc) because I love supplementary features. I think that's mostly due to the fact that I like learning about production histories, behind-the-scenes content, and more.
So, I think I'll go a little more into my thoughts. I just finished up to the end of Season 2, and I'm getting ready to start on Season 3 tonight. I'm not going to bother calling out favorite episodes - Tales of Ba Sing Se wins by a mile - but rather, share my thoughts on the characters and some of the plot points and story elements. I'm not going to use the spoiler colors, because my post would just look like a large block of empty space, so here's a spoiler warning:
ALERT: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
First, a general observation on Season 1: It was weaksauce compared to Season 2. I understand the importance of setup in a show like this, but it went on for way too long. I didn't even really like an episode until number 11 (the canyon episode). Even then, I didn't really get into it until 14 (the fortuneteller episode), and it didn't get good until they got to the Northern Water Tribe. This is probably why it took me weeks to get through Season 1, and less than 3 days to get through Season 2. Some of the episodes just seemed to goof off a bit, and I feel like the plot just didn't really move until very late into the season. I spent most of this season not caring about what happens next, because nothing really happens.
Season 2, however, has been badass. This is when I really got properly hooked and started watching subsequent episodes because I needed to know what happened next. Every single episode (except for The Chase, which I'll talk about in a bit) was very strong and moved the plot nicely.
Now, on to the characters, in order of how much I enjoy them (the most being first and the least being last):
Appa: I mean, let's be honest, this is everyone's favorite character, right? I want one. Momo: He's no Appa, but he's wicked cute. Turtleducks: SO CUTE!
Iroh: Easily the best of the human characters, and my favorite to boot. His little vignette in Tales of Ba Sing Se remains the only story in the show thus far that has made me cry. He's deep and dynamic, and I love the contrast between him as comic relief and as a tragic figure. It's also awesome to watch the old man bust out and kick some ass with awesome firebending powers. I feel as though he peaked near the end of the Ba Sing Se cycle, though, so I don't expect him to survive Season 3.
Sokka: Sokka was a bit of an irritating oaf in Season 1, but he's grown quite a bit past his comic relief origins. His character is the most varied so far, so he winds up fitting into any episode. He's also been very dynamic; he's grown from an insolent little boy into a full-fledged warrior and tactician. He's done the most maturing out of any of the characters so far. I also feel as though he peaked when he met his father, and I similarly predict a tragic end for him.
Toph: She's probably the most consistent of all the characters so far, in a good way. She has a strong and forceful personality that is both annoying and endearing at the same time. She also shows her vulnerabilities at crucial moments, giving her a lot of depth. For someone introduced late in the series, I feel as though she's extremely well-developed and multi-faceted. I'm not sure if she's peaked quite yet, but she's probably close to it, what with the learning to bend metal and all that. I'm sure it'll be interesting no matter what.
Zuko and Aang: I put these two together because they're so similar, and because their respective characters are at about the same point in their cycle right now. I really really want to like both of them, but they're both so goddamn dumb some times. Of course, they both have a lot of struggling left to do before they can really change. While Aang is immature and annoying, Zuko is downright aggravating. He's not as immature as Aang, but he comes off as a goddamn moron. I mean, really, if your sister always lies, then why the fuck do you keep listening to her?
Both of them are sort of suffering from the same storytelling issue: they're not really making any notable progress yet. Aang is still immature and inexperienced, even though he's been through so much. I mean, he's now learned how to bend all 4 elements, but he still uses airbending 90% of the time. It wasn't until the very last episode that I really noticed him actually acting anything close to what the avatar should probably act like. Again, I understand the need to continue his struggles - he does have a lot to learn - but they're not really showing you any of his progress along that path. They're sort of saving it up and then just throwing it at you. Similarly, Zuko keeps almost picking the right path, then succumbing to idiocy every time. It actually makes the character a bit predictable, and removes some of the drama from his struggles.
Katara: This is the first character that I actually kind of dislike a bit. I want to like Katara, I really do, but she's just so weak and inconsistent that I can't. Her character seems to change depending on whatever would complement Aang at the time, and that really makes her seem accessory. More than that, though, is the inconsistency in her strength of character. In some episodes, we see her kicking ass and being a strong and tough female character, like the episode where she forced the Northern Water Tribe to change their entire backwards way of life so that she could learn waterbending. That was cool. She should do that more often. More often than not, though, she reverts to being a weak character. Too often, she seems to shift back to the "nurturer" role. That, and she's spending too much screen time waiting for Aang to come around. Get it together and act, girl!
Azula and those other two: By far the worst characters in the show. I hate them all, and not because they're bad guys, but because they're bad conflict elements. Ty Lee and Mai bring nothing of value to the group at all; they're basically just Naruto ninjas. They have fancy moves but no actual personality. They just shouldn't be there.
Azula, however, is offensive to my storytelling tastes. She's basically the opposite of deus ex machina: she's a force of nature villain whose appearance in episodes is almost always contrived. Instead of a contrived solution, she's a contrived problem. She's almost totally unstoppable, which makes her boring. All of her encounters with other characters end in painfully predictable ways. Her character has no rhyme or reason for her behaviors or attitudes. I guess you could say something like "Well, being that powerful would make anyone crazy," but that's just making an excuse for poor storytelling. With no consistency, the character loses all credibility.
Here's the problem. She's not really a character; she's a force of nature. In and of itself, that's not a problem. Some of my favorite conflict elements in stories are unstoppable and wild forces of nature. That's fine. However, when you design a character like that, you have to use them judiciously.
The problem is that Azula is always there. If you have someone who's on your tail all the time, they need to be more like Zuko: strong, but flawed and able to be dealt with. If you have an impossible force of nature, the results of any fight become a known factor, and all the drama is removed. All decisions are rendered meaningless, because you're just going to lose anyway. In the very last episode of Season 2, when Aang said "fuck it" and opened the last Chakra to enter the Avatar state, I knew that Azula was going to win anyway. It wasn't a surprise, and that took away all of the impact of that scene, and of Aang's struggles and character development.
The Chase, though, was the worst offender, and the first time when I realized the problem of her character. It killed my suspension of disbelief completely. Appa can fly very far very fast, but they still can't get away from these chasers. Despite leaving them in the dust and settling on top of a fucking mountain, Azula managed to catch up in a fucking tank. The explanation - that they were following Appa's shed fur - was pathetically weak, and still didn't explain just how the fuck they actually managed to keep up with them. If the Fire Nation had anything that fast, why the fuck haven't they already conquered everything? It shouldn't even be a challenge. It just doesn't make sense.
The worst part, however, was when Azula foiled their clever plan to lead them astray. It was as close to meta-storytelling as you can possibly get. She had no actual evidence that pointed to Appa flying away as opposed to going into the woods, and yet she magically figured it out anyhow. That's about as irritating as a villain can be. Imagine if you're playing D&D and the DM just keeps throwing impossible, unwinnable fights at you. Get a ring of fire resistance? Every mage suddenly knows Cone of Cold and never casts a fireball. That's shitty storytelling in an RPG, and it's shitty storytelling in a TV show.
Azula's character would be so much better in the story if any of the protagonists could actually slow her down. Then, you could get your hopes up - maybe they'll make it out after all! - and then have those hopes dashed epically. They were obviously trying to do that, but Azula is just too powerful to really present any sort of meaningful conflict.
I'm really looking forward to Season 3. I want to see where this shit goes. I get the distinct impression that shit is going to get fucked the fuck up.
Ty Lee and Mai bring nothing of value to the group at all; they're basically just Naruto ninjas. They have fancy moves but no actual personality. They just shouldn't be there.
Just wait, son. Azula, whatever. But the others? Shit goes down.
This is good to know, because I find them to be a waste of screen space right now. You could fit like 4 Appas in the screen real estate those two occupy.
Ty Lee and Mai bring nothing of value to the group at all; they're basically just Naruto ninjas. They have fancy moves but no actual personality. They just shouldn't be there.
Just wait, son. Azula, whatever. But the others? Shit goes down.
I would argue that even Azula gets development. I mean, there's a few good explanations for her insanity. But yeah, Ty Lee and Mai definitely get involved. Season 3 will be different than you think, Pete, based on your comments thus far. Better than you think, it seems.
I'm really looking forward to Season 3. I want to see where this shit goes. I get the distinct impression that shit is going to get fucked the fuck up.
Oh ho ho ho ho ho. Understatement. ^_~
But Pete, I totally agree with you on pretty much all you've said.
I've rewatched the series 2 or 3 times and Tales of Ba Sing Se makes me cry everytime, especially when Uncle Iroh is singing that song. ; _ ;
You might not like Book 3 compared to 2 because certain characters you don't care for have more screen time, but the last few episodes always makes me awestruck with how the went all out on the animation. There was a good meta episode that was pretty humorous.
Of course Appa is the coolest. When you see him on the movie trailer, you wish it was real.
And yes, Toph is the coolest. She's my favorite bender.
I expect Season 3 to be awesome. These are my observations up to the end of Season 2. Right now, I hate the way Azula's character is used. If that changes, awesome. If it doesn't, it'll be a major strike against the show.
I liked Avatar, but after a while it just couldn't hold my interest. And this was when I was down with food poisoning and laying in bed watching videos was the extent of my abilities, so they managed to lose a captive audience that liked the show. Why? Because it just dragged on so damn long. Most of the episodes were, well, episodic, so the plot didn't really move along until you got entire episodes devoted to doing just that. And it was still really good for what it was, so if that's your thing more power to you, but I just couldn't maintain my excitement for the series.
I was also put off by the whole Aang / Katara romantic subplot, given how young these characters are. I get that it's a kids show, and the whole "OMG Aang is starting to notice girls" bit was pretty well done and didn't seem bolted on, but I can't identify with Aang in that situation because I don't dig girls who are obviously 12-14 years old. (Though it is to the writers' credit that they made these characters so believable as children and not tiny little adults.)
That said, I did like the parts I watched. The art design was unique, the characters were well written, and the voice acting was extremely well done, which is doubly impressive compared to some of the complete garbage Nickelodeon has produced.
I liked Avatar, but after a while it just couldn't hold my interest. And this was when I was down with food poisoning and laying in bed watching videos was the extent of my abilities, so they managed to lose a captive audience that liked the show. Why? Because it just dragged on so damn long. Most of the episodes were, well, episodic, so the plot didn't really move along until you got entire episodes devoted to doing just that. And it was still really good for what it was, so if that's your thing more power to you, but I just couldn't maintain my excitement for the series.
I think that Avatar is best watched one episode at a time, every day. It's kind of like any of the Macross TV series (esp. Macross 7), or Evangelion. When I moved to the United States about four years ago, it was around the time that the "drill" episode was the big thing. They re-ran the first and second seasons every weekday, that is probably the best way to watch the show. All I can say is that I was totally captivated.
I liked Avatar, but after a while it just couldn't hold my interest. And this was when I was down with food poisoning and laying in bed watching videos was the extent of my abilities, so they managed to lose a captive audience that liked the show. Why? Because it just dragged on so damn long. Most of the episodes were, well, episodic, so the plot didn't really move along until you got entire episodes devoted to doing just that. And it was still really good for what it was, so if that's your thing more power to you, but I just couldn't maintain my excitement for the series.
I think that Avatar is best watched one episode at a time, every day. It's kind of like any of the Macross TV series (esp. Macross 7), or Evangelion. When I moved to the United States about four years ago, it was around the time that the "drill" episode was the big thing. They re-ran the first and second seasons every weekday, that is probably the best way to watch the show. All I can say is that I was totally captivated.
I agree completely. Avatar isn't one of those shows that you can marathon and still get a good feeling for. It is a serial story and the writing and pacing of the show reflects that. In my case, I made that mistake at first when I began watching Season 2 online (I'd given up TV at this point and still have to this day), and the effect really dulled the experience. My advice is to ration how much Avatar you watch on a day-to-day basis and never watch more than 1-2 episode(s) a day.
@Pete: Exactly what Rym said. You will be more than satisfied by what goes on during Season 3 as it has exactly what you're looking for. It gets pretty damn dark, and I'll leave it at that.
Check out the short exploration clips of the four different nations. While I partially agree with the author of the article, I thought the Air Temple looked pretty cool. The only part of the Earth nation you really see in book 1 is Omashu, but I don't think it's going to really be in the movie at all. The Northern Water Tribe city looks amazing though.
I disagree with the characterization of a nurturer being weak. Just because Katara reverts to a nurturing role does not mean she is being put in a weak role. I really wish, however, that she wouldn't be so goddamn annoying about it. There are very few female characters in the show that are actually likable. (Toph and... hrmm... Suki?)
Aang is incredibly annoying to me. I figured out what he was going to do to the Fire Lord in freaking book ONE, but it took him two more books to figure out the solution to his "Oh no I can't kill people" dilemma. He also seems mildly retarded sometimes.
I did feel that the ending was a little more epic the second time around... I wholeheartedly recommend re-watching it if you haven't yet.
I disagree with the characterization of a nurturer being weak.
Well, at the end of season 2, she really hadn't been consistently strong yet. She still spent a lot of time doting on Aang and being somewhat helpless. When you put a character like that into a "nurturer" role, it makes her seem like the typical "weak female who can only tend babies" sort of character. She winds up being fairly unlikable as a result. Her characterization in the recap episode was pretty much spot-on. She was a drama queen who lacked appreciable self-control and just sort of went with her feelings. She did get better towards the end, but not better enough.
I still never liked Azula as a character or a force of nature. Her craziness got more entertaining, but I still feel as though her character explanation was weaksauce.
I still never liked Azula as a character or a force of nature. Her craziness got more entertaining, but I still feel as though her character explanation was weaksauce.
I really wanted her to be redeemed in some way. She was so crazy, but you felt that it was totally her upbringing that did that to her. I really dislike the whole "character is just a bad seed" type of deal. Also, I really disliked the end of the show. It really fely like a deus ex machina what happened. I felt that the ending should have carried more weight, and there should have been more sacrifice on the part of the characters involved. [spoilers] It basically involved the firelord being spiritually lobotomized. I felt that if Aang could somehow have tapped into the small bit of goodness that is in him, cleansed him, and made him remember love, or his childhood. Every bad guy has a motive, and I feel that people may be evil and do evil things, but often it is their trauma experiences or mental illness that causes this. If Aang could have healed the fire lord, and then sent him off to live as a hermit in the mountains, that would have been a more satisfying ending. Either that, or Aang could have sacrificed himself in some way.[spoilers]
but you felt that it was totally her upbringing that did that to her
Actually, no, it didn't make me feel that way at all. The problem is that as a child, Azula was just as crazy. Think back to the childhood flashbacks, when her mother says "What is wrong with you?" The thing is, there was actually something wrong with Azula, so that loses all of its meaning. She was portrayed as a character who always inflicted misery on everyone around her with no rhyme or reason.
It really fely like a deus ex machina what happened.
I agree. I was like, "Wha?" It sort of made all of the lessons that Aang learned useless. They also had a chance to go all Trigun with the show, but they passed it up.
I honestly would have preferred it if [spoilers]the Firelord was simply killed in the ending. I know it doesn't fit Avatar's child-demographic, but it would show the ultimate maturing of Aang, finally moving away from what he was taught as a child and his selfish desire to maintain the Airbenders, and his acceptance of his place as the Avatar, and his ultimate duty.[/spoilers]
Natalie's finally got me to watch all of this show, and if our internet hadn't gone out I'd have finished it last night. I'll be finishing it tonight, and even though I think I know what happens, maybe soon I can see the details and decide whether or not I want to join in everybody's complaining about how the very end was handled. :P
Also, I have really been liking it the whole way through.
Actually, no, it didn't make me feel that way at all. The problem is that as a child, Azula wasjust as crazy. Think back to the childhood flashbacks, when her mother says "What iswrongwith you?" The thing is, there wasactuallysomething wrong with Azula, so that loses all of its meaning. She was portrayed as a character whoalwaysinflicted misery on everyone around her with no rhyme or reason.
It always kinda thought that she 1. was crazy, and 2. wanted her father to like her. I thought part of the reason she was so violent was to gain her father's acceptance as a worthy successor, to win in her sibling rivalry with Zuko. I felt that her mother liked Zuko best and her father, until Zuko's banishment, heaped attention on his male descendant rather than his daughter.
[spoilers]It basically involved the firelord being spiritually lobotomized. I felt that if Aang could somehow have tapped into the small bit of goodness that is in him, cleansed him, and made him remember love, or his childhood. Every bad guy has a motive, and I feel that people may be evil and do evil things, but often it is their trauma experiences or mental illness that causes this. If Aang could have healed the fire lord, and then sent him off to live as a hermit in the mountains, that would have been a more satisfying ending. Either that, or Aang could have sacrificed himself in some way.[spoilers]
I disagree, I think how it ended was a more realistic one.[spoilers]What you are talking about is basically Aang brainwashing the fire lord. Yes it is with the intention of good/healing, but its still altering someone's free will which isn't. I like that it's just his bending taken away, because it takes away his goal in life. He's forced into a state where he now has to spend his life thinking about the things he's done, and hopefully repents. It reminds me of how Eiichiro Oda writes One Piece, where he doesn't like to kill off the bad guy but rather take away their goal in life and then see how that changes them.[spoilers]
On a slightly unrelated note, I've been re-watching the show and realized last night that people in the Avatar world people live a really really long time. For instance Fire Lord Sozen, he was probably in his 60's or 70's when Roku dies/Aang is born (if not older.) There are then another 12 years before Aang disappears/the war starts, so then around 70-80. Now his son, Azulan, who succeed him as Fire Lord served for 23 years, then Ozai for about 8 before the show starts/Aang awakens after 100 years. That means during that 100 years Sozen was Fire Lord for about 69 years, which makes him about 140 to 150 when he finally dies.
Yeah, you have clearly never had to take care of a baby. I think what you are getting at is that they completely played up her wishy-washy emotional side and downplayed her strong will. When everyone else was running away from Aang as he freaked the fuck out in the avatar state, only Katara had the strength to stand by his side and bring him back to himself. That may be tending him, but it doesn't look weak to me. Not to mention that Katara's maternalism is explained because she basically raised Sokka. I don't think it's weakness that irritated you. I think it was her irrationality.
And also, when was she helpless? I can think of a handful of times, like when Boomi was testing Aang, but for the most part Katara pretty much held her own with her waterbending abilities. The only reason you think she was more helpless than anyone else in the group is that since she was Aang's love interest, she was targeted more often. She didn't exactly stand there and shriek for help when she got into trouble.
Comments
ALERT: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
First, a general observation on Season 1: It was weaksauce compared to Season 2. I understand the importance of setup in a show like this, but it went on for way too long. I didn't even really like an episode until number 11 (the canyon episode). Even then, I didn't really get into it until 14 (the fortuneteller episode), and it didn't get good until they got to the Northern Water Tribe. This is probably why it took me weeks to get through Season 1, and less than 3 days to get through Season 2. Some of the episodes just seemed to goof off a bit, and I feel like the plot just didn't really move until very late into the season. I spent most of this season not caring about what happens next, because nothing really happens.
Season 2, however, has been badass. This is when I really got properly hooked and started watching subsequent episodes because I needed to know what happened next. Every single episode (except for The Chase, which I'll talk about in a bit) was very strong and moved the plot nicely.
Now, on to the characters, in order of how much I enjoy them (the most being first and the least being last):
Appa: I mean, let's be honest, this is everyone's favorite character, right? I want one.
Momo: He's no Appa, but he's wicked cute.
Turtleducks: SO CUTE!
Iroh: Easily the best of the human characters, and my favorite to boot. His little vignette in Tales of Ba Sing Se remains the only story in the show thus far that has made me cry. He's deep and dynamic, and I love the contrast between him as comic relief and as a tragic figure. It's also awesome to watch the old man bust out and kick some ass with awesome firebending powers. I feel as though he peaked near the end of the Ba Sing Se cycle, though, so I don't expect him to survive Season 3.
Sokka: Sokka was a bit of an irritating oaf in Season 1, but he's grown quite a bit past his comic relief origins. His character is the most varied so far, so he winds up fitting into any episode. He's also been very dynamic; he's grown from an insolent little boy into a full-fledged warrior and tactician. He's done the most maturing out of any of the characters so far. I also feel as though he peaked when he met his father, and I similarly predict a tragic end for him.
Toph: She's probably the most consistent of all the characters so far, in a good way. She has a strong and forceful personality that is both annoying and endearing at the same time. She also shows her vulnerabilities at crucial moments, giving her a lot of depth. For someone introduced late in the series, I feel as though she's extremely well-developed and multi-faceted. I'm not sure if she's peaked quite yet, but she's probably close to it, what with the learning to bend metal and all that. I'm sure it'll be interesting no matter what.
Zuko and Aang: I put these two together because they're so similar, and because their respective characters are at about the same point in their cycle right now. I really really want to like both of them, but they're both so goddamn dumb some times. Of course, they both have a lot of struggling left to do before they can really change. While Aang is immature and annoying, Zuko is downright aggravating. He's not as immature as Aang, but he comes off as a goddamn moron. I mean, really, if your sister always lies, then why the fuck do you keep listening to her?
Both of them are sort of suffering from the same storytelling issue: they're not really making any notable progress yet. Aang is still immature and inexperienced, even though he's been through so much. I mean, he's now learned how to bend all 4 elements, but he still uses airbending 90% of the time. It wasn't until the very last episode that I really noticed him actually acting anything close to what the avatar should probably act like. Again, I understand the need to continue his struggles - he does have a lot to learn - but they're not really showing you any of his progress along that path. They're sort of saving it up and then just throwing it at you. Similarly, Zuko keeps almost picking the right path, then succumbing to idiocy every time. It actually makes the character a bit predictable, and removes some of the drama from his struggles.
Katara: This is the first character that I actually kind of dislike a bit. I want to like Katara, I really do, but she's just so weak and inconsistent that I can't. Her character seems to change depending on whatever would complement Aang at the time, and that really makes her seem accessory. More than that, though, is the inconsistency in her strength of character. In some episodes, we see her kicking ass and being a strong and tough female character, like the episode where she forced the Northern Water Tribe to change their entire backwards way of life so that she could learn waterbending. That was cool. She should do that more often. More often than not, though, she reverts to being a weak character. Too often, she seems to shift back to the "nurturer" role. That, and she's spending too much screen time waiting for Aang to come around. Get it together and act, girl!
Azula and those other two: By far the worst characters in the show. I hate them all, and not because they're bad guys, but because they're bad conflict elements. Ty Lee and Mai bring nothing of value to the group at all; they're basically just Naruto ninjas. They have fancy moves but no actual personality. They just shouldn't be there.
Azula, however, is offensive to my storytelling tastes. She's basically the opposite of deus ex machina: she's a force of nature villain whose appearance in episodes is almost always contrived. Instead of a contrived solution, she's a contrived problem. She's almost totally unstoppable, which makes her boring. All of her encounters with other characters end in painfully predictable ways. Her character has no rhyme or reason for her behaviors or attitudes. I guess you could say something like "Well, being that powerful would make anyone crazy," but that's just making an excuse for poor storytelling. With no consistency, the character loses all credibility.
Here's the problem. She's not really a character; she's a force of nature. In and of itself, that's not a problem. Some of my favorite conflict elements in stories are unstoppable and wild forces of nature. That's fine. However, when you design a character like that, you have to use them judiciously.
The problem is that Azula is always there. If you have someone who's on your tail all the time, they need to be more like Zuko: strong, but flawed and able to be dealt with. If you have an impossible force of nature, the results of any fight become a known factor, and all the drama is removed. All decisions are rendered meaningless, because you're just going to lose anyway. In the very last episode of Season 2, when Aang said "fuck it" and opened the last Chakra to enter the Avatar state, I knew that Azula was going to win anyway. It wasn't a surprise, and that took away all of the impact of that scene, and of Aang's struggles and character development.
The Chase, though, was the worst offender, and the first time when I realized the problem of her character. It killed my suspension of disbelief completely. Appa can fly very far very fast, but they still can't get away from these chasers. Despite leaving them in the dust and settling on top of a fucking mountain, Azula managed to catch up in a fucking tank. The explanation - that they were following Appa's shed fur - was pathetically weak, and still didn't explain just how the fuck they actually managed to keep up with them. If the Fire Nation had anything that fast, why the fuck haven't they already conquered everything? It shouldn't even be a challenge. It just doesn't make sense.
The worst part, however, was when Azula foiled their clever plan to lead them astray. It was as close to meta-storytelling as you can possibly get. She had no actual evidence that pointed to Appa flying away as opposed to going into the woods, and yet she magically figured it out anyhow. That's about as irritating as a villain can be. Imagine if you're playing D&D and the DM just keeps throwing impossible, unwinnable fights at you. Get a ring of fire resistance? Every mage suddenly knows Cone of Cold and never casts a fireball. That's shitty storytelling in an RPG, and it's shitty storytelling in a TV show.
Azula's character would be so much better in the story if any of the protagonists could actually slow her down. Then, you could get your hopes up - maybe they'll make it out after all! - and then have those hopes dashed epically. They were obviously trying to do that, but Azula is just too powerful to really present any sort of meaningful conflict.
I'm really looking forward to Season 3. I want to see where this shit goes. I get the distinct impression that shit is going to get fucked the fuck up.
But Pete, I totally agree with you on pretty much all you've said.
I've rewatched the series 2 or 3 times and Tales of Ba Sing Se makes me cry everytime, especially when Uncle Iroh is singing that song. ; _ ;
You might not like Book 3 compared to 2 because certain characters you don't care for have more screen time, but the last few episodes always makes me awestruck with how the went all out on the animation. There was a good meta episode that was pretty humorous.
Of course Appa is the coolest. When you see him on the movie trailer, you wish it was real.
And yes, Toph is the coolest. She's my favorite bender.
Hope you enjoy Book 3.
Tell Nuri to make you this.
I was also put off by the whole Aang / Katara romantic subplot, given how young these characters are. I get that it's a kids show, and the whole "OMG Aang is starting to notice girls" bit was pretty well done and didn't seem bolted on, but I can't identify with Aang in that situation because I don't dig girls who are obviously 12-14 years old. (Though it is to the writers' credit that they made these characters so believable as children and not tiny little adults.)
That said, I did like the parts I watched. The art design was unique, the characters were well written, and the voice acting was extremely well done, which is doubly impressive compared to some of the complete garbage Nickelodeon has produced.
@Pete: Exactly what Rym said. You will be more than satisfied by what goes on during Season 3 as it has exactly what you're looking for. It gets pretty damn dark, and I'll leave it at that.
Aang is incredibly annoying to me. I figured out what he was going to do to the Fire Lord in freaking book ONE, but it took him two more books to figure out the solution to his "Oh no I can't kill people" dilemma. He also seems mildly retarded sometimes.
I did feel that the ending was a little more epic the second time around... I wholeheartedly recommend re-watching it if you haven't yet.
I still never liked Azula as a character or a force of nature. Her craziness got more entertaining, but I still feel as though her character explanation was weaksauce.
Also, I have really been liking it the whole way through.
On a slightly unrelated note, I've been re-watching the show and realized last night that people in the Avatar world people live a really really long time. For instance Fire Lord Sozen, he was probably in his 60's or 70's when Roku dies/Aang is born (if not older.) There are then another 12 years before Aang disappears/the war starts, so then around 70-80. Now his son, Azulan, who succeed him as Fire Lord served for 23 years, then Ozai for about 8 before the show starts/Aang awakens after 100 years. That means during that 100 years Sozen was Fire Lord for about 69 years, which makes him about 140 to 150 when he finally dies.
And also, when was she helpless? I can think of a handful of times, like when Boomi was testing Aang, but for the most part Katara pretty much held her own with her waterbending abilities. The only reason you think she was more helpless than anyone else in the group is that since she was Aang's love interest, she was targeted more often. She didn't exactly stand there and shriek for help when she got into trouble.