quaggy | Avatar: The Last Airbender

Okay, so....my issues. I'm about five or six eps in. Is it just me, or did they totally switch animators and writers? And not in a good way?

The animation I can mostly deal with....but it seems 'cheaper' somehow...they've got the huge eyes far too often (and not just with surprise), and it just doesn't seem to have the depth it had before.

And the writing for the Beach ep? Ugh. I understand that Zuko is having issues, and the issues make a kind of sense, but the way he went about things seemed awfully out of character for him. Plus, the whole 'let's everyone spill our feelings' bit didn't seem in the true-Avatar vein either. It's like it's gone from being equally geared to adults and kids, to being geared strictly for the 8-to-12-year-old set. Blech.

But maybe that's just me.

Ah, The Beach! How I've worked hard to erase that from my memory.

Yes, the show too a dip in the beginning of Season 3... probably because they dragged out the Zuko redemption storyline too long. I mean it was a wonderfully shocking cliffhanger... but it didn't feel right. But that's just my opinion. I have been told I'm unreasonably fond of Zuko.

The good news is that the show picks back up around the Day of Black Sun and the following episode The Firebending Masters is one of my favorites!

By the way, should I be replying to you or should I follow Keytus rules of posting?

Depends on how big we think the thread is gonna get. :-)

(Sorry, I stepped away for a bit.)

Well that's going to depend on how much we have to say! ;-)

Good to hear that it picks up. I honestly nearly checked out the writer of the Beach ep to see if she'd written anything else. It was so pre-teen-girl.

The stuff with Roku and ....Zuko's great grandfather felt very superficial, too, compared to the lovely depth of the previous two seasons. And Sokka has seemed 'off' as well. About the only one that doesn't seem too off is Toph, surprisingly enough, probably because we don't get a ton of her to begin with. (She kills me, though. *So* funny.)

She kills me, though. *So* funny.

Toph, quite literally, rocks! No pun intended!!! :-) I think they all had periods in early season three when they were off... but things got back on track post-DBS. It's a shame the episodes in the begining of the season were so draggy because there was so much to unpack by the end. Though, the whole thing about bloodbending? How wickedly awesome and creepy was that?!

*ponders*

So I marathoned my way through the last 2 seasons in like... 10 days so it's kinda a blur.... but I remember the beech one being super lame compared to other episodes for sure.

And I'm gonna second the motion that it picks up towards the end. IT TOTALLY DOES. Fire bending masters was pretty damn cool.

And I'm sure it makes me a horrible person but way way WAY at the begining I was like "If she can bend water she can bend blood!!!" so I was super happy that happened.

I'm feeling kinda stupid right now and probably not making a whole lot of sense... so I'm going sleep.

P.S: QUAGGY YOU NEED TO CATCH UP ON DEXTER cause like, the first episode of season 3 leaked and you are SOOOOO behind. K thankx. :-P

PPS: I don't have an Appa icon?

PPS: I don't have an Appa icon?

Yes, you do!! But maybe it's stored on LJ. You've been using it on MSN a lot. Speaking of which, we really need to set up another "play date"!

ETA: Okay, okay about Dexter. But we're not turning this into a Dexter thread. You can open your own on your own LJ!

Edited 2008-09-06 13:14 (UTC)

I know I HAVE one, but close to 3 am i wasn't going to look for it. :-P And yes. PLAY DATE PLAY DATE PLAY DATE! :D

E-mail me with a time and I'll be there! :-D

YEAY!!!!! SERI'S HERE!!!!!!!

I'm sure it makes me a horrible person but way way WAY at the begining I was like "If she can bend water she can bend blood!!!" so I was super happy that happened.

You're not the only one! This show has a mature fanbase (meaning people who are older that the nine year old boy demographic) so it's stands to reason

I think the mature fanbase is also the reason that Katara/Zuko became such a big pairing. People could see the potential there a lot easier than they could see with a 12 year old boy. I'm sure there was a lot of fans of the good girl/bad boy pairing, but I think a lot of fans... especially towards the end, responded to the fact that they had similar natures and could potentially bring out the best in each other. (No matter what the writers wanted us to infer from "The Southern Raiders").

Man, Flip! Where are you exactly in Season 3. I want to geek out about the later episodes, but Seri and I won't until you catch up!

Edited 2008-09-06 13:12 (UTC)

YEAY!!!!! SERI'S HERE!!!!!!!

I make a point of showing up when I get a special invitation. Muahahahah

And this is season 3ish and totally stupid: Zuko's hair is much better this season.

I still adore that icon and always will. Thought you should know! :-D

It's Jon's Rave House and Swingatorium! How on earth could you NOT love it always and forever?

*glowstick dances*

Zuko's hair is much better this season

Dude, ANYTHING was going to beat the bald look with the ponytail! My only complaint is that his hair looked a little too much like Jet's there for a while. (I really hated Jet... which is odd because he did have a lot in common with Zuko.) But for some reason it didn't remind me at all of Jet's by the end of season three.

Also, can I say how much I love the detail of of Zuko's hair taking a while to grow in? Granted, it still grew really really fast, but most cartoons would have his hair at a normal length in the space of a couple episodes! It's details like that that make this show so well done.

I'm back! :-)

Dude, ANYTHING was going to beat the bald look with the ponytail!

Aw, come on. It wasn't that bad! (I actually kind of like it. Kind of a lot, really. There's a certain power and confidence to it.)

I'm up to Nightmares and Daydreams. Wow, you weren't kidding that it picks up! I *love* this ep! Momo and Appa had me in stitches. I thought it had a good balance between the serious and the absurd, too, both in the story, and visually.

Yeah, I think I'm much more for a Katara/Zuko pairing...Aang's cute and all, and I could see that happening if he were just slightly older (so...even as he's maturing over the series, it's getting better), but I like the 'stronger' element in Zuko. I'm not sure how else to explain it. I've got to say, I have no idea where the Mei thing came from....one day, it was just there, and it's weird.

Welcome back!

Aw, come on. It wasn't that bad! (I actually kind of like it. Kind of a lot, really. There's a certain power and confidence to it.)

It's not the ponytail that I have a problem with, actually. It's the fact that he has no hair OTHER than the ponytail. Not cool. But it does make him look nice and villain-y!

Yeah, I think I'm much more for a Katara/Zuko pairing

Ohmigod, Flip!! I love you!! I'm so happy you like the pairing too! And I'm totally with you on the Mai thing. She is my least favorite character. Figures they would pair her with my absolute favorite. (Well, favorite with the exception of Katara.)

I've just watched the first half of the invasion---wow, the Avatar folks have *got* to be huge fans of ElfQuest. Because the wolf helmets? Such an homage, they're practically a rip-off. (I don't mind, it was just something I noticed.)

Here, look at this page (http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/OQ/OQ18/DisplayOQ18.html?page=27). I tried to find just an icon, or to capture the page and make an icon, but a) my dial-up is being especially cruddy today...it's taken me HOURS just to find the right page, and b) I seem to be missing the right combo of programs to do the cap and cut correctly.

(If you are interested in ElfQuest, I'd say don't look past that page--even just that one is a spoiler of sorts. It's better to start from the beginning. :-) )

I've actually thought that the Avatar animators would be a pretty good match, if the ElfQuest movie ever comes to pass. The look, and the stories have a *lot* in common.

Okay, now you make me want to read ElfQuest! I did check the link, but I didn't read anything so I don't know what the hell is going on. But it looks like I know what I'm doing some rainy day! :-)

Mike and Brian (the creators) are known for having a wide range of influences. I would be surprised if ElfQuest was one of them.

Okay, now you make me want to read ElfQuest!

Oh, yay! It's superb, it really is. It's so well-done, that it feels nearly like a movie, even though it's a graphic novel. It's a buddy flick, a love story, a family drama, a war film, a spiritual philosophy, a comedy....it's got everything, it really does. They even bring the banter. :-)

Okay, I'm just about to finish Avatar! Last two!

They even bring the banter. :-)

Well, I'm definitely in then! And it's only fair! You watch Avatar thanks to my *ahem* gentle encouragement. It's only fair I try one of your favorites in return. (Which, by the way, is how Seri got me to watch Dexter.)

Okay, I'm just about to finish Avatar! Last two!

YAHOO!!! See you on the other side! :-D

(And when you are done, I'll introduce you to Ozai's Vengence and Stormbenders, both by Fadomme, two of the best written fanfics I have ever read of any fandom!!)

Okay.

Well.

Hmm.

That kind of just dropped off with no resolution, didn't it?

What the hell happened to Iroh?

Yay, Aang's learned firebending, Zuko's not trying to kill him anymore...whoop-de-do. What HAPPENS?????

Grr. I mean....yeah, you don't have to end a series with *every* point wrapped up neatly with a bow, but come on.

It's only fair I try one of your favorites in return.

Heh. And considering that you already know and love most of my favorites...Sports Night, Madeleine L'Engle..... ;-)

And considering that you already know and love most of my favorites...Sports Night, Madeleine L'Engle..... ;-)

Exactly! We clearly have the same taste, so you recommendations have a greater impact!

BTW, I think you should rewatch the Firebending Masters. I think believing it's the finale as you watch would have taken something away from the episode! :-P

Avatar: The Last Airbender

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