Avatar - "All the living are dead, and the dead are all living. The war is over, we are beginning."

[timepiececlock]

All the little angels rise up, rise up,
All the little angels rise up high!
How do they rise up, rise up, rise up,
How do they rise up, rise up high?

They rise hands up, hands up, hands up, they rise hands up, hands up high!

All the little angels rise up, rise up,
All the little angels rise up high!

The only non-spoilery thing I can say is Awesome musical score! And stuff.

I wish I had the energy to make a huge reaction post, but it's after 1am. So instead of squeeing about all the amazing epic amazingness, I will instead assume that we all agree on the amazingness and ask a few questions:

1. where is Azula? Is she in prison?

2. where is Zuko's mother?

3. why is everyone on vacation in the earth kingdom?

4. why did Mai's uncle get her out of prison instead of, you know, her boyfriend the all-powerful Fire Lord?

5. even though I'm kinda bummed about Katara magically getting over her issues with no explanation as to why, I have to admit that kiss was pretty epic. A little skeevy she had to bend down so far, and OMG ISN'T HE TOO YOUNG FOR TONGUE? but still epic. I rate it an 7.9 on thePrincess Bride scale. I'm told it was horribly written in the book? Oh well.

6. did everyone go home after their vacation in the earth kingdom was over?

7. is Ty Lee going to have a threesome with Suki and Sokka?

8. how awesome is Toph?

9. why did the lion-turtle mumble so goddam much? DON'T SLUR YOUR WORDS, GIANT MYTHOLOGICAL ANIMAL!

10. WHERE IS ZUKO'S MOTHER? [see #2]


[Okay, a little bit of squee]

I loved that acidic, dark moment in the prison cell where Zuko asks about her. It's like... yay Aang didn't kill him, let's mock the tyrant!, some slapstick humor la la la laaaaa.... and then Zuko arrives and it's like "You fucking evil bastard, I know exactly how horrible you are and I hope you rot in here for eternity. No love!" I love that the writers consistently kept Zuko somewhat dark and menacing all the way through the finale, and that he's not all light and fluffy after joining the good guys. In fact, he's kinda bitter.

Aang/Ozai was a pretty sweet fight, but not as epic as the almost-silent battle of Azula/Zuko that turned into the loud and scary battle of Azula/Katara.

I loved when Sokka cut down the melon head. "That's how it's done." Holy shiiiiiiite. I mean... HOLY SHIT. That was the most shocking moment of the whole finale, for me, and it came relatively early. I just...I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY WENT THERE.

But enough about let's talk about my favorite part: KATARA! That freeze-moment with Azula was probably the coolest moment in the entire series of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I could make-out with the writers for giving us that moment.

Zuko/Katara: everything I wanted it to be AND MORE. Everything Jun thought it would be too, apparently.

Zuko was unquestionably heroic in the finale. That was the Zuko we've been waiting for him to grow up to be. Zuko of season 1 or 2 would never have stepped in front of lightning for anyone.

I was inadvertently spoiled for the lightning-block moment because of a Zutara Week fanart, so when it happened I knew something like that would be coming. Still pretty freaking awesome, however. In fact, the Zuko+Katara=ComradesInArms was probably the second coolest thing about the finale, after aforementioned freeze-moment. I adored that he thoughtlessly through himself into the lightning for her. I adore that they were all partners and supporting each other and that they are totally the Mom and Dad of the group. I love that Zuko asked Katara to be his wingman immediately, without hesitation. And she agreed the same way. Canon endings aside, I think everyone can agree that they are amazing together. Platonic or potentially romantic, doesn't matter. ZUTARA IS AWESOME.

Zuko/Iroh: everything I wanted it to be plus some great acting.

Princess Azula: Challenger For The Dilandau Laugh Since '08! She came so close to the record, too... Paranoid!Azula was made of hilarity and win. I felt really sorry for her in the vision with her mother. Not so much when she went bananas and let loose with her Evil Laugh of Evil while fighting Zutara, though it was great fun to watch. Epic meltdown and oh, the screaming fire breathing animal she is when she lets herself go! Wonderfully crazy and sad. But for serious, guys, WHERE IS AZULA? [see #1]

Sokka/Toph on the zeppelins broke my fucking heart, because although I figured Suki would survive, for a moment I really did believe that Toph would fall to her death. I've been waiting for Toph to die since she was introduced: the little girl dancing in the swamp, loved and lost. DAMN THAT SWAMP EPISODE! If Joss wrote ATLA, Toph would have died. (not the least because Joss kills off female characters a lot these days. ::cough::) In terms of story she would have been a good choice anyway: she was very popular which makes for tragedy, she wasn't necessary to rule the country like Zuko or Aang are, she isn't Katara who was part of the original trio, and she's SO powerful, such an outlier in terms of talent compared to everyone else (except possibly bloodbending Katara) that having her die almost levels the playing field and removes the outlier that disrupts the average.

But seriously, I'm glad they didn't now. Because although I probably would have done it if I were on the writing staff, my heart did soften for that moment while they hung and I hated the idea of Toph dying without the ground beneath her feet. I don't even want to imagine what it would have done to Sokka if he felt her fingers slip from his into nothingness. That boy probably already has a ton of survivor's guilt from his mother and Yue. ...honestly, someone should have died, though. I had the same problem with the HP conclusion-- only the minor recurring characters died, and the whole main cast lived.


Oh Katara, Katara, KATARA. Oh Aang. Oh Zuko. Oh Sokka! Oh Toph. I am happy that you all lived and that everyone fought their own battles and won.

Except Ty Lee and Mai who totally failed to show up. In prison? No excuse! Bad writers. If I were a Maiko fan I'd feel cheated that she lacked all agency in the finale and kind of showed up as Gift With Purchase. I'm kind of annoyed, actually, and that's not even a pairing that I seriously ship. I mean... come on. GIFT WITH PURCHASE? Steal a throne and get a girlfriend with the package? That could have been handled better. I always thought Mai was cooler than "that" girl. Other than that gaff, and the fact that the issues of their relationship were too easily glossed over, I liked the reunion. In style and abrupt awkwardness it matched their established pattern (ah, teenagers!), but with a bit of extra sweetness knowing what Mai previously gave up for him.


EDIT for ships: Zuko and Katara have one of the most subtle and beautifully developed relationships in the series, and that's looking at it in a purely platonic POV, about forgiveness, and heroism, and rising above prejudice, and balance and duality, and trust and faith and sacrifice. All of that is real, and present, and canon.

I found it interesting (and almost laughable) that the two most romantic and dramatic moments between two close characters occurred with pairings that weren't canon: Zuko's sacrifice for Katara, and Sokka's desperate attempt to save Toph. Ultimately the show is about family and friendship, but I am amazed and delighted they managed to give us so much to work with, anyway. Not that I was looking for something like that with Toph and Sokka, since I don't actively ship them, but I found the drama of that moment alluring.



I want to know the names of the older Avatars that were introduced.

I want to talk forever and ever but it's 2am now and I have to go to bed. But seriously, guys, the score was pretty great.

You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our mindset
All things know, all things know
You had to find it
All things go
All things go

Comments

[faoiltiamatani.livejournal.com]

I was so happy with the Zutara team we got in the finale. I don't really know why people are complaining - we got so much awesome material.

And oh man, it didn't even occur to me that Toph might die... but wow, that would have been such a blow.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Are people really complaining? I find that amazing. Yeah, maybe it was presented as all platonic/professional teamwork, but he stepped in front of lightning for her. Yeah, he would have done it for Aang or Toph or Sokka too, I'm sure, but the point is that Katara was the one at his side, and she is the one he gave his life for. She gave it back, yeah, but he still gave it. HOW COULD ANYONE NOT BE ECSTATIC ABOUT THIS?


I've been waiting for Toph to die since she was introduced in the swamp. I decided after a while that she was too popular and the show's audience too young for them to kill off a main character, but for a moment there I wondered if my instincts were true.

[faoiltiamatani.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they are, unfortunately. Luckily, they're pretty easy to ignore by avoiding the comms. I DON'T KNOW. I'M PERSONALLY ECSTATIC! I GUESS SOME PEOPLE ARE NEVER SATISFIED.

It would have been an interesting choice, but definitely a hard one, because everyone loves Toph.

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

Awesome post. Very much agreed on the Zutara count--unless someone seriously wanted/expected Zuko and Katara mackin' at the end, that finale was a shipper's dream. Shipping is not always about what happens--sometimes, it's just about the possibilities, and the tense, loaded moments when things could have happened but didn't. (I described Zutara to someone as, "Canon as a romantic relationship that didn't happen.") And I agree that it's also gorgeous viewed purely as a platonic thing; they very much did that dynamic justice, and I loved every second of it.

Wow, I hadn't thought about it so much, but--Toph dying would have been perfect. AND I AM SO GLAD SHE DIDN'T. I am willing to lose perfection for the sake of keeping Toph, who is one of my personal heroes.

I am sort of amused and the popular music reference choice in these posts is The Stars' "Up In Our Bedroom After the War." It's just so thematically fitting! The Stars seem to be very popular with Avatar fans. :D

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I've been listening to the Stars album recently, and was while writing this up, so it wormed its way into my title. I actually like "The Night Starts Here" for the Doctor Who season 4 finale; it's too perfect for it.

I was quoting "Up In Our Bedroom After the War", but I've actually seen others quote the short verse at the end of "The Beginning After The End" which has similar matching lyrics.

Toph dying would have been perfect. AND I AM SO GLAD SHE DIDN'T. I am willing to lose perfection for the sake of keeping Toph, who is one of my personal heroes.

Yes! It would have been perfect, but I'll settle for less than perfect this time. Because I do love Toph.

[sporkyadrasteia.livejournal.com]

Agreed on all accounts!

The older Water Tribe Avatar was Kuruk and the older Air Nomad avatar was Yangchen, by the way. :)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the names.


You ever seen Escaflowne, by any chance? Because I was just rewatching the Azula/Zuko fight and it hit me...

Princess Azula: Challenger For The Dilandau Laugh Since '08! She came so close to the record, too...

[hex-the-ex.livejournal.com]

So your Stars opening was FTW to introduce the epic ranting and glee of the post, which I agree across the board. Though I was so happy with the "Chicago", possibly cause I'm going their Saturday; but thats irrelevant.

It's funny that you mention Joss, because there have been numerous time during the series, but particularly in the finale, where I had the If-this-was-Jossverse consideration. But I always had in mind through the finale that it was a Nick show and they couldn't break millions of kids hearts like Joss loves to do. Though I can see in so epic fanfic where it goes all horribly wrong and is deliciously dark. In fact I'm looking forward to it.

But I can see where a bit of the complaining comes from(though the finale was all brilliant and I loved it and oh the perfectness) from the very last couple of minutes, just because it all wraps up so tidy and happy. Definitely comparable to the HP ending, its all just so worked-out, but it does work for the "target" audience, and since there won't be more, I totally see how thats the only real way to go. And oh the fights and music were just so brilliant. And some of the scenery, particularly on the lion-turtle had a distinctly Miyazaki feel.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Who are you seeing on Saturday? Sufjan Stevens?

[hex-the-ex.livejournal.com]

Haha no. Oh gods I wish though. Actually I'm going to Chicago the city.
Haven't seen him(seems he doesn't visit the Southeast much), but if you get a chance you should really see Stars, they put on an amazing show.

[gojira007.livejournal.com]

Agreed more or less on all counts, though I think the glossing over of issues with Maiko and Kataang bugged me more, and the usage of Deus Ex Machinas allowing Aang to spare Ozai's life frustrated me; the ideas were sound, but the execution was lacking.

Also, just FYI, the two other Avatars besides Roku and Kyoshi Aang talked to were Kuruk of the Water Tribe and Yangchen of the Air Nomads; I believe they introduce themselves by name when Aang "summons" them.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

though I think the glossing over of issues with Maiko and Kataang bugged me more

It bothered me more for Katara and Aang than for Maiko, because their relationship has in theory been building since season 1, and I think it really hurt them to affirm the existence of serious conflict right before the end of the show but then skip over resolving it. I liked Kataang so much better in the beginning of season 3 than I did by the end of it.

[gojira007.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was my problem too. It seemed weird to jump from "I just don't know" to "twenty-second epic twu wub kiss" without SOMETHING in-between. It's EQUALLY weird because EIB could've just as easily established Katara DID love Aang but did not want to commit to anything too serious until the War was over; if THAT had been where we'd left things prior to the four-parter, I'd be a LOT happier with the ending on that front.

Really, though, on the whole the finale was WONDERFUL. I absoluely agree about the Music. ESEPCIALLY during the Agni Kai with Zuko and Azula, it just meshed so perfectly with the on-screen action.

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I forgot how much I loved the music that played during the Agni Kai. If there is a soundtrack, I will buy it if it has that piece on it. It was so, so gorgeous.

[gojira007.livejournal.com]

I'd buy a "Sozin's Comet" OST too; I certainly hope they make one. :D

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

It's EQUALLY weird because EIB could've just as easily established Katara DID love Aang but did not want to commit to anything too serious until the War was over; if THAT had been where we'd left things prior to the four-parter, I'd be a LOT happier with the ending on that front.

I completely agree. They shot themselves in the foot in terms of character relationship development, and it's so frustrating because they didn't NEED to.

[gojira007.livejournal.com]

The fact that they made it their ENDING SHOT only serves to heighten the frustration for me; it highlights the mistake all the worse because that mistake is what we leave the show on. :(

But like I said, I can't dwell on the bad too much, not when there's so much GOOD in the rest of the Finale. ^_^

[mshepnj.livejournal.com]

So much good stuff in this commentary ... where to start?

But enough about let's talk about my favorite part: KATARA! That freeze-moment with Azula was probably the coolest moment in the entire series of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I could make-out with the writers for giving us that moment.

Oh my God, that was stunning! What was amazing about it is that it was so simple, and natural and elegant, after all Azula's manic, violent flame-throwing was Katara's incredible stilling, silent prison of water.

I was inadvertently spoiled for the lightning-block moment because of a Zutara Week fanart, so when it happened I knew something like that would be coming. Still pretty freaking awesome, however. In fact, the Zuko+Katara=ComradesInArms was probably the second coolest thing about the finale, after aforementioned freeze-moment. I adored that he thoughtlessly through himself into the lightning for her. I adore that they were all partners and supporting each other and that they are totally the Mom and Dad of the group. I love that Zuko asked Katara to be his wingman immediately, without hesitation. And she agreed the same way. Canon endings aside, I think everyone can agree that they are amazing together. Platonic or potentially romantic, doesn't matter. ZUTARA IS AWESOME.

It is. Indeed. I suppose if I want to be picky (in a shippery kind of way) I would have liked a friendly Zutara hug or forehead kiss after such a traumatic series of events, but what they gave us was still incredibly amazing.

Oh yeah, and Zutara being the Mom and Dad of the group - yep. Zuko pulls Katara back when she tries to go after Aang and tells her to let Aang work it out for himself was so like what my Hubby would have done to me if I was being overly motherly to one of my kids and trying to solve their problems.

I loved when Sokka cut down the melon head. "That's how it's done." Holy shiiiiiiite. I mean... HOLY SHIT. That was the most shocking moment of the whole finale, for me, and it came relatively early. I just...I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY WENT THERE.


Inorite? It WAS shocking - and real - because war ain't for the faint of heart. Sokka really shone as a leader/strategist, and his desparate attempt to save Toph made me wibble for real.

Mai = Gift With Purchase. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Zuko/Iroh reconciliation = my favorite moment of the whole finale, and I loved so much of it.

If Joss wrote ATLA, Toph would have died. (not the least because Joss kills off female characters a lot these days. ::cough::)

If Joss had written it, first Toph would've had sex with Sokka and turned him evil or would have fallen in love with Sokka then lost him, and turned herself evil...

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

If Joss had written it, first Toph would've had sex with Sokka and turned him evil or would have fallen in love with Sokka then lost him, and turned herself evil...

Nah, I don't think he'd put a 12 year old through that. He'd probably be okay with killing her off, though.

[mshepnj.livejournal.com]

I know. I was just being facetious. ;)

Although, Joss likes to emotionally torture his characters before he kills them and he hasn't always had much use for kid characters either (i.e.: the Annointed Annoying One from seasons 1/2 of BtVs); that soulless kid possessed by a demon, and the little baby Svea Priestess that was slaughtered in those episodes of Angel).

Driving by and stopping because I like your Ava-comments

[brightredglow.livejournal.com]

I lurk in your LJ because I am a fan of your balanced commentary. Even when you squee, it has this sensible tone to it that I enjoy reading.

And I just had to drop a thank you for this comment:

EDIT for ships: Zuko and Katara have one of the most subtle and beautifully developed relationships in the series, and that's looking at it in a purely platonic POV, about forgiveness, and heroism, and rising above prejudice, and balance and duality, and trust and faith and sacrifice. All of that is real, and present, and canon.

Thank you and amen!

I've said before and I'll say again that I'm not really on board with Mike and Bryan's sense of romance, so I'm grateful that they resisted any pressure of taking Katara and Zuko into a full fledged romantic relationship.

What we (Zutara fans) got was really the best case relationship scenario and for the exact reasons you state. I can nitpick and grumble about a lot of things in the finale (and the third season in general), but complain about how Katara and Zuko's relationship unfolded? Heck, no. I thank Mike and Bryan for what they did with the Katara and Zuko 'ship. It was wonderfully and beautifully nuanced and it had an arc of its own and by keeping it platonic (or at least not giving in to the obvious UST that the two characters shared), it kept the budding relationship from being cheapened by being rushed or thrown together. It was pulled off beautifully and realistically with a strong grounding of friendship and shared confidences and pain and healing and trust and all sorts of good things that add up to its own kind of love.

And as you note, it is all canon.

As a Zutara fan, I can't help but be happy about that.

Re: Driving by and stopping because I like your Ava-comments

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I could have done with some "giving in to UST" because I think it would have only made a good thing better, but I'm not at all sad with what we got. My ship frustrations for this finale are centered less around the ships that I like, and more around the ships that I *used* to like a lot more before the finale happened: Mai>Zuko, and Aang>Katara. I don't even really mind that they were made canon in the end; I just wish it had been written with more consistency and without cheaply skipping over the problems previously introduced. Like you, I've found that I don't really agree with how Bryke write romance, and I think they write family dynamics and friendship with much more sincerity and elegance.

just listing these makes me wibbly

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

I think they write family dynamics and friendship with much more sincerity and elegance.

Oh boy do they ever. I was blithering in snarp's journal about how much I love the way the handled the non-romantic deep emotional relationships--all of them properly explored, regularly referenced and refreshed...

--Sokka and Katara's sibling relationship
--Karata's friendship and mothering and support and mentoring of Aang, the adoption of Aang and later Toph into the Sokka/Katara family unit (conflict and everything)

--Zuko and Iroh, Zuko and Ozai (not all relationships are functional, but this dysfunctional relationship was very well handled, dramatically! Oh, the incredible difficulty of acknowledging that an adored parent figure is abusive and a bad parent and that trust and love and pride cannot ever be won, and the only way to stop being hurt by that is to learn to stop wanting those things from the abusive person...wow. They never shied away from the darkness of that. It is heartbreaking, but I was as proud of Zuko as Iroh was, when Zuko finally had that breakthrough).

--...and the equally character-important family bonds like Sokka and Katara and the absence of their father and the memory of their mother, Zuko and Azula, Zuko and Azula and their mom, Azula and her father...every one of these got its due, and the show and the characters are so strong for it. Just thinking about everything they did RIGHT makes me feel awfully forgiving of the missteps in writing romances.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

I rewatched it again today and it was still awesomely epic, which was good. I have recovered from the initial shock (also I skipped out on watching the Maiko reunion scene because, still, it was just bad) and am happily ficcing away. At least in my head I am.

totally with you on questions 3 and 9 (again, I rewatched it and STILL COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING where's Liam Neeson when you need him?) and 2/10.

5: TOTALLY TONGUE. after that *brain bends away*

I totally want to buy the soundtrack. Like--gah. Reuse of series-long themes, win! Epic music-and-bending-sounds battle, win! GLORIOUS MELODIES WIN. AWESOME RHYTHMS WIN. Win win win. *dances*

and yay Zutara. Which is also so much win. *huggles her ship*