Avataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar

[runespoor]

I may have sort of spent the last five days watching the whole three seasons of Avatar and running all over the place in search of fic and meta (and getting occasionally sucked into TV Tropes).

Now I want to write about how my interpretation of the Southern Raiders is completely different from everyone else in fandom, or about how Zuko is a dweeb of Sasuke-ish proportions, or about how I am Officially Ignoring the fact that the Avatar wiki says Suki is 15 when I can find no trace of that piece of crack on her Nick profile, or about the fact that Iroh-and-Zuko may well be my favourite relationship on the show (and you have no idea how weird that is for me). Squeeeeeeeeee.

I may have succeeded in getting me a new fandom.

How long the fling will last, now, is up to debate. *gets through occasionnal cycles of utter obsession that never make it to here, due to being far too short lived and far too passive*

Comments

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm not saying I think forgiveness was the right course of action. I personally am very forgiving of revenge, so of course that colours the way I look at it. ^^;

I see what you mean about Zuko's character. I remember being surprised when I saw the episode, because he's only been with the Gaang for a very short time, and yet he seems secure enough in his position to take the 'bad guy' stance. (Though you can arguably say that it's because he knows Aang trusts him enough - the Firebending Masters make it look that way.)

The only possible explanation I can come up with in my head is that Zuko knows that he himself wouldn't do this kind of thing, but he doesn't necessarily consider it morally wrong.

^ This is my personal understanding of his actions, as well.

I don't agree with your interpretation of Zuko's reaction to Katara's bloodbending, though. To me, his surprise and his lack of other reaction are justified by the fact that he didn't know about it beforehand. I've only watched the ep once so maybe I'm wrong, but I understood his reaction as first incomprehension at what is happening, and a few instants later, realising what Katara is doing.

Also, there's the fact that though Katara wasn't out of her mind with rage at that moment, which makes her use of torture very cold-blooded, but it's also enough so that she is able to recognise the man she's attacking isn't her mother's murderer. Which I think is key to her character, because to her it's personal, and she can't kill a man who is innocent of her mother's death, even though he's probably committed the same sort of actions himself. She puts the responsibility of her mother's death on the head of the one who killed her.

Hm, maybe that's also why she can't kill him, because to him, he was only carrying out his orders? Which makes the Fire Nation - or more precisely Ozai, since he's the one giving orders - the culprit after all, except that soldiers are also responsible for choosing to obey their orders. So the man was far from blameless. Or maybe I need to stop projecting my opinions.

How can you find peace in any situation hating a person? I've learned from personal experience that hatred is painful, and yet she still found peace despite that?

It's pretty clear at the end of the episode she hasn't found peace with that. It's shown as something she has to cope with, but there's no promise she'll ever be able to truly be at peace with it, and certainly not right at the end of the episode.

She's only reached closure in the sense that she knows she has done all she can do. And work from there.

On forgiving Zuko: I thought she did because he was the only one who helped her and apparently understood what she was going through, similar to their discussion in Ba Sing Se and nicely coming full circle.

Similarly, to me Zuko was projecting his own story through Katara's, which is arguably hinted at when he asks Aang what he's going to do about Lord Ozai - who is to Zuko both the person reponsible for taking his mother from him and his father. Either he helped her to work through his own issues either to help her work through hers. (I deserve the awkward sentence award.)

Too long for one comment ftw.