The Road to Balance

This is an appreciation blog for Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra series. From the lighthearted nuances to the deeper meditations, I examine character development, themes, symbols, archetypes, and the show's perception of balance.

[azulons]

Reblog this if you want to go on a field trip with Zuko

[avatarscholar]

Always

[thedreadpirateblogger]

I didn’t really appreciate Aang until this picture.

When I was young, Aang got on my nerves. “Make the tough calls, take responsibility, grow up! I’ve had to!” 

I gave him no mercy for his age because, at the time, I was younger than him. He annoyed me when he slacked on his training, when he didn’t listen to Jeong Jeong, when he refused to kill the Firelord. Him and every other character who would give up the greater good to keep the moral high ground. Your principles don’t matter, results do!

It wasn’t until I got older that I saw Aang differently. He was a child, trying to do what was right, who never wanted to do any harm. And he was exactly what the world needed. Aang was a peaceful soul in war time, gentle when others were cruel, merciful when others were unforgiving, and he reminded everyone how to laugh in a world that had long forgotten how to have fun.

Even after years of hardship, losing absolutely everything and waking up to fight a war, Aang still loved life. He loved marble tricks, penguin sledding, and most of all, he loved people. Aang annoyed me because he was naive, but now inspires me because even after he saw the world at it’s worst, he didn’t forget how to be a kid at heart. In this picture, middle aged and with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Aang not only lets some weird guy by the docks take his picture, but does so with absolute glee. 

Aang shouldn’t be more like me, I should be more like Aang.

[sokkatoaang]

Katara: The King is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear.

Aang: You mean Platypus-Bear?

Katara: No, it just says “Bear”.

Sokka: Certainly you mean his pet Skunk-Bear.

Toph: Or his Armadillo-Bear.

Aang: Gopher-Bear?

Katara: Just…“Bear”.

Toph: This place is weird.

[avatarparallels]

The same movements.

[avatarscholar]

Love this.

[avatarscholar]

ATLA Confession #2

It is extremely difficult for me to get through Book 1: Water when I do my regular rewatch. I always thought it had to do with the mostly “kiddy” nature of this season, but it fully clicked when I watched this scene:

Zuko: This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn’t know of fathers, being raised by monks.

Zuko makes a lot of stupid, insensitive comments, but this has to be one of the top 3. Granted, he knows nothing personally about Aang, including his close relationship with Monk Gyatso, but it still makes me want to reach through the screen and knock the honor into him. It’s just an added slap to use Aang’s staff, a relic that is not only a representation of Aang’s Airbender culture but his familial safety blanket, as an offering to such an evil and destructive person, a horrible father figure, and the opposite of the kind and loving Monk Gyatso in every way.

In the episode directly after this encounter, Aang is forced to confront the decimation of his entire people, a tragedy he suffered at the hands of Zuko’s lineage. He even has to lay eyes on the desiccated body of Monk Gyatso, his father in everything but name. When Zuko makes the fatherless comment, I truly hate him in this moment.

I’m sure there has been a time for all of us where someone said something to you that was cruel, and you knew he had no idea how much it hurt to hear him say it. That realization that this person truly knows nothing about you nor has taken the time to understand but is more than comfortable with making all kinds of assumptions always makes me see red. I imagine that when Zuko comes to the team for forgiveness in Book 3 and Aang turns him away, Zuko’s father comment and the weight of its pain is one of the first to flash through his mind and steel Aang’s resolve to keep him far away from the people he loves.

In that moment, Zuko is truly a product of his upbringing: impetuous, insensitive, selfish, and self-serving. It’s always difficult to watch a character’s really shitty days when you know that they’re meant for much greater ones. Especially when you know how much his presence causes other character’s pain, that unspoken grief every time you see his face.

[nerdy-heaven-deactivated2019120]

[avatarscholar]

Reminds me of one of my favorite episodes :)

[kazyexe]

Zypher posted: Is the world map from Avatar inspired from any real world source? Because I saw this at a high end furniture boutique yesterday and burst out laughing.

[avatarscholar]

Where is this boutique? Give me the address. I need to take a trip.

[sweetavidyajones]

Light signifies the stability and clarity of patience, which dispels all ignorance. Patience shows the strength and clarity of mind, which are based on wisdom and compassion.

Food signifies samadhi, and is an offering to the tongue of enlightened beings. When you achieve any kind of samadhi, it is the fruition of the effort you made before, and it can also become a path to higher fruition.

Water signifies purification and auspiciousness.  With respect, devotion and confidence, we offer water to all enlightened beings to purify all the temporary obscurations of ourselves and all sentient beings.

x x

[sweetavidyajones]

I wanted to post this with just the symbolic meaning of the items on the shrine by themselves, but I also want to put this in context for any of you who might be interested: this is from S3E18 (Sozin’s Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King).  It is from the scene immediately following this one:

Aang: This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can’t just go around wiping out people I don’t like. Sokka: Sure, you can. You’re the Avatar. If it’s in the name of keeping balance, I’m pretty sure the Universe will forgive you. Aang: This isn’t a joke, Sokka! None of you understands the position I’m in! Katara: Aang, we do understand. It’s just… Aang: Just what, Katara?! What? Katara: We’re trying to help. Aang: Then when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I’d love to hear it!

Sozin’s Comet is full of subtle demonstrations like this.  It isn’t outwardly obvious, but the shrine is a reflection of Aang’s tremendous effort to find a way to defeat the Fire Lord that doesn’t require him to sacrifice the ethics of his people. He knows he needs patience and compassion to do it.  I’ve discussed this before here. It seems like every time I watch the finale I find more of this sort of stuff and I think it is so beautiful and inspiring.

[avatarscholar]

ATLA Confession #1

Every time I see Aang bend for the first time in the Avatar State, I get chills. From his facial expression in the water to the Avatar State theme music, the entire scene just exudes raw power and rage and is masterfully done. 

That little goofy kid is gone. And while it’s amazing to watch, it definitely poses a scary thought: the idea of losing yourself, if only for a moment, just like that.

[nuinokata]

popular zuko textposts

[avatarscholar]

So I've been debating for weeks whether to wait and start my ATLA/LOK rewatch session...debate over. Thanks Prince Zuko.

[coreywankenobi]

Is it possible to be a fan of a fandom?

[literallyallie-blog]

Reblog every time

I love this so fucking much

[braincloud9]

I’m not even in this fandom

[jerk-bending]

I made a tumblr to reblog this gif.  Life complete.

[dracze]

ALWAYS REBLOG WATER TRIBE SWAG

[hecallsmepineappleprincess]

Always reblog

[korr-a-sami]

ITS BACK

[avatarscholar]

Yesssssss

[marauders4evr]

Visit Original Link

Avatar - Peace Excerpt Ending

So now that I’ve stopped crying…

(I’m not exaggerating. I literally teared up at this.)

I’ve been searching for this song for years.

I’ve always described it as the theme but more powerful.

Take it from someone who has literally been a fan of Avatar from the very beginning (since the very first episode back in 2005)…

This song means a lot.

I…I honestly have no words to describe it.

But I don’t think any words are necessary.

[marauders4evr]

Happy Ten Year Anniversary, Avatar! Thank you, Bryke.

[churchred]

[avatarscholar]

Forever reblog

[marauders4evr]

Does anyone else remember the time that Bryke was mad at the Avatar toyline? Because the company just kept demanding more and more ludicrous ideas for action figures? (But still refused to make female action figures.)

And one day, the company asked them to make a battle outfit for Aang.

And Bryke was just like, “…The airbenders were pacifists?”

And the toy company was like, “Just give us something!”

So Bryke literally told everyone in the studio to come up with all of these ridiculous ideas and they actually combined them all together and made this:

Needless to say the toy wasn’t passed.

I think about this a lot.

[element-of-change]

this is just the classiest and most hilarious “FUCK YOU” ever

[avatarscholar]

All he needs to complete the outfit is a wind sword. What’s a wind sword, you ask? It’s where he gets a sword handle and bends air out if it like a blade. Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh Swoosh.

[avatext]

[avatarscholar]

Rolling

[avatarscholar]

On repeat at the moment. Makes me want to cry every damn time.

I don't care what anybody says: Legend of Korra surpasses The Last Airbender with its soundtrack. Yes, A:TLA had absolutely gorgeous pieces. The Final Agni Kai is one of my top 10 score favorites for all shows and movies. 

HOWEVER, Korra gives us pieces in every single Book that sound like unicorn tears, rainbow skittles, and world peace came together and had a love child called Jeremy Zuckerman’s musical brain.

[avatarscholar]

Korra Confession #1

When I am at my lowest, I watch Korra Alone to remind myself that even the strongest people can feel broken and defeated, and it's ok if I feel that way too sometimes.