aang loving hours

atla sideblog. he/they. pro-aang. i love the whole gaang. i also love kataang, zukaang & zukka. zutara-critical. main: @hauntingofhouses

[hawberries]

conflict resolution

[cattoonxd]

Child of war

[cattoonxd]

Never give up without a fight

[yipyipallyall]

[ID: Color artwork attributed to @cattoonxd. The face of crying 13-year-old Zuko (with the bright light of the Agni Kai arena shining on him) is seen behind the angry, scarred face of season 1 Zuko, giving an excellent side-view of his head in its shaved ponytail, which is behind and over the shoulder of shaggy haired season 3 Zuko, facing more toward the viewer with a blank/thoughtful/haunted expression. Zuko's hand is foregrounded to the left of all these faces, holding a knife with a blade engraved with Chinese characters. End ID.]

[salami--sato]

it's very funny to me that people on twitter (and presumably tiktok based on the screenshots i've seen) talk about bryke like they're one person especially when hating on them. mr john bryke.

[salami--sato]

OKAY so I think I've narrowed down all the Zukaang episodes based on the parallels, meaningful interactions, and near misses, highlighting their connection and role as foils and soulmates. Book 1 obviously has a lot of Zuko trying to chase and capture Aang, but for the purposes of this post I am not including those.

BOOK 1: Water

Episode 12, "The Storm" - Direct parallels between Zuko and Aang, delving into their separate backstories and recollecting the moments that changed their lives forever.

Episode 13, "The Blue Spirit" - Aang is captured by Zhao and Zuko, disguised as the Blue Spirit, saves him. They work together to fight their way out of Zhao's prison. Aang asks Zuko if they could ever be friends.

Episode 19 & 20, "The Siege of the North" - Zuko finally manages to capture Aang. Zuko talks to Aang while Aang is unconscious. Zuko carried an unconscious Aang on his back and later Aang carried an unconscious Zuko on his back.

BOOK 2: Earth

Episode 9, "Bitter Work" - Both Aang and Zuko continue their training and both struggle as Aang tries to learn earthbending and Zuko tries to learn lightning and lightning redirection. While Aang ends up successful in his attempts, Zuko is not.

Episode 12, "The Serpent's Pass" - Both Aang and Zuko travel to Ba Sing Se. While Aang and the Gaang go through the treacherous, titular Serpent's Pass to accompany some refugees who lost their tickets, Zuko and Iroh get to go on the ferry that the Gaang would've been on. Both Zuko and Aang are feeling terrible during their travels; Aang is mourning Appa and Zuko hates having to live as a refugee. It ends with Zuko teaming up with Jet, and Aang having hope again.

Episode 17, "Lake Laogai" - Both Aang and Zuko search for Appa and get to Lake Laogai, but very narrowly miss each other. Zuko gets there first, and frees Appa. I could also argue that Jet connects them both as well, considering Zuko is the reason why Jet was captured and brainwashed by the Dai Li in the first place.

BOOK 3: Fire

Episode 1, "The Awakening" - Aang and Zuko both journey on separate ships headed for the Fire Nation. While Aang believes he has lost his honour, Zuko believes he has regained it.

Episode 6, "The Avatar and the Fire Lord" - Aang learns the story of his past life, Roku, while Zuko learns the story of his great-grandfather, Sozin. Roku and Sozin were best friends whose lives and destinies were so entwined that they shared a birthday. Their bond prevented Roku from killing Sozin, leading to the war that only Aang and Zuko can resolve. It is also revealed that Roku is also Zuko's great-grandfather on his mother's side, further emphasising how Zuko and Aang's lives and destinies are intertwined.

Episode 10 & 11, "The Day of Black Sun" - Aang and Zuko both ready themselves to face Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko gets there first while Aang is fighting Azula. This also parallels the confrontations that will occur in the finale.

Episode 12, "The Western Air Temple" - Aang and Zuko both arrive at the Western Air Temple. While Aang has fond memories of this place, Zuko has bad ones. Aang needs a firebending teacher and Zuko has come to offer himself as one.

Episode 13, "The Firebending Masters" - Self-explanatory. Aang and Zuko go on their field trip to the ancient Sun Warrior city. They perform the Dancing Dragon in front of Ran and Shaw, both relearning firebending together. Ran and Shaw circle and dance around each other, representing taegeuk, much like how Tui and La's eternal dance represents yin and yang.

Episode 18-21, "Sozin's Comet" - Both Aang and Zuko face off against their most dangerous opponents yet in separate 1v1 epic battles to determine the fate of the world. Aang vs Ozai, Zuko vs Azula. This parallels the confrontations during The Day of Black Sun where Aang faced Azula and Zuko faced Ozai. Both their victories end the war, ushering a new era of peace, and cementing their roles as the Avatar and the Fire Lord, a direct parallel to Roku and Sozin who had started this war.

In conclusion: Whatever souls are made of, Aang's and Zuko's are the same ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[woodlaflababab]

Just going crazy over Zuko in The Western Temple saying smth along the lines of, "why arent you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends, you know I have good in me." Just makes me fucking rabid man. That small moment that Aang thought for sure meant nothing to Zuko and turns out Zuko still thinks about it, still turns to that memory with hope, that little moment that wormed it's way into Zuko's brain and never really left him. The desperate way that it is Aang's opinion specifically he seeks after. UGH. Zuko, come ON, BE FR RIGHT NOW. He's so obsessed.

[gotticalavera]

*Make a giant statue and museum of Aang*

This is the last one, just because I've been waiting to see the deadpool movie.

[dukeofdelirium]

their book 1 dynamic to a T lmfao

[earfgoddesss]

nah this literally happened tho

[everye]

happy pride

(full pictures under the cut)

+ uncle iroh is proud of you

[obliqueletterkennyreference]

zuko and aang have such a genuinely underrated dynamic. like theyre the rivals to friends/soulmates/narrative foils that everyone tries to make every other relationship on the show into and i feel crazy rattling the bars of my cage like "this could have been about zuko and aaaang"

[salami--sato]

"the firebending masters" is so crazy cuz it really did have zuko and aang dancing and ran and shaw forming a heart shape over them right before breathing a huge rainbow-coloured fire tornado around them. like yeah wow they are soulmates and they are each other's destiny

[atlaculture]

Cultural Anatomy: Zuko’s Book 1 Hair

We all know that peculiar hairstyle Zuko sports in Book 1. It’s also a hair style we see on the male Sun Warriors. This hairstyle, like other facets of the Fire Nation aesthetic, is inspired by Thai culture. In this case, Zuko and the male Sun Warriors are sporting traditional Thai topknots.

In traditional Thai culture, the crown of the head is the sacred portal of the spirit of life and is not to be treated lightly, especially regarding children. This sacredness extends to the hair on the crown, resulting in top knots grown over children’s fontanels (soft spots). In practical terms, it discourages careless adults from touching the most delicate part of an infant’s developing skull. The cutting of the top knot, known in Thai as kon chuk (โกนจุก), is seen as a rite of passage and an auspicious event for children between the ages of 7 and 13.

Obviously, these implications don’t quite carry over into the Avatar-verse, since we see plenty of adult Sun Warriors sporting the ‘do. Most likely, the hairstyle is meant to add to the Southeast Asian “flavor” of the Fire Nation.

That said, I do think this cultural subtext adds new dimension to one of Zuko’s most memorable moments, whether intentional or not. When Zuko cuts off his topknot, you can essentially view it through three equally valid lenses:

If you view it through a traditional Chinese/Korean lens, Zuko is renouncing his ties to his father; Confucians viewed hair as a precious gift from one’s parents and to cut one’s hair was seen as an act of disloyalty.

If you view it through a traditional Japanese lens, Zuko is renouncing his status in Fire Nation society and abandoning his title for the life of a peasant. In Japanese culture, a samurai seeking to join a monastery or the peasantry would cut off his top knot and undergo a dramatic decline in social status.

In you view it through a traditional Thai lens, Zuko’s hair cutting is a rite of passage. He’s leaving behind childhood and beginning his journey into adulthood. There’s no denying that Zuko matures a lot after he cuts off his top knot.

All of these interpretations fit the Fire Nation as they are a combination of Chinese, Japanese, and Thai culture.

Stuff like this is what draws me back into Avatar as an adult. The series is a mish-mash of so many different cultures, yet they all meld together in a way that still preserves the context of the different cultures they derive from. The show has a masterful way of integrating real-life cultural motifs and historical events into its own story, and it still manages to work both metaphorically and in-universe.

[atlaculture]

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[nijiryuu]

May I add something to that? 

In the book “the Rise of Kyoshi” the in-universe origin of that specific hairstyle was touched upon. It said that losers of an important Agni Kai had to shave their hair like that “to symbolize an extra level of humility from their defeat”

Here’s the excerpt from the book:

What do you think about that?

Apart from the traditional cultural meaning of the hairstyle, it’s an explanation as for why Zuko wears his hair like that in Book 1, giving it a much more somber tone.

[atlaculture]

I think it’s a very good explanation and I have no problem accepting it as official canon.

My own personal fan-theory before the Kyoshi books came out was that Zuko’s near-baldness was ordered by Ozai. If hair is a beloved gift from one’s parents, then there’s a sort of twisted logic to making your child shave their head when you disown them.

Ozai’s reasoning: “You’ve shamed yourself (and your parents by extension), therefore you don’t deserve the beautiful hair bestowed upon you.”

Since Zuko does still technically possess the title of prince in Book 1 and his banishment can be lifted on the condition of finding the Avatar, he gets to keep a small remnant of his familial tie to the royal family through his ponytail/topknot. Ozai, being the asshole totalitarian that he is, probably made like an official decree that Zuko must keep his head shaved for the entirety of his banishment to “humble” him.

This would also tie into Azula’s breakdown at the end of the show. After Ozai basically abandons Azula to be Phoenix King, she’s forced to confront that she’s now been abandoned by both parents. And how does she express this anger and grief? Cutting the long, flowing hair that she inherited from them. And it causes her to hallucinate her mother, who immediately comments on the act. Even in a compromised mental state, Azula understands the weight her action.

“You can’t treat me like Zuko!” Azula despairs. And not long after that plea, she essentially recreates the psychological/physical abuse that she saw Ozai inflict upon Zuko onto herself, albeit not to the same degree. Because as far as the prideful Azula is concerned, she’s been reduced to being no better than her brother.

Did I mention that Azula is my favorite ATLA character?

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[yuhuanmao]

ဗာလည်ကွေး/balanykwe 

ဗာလည်ကွေး/balanykwe was an armor that was worn in the area around the front of the shoulders to secure the tunic underneath for the armies of different countries: Burmese, Mon, Thai and Shan. Its exact origins are unsure.

This post focuses more basing on the information from Burmese sources of which I found. The pronunciation, according to the Burmese wiki: (balanykwe:) Its also called as ပါလည်ကွေး. The last two words လည်ကွေး means neckwear while the first word ဗာ could have been added from the Mon language. The usage of such amor made with leather were in Burmese armies from the Pinya Period (14th century) to the Konbaung Era(last dynasty).

These are statues of King Saw Yun of Sagaing Kingdom(which was roughly around the same time as the Pinya Kingdom), King Bayinnaung from Toungoo Empire. The Balanykwe was made with leather and was used as a protection until ammunition began to be used in battlefield as the Balanykwe wasn't able to protect the person from bullets. It didn't stop the usage though. There are depictions and photos of generals wearing the Blanykwe into the Konbaung period, long after ammunition were introduced to warfare in Burma. A noted difference of such Balanykwe in Burma was that it had more 'spike' wings compared to its other counterparts and were more extravagant. For example, in the thai variant of the same piece, there are not as much multiple wings.

In addition to warfare, it was long used by burmese royals as part of the states robes for both men and women. It was especially used by both queens and princesses in the Konbaung Dynasty.

Worn by Burmese Princesses

And notably by Supayalat(last chief queen consort of Burma, queen to her half-brother Thibaw). In addition to the Burmese, it was also worn by the Shan Sawbwas in a similar style.

Additionally, it became a part of Burmese theatrical costumes.

Likewise, it also appears on Burmese Traditional Marionettes.

[atlaculture]

Huge thanks to @yuhuanmao for this research! English-language information on Southeast Asian historical fashion is really hard to come by, especially for Burmese culture! Absolutely amazing work in compiling this many image references for the Burmese shoulder piece.

Seems we finally found a name for this accessory and it's balanykwe (ဗာလည်ကွေး).

[atlaculture]

After looking at some more pictures of balanykwe, I suddenly became curious if there were any Burmese actors/models who would make a good Zuko. And I now feel I might have found the ultimate face (and body) inspiration for a real-life, adult Zuko. Introducing the Burmese model Paing Takhon:

[atlaculture]

Do fire nation ppl actually worship fire/agni? Cuz the vedas actually also worshipped fire and a god called agni. Does that mean fire nation practices early Hinduism/vedas

It's hard to say. We only see the word agni used in their name for honor duels (Agni Kai), with agni (अग्नि) meaning "fire" in Sanskrit and kai (会) meaning "social gathering" in Japanese. The fact that "kai" refers to pleasant and non-violent forms of interaction leads me to think that Agni Kais were originally more ceremonial duels meant to express piety to the deity Agni. However, by the Hundred Year War period, it seems that the religious ceremony had evolved/been corrupted to become a form of conflict resolution with legal ramifications.

The impression I get of the post-Sozin Fire Nation is that traditional religiosity seems to be heavily discouraged. The Fire Sages seem to exist only to maintain ancient temples and conduct ceremonies; we don't see them present in any important meetings, so they presumably don't hold much real power in Fire Nation society. We see the children of the elites are taught to pledge their allegiance to the Fire Lord at the beginning of each day (or maybe even at the start of each class period), which implies that the position has developed a cult of personality that supersedes any religion in the country. The one village in the Fire Nation that seems to follow any sort of deity religion, Jang Hui (The Painted Lady village), is literally marginalized and mistreated by the Fire Nation authorities.

As for the Fire Nation of the past, it's possible they once worshipped Agni. It's worth noting that Agni is also worshipped in Buddhism as a minor deity, as well as in early Hinduism. Of course, Buddhism descends from Hinduism, so it still ultimately comes back to the Vedas. Especially with many aspects of the Fire Nation possessing a really strong Southeast Asian influence, it's reasonable to assume the Fire Nation's religious history might have went:

Early Hinduism-equivalent > State-Sponsored Buddhism-equivalent > Imperial Cult

I think it's very possible that there are small pockets of the Fire Nation that still practice an Early Hinduism-equivalent, though they probably did so in secret during Ozai's reign.

[atlaculture]

An answer for the previous anon user.

As far as I know Bryan said in a commentary that it was a conscious decision to not put religions in atla, much like what Tolkien did, so no the people in the FN or any other nation don't worship gods.

I don't think that characters of Avatar literally practice our world's religions like Buddhism or Hinduism, but they do practice religions and philosophies that strongly resemble Eastern religions and philosophies in aesthetics, rituals, and (to a lesser extent) beliefs.

For example, the concept of an Avatar comes from Hinduism, Yangchen pretty much gives Aang the definition of a bodhisattva when describing the duty of the Avatar, the Air Nomads' society is oriented around four temples, monk and nun and sage exist as occupations in their world, etc...

The series gets around the issue of using words like "gods" by using the word "spirit", and the more important spirits have the same function as gods in their world. The Northern Water Tribe literally get on their knees in reverence when they see the Ocean Spirit. Similarly, Zuko's meditation room on his ship looks pretty religious, as it involves concentrating on what looks to be a representation of a dragon head.

To summarize:

Do the characters in the show practice some form of worship/religion? I believe most do. Are they practicing real-life religions? No, but they're metaphorically tracing the images of religions.

[atlaculture]

Do fire nation ppl actually worship fire/agni? Cuz the vedas actually also worshipped fire and a god called agni. Does that mean fire nation practices early Hinduism/vedas

It's hard to say. We only see the word agni used in their name for honor duels (Agni Kai), with agni (अग्नि) meaning "fire" in Sanskrit and kai (会) meaning "social gathering" in Japanese. The fact that "kai" refers to pleasant and non-violent forms of interaction leads me to think that Agni Kais were originally more ceremonial duels meant to express piety to the deity Agni. However, by the Hundred Year War period, it seems that the religious ceremony had evolved/been corrupted to become a form of conflict resolution with legal ramifications.

The impression I get of the post-Sozin Fire Nation is that traditional religiosity seems to be heavily discouraged. The Fire Sages seem to exist only to maintain ancient temples and conduct ceremonies; we don't see them present in any important meetings, so they presumably don't hold much real power in Fire Nation society. We see the children of the elites are taught to pledge their allegiance to the Fire Lord at the beginning of each day (or maybe even at the start of each class period), which implies that the position has developed a cult of personality that supersedes any religion in the country. The one village in the Fire Nation that seems to follow any sort of deity religion, Jang Hui (The Painted Lady village), is literally marginalized and mistreated by the Fire Nation authorities.

As for the Fire Nation of the past, it's possible they once worshipped Agni. It's worth noting that Agni is also worshipped in Buddhism as a minor deity, as well as in early Hinduism. Of course, Buddhism descends from Hinduism, so it still ultimately comes back to the Vedas. Especially with many aspects of the Fire Nation possessing a really strong Southeast Asian influence, it's reasonable to assume the Fire Nation's religious history might have went:

Early Hinduism-equivalent > State-Sponsored Buddhism-equivalent > Imperial Cult

I think it's very possible that there are small pockets of the Fire Nation that still practice an Early Hinduism-equivalent, though they probably did so in secret during Ozai's reign.

[ongoing-catastrophe]

We know from the Fire Sages and Aangs memory that dancing was something significant in Fire Nation culture before the war, and given the obvious significance of the Dragon Dance and the Agni Kai and even just dance as a form of social gathering.....could the Agni Kai have started out as a ceremonial dance?

Here me out. You mention the South/South East Asian influences in Fire Nation culture. Well within the Hindu tradition, Kalaripyuttu (the oldest martial art) and Bharatnattyam (a form of classical dance) are often refered to as brother-sister disciplines. They are said to have evolved from each other and the practise of one improves the other, and both (but especially Bharatnatyam) can be considered an act of worship.

(Also dance and martial arts often have complimentary evolutions, which is very cool to me)

Ancient Fire Nation society, where dance and martial arts are seen as complimentary and intertwined, where the Agni Kai is something akin to a Capoeira dance circle, and as the society grows mire warlike the dance aspect fall away and the martial aspect remains. Over time it becomes a rite-of-passage ceremonial duel. Except the society keeps hardening, and soon it stops being a cereminial rite of passage and instead becomes a show of skill and strength, a way to prove that you are worthy of your position.

And of course, Sozin comes along and dials up the "honor" aspect up to a hundred (especially considering the Fire Natiin borrows many elements from Imperial Japan) to the point where losing an Agni Kai no longer means you arent ready for the position you were vying for but instead a deep shame. Its a change that makes the existing heirarchy much more rigid, and rewards good fighters with high government positions regardless of other qualifications, and makes it much harder to question authority.

[atlaculture]

@ongoing-catastrophe

This a great theory. Really good insight into how a religious ceremony could be twisted to suit the needs of an oppressive society. It's also worth noting that the martial art that inspired firebending, Northern Shaolin, is the most influenced by Buddhist philosophy of all the martial arts featured in the show--- The other martial arts being Tai Chi, Hung Gar, Chu Gar, and Baguazhang.

Firebending descending from dance would also explain why Zuko loves to incorporate breakdancing into his fighting style:

I'd like to think the original Agni Kai ceremonies were once an all-day event that would feature both dances and ceremonial battles as a display devotion and respect for Agni and other spirits.

For example, there's a Thai dance known as Fawn Tian (กวางเทียน) or "The Candle Dance". According to Wikipedia, the female dancers pay homage to the divinities that protect the eight cardinal points of the Earth, asking them to pass through the candlelight. This dance could also represent a firebender's self-control and discipline over fire, as it takes a great deal of concentration and restraint to dance while maintaining a consistently sized flame in each hand. Think about how much Aang struggled to maintain just one flame with two hands.

The ceremonial battles could also be known as war dances (wai khru ram/ไหว้ครูรำ). Imagine witnessing the sword battle above, but the blades are on fire. Being able to pull off a performance would be a display of both appreciation for fire and skill [by not accidentally burning your partner].

I'd like to think that the pre-Sozin Fire Nation valued precision and versatility just as much as power, when it came to firebending. It symbolized how the Fire Nation's values were once much more balanced.