Zmbie

[zmbiexoxo]

◝. ☮︎ Intro post! ִ ☆゙

♩Name: Luna!

♩Age: Minor!

♩Pronouns: They/them!

♩Bday: October 18th!

ಿৎ Fandoms:

House MD, BNHA, ATLA, Sonic, JNJ(does that count..?) *These are just fandoms I consider to be in atm but I enjoy many other shows and spaces!

Other socials:

Ao3: Kittybluntz

TikTok: Zmbie_xoxo

Twitter: zmbie_xoxo

Insta: lun4_digatally

Xx 💋

[zmbiexoxo]

Re watching s3-ep 17 of house and I get so sad abt house genuinely wanting to go to Galapagos and watching turtle videos to make up for it; like hes so cute stop.

[hilsonlover-57]

Oh.

That hit hard. Especially because House, here, genuinely thinks that Wilson would always be by his side, no matter what, so he wouldn't ever be alone, but Wilson is saying the opposite, and that's why he seems so shocked.

But what is heartbreaking is that they were, in fact, both right: James was always with him, but House did end up alone since Wilson is dying, and only because he's dying.

That is the most beautiful and terrible thing ever.

[kumokumoriri]

A sleepless-night idea. 🤔🤔 I had a nightmare and can't go back to sleep. That's why I stayed up until 5 AM and decided to draw Zukka having a nightmare.

[zmbiexoxo]

I think about zukos suicidal tendencies so so so often, because wdym he stood there BEGGING for lightning to hit him even though he easily would’ve died

[aisatsaa]

I'll be slowly uploading my art here too from now on hehe SUMMER TIME ☀️🌊

[hnshsjsbsohevsh]

I mean i guess bro

[rrrrunk]

sorry but look how silly drunk gaang is

[cattoonxd]

Never give up without a fight

[i115ve]

iloveher

[daybreak993]

He’s so danmei

[maybemacdc]

quiet mornings

[siyumail]

something stupid

[zmbiexoxo]

I know most fanfics in modern day ATLA go for Japanese Zuko(which dont get me wrong I like) but I yearn for more thai Zuko fics simce there’s so much Thai influence on the fire nation 💔

[zmbiexoxo]

Actually I think the answer might be to combine the two — thai and Japanese mixed maybe? I wanna say Ursa would be thai and maybe Ozai would be Japanese ? 🥹

[zmbiexoxo]

I know most fanfics in modern day ATLA go for Japanese Zuko(which dont get me wrong I like) but I yearn for more thai Zuko fics simce there’s so much Thai influence on the fire nation 💔

[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

[atlaculture]

i’m currently researching Lady Triệu for a past avatar OC i’m making and i noticed that as time went on, the legends of her included rumors of breasts (sometimes 3) that were super long and had to be tied around her back when she went into battle and rumors of her height being near 9 feet. now whether or not these are true is debatable tbh but the height thing reminded me of Kyoshi and i wondered if Bryke maybe came across her while researching and thought of including some of her into Kyoshi. what do you think?

As much as I would love for Kyoshi to have been inspired by a tri-breasted giantess with an elephant sidekick, I'm pretty certain the ATLA crew wasn't familiar with the legend of Lady Triệu. After all, once you learn about her, who could resist adding someone that cool to your Asian-inspired story?

Kyoshi is visually inspired by Tomoe Gozen (巴 御前), a female samurai from Japan's Heian period (794 to 1185). She's regularly featured in historical recreations during Japan's Jidai Matsuri festival.

Although Tomoe Gozen isn't described in the historical account (The Tale of the Heike/平家物語) as being especially tall, she was noted to be exceptionally strong. In animation, physical strength usually translates to characters being depicted as tall.