Thanks everyone for going on this journey with us! This was such an amazing show to watch and we are glad we finally got to experience it and share that with the best community. 🥳🥳
If you two do continue with the world of avatar with Legend of Korra(which you should because it's amazing), there's some behind the scenes issues you should know about. Don't know if there's a video out there explaining how the studio messed with Korra's show but a lot of issues people had with it is because of the studio messing things up behind the scenes. If you can find a video explaining it that'd be great, the show is still amazing despite Nick studios basically trying to kill the show.
@@brotherderin nah its good specialy later seasons are good i was on your side as a KID but as a grown man batteling Mental Health too...Korra is good :D
It should be noted that The Search is the third storyline of the canon comics, so there's two storylines worth of context the main characters had gone through to lead them to that point, context that should be read first, because the comics also address other potential issues the main characters would have to face in the post-war world.
The fight between Azula and Zuko is heartbreaking. It's easy to see them as adults but Zuko is 16 and Azula is 13. These are literally kids fighting each other to the death because of what their Father did.
Are you implying what I think you're implying? cause I didn't even realize that.. damn for a face actor, he can sure voice act! (yes I know he does more voice now then face acting.)
Azula actually had a good point when it came to banishing the Dai Lee, although it left the nation kinda defenseless. Imagine betraying your whole country and your leader(Long Feng) who you swore loyalty towards because you were impressed by the enemy’s leadership. It was so satisfying seeing them get banished and are such annoying characters.
Fun fact: they went all out for the music for the finale. If you listen, it's really good. This is because for the finale, they recorded the music with a full Orchestra. Instead of small instruments in the recording booth, the Orchestra playing in the music hall was such a great decision.
I never see anyone talk about, or remember this, but I always smile at they final scene with Iroh playing the instrument, Zuko offering him tea, and Iroh stopping for a second and staring because if you remember correctly, Zuko offered Iroh tea before in season 2, and Iroh faked enjoying it and threw it out the window when Zuko wasn’t looking 😭
I will say this one last time for the OG but dannnnggggg Mark Hamill is just a boss of a voice actor!! Him as Fire Lord and The Joker is just Top Tier!!
Best thing about this show is it never talked down and it never sugarcoated some of the horrors of war like genocide, refugee crisis and kids during war. The sequel takes it up a notch but i won't spoil it
@@DLites151 I wouldn't go that far in my critique of it, but it does clash with the lore of the original series. The way I see it is that the series would be fine if it was not a sequel. Sure, there are some rough patches such as how they handle some of the relationships in the series like the painful love triangle early on, but it does also have good moments and topics it explores that the original series didn't. However, being a sequel and clashing with prior lore does definitely knock the series down a rank or two. Which is why I generally view them as separate, at most I see it as 'a potential future of a world similar to that of Avatar the Last Airbender' because then I don't have to deal with the lore discrepancies. Additionally, while I do think criticism is justified, there's no need to be overly harsh considering the production difficulties they had. The original series only had some interference at the end, so they just had to speed up Zuko integrating into the team and then make sure the finale was solid since they weren't getting a fourth season. The Legend of Korra only got a season at a time with the constant threat of the show being dropped, so they had to do separate storylines each season in case it was the last. So they get a little bit of grace for the working conditions making it difficult to create a really well planned out story. Doesn't excuse everything of course, but it reduces my criticism a bit.
@@derfritz4550 I'm not sure what you're talking about, I was just responding to the constantly negative guy with a more moderate response. Korra is overall a good series, but there are a lot of things that don't line up with the original series. The jump in tech, the creation of Republic City in general is a bit weird, bending multiple elements with no training, the handling of spirits, the backstory of the Avatar, the changes to certain kinds of bending, etc... These all clash with prior lore, but within the series some of them allow for interesting storytelling, so that's why I said viewing it as separate improves my experience of the series.
@@metacat3106 sorry if i sound to harsh about...a very BIG moment in Korra :D but much people complain SO MUCH about it like that Avatar should be a Fairy Tail and nothing REALY bad every happens in this Universe.... but yeah about Bending and stuff you can clearly see that they got Sabotaged by Nickelodeon itself a LOT. They implemented that "they can that" because they hadnt the time to explain and build up to it like back in Last Airbender :D still hope they go watch Korra...specialy later seasons are so Good :D
43:56 That is exactly why avatar was so heavily requested, and why it is regarded as the best children's cartoon of all time by many, The show is made for children, but it doesn't speak down to its young audience.
Well put in the end Bethany and Ken. Cause this show took his audience seriously, they took kids and their feelings seriously, and that's why it was such a huge success.
A lot of shows I watched as a kid I go back and watch and I’m like I liked this ????😂 You know a show is good when you can watch it at any point in your life and enjoy
Keep in mind, Zuko had effectively won the Final Agni Kai; or at least he was about to. Azula couldn't land a single hit on him and was the only one taking any damage. She literally had to make Zuko *throw the fight* by protecting Katara
I think Aang and Katara ending up together is perfect because she has always been the person who is best at supporting him when he is going through something. She comforted him when he discovered his people were gone, she consoled him when he felt bad about getting kyoshi island destroyed, she comforted him when he saw the northern air temple had been overtaken and converted, she calmed him down when appa was stolen, she convinced him to open up about his feelings about appa being stolen, and she pleaded with aang not to try and face the firelord alone when he woke up in season three. Not to mention she also realized feelings for him at the end of the fortune teller episode, it's implied they kissed in the cave of two lovers, they kissed again on the invasion and she blushed, and she was protective as heck over him when Zuko first joined the group. I think the feelings those two shared were outlined pretty early and often in the story
Not to mention Aang's time dealing with his chakras where the Guru mentioned that love is not lost, it just takes on another form and the visual was the entirety of the Air Nomads and then Katara. Aang basically redirecting all of his love for the people he lost into his love for Katara, which is probably not healthy, but I guess that's what the other chakra about surrendering attachments was for, to balance out these sorts of extremes.
32:45 this scene is especially terrifying from Toph's perspective as, remember, she can't see/feel anything aside from Sokka's hand holding onto her for dear life.
43:29 The end was in fact supposed to be a setup for another book/season but they didn't get to do that. We wouldn't know what happened to Zuko's mom until the comics began to release.
A bit of character development that I always found cool is Aang's body. In season one, he's almost anemic with how withered it is to the point you could see his ribs at moments, like when they went to Kiyoshi Island. Fitting for the monk lifestyle he'd been living with (and the years trapped in ice probably didn't help). It fills out a bit in season two, especially after Toph begins her training regiment, but it results in a lean build that still has some of his stick figure proportions. It stays that way through the first half of season three until Zuko joins the group. Under his regiment, Aang really bulks up alongside becoming more toned until he is the most jacked 12 year old outside of a Dragon Ball show!
Azula honestly became one of my favorite characters of this show in these final four episodes. She really is a tragic character, and I'd like to explore that more here (beware, LONG POST warning): When we first see Azula on screen, it's during the flashback to Zuko's scarring, where we see her smiling as she watches Ozai burn him. From this point on, we spend much of the show believing she's pretty much Ozai Jr., someone who, while definitely interesting to watch, is still a manipulative villain. The Beach then did a lot to give more nuance to her character, showcasing how she has no idea how to socialize without intimidating others into getting what she wants, as well as how she believes her mother thinks she's a monster. But then we get to the Boiling Rock, where Mai and Ty Lee's betrayals shake her to her core. Until now, using fear had always gotten her what she wanted. All that was left was Ozai, and in the finale, even he abandons her to take all the glory for himself, even going so far as to declare her Fire Lord, then make that title obsolete by declaring himself Phoenix King. Because that is how he always saw her and Zuko: as tools to serve him. Now, let's talk about Azula's relationship with Ursa (her and Zuko's mother). Now, the comics actually show a lot of Ursa's backstory (won't spoil much, but I highly recommend you give them a read. The first series is called "The Search" and is exactly what it sounds like), but here, I'll focus on what we see in the show while touching a little bit on what else we learned. We know that Ursa "left" many years ago, when Zuko and Azula were still very young. Before then, we already know that Azula thinks Ursa views her as a monster, and from interactions we've seen, there may be a grain of truth to that statement (Azula was highly favored by Ozai for being a fire bending prodigy, while Zuko was cast aside, meaning Ursa spent more time with him). Then, when Zuko's banished, Iroh leaves with him, meaning that all Azula has at this point is Ozai, which only further served to indoctrinate her into his philosophy of ruling through strength and fear. And it's not like Mai and Ty Lee ever said no to her, so for years, she only continued to become more like Ozai. Getting back to the present, we watch as Azula slowly loses everyone close to her, and thanks to Ozai's indoctrination and the shock of being betrayed by her "best friends," she's now terrified of losing anything else. That's why we see her rapidly deteriorating into a state of constant paranoia. She used fear to rule over people, but now, fear is ruling over her. This comes to a head during the mirror scene, when we get to hear her "converse" with Ursa. Even when the image of her mother is showing her kindness, she can't comprehend it, so she shatters the mirror. She wanted her mother's love, but after everything she's been through, she can't even accept the thought of her mother loving her. Finally, The Last Agni Kai (really, that's what the song in that scene is called, it rules). Everything comes to a head here. Azula is on the verge of insanity, and the only thing stopping her is the fact that she's about to become Fire Lord, just like she wanted (supposedly). But then Zuko comes back and dares to challenge her, threatening to take even that from her. Jeremy Zuckerman did a FANTASTIC job with the score for this fight. This isn't some glorious battle of a hero defeating the villain. It's a tragedy of two siblings forced to fight each other because there is simply no other option. You said it yourselves, even when Azula is defeated, there's no satisfaction to be had. Zuko and Katara can only watch as Azula breaks down in front of them. She has finally lost everything. This wasn't a victory. It was simply an end. Azula is one of my favorite characters in this show, purely because her story is so goddamn interesting to analyze. And it honestly hurts when in the comics (minor spoilers), we see that she's basically been thrown into an insane asylum, straitjacket and all. And I'm not talking like a modern, actually helpful asylum. More like Arkham Asylum. Oh, and one last thing: Azula is FOURTEEN YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT. FOURTEEN YEARS OLD. TLDR: Azula is an incredibly interesting character and one that still sparks controversy over whether or not she could or should be "redeemed." Personally, I think she could, but she has to want to redeem herself. And she still has to face justice for, you know, war crimes and such. Apologies for the incredibly long post, but I just wanted to share my thoughts. And encourage you to read the comics. But now, this show is done, it's time for The Legend of Korra! Can't wait to see your future content!
Yayyy! You two made it to the finale! I watched the show as a kid as it was coming out, and almost twenty years later, this is still one of my favorite shows ever made. This finale is as perfect as you can ask for. Every character, even June of all people, get their moment to shine. The animation is beautiful, there are too many moments to name that make me cry and cheer. And then there is the Final Agni Kai. This is still one of my favorite moments in any piece of media. The score, the animation, the acting, the directing, the storyboarding, the tragedy of it all. It is so beautiful. I think the fact that the last spoken word in the show is "perfect", describes my feelings towards this episode and to this story as a whole. Although I'm personally not a fan of the Katara and Aang kiss at the end, Zutara fan forever! Lol There have been a lot of things released in the world of ATLA since this finale aired. Tabletop games, video games, crossovers, novels, comics, an entire sequel show with "The Legend of Korra", two live action remakes, and a new animated movie (that has been in development HFIL for what feels like forever), but the original ATLA will always have a special place in my heart, as one of my favorite things ever. Glad I got to see you two experience one of my favorite shows! Excited for whatever series you watch next! -Red Sapphire
The story of Zuko searching his mom is a comic book called "Avatar: The Last Airbend - The Search". The comics show new challenges the GAang have to face with the new technologies and the scars and changes caused by the Hundred Year War, and set the stage for "Avatar: The Legend of Korra", the avatar after Aang.
It’s interesting you mention Azula feels like the Joker. Since the Fire Lord Ozai is voiced by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) who has been the voice of the Joker since the 90’s for cartoons and videos games and is regarded as the best Joker voice there is.
27:04 What I love and what’s so crazy about this moment is that you don’t realize that this is the first time Aang has actually seen the Firelord f Face and this is the first time he has seen him 🤯 It just makes this moment so much more impactful
I never thought I would sit down and look forward to an hour-long reaction video, but its been an absolute joy to share in your experiencing ATLA for the first time. Its been a wild 6-month ride, but it has been a genuine pleasure to hear your thoughts over this masterpiece of a show. My favorite bit from the finale is the way it shows each character learning from Aang: Zuko bests Azula using airbending techniques with fire, Sokka's masterplan is an airbending slice, Katara defeats Azula by freezing herself in a block of ice, and Toph places her life and trust in her friends. In my opinion, Aang's character journey often gets overlooked by the more transformative tales like Zuko, but ATLA masterfully tells Aang's story of growing into oneself. Aang in the first episode is starkly different from Aang in the last episode, but his change is so nuanced and laced into the entire series that the progress is imperceptible. I see many other comments are asking about Legend of Korra, but to me the true successor to ATLA is "The Dragon Prince" on Netflix (particularly seasons 1-3). Worth considering if you are ever looking for other Avatar-like shows to watch.
I can’t imagine why you would announce that you could redirect lightning to Azula like that. Did she even know Zuko could do that? Should’ve played it out naturally there.
She would definitely know about that time when Zuko redirected Ozai's lightning, as well as remembering when Iroh sorta did it to her back in the Book 2.
Azula is also ULTRA caring about Pride etc so yeah calling her to try Lightning against a Target that in the Past was totaly gone after was actually a good idea BAD idea was Katara to walk out before things are done and settled..... I think a pure Azula/Zuko fight would have been a 100/10 instead of a 95/10 from me....but they had to involve katara there too the that way is probably much better as my head canon idea In my Idea of this Fight Azula and Zuko hit each other with lightning and are hurt so katara comes in just as a healer for Zuko in that :D
50:02 I read once someone viewed that moment at the end Aang and Katara first have that hug showing that even now as their relationship is moving to becoming romantic their friendship is still first.
Firstly, I so enjoyed this finale reaction, and this show is amazing. Secondly, I agree with you guys about Azula. Zuko could’ve easily turned out the same way if he was as talented as Azula at a young age. It’s because of that talent Azula displayed at such an early age that Ozai groomed her to being the war machine she is, and nothing else, literally encouraging her bad behavior behind their mothers (comics). Also sad because we know the mother loved Azula, she just didn’t understand why Azula did the things she did, while Azula cared about her mother, but thought her mother always seen her as a monster, not putting together that her fathers parenting isn’t the right way.
This cartoon is the best I have watched so far in recycling old side characters And by the way, notice how Toph went full on the sandbending training after Appa was kidnapped by the sandbenders, so that event would never be repeated
Zuko: “No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?” Might as well attach a giant loser flag on him there. The plot demanded he’d get done dirty the moment he said that line.
The Final Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula is hands down my favorite moment of the whole show, the emotion behind it is so moving, and the animation goes so damn hard
The Last Airbender, despite some minor stumbles, is probably one of the greatest animated shows ever. And after watching it in full, I think you can see why its so beloved to this day. (Its also a part of the reason people are so harsh on the sequel series, as this show set the bar VERY high)
Oh! Oh my goodness! It’s finally happened everyone! The leather-goddess Whip Mommy is back!! … … Oh, and uh, Iroh returned, the Gaang saved the world, Aang defeated Ozai and Zuko took the throne alongside Mai, I guess that stuff happened too.
Man, the fight between Zuko and Azula is just wow, still the peak of the entire series, the music, the color, the animation everything between them that makes them fighting so tragic. They're siblings shaped by their father into people they didn't have to be and now they have to face each other. But it's also amazing to see Zuko fighting so composed and with restraint and the technique of the Sun Warriors paralleled with Azula's unfocused aggression, overcoming her natural talent with discipline. He's the best character in the show and that just cements how far he's come for me. Zuko's mother and his relationship with Azula are continued in the comics unfortunately there wasn't enough time in the show and it beyond the scope and budget. But the Dark Horse published ATLA comics and graphic novel series are STILL being written to this day and chronicle the time before Korra, when Aang and the Gaang come into teenage years and young adulthood and try to repair a world fractured by years of war. Very nuanced stuff for what is essentially a kids' show, dealing with colonialism, loss of spirituality in a developing world, the effects of propaganda and indoctrination.
Even though I started watching your ATLA reactions about a month ago, it feels like I've been along for the ride for much longer... like all finales, it's bittersweet but your reactions have made it worthwhile :P Anyway, here are some interesting tidbits from the finale: 1:14 In the "Tales of Ba Sing Se" episode (you might remember Sokka's poetry and Iroh's sad song), you DID see a tigerdillo when Aang helped build a zoo using his earthbending. 27:09 In part of "The Boiling Rock" (the prison escape episode), Azula used this Iron Man-like move to escape the gondola whose cables were about to be cut. My headcanon is that she learned this move from Ozai. 27:37 In the episode "The Runaway" (when Toph and Katara get thrown in jail for their big scam), there was a statue of Ozai in the Fire Nation town doing the exact same pose. 28:29 Zuko's character arc gets talked about a lot but I want to give Sokka some love: when you first meet him, he's both childish and sexist at first but in the finale, he's more much mature and relies on the help of two (badass) girls, Toph and Suki. It really shows his character development :) 32:14 The first episode of ATLA is called 'The Boy in the Iceberg', but the final episode is called 'Avatar Aang', showing Aang's growth from a goofy kid to a fully realized Avatar. 34:08 Aang bended the elements in the OPPOSITE order of the ATLA intro (Air, Fire, Earth, and Water). 41:22 It was was very fitting for Zuko to use both "scarred" and "divided" in his speech, especially cuz his father PHYSICALLY scarred him and then Zuko became divided (or rather, conflicted) between seeking Ozai's acceptance and finding his own path (as Iroh would've wanted for him). 43:24 If you REALLY want the answer to this question, I recommend that you read the official ATLA comics (specifically "The Promise" and "The Search"), cuz they go more in-depth on stuff that was left out of the show, such as the immediate aftermath of the war AND what happened to Zuko's mother. Sorry for rambling on so much, I just really enjoy this show... *with that being said, I'm REALLY excited to see your reactions to The Legend of Korra next* 😁
I appreciate your take on adolescent love. I find that a lot of animated shows when it comes to romance aspect push so hard that these young children will be permanently together, yet realistically it's more like a first love and as they mature they will develop differently and find new love.
Best way to sum up Avatar the Last Airbender - just look at the first word of the first line of the show and the last word of the last line of the show. Sokka, while fishing: "It's not getting away this time." Toph, blindly complimenting Sokka's art: "Well I think you all look perfect." "It's" "perfect." 😁
There is a theory that Ty Lee has air nomad ancestors that might have settled in the fire nation. For one her head and face design is almost the exact same as Aang just with a lot more hair. She seems to be VERY light on her feet being able to jump very high up and her balance is insane. She worked for a circus that went place to place like air nomads did. She is all about auras and spirits just like the Air Nomads. Lastly is her fighting style. She uses pressure points that immobilize an opponent without actually harming them which seems very much like what an Air Nomad would do in a fight.
It's an interesting concept, but it doesn't really have a lot of weight to it. For the first point (similarities/genetics), we know she was fire nation nobility if she was hanging out with Azula, and with how purist the fire nation is from the bit we saw of the fire nation school, if there is any connection it would have to be a long way back. For the second point (light, jumping, balance), that's easily explained by her specific training and profession. You could make the same argument for Suki with how she was maneuvering in the Boiling Rock, the only difference I think is that she doesn't have the experience with the tightrope, otherwise she'd be joining Ty Lee up on the gondola wire. For the third point, that's circumstantial, it's very common for circuses to travel in order to make money because not many people are going to watch a very similar show repeatedly, plus the timeline of them moving on encourages people to see the show while they still can. For the fourth point, she doesn't mention spirits at all, she just mentions auras, and within the original series I'm pretty sure she's the only one that mentions them. Apparently this has been expanded on and is associated with Fire Nation spirituality, according to the wiki. For the final point, again that's her particular training. Lots of martial arts have ways to disable someone without killing them. While hers is unique in being able to disable bending, that doesn't automatically make it an air nomad connection, as again we can bring up the martial arts that Suki practices where she doesn't use lethal force either. And we don't have examples of air nomads disabling bending.
Wow, thats it.......We've come so far together. Its been so cool watchin' yall have a good time with this beloved series, Its gonna be so sad when yall are finished with dragon ball. 😭
Now that you're done with Avatar, I have a few suggestions for things you can watch next: -Teen Titans (Heavily anime-inspired superhero show that is honestly one of the best shows I've watched) -Batman Beyond (A tale of a new Batman in the distant future and an old Bruce Wayne) -The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Laughter and gross-out moments guaranteed) -RWBY Chibi (Comedy skits taking place in the world of Remnant. There's a lot of Zwei to go around.) -Assassination Classroom (As far as anime goes, one of the best English dubs I've ever watched.) -That Time I've Been Reincarnated as a Slime (Bar none, my favorite Isekai anime) -So, I'm a Spider, So What? (This has both laughs and emotional moments. It's honestly great.) -Saga of Tanya the Evil (Seriously, watch this. Azula has nothing on this little 9-year-old girl.) And the one I want you to watch most of all: -Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series (The very first Abridged series and the longest running one. This is the series that inspired TeamFourStar. Done by the same guy that voices Freeza in DBZA.)
The avatar novels go deeper into the lives of the previous avatars, if you knew the story of kyoshi and yang chen, you'd know why they were the only ones to basically tell aang to kill the fire lord lol. The creators did a great job with adding tension to the final fight, aang hadn't mastered the elements and was getting wrecked by ozai. You can very much tell he's outmatched the entire fight. Good thing that pointy rock was there in just the right spot lol! Katara also couldn't redirect the lightning because it is a form of firebending, even if it's based off of water bending moves. It's also not a full moon so she couldn't waterbend, she had to fight a buffed out of control firebender by herself!
I'd be really interested in you guys watching The Legend of Korra, it's made for older audiences and misses some points. But I think it's good and deserves the love it gets nowadays.
So there are certainly some unresolved questions, but I think it was absolutely brilliant to end it like this. The story was about Aang; his story of coming into his own and accepting the responsibilities and obligations he has in being the Avatar, the most pressing of which is ending the war and defeating Ozai. There are some comics they made that answer the unresolved issues so they technically did answer it, but I find it great when stories leave certain plot points to allow the imagination to fill in the gaps. Doing so allows you to engage with the story more because you have to consider logically what may have happened, etc.
Approaching 1k and very well deserved. I've seen many AtLA reactions, and have really enjoyed these. Looking forward to the Legend of Korra if you do it. The comics pick up exactly where the finale leaves off and cover Zuko's mom, Azula, etc. PS When Azula cuts the hair over her left eye to match Zuko's uneven facial profile from his burn, it symbolizes that she is just as mentally scarred as him. They both have daddy issues, but only one of them had Iroh to help him through it. In the end the banishment saved his life.
The music for these episodes is top tier. For the fight between Ozai and Aang the music is hectic and chaotic mirroring Aang trying to keep up with Ozai's greater experience and raw power. For the fight between Zuko and Azula it's haunting and melancholy because it's literally a brother and sister who are still kids fighting to the death.
There is a series of comic books that take place right after the show ends, it talks about the delicate political situation after the war and it also covers Zuko and Azula's story about finding theyre mother
44:10 I get what I think you're trying to say there, Ken, but I'll have to disagree with the second part of the sentence. ATLA isn't "good for a kid's show", it's good period. All the things you mentioned hold up well compared to more adult-oriented media. Zuko's arc? Azula as villain? All characters having noticeable traits, strengths and weaknesses, often clashing but always in a way that makes sense? Looking at different cultures not judginly, but through a lens of understanding, showing us WHY things are the way they are and that noone is wrong or bad or evil just for being raised differently? The humour? And I could continue the list. Few shows period can compare to ATLA, even less can compare favorably. All that said, it's a minor nitpick and I genuinely enjoyed your reactions. It was so much fun to reexperience the story with you, simply because you're good people and you actually care about the stuff you're watching.
Hey guys, I’m a little late so you might not see this, but I wanted to mention that the reason we don’t see a lot of Iroh in the third season is because his voice actor actually passed away. The last episode he recorded was The Tales of Ba Sing Se. A different actor recorded the remainder of season two, and season 3. He did a great job, but there some very settle differences if you listen closely. Iroh’s original VA was Mako Iwamatsu, and the actor that replaced him was Greg Baldwin.
This is the first finale that I was actually able to watch the buildup to live while being fully invested myself. That was an unforgettable experience. Now you can see why so many people absolutely love and adore this world and these characters. Looking forward to Korra!
If you watch the fight between Azula and Zuko in the finale and when they first fought you can see that Azula's and Zuko's fighting styles are switched in the first Zuko's fighting is eratic and fuled by rage here hes calm and logical, Azula's first fight shes relaxed, poised, almost dance like in this fight shes like a rabid dog.
Aang's determination not to take Ozai's life shows why his spirit is unbreakable. The world didn't need the Avatar, the world needed *Aang*. Healing, not more death. Peace, not violence. If he had killed, then the last of the Airbenders would be gone. You could write essays on Azula's worldview and perspectives. I think that Zuko's mother had to protect him from his domineering, hard, cruel father, and Azula felt that meant she preferred him. In response to this, she turned to her father as her primary source of care. He taught her the perspectives we see in the show - bebe Azula didn't come up with the things she said about Uroh and Azulon by herself. Children form their beliefs and perspectives by repeating what they've heard at home. Embracing her father's perspective of fear over love allowed her to frame her mother's inattention to her as power over her mother. It's not 'mother doesn't love me' it's 'mother is afraid of me'. I can't imagine that attitude exactly endeared her to mother, so it'd have been self-reinforcing. With her world crumbling around her, she had to face the truth of how desperately she wanted her mother to love her, not fear her.
Omg I remember running home from school back in the day to view the next latest episode of this show every Wednesday lmao. Can’t express how much I love this show and its messages/teachings. I guess Katara was right, she believed Aang could save the world!
Such a shoehorned conflict for Aang. Remember how gung ho he was about fighting Ozai iduring the invasion? "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." "I'm ready to do what needs to be done." "Fire Lord Ozai! Where are you!?" Now suddenly he's having doubts.
iroh with a single attack of his own power destroyed the very wall he failed to breach long ago and cost the life of his own son and what took several days of drilling by azula, iroh is among the top 4 strongest firebenders of that time
Personally, in terms of shipping, I’ve recently become an Aang and Toph enthusiast myself, though obviously it doesn’t end up happening. They’re the perfect example of opposites attract working out as friends and besties, so I think that if they were to get together outright, all the cuter and better! But you’re also right, Beth. They’re kids at the time of story’s end so, it’s better they have time to think, date, then later settle. It’s just how the show runners chose to wrap it up given everything.
In my opinion nah i don't think they'd connect. In the training episode with toph you could see aang was visibly hurt by toph's harsh words whenever she would scold him for not being tough enough. It took Katara being there to comfort him for him to stop being extremely harsh on himself. Aang takes a lot to heart when it comes to criticism and toph being a constant critic who's not afraid to put him down when he's not doing well would only make his mental state worse
I'm so glad you guys watched this. It's great seeing people so into it, thinking deeply about it and caring about it. One of the best animated series of all time.
Sokka starts the series as a misogynist failure, and ends it by leading two master warriors into battle, both who happen to be female, and wins by relying on their skills to coordinate his overall plan. It's neat.
There is a comic that take place after the show. Other than that, I'm now looking forward to hopefully you guys making your way into The Legend of Korra.
I'll spare you the essay I could write gushing about how awesome both this show and this finale is, and instead point out just one incredible detail. See how the air blast Aang fires at 36:59 wears away at the rock pillar (you can't really see it in this edit, but it's more noticeable in the episode itself) - he's not Earthbending there, it's just a gust of wind so powerful it can erode a mountain. The Avatar State is terrifying - it's not surprising that Aang feared the terrible power it brought him.
To add on to what you said about Azula, I feel like when she breaks at the end after losing to Katara I feel like her inner child broke out in that moment. She watched her father physically and mentally scar and traumatize her older brother for simply speaking out of line. Then she is charged with becoming the fire lord and ruling the fire nation by that same man only to lose to Zuko. She probably thought that her father was going to come back and literally kill her for failing in her duty.
Great finale. Thanks for the journey! As I'm sure others have posted, the story of Zuko's mother and more of Azula can be found in the comics which are very enjoyable.
First episode: "The Boy in the Iceberg" Last episode: "Avatar Aang" Simply in the episode names they encapsulate the entire journey from a goofy kid in ice to the one who will save the world. First word spoken in the show (not counting the intro): "It's" last word spoken: "perfect" It's perfect
![[DRAGON BALL LEGENDS REVEALS ＆ STUFF] LEGENDS FESTIVAL 2024 Special Edition Part 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/af0phKxitX8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks everyone for going on this journey with us! This was such an amazing show to watch and we are glad we finally got to experience it and share that with the best community. 🥳🥳
If you two do continue with the world of avatar with Legend of Korra(which you should because it's amazing), there's some behind the scenes issues you should know about. Don't know if there's a video out there explaining how the studio messed with Korra's show but a lot of issues people had with it is because of the studio messing things up behind the scenes. If you can find a video explaining it that'd be great, the show is still amazing despite Nick studios basically trying to kill the show.
Korra is dodo water compared to Last Airbender
@@brotherderin No it's not, it's a fantastic sequel. You might want to actually watch it and acquire some taste.
@@brotherderin nah its good specialy later seasons are good
i was on your side as a KID but as a grown man batteling Mental Health too...Korra is good :D
@@Auron1Roxas2 apart from it's first season which was just decent I repeat it's dodo water compared to last Airbender.
There's a canon comic about Zuko's journey to find his mother. It's called The Search.
It should be noted that The Search is the third storyline of the canon comics, so there's two storylines worth of context the main characters had gone through to lead them to that point, context that should be read first, because the comics also address other potential issues the main characters would have to face in the post-war world.
The Melon Lord is the best character. So deep and interesting with a great character arc!
How many people found themself saying "That's not Toph! That's Melon Lord!"
Thank you guys for watching this show. It’s probably one of the best shows ever. Can’t wait for yall to get to Legend of Korra 😄
First episode Sokka: "You can't defeat the Fire Nation with fun!"
Aang: "You should try it sometime."
Sokka now: "Attention crew!" 😂😂😂😂
The fight between Azula and Zuko is heartbreaking. It's easy to see them as adults but Zuko is 16 and Azula is 13. These are literally kids fighting each other to the death because of what their Father did.
Yeah it’s sad 😢
Azula is 13?????? i always thought she was slightly older than zuko lol wild
@@azment8666 No Azula is 14 when she takes over Ba Sing Se
azula is not 13 lil bro
well don't be a psycho
Azula looking like the Joker is amusingly apropos, considering who voices her father
Are you implying what I think you're implying? cause I didn't even realize that.. damn for a face actor, he can sure voice act! (yes I know he does more voice now then face acting.)
I had this EXACT same thought 😉
@@jayturner6570 And think about his most famous face role and relationship with that father.
Her mind said Buh-Bye.
@@jayturner6570 Mark Hamil has done more voice work than live action work.
Azula actually had a good point when it came to banishing the Dai Lee, although it left the nation kinda defenseless. Imagine betraying your whole country and your leader(Long Feng) who you swore loyalty towards because you were impressed by the enemy’s leadership. It was so satisfying seeing them get banished and are such annoying characters.
Iroh lost both his sons, imagine how he felt when one came back.
I forgot who said that first, but i have never forgotten it.
Azula was locked into looney bin. She needed help BADLY.
You can't save person, who doesn't want to be saved
@@Qin_Leethe incredibles taught us that
@@Qin_Leeshe escaped
Fun fact: they went all out for the music for the finale.
If you listen, it's really good.
This is because for the finale, they recorded the music with a full Orchestra. Instead of small instruments in the recording booth, the Orchestra playing in the music hall was such a great decision.
Nickelodeon even offered to extend their budget for music and animation for the series finale. Too bad Korra got the opposite treatment.
After all the "no pants" nightmares, I love how Aang defeats Ozai wearing nothing BUT pants.
Think you mean Ozai not Sozin lol
@@Cazammaf Yes, I did. Apparently I was having nightmares of Aang fighting comets or something.
@@Tantalus010 lol
I never see anyone talk about, or remember this, but I always smile at they final scene with Iroh playing the instrument, Zuko offering him tea, and Iroh stopping for a second and staring because if you remember correctly, Zuko offered Iroh tea before in season 2, and Iroh faked enjoying it and threw it out the window when Zuko wasn’t looking 😭
I will say this one last time for the OG but dannnnggggg Mark Hamill is just a boss of a voice actor!! Him as Fire Lord and The Joker is just Top Tier!!
Best thing about this show is it never talked down and it never sugarcoated some of the horrors of war like genocide, refugee crisis and kids during war.
The sequel takes it up a notch but i won't spoil it
The sequel is piece of insecure narcissism and intentionally tries to undermine the original
@@DLites151 I wouldn't go that far in my critique of it, but it does clash with the lore of the original series.
The way I see it is that the series would be fine if it was not a sequel.
Sure, there are some rough patches such as how they handle some of the relationships in the series like the painful love triangle early on, but it does also have good moments and topics it explores that the original series didn't. However, being a sequel and clashing with prior lore does definitely knock the series down a rank or two. Which is why I generally view them as separate, at most I see it as 'a potential future of a world similar to that of Avatar the Last Airbender' because then I don't have to deal with the lore discrepancies.
Additionally, while I do think criticism is justified, there's no need to be overly harsh considering the production difficulties they had. The original series only had some interference at the end, so they just had to speed up Zuko integrating into the team and then make sure the finale was solid since they weren't getting a fourth season. The Legend of Korra only got a season at a time with the constant threat of the show being dropped, so they had to do separate storylines each season in case it was the last. So they get a little bit of grace for the working conditions making it difficult to create a really well planned out story. Doesn't excuse everything of course, but it reduces my criticism a bit.
@@metacat3106 you all still bitching about the Hard Cut on Spoiler here in korra?
it hurts yes but it makes sense storywise....so grow up i say....
@@derfritz4550 I'm not sure what you're talking about, I was just responding to the constantly negative guy with a more moderate response.
Korra is overall a good series, but there are a lot of things that don't line up with the original series. The jump in tech, the creation of Republic City in general is a bit weird, bending multiple elements with no training, the handling of spirits, the backstory of the Avatar, the changes to certain kinds of bending, etc... These all clash with prior lore, but within the series some of them allow for interesting storytelling, so that's why I said viewing it as separate improves my experience of the series.
@@metacat3106 sorry if i sound to harsh about...a very BIG moment in Korra :D but much people complain SO MUCH about it like that Avatar should be a Fairy Tail and nothing REALY bad every happens in this Universe....
but yeah about Bending and stuff you can clearly see that they got Sabotaged by Nickelodeon itself a LOT. They implemented that "they can that" because they hadnt the time to explain and build up to it like back in Last Airbender :D
still hope they go watch Korra...specialy later seasons are so Good :D
This dog's a traitor! Take his cuteness bending away!!!
43:56 That is exactly why avatar was so heavily requested, and why it is regarded as the best children's cartoon of all time by many, The show is made for children, but it doesn't speak down to its young audience.
Well put in the end Bethany and Ken.
Cause this show took his audience seriously, they took kids and their feelings seriously, and that's why it was such a huge success.
A lot of shows I watched as a kid I go back and watch and I’m like I liked this ????😂
You know a show is good when you can watch it at any point in your life and enjoy
@@gameplayer8998 Indeed. Not many shows can say that about them.
For me personally it is Avatar, Korra, 90'S X-Men, And Gargoyles.
Keep in mind, Zuko had effectively won the Final Agni Kai; or at least he was about to.
Azula couldn't land a single hit on him and was the only one taking any damage. She literally had to make Zuko *throw the fight* by protecting Katara
Sad that the ships engineers “happy birthday” responds was cut out because it was hilarious.
I think Aang and Katara ending up together is perfect because she has always been the person who is best at supporting him when he is going through something. She comforted him when he discovered his people were gone, she consoled him when he felt bad about getting kyoshi island destroyed, she comforted him when he saw the northern air temple had been overtaken and converted, she calmed him down when appa was stolen, she convinced him to open up about his feelings about appa being stolen, and she pleaded with aang not to try and face the firelord alone when he woke up in season three.
Not to mention she also realized feelings for him at the end of the fortune teller episode, it's implied they kissed in the cave of two lovers, they kissed again on the invasion and she blushed, and she was protective as heck over him when Zuko first joined the group. I think the feelings those two shared were outlined pretty early and often in the story
Not to mention Aang's time dealing with his chakras where the Guru mentioned that love is not lost, it just takes on another form and the visual was the entirety of the Air Nomads and then Katara. Aang basically redirecting all of his love for the people he lost into his love for Katara, which is probably not healthy, but I guess that's what the other chakra about surrendering attachments was for, to balance out these sorts of extremes.
Not to mention the looks during the dance in "The Headband"
17:36 i cried.... every time this scene playing
32:45 this scene is especially terrifying from Toph's perspective as, remember, she can't see/feel anything aside from Sokka's hand holding onto her for dear life.
And she can tell when people are lying.
43:29 The end was in fact supposed to be a setup for another book/season but they didn't get to do that.
We wouldn't know what happened to Zuko's mom until the comics began to release.
A bit of character development that I always found cool is Aang's body. In season one, he's almost anemic with how withered it is to the point you could see his ribs at moments, like when they went to Kiyoshi Island. Fitting for the monk lifestyle he'd been living with (and the years trapped in ice probably didn't help). It fills out a bit in season two, especially after Toph begins her training regiment, but it results in a lean build that still has some of his stick figure proportions. It stays that way through the first half of season three until Zuko joins the group. Under his regiment, Aang really bulks up alongside becoming more toned until he is the most jacked 12 year old outside of a Dragon Ball show!
Legend of Korra next!
Azula honestly became one of my favorite characters of this show in these final four episodes. She really is a tragic character, and I'd like to explore that more here (beware, LONG POST warning):
When we first see Azula on screen, it's during the flashback to Zuko's scarring, where we see her smiling as she watches Ozai burn him. From this point on, we spend much of the show believing she's pretty much Ozai Jr., someone who, while definitely interesting to watch, is still a manipulative villain. The Beach then did a lot to give more nuance to her character, showcasing how she has no idea how to socialize without intimidating others into getting what she wants, as well as how she believes her mother thinks she's a monster. But then we get to the Boiling Rock, where Mai and Ty Lee's betrayals shake her to her core. Until now, using fear had always gotten her what she wanted. All that was left was Ozai, and in the finale, even he abandons her to take all the glory for himself, even going so far as to declare her Fire Lord, then make that title obsolete by declaring himself Phoenix King. Because that is how he always saw her and Zuko: as tools to serve him.
Now, let's talk about Azula's relationship with Ursa (her and Zuko's mother). Now, the comics actually show a lot of Ursa's backstory (won't spoil much, but I highly recommend you give them a read. The first series is called "The Search" and is exactly what it sounds like), but here, I'll focus on what we see in the show while touching a little bit on what else we learned. We know that Ursa "left" many years ago, when Zuko and Azula were still very young. Before then, we already know that Azula thinks Ursa views her as a monster, and from interactions we've seen, there may be a grain of truth to that statement (Azula was highly favored by Ozai for being a fire bending prodigy, while Zuko was cast aside, meaning Ursa spent more time with him). Then, when Zuko's banished, Iroh leaves with him, meaning that all Azula has at this point is Ozai, which only further served to indoctrinate her into his philosophy of ruling through strength and fear. And it's not like Mai and Ty Lee ever said no to her, so for years, she only continued to become more like Ozai.
Getting back to the present, we watch as Azula slowly loses everyone close to her, and thanks to Ozai's indoctrination and the shock of being betrayed by her "best friends," she's now terrified of losing anything else. That's why we see her rapidly deteriorating into a state of constant paranoia. She used fear to rule over people, but now, fear is ruling over her. This comes to a head during the mirror scene, when we get to hear her "converse" with Ursa. Even when the image of her mother is showing her kindness, she can't comprehend it, so she shatters the mirror. She wanted her mother's love, but after everything she's been through, she can't even accept the thought of her mother loving her.
Finally, The Last Agni Kai (really, that's what the song in that scene is called, it rules). Everything comes to a head here. Azula is on the verge of insanity, and the only thing stopping her is the fact that she's about to become Fire Lord, just like she wanted (supposedly). But then Zuko comes back and dares to challenge her, threatening to take even that from her. Jeremy Zuckerman did a FANTASTIC job with the score for this fight. This isn't some glorious battle of a hero defeating the villain. It's a tragedy of two siblings forced to fight each other because there is simply no other option. You said it yourselves, even when Azula is defeated, there's no satisfaction to be had. Zuko and Katara can only watch as Azula breaks down in front of them. She has finally lost everything. This wasn't a victory. It was simply an end.
Azula is one of my favorite characters in this show, purely because her story is so goddamn interesting to analyze. And it honestly hurts when in the comics (minor spoilers), we see that she's basically been thrown into an insane asylum, straitjacket and all. And I'm not talking like a modern, actually helpful asylum. More like Arkham Asylum. Oh, and one last thing: Azula is FOURTEEN YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT. FOURTEEN YEARS OLD.
TLDR: Azula is an incredibly interesting character and one that still sparks controversy over whether or not she could or should be "redeemed." Personally, I think she could, but she has to want to redeem herself. And she still has to face justice for, you know, war crimes and such. Apologies for the incredibly long post, but I just wanted to share my thoughts. And encourage you to read the comics. But now, this show is done, it's time for The Legend of Korra! Can't wait to see your future content!
The Last Agni Kai has some crazy good visuals
The balance of humor and intensity in this finale is so beautifully done. Such a great series. So glad that y'all experienced it.
Yayyy! You two made it to the finale! I watched the show as a kid as it was coming out, and almost twenty years later, this is still one of my favorite shows ever made. This finale is as perfect as you can ask for. Every character, even June of all people, get their moment to shine. The animation is beautiful, there are too many moments to name that make me cry and cheer.
And then there is the Final Agni Kai. This is still one of my favorite moments in any piece of media. The score, the animation, the acting, the directing, the storyboarding, the tragedy of it all. It is so beautiful.
I think the fact that the last spoken word in the show is "perfect", describes my feelings towards this episode and to this story as a whole. Although I'm personally not a fan of the Katara and Aang kiss at the end, Zutara fan forever! Lol
There have been a lot of things released in the world of ATLA since this finale aired. Tabletop games, video games, crossovers, novels, comics, an entire sequel show with "The Legend of Korra", two live action remakes, and a new animated movie (that has been in development HFIL for what feels like forever), but the original ATLA will always have a special place in my heart, as one of my favorite things ever.
Glad I got to see you two experience one of my favorite shows! Excited for whatever series you watch next!
-Red Sapphire
The story of Zuko searching his mom is a comic book called "Avatar: The Last Airbend - The Search". The comics show new challenges the GAang have to face with the new technologies and the scars and changes caused by the Hundred Year War, and set the stage for "Avatar: The Legend of Korra", the avatar after Aang.
I have watched this show fully for about 80 times... but I just now noticed the shape of the white lotus camp... 18:53
Omg😂 if I hadn’t read your comment I probably wouldn’t have noticed it either😂 they really did that lol
The explanation of zuko's mom is in the comics. The comic is about the events after the show
It’s interesting you mention Azula feels like the Joker. Since the Fire Lord Ozai is voiced by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) who has been the voice of the Joker since the 90’s for cartoons and videos games and is regarded as the best Joker voice there is.
27:04 What I love and what’s so crazy about this moment is that you don’t realize that this is the first time Aang has actually seen the Firelord f
Face and this is the first time he has seen him 🤯
It just makes this moment so much more impactful
I never thought I would sit down and look forward to an hour-long reaction video, but its been an absolute joy to share in your experiencing ATLA for the first time. Its been a wild 6-month ride, but it has been a genuine pleasure to hear your thoughts over this masterpiece of a show.
My favorite bit from the finale is the way it shows each character learning from Aang: Zuko bests Azula using airbending techniques with fire, Sokka's masterplan is an airbending slice, Katara defeats Azula by freezing herself in a block of ice, and Toph places her life and trust in her friends. In my opinion, Aang's character journey often gets overlooked by the more transformative tales like Zuko, but ATLA masterfully tells Aang's story of growing into oneself. Aang in the first episode is starkly different from Aang in the last episode, but his change is so nuanced and laced into the entire series that the progress is imperceptible.
I see many other comments are asking about Legend of Korra, but to me the true successor to ATLA is "The Dragon Prince" on Netflix (particularly seasons 1-3). Worth considering if you are ever looking for other Avatar-like shows to watch.
I can’t imagine why you would announce that you could redirect lightning to Azula like that. Did she even know Zuko could do that? Should’ve played it out naturally there.
She would definitely know about that time when Zuko redirected Ozai's lightning, as well as remembering when Iroh sorta did it to her back in the Book 2.
Azula is also ULTRA caring about Pride etc
so yeah calling her to try Lightning against a Target that in the Past was totaly gone after was actually a good idea
BAD idea was Katara to walk out before things are done and settled.....
I think a pure Azula/Zuko fight would have been a 100/10 instead of a 95/10 from me....but they had to involve katara there too the that way is probably much better as my head canon idea
In my Idea of this Fight Azula and Zuko hit each other with lightning and are hurt so katara comes in just as a healer for Zuko in that :D
He taunting her and trying to goad her into using it, which wasn't a terrible idea considering she was in the middle of losing her mind.
And, about Zuko's mother, this plot was followed in the comics, like many other series that got comic sequels instead of new seasons
50:02 I read once someone viewed that moment at the end Aang and Katara first have that hug showing that even now as their relationship is moving to becoming romantic their friendship is still first.
With Zukos mother, they continue the story with comic books. The one that talks about zuko and azulas mom, its called the search
55:10 "To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable"
What a great journey it's been watching these reactions and rewatching Avatar
There are some Graphic Novels that follow the Storylines how Zuko searches for his Mother, what happened to Azula and some other Storylines.
Firstly, I so enjoyed this finale reaction, and this show is amazing. Secondly, I agree with you guys about Azula. Zuko could’ve easily turned out the same way if he was as talented as Azula at a young age. It’s because of that talent Azula displayed at such an early age that Ozai groomed her to being the war machine she is, and nothing else, literally encouraging her bad behavior behind their mothers (comics). Also sad because we know the mother loved Azula, she just didn’t understand why Azula did the things she did, while Azula cared about her mother, but thought her mother always seen her as a monster, not putting together that her fathers parenting isn’t the right way.
This cartoon is the best I have watched so far in recycling old side characters
And by the way, notice how Toph went full on the sandbending training after Appa was kidnapped by the sandbenders, so that event would never be repeated
Zuko: “No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?”
Might as well attach a giant loser flag on him there. The plot demanded he’d get done dirty the moment he said that line.
There’s a bunch of follow up comics and one of them explains what happens to his mom
I love that the lion turtle was just a passing reference with no meaning back in the library episode.
So according to the lore, it was the Lion Turtles who gave Bending to humans to help them survive in a world filled with both beasts and Spirits
Korra spoilers
Spoilers sheesh dude
The Final Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula is hands down my favorite moment of the whole show, the emotion behind it is so moving, and the animation goes so damn hard
The Last Airbender, despite some minor stumbles, is probably one of the greatest animated shows ever.
And after watching it in full, I think you can see why its so beloved to this day.
(Its also a part of the reason people are so harsh on the sequel series, as this show set the bar VERY high)
37:18 best scene of three seasons. This voice is just...
Very debatable
It is LEGION
@@cunningsmile4166 huh?
@@Qin_Lee but it's the moment we all waited, and this voice is just perfect
@@ΔημΣΚ Legion, from Mass Effect 3. The layered voices speaking as one. Also done by the Borg.
Oh! Oh my goodness! It’s finally happened everyone! The leather-goddess Whip Mommy is back!!
…
…
Oh, and uh, Iroh returned, the Gaang saved the world, Aang defeated Ozai and Zuko took the throne alongside Mai, I guess that stuff happened too.
Man, the fight between Zuko and Azula is just wow, still the peak of the entire series, the music, the color, the animation everything between them that makes them fighting so tragic. They're siblings shaped by their father into people they didn't have to be and now they have to face each other. But it's also amazing to see Zuko fighting so composed and with restraint and the technique of the Sun Warriors paralleled with Azula's unfocused aggression, overcoming her natural talent with discipline. He's the best character in the show and that just cements how far he's come for me. Zuko's mother and his relationship with Azula are continued in the comics unfortunately there wasn't enough time in the show and it beyond the scope and budget. But the Dark Horse published ATLA comics and graphic novel series are STILL being written to this day and chronicle the time before Korra, when Aang and the Gaang come into teenage years and young adulthood and try to repair a world fractured by years of war. Very nuanced stuff for what is essentially a kids' show, dealing with colonialism, loss of spirituality in a developing world, the effects of propaganda and indoctrination.
Even though I started watching your ATLA reactions about a month ago, it feels like I've been along for the ride for much longer... like all finales, it's bittersweet but your reactions have made it worthwhile :P
Anyway, here are some interesting tidbits from the finale:
1:14 In the "Tales of Ba Sing Se" episode (you might remember Sokka's poetry and Iroh's sad song), you DID see a tigerdillo when Aang helped build a zoo using his earthbending.
27:09 In part of "The Boiling Rock" (the prison escape episode), Azula used this Iron Man-like move to escape the gondola whose cables were about to be cut. My headcanon is that she learned this move from Ozai.
27:37 In the episode "The Runaway" (when Toph and Katara get thrown in jail for their big scam), there was a statue of Ozai in the Fire Nation town doing the exact same pose.
28:29 Zuko's character arc gets talked about a lot but I want to give Sokka some love: when you first meet him, he's both childish and sexist at first but in the finale, he's more much mature and relies on the help of two (badass) girls, Toph and Suki. It really shows his character development :)
32:14 The first episode of ATLA is called 'The Boy in the Iceberg', but the final episode is called 'Avatar Aang', showing Aang's growth from a goofy kid to a fully realized Avatar.
34:08 Aang bended the elements in the OPPOSITE order of the ATLA intro (Air, Fire, Earth, and Water).
41:22 It was was very fitting for Zuko to use both "scarred" and "divided" in his speech, especially cuz his father PHYSICALLY scarred him and then Zuko became divided (or rather, conflicted) between seeking Ozai's acceptance and finding his own path (as Iroh would've wanted for him).
43:24 If you REALLY want the answer to this question, I recommend that you read the official ATLA comics (specifically "The Promise" and "The Search"), cuz they go more in-depth on stuff that was left out of the show, such as the immediate aftermath of the war AND what happened to Zuko's mother.
Sorry for rambling on so much, I just really enjoy this show... *with that being said, I'm REALLY excited to see your reactions to The Legend of Korra next* 😁
I appreciate your take on adolescent love. I find that a lot of animated shows when it comes to romance aspect push so hard that these young children will be permanently together, yet realistically it's more like a first love and as they mature they will develop differently and find new love.
29:40 Funny you mention that, since Ozai is voiced by Mark Hamill
17:34-17:48 One of those moments you can see coming a mile away, but still hits you like a freight train.🥲
Best way to sum up Avatar the Last Airbender - just look at the first word of the first line of the show and the last word of the last line of the show.
Sokka, while fishing: "It's not getting away this time."
Toph, blindly complimenting Sokka's art: "Well I think you all look perfect."
"It's" "perfect." 😁
There is a theory that Ty Lee has air nomad ancestors that might have settled in the fire nation.
For one her head and face design is almost the exact same as Aang just with a lot more hair. She seems to be VERY light on her feet being able to jump very high up and her balance is insane. She worked for a circus that went place to place like air nomads did. She is all about auras and spirits just like the Air Nomads.
Lastly is her fighting style. She uses pressure points that immobilize an opponent without actually harming them which seems very much like what an Air Nomad would do in a fight.
It's an interesting concept, but it doesn't really have a lot of weight to it.
For the first point (similarities/genetics), we know she was fire nation nobility if she was hanging out with Azula, and with how purist the fire nation is from the bit we saw of the fire nation school, if there is any connection it would have to be a long way back.
For the second point (light, jumping, balance), that's easily explained by her specific training and profession. You could make the same argument for Suki with how she was maneuvering in the Boiling Rock, the only difference I think is that she doesn't have the experience with the tightrope, otherwise she'd be joining Ty Lee up on the gondola wire.
For the third point, that's circumstantial, it's very common for circuses to travel in order to make money because not many people are going to watch a very similar show repeatedly, plus the timeline of them moving on encourages people to see the show while they still can.
For the fourth point, she doesn't mention spirits at all, she just mentions auras, and within the original series I'm pretty sure she's the only one that mentions them. Apparently this has been expanded on and is associated with Fire Nation spirituality, according to the wiki.
For the final point, again that's her particular training. Lots of martial arts have ways to disable someone without killing them. While hers is unique in being able to disable bending, that doesn't automatically make it an air nomad connection, as again we can bring up the martial arts that Suki practices where she doesn't use lethal force either. And we don't have examples of air nomads disabling bending.
The two airship crewmates who have that conversation before being dropped in the ocean were voiced by the creators.
Such a epic and perfect ending 😅
Are you guy's going to do The Legend of Korra next? 😅 😎
Never seen the legend of Korea is it north or south?
@@Kitsune16-r4hif your referring to which water tribe it is, its the South water tribe
Wow, thats it.......We've come so far together. Its been so cool watchin' yall have a good time with this beloved series, Its gonna be so sad when yall are finished with dragon ball. 😭
Now that you're done with Avatar, I have a few suggestions for things you can watch next:
-Teen Titans (Heavily anime-inspired superhero show that is honestly one of the best shows I've watched)
-Batman Beyond (A tale of a new Batman in the distant future and an old Bruce Wayne)
-The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Laughter and gross-out moments guaranteed)
-RWBY Chibi (Comedy skits taking place in the world of Remnant. There's a lot of Zwei to go around.)
-Assassination Classroom (As far as anime goes, one of the best English dubs I've ever watched.)
-That Time I've Been Reincarnated as a Slime (Bar none, my favorite Isekai anime)
-So, I'm a Spider, So What? (This has both laughs and emotional moments. It's honestly great.)
-Saga of Tanya the Evil (Seriously, watch this. Azula has nothing on this little 9-year-old girl.)
And the one I want you to watch most of all:
-Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series (The very first Abridged series and the longest running one. This is the series that inspired TeamFourStar. Done by the same guy that voices Freeza in DBZA.)
The avatar novels go deeper into the lives of the previous avatars, if you knew the story of kyoshi and yang chen, you'd know why they were the only ones to basically tell aang to kill the fire lord lol. The creators did a great job with adding tension to the final fight, aang hadn't mastered the elements and was getting wrecked by ozai. You can very much tell he's outmatched the entire fight. Good thing that pointy rock was there in just the right spot lol! Katara also couldn't redirect the lightning because it is a form of firebending, even if it's based off of water bending moves. It's also not a full moon so she couldn't waterbend, she had to fight a buffed out of control firebender by herself!
I'd be really interested in you guys watching The Legend of Korra, it's made for older audiences and misses some points. But I think it's good and deserves the love it gets nowadays.
So there are certainly some unresolved questions, but I think it was absolutely brilliant to end it like this. The story was about Aang; his story of coming into his own and accepting the responsibilities and obligations he has in being the Avatar, the most pressing of which is ending the war and defeating Ozai. There are some comics they made that answer the unresolved issues so they technically did answer it, but I find it great when stories leave certain plot points to allow the imagination to fill in the gaps. Doing so allows you to engage with the story more because you have to consider logically what may have happened, etc.
Approaching 1k and very well deserved. I've seen many AtLA reactions, and have really enjoyed these. Looking forward to the Legend of Korra if you do it. The comics pick up exactly where the finale leaves off and cover Zuko's mom, Azula, etc.
PS When Azula cuts the hair over her left eye to match Zuko's uneven facial profile from his burn, it symbolizes that she is just as mentally scarred as him. They both have daddy issues, but only one of them had Iroh to help him through it. In the end the banishment saved his life.
The music for these episodes is top tier. For the fight between Ozai and Aang the music is hectic and chaotic mirroring Aang trying to keep up with Ozai's greater experience and raw power. For the fight between Zuko and Azula it's haunting and melancholy because it's literally a brother and sister who are still kids fighting to the death.
There is a series of comic books that take place right after the show ends, it talks about the delicate political situation after the war and it also covers Zuko and Azula's story about finding theyre mother
7:33 that is a buddhist chanting
25:11 the Almighty Iroh!!!!
30:59 the last Agni Kai is beautiful...and somber
44:10 I get what I think you're trying to say there, Ken, but I'll have to disagree with the second part of the sentence. ATLA isn't "good for a kid's show", it's good period. All the things you mentioned hold up well compared to more adult-oriented media.
Zuko's arc?
Azula as villain?
All characters having noticeable traits, strengths and weaknesses, often clashing but always in a way that makes sense?
Looking at different cultures not judginly, but through a lens of understanding, showing us WHY things are the way they are and that noone is wrong or bad or evil just for being raised differently?
The humour?
And I could continue the list. Few shows period can compare to ATLA, even less can compare favorably.
All that said, it's a minor nitpick and I genuinely enjoyed your reactions. It was so much fun to reexperience the story with you, simply because you're good people and you actually care about the stuff you're watching.
This is the perfect video to watch right before finals.
Hey guys, I’m a little late so you might not see this, but I wanted to mention that the reason we don’t see a lot of Iroh in the third season is because his voice actor actually passed away. The last episode he recorded was The Tales of Ba Sing Se. A different actor recorded the remainder of season two, and season 3. He did a great job, but there some very settle differences if you listen closely.
Iroh’s original VA was Mako Iwamatsu, and the actor that replaced him was Greg Baldwin.
I thought Mako did voice all of season 2, and just not season 3, but I'm not 100% sure.
5:56 (Soka's internal thoughts) "This was a mistake!"
First word spoken in the show: It's
Last word spoken in the show: perfect.
This is the first finale that I was actually able to watch the buildup to live while being fully invested myself. That was an unforgettable experience. Now you can see why so many people absolutely love and adore this world and these characters. Looking forward to Korra!
If you watch the fight between Azula and Zuko in the finale and when they first fought you can see that Azula's and Zuko's fighting styles are switched in the first Zuko's fighting is eratic and fuled by rage here hes calm and logical, Azula's first fight shes relaxed, poised, almost dance like in this fight shes like a rabid dog.
There is comics that continuous after this war. Story about Zuko's mom and some other stories.
The series continues in the comic books, and reveals where Zuko's mom is
Aang's determination not to take Ozai's life shows why his spirit is unbreakable. The world didn't need the Avatar, the world needed *Aang*. Healing, not more death. Peace, not violence.
If he had killed, then the last of the Airbenders would be gone.
You could write essays on Azula's worldview and perspectives. I think that Zuko's mother had to protect him from his domineering, hard, cruel father, and Azula felt that meant she preferred him. In response to this, she turned to her father as her primary source of care.
He taught her the perspectives we see in the show - bebe Azula didn't come up with the things she said about Uroh and Azulon by herself. Children form their beliefs and perspectives by repeating what they've heard at home.
Embracing her father's perspective of fear over love allowed her to frame her mother's inattention to her as power over her mother. It's not 'mother doesn't love me' it's 'mother is afraid of me'. I can't imagine that attitude exactly endeared her to mother, so it'd have been self-reinforcing.
With her world crumbling around her, she had to face the truth of how desperately she wanted her mother to love her, not fear her.
Omg I remember running home from school back in the day to view the next latest episode of this show every Wednesday lmao. Can’t express how much I love this show and its messages/teachings. I guess Katara was right, she believed Aang could save the world!
Such a shoehorned conflict for Aang. Remember how gung ho he was about fighting Ozai iduring the invasion? "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." "I'm ready to do what needs to be done." "Fire Lord Ozai! Where are you!?" Now suddenly he's having doubts.
See? I told you Ty Lee is a good girl. And now without fear for Azula she can be herself.
iroh with a single attack of his own power destroyed the very wall he failed to breach long ago and cost the life of his own son and what took several days of drilling by azula, iroh is among the top 4 strongest firebenders of that time
Came for AtLA reactions, stayed for Bucky. He's one of the most adorable dogs I've seen in my life!
Personally, in terms of shipping, I’ve recently become an Aang and Toph enthusiast myself, though obviously it doesn’t end up happening.
They’re the perfect example of opposites attract working out as friends and besties, so I think that if they were to get together outright, all the cuter and better!
But you’re also right, Beth. They’re kids at the time of story’s end so, it’s better they have time to think, date, then later settle. It’s just how the show runners chose to wrap it up given everything.
In my opinion nah i don't think they'd connect. In the training episode with toph you could see aang was visibly hurt by toph's harsh words whenever she would scold him for not being tough enough. It took Katara being there to comfort him for him to stop being extremely harsh on himself. Aang takes a lot to heart when it comes to criticism and toph being a constant critic who's not afraid to put him down when he's not doing well would only make his mental state worse
I'm so glad you guys watched this. It's great seeing people so into it, thinking deeply about it and caring about it. One of the best animated series of all time.
@17:30 That scene with Iroh and Zuko gets me everytime 😭
Bro had to lock in SO HARD to not cry during that Iroh and Zuko scene haha
Zuko and Iroh reuniting still brings a tear to my eye
Ah yes the final agni kai, what masterpiece of animation. A beautiful tragedy if you will.
Momo definitely knew they were gonna win he been was trying to tell Aang when they was on the LionTurtle.😂
Sokka starts the series as a misogynist failure, and ends it by leading two master warriors into battle, both who happen to be female, and wins by relying on their skills to coordinate his overall plan. It's neat.
There is a comic that take place after the show. Other than that, I'm now looking forward to hopefully you guys making your way into The Legend of Korra.
I'll spare you the essay I could write gushing about how awesome both this show and this finale is, and instead point out just one incredible detail. See how the air blast Aang fires at 36:59 wears away at the rock pillar (you can't really see it in this edit, but it's more noticeable in the episode itself) - he's not Earthbending there, it's just a gust of wind so powerful it can erode a mountain. The Avatar State is terrifying - it's not surprising that Aang feared the terrible power it brought him.
To add on to what you said about Azula, I feel like when she breaks at the end after losing to Katara I feel like her inner child broke out in that moment. She watched her father physically and mentally scar and traumatize her older brother for simply speaking out of line. Then she is charged with becoming the fire lord and ruling the fire nation by that same man only to lose to Zuko. She probably thought that her father was going to come back and literally kill her for failing in her duty.
Great finale. Thanks for the journey!
As I'm sure others have posted, the story of Zuko's mother and more of Azula can be found in the comics which are very enjoyable.
First episode: "The Boy in the Iceberg" Last episode: "Avatar Aang" Simply in the episode names they encapsulate the entire journey from a goofy kid in ice to the one who will save the world.
First word spoken in the show (not counting the intro): "It's" last word spoken: "perfect" It's perfect
Hearing Luke Skywalker’s voice from Ozai is always surreal but awesome lmao