RatCreature (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ratcreature) wrote2007-11-24 10:45 pm
ratcreature) wrote2007-11-24 10:45 pm
Avatar squee
The whole season so far has been awesome. I was surprised by some of the turns the invasion plot has taken, and didn't expect it to turn out quite this way. I mean, I didn't think their invasion force would win, not just because it's too early for their final victory, but also because the Fire Nation had learned about that plan and also Aang's avatar powers are still blocked.
What I didn't expect was for Ozai to go into hiding and leave it to Azula to deal with the Avatar & Co., though I really enjoyed Azula taunting them: she's a great villain. Also I didn't expect Zuko to outright confront Ozai, defect and turn traitor openly.
I mean, it's true that he's been uneasy with the war and his father's politics for a while now, and I liked how he realized that his father's approval wasn't the most important thing for him along with learning more about the actual history (like in The Avatar and the Firelord which also was an awesome episode), but I think I'd expected him to work from within for longer. Mostly because it's incredibly risky for him to throw in his lot with the enemy.
It seems that under his uncle's influence he's grown into an idealist, who now hopes for the return of the old values and balances, and thinks that will be better for the Fire Nation in the long tern than the imperialist conquest scheme. The problem is of course that after decades of the Fire Nation waging war, committing atrocities and in some cases like with the Airbenders outright genocide, it's rather unlikely that the others, should they defeat the Fire Nation will be just content to go back to a pre-war status quo without demanding retribution to get justice for their suffering, like we have seen that in the episode with the old Waterbender woman.
I guess it could be that he hopes the presence of the Avatar will prevent that, OTOH that's quite the gamble he's taking. Even in a best case scenario for Zuko, which I guess would be that the other Nations and the Avatar just push the Fire Nation back into its traditional borders, and get him the throne after Ozai (and Azula) are defeated by the Avatar, wouldn't he be seen as a puppet ruler installed by foreign forces? I guess it depends to which degree the Fire Nation population is really behind the war agenda, or whether they'd welcome a regime change.
Then again, maybe his open defiance makes sense, since Zuko is a bit too straight forward and honest to go for secret coup d'etat or assassination plans to overthrow Ozai, which is more Azula's style. Who given what Ozai revealed to Zuko about his own way to the throne, seems to be more cut out for the Fire Nation court than Zuko. His attempts at secret intrigue so far, like with assassinating the Avatar, haven't worked out so great.
Anyway, to see the invasion force surrender to allow the Avatar and his friends to get away, was really heart wrenching, especially after we have seen how the Fire Nation treats their POWs. That was a great climax, and I enjoyed the fighting scenes during the invasion with all the technology and bending combinations. That had a very steampunk feel to it that aesthetically I like a lot in this series.
What I didn't expect was for Ozai to go into hiding and leave it to Azula to deal with the Avatar & Co., though I really enjoyed Azula taunting them: she's a great villain. Also I didn't expect Zuko to outright confront Ozai, defect and turn traitor openly.
I mean, it's true that he's been uneasy with the war and his father's politics for a while now, and I liked how he realized that his father's approval wasn't the most important thing for him along with learning more about the actual history (like in The Avatar and the Firelord which also was an awesome episode), but I think I'd expected him to work from within for longer. Mostly because it's incredibly risky for him to throw in his lot with the enemy.
It seems that under his uncle's influence he's grown into an idealist, who now hopes for the return of the old values and balances, and thinks that will be better for the Fire Nation in the long tern than the imperialist conquest scheme. The problem is of course that after decades of the Fire Nation waging war, committing atrocities and in some cases like with the Airbenders outright genocide, it's rather unlikely that the others, should they defeat the Fire Nation will be just content to go back to a pre-war status quo without demanding retribution to get justice for their suffering, like we have seen that in the episode with the old Waterbender woman.
I guess it could be that he hopes the presence of the Avatar will prevent that, OTOH that's quite the gamble he's taking. Even in a best case scenario for Zuko, which I guess would be that the other Nations and the Avatar just push the Fire Nation back into its traditional borders, and get him the throne after Ozai (and Azula) are defeated by the Avatar, wouldn't he be seen as a puppet ruler installed by foreign forces? I guess it depends to which degree the Fire Nation population is really behind the war agenda, or whether they'd welcome a regime change.
Then again, maybe his open defiance makes sense, since Zuko is a bit too straight forward and honest to go for secret coup d'etat or assassination plans to overthrow Ozai, which is more Azula's style. Who given what Ozai revealed to Zuko about his own way to the throne, seems to be more cut out for the Fire Nation court than Zuko. His attempts at secret intrigue so far, like with assassinating the Avatar, haven't worked out so great.
Anyway, to see the invasion force surrender to allow the Avatar and his friends to get away, was really heart wrenching, especially after we have seen how the Fire Nation treats their POWs. That was a great climax, and I enjoyed the fighting scenes during the invasion with all the technology and bending combinations. That had a very steampunk feel to it that aesthetically I like a lot in this series.
no subject
The interesting question for me is whether or not Ozai knew about Azula's plan at all. He seemed strangely oblivious that an assassination attempt was going on when Zuko faced him. I got the vibe that having a decoy firelord chamber could have been standard practice and that Azula was playing Ozai as much as the Aang and Co. At the very least Ozai couldn't have expected the invasion to be as dangerous as the Avatar coming to chllenge him since Aang isn't supposed to be alive.
no subject
That's true. It would make sense to hide out as a precaution, especially with the cutthroat nature of the Fire Nation court, even when there isn't an invasion going on, and Azula certainly has her own agenda.
And I get what you mean with Azula. I'm never really into villains either, but she's a great character. I mean, I don't exactly *like* her in a way that I'd be rooting for her or anything, but I enjoy her. I think one thing that's great about the series is how they're all such real and complex people.