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Post by connoryves on Jun 12, 2007 12:26:47 GMT -5
Let Face it! Aang might be the protagonist of the series. But Zuko is the reason that people watch the show. Aang is great, but people love Tragic hero like Zuko. Often i wonder if the show should've been about Zuko rather than Aang. I like said i love Aang, but often annoy me. I don't think the series would've been that successful without Zuko, Iroh, Toph, Azula. These four characters make me become obsessed with the series.
Definitely believe that Zuko is the reason of the show success, at least part of it. Like i said before people love tragic hero, and Zuko possessed all the Characteristics of one: Nobility (of a noble birth) or wisdom (by virtue of birth). Hamartia (translated as flaw, mistake, or error, NOT an Elizabethan tragic flaw). A reversal of fortune(peripetia) brought about because of the hero's Hamartia. The discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions. Some other common traits characteristic of a tragic hero:
Hero must suffer more than he deserves. Hero must be doomed from the start, but bear no responsibility for possessing his flaw. Hero must be noble in nature, but imperfect so that the audience can see themselves in him. Hero must have discovered his fate by his own actions, not by things happening to him. Hero must see and understand his doom, as well as the fact that his fate was discovered by his own actions. Hero's story should arouse fear and empathy. Hero must be physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in his death. Ideally, the hero should be a king or leader of men, so that his people experience his fall with him. The hero must be intelligent so he may learn from his mistakes.
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Post by spiritmage234 on Jun 12, 2007 13:19:09 GMT -5
I watch because I wanna know what happens in the end........ Plus you can't really say that Zuko is the sole reason for the shows success. That's basically like going to the mall just to watch boys. All of the character's development, as well as the plot, are the reason for the shows success. You can tell because Azula and Toph weren't even introduced until the second season, and the show was still pretty popular. Yes, Zuko is one of the most popular characters, but Aang could also be the sole reason for the shows success or Katara or Appa. So, the shows success isn't limited to one character, but all of them. Honestly, my favorite character is Mai.
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Post by Amira on Jun 12, 2007 14:23:34 GMT -5
Exactly. I am in the minority, but I watch the show for the Gaang's story and for Aang. Zuko does almost nothing for me as a character. I understand his role in the show and portions of his story are interesting, but while a lot of people watch the show for Zuko, I prefer to watch the show for Aang and the Gaang who I get far more enjoyment out of. To each their own And many of the traits you've listed describe Aang.
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Post by demonofthewest on Jun 12, 2007 18:05:27 GMT -5
I think the reason the show is so critically praised is because of characters like Zuko and Iroh. A traditional kid's show does not have a villain as multi-dimensional as Zuko. Nor do kid's shows have a villain that you actually like and want to succeed. But do I think Zuko's stolen the show? Not really. Up until CoD, Zuko was probably the most popular character, but his recent actions caused a drop in popularity for him. Regardless, Zuko is not the show's sole reason for success.
@amira Many of those qualities describe heroes in general, not just tragic heroes. Of course an audience should sympathize with a hero. What else are they going to do, hate him? I think it's a bit far off to say that Aang even remotely resembles a tragic hero.
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Post by Amira on Jun 12, 2007 18:12:06 GMT -5
I didn't say Aang is a tragic hero, but many of the qualities the fans love about Zuko are the same qualities exhibited in Aang and his struggles. The only difference is Aang's a sweet kid who deals with things, IMO, far better than Zuko and to me makes him far more memorable, endearing, and enjoyable a character.
And yes, there are many who dislike Aang, the supposed hero.
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Post by taiyo *on limited hiatus* on Jun 12, 2007 18:18:40 GMT -5
It makes me sad to find that there are Aang haters since he's the protagonist and all. *shrugs* Oh well, everybody has their opinion and not everyone is gonna like him. Zuko, I've noticed he has/had (I dunno) a huge fanbase and I like him I just don't fangirl him like I do Aang, Teo, and Sokka sometimes. I watch the show mainly to see Aang succeed in defeating the Fire Lord. What's nerve wrecking about this series, in a good way, they can make you have doubts. Though I'm sure he'll succeed. The question is how.
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Post by writer on Jun 12, 2007 18:20:37 GMT -5
I see Aang as the Savior Hero. The "Messiah" in a logic (Hey Jesus was Avatar of the Hebrew God) I want to see him save the world, but I do agree with SM, He and Zuko are not sole reasons.
But everyone likes Zuko the same way Vegeta got a following. Everyone loves a BadA**
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
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Post by yiceman on Jun 12, 2007 18:20:59 GMT -5
A lot of series suffer from this same effect: the main character often isn't the most popular. Why? They suffer from what I like to call "every-man" syndrom, meaning for the most part they are exceptionally...normal. This is done so that the audience can identify with the character more and empathized with them. You spend the most time on them, so you have to understand where they're coming from. They might do incredible things or be a skilled fighter etc., but as far as personality quirks go, they're relatively restrained. Aang kind of fits this. His character's personality is more or less that of your average youth, with his joyful and peaceful nature being the major trait that stands out. So you have a character you can identify with but...who cares? Generally, people tend to like the side characters. Why? Because it's the side characters that get all of the interesting quirks. Folks here tend to latch onto Zuko because of the mountains of layers and history he gets. And yet, his character wouldn't really work as a protagonist. Most of the series he's often seen snappish and grumpy...people would get right sick of that, wouldn't they? And remember the one episode where Zuko WAS the protagonist, Zuko Alone. He was quieter, more reserved, and our involvement with him was more intimate. In fact, that episode seemed to change his character quite dramatically. Since then, he has maintained that restraint on his temper and has lost his tendency to snap and snarl at people. Doing that has honestly only boosted his character even more into a primary role. His character at the end of season two probably could be a portagonist in his own series, now that he's mellowed out some. Anyway...it seems like most folks, when searching for a favorite, tend to latch onto a trait that stands out, and ironically the main character of a series is often built to be so broad and general as to allow the widest range of people to like him or her, that they don't stand out. People like Sokka because he's funny, or they like Mai's gothiness, or Toph's tough attitude, which are all exagurrated traits. It's much harder to pin down the same sort of thing on a character like Aang. You can say the usually, often-seen description of "always does the right thing," "brave," "kind-hearted," etc, but these are seen in just about every protagonist there is, and can also be found in most of the other side characters. As far as discernable and unique traits go, all Aang really has is his joyfulness, as opposed to Sokka who has sarcastic, funny, idea-guy, skeptical-guy, etc. What happens is, as I said earlier, that the creators want their main character to be likable, and since people have such a broad range of tastes, they don't give the protagonist any extremely exclusive traits, instead keeping the usual bravery and kindness and all of that. For the most part, it works. While the protagonist isn't usually the most popular, it's very rare that the main character is actually hated by a significant percentage of the fan base (Naruto, maybe? I don't watch the show, but he annoys the bajeebus out of me from a distance). In an attempt to summerize what I just rambled on about... The main character usually doesn't have any specific quirks, since the creators don't want to actively isolate any fans with anything too specific. Instead, they make him or her more general so that a broader range of people will be able to connect with the protagonist, thus drawing more fans in. The side characters are then present for more specific quirkinesses. In truth, Avatar strayed a bit from this formula by making Aang...preppy. And, since a significant number of people don't much care for the whole, y'know, extreme perkiness, they immediately latch on to the polar opposite: Zuko. Which kind of proves my point. While Aang is rather general for the most part, his main trait is enough to shift a large number of people away from him and onto someone they see as vastly more interesting. I'll admit...Aang's constant joyfullness does actually turn me off of him as a hero a little bit...I tend to prefer more reserved protagonists...I like that air of quiet dignity, style and overall coolness in a hero. The aura that allows you to look at them, hear them talk, and just know that everything will be just fine. It's sadly a little hard to see that in Aang...he spends half his time goofing around and when things get serious most times this is his reaction: screenshots.avatarspiritmedia.net/113/152.jpgscreenshots.avatarspiritmedia.net/217/412.jpgIn the case of a hero, he has a lot of room to grow. And I'd like him to, hence why I would rather he actually masters the Avatar State. I'd rather see him become a hero instead of just transferring the spotlight over to Zuko. Basically, I think a mix of Zuko's and Aang's characters would be ideal. Imagine a character with the reserve and quiet dignity of Zuko Alone Zuko, except minus the undercurrent of bitterness and grumpiness and added the peacefulness, compassion and humor of Aang... Hey, that's Iroh Ok, a young Iroh. I think that would be a good protagonist.
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Post by Amira on Jun 12, 2007 18:29:28 GMT -5
But that is what is appealing about Aang. The world he lives in is at war, he's lost his loved ones, and yet he is not this spoiled, selfish kid who is wallowing in his own "why me?" Does he question his situation? Of course. Does he sometimes react the wrong way? Of course. But it doesn't seem to last long and he goes on as best he can with a smile.
And I find that charming.
In the world we live in full of bratty kids obsessed with technology, their own lives and problems (which are at times trivial), disrespecting their parents and elders, whining about every new gadget or designer handbag they don't have - kids like Aang are a breath of fresh air.
And young Iroh would be cool.
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Post by Fire Master Azula on Jun 12, 2007 18:50:33 GMT -5
Aang and Zuko have a LOT in common.
Is Zuko going to gain fans for being older and "hotter" than Aang? Yes. Is Aang going to gain fans for being younger and cuter than Zuko? Yes. Oh well. That's the way it is. Some shows will demand that you love all the characters on this side of the line and hate all the ones over there. What makes Avatar so different--and so brilliant--is that in most cases, it lets us decide for ourselves.
This is a cut-paste from something I said a long, long time ago, but I think it mostly applies.
With all the parallels the show draws between Zuko and Aang, losing Zuko would be like losing Aang (at least before the Book 3 Finale). As much as Aang is the show, so is Zuko. Aang is the title character, the happy, go-for-it type, the light and the humor...but Zuko is the deeper, darker side of the show, the side that keeps us watching on the edge of our seats...the side that becomes broken on a mountaintop, whereas Aang could simply fly away.
Yin and Yang. Zuko and Aang. They keep a balance.
Hey, there's my cosmic prattling for tonight.
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Kana
Yu Yan Archers
Posts: 5,728
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Post by Kana on Jun 12, 2007 19:04:22 GMT -5
I personaly watch the Show for the gaang. Zuko is intersting and all, but his story line is nothing in comparison to the Great Avatar and his crew. So far, Zuko has no real point to the story. Other than being the Avatar's enemy. He will, most likely, become more important. Why else whould the creators give him so many flashbacks? But for now, my attention is for the Gaang. You can have your oppinion on why you watch the show, and I have mine.
Aang is the main hero, though I still fangirl Zuko and I do love where he and his story are going. I know that Aang is the main plot of the series. Zuko, as I said, will most likely have a bigger chance to shine in season three.
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Jun 12, 2007 19:07:06 GMT -5
Like I said Amira, there are people who like the extreme joyfullness of Aang's character. But there are also many more who can't much take him seriously as a portagonist.
As I said...they went to an extreme, and thuse divided their fanbase into two halves: people who lean to Aang and people who lean to Zuko. Why? Because they're the two biggest characters, and as their major traits are opposite (one is perky, one is broody), people lean towards what they like better. Some people are turned off by an over-abundance of prep, others are turned-off by an over-abundance of brooding.
Aang is supposed to be the hero, and what I look for in a hero isn't sweetness and charming so much as stability, dignity, empathy, reserve and style. His ability to maintain a smile after all that has happened is admirable, but plenty of people prefer a protagonist that is easier to get behind and take seriously. It's hard to get behind a "cute" protagonist...
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Post by Amira on Jun 12, 2007 19:19:34 GMT -5
But isn't that kind of a message not exactly good - that if you are smiling, happy, and don't let every single bad thing that happens get to you, you can't be taken seriously?
What sort of message is that?
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Jun 12, 2007 19:30:35 GMT -5
It's not that...Iroh is often somewhat of a jokester, yet he still maintains his reserve and dignity. What's hard to get behind (mind this is specifically for the archetype as a hero!) is that kiddishness and goofiness that Aang displays at times. Remember: this is specifically in the role of a hero...but generally when you're looking for someone to save the day, you want someone who displays an aura of strength and wisdom that provides comfort and assurance that everything's gonna be ok. I don't know about you, but who would you look to to save the day between these two?
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Post by Amira on Jun 12, 2007 19:35:08 GMT -5
That's really not a fair comparison.
And Harrison Ford, while hot (Oh Harrison Ford, how I loved you), is more Sokka-like sarcastic, then brooding and angsty.
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