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Post by deana on Dec 2, 2007 12:49:37 GMT -5
For a 12 year old aang is really mature. But when it came to his relationship with katara, he should've been older. I can't really see a 14 year old dating a 12 year old. For me, that answer is a resounding yes. I wish he was at least her age. Plus her motherly ways, which is evidenced in "The Runaway" is a turn off, but 12-year-old Aang needs that affection. I would even accept it better if he was 13. It matters little to me that he is mature for his age. He is still 12.
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Millie
Jet
Maiko and Kataang flag-waver, Captain of the Tokka Troops
Posts: 383
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Post by Millie on Dec 4, 2007 10:43:05 GMT -5
In ancient China, teenage girls can find themselves married to boys FOUR years younger than they are, and that wasn't an issue. Depending on the circumstances [like, war], girls can even be married to boys TEN years younger. Such instances happened up to the early 1900's. And you have a problem with Kataang's two-year difference? This may be an American show, but it IS set in the world that is meant to be ancient Asia. Anyway, a two-year difference is no big deal even in our world, I don't see why Kataang's age difference is such an issue.
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fuego
Pabu
Four Nation Health Care
Posts: 3,430
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Post by fuego on Dec 4, 2007 11:19:50 GMT -5
Funny...it not only in ancient Asia....it was happening around the world during the time when the life expectance wasn't has high right now....talking about days before the middle ages and some what after. Heck it was still happening during World War II. It still happening today but now it is consider wrong in some aspect, Gold Diggers, Pedophiles, mid-life crises for males. They all have a negative connotation for someone who younger and the other is older
Again this question has to do more with shipping then the psychological battle for a young teen to handling this much reasonability while trying to grow up with whatever left with his childhood....Which is real sad because that would have been a better conversation to have instead of his love life....which would be funny....how would you feel about sixteen or twelve are any child ready for a love life. fictional maybe, but here in the real world
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Post by kataangist™ Is Nostolgic <3 on Dec 4, 2007 14:07:34 GMT -5
i think them being young makes it more cute.
aaah.
young love.
puppy love!
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taechunsa
Katara
A wise man enjoys life's simple pleasures.
Posts: 80
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Post by taechunsa on Dec 4, 2007 14:40:11 GMT -5
Plus, in the avatar world it's normal for girls to marry at sixteen, so I believe the standard relationship age would be a bit younger there than it is here. What is your source for this? I've seen every episode and never saw anything to back this up. The source is simple inference. Since the Avatar world is based on the ancient world (ancient Asia in particular) then it should hold, unless shown otherwise, that people are married at ages similar to those at which people were married in the ancient world. So then the question becomes what was the normal age for people to marry in ancient Asian culture. Popular opinion holds that in ancient times people married at younger ages then we do now, but does that have any peer-reviewed backing? A quick search reveals the following: R. Herold regarding ancient Japanese marriages, “...from the sixteenth century on, marriage could be conducted by puberty, menarche occurring at ages 12-14.” G. Linck-Kesting regarding ancient Chinese marriages, “The most likely age for girls was in early pubescence.” I do wish to note that the age did vary by dynasty, with the Tang not considering a person an adult until 25. However, most dynasties were much younger. R. E. Enthoven regarding ancient Indian marriages, “Rather specific timing customs of consummation are recorded relative to the event of marriage, which in turn is relative to the event of menarche (or presently, horoscopes). The Marathas, for instance, consummate their marriage after the first menstruation of the bride after marriage.” So it is fairly apparent that the most common age for marriage, or at least consummation of marriage, in ancient Asian culture (in fact nearly all ancient cultures) was rather low, and often tied to puberty. We may not like to think about it now, but for the majority of human history marriage and procreation were dictated by the maturation of a person and not some arbitrary number created by a society based on its selected educational system. A good quote on this subject is by Vern L. Bullough regarding the study of the marriage age of ancient Rome. “Examining the secondary literature dealing with age of consent (including the age of marriage) is a fascinating illustration of the inability of historians to overcome the cultural beliefs of their own time... The evidence, when one looks for it, documents what biological observation told the ancients, that younger marriage ages were almost a necessity if Roman society was to survive. To ignore this fact is to try to read modern prejudices and assumptions about what the proper age of consent should be into the past. Hopefully, those readers who follow their arguments will reassess their view both of marriage and family in Roman history.” With that in mind the idea of a 14 or 16 year old girl getting married in the ancient world was not at all odd, and thus since we have seen no contradictory evidence (in fact the young age of engagement seems to back it up) it is a pretty sound assumption that people marry at much younger ages in the Avatar world then in ours. Sorry, just couldn't pass this one up. Have a nice day.
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Airblazer
Warrior Sokka
^My favorite FF6 Character^
Posts: 798
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Post by Airblazer on Dec 6, 2007 16:06:44 GMT -5
i think them being young makes it more cute. aaah. young love. puppy love! I agree! It's best if Aang is young because he might have acted much differently if he was 16 instead of 12. He might not be have the fun type personally that we've come to know in the series! But I could be wrong.
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budinsky
Katara
SPARKY SPARKY BOOM MAN!!!
Posts: 86
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Post by budinsky on Mar 9, 2008 15:56:22 GMT -5
Well, I can see where your goin with this but u gotta remember, the monks knew that aang was the avatar when he was born. They are supposed to tell them that they are the avatar when they are 16 but since the war broke out, they had to tell him for his own safety. also, it makes it for fun that hes only 12 and hes the only hope for the whole world cuz if it was 16, then it would be not so fun...
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attonbitus
Blue Spirit
I'm in ur clouds, steel'n ur thundar
Posts: 2,121
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Post by attonbitus on Mar 11, 2008 12:41:21 GMT -5
personally they could have made him 13 or 14 and still have the affect. It change the story a little bit but not much.
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melloyello
Appa
Beware the Chittering Monkey
Posts: 229
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Post by melloyello on Mar 11, 2008 21:31:25 GMT -5
At the least, I would've liked Aang to be 16 for the movies. I'm hoping to see some more adult action scenes (like showing what Mai can actually do with her daggers), without thinking about how young Aang is and comparing him to real life 12 year olds. In terms of the show, if they take his relationship with Katara any farther, then yes, they should've made him older. Kissing her once is fine, and I suppose they'll probably have a mutual declaration of each other's feelings, but any farther than that is crossing the line. Twelve year olds watch this show and seeing someone thier own age in a serious relationship makes them think they are ready for one themselves.
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Zenjamin
Ba Sing Se Zuko
Toko supporter
Posts: 2,617
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Post by Zenjamin on Mar 13, 2008 14:04:58 GMT -5
if aang was any older, his relationship with katara would have moved much faster, the creators wouldnt have been able to drag on the issue, and as we saw from aaggs 10 second suck-face, lip-biting dream, they would have had to change the rating
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girlunderglass
Metalbending Cop
Runs With Scissors
Just STFU Already.
Posts: 5,014
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Post by girlunderglass on Mar 13, 2008 14:18:24 GMT -5
Has this turned into a shipping discussion??
I think the question asked implies more to what would be so different if Aang was told he was the Avatar at 16 instead of 12.
I think the circumstances around Aang having found out so early really stink. The head monks felt he needed to know because there was already impending doom signs that the Fire nation was going to attack- or in the least, up to something.
Had the monks decided that Aang could stay with Gyatso, the war would have likely not been dragged out for so many years... and we likely would have not gotten this great story out of it.
The only difference I can gather, based on The Avatar and The Fire Lord, is that had Aang waited to be told at 16, he might have gotten to start his training of the other elements. Although the war would have been started and he would likely be a primary target from the get go.
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Post by Karma Monster on Mar 17, 2008 15:26:55 GMT -5
Well, Avatar is a kid show. Besides, if Aang was sixteen, then the whole show would be different. I mean, in the previews the narrarator kept saying "Did we mention he's 12?" It's the fact that he's twelve but has to save the world that will emphasize his victories. It makes the show better. Also, Aang would've probably learned his elements by then.
As for the kataang issue, I don't think it'll matter when she's 100 and he is 98.
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Post by mahatista on Mar 18, 2008 1:12:48 GMT -5
The story is about a child saving the world so he needs to be a child. Twelve is really the last year of childhood so it would considerably change the dynamic of the whole show if he were older.
I'm against 12 year olds shipping with anyone other than 12 year olds -- age difference in this case is meaningless to me.
But the show isn't supposed to be just about the romance, it's about saving the world and for that I think the dynamic of the child savior is important and his age would have to be 12 or younger.
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Lisa31468
Haru
We all have to do our part to win this war.
Posts: 313
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Post by Lisa31468 on Mar 27, 2008 21:32:59 GMT -5
I think twelve is the perfect age for the main character in the Avatar storyline. Aang and Katara have had one brief kiss. Twelve-year-olds have crushes in real life too. The whole dynamic of the world being saved not by a teenager, not by a grown-up, but in essence, a little kid, is in and of itself a brilliant statement.
The grim reality is that our real world problems will be inherited by 'our kids' so it is kind of inspiring actually to see Aang wrestle with all the things a kid his age would but also save the world all at the same time.
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element.
Appa
In the darkest of times, Hope is something you give yourself, that is the meaning of inner strength.
Posts: 200
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Post by element. on Jul 5, 2008 16:57:10 GMT -5
Yeah when it comes to the story, Aangs better as a 12 year old. But with the relationship with Katara, he should have been atleast 13, IMO. But it doesnt bother me at all that hes 12. Technically *112*
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