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Post by Amira on Mar 9, 2008 22:31:33 GMT -5
So is it wrong to have a differing opinion on the subject? That is the vibe that I am getting from this conversation.
Personally I find Aang's story and his role far more enjoyable and emotionally engaging than most of the other characters. His faults as a hero only make the character more enjoyable because he is not perfect. He's still learning, still growing, still adapting, still finding himself. And with that will come back and forths in his character and personality.
While others see faults and wish for more "heroism," I am content to enjoy what I'm seeing.
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melloyello
Appa
Beware the Chittering Monkey
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Post by melloyello on Mar 9, 2008 23:00:30 GMT -5
Sorry to jump into the middle of this, but I've read the last few pages, and the arguments for and against seem really compelling. Maha, I really agree with your last post, and the irregular airing times do seem to exacerbate the situation.
I think it's pretty much a given that we need Aang to clearly demonstrate determination, resolve, and leadership skills in spades during the final conflict, thus reassuring us he is capable of maintaining order after the Fire Lord is overthrown. If this is the end of the story, it needs to be clear that Aang has the skills to keep his world safe. (Unless they end up doing away with the concept of the Avatar altogether, but I think that would've been forshadowed by now.)
But the finale is still four more episodes away (not counting FBM, which has already aired). Right now, Aang is still acting in a way unusual for heroes. Wether this is inappropriate or not is really up to the interpetation of the viewer, but I would agree that, at this point, it is begining to feel like it has been artificially extended to serve the plot. This has caused me to wonder why they would bother to do this, and led me to believe that the intent is to make Aang come into his own during the climax of the story. It would make this a coming of age tale of sorts. (This would probably mean any change in Aang's character wouldn't come until the finale.) If this is the case, then the question is if the writers can make Aang's transformation into a responsible hero believeable and memorable within such a short period of time.
One last thought: It is interesting that people are discussing Aang's lack of resolve, and atypical hero behaviour, in the same episode that has Zuko resolving his conflict with good vrs. evil. To put it another way, it appears that Aang is still conflicted within himself about his role as Avatar, while Zuko has now acheived resolution with his inner conflict and embraced his destiny. Perhaps the scene with goofing around on his Aang on his glider is just another literary device to play up the 'oppositeness' of Aang & Zuko's characters.
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Alleluia
Kyoshi Mai
Earthbending General of the Zutarian Army
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Post by Alleluia on Mar 9, 2008 23:43:21 GMT -5
So is it wrong to have a differing opinion on the subject? That is the vibe that I am getting from this conversation. Amira, no one said, or even implied, that it was wrong to have a different opinion. Both sides are stating their views and making their cases in true debate fashion. And good parallelism in your last paragraph mello! Nice catch!
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Post by Amira on Mar 9, 2008 23:52:10 GMT -5
Alle, I said that was the vibe *I* was getting. I personally do not feel my opinion has been taken seriously in this discussion (to which I was overjoyed to see. I always look for a good discussion on my favorite and was pleased to see this one) because I was choosing an apparently unpopular viewpoint. If people are offended, I apologize, but it is merely my own personal feeling and my own desire to have my side of the debate to be taken as seriously as the other (and possibly a bit of the fact I'm in terrible pain from my stupid knee, as obvious by the fact that it is 2:00am and I am still unable to sleep).
I think the expectations placed upon the character are far too strenuous. Expecting a boy who is still coming into his own to take a place that is usually reserved for grown men with years of battle experience makes the story, IMO, unbelievable and turns the character himself into something far less charming and appealing.
He is the Avatar, but he is a 12 year old Avatar. Look at what he has done in comparison to the other Avatars who began their training at 16. I think to keep him believable, they have allowed him to keep that goofy personality. I would have found a stoic and serious Aang dull in WAT and his goofing off led to a painful revelation about how he feels on firebending and made the scene with Zuko that much more touching. He did end up talking about it and it made for a better episode to have it happen at the end when we could grasp that he is still facing a fear that only Zuko apparently could help him overcome, thus adding to Zuko's importance to joining the Gaang and the bond he and Zuko need to forge as friends. That understanding was key and having serious, mature Aang talk of it in the beginning would have IMO diminished the later scene with Zuko.
Aang will come into his own when it is appropriate for him to. We have seen the examples of him standing up, being inspiring, etc. He himself will piece the bits together and they will come into place. That is still part of his journey. Just as Zuko's journey is doubtful to be finished, neither is Aang's. His path to being a great hero is still being traveled.
If he had achieved this hero state apparently desired by so many others, I feel that the something would be lost in these last 7 episodes - the continuation of the journey and an exciting resolution to it. And that journey is part of what makes the character appealing, IMO. And perhaps for some it seems to be so dragged out because of the gaps in the episodes.
And I don't think all is resolved with Zuko and his family. I don't think we have seen the last of that. He may have turned his back on his father, but there is still far more I think he needs to come to terms with.
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
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Post by yiceman on Mar 10, 2008 3:34:02 GMT -5
I don't think anyone's getting offended with anything...nor is anyone attempting to offend.
Just a discussion.
Anyway, Amira, I differ in regards to the realism of Aang's character being locked in him acting goofy. I do not think that so horribly putting aside a serious problem like that is an accepted norm in all 12-year-olds. And no, I do not compare procrastinating on a math assignment to the serious situation the characters are in at this point.
But here's the thing about Aang's lack of drive being the result of realism...I could buy it better if every other character around Aang weren't incredibly driven. That's where the realism argument falls short in my ears.
Sokka? Very practical and skilled at detailing schedules and plans. 3 years older than Aang. Is being really on top of things and sketching out battle plans common for 15-year-olds?
Katara? She's extremely driven and passionate, and quite strict.
Toph? She is exactly the same age as Aang is. And yet she was ready and willing to sit down and talk about the situation. Not only that, she actively sought a solution in going after Zuko.
And Zuko? Say what you want about him, but he's the most driven character in the show. And it's not to his detriment. It works greatly in his favor. There's no gaping loss of realism here.
So I think you underestimate 12-year-olds. It's not Aang's age that makes him the way he is. It's just his character.
And I question the narrative choice of making him so evasive about serious things. Maybe it's as melloyello said and they're holding that off for his big breakthrough in the finale, but I had hope to see some real time of Aang make decisions and plans. It would be a disappointment, truly.
Now just to clarify, this is not an attack against Aang's personality type. If you find that personality endearing and just plain enjoy watching it for the sake of watching it, that's great. I'm just a practical person I suppose. I tend to dig into roles and purposes and plots. And every time I see Aang slacking, I don't think "Aww, he's just a kid." I think "Dangit...the writers are STILL making him do this? When is he going to really be THE hero?"
Right now, they've got the group dynamic thing going 100%. Well and good, but jeeze, I've almost got no confidence in Aang as an individual because of it. I just feel like if we stripped away his friends he wouldn't get anywhere. I don't like that feeling.
I like heroes who are the most active and exert as much control over their situation as they can...not float through events and leave the decisions to others.
And I don't feel it's necessary to hold that off until the end. Perhaps it's just me, but I find MUCH more interest in a hero who pulls off some crazy plans or unleashes an amazing ace in the hole throughout the course of the story than one who fumbles and bumbles and gropes his way through, dragging his feet until the very end.
For example...I find Zuko 3x more interesting in his current state than at the beginning of season 3. Early season 3 Zuko was nearly unwatchable. Why? The guy's in charge. His story's not done, but he's got a grip on the reins of his destiny.
All I had hope for was that the second half of this season would have Aang encouraging and leading the others, not the other way around.
2 and a half seasons...5/6ths of the entire story, have had Aang building. I want to see him built, and I don't think it needs to be the final step. In fact, I think only having him be really in charge at the end is personally dissatisfying.
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Post by Amira on Mar 10, 2008 10:58:35 GMT -5
In the case of Sokka, his father was a chief and tribal leader. They have also been around many battles at this point. Sokka's interest is in battle planning. It is his thing and something that makes him stand out amongst the benders.
In the case of Katara, again her father was a chief and tribal leader. A strong memory is her mother being killed. She has been the one to fill in that maternal role (as said by Sokka). Her nature and her attitudes have been shaped by those early experiences and we've seen it carry over to how she handles things.
Toph is the only one who you might have an argument about. But she is the only one of the group who had not been affected by Zuko on any major sort of way. She is mouthy, outspoken, and has a confidence that has been developed by her prior experiences.
Aang is different. His upbringing was different. He was not affected by the war like the others and did not grow up with it. Look at Gyatso. They had just delivered the news that he was the Avatar and war was coming and Gyatso was playing Pai Sho with Aang. He and Aang were having a serious discussion about him being the Avatar and a few seconds later they were throwing fruit pies. His upbringing was vastly different and those who raised him were vastly different than those that Toph and the Water Sibs grew up with.
And I'm not underestimating 12 year olds. I think what Aang has done at his age is pretty strong and amazing for being 12, for being any age. If anything I've been trying to remind people that he is a pretty heroic 12 year old - dealing with the loss of his race, being thrown into a war, being nearly killed, learning the elements and finding teachers, facing the probems created by those before him, etc. and still pushing forward, still going to face the fire lord, etc. And maybe it's that I am content to not to compare Aang to any other characters because in many ways they are vastly different. Their experiences have been different prior to coming into this whole situation. And maybe I'm content to just enjoy the character for what he is and see where it takes us.
He cares about his position. It's pretty obvious that he does from how he's worried over it, worried over learning the elements. But there are parts of his personality, his upbringing, etc. that still come through. And that is just who the character is. His personality might not be locked into being a bit goofy, but it does bring something to his character, something that I think would be lost if he is the kind of character you all want him to be. And when push comes to shove, he is all seriousness when he needs to be.
I'm not bothered by his not wanting to talk. Because we got a great scene at the end of the episode and knowing that part of his evasiveness was because of his fear of firebending made sense. Of course he didn't want to talk about a firebending teacher. The last time was a disaster and I think he did fear with such a short amount of time, he wouldn't find the RIGHT teacher and someone who could understand him. Firebending was going to be a difficult element for him to learn and he does need to find the right teacher. And he did.
I do think if he had buckled down and talked in the beginning of WAT we would have lost something vital and stirring in the scenes later on. Aang expressed his frustration and he knew they weren't going to understand how he felt, which made the later scenes with Zuko that much more important.
I guess the difference is that I already see Aang as really being THE hero.
And we haven't even seen the second half of the season. We don't know what is going to happen with Aang now that he does have some sort of mastery of fire bending. Now that all the pieces in terms of the elements are in place, we might see some different sides to Aang. Who knows. Why don't we actually see what happens before we start condemning his behavior in episodes we haven't even seen yet. We still have approximately 6 or 7 episodes to go after FBM.
And a major part of the story is Aang's journey to become the Avatar. And I have a feeling that journey is going to continue right up until the end. For me it would be unsatisfying to see it not continue to the end.
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Mar 10, 2008 15:33:07 GMT -5
For me, it doesn't matter at all what the characters backgrounds are. That's fluff...filler. It's not relevant to the point I'm trying to express, basically.
Sokka could have been a battle general for 40 years, and Aang lived in a cave for his entire life without ever speaking to another human being, but at the end, I still expect the hero to be the leader of events.
It's about the role for me. That reigns supreme. That's my argument here. Upbringing? Irrelevant. I don't care, Aang still needs to buckle down soon.
As for his goofiness vs seriousness. Aang's positive nature and general giddiness is what I LIKE about him. You mistake me when I say I want some changes in him. That's the part about his character I like best and want to keep.
But being joyful in nature and being responsible are not mutually exclusive. Aang doesn't need to become Mr. Serious. He needs to start being Mr. Actively Driven.
Basically...he needs to be more like Sokka. This is why Sokka is my favorite character of the show. You ask me exactly what kind of hero I would like Aang to be, and I point at Sokka.
The problem is that they've made Sokka's character more of a leader than the hero. Now, I love Sokka, and would be sad to see him change, but he is not the hero. Aang is. So I would willingly sacrifice Sokka's position as the plan guy for now in order to have Aang start leading.
That's what I hoped for after Sokka's invasion failed...for Aang to take charge.
We've seen the immediate afrtermath and Aang is worse than ever. Yeah, we have 4 episodes left before the finale, but be real here...is that time for a gradual change? Here's what I hoped for...the remaining episodes of the season would be with Aang leading in truth.
Now, maybe Aang suddenly and instantly, in the next few episodes, turns into Sokka. It'd be a little boggled at the abruptness, but I'd be happy at least.
Now, I see the point behind Aang's reluctance to learn firebending, but his complete unwillingness to talk about it at all and the fact that he outright RAN from the others when they were trying to talk is just utterly disappointing. Whatever narrative boost you got from this moment was crushed under the whelming and crushing disappointment for me and apparently many other people on this site.
Now, for you, it's unsatisfying to not have the evolution of Aang's character continue until the end. For me, it's unsatisfying to not see the complete evolution in action. For me, if he wasn't done until the very end...then we wouldn't even be able to see it. We'd get just a few short moments. It's not enough, for me.
I'll tell you specifically why, using Sokka again as an example. He became my favorite when he came up with the invasion plan, during the second half of season 2. During that time, he was unofficially leading the gAang. Did I like this because he'd come so far and grown so much or something? Naw...don't care. I liked it because seeing him in action, making tactics, giving speeches and executing plans was inspiring and thrilling.
I want to see Aang do that, and for more than just one episode at the very end. Honestly, most heroes are able to emit far more control than Aang does now at the very beginning of their story. Even if they're virtually powerless, they still exhibit more control over their personal situation. Aang is using his friends as a crutch too often. I could understand having crucial allies...I mean, the Harry Potter books had that thing going, and yet the hero still was the driving force behind it all. No one had to hold him down to get him to buckle down and get to work...usually the opposite. From book one, when he was YOUNGER than Aang he was doing that. Again, background is irrelevant compared to the character role.
So, maybe it's just me, but if Aang doesn't really start leading in truth until the finale, I'll be very disappointed in his character. I have more faith in every other member of the gAang's ability to take action than I do in the hero of this story. And that just seems wrong to me.
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Post by Amira on Mar 10, 2008 21:12:49 GMT -5
When you compare two characters together those kinds of things are important. You were bringing up points about Katara's seriousness, Sokka's battle planning, Toph's attitude. Their early experiences have helped shaped that. The fact they have grown up in war has helped shaped that.
Aang's background is different, thus is part of what makes his character different, thus making how he handles things different and the time in which he does it.
Just dismissing my points as being irrelevant does nothing for the discussion and in fact when you start comparing Aang to the others, all of that does in fact come into play whether you want to acknowledge it or not. You cannot compare apples to oranges without seeing first what makes up the apple and what makes up the orange.
Aang is not Sokka. He will not be Sokka. Why? Because they think differently, react differently, have had different experiences, they are different characters. He will adapt his role in his own way according to the writers and how they envision it. And I'm going to continue to enjoy what I'm seeing.
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Mar 12, 2008 3:58:33 GMT -5
Sorry for the late response but...
I dismiss that as irrelevant to my point because these are not real people. How they behave and act is entirely created by a writing staff. When you talk about backgrounds, you sound as if these people exist.
They don't. They're fictional.
The WRITERS gave Aang his background and personality. That's precisely what I'm questioning now. The narrative choices behind Aang's character. I'm not attacking Aang himself...that would be silly.
When you talk about how they think and react, I almost fear you've missed my angle. I'm coming from a completely structural point of view with this. They're not real people. Aang is a bunch of lines filled in by Korean people and voiced by a young actor. Everything he does and says is determined by the writers.
So, yes, I do think that those ideas are irrelevant to my point.
So how come I can compare Aang to other characters? To show that the writers apparently aren't restricting Aang for the sake of realism. That was why I compared him to Sokka. You can't say that we shouldn't expect so much out of Aang, he's only a kid, when they have OTHER kids doing amazing things right next to him.
Now, for me, it's about roles. That is all that matters.
I've seen heroes who started out as farmers.
I've seen heroes who started out as specially trained killing machines.
But you know what? I expect the same out of both of them. I don't care that our farming hero has never fought a person in his life. Near the end, I expect him to be the most active.
And in the course of this story, combining all 3 seasons as a seamless tale, we are very near the end. Now, I trust the writers enough to have faith that they'll make Aang plenty active in the finale.
But for me, and apparently many others, it's not soon enough. He's dragging his feet and it's just getting frustrating.
So, since Aang's lack of drive isn't a product of realism...why on earth is he still slacking so much? Can they just not think of a better way to keep his character interesting?
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Post by Amira on Mar 12, 2008 15:45:21 GMT -5
Well I don't think they are irrelevant. When I talk about characters and roles, I talk about ALL aspects and since the writer's have used points in their backgrounds as major points in developing who they are as characters I do not find it irrelevant. Nor do I think it is "speaking as if they are real." I know real from fiction and I find the insinuation that I don't to be insulting.
We are obviously on two different playing fields and it is here that I will stop discussing this, which is a shame for me because I enjoy discussing my favorite character. I find Aang and his development appealing. I find no issue with his supposed "lack of activity" because I think there have been perfectly plausible reasons both plot-wise and character-wise and I have explained them. Nor do I think people have given the writers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his character, rather they have put the characters into a mold and lumped them together based on some, what I consider to be, stereotypical hero formula.
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pg15
Avatar Roku
"Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light."
Posts: 1,248
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Post by pg15 on Mar 12, 2008 17:04:19 GMT -5
Now, for me, it's about roles. That is all that matters. How very restricting. From what I've seen, you seem to have a specific criteria as to what a hero in your eyes is. Thus, I can only assume (correct me if I'm wrong) that every hero you like follows the same set of criterion. I'm sorry, but if Aang doesn't fit that, then I'm glad. It's good to know I'm watching something unique.
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Post by mahatista on Mar 12, 2008 17:14:01 GMT -5
@yice: I agree that they're going too slow on Aang's development (of course you know I agree with you I just said so last page) Anyway, I think they're setting up for a bunch of surprises but it's annoying because it seems like they've gutted the season to do it. They never delved heavily into all the things they left out there at the end of season 2 -- and I'm not saying we had to angst it up, but there definitely was a lot of stuff hanging out there after CoD -- and they went vague instead instead of dealing with any of it. They put a lot of things off for later. Frankly, I feel like the whole Fire Nation as a location was somewhat anticlimactic and wasted. Just like Ozai's face. What was the big deal anyway? And I think the vagueness was to keep things for the latter half of the season. It didn't do the story any good though. When you have all these threads that are hanging out there and you're heading for the end (3rd part of the arc) you need to wrap a few things up at a time and save the big things for the end. I feel like they've pretty much saved everything for the end. At least I hope they have. The alternative is that these threads will never be dealt with at all.
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melloyello
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Beware the Chittering Monkey
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Post by melloyello on Mar 13, 2008 14:58:45 GMT -5
It sounds like this really comes down to pacing. I think it's safe to say everybody expects Aang to take charge and rise to the challenge at the end of the series, but the problem is how to get to that point. Usually, a character has a pivotal moment which changes his viewpoint, and gives him the perspective or insight he needs to accomplish his task.
Part of the problem with Aang's character is that they have set Aang up to have this pivotal moment multiple times. In the fight at COD, he saw the need to give up Katara, in order to bring peace to the world. In the Awakening, he realized he had failed in his goal, and in doing so, failed the world. In DOBS, not only had the invasion failed, but those who trusted him, and fought for him, were imprisoned.
Any one of those instances could've been that pivotal moment. Or, they could've had him gradually develop, by learning something from each experience. The scene in WAT seems to indicate that Aang hasn't grown from any of his experiences, which seems almost out of character. Aang is intelligent, and sensitive to people's suffering. He cares about ending the war, so he should be deeply affected by these events. To have him acting cavalierly so soon after DOBS makes his character seem insensitive, particularly to the plight of those he left behind.
It seems the writers don't want Aang to be a true leader just yet, though it's beginning to strain the believeablility of the character. I think this situation is similar to Katara's waterbending skills. She had a rather unatural progression, mostly because she needed to be a master in order to become Aang's teacher. Good storytelling happens when the characters drive the plot, not the other way around.
Most stories have a couple of mishaps like this, and they'll be forgotten if the finale provides a satisfying conclusion. But this is where pacing comes in. The next few episodes have to be well edited, and either tie up lose ends or arrange for them to be swiftly and believeably resolved in the finale. The first part of this season seems to meander; the last half doesn't have enough time to do so. That being said, the best Avatar episodes are ones in which a lot seems to happen in a short period of time, so I still have faith that the writers will be able to pull it off.
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Post by mahatista on Mar 13, 2008 15:27:02 GMT -5
It sounds like this really comes down to pacing. I think it's safe to say everybody expects Aang to take charge and rise to the challenge at the end of the series, but the problem is how to get to that point. Usually, a character has a pivotal moment which changes his viewpoint, and gives him the perspective or insight he needs to accomplish his task. Part of the problem with Aang's character is that they have set Aang up to have this pivotal moment multiple times. In the fight at COD, he saw the need to give up Katara, in order to bring peace to the world. In the Awakening, he realized he had failed in his goal, and in doing so, failed the world. In DOBS, not only had the invasion failed, but those who trusted him, and fought for him, were imprisoned. Any one of those instances could've been that pivotal moment. Or, they could've had him gradually develop, by learning something from each experience. The scene in WAT seems to indicate that Aang hasn't grown from any of his experiences, which seems almost out of character. Aang is intelligent, and sensitive to people's suffering. He cares about ending the war, so he should be deeply affected by these events. To have him acting cavalierly so soon after DOBS makes his character seem insensitive, particularly to the plight of those he left behind. It seems the writers don't want Aang to be a true leader just yet, though it's beginning to strain the believeablility of the character. I think this situation is similar to Katara's waterbending skills. She had a rather unatural progression, mostly because she needed to be a master in order to become Aang's teacher. Good storytelling happens when the characters drive the plot, not the other way around. Most stories have a couple of mishaps like this, and they'll be forgotten if the finale provides a satisfying conclusion. But this is where pacing comes in. The next few episodes have to be well edited, and either tie up lose ends or arrange for them to be swiftly and believeably resolved in the finale. The first part of this season seems to meander; the last half doesn't have enough time to do so. That being said, the best Avatar episodes are ones in which a lot seems to happen in a short period of time, so I still have faith that the writers will be able to pull it off. YYYYYYYYYYESSSSSSSSSS!!!!! *karma* for actually making sense of what I keep trying to say (but can't seem to succeed even by the low standards I've set for myself). Especially what you're saying about the characters driving the plot rather than the plot driving the characters. That's exactly it. I feel like there's a plan in place that at this point feels rigid and instead of resolving some of these smaller issues -- or at least addressing them -- they're marking time while putting it all off for Big Surprises nearer the end. But they could have been doing some more pertinent things while making their way to the eclipse and the comet beyond. There were things that could have happened (that have been stated all over the place so I won't go into them here). Both story lines -- the gaang's and Zuko's -- have not been very fulfilling at all IMO. Although Zuko has finally made his big decision and given up what he thought he wanted all along, we're still waiting for Aang's 'big' moment and you're right -- he's had several close-calls and that's why it feels manipulated and ends up stale. When they get back to putting the characters in the driver's seat then things will be better. Actually I thought they did that in Sokka's Master, The Puppetmaster, WAT and FBM. So I'm optimistic.
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yiceman
Bosco
Not all who wander are lost.
Posts: 2,929
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Post by yiceman on Mar 13, 2008 22:05:22 GMT -5
Blargh, sorry again for the delay. My internetz is broke >.<
Firstly, melloyello, good show and good points. Several people have spoken as Aang as a "work in progress," but I agree...as of his behavior in WAT, he hasn't visibly progressed at all in dealing with those kinds of situations.
Secondly....Amira, I can't seem to open my mouth and put two words together without offending you, and I don't know what to do =/
No, I was in no way accusing you of not being able to tell fact from fiction. I'm very sorry if you misinterpreted my words or found anything offensive, but it's never my intent, nor has it ever been my intent.
I speak in exactly the same manner with you as I do with anyone else in these kinds of debates. No one that I have seen here has targeted you out nor aggresively attacked your opinion. These boards exists so we might exchange ideas, and odds are people will disagree, and from what I've seen everyone has been most polite.
So, I say to you know, I have never, nor will I ever, direct a statement at you with hostility or malace or scorn. If I'm blunt, that's just how I put words together. So please bear with me, and hopefully we can all keep a smile about these kinds of friendly discussions, alright?
Ok, very good. Moving on.
Now, if you notice, I said that character backgrounds were irrelevant "to the point I am making," not the characters as a whole. I don't think we're talking about Aang as a whole. Just his ROLE as a hero and protagonist. So it is his ROLE that I am talking about, and background plays little part.
Because a character's ROLE is generally determined far before their background is written, especially for the protagonist. You figure out what kind of hero you want them to be pretty early on, yeah?
No one FORCED the writers to give the characters the pasts they recieved. No one MADE Aang his age. So I don't see the merit in saying that his slow progress is restrained by his past, like that's a binding, immovable factor.
It makes it sound as if Mike and Bryan are sitting in a conference room, saying:
"It would be really cool if Aang took charge after the invasion failed, wouldn't it?" "Oh, yeah!" "Wait, there's just one problem...Aang's only twelve and his people were wiped out and he's really stressed because of the Katara thing and his toe hurts and he's got a bad sunburn on his head and Haru's mustache was making him uncomfortable..." "Oh, shoot, you're right! We can't in all good consciousness continue the plot as we wanted! We better change it to adapt to all these old factors...or else the realism in our magic kung fu fantasy cartoon might be hampered!"
I don't buy it. I don't buy the idea that any character is being restrained by their pasts.
Why did it take Zuko so long to come around? Is it because daddy didn't love him? I don't think so. It's because that's the way Mike and Bryan wanted to tell their story. They wanted it to happen at a specific time in the plot.
So, what I am currently questioning, is the WRITER'S choice to still have Aang acting evasive when faced with difficult situations.
That is what I meant, and hopefully you can see what I mean when I say Aang's past has nothing to do with what's currently going on. The writers made Aang's past, and it is completely their choice whether or not to make it restrain him or not.
It's up to them...they don't have to make Aang slack off. But they do. Now I'm asking...why?
PG--Well, you're question is phrased as if I'm the only person who has a problem with Aang's behavior. I'm not, other people see it too.
But I'll answer you nonetheless...yes, every protagonistic character I like shares a similar trait...they leads events to the best of their abilities and can take charge.
Is this limiting? I don't see how. It's very, very open, in fact. I just like my hero's to be the most active.
My favorite character, in anything...ever... book, movie, or tv show, is not what any of us would call classically "heroic." Nor does he fit into the roles of a brooding loner anti-hero. But he's done terrible things...oh yes.
Yet he's driven. He DOES things. He doesn't need anyone to guide him or tell him what to do. Sure, it makes him screw up, but he learns and adapts from his mistakes and actively faces them head on and defeats them the second time around.
Now, are my views so limiting? I expect the protaginist to be the most active character...am I narrow-minded? I dunno....
I've read several texts on story structure, and they generally all agree: it is the will and desire of the Hero that drives most stories forward. The protagonist need not be GOOD in any sense of the word...there just needs to be a specific reason why we follow them.
Does being the Avatar automatically make one the Hero? Just because he is the most heroic person alive? Not at all. We could have a gallant prince as a side character and a stable boy as the hero if the stable boy is the more active. Actions reveal a character...show how they react in tough situations. How Aang reacts in tough situations...TRULY tough situations (I mean, if I had his skills, I could have the mental fortitude to fight an evil. It's those difficult decisions that require character), has been dissapointing thoughout the story.
I noticed it in season one. Didn't say anything...figured he was just growing at his own pace.
Noticed in in season two. I think, near the end of the season was when I first started expressing concerns...why is Sokka giving the Earth King this speech while Aang just stands there?
Noticed it in the first half of season 3. Ok...Aang's leading a dance party. Sokka has drawn up a carefully planned schedule leading up to the invasion...and Aang is throwing a dance party.
But I put up with it BECAUSE I hoped that after Sokka's plan failed, Aang would seize his moment. He's worse than ever! He didn't DO anything in WAT! And The Firebending Masters? Soon as things got tough, he wanted to leave...Zuko made them stay.
So, yes...where's Aang's big moment? How much longer must we wait?
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