Post by yiceman on Dec 27, 2007 20:13:38 GMT -5
Hmmm...you kind of got the opposite of what I was trying to say, lol. Like...the polar opposite of my point. I'll try to explain better.
I'm not saying it's what they should do because it's what I want.
I thought I expressed that I actually personally prefer more complex stories...hence my explanation of my own story. I guess you missed what I was saying or I didn't make myself clear....
The screenplay I'm working on right now, I'm taking considerable care to make sure that no one will know who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. I give these two characters equal time and attention. In the end, when they come face to face...you honestly won't know who wins, or who to root for. And that's my point of the story. I didn't want this particular story to be easy.
I purposefully didn't want the audience to get any satisfaction when one of the characters kills the other. I want them to feel saddened. Because THAT'S not the climax. The climax is when the survivor recognizes how stale his victory is, and amends his ways. This story is not about victory through violence like 99% of westerns...it's about victory through forgiveness.
I DON'T like things spelled out in black and white usually. I prefer more complicated situations.
But Avatar really is not THAT complicated. It's anything but simple, but they do have "good and evil" themes. They do have characters who fit into the roles of villains.
Like Zhao and Long Feng. Yes, Long Feng had a story. But so what? EVERY villain has a story as to why they do what they do. I've said before, the only fictional character who got away with being evil just 'cause is the devil himself. A good story requires the explanation, because saying "oh that person's just mean..." isn't good enough.
But Long Feng's ROLE was undeniably a villain. He served no purpose but to oppose the good guys. Same with Azula.
My point is, that while I myself enoy more complicated stories, Mike and Bryan have, in my eyes, clearly painted Azula as a pure and true villainous villain.
Here's why I'm saying this...I've been getting the feeling that you assume I just have a rigid opinion on restricting Azula. I'm trying to say that that is not the case. Quite the opposite...I love complicated characters.
But this is not my story. This is Mike and Bryan's.
I am not trying to tell you that Azula should not be redeemed just because I don't want her to.
I am trying to tell you that I don't think she'll be redeemed because I personally see that the writers have gone to extensive lengths to portray her as purely a villain, to the extent that redemption just becomes a mess.
You can't just go willy nilly with a character...changing them whenever you want in the story. These things have to be approached carefully to make sense.
Redeeming her now, in canon, would not make sense.
Now, what will I do if Azula is redeemed? Well we already have a bet going, don't we? I agreed to write a romantic Azula fanfiction (grrk).
I doubt I'll slit my wrists or lose much sleep over it. But, if I'm correct, and it is as ruinous as I've said it would be, I'd be extremely disappointed.
If it's magically and amazing story? I don't see how they could do that, but hypothetically...if I genuinely liked it I'd admit I genuinely liked it and move on.
I'm not saying it's what they should do because it's what I want.
I thought I expressed that I actually personally prefer more complex stories...hence my explanation of my own story. I guess you missed what I was saying or I didn't make myself clear....
The screenplay I'm working on right now, I'm taking considerable care to make sure that no one will know who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. I give these two characters equal time and attention. In the end, when they come face to face...you honestly won't know who wins, or who to root for. And that's my point of the story. I didn't want this particular story to be easy.
I purposefully didn't want the audience to get any satisfaction when one of the characters kills the other. I want them to feel saddened. Because THAT'S not the climax. The climax is when the survivor recognizes how stale his victory is, and amends his ways. This story is not about victory through violence like 99% of westerns...it's about victory through forgiveness.
I DON'T like things spelled out in black and white usually. I prefer more complicated situations.
But Avatar really is not THAT complicated. It's anything but simple, but they do have "good and evil" themes. They do have characters who fit into the roles of villains.
Like Zhao and Long Feng. Yes, Long Feng had a story. But so what? EVERY villain has a story as to why they do what they do. I've said before, the only fictional character who got away with being evil just 'cause is the devil himself. A good story requires the explanation, because saying "oh that person's just mean..." isn't good enough.
But Long Feng's ROLE was undeniably a villain. He served no purpose but to oppose the good guys. Same with Azula.
My point is, that while I myself enoy more complicated stories, Mike and Bryan have, in my eyes, clearly painted Azula as a pure and true villainous villain.
Here's why I'm saying this...I've been getting the feeling that you assume I just have a rigid opinion on restricting Azula. I'm trying to say that that is not the case. Quite the opposite...I love complicated characters.
But this is not my story. This is Mike and Bryan's.
I am not trying to tell you that Azula should not be redeemed just because I don't want her to.
I am trying to tell you that I don't think she'll be redeemed because I personally see that the writers have gone to extensive lengths to portray her as purely a villain, to the extent that redemption just becomes a mess.
You can't just go willy nilly with a character...changing them whenever you want in the story. These things have to be approached carefully to make sense.
Redeeming her now, in canon, would not make sense.
Now, what will I do if Azula is redeemed? Well we already have a bet going, don't we? I agreed to write a romantic Azula fanfiction (grrk).
I doubt I'll slit my wrists or lose much sleep over it. But, if I'm correct, and it is as ruinous as I've said it would be, I'd be extremely disappointed.
If it's magically and amazing story? I don't see how they could do that, but hypothetically...if I genuinely liked it I'd admit I genuinely liked it and move on.