ATLA Book 1 thoughts
Since I finished canon reviewing it, I just have some thoughts about the three central protagonists. I wrote this on Plurk first, so it's a bit disjointed and rambly.
I haven't watched season one stuff in a long time because I had this idea that it really isn't relevant due to Sokka's later development and because it was a lot more episodic and there was less of a continuing story. So I actually enjoyed it a lot because it's been so long since I've been exposed to it. As for character development, it's a lot more evenhanded in Season 1. This is easy because there are only five central characters - Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Iroh. Zhao is also in the mix, but his development isn't important, he only exists as an antagonist.
First off... Aang. He definitely gets a lot of spotlight early on, for good reason. He's a master airbender and Sokka and Katara are both pretty much useless in most fights against anything other than mooks. He doesn't -really- develop much in Season One. We spend most of the time just seeing what kind of person he is and how he reacts to stuff. Granted the Aang from Season 1 and from end of Season 3 are virtually indistinguishable. He does learn a lot about being the Avatar and start taking that role more seriously, but that's kind of all I see with him.
But he doesn't take it that serious because he places his friends first (he was willing to give up learning Waterbending because Pakku wouldn't teach Katara). Also despite the fact Aang is a much quicker learner than Katara (as seen in The Waterbending Scroll), she somehow eclipses him in ability by the end. Because apparently he was too busy having fun goofing off. Although I think it might also note his penchant towards needing soft teachers Katara and Gyatso are very gentle and encouraging teachers, unlike Pakku and later Toph and Zuko. He just prefers to be gently eased into things. He doesn't have to really come face to face with working hard until the episode Bitter Work.
And then there's Katara... Unlike Aang, she develops a *lot* and gets the most of it in Season One. Out of the three heroes, Katara starts out with like zero combat skills, just some basic waterbending forms that are useless against a talented fighter. I notice that in a lot of episodes she can be seen staying behind the others a lot and definitely looks like she's caught up in something that she's not always sure she can handle. There's not a whole lot of self confidence there on her part Of course she fairly quickly has to learn to put what bending she *does* know to use as a fighter and towards the latter half of season one she's actually a fairly decent combatant, though nothing compared to a lot of the more phenomenal benders that we see in season 2
She also has a lot of good character moments here. Jet's betrayal is one that stands out the most. I kinda hate The Waterbending Scroll because she's kind of stupid in that episode and completely unapologetic at the end, despite how much trouble it got them all in, nearly putting an end to their quest. In fact she basically is rewarded for it at the end by getting to keep the scroll. But those are actually kind of good moments because they show her immaturity, appropriate for her age. The Fortuneteller does much the same One interesting parallel is early in the series, Katara is about to go off with Aang in the first episode, but Sokka asks if she'd really choose that over her tribe. That kind of gets echoed in Bato of the Water Tribe when she has to choose between staying with Aang or going with Sokka and Bato. It's not even her choice to go back to Aang at the end, as she ends up following Sokka's lead on things.
Which might show she gained some faith in Sokka after Jet, or that it was a Sokka episode and she was just there for the ride. ... I'm cynical, so I think it's probably the latter. The Katara at the end of the season is a lot different than the one at the start and a lot closer to the one in later seasons. She's felt some of her first hints of betrayal while also becoming more independent and a force to be reckoned with. All in all? Season One is *good* to her
... which means I can talk about Sokka now, which is good. He's obviously my favorite. He was *actually* better in Season One than I remembered. He has a lot of awesome moments. Not as many as, well, everyone else... But he does okay for himself. He's kind of set up for fail though when after a montage of him suiting up for war, Zuko utterly humiliates him in the very first battle. Their 'fight' wasn't even much of a fight, going to prove that Sokka may be able to fight, but not very *well* and has a lot to learn about what actual, real fighting is like. This gets echoed mere episodes later in the Kyoshi Warriors episode when he quickly gets taken down by Suki twice. Although he does prove to be slightly better by the end of that episode. At the very least he was the last "Kyoshi Warrior" to stand against Zuko. So I guess they're all as fail as Sokka is. :|a
His first really awesome moment doesn't come until Jet. Despite the fact Katara and Aang mock him for most of it, he saves the day. Beyond just saving the village, his escape from Smellerbee and Pipsqueak was pretty awesome. I especially like his line, "Who would be free? They'd all be dead." He's not the best fighter, but he is quick witted and resourceful. He does have some moments that prove he does have a lot of skill though, such as figthing the soldiers on the ship in Imprisoned. Chopping spears in half with his boomerang is pretty impressive, after all. In The Great Divide he does try fighting those Canyon Crawlers and looks awesome doing it... despite getting pwned by them. But those things pretty much took down anyone who challenged them anyway, so...
Another echo from the first episode is how Hahn dies. He does the same stupid charge on Zhao that Sokka did on Zuko. As far as personally developing? Sokka gets most of his early on. He's forced to face the reality of bending, the Avatar... And get over his sexism, all as early as episode 4! His intuition and instincts are usually right in most if not all episodes, but Katara and Aang never tend to listen to his advice. It's worth noting that starting out he was probably more useful in a fight than Katara was, but she quickly eclipses him towards the end. We don't see any hints of his bender envy just yet. In fact he quite eagerly makes use of them to help him pass his rite of passage in iceberg dodging. He incorporates their bending into a lot of his various plans. Though I think The Waterbending Scroll might have soured his attitude a bit given the lengths Katara went to learn it... for her own benefit
One thing of note is that Sokka doesn't like to get involved in stuff that doesn't really relate to their mission (like rescuing Haru and company), but he's often the first one to be ready to go into action when people he's close to are in danger. Even whilst Katara is lecturing him about why they should go save Aang in the second episode, Sokka has already made up his mind to go. He also refuses to stand by and watch Aang 'fight' the Forest Spirit by himself and is compelled to try and help. Despite his big picture view, he has a big heart and when it comes to human life, he'll do everything he can to save them. Even if it happens to be people he doesn't necessarily like, like the Fire Nation village in Jet and Aunt Wu's village, filled with all those superstitous fools. Also the Northern Air Temple, but he actually liked those people, so that's different.
I think overall he doesn't develop that much in season one, after the Warriors of Kyoshi, but he does get humbled some. He also has to go through losing Yue at the end, which is something that will hang over him for the rest of the series. But he's far from useless in season one, if he doesn't contribute as much in a fight. Still... it was a rewarding canon review for him, and not just because of the icons.
I could prooobably talk about Zuko and Iroh, but I won't. Their arcs are cool though. Zuko and Katara are basically the contenders for getting the most development in the entirely of the series. So... I think that's it. I'm done.
I'll start watching Book 2 later. I dunno if I'll watch Book 3, since I've watched those episodes the most.
I haven't watched season one stuff in a long time because I had this idea that it really isn't relevant due to Sokka's later development and because it was a lot more episodic and there was less of a continuing story. So I actually enjoyed it a lot because it's been so long since I've been exposed to it. As for character development, it's a lot more evenhanded in Season 1. This is easy because there are only five central characters - Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Iroh. Zhao is also in the mix, but his development isn't important, he only exists as an antagonist.
First off... Aang. He definitely gets a lot of spotlight early on, for good reason. He's a master airbender and Sokka and Katara are both pretty much useless in most fights against anything other than mooks. He doesn't -really- develop much in Season One. We spend most of the time just seeing what kind of person he is and how he reacts to stuff. Granted the Aang from Season 1 and from end of Season 3 are virtually indistinguishable. He does learn a lot about being the Avatar and start taking that role more seriously, but that's kind of all I see with him.
But he doesn't take it that serious because he places his friends first (he was willing to give up learning Waterbending because Pakku wouldn't teach Katara). Also despite the fact Aang is a much quicker learner than Katara (as seen in The Waterbending Scroll), she somehow eclipses him in ability by the end. Because apparently he was too busy having fun goofing off. Although I think it might also note his penchant towards needing soft teachers Katara and Gyatso are very gentle and encouraging teachers, unlike Pakku and later Toph and Zuko. He just prefers to be gently eased into things. He doesn't have to really come face to face with working hard until the episode Bitter Work.
And then there's Katara... Unlike Aang, she develops a *lot* and gets the most of it in Season One. Out of the three heroes, Katara starts out with like zero combat skills, just some basic waterbending forms that are useless against a talented fighter. I notice that in a lot of episodes she can be seen staying behind the others a lot and definitely looks like she's caught up in something that she's not always sure she can handle. There's not a whole lot of self confidence there on her part Of course she fairly quickly has to learn to put what bending she *does* know to use as a fighter and towards the latter half of season one she's actually a fairly decent combatant, though nothing compared to a lot of the more phenomenal benders that we see in season 2
She also has a lot of good character moments here. Jet's betrayal is one that stands out the most. I kinda hate The Waterbending Scroll because she's kind of stupid in that episode and completely unapologetic at the end, despite how much trouble it got them all in, nearly putting an end to their quest. In fact she basically is rewarded for it at the end by getting to keep the scroll. But those are actually kind of good moments because they show her immaturity, appropriate for her age. The Fortuneteller does much the same One interesting parallel is early in the series, Katara is about to go off with Aang in the first episode, but Sokka asks if she'd really choose that over her tribe. That kind of gets echoed in Bato of the Water Tribe when she has to choose between staying with Aang or going with Sokka and Bato. It's not even her choice to go back to Aang at the end, as she ends up following Sokka's lead on things.
Which might show she gained some faith in Sokka after Jet, or that it was a Sokka episode and she was just there for the ride. ... I'm cynical, so I think it's probably the latter. The Katara at the end of the season is a lot different than the one at the start and a lot closer to the one in later seasons. She's felt some of her first hints of betrayal while also becoming more independent and a force to be reckoned with. All in all? Season One is *good* to her
... which means I can talk about Sokka now, which is good. He's obviously my favorite. He was *actually* better in Season One than I remembered. He has a lot of awesome moments. Not as many as, well, everyone else... But he does okay for himself. He's kind of set up for fail though when after a montage of him suiting up for war, Zuko utterly humiliates him in the very first battle. Their 'fight' wasn't even much of a fight, going to prove that Sokka may be able to fight, but not very *well* and has a lot to learn about what actual, real fighting is like. This gets echoed mere episodes later in the Kyoshi Warriors episode when he quickly gets taken down by Suki twice. Although he does prove to be slightly better by the end of that episode. At the very least he was the last "Kyoshi Warrior" to stand against Zuko. So I guess they're all as fail as Sokka is. :|a
His first really awesome moment doesn't come until Jet. Despite the fact Katara and Aang mock him for most of it, he saves the day. Beyond just saving the village, his escape from Smellerbee and Pipsqueak was pretty awesome. I especially like his line, "Who would be free? They'd all be dead." He's not the best fighter, but he is quick witted and resourceful. He does have some moments that prove he does have a lot of skill though, such as figthing the soldiers on the ship in Imprisoned. Chopping spears in half with his boomerang is pretty impressive, after all. In The Great Divide he does try fighting those Canyon Crawlers and looks awesome doing it... despite getting pwned by them. But those things pretty much took down anyone who challenged them anyway, so...
Another echo from the first episode is how Hahn dies. He does the same stupid charge on Zhao that Sokka did on Zuko. As far as personally developing? Sokka gets most of his early on. He's forced to face the reality of bending, the Avatar... And get over his sexism, all as early as episode 4! His intuition and instincts are usually right in most if not all episodes, but Katara and Aang never tend to listen to his advice. It's worth noting that starting out he was probably more useful in a fight than Katara was, but she quickly eclipses him towards the end. We don't see any hints of his bender envy just yet. In fact he quite eagerly makes use of them to help him pass his rite of passage in iceberg dodging. He incorporates their bending into a lot of his various plans. Though I think The Waterbending Scroll might have soured his attitude a bit given the lengths Katara went to learn it... for her own benefit
One thing of note is that Sokka doesn't like to get involved in stuff that doesn't really relate to their mission (like rescuing Haru and company), but he's often the first one to be ready to go into action when people he's close to are in danger. Even whilst Katara is lecturing him about why they should go save Aang in the second episode, Sokka has already made up his mind to go. He also refuses to stand by and watch Aang 'fight' the Forest Spirit by himself and is compelled to try and help. Despite his big picture view, he has a big heart and when it comes to human life, he'll do everything he can to save them. Even if it happens to be people he doesn't necessarily like, like the Fire Nation village in Jet and Aunt Wu's village, filled with all those superstitous fools. Also the Northern Air Temple, but he actually liked those people, so that's different.
I think overall he doesn't develop that much in season one, after the Warriors of Kyoshi, but he does get humbled some. He also has to go through losing Yue at the end, which is something that will hang over him for the rest of the series. But he's far from useless in season one, if he doesn't contribute as much in a fight. Still... it was a rewarding canon review for him, and not just because of the icons.
I could prooobably talk about Zuko and Iroh, but I won't. Their arcs are cool though. Zuko and Katara are basically the contenders for getting the most development in the entirely of the series. So... I think that's it. I'm done.
I'll start watching Book 2 later. I dunno if I'll watch Book 3, since I've watched those episodes the most.