Nostalgia Critic- Avatar The Last Airbender

[FaxModem1]

I never made the connection between the Earth King and the Last Emperor of China before, but for some reason, watching this vlog connected the dots for me.

[Ahriman238]

It was really his outfit that sold the connection to me. But coming into the series as an dult, it was easy to see China, Japan, Tibet, and the Inuit in the 4 Nations.

[Ahriman238]

The Guru

[Metahive]

I never made the connection between the Earth King and the Last Emperor of China before, but for some reason, watching this vlog connected the dots for me.

Kuei has the looks, kindof. The actual Puyi, however, was obsessed with regaining the throne after he lost it, down to collaborating with Japanese militarists to get it back. Kuei in contrast doesn't seem to mind and disappears from the story completely after season 2 in favor of walking the land in rags.
I would even argue that Zuko is closer to China's last emperor in that he's willing to do anything to get back what the Fire Nation has taken away from him and (nearly) becomes complicit in vicious crimes as a result.

[Crazedwraith]

The Guru

Ha. I though it was really weird he didn't talk about Zuko last time. I was half wondering if I'd misremembered and Zuko's fever dreams were this episode.

He is correct about The Guru going through the chakra's is really quick. And I think it is something in common with all three books (four including korra) that the end up rushing a lot of stuff at the very end. Oddly it always seems to be spirit stuff. Yue's spirit connection, the guru. Here. lion turtles and spirit bending in fire and Korra's super quick power return in Air.

[Sinewmire]

And I think it is something in common with all three books (four including korra) that the end up rushing a lot of stuff at the very end.

In fairness, it wouldn't have been great to have Aang meditating for several episodes. I suppose they could have worked it into smaller stories, like the Tales of Ba Sing Se.

I completely agree about the Lion Turtles and Spirit Bending. Far too last-minute.

I am REALLY looking forward to Doug's reaction to the series end.

[Ahriman238]

Crossroads of Destiny

Rob's back. Mostly they're just talking about Zuko's call.

[Metahive]

In fairness, it wouldn't have been great to have Aang meditating for several episodes. I suppose they could have worked it into smaller stories, like the Tales of Ba Sing Se.

I completely agree about the Lion Turtles and Spirit Bending. Far too last-minute.

I am REALLY looking forward to Doug's reaction to the series end.

Just meditating maybe not, but showing him going onto a journey within his mind and demonstrate how he deals with his issues in more detail? I think that would have been absolutely worth it. The whole "I'm the last surviving member of an extinct nation" thing is brushed off in, what, one minute? There should have been more.

[Ahriman238]

Okay, that was a bit rushed, but it sort of makes sense in character that it didn't come up much before now. We see time and again that when Aang is bothered, he defaults to "try not to think aobut it."

Well, Doug has laughed and cried at the show, can't wait to see the next episode. I think the "get him hooked" part has worked out swimmingly. Now we just wait to see him crushed by the movie.

[Crazedwraith]

The Awakening

So Doug felt Katara felt off this episode. Her manner with her dad was kind of forceful but I think it works. He didn't draw the connection with the start of the Guru though; where Katara sends Sokka off to see their dad instead of helping planning in the invasion (which is really the task he's better suited for) presumably because of these issues she has with Hakoda.

I wonder if people find that family moment a little less touching in retrospect?

[Sinewmire]

Okay, that was a bit rushed, but it sort of makes sense in character that it didn't come up much before now. We see time and again that when Aang is bothered, he defaults to "try not to think aobut it."

Yeah, exactly. Airbender. Evade, redirect, go *around* the problem.

So Doug felt Katara felt off this episode. Her manner with her dad was kind of forceful but I think it works. He didn't draw the connection with the start of the Guru though; where Katara sends Sokka off to see their dad instead of helping planning in the invasion (which is really the task he's better suited for) presumably because of these issues she has with Hakoda.

You know, I never thought about it that way. I don't think Katara actually thinks about it like that. She probably doesn't realise how rude her anger makes her sound - when Aang confronts her on it, she doesn't seem to realise it's happening. She might well have subconsciously not wanted to see him.

[Ahriman238]

The Headband

[JME2]

Now that he's on Book 3, I'm curious to hear his thoughts on my favorite episode of the series: "The Avatar and the Firelord".

[Koolaidkirby]

in related news, legend of korra season 2 had its first episode premiere and SDCC (spoilers)
http://www.hypable.com/2013/07/19/the-l ... live-blog/
officially set to debut in september of this year


EDIT: official trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ftLm52V1y0

[Crazedwraith]

Speaking of Korra I got halfway through ordering the boxset of it before realising amazon was selling me a region 1 copy. There appears to be no region 2 release. I am so pissed.

As to the video; eh. I'm still not enjoying the ones with Rob as much. I mean he's okay but he still seems to be basically the comments section live to defend the show to Doug.

And I love the Headband but I'e never seen this film it apparently rips off.

[Ahriman238]

Footloose? Eh.

Kid moves to a new town, is awkward at school, and learns the local preacher and town council have banned rock and dance, due to moral panic. He throws underground dance party and actually half-converts the preacher by quoting the bible to him, and the townfolk do the rest of the work by holding a book burning. Fairly forgettable 80s movie, but you can see where Doug's coming from.

[Ahriman238]

The Painted Lady

Really, Captain Planet?

[Crazedwraith]

Oh hell. As the comments on the video say: Every time you say 'well in the final episodes...' you are spoiling it Rob. It doesn't matter if you're not literally spelling it out. You're still spoiling shit. Also its doesn't matter how they spell it. It's said 'sock-ah' every single damn episode. How do you not get this? I mean I was understanding about Doug not picking up the names quickly but now you seem to be almost intentionally saying them wrong.

edit: And since when was Katara 'the healer'? She's been about kicking ass since day 1. Yeah she's got healing powers but she's never been stuck in a role of just healing.

[Crown]

Oh hell. As the comments on the video say: Every time you say 'well in the final episodes...' you are spoiling it Rob. It doesn't matter if you're not literally spelling it out. You're still spoiling shit. Also its doesn't matter how they spell it. It's said 'sock-ah' every single damn episode. How do you not get this? I mean I was understanding about Doug not picking up the names quickly but now you seem to be almost intentionally saying them wrong.

edit: And since when was Katara 'the healer'? She's been about kicking ass since day 1. Yeah she's got healing powers but she's never been stuck in a role of just healing.

Err ... are the people doing the reviews members of this board? Because that kinda reads like you're talking to them which implies they are ...

[Crazedwraith]

No they're not I'm just using a very generalised use of the word you there.

[Sinewmire]

Also its doesn't matter how they spell it. It's said 'sock-ah' every single damn episode.

I know, right? And Iroh. The chracters in the show call him Eye-roh. THAT IS HIS NAME. Rob really does sound like a dick when he says "I pronounce it the Japanese way" because he means "I know better than the show what the show's characters are called."

In the words of Miko Miyazaki "What is this 'Japan' you speak of?"

I mean I was understanding about Doug not picking up the names quickly but now you seem to be almost intentionally saying them wrong.

He knows better. Than the show. And the characters who have those names .

[Crazedwraith]

Sokka's Master

Thankfully Robless. I think Doug pretty much nailed this one. It's a good episode taken by itself for me. But its oddly placed in the season and series. Sokka's done a lot of stuff in the first two books that it's weird to suddenly be all 'woe is me. I'm nonbender and therefore useless'

Anway: Yay, space sword! Which is so awesome it doesn't need to serve a specific purpose. It just is.

[Ahriman238]

Sokka's Master is a favorite of mine. The placing feels weird because the episode before it was all "Hurry, hurry! We'll miss the invasion!" and now it's cool to take a few days to learn learn swordsmanship.

But think of it this way, since the show started Aang's mastered two more elements, and Katara one, Toph was introduced as badass and Sokka is... the guy with a boomerang. His personal issues were neatly tied up last season, so it's great to have an episode focused on him, to have a bit more character growth and a mastery of fighting.

Look how great Sokka was in the Invasion, compared to every other fight they've been in. Would you have accepted that without a training episode?

[JME2]

Not to mention the introduction one my favorite weapons of the series: Space Sword.

[Ahriman238]

The Beach

Really short this time. I mean, it's a five-minute video, half of which was comparing the episode to the Breakfast Club, the other half gushing over Combustion Man. Or rather, the sound engineering for Combustion Man and how perfect his "firing" sound is.