May 14, 2008
There are some small spoilers and shipping stuff. Avoid if you don’t want to be spoiled. (more…)
May 13, 2008
Here are a few scans from the book. I didn’t want to do this but a few friends on DH were excited to see them. Don’t click if you don’t want to be spoiled. (more…)
May 13, 2008
SPOILERS FOR SOZIN’S COMET… (more…)
May 5, 2008
And this title came from a friend of mine who made the comment after seeing all the Aang hate. What is up with the Aang hate? I have seen people really rip on poor Aang and I have to wonder why? The boy is one of the most genuinely good and sweet characters that I have seen in fiction. And maybe that isn’t appealing to some, but personally I find it refreshing.
The creators of Avatar really could have gone in a really bad direction with Aang - they could have made him a brat with super-powers. But being the brilliant people they are, they instead made Aang this boy who is having to deal with something he doesn’t want, the extinction of his people, plus growing up. Imagine being the one to save the world, end a war, and be on the cusp of puberty. A pretty heavy load for the young airbender’s shoulders to bear. So we have sort of seen Aang come of age and grow up. He went from being the giggly free-spirit wanting to do nothing but ride wild animals to a more responsible young man accepting his duties and the fate he’s destined for.
And he does it all with a smile. One of the charming things about Aang is he is still smiling. Of course he has moments of angst and pain and despair, but he rebounds fairly quickly. Which is nice to see in all honesty. Certainly a departure from the angst-ridden folks whose despair and pain seems to define their whole characters. And those poor people I just want to tell to go see a therapist. And to quit whining.
One of the things that has made Aang so appealing is the fact that he has a lot of tragedy, but he isn’t a whiner, he doesn’t look for pity, he tries to make negatives into positives. And that is a good thing for kids to see. We all have pain in life, but it is how we handle it and how we let it affect us which determines how successful we will be in moving past it.
Aang’s also adorable. He isn’t the hottie the fangirls drool over, but the character design is appealing and Aang has some of the best animation of the series. The range of expression in the character’s face combined with an excellent vocal performance by Zack Tyler Eisen, makes Aang a thoroughly enjoyable character.
May 5, 2008
Shipping should come with a warning label. I’m serious. This bizarre trend in fandoms to pair up fictional characters has lead to at times an all-out battle and it leaves scars, it wounds, it frustrates and can cause utter migraines. And it can be hard to avoid it. Very hard because with shipping comes a whole host of dynamic people with huge personalities and who have no problem communicating their love of a ship or their dislike of a ship. It can be a thoroughly addicting thing and I warn people to be aware of that. You can spend hours on communities and “debating” people. I’ve seen it. I’m ashamed to say I’ve even done it.
Now what is shipping? Well shipping is pairing characters of TV, animation, books, or movies. It is short for “relationship.” Often the character names are combined. Fans pick “ships” to support like the two biggest Avatar ships are arguably Kataang (Katara and Aang) and Zutara (Zuko and Katara). Maiko (Mai and Zuko) is also becoming a major player in the ship war.
I would avoid it. If you have to support a ship, do it quietly. I learned this lesson the hard way. And nothing good comes out of the ship wars. Not one single thing.
April 29, 2008
More specifically it was this cartoon:
Yes, a cartoon with a bald kid, people who can “bend” elements, and a boatload of well-crafted storytelling. Such was the magic of this show that once I was hooked, I was hooked for good. I even immersed myself into what is called a “fandom” and have found a bunch of like-minded individuals whose love for this show has bridged time zones, racial lines, and age differences.
Full of eastern philosophy and religious themes, drawing inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki, and art that is just breathtaking at times both graphically and musically, Avatar: The Last Airbender or “A:tLA” as it has been called by it’s fans has redefined cartoon entertainment on television.
And it has this woman’s attention completely and I am not someone who is easily grabbed by today’s entertainment. My other guilty pleasure is “The Closer” on TNT and I tune into that faithfully. Bald kids and dead people. What a combination!
Avatar has been one of the few pieces of entertainment to really capture my heart and my imagination and I eagerly await the outcome of this tale. This journal is dedicated to that show. It is my thoughts, my art, my ideas. My “sketches” so to speak. Mostly me rambling about something I love.
