#Nobody's Avatar Analysis

[princess-nobody]

Neytiri's inability to accept Metkayina culture, and why I LOVE it

Sadly Neytiri didn't play a huge role in ATWOW, which though is upsetting as a fan of her makes sense since the movie isn't really about her and is more so about the new generation. However, one aspect of her characterization that is prevalent in both the deleted scenes and the leaked early script is the fact that out of all the Sullys, she is the one that struggles the most in assimilating to the Metkayina lifestyle.

I adore this detail because it is such a deep understanding of who Neytiri is as a person, as well as a representation of all she has been through in her life. Neytiri, at her core, is a woman that dislikes change and views it as a harbinger of the worst to come. She is a woman that cannot be seperated from her culture and lifestyle as an Omatikaya because of how much of her indentity has been molded by it, and the few times she has been seperated from it has been by force.

For example: her inability to learn how to ride ilu. Riding ilu is essential in Metkayina culture because it is the most baseline way to hunt, and as Tonowari states, being unable to ride one makes you useless because you can't hunt. In one of the deleted scenes, Neytiri is trying to learn to ride ilu with Ronal but can't seem to get it down, only to eventually give up out of frustration. Ronal even makes sure to reiterate to her that ilu is not ikran, and ilu cannot fly, because fundamentally Neytiri is approaching riding ilu the way you would ride ikran.

The obvious answer as to why she does this is muscle memory, to Neytiri this would be like someone who rides bicycles trying to learn how to ride a unicycle – it may be similar, but approaching it the same way will yield wrong results. However I feel it is also because her experiences with ikran and losing her own has made her subconsciously hostile towards learning a new way of riding, because in her mind it is her again being seperated from her ikran. Seze's death was obviously traumatic to her, in that moment she not only lost a dear ally, but was forcibly seperated from a part of her culture and lifestyle by invaders.

So naturally, now that she has a new ikran, even if she wants to learn how to ride a different mount, her body won't let her. Her subconscious won't allow her to be seperated from the one thing she has left from her people since their relocation. I believe Neytiri learns how to hunt with her ikran, developing a diving technique which means she no longer needs to learn how to ride ilu. This not only feels very in character for her, but I also think it's just a sweet way to allow her to keep this part of her while also allowing her to contribute to the Metkayina way of life.

Another example of this is the bombing of the Omatikaya hometree – again, Neytiri was forcibly removed from a part of her lifestyle and culture against her will by outsiders. So her hostility to leaving their new hometree, even if it is for their own safety, makes more than enough sense. To her, she is yet again being ripped away from a part of her, yet again being forced out her culture and made to abandon a significant part of being of the Omatikaya. I wouldn't be surprised if she still struggles with being a part of the Metkayina clan in the coming few movies, because out of her whole family she is the one with the least positive experiences in change.

Throughout both movies, and some non movie pieces of media, change has brought almost nothing good to Neytiri personally, and accepting change has lead to more losses than wins. Her children are just that, children, so even through homesickness, they view Awa'atlu as a new start, because they never had to go through the loss of the first hometree, nor any of the losses Neytiri faced in the first film. Jake's entire character has been defined by him learning new cultures and ways of life, so to him, leaving the Omatikaya and seeking refuge with the Metkayina isn't nearly the life shattering decision it is for Neytiri; he's done it before, he can easily do it again. Neytiri though? Of course it would all be too much for her, and I doubt she'll ever fully integrate into Metkayina life.

TLDR: Neytiri's inability to assimilate to Metkayina life is very in character and I really like it actually. I wish it was touched on more but sadly there is no nine hour avatar cut so that won't ever happen. 😔

[kideaternomnom]

If a ship only has fans because it is canon and not because it’s well developed that’s how yk it’s probably ass

[skoulsons]

Obligatory sappy end of the year post !!!

Made a tumblr account about a year ago now and I never expected it to turn into anything. I just wanted somewhere to Rot and unashamedly spew my thoughts about my blorbos that I couldn’t contain

It brought more than I thought and I’m very thankful for it. The friendships that have been made and the moots I see in my notifs who id die for unironically are the best parts of this place 🫶🏻

And the community, of course. The gifsets, art, and fic that leave me dry heaving on the floor are also a great part of it 😭

Time for another year. More rots. More friends to meet. More friends to make. More shows and movies to experience. More father and daughter relationships to discover. More meta posts to make and fics to read and write. More time to be alive 🤍

[space-blue]

Avatar 3 D23 musings and analysis

Images drop on some BIG screens at D23 seems like!

First off, great new looks and close ups of Varang!

First off it's super dope. Look at her fingers! Looks like she's wearing claws (bone? forbidden metal? body mods). The notches on her belly and legs also look like potential scarifications!

Stuff I want to scream about on a personal level: The tswins... I made my Txepiva (ash Na'vi) fan clan to be warrior like, living in more desertic areas, and cutting queues as part of warfare. I also recently made a sketch to illustrate an idea to a friend that they may wear these queues in a bandolier tied to shoulders and hips as a show-off.

My Txepiva also have bare tail tips, and Varangs fits this too in this art, though I'm sure it's just the light rendering technique. If not, then I should apply for a job on the brainstorming team lmao.

Though I appreciate the idea of warfare and tswin cutting, I want to point out it's also possible that she's not actually wearing the tswin of her enemies, or at least not in the "this is how we kill other Na'vi" way.

The others around her are in obscuring and impractical headdresses, and this looks like a ritual. IMO it's very possible that the tswin she wears are that of ancestors, or old leaders, great warriors, or even enemies, collected and rebraided to create this distinct look. I particularly think it'd make sense for it to be made of the hair of past leaders and worn as a sort of crown, as nobody else is rocking that look in the image.

Next we have her weird not-an-ikran.

Glorious beast with 10 winglets where ikran have 4. It also has mouth frills, jaw frills, and a spike over its head, making it closer to stingbats in that area. Here's a super obvious comparison with an enlarged stingbat picture:

So their mount probaby evolved independantly from ikran. Would be fun if they also have poison.

Another FUN detail : GUNS!! Does it look like guns? Could be recoms then, Lyle, Q , and some new red shirt recoms... or could be Omatikaya wil RDA guns...

But for real, there are only two types of Na'vi with guns: the Omatikaya clan and the recombinants. Given past images in leaks ((remember this?))

It's most likely that the people interacting with Varang are going to be recoms and not Jake's people. BUT who knows where the plot will go. If it's recoms, I'd looove to know if it's 3 moffos because Q+Lyle+Mansk, or if we're getting new recom red shirts or what.

Then we have views of air ships, so we're getting to see the promised Wind Traders, with Neytiri in the forefront, and the Man'o'war inspired floaters being pulled by sky manta ray...

Not much to say about those. I just hope we get some high definition version released online soon.

If this reignites your hype for Avatar, go vote in this poll!

There's 20h left to vote, and I think we could all benefit from an event around december 2024, to pass the time before fire and ash's big dropin 2025.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Bless you for creating this blog, because I need to VENT

(obligatory not all Zutarians who want to enjoy their fics and arts in peace. you guys are cool and chill.)

Isn't it so interesting transparent and sad that every Zutarian critical analysis about "making the show better" is just about making Aang suffer more, and Zuko look good?

Katara should have kept her burn scars, because Aang needed to understand the consequences of his actions!

Right. Because immediately apologising, and becoming so guilty he doesn't fire bend for 2 seasons doesn't show remorse.

Aang should have given up his attachment to Katara to become a fully realised Avatar, otherwise he doesn't sacrifice anything! That would have been narratively satisfying!

Right. Because LOSING HIS ENTIRE CULTURE AND EVERYONE HE EVER LOVED isn't a "sacrifice". Which he will never get back. He'll have to live with the tragedy of being the last Airbender forever.

It's SO interesting how Zuko literally gets everything he wanted- locking up Ozai forever, getting a new father figure in Iroh, becoming Firelord, being with the woman he loves, finding his mother, even finding a new sister who adores him. His ONE tragedy is Azula, and even then she's hopefully on a journey of redemption.

But somehow that's not the "perfect ending" for Zuko. Nope, the only narratively satisfying ending is if Katara falls over to suck Zuko's dick.

So Zuko doesn't sacrifice anything permanently, and he literally gets everything he ever wanted. Aang will never get back what he lost, but apparently he has to give up Katara too. Funny how that works. Can you make your seething resentment any more obvious?

It's also amazing to me that so called Katara stans NEVER think about how KATARA would feel if Aang lost his romantic attachment to her. Girl hugged him several times, kissed him on the cheek and lips, blushed around him, threatened to murder Zuko if he hurt Aang...she was not subtle. But apparently no one cares about Katara's feelings.

Also, how GUILTY would Katara feel if Aang had to sacrifice his romantic attachment to become the Avatar? Do you think she'd be happy he had to sacrifice love for duty? Which BEST FRIEND would be okay with this situation? Even Sokka and Toph would be outraged.

If my best friend and fellow genocide survivor had to sacrifice his romantic attachment for duty, I'd be so mad I would murder Ozai myself. Yes, even if I didn't love him back, because HE'S MY BEST FRIEND. Nobody would even be able to find the body.

Katara and Zuko should have gotten together, that would have fully represented the themes of balance and redemption in the show!

FFS THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP THAT REPRESENTS THESE THEMES! IT'S ZUKAANG! SORRY YOU WERE TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND THE SHOW!

Sorry, Sokka. Your relationship with Suki is toxic, because she's from the Earth Nation. You need to break up immediately. Better go find a nice firebender to have children with! Zukka anyone??

Did they miss the part when Uncle Iroh said, "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."

Or the Guru when he said, " Even the separation of the four elements is an illusion. If you open your mind, you will see that all the elements are one. Four parts of the same whole. "

AKA "balance" is when we learn from all 4 elements and grow as a person!!! It's got nothing to do with love!

BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T BE REDUCED TO THEIR ELEMENTS! THAT'S THE THEME OF THE SHOW!

Sorry, Katara. You represent water, and Zuko represents fire, so you have to marry each other for "balance". It's in the rules. How convenient.

Even though Aang is ALSO a fire bender, so marrying him would also represent "balance". But he doesn't count because he's not hot and sexy like Zuko with his anime hair.

sidenote - Aang is so hot. With his muscles , grey eyes, and his off-shoulder fit? Divine. Zutarians who think Aang isn't sexy have no taste.

sorry for the extremely long rant. I just couldn't take Zutarians and their "atla-critical" analysis anymore. It's the self-righteousness that gets me.

They can't just say, I love Zutara together because I like their dynamic. Instead they have to write long metas justifying why their ship is the "only one that strenghens the themes of the show" and Kataang / Maiko "weakens the narrative" and other bs.

thanks for this space, this was cathartic.

You're welcome, anon 💖

[taruth3mighty]

I'm going to just rant a little bit about Player and how I personally view their character based on what we've seen in the actual game and how I perceive it, (I might be projecting with this one) From what I can tell Player has this attitude where if they can't be of service or help others, they don't think they're worth anything. Like we saw a glimpse of this during the Academy,

"Seems like your group isn't here yet."

"...this place is a mess. You might as well clean up. You took out the trash, but... There's more to do."

"Why are there random cardboard boxes scattered about? They're empty, too. They serve no purpose besides taking up unnecessary space. Nobody will miss them." This is one of the only few times we personally get a glimpse into Player as in the character, everyone is so quick to say that they're up to you to think about. When lines like these exist in game. If it was truly just us, why would we say this? Why would your avatar say that? There's no reason to say all that about cardboard boxes. To put on my analysis glasses, I believe that Player is the type of person who strives to help others to feel useful and when they can't or don't have anything else to do, they start to spiral in their head. They don't talk much, it's not just because the Blue Strings as a species, doesn't talk. But also, because Player themselves just thinks in their head a lot, it's natural for a lot of introverted people. Player again showcases the behavior of "if I can't be of service then I'm worthless" in Icyridge. Such as helping Old Man Timothy even though it's a hassle and a waste of time. No one else is that willing to help someone else for that long for not even a good reward, yet Player does it anyway. They're exhausted if we take the tone of their thoughts. They probably started doing Help Center requests after saving Anna and getting the keys, meaning that they don't even allow themselves to have a moment like Suzie or Quincy or even TJ. They're just immediately on the find to help people. I feel like the line, "They're empty, too. They serve no purpose besides taking up unnecessary space. Nobody will miss them." As if their mind telling them, if they can't do one thing, they serve no purpose and that nobody would miss them if they left. Player legit cleaned the entire Help Center just because they didn't have anything to do. Sure, it took them like 2 hours. But hey, they didn't have to clean up the place, but they did it anyway. They didn't have to, but they do it anyway because no one else will. They are hit with the fact that TJ actively wants to put them down, "It's not enough that I win. Player must also lose." All they want is just to have connection, and here's this person who they consider their friend, wanting them to lose rather than just focus on the bigger picture, (And this is why I hate TJ, blud is not justified in saying that to anyone just because he's going through something) We barely know anything about Player as is, yet they seem to mask it or hide it away whenever they're with other people. In Icyridge Part 1, the good karma choice for Quincy is, "Any time, Quincy. Friends forever." Like Player and Quincy were never the closest in the friend group, yet when on the good path. Player gets attached to the group in the same way Quincy gets attached to Suzie and TJ as they're the only genuine friends they've ever had. They genuinely just want friends, they're willing to do anything for them, even if it means risking their own life at times.

[kittyplushy]

Welcome! I'm Julianne / Jenkins (they/she). I am 19 years old!

🍓 I'm Julianne / Jenkins! I'm an Multi Media Art student, amateur illustrator, self shipper, and professional silly little guy (autistic)!! I am nonbinary and a lesbian :3

🍓 This is my main blog which is an amalgamation of my art, my interests, written works, and reblogs!

🍓 Mainly a self shipping blog

🍓 Hey! I have a blog PURELY dedicated to Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees. Essays, fanart, fanfics, news, everything!

🍓 pssst...my comms are always opennnn!

🍓 I'm interested in animation in general, vintage and cutesy aesthetics, toys, sweets ^_^

Main Interests: (Pink text are my special interests!)

Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Sailor Moon, Saint Young Men, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rodney Alan Greenblat works (PaRappa, Dazzeloids, mascot projects), Sanrio, The Mountain Goats, They Might Be Giants

🍰🍰My Self Ships! 🍰🍰

💐 House Guest: 💉Samantha Strong x Julianne Lucky I am not normal about them in da slightest tehehehe! main ship

💐 Stuffed Animal: 🧸Lesley x The Illustrator secondary self ship. Lesley is still a main f/o but you can blame DHMIS for being notoriously slow on any updates.

💐Sappho Suffocating: 🍰 Working on a interfandom polycule w both f/os!

I am not comfortable with sharing of any kind! I headcanon both these characters as lesbians. Do not derail!

These tags host my ramblings, writing, headcanons, and art for these ships. I also occasionally post non-specific imagines although most are targeted towards the fem!f/o demographic...

I also post. Normal BTTWNS art and analysis which you can find here! (seriously you should read this series..)

Guess this should also go without saying but PROSHIP / COMSHIP / DARKSHIP DO NOT INTERACT.

I explore heavy subject matter due to the source media of both f/os. Heavier warning for House Guest because it gets a bit intense. Please remember that none of my ships should be read as abusive. I just enjoy exploring these complex characters through hypotheticals and am only working within what the creators have stated about their personalities.

I sometimes post suggestive text/memes/art so please block tags such as [suggestive text] or [suggestive] if ur uncomfortable or a minor.

Do not also interact if you share f/os. Please just be nice! I'm still figuring out how to sort this blog up!

My askbox is always open if you wanna chat and be friends! I love you! ;O

[linkspooky]

Hellooo!

I just wanted to ask you about your fanfics. It's been a few days since I've followed you so I don't know wether you've already answered this question or not but, do you recommend us to read your meta blogs to understand better the concepts you write about on you fanfics? I haven't read any of your fanfics yet because I'm still reading your analysis from here, whenever they appear on my feed.

I enjoy them a lot btw, I wouldn't mind having to read them all first and then your fanfics(¯▿¯)

If you've already answered this question from someone else, or if it's too stupid of a question you don't have to answer lol.

Just to add that I like a lot the perspective you hold when you analyse media! It gives me a whole different view of the characters and the topics the authors work with and enjoy that so much!<33

You don't need to read my meta at all to understand my fanfics. I do give authors notes on my blog and post extra material like art I commission of the characters and covers. You can find them at these two tags. My ongoing avatar fic. linkspooky.tumblr.com/tagged/burn au

My Jujutsu Kaisen Fanfic Series. linkspooky.tumblr.com/tagged/nobody dies au

[princess-nobody]

Avatar Rant: Snowy Region Na'vi

Am I the only one who doesn't like the fanon snow navi designs? Specifically this (I used shitty AI images I found off of pinterest to illustrate the point and to avoid using actual artwork from people 🩷):

(Before I continue my God these are creepy 😭 AI genuinely cannot create Na'vi without them looking uncanny, disturbing and far too human)

I can understand why people choose the more predictable design philosophy – blonde hair, blue eyes, pale/white skin, pretty two pieces – because that's relatively how this sort of lifestyle has been portrayed to us in the media. Every movie or show set in a snowy region always features mostly eastern European characters, so naturally people decide that their snow na'vi must resemble eastern European people to a degree, and this bothers me.

Not because they look like white people (though that is like 25% why ngl) but because it just isn't realistic? Na'vi may be inspired by humans but they are still a different species living on a harsh and deadly planet that humans can't survive in, na'vi winter and snow would be excruciatingly difficult for them, and they would need to adapt to it.

I just don't see how they would be so thin and petite and pale, people say to blend in, but why? Only a handful of animals in arctic regions are actually white to blend in (polar bears, arctic foxes etc.) so wouldn't it make more sense to base them off of arctic animals from the ice age? Back then, animals were bigger, bulkier, with thicker skin and hair all over to protect themselves from the crippling cold – with that in mind, wouldn't snow na'vi be bigger than average na'vi, and bulkier too? Unlike regular na'vi, it would make sense that the snow ones actually have body hair all over, maybe even fur if you want to take it that far.

And if you're basing them off of INDIGENOUS people, then appearance, features and fashion wise, wouldn't it make more sense to base them off of the actual Inuit people of the arctic instead of Elsa from frozen 😭

Because realistically why would they wear flowey dresses and two pieces in weather that is probably 80% worse than any winter humanity has ever faced... especially since na'vi are all inspired by different non-white/european indigenous communities, and yes... non-white/European indigenous people do in fact live in cold, snowy, arctic regions...

To add a little bit of pseudo-psychology to it, it may be done in an attempt from white avatar fans for the most part to feel closer to the na'vi by adding a white adjacent sub-species, as the closer to europeans the na'vi look, the more they see themselves within the na'vi. However, that is purely speculation lol.

Also, I do NOT think you are racist or anti-indigenous or anything of the sort if your headcanon for snow na'vi looks anything like the examples! You're allowed to draw and design what you want, and just because tumblr user princess-nobody doesn't like it, doesn't mean it's bad.

TLDR: Fanon snow na'vi don't make sense and confuse me lol. Imo snow na'vi would be big and bulky behemoths that are covered in thick body hair and wear large, figure covering warm clothing, not skinny little russian girls in ballet outfits LMAOOOO.

[ghoul-bonez]

~Through the Wind and Rain~

OC x OC set in the “Avatar: The Way of Water” universe…

-Series Masterlist-

Physical Character Analysis

Niri’te-

Starting off with Niri’te, an Omatikaya Na’vi.

I always imagined, and intended for her and Leyra to look drastically different. Niri’te has the signature braided hairstyle of the Omatikaya, and the golden eyes they often have. Her face is longer and leaner, and her eyes more narrow than her lover. She has more ear piercings than usual, all done by herself with the intention of building her independence as she proved nobody could stop her from doing what she wanted. (As the author I gave her more ear piercings than usual to set her apart from the clan and divide her in a slight way.)

Leyra-

Leyra is a Metkayina Na’vi.

I wanted Leyra to look drastically different from Niri’te so to oppose Niri’te’s leaner, I suppose harsher, face Leyra’s is softer, rounder with high cheekbones and large blue eyes. She has long, curly, dark hair that she leaves unrestrained, but occasionally braids bits and pieces.

[attackfish]

Honestly, a specific thing that annoys me is that, when Azula is having her breakdown, we see hallucination Ursa tell her that she loves her. And like, that's clearly the truth that Azula is repressing and refusing to acknowledge. But also, it means that she does know that, deep down, on some level.

And yet that scene, that is if it gets referenced at all, is usually translated as "Azula is having a breakdown because Ursa didn't love her, how evil!" Because obviously Azula is the epitome of clear minded objectivity in this scene and we should take her denial at face value. 🙄

Anyway thank you for continuing to defend her, Ursa is awesome but throwing yourself against the brick wall of people's stupidity must be exhausting!

What I find infuriating is whenever anyone talks about, how as you say, that scene is about how Azula knows deep down that her mother loves her, but that this is a reality that she cannot deal with, and she has repressed it, and about how her views of her mother, including that her mother thought she was a monster, are clearly not meant to be read as accurate, there are always a bunch of fans who yell back, are you saying she's lying? Some of them get really nasty and ask if I'm accusing Azula, a victim of abuse, of lying about said abuse.

And it's like first of all Azula is a fictional character, and analyzing what the narrative says about what she experienced is very very different from accusing a real life abuse victim of lying about her abuse, and taking her point of view in analysis is certainly a choice you can make, but it's important to remember that you are taking a character's point of view, and that this does not erase any other character's point of view or erase the intended reading of the text.

And also, very very few people making the argument that Ursa loved her daughter and certainly didn't think she was a monster, are saying they think Azula was lying there. Azula is shown throughout the series to be a liar, and she is also shown to absolutely believe what she is saying about her mother thinking she was a monster, at least on some level, while on a deeper level, she has repressed the fact that she knows this is not true. We are not calling Azula a liar in this instance, except in so far as she is lying to herself. Azula is an unreliable narrator in the events of her own life, not because she is lying to the audience that she is unaware of, but because she is lying to herself, because the truth is something that she cannot face, and the truth is that Ozai's kindness and cruelty are not something she can control, no matter how talented, or perfect she is, she will never be safe from him, and he will never love her, and he can and has discarded her, just like he did her mother and brother.

And all too often there is this note of, oh so you believe Zuko, but not Azula? You think Zuko's point of view is truth, not Azula's? And that is also not what I am saying. I am saying that neither Zuko nor Azula, for reasons that should be obvious, are exactly paragons of self-awareness. They have each to a greater or lesser extent taken on Ozai's worldview as their own in order to protect themselves. Azula's views on her parents are no more meant to be taken as the truth, then it is when Zuko says that his father really does expect him to capture the Avatar, and loves him, and wants him home. Zuko's view on his family changes so much over the course of the series, and it starts out so obviously wrong, that the audience never has a chance to look at Zuko's view of his family and go yeah that's totally the truth and I'm going to take his word for it.

So nobody is taking Zuko's word on his family over Azula's. What we're actually doing is treating Azula the same way we treat Zuko, and looking at what she believes, and acknowledging that it's what her father has always wanted her to believe, just like her brother, and that this is a tragedy. Zuko has an arc about learning that his father's worldview is wrong, and Azula has an arc about not being able to learn this.

But ultimately, this worldview belongs to neither Zuko nor Azula, though they have both taken it on. It is Ozai's worldview, and I am taking what the narrative tells us is actually going on, over what Ozai wants to think and wants his children to think, and ultimately wants the world to think. The show tells us over and over and over again that thinking like Ozai is a trap. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't fall into it.

[jadagul]

I'd say "fandom" overall is people who see specific works as "their happy place" rather than as "works of art that they like" and therefore don't want to see critical analysis of those works. Actually, I've gotten a fair amount of hate for posting NON-critical analysis of longform works with fairly well-defined thematic consistency popular on Tumblr before, because "people are just having fun, you shouldn't try and enforce interpretations on a sandbox." Not for the content of those analyses! (Of course, nobody wanted to argue with those interpretations, either— it's the very act of Doing Analysis that people tend to be uncomfortable with, a fair amount of the time.) I think if you see "fandom" as something like a cozy evening with a hot chocolate where you know nothing will bother you, you'll get a good impression of how Tumblr views it. I just don't tag my posts about media any more for that reason.

When the (first) James Cameron Avatar movie came out, I went to see it with a group of friends. And after we finished I started making fun of some of the sillier scenes and critiquing some plot choices, and one of my friends looked at me, hurt, and said "well I enjoyed it!"

I enjoyed it too! But the best part of going to a movie is the half-hour you spend afterwards dissecting it, and talking about which things worked, and which things didn't, and what choices you'd have made differently. I thought we were all enjoying the movie together by analyzing the bad parts.

(And like, am I actually going to make better choices in general about movie-making than James Cameron? Obviously not. But the point is the discussion and analysis.)

I think this just reinforces that I don't, viscerally, get what tumblr "fandom" is.

[haereticus]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐄 𝐃'𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐎 ...

𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝… 【 rachel sennott //. cis woman //. she/her 】 welcome, ROSALINE D'ANGELO. you have successfully been loaded into THE HUB. according to our records, you are TWENTY-SIX YEARS OLD and have held citizenship for FOUR YEARS in the barrier city, neo california. your key attributes have been identified as EASY-GOING and RUDDERLESS. please confirm your CHAOTIC NEUTRAL status to proceed. our data indicates that you are currently employed with INFERNO CASINO AS A CROUPIER //. SŌWAKATSU-KAI AS A SHATEI. for your safety and security, it is crucial that all background information is accurate. further analysis of our archives highlights your alignment with BUZZCUT SEASON BY LORDE. ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ verification 100% complete. please adhere to all local regulations and laws during your stay. we trust that your time here will be both fulfilling and safe.

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒.

full name. rosaline elizabeth d'angelo. nickname(s). rosie. gender & pronouns. cis woman & she/her. date of birth. september 29, 2118. age. twenty-six. hometown. neo california. current residence. neo california. nationality. american. occupation. croupier. affiliation. inferno casino / sōwakatsu-kai. education. high school diploma + two semesters of a bachelor of fine arts.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘.

positive traits. offbeat, creative, easy-going, self-assured, amiable. negative traits. impulsive, rudderless, lazy, deceitful, irresolute. mbti. esfp-a ( the entertainer ). enneagram. type seven ( the enthusiast ). moral alignment. chaotic neutral. deadly sin. sloth. heavenly virtue. humility. western zodiac. libra. parallels. maeby funke, arrested development / mordecai, regular show / fleabag, fleabag / sokka, avatar: the last airbender / ilana wexler, broad city / pj, bottoms.

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘.

tw: alcohol & drug use, parental abandonment, tomfoolery

You never meet your mother. Well, this isn’t technically true – but you don’t remember the woman, so it might as well be. You like to think that, maybe, when you were a newborn – kicking and screaming and red as a tomato – that maybe, she had swaddled you in blankets and tucked you close to her chest. That, maybe, she had felt something akin to love. That, maybe, she would feel a pang of regret at the actions she would soon take. Of course, you can never be certain – nowadays, you don’t even remember her face. Erin O’Connell had abandoned her family on a cold winter’s evening – leaving behind a three-month-old baby girl, a son not yet old enough for school, and a husband who had seemed to genuinely adore her. She had packed a bag in the middle of the night and left town – no note, no goodbye. Her husband imagined she’d return one day – her photos remained on the walls, the police were notified, and the front door left unlocked every night in case his darling wife ever decided to come home. She didn’t, and in your earliest recollections, the photos are gone. The woman who birthed you no more than a ghost who once knew her.

Your childhood, beyond the unexpected abandonment of your mother, is relatively unremarkable. Your father works several low-paying jobs to make ends meet. He moves you and your brother around several apartments in NEW YORK as you grow up – each one shittier than the last. You spend most afternoons in the care of your grandparents, or your aunts, or your friends’ parents, while your father breaks his back to make ends meet. You want to make him proud, but you are never a particularly bright child. They will later diagnose you with something called ADHD – but nobody at your elementary school bothers to think of the loudmouthed, fidgeting, distractible, vulgar child at the back of the class as anything but a nuisance. As a result, you never do particularly well in school. You say this does not bother you, but each failing grade feels like a knife to the heart. Another disappointing stain on your family name. You try and you try, and still, you fail. Eventually, you realize the only course of action is to stop trying altogether. At least then the sting of failure won’t be quite as sharp.

Whilst you may not be academically gifted, you are a creative child – in more ways than one. Art class is the only place you ever truly excel – you learn to paint and sculpt and draw at a young age with the limited resources available to you at your elementary school. It is a way to express yourself that doesn’t require the written word, and it captures your attention in a way that nothing else does. You are also an imaginative child. When you realise you won’t be winning your peers’ respect through your intellect, you switch tactics. You decide to make them laugh. You lie to them, because real life is never very funny. You sharpen your tongue into a weapon – your wit becomes your greatest asset, a way for you to deflect from what you view as your other flaws. It works to an extent – you toe the line between amusing and annoying like an acrobat.

In all honesty, college had never seemed particularly attainable to you. By the time you near the end of high school, you have ceased to apply yourself in any way that doesn’t involve a paintbrush. Your grades are abysmal, and you spend more time smoking in your friends’ parents’ basements than you do trying to improve them. And yet, your art teacher insists you send your portfolio out to various colleges. You never know, she says. You do it because she is the only adult left who believes in you. You’re not sure whether she’s a psychic, or whether you’re extremely lucky – but, somehow, your portfolio is enough to earn you a spot at a relatively prestigious university. It should have been everything you wanted – studying art, painting and drawing all day, every day. But it isn’t. College is hard. Your art gets picked apart by people who claim to know better, and you flunk out of art theory. You can’t hack it. You drop out after two semesters.

At twenty years old, you are unemployed, homeless, and a university dropout. The next two years are spent completing odd jobs – shop attendant, bartender, personal assistant, hairdressing apprentice. All are short-lived, and generally end with your termination report reading incompetence. You sleep on the couches of friends before landing yourself a more permanent arrangement. You don’t know how you manage to convince a girl with her own apartment to go out with you – but you do, and you quickly make yourself at home in her penthouse place. You contribute to rent where you can – though you are rarely able to hold a job for more than a week or two. We’ll call this relationship what it was: a bail out. A salvation from homelessness, or worse, from admitting defeat and moving back in with your father. She must see something in you, something that isn’t completely hopeless, because she lets you stay.

Even saints have their breaking points, though. Countless promises have been made and broken – to get a job, to pay rent, to stop drinking and smoking. You don’t know why you are the way you are – but each broken promise numbs you to the next one. Each terminated contract steels your resolve. Failure tastes a lot sweeter when you convince yourself you never cared at all. Eventually, your girlfriend offers an ultimatum – and when it comes to pass, you are back out on the streets with barely a dollar to your name. You are twenty-two, unemployed, homeless, and entirely broke. You haven’t a hope in the world. Not in New York, anyway.

You tell yourself NEO CALIFORNIA will be a fresh start. The other side of the country, where nobody knows your name, where nobody knows what an abysmal loser you really are. You spend your last few dollars on a plane ticket and embark on your new life. You tell yourself you’ll get a real job, a real apartment, make real friends and be a real functioning member of society. And, to your credit, this is exactly what you intend to do when you seek employment at the INFERNO CASINO. And, for the first few months this is what you do. You collect your paycheques, show up on time, annoy the heck out of your coworkers, but, overall, do a pretty good job. Alas, as it tends to, ruination soon comes for you. And, as it tends to be, your demise is self-made.

You hadn’t planned on stealing from the house. But it occurs to you during a shift that they have so much money, and you have so little. You are living on the couch of an elderly man you found on the internet. Your sneakers are falling apart, and your clothes are wearing thin. You’ve been living off instant ramen for months, and you can barely afford to keep yourself alive. So, you skim a little off the top. Not much – just enough for a nice hot meal. A few dollars, at most. The next shift, you take a little more – you count cards and cheat the players out of their winnings. This is enough for some new shoes. The next week, you’re buying a designer handbag you decidedly do not need. You honestly don’t know how you get away with it for as long as you do – but you soon find yourself being called into the office of HANEUL SEON, and you know what he is going to say before you even sit down.

See, most casinos would have simply fired you – but you have made on glaring miscalculation. The owner of the casino is affiliated with the SŌWAKATSU-KAI, and, apparently, they don’t take kindly to thievery. He presents you with two options: you will pay with your loyalty or your life. You’re not completely stupid, so you quickly find yourself being sworn in as a SHATEI of the most notorious Yakuza gang in America. No big deal, though. At least Haneul didn’t fire you. So, this is where we find you: twenty-six years old, college dropout, employed by the Yakuza to cheat rich men out of their stolen dollars. It’s not as bad as it sounds, really. It’s not as bad as it sounds, right?

[dieauster-und-diegarnele]

Ambidextrous Sokka

There is a fan-fact, that Sokka from "Avatar: the last airbender" could be left-handed or even ambidextrous – based on the moment from "The lake Laogai" episode, where he draws with his left hand. Because Sokka is one of my favorite characters and I really want him to be special (ambidexterity is a rare thing) I rewatched all the series to prove it - or vise versa.

So. Season 1:

Using right hand – 58 times, left – 30 times.

With his right hand Sokka holds different stuff (such as a lantern), eats, cuts a rope, edges his boomerang and also gestures. He attacks holding his weapon in right hand.

He also eats using his left hand, holds a cup in his left hand, throws his boomerang, sometimes uses his weapon, paints his face and, again, gestures.

It seems that in season 1 nobody cared which hand Sokka uses. Mostly right but sometimes left.

Season 2:

Using right hand – 69 times, left – 64 times.

New information: with his right hand Sokka writes, draws a map and plays an instrument.

He holds chopsticks in his left hand, draws Appa for posters, edges a blade, plays a boardgame, wipes his tears, waves off – gestures again.

Both hands examples: holds a torch, "smokes" a pipe, throws the boomerang, holds his weapon and a cup (or sort of), points at a map.

In this season using of right and left hands is almost equal. I can't say that Sokka is left-handed but he still might be ambidextrous.

Season 3:

Using right hand – 122 times, left – 61 times.

Learning with Piandao, Sokka holds his sword in his left hand at the first sudden attack in the final fight but for the rest of the fight and in all training sessions he uses his right hand.

He also sometimes takes his sword with the left hand, but fights only with right or both (maybe because it's a little heavy for a teenager).

In this season he again writes and draws with his right hand, eats and holds chopsticks in it.

With his left hand is nothing special – sometimes holding a weapon or other stuff, gesticulation et cetera.

Again - both hands examples:

So in season 3 the right hand is obviously dominant.

As a result Sokka perfectly obvious is not left-handed (but there's still a small chance that he's ambidextrous). It looks more like animators didn't care about which hand characters use (not only Sokka) – mostly right but at some occasions left, for a natural looking gesture on screen. Toph, for example, holds chopsticks in her left hand, as well as her father (see "The Blind Bandit" episode), princess Yue and Jin from "The tale of Zuko" mostly use their left hands, but no one considers them left-handed.

P.S. I've got a strange idea: maybe originally Sokka was ambidextrous and Katara was left-handed, but they both were taught to use their right hand? It explains why Sokka mostly uses his right hand for fighting (he was taught this way) but draws with both hands. We know that his drawings are awful no matter which hand he uses, but it could be because maybe he has no experience in drawing (see a great analysis here).

Also he throws his favorite boomerang as he likes, using either right or left hand.

And look at Katara. In the begining of season 1 if she uses only one hand for waterbending, it is the left hand – she learns by herself, so it's safe to assume that this is more natural to her. Then she finds a waterbending scroll and later a waterbending master, Pakku, and starts to use right hand for waterbending. Also her flask (which appears in "Jet" episode, right after "The waterbending scroll") is always plased at her left side for waterbending with the right hand.

The only two times she bends exclusively with the right hand ("The waterbending master" episode):

Also in "The warriors of Kyoshi" episode she sews Sokka's pants with her left hand)

Update: The siege of the North, Part 1

Update 2: The Souther Raiders (couldn't find a better screenshot, but little Katara is throwing a snowball with her left hand)

It is just a theory, but it was fun to notice.

(But most likely nobody really cared about Sokka's dominant arm. As for Toph, Zuko et cetera - feel free to check)

Aang officially is right-handed.

P.S. It is a very long post and I've possibly made some mistakes. My english is not perfect. Feel free to correct me.

[review-anon]

Now I'm curious, who would you say are your favorite and least favorite oc characters from the different mods?

Alright a less negative ask!

I will only do the ones I know, so no Finalverse since I never got the chance to read it before Aliza deleted it.

A Student out of Time

Favourite: Kyoji Nakamura. I remember this guy from ATDK and I loved him back then and now with better writing he is even better. The fact I’m planning to do a character analysis on him at some point should tell you all. Probably the bits I like the most is how Kyoji is a complete inverse to the typical Author Avatar/Self Inserts where instead of making things better, he makes things worse. I have been trying to do that with Review Anon to a degree but she’s not as disaster prone as Kyoji, nobody can top him there.

Least Favourite: Maverick Storm. I used to like this guy but now he’s in a blog with better writing and he isn’t shielded by a bunch of stupid OCs, his flaws are really coming to the forth-front. My opinion of The Puppetmaster has also worsened since time went on, it’s certainly not S tier anymore I will tell you that. Again I don’t hate Maverick and he doesn’t piss me off, it’s just when compared to the other ASOOT OCs, he really is the weakest.

Despair To Future Arc

Favourite: Masa Esumi. As a Nikei fanboy it sounds sacrilege I know but if there’s one advantage reading DTFA has done, it’s made me appreciate the characters the blogs share. And Masa has really grown on me as a character. I already liked her in ASOOT but DTFA elevated it to new levels as I do like a character who despite being held down by many restrictions, finds ways to do the right thing and screw over the bad guys. And speaking of Nikei, while I might like him, I am not blind to his faults and Masa can put him in his place.

If you want me to go for someone not shared between the blogs then Naoyuki Harumaki. Guy is not the brightest spark but his heart is in the right place and yes I do ship him and Masa. Big time. Can’t wait for him to show up in ASOOT proper.

Least Favourite: Minoru Suzuki. Thought I was gonna have Monaca’s mother here did you? Well sorry but no, because as bad as Satoko is, she’s meant to be hated and despised as she’s basically the DTFA main original villain. But Minoru is just Arturo if he was born into this generation and yeah if you couldn’t tell I don’t like Arturo but who does? Aside from being a rude doctor, he is also a horrible brother to Sanae and there’s his treatment of Kikue, yep that got me raging. I’m also 100% convinced he’s Kikue’s original abusive husband from ASOOT. Worst part is he’s gonna receive no consequences and that’s why I despise him more then Satoko, she will in the end get her reckoning, Minoru won’t.

Survivor

Favourite: Kuripa Kufato. Now bear in mind I still have a backlog to go through so this might change in the future but right now Kuripa is the shining star of the OCs. Firstly as I mentioned in a previous ask, Kuripa is completely mad and psychotic and I love it. Yes he’s a good guy, but he’s also so much like the Punisher and really makes the villains. Which honestly can be quite cathartic as Hajime is way too nice and Nagi also is to an extend so having a MC who is a bit more willing to let loose is a breath of fresh air. That being said, I also know he is unsubstainable and he will die bloody and messy. But it won’t be quiet I tell you for that. He also has decent chemistry with the canon cast as everyone and I mean everyone has an opinion on the guy. He’s like marmite, you either love him or hate him.

Least Favourite: Matta Gyalusetsu. I don’t like Villain Sues and that’s what Matta is in spades. Something I feel is done on purpose by how Creeper is writing him. The worst part is while most of the villains in Survivor are either entertaining or you could make them suffer, you can’t do that to Matta as trying to torture him won’t work. But what really grinds my gears is the notion he is in the right and all his actions are ultimately justified. Is Kuripa a harbinger of doom? I don’t know. But finding out he has a literal Operation Phoenix? Yeah me no liekey. And while I suspect my favourite Survivor character will change, I doubt there is a OC in Survivor that will top Matta in how much I dislike him.

And that’s that. I’m not including A New Future because there isn’t many OCs on there yet and again no Finalverse because it got deleted before I got a chance to read it.

[chaosthatsmellsgreen]

Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender thoughts, part 4/5

about the characters from the Fire Nation

Zuko and Aang: they softened Zuko a lot, which, eh, it's fine. he opens up to Aang a little too easily in ep 6, but i loved their little talk about their studies and how they grew up. it's on the nose but honestly, you can't exactly pretend that the Zuko-Aang parallels in the OG show were subtle. "I need my honor back" *sharp cut to Zuko* was anything but subtle, so i'm actually fine with this

Iroh and Lu Ten: so, the discussions around the siege of Ba Sing Se, and Lu Ten's funeral, and Zuko's remembrance of Lu Ten were all wonderful. it's a nice detail to include the earth kingdom soldier, to show the consequences of Iroh's actions more, and i decided i liked how they handled it. i like that Iroh doesn't apologize - there is no point, and no apologies will bring the soldier's brother back. the only thing he can do is show that he knows too many lives have been lost in this war already, and move on; maybe hope that confronting him has helped the soldier move on in some way as well. as for the casket scene; Leaves from the Vine is exploitative a little, but i think the show did a good job of not just riding the free tearjerking the song itself lent to it, but providing substance under it. i especially adored Zuko in that scene; he's young, too young and too raised in an emotionally repressive family to be able to say what he really wants to say. it doesn't even really seem to be allowed for him to say "i'm sorry for your loss", because Lu Ten's fate is regarded as an honourable death more worthy of congratulations than condolences. but obviously, Zuko feels how much pain Iroh is in, and (what i also love) he's struggling with Lu Ten's death himself. there were hints in the original show that Zuko would've spent time alone with Iroh and Lu Ten, and the gifting of Lu Ten's medal is such a precious, telling moment of their relationship. my last comment is that having Zuko not only personally relate to Iroh in his grief, showing him that Iroh isn't alone in this pain, but then sitting with him after that is such a heartwarming, beautiful moment.

Zhao: so Zhao's story was interesting, i think it explored his motivation a little better, and he remained more consistent. in the OG show, he goes a little 0-100 after his first few episodes, here it was more gradual from being a nobody to having ambitions of killing the moon and becoming Firelord. hm. this is almost like a pattern huh

Fire family: is the easiest way to refer to the whole Ozai-Azula-Zuko-Iroh situation. Ozai and his relationship with his children is framed differently and expanded upon. they did change the whole dynamic somewhat, which i don't think is necessarily bad, it certainly lends more depth to Azula, whose story culminated originally in what Overanalyzing Avatar called "The Extremely Expedited Complete Mental Collapse of Azula" (if you haven't watched his analysis on why he thought Azula's breakdown was too sudden, i really recommend it). i think with how they are setting up her character, if they take it in the same direction as ATLA did, they'll have a more solid and believable breakdown at the end. i think Ozai seems weirdly - bear with me here - protective of Zuko. like he believes the crap he's spewing, and while he still treats Zuko horribly (i think the burning of Zuko's face was somehow even more cruel in this, it felt less angry and more deliberate, cold, which is... ugh. hard to even think about.), he clearly seems like he'd prefer Zuko on the throne over Azula. which was not the case in ATLA, even when they were children and Zuko wanted to show off to his grandfather, before he did anything, Ozai was already frowning. now, i don't necessarily think this change couldn't make an interesting story, i just hope the message about how abusive and horrible Ozai is to his children is not gonna get twisted and excused because of this change in attitude. i also like that there is a little more emphasis on the fact that Ozai and Iroh are brothers, and that they actually TALK to each other

priorities: from the above points, i think a clear pattern forms: despite the runtime being roughly equal to ATLA's book 1, NATLA season 1's priorities lean sooooo far towards discussing the fire nation, their soldiers, their supporters and opponents, Zuko and Iroh, Ozai and especially Azula that the Gaang looses a crapload of the runtime they originally had. and while this obviously benefits the fire nation characters, it has this negative effect of us missing out on a lot of opportunities for the main cast to bond while we're busy watching Mai and Ty Lee hyping Azula up for... whatever reason

Mai is not in this show btw. i know there was a girl with Ty Lee and Azula who looks like Mai but it wasn't her.

PART 4/5

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