#hence why they brought it back with Azula’s speech on the beach

[radicalfemimist]

^^^^^

finally some good writing analysis.

When it comes to Azula, people seem to forget the basic rules of writing analysis— like, for example, the fact that what canon shows is the rule and not the exception. Zuko’s flashbacks had to accomplish a set of things to warrant him having those flashbacks.

1) Interpersonal relationships.

2) Backstory and Lore.

They used these flashbacks to establish the family dynamic. Zuko was close with his mother. That’s one of the first things they set out to establish with the turtleduck scene. With this scene, they establish that closeness— and they also establish Ursa’s protectiveness over Zuko, a sort of Chekhov’s Gun.

With Tiny Azula’s introduction, they establish that Mai had a childhood crush on Zuko, and that Azula and Zuko’s relationship has always been complicated— in the Turtleduck scene, Zuko references how Azula feeds Turtleducks in an amused manner— in this one, he doesn’t want to play with her and Azula is using her puppy eyes to convince their mother to make him so she and Ty Lee can matchmake.

In the flashback where Ursa gets the letter announcing Lu Ten’s death, they’re even playing together willingly and having fun, furthering that it’s never been black and white between them.

On the other hand, Ursa and Azula never have more than a neutral interaction in all of the flashbacks— which, as you said, is deliberate. They intentionally establish this distance between Ursa and her young daughter (who is like 6-7 in those flashbacks) as Ursa consistently scolds Azula but makes no real effort to explain to Azula why it’s wrong to say those things.

Worst of all, is that as these flashbacks are from Zuko’s perspective, it implies everything we see is something he remembers. Meaning that Zuko heard Ursa ask what was wrong with Azula, and he was farther out of earshot than Azula was. I mean that picture clearly shows, Azula was right there. At least wait 30 more seconds for her to be a little less right there, if you’re gonna trash talk your daughter.

I think Ursa did the best she could, and definetely loved Azula (and She also made Zuko play with Azula), she was a little more protective of Zuko but I think it was because Ozai was more of a direct threat to Zuko (not that he wasn't a threat to Azula, just in a less direct "I wish you hadn't been born" way)

I don’t know, I mean, if I left my child with the impression that I hated her, feared her, and thought she was an irredeemable monster only capable of destruction and violence, then I would consider myself a bad parent. Like rip to Ursa but I’m different.