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From the Editor: July 4th and You |
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To those who are unfamiliar with the Ba Sing Se Times, this is a free-for-all submission system that truly relies on you to keep publishing. If you're anything like me, you also wouldn't mind being part of a fancy blog feature on Avatar Wiki's home page just for submitting a sophisticated ramble in style! See those huge, obvious buttons above me? One click is all it takes for your journey to glorified publishing to begin... We WILL see you in our article submission office. We will. You know you want to. |
Greetings, Avatar Wiki!
2024 is in its second half, but so many Avatar goodies have spawned and will continue to grow just as our community does every day. For some of us, it's the sweltering heat of Sozin's Comet outside. For others, it's Independence Day. But for Avatar Wiki, it's another glorious day for the Ba Sing Se Times and we are so happy to see all your smiling (you're smiling, right?) faces come visit us.
In this issue, we're pleased to announce our new Discord Deputy Editor, The Good Duke and have interrogated chatted amiably with him to get an idea of what he's all about - and by the way, it's also his birthday! And what's more, we've brought in many new faces who've written up a storm for this issue and epic artwork to top it off. What are you waiting for?
Below is an exact transcript of our live staff interview with The Ba Sing Se Times's newest Discord Deputy Editor: The Good Duke! Editor-in-chief Minnichi, Fanon Deputy Editor Bomochu, and Mainspace Deputy Editor AvatarRokusGhost have deemed this groovy user worthy of representing our Discord community and are excited to see what he brings to the table.
(A/N: I’m not exactly what one would call a military expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt. This is just something I thought was worth discussing and was pertinent to the anti-imperialistic themes of Avatar: The Last Airbender.)
When it comes to the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War, a lot is made of their military prowess. They have the largest military force in the world, they have routinely trounced the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. And it’s an agreed-upon fact that if a certain airbender hadn’t stepped in, they more than likely would’ve won the war. That being said, the Fire Lord’s war machine is not without its…problems. True, no military power is perfect. There are bound to be issues in regards to such things as communication, supply lines, chain of command, and the usual strategic blunders. Yet even then, at least during the ending phases of the war, the Fire Nation had demonstrated a rather shocking lack of military competence. While certainly not enough to grind their war effort to a screeching halt, some of the problems that I have noticed would, in a realistic scenario, probably cost them more manpower and resources than what a competent commander would realistically need. Let’s start with the chain of command. Particularly the attitude that higher-ups like generals or even the Fire Lord have towards their subordinates. We all are already aware of the incident that gave Zuko his scar. About how General Bujin tried to advocate for a division of raw recruits to lure an Earth Kingdom army into an ambush. It demonstrates a rather appalling lack of concern by generals for the well-being of their troops. And it’s not limited to Bujin either. We see the Warden tossing his own men into the water just for making him mad. Which is commented by said men on being a frequent occurrence. Even Iroh during his days as the Dragon of the West was responsible for what was essentially a horrific meatgrinder in the 600-Day Siege of Ba Sing Se. This indicates that very few Fire Nation generals had any concern for the wellbeing of their troops. This leads to a number of problems. Particularly with morale and the willingness to fight. If your only motivation to fight is either through sheer fanaticism for the Fire Lord, this does not make for good morale if you know that there’s a chance your own commander can get you killed. Poor morale means that your army is more easily to break. Considering that a good portion of the army stationed at the Capital during the Day of the Black Sun panicked when bereft of their firebending, we do have some evidence of poor morale. Especially with Fire Lord Ozai essentially just holed up in a bunker while his daughter and his army do the fighting and actual defense for him. Another thing that leads to poor troop performance is poor strategic and tactical decisions. For example, Bujin’s suggestion of using a green regiment as bait is not only horrifically callous, it’s horrifically stupid. Any good commander knows not to rely on inexperienced recruits in regards to a fairly important engagement. Realistically, a division that specializes in hit and run attacks or skirmishing would’ve been better suited to more easily engage and disengage an enemy army. Which is what such an ambush would’ve needed if it were to succeed. We also see poor strategy with the whole Drill fiasco. Needless to say, pouring a lot of resources into a massive, thoroughly impractical machine isn’t just risky. It’s downright inefficient, to the point I’m convinced that the failure of such a money sink is why we don’t see the Fire Nation try another immediate assault on Ba Sing Se’s walls. Even if the Drill succeeded, the army still would’ve had to make up for a lot of resources lost when a simple infiltration like what Azula used could’ve worked better. What the Drill demonstrates though is what the core Fire Nation army policy is: intimidation and glory rather than common sense. They appear to be more focused on showing how fanatical they are to the Fire Lord than actually undergoing a proper campaign of conquest. The Drill was meant to show the industrious power of the Fire Nation. Zhao killing the Moon Spirit to stroke his ego was to show that they didn’t need the Spirits and the “old ways” even though not only was it pointless (the Northern Water Tribe was helpless without the Moon Spirit), but led to the Ocean Spirit killing off the entire invasion Fleet. And Ozai’s plan on burning the entire Earth Kingdom would’ve destroyed the very land they have been spending a whole century fighting over. They spent so much time on these grandiose victories over what would’ve been good for their people as a whole. In conclusion, I believe that the Fire Nation’s practices showcase what they’ve degenerated into. Leaders focused more on themselves than the country’s well-being, and trying to show just how dedicated they are to the point they’ll throw away valuable manpower and resources to do so. Everyone else was just meat for the grinder. |
Greetings, Avatar Wiki!
It’s been an exciting time for the Avatar community as the Netflix live action adaptation hit the screens. Ever since it was announced, there was a flurry of excitement, panic, and apathy - some people couldn’t wait to see their favourite story retold in live action, some people feared we would see something akin to the movie, and some people were just content to rewatch the original cartoon on loop regardless. Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to find out if it was worth the hype and panic and indifference. We surveyed 26 members of the Avatar community and asked them to rank the live action series out of 5 and to explain their answer. The results are in, THE APATHETICS HAVE IT! Well in truth, it’s hard to say that but most respondents rated it 3 stars. Indeed, the mean, median, and mode were all 3 stars. It is reasonably spread out, with an interquartile range of 2, so it is far from unanimously mid. I calculated the customer (percentage of respondents who rated it a 4 or 5) at 35% and as a whole, there are marginally more people with positive than negative views on the live action. So what’s behind this spread? Let’s dive into what the people actually said. Be warned, there may be spoilers ahead. I read over the different reviews and summarised them into a few good and bad points. Good:
Not So Good:
Overall, while there were aspects of the series that received praise, such as the soundtrack, visuals, and certain changes, there were significant criticisms regarding character development, storytelling, and fidelity to the original series' spirit. To drill down deeper, here are two specific examples. One that rated it 1 star and one that rated it 5 stars. "They somehow managed to take a near perfect cast and make the series intolerable. It completely misses the point of the original animated series. It uses really bad jump cuts for their action scenes, as well as not utilizing some of the actors actual talents" "Though its not 100% true to the original, as a standalone live action series I think it was brilliant. Too many people are expecting it to be an exact remake but that’s quite frankly unrealistic. I went in treating it like a fanfiction (as it should be) and for that i think it was really well done and a treat to watch. The changes made were dynamic and interesting to watch. I binged the whole thing in a few days. I appreciated how they really showed the horrors of the air nomad genocide, how past avatars really had a much larger role, and most characters i found to be more compelling than even the animated series. Overall I am looking forward to season 2." I think that sums up the series nicely. It isn’t the cartoon and it is not a 1:1 remake. It is an adaptation that brings a lot of new things to the table and takes a lot of old things away. Whether that’s a good thing or not is not for me to say but what I will say is that with the show renewed for two more series (according to Forbes), we’re in for an influx of new fans into our community and to them, this will be the definitive Avatar.
Avatar the last airbender is known for its incredible story, compelling characters and detailed worldbuilding. As anyone who has watched the show can agree, few shows out there do such a great job at showing character growth throughout the story, and in Avatar we get to see all main characters grow from children at the beginning to young adults or teenagers living up to their role after having completed their character arc by the climax of the story. All of them being lovingly guided towards their purpose by those around them, whether it be a love interest, friends or a tea loving uncle. All except for one.
Azula. Arguably one of the most compelling villains and main antagonists of the show, Azula is introduced to us as the prodigious princess of the Fire nation, a powerful firebender whose cunning and skill could easily best some of the best benders in the world of Avatar throughout the ages. Azula is introduced as a character that is fulfilled and happy in her role, she has achieved most of what she wants by the start of the show. By the first time we see her, she in a position that all the rest of the characters must learn to grow into: Sokka into leadership, Zuko into honour and Aang into duty, Toph into teamwork, Katara into skill and Suki into involvement with world affairs. She is the only character that starts with everything and slowly evolves into losing it all, starting by her sanity. Good and Evil are oftentimes a matter of points of view. No one inherently chooses to be evil since birth, but may instead grow to do evil deeds if told that is the right choice. This was the case with Zuko and Azula. Both grew up with the ideals Ozai implanted in their brain, and as such both siblings had a very similar mentality at the start of the show. So why is it that Zuko ended up being redeemed and crowned Fire Lord, while Azula ended up mentally ill and in prison? The answer boils down to: No one cared. Here is a hot take: Ursa and Iroh are just as bad as Ozai because they stood by and abandoned Azula to be raised by him. Their favouritism pushed Azula to depend on her abuser and left her with no one else to turn to. Throughout his journey of redemption, Zuko had Ursa and more importantly Iroh, helping and guiding him, teaching him what's right and wrong with love and patience, caringly holding his hand through it all. Meanwhile Azula had no one to guide her at all. Just like Zuko, Azula grew up believing fear and cruelty were the marks of a great leader and whenever life “taught” her otherwise it was always done in a cruel and hurtful way, like Ty Lee and Mai, her two closest allies, betraying her instead of trying to guide her, a big contrast to the way Zuko learned right and wrong. For her “right” meant pain and betrayal, for Zuko it meant redemption and forgiveness from the person who loved him most. Because of this she rejects the notion completely. It's easy for people to think she’s simply a lost cause. Even Iroh, the voice of wisdom, is blind to the needs of the child when he says Azula is beyond saving and needs “to go down”, when it would be wise to keep in mind that she’s only 14 years old and far from even having a fully developed brain. I like to associate the idea to the following analogy: Two children sleep in a dark room. When morning comes and it's time to wake up, the mom goes to the older child first, she gives him a cup of tea and turns on a candle to help the boy get adjusted to the light before opening the curtains. The boy then comes to associate mornings with a warm feeling of love and care. On the other hand, for the second child the mom barges into her room, loudly kicking the door open, startling the child, and immediately sliding the curtains open. The child is disoriented and the light hurts her eyes so all she wants to do is hide under the covers and go back to sleep. This child associates mornings with pain and fear. Can you guess which child likes waking up more than the other?
Kyoshi’s journey from an unassuming and seemingly insignificant orphan to the formidable Avatar we all know and love is littered with challenges, and throughout most of it, Rangi stood by her side. Their relationship goes beyond physical protection; it encompasses both emotional and moral support. Rangi’s unwavering faith in Kyoshi’s potential, serve as a beacon of her strength, especially during moments of her most intense fear and self-doubt. Despite the personal risk, Rangi refused to abandon Kyoshi and chose to run away with her out of her duty, to protect not only the Avatar, but also Kyoshi herself.
In "The Rise of Kyoshi", a notable moment of strain in Kyoshi and Rangi's relationship occurs during the aftermath of Kelsang's death. Kyoshi is consumed by grief and anger, and her quest for revenge against those responsible takes precedence over everything else. This intense focus on vengeance causes tension between her and Rangi, who worries about Kyoshi's well-being and the potentially destructive path she's on. Rangi's concern for Kyoshi's moral compass and her deep emotional turmoil create a rift, testing the strength of their bond as they navigate their complex emotions and the dangerous journey ahead.
Kyoshi realized she’d had it all wrong. Rangi was a true believer. -The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee In this conversation, Rangi is addressing Kyoshi and her desire for revenge against Jianzhu. It is apparent that even though Rangi does not agree with Kyoshi’s decision, she is staying by her side. Furthermore, in the sequel novel, "The Shadow of Kyoshi," another significant strain on Kyoshi and Rangi's relationship occurs in the chapter "Weakness." During this chapter, Yun attacks Hei-Ran, Rangi's mother, and stabs her in the neck. Kyoshi chooses to save Hei-Ran instead of pursuing Yun, which leads to a fierce argument with Rangi. Rangi is furious, accusing Kyoshi of using her mother as bait, while Kyoshi is devastated by the accusation and the strain it causes in their relationship.
Kyoshi took one of her fans out. As gently as she could, she earthbent Rangi into the ground, halfway up to her shins. "What in the name of—Kyoshi, is this you?" Rangi clawed at the ground around her legs, trying to uproot herself. "Stop it! Let me out!" There are places my daughter will never go, Hei-Ran had once said. There were places Kyoshi would never take Rangi. Just, honorable, kind Rangi who believed in what the Avatar stood for. Kyoshi leaned over and kissed Rangi on the top of her head. "Please forgive me," she whispered, before climbing into Yingyong’s saddle. "Kyoshi!" Rangi screamed, trapped where she stood. Jinpa snapped the reins and Yingyong rose into the air. "Kyoshi!" Kyoshi clenched her teeth and wished the bison could climb faster. She needed to be high in the sky where the air was thin and she could no longer hear Rangi crying her name.
"Kyoshi." Rangi's voice was the only sound that could make her see right now. Her Firebender reached for her face. "Stay here with me," Rangi whispered, a faint smile on her lips. She shuddered, and her hand fell before she could touch the Avatar one last time. Kyoshi looked up at Yun. The bloody earthen dagger in his hand crumbled to dust. "It shouldn’t have been this way," he said. "But this is how it will be, over and over again, if you keep trying to stop me."
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Avatar: Warrior Bender Squad
Plot Synopsis "Air. Water. Earth. Fire. For three-hundred years, the evil pirate clan, Fubai, invaded the world through the rivers to attack and cause terror to humans. But then, five warriors always showed up, so that they can defeat the pirate clan and protect the world. They are trained in the arts of bending and use those bending powers to defeat the Fubai Clan. These five warriors are the Avatar and his four noble retainers. Their battle continues until this day." Read more of Avatar: Warrior Bender Squad here!
Have some awesome Avatar fanfic stories to share? Contact the BSST staff to have them featured!
Shines the Brightest by ThePieIsALie After the Hundred Year War, Azula is held at a psychiatric hospital until Zuko seeks out her help to find their mother. Azula embarks on a journey of self-discovery where she comes to question everything she knows about The Fire Nation, family, destiny, and herself. Is there such a thing as redemption? Even for a monster? ... Check it out here! by Balanceoflightanddark aka Orca2015 An Azula centric redemption fic that deconstructs elements of the comics, is anti-imperialist, and takes a critical look at several fan favorite characters. Godzilla was a huge part of my childhood, and I remember watching ATLA when it first aired. Azula was an important character to me, and I wanted some kind of redemption for her. A crossover with Godzilla was something I wanted to do to give it a bit of a twist, but it wasn't until recently that I gave it serious thought. After writing a Pokemon fic, I realized it was doable since I was well versed in both franchises. And now, here we are. ... Check it out here!
Here you'll find the latest fanon news and requests from the community. If you'd like any requests or offers listed then contact one of the BSST staff. You can also visit the FRRS for an interview or technical review, or the Fanonbenders for help.
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