my name is meru but i often go by freya online. i'm a spanish digital artist and fanfic writer stuck in a STEM degree
this is my main blog and i use it for any and all fandoms i may get into. im a bit shy but i love to interact with everyone :>
art requests through my asks are always open for whatever fandom i am currently in ^^
Commission status: OPEN (DM for inquiries!)
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new beginings happen between sunrise and sundown [ATLA - Zutara]
if you want to burn bridges let me be the lighter in your hands [ATLA - Zutara]
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i commented the episodes as i was watching them but i wanted to condense my full opinion on it in a proper post, both what i liked and what i did not (since i previously only focused on the positive to have a good time)
everything under the cut. i am NOT gonna argue about ships at all here, i am a zutara shipper and i am obviously biased towards my favorite characters (like everyone else), lets get that out of the way. full spoilers ahead !
onto my main points:
gonna divide this in points to keep it organized, but first, while writting this i am trying to keep in mind a few things:
- a 1:1 faithful adaptation is impossible and i do not expect it
- an exact adaptation is completely pointless and unncessary for me (like the HTTYD movie, its cool to see, and its also a waste) so i WANT changes to be introduced
- the new showrunners are building off of what the previous one did so there may be things they wanted to do differently but couldnt (and we cant really know)
- the 7-8 1h episode format is EXTREMELY detrimental for atla specifically, theres very very limited time to condense a lot of things (its a show with a lot of filler episodes that still add to the characters and are important), so stuff has to be cut out, very unfortunately. im blaming netflix and modern streaming for this, not the natla writers
1. Katara
i was afraid, i was terrified for her, she is my favorite character and i did NOT want to see her disastrously flattened out like in season 1, so i am pretty thankful for what we got instead!
1. 1. The Painted Lady
i miss the painted lady in the fire nation, i think it was best fitting for the character that it is and it unfortunately looses some weight when taken out of that context, but the compromise to add her in ba sing se was well done imo. i *specially* liked that its intriduced as a core part of katara, we see the seed and the idea being planted in her, we see her through multiple episodes and not a one off thing. and with the addition of the fire nation refugees (this time we KNOW them and we know theyre not only civillians, but war deserters too, this adds layers) the message remains: katara has a strong sense of justice and empathy, no matter who is it for, and drive to take action. she does not turn her back to those that need her.
1. 2. Bloodbending Foreshadowing
when katara tries healing poison out of the kid's blood i think it's safe to assume that this is a reference to her learning bloodbending in the future, and what's important here is that this is shown in a positive light (healing someone). it would be very refreshing if they paint such an important part of her character as something that is not inherently evil (genuinely, that portrayal in the og show is reductive and offensive to both hama and katara).
1. 3. Katara's Personality
this is something that is bleeding out from her portrayal in season 1 (removing sokka's sexist behavior and her parentification, therefore removing a big and relevant source of her anger), which i hated and still do, it took away a point of connection for the audience and one of her many layers. but i understand that this is something that cannot exactly be re-introduced now, so we need to accept it. i do, however, really like how they instead chose to expand on other areas of her character! we have a lot more room to see a katara that is diplomatic and smart, that is witty and funny and likes making jokes, that is deeply empathetic and knows how to connect with people, that has a strong bond with her brother and, most importantly: *still* is strong (physically and metaphorically, her fight scenes were so cool), that wants to fight for what is right, doesnt back down when faced with adversities and wants to help everyone. this season we had so much focus on her and her importance to the narrative, and i absolutely cannot complain about that.
1. 4. Katara and Suki's Friendship
beautiful adition, literally no notes on it, wish we could have gotten even more of them connecting with each other and becoming close friends (cause in the end it did fall short). they clearly vibe a lot together and the detail of suki suggesting katara join the kyoshi warriors was PERFECT
2. Aang
to start off: i do NOT like aang's character in the original show and anything else that came after it. better said: i deeply dislike the way the narrative handles such a potentially interesting character (lot to say about this that i already have complained about). HOWEVER, i do really like natla aang! i find that they managed to keep the naive, trusting, funny boy persona while showcasing that he has worries and concerns and way too much weight put on him, that he needs to work on his emotions and is immature at times. he makes mistakes and treats his friends unfairly but realises it and tries to make up for it. he has moments of introspection and clearly wants to be better. natla aang has a very obvious crush on katara and wants to confess, but its clear how much he values the friendship and how nervous he is about it (in the og show his crush is presented almost immediately and leaves no space to appreciate the friendship because it always feels like his romantic feelings come before his platonic ones, which creates a dynamic that i dont like). i think the unrequited/unknown crush aspect is very cute! its relatable and understandable. as a personal choice i think it would inmensely benefit the character development if it remains unreciprocated, or at least as a open ended question in the show finale (but we will see how season 3 keeps handling it)
3. Iroh
something that has always received a lot of critique and complain from the original show is how iroh's redemption arc (after being a war general) happens entirely off screen and before the show even begins, so it always felt a bit jarring to hear from his past and then see the person he became but have no insight on his own process, like we are simply supposed to accept that he redeemed himself after being, objectively, a horrible person. i think the adition of him visibly experiencing all the pain and the remorse for what he has done was one of the best ones in the adaptation. iroh is no longer just happily spending a vacation in ba sing se, he is haunted by his actions and wants to do better even if he knows he cant compensate the deaths he has taken part in.
4. Zutara (romantic and platonic)
super biased take on my part, obviously, but the highlight of the show to me. here they managed to showcase a bit more of their (future) relationship, which is a beautiful friendship built on a lot of emotions (difficult ones!!) and understanding of the other persona and what they have suffered. they put emphasis on their thematic paralells (mainly painted lady vs. blue spirit and their mothers being taken away) and set the bases for a heartbreaking reconciliation, because now its not simply that zuko betrayed katara in the catacombs after they both opened up, the blue spirit *also* has betrayed the painted lady, the one he is supposed to protect and watch for, as showcased in the play he sees as a child. this can lead to very interesting moments in season 3 cause they were closer before the betrayal and theres more feelings at stake.
4. 1. The Crystal Catacombs
if i may fangirl for a moment... MY PLATE IS FULL, MY HEART IS BUSTING, TEARS ARE FLOWING. the original scene is already perfect but this??? the betrayal after teaming up together and defending each other? the hurt of knowing that HE knew who he was and kept it shut? the shame of not wanting to reveal his identity because he knew it would hurt and anger her? all the line additions enhanced the scene and made it so much more emotional, "perhaps it was meant for you" "i dont deserve it" "you will" (the foreshadowing of the future culmination of his arc uuuuu) i cant i cant. i like what i like and i am pleased. them being separated while looking so scared and zuko running for her? mmmmmmm i am fed.
What Fell Flat To Me
Final Words
rushed, so incredibly painfully rushed, everything happened way too quickly. Ill say it again, 7 episodes of roughly one hour is NOT enough, i hated that stuff needed to be cut out and remixed to fit the little time we had. the library not being in the dessert, specially, bothered me. it undermines tophs character because it showed that she had weak points and she could hardly nagivate an enviroment like that, in the adaptation it could have been perfect to explore her feelings of insecurity, fear and frustration a bit more, along with showing her putting the work to strengthen herself up.
even though katara's character seems to still have that anger and frustration bubbling underneath the surface, its not *as* obvious or overt as in the og show (again, this carries o from natla s1) which i miss.
the acting has improved a lot but the dialogues still feel a bit too fake and robotic, perhaps this is because they want to keep the essence of the animation but it doesnt always translate to live action (i was not EXTREMELY bothered by this tho, it was more an occassional thing to me).
i think natla season 2 was, overall, a nice adaptation of the original show. atla is NOT without faults and i think its important to recognize how badly it handles certain things and that is very very far from perfect (we need to criticize the things we love too), and natla tried its best to add on to what we already have and i think they did well with what they could! i dont think its a bad caricature of the og and a lot of complaints ive seen are a bit too nitpicky imo (same thing can be done to atla) and in bad faith. is it an amazing work of art? hell no. did i find it entertaining and liked how they dealt with some things? yeah!
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THE CATACOMBS AAAAAA im gonna combust. SHE IS HURT BECAUSE SHE KNOWS NOW THAT HE KNEW IT WAS HER !! AND HE KEPT HIS IDENTITY HIDDEN !! I KNEW IT !! ooooo hearing katara's lines again was painful i love this. AND HE TELLS HER EXPLICITLY IT WAS HIS FATHER WHO BURNED HIM??? "do you know how hard it is for a firebender to get burned? really burned? scarred? [...] some part of me believed i deserved it" WHEN I CATCH ALL OF YOU- the spirit water the offer (SUGGESTING THE WATER WAS MEANT FOR HIM ????) the face touching this is as good as i had hoped im-
okay azula's violence is BRUTAL in live action girl did you just fry a whole room-
the scene of joo dee being re-indoctrinated in her cell was damn :(((
they kept aang's reluctance with his feelings til the end and i loved that! it gives him more layers and development and makes him seem more mature (which fits better now considering the aging up) and more in tune with the friendship the already have (and perhaps it can set up a better ending for season 3, with an aang that learns to understand unhealthy attachment and how to let go)
metalbending !! oh god i forgot this was in season 2
azula's lines in the end were pretty good imo and i believe she was honest. despite all she was show to want her brother by her side (even if it was selfish) and i like the implication that she is carrying some hidden guilt about what happened to ursa because of her. i think this was a good way of making her actually connect with zuko like he did with katara (because their mother is a sensitive topic to him!), his betrayal comes more naturally now
AND DOES IT HURT DAMN
the way katara shakes azula in the air im sorry i cackled
however the lightning shot to the front mmmmmm i am not fond of losing the symbolism the matching lighting scars were very good
THE THEATER PLAY WITH THE BLUE SPIRIT AND THE PAINTED LADY FLOWERS IN THE FOREGROUND???? AND HE IS TAKING CARE OF THEM???? I KNOW WHAT U AREEEE
and the two last dragons appearing in zuko's dream with him cutting off the red one that is attacking the blue ??? uuf i love the symbolism he really is having a battle with himself and trying to make a choice, boy is TROUBLED
the painted spirit scene fighting the dai lee i was genuinely kicking my feet I WISH IT HAD BEEN LONGER UGHHH
and aww i liked that they kept zuko and jin's little fling, it was a very cute moment of normalcy and a glimpse at a safe and regular civillian future, doing normal things and living a normal life </3 it was adorable
i also liked how iroh and the guy who tried robbing him work together now, he really is trying to mend things and help people, even if its just one person
this episode showed again how katara understands people and how she can connect with others and reach them, i like them putting emphasis on both her emotional and political intelligence
the argument scene of the gaang where everything theyve been doing comes to light and their trust in each other breaks hmmmm aang's portrayal here and his more egocentric side coming to light really added to it. its not a writting flaw but a narrative choice and man is it nice
iroh actually coming face to face with one of his former subordinates oh this was nicely weaved with him being one of the refugees painted spirit helped
oooo the zutara crumbs ñamñamñamñam zuko knowing that katara has put herself on the line for FN people (for no reason whatsoever) brings more internal conflict and makes him question his actions aaaaaaaaa i loved how he was unable to hurt aang when he was in the spirit world. i am so excited to see how this is gonna affect them in the crystal catacombs >:]
i like how some scenes were adapted to fit the setting, like toph meeting iroh in his tea shop in ba sing se instead. but others, like the library not being in the desert im not fond of (i feel like this kind of chips at toph's character and how much she struggled there :/ but her finding a book with characters she can read was kinda sweet it made me a bit sad </3). but they managed to keep the scene of toph holding up the library while appa is being taken, i was expecting all of that to be cut out!
THE DRAGON SKELETONS IN THE LIBRARY OKAY MAN. AND THAT WAS CREEPY- WAN SHI TONG???
the avatars appearing in the library was cool id admit, they introduced some canon information and the mention of every avatar having to fix something the previous one did, which is something that has been constantly discussed in the community. and kyoshi (having lived so long) being the one giving toph the information necessary so sokka can calculate the dates was interesting
this episode also added to jet and gave him more depth which is always appreciated. his final scene was REALLY cool
the way katara is carrying the mist around hello can she be cooler ?? and they made her a painting im sobbing
okay okay they actually managed to introduce her helping fire nation people (instead of just ba sing se citizens) by adding a group of FN refugees, honestly its a fair compromise for the setting. paintedspirit fighting together was so good i cant lie AND NOW HE KNOWS ITS HER AAAAAAA oh im giddy shut tf up
toph telling aang that whats in front of him is a distraction feels like foreshadowing to his attachment issue to master the avatar state....
iroh feels very out of himself in ba sing se and i quite like the characterization. he is trying to make a life there alongside zuko but he is not cheerful and happy go lucky, he is clearly haunted by his past and suffering. seeing the consequences in the lower ring and the pain he has caused to innocent people, he wants to make amends and be a better person. the tree scene oof this episode was good there, the expansion of the character was a solid choice
i liked iroh being reluctant to go to ba sing se, it refers to his wrongdoings and his off screen redemption arc. i want to see it explored more
THERES NO WAR IN BA SING SE SHE SAID IT love the meme, would have been perfect if she had spoken directly to the camera
i am quite enjoying katara's independance and how she is thinking more of the painted lady, suki's offer to join the kyoshi, learning more about her own bending (it beings to set the steps and the foreshadowing for bloodbending pretty well !!) and taking action. theyre showing her drive for justice and the way she connects with people
the way theyre exploring sokka's feelings and conflict with relationships because of what happened with yue in the north was touching. and using it to connect the siblings through the respective grief they carry was a fairly good move id say (even if... it cant fully be compared yk)
and more of aang's unrequited crush aaaaaa i really want it going this direction! katara seems obviously not interested and its more obvious in live action instead of in animation
OH MY GOD THE PAINTED LADY YES !!! okay, the introduction was not bad ?? yes girlie steal and help I NEED MORE OF IT oooo i like knowing its gonna be present on more episodes
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im sorry ursa's wig is horrendous why does it look like plastic
i did like to see her talking to zuko about the blue spirit ! its a good introduction and appropiate for the characters and setting and now its obvious that both him and katara have the ideas of these "vigilantes" (???) in their minds. again i hope they make it organic once/if they meet, it seems very easy to mess up and i dont want the painted lady getting fucked up (id be pretty annoyed ngl) even if id love the paintedspirit content
the begining of zuko's internal conflict too mmmmmm nice
however, i do not know how i feel about the implication that the marriage between ozai and ursa was a willing political choice on her part. but i did like her having a more active role and a bigger visible part so im a bit wish wash on this (i feel like this can add good characterization to both azula and zuko because she is shown to care for both of them despite azula being so influenced by ozai already so mmmmmmmmmmm dunno) and omg them seeing her being taken away by the soldiers ???? mimicking how they took katara and sokka's mother ??? OOF (i liked that azula was also scared and yelling for her mother :c)
toph's intro though i was expecting a more show-off fight to be honest, it was not as flashy as i was expecting. BUT HER WRITTING ON THE FLOOR UNDER THE TABLE? jsjsjsjs i feel tho that theyre setting the ground for a good friendship with deep understanding within aang and toph (with the forceful roles they have simply because of who they are born as). they have such a sweet dynamic to explore i wanna see more of it
and !! katara's charactertization seems more proactive and, not exactly cunning, but calculating in a diplomatic way, which !! is great !! i adore them showing her smarts and also her sense of humor. kiawentiio embodies her well, i think the casting choice was good. AND PUNCHING TY LEE IN THE FACE LIKE SUKI TAUGHT HER? im ded i love these two
okay, so far im having pretty good feelings !! the scene with katara fighting the serpent ??? HELLO ?? loved seeing her get ACTUAL action. and i like the detail of pushing aang to learn healing, also his visible hesitation towards her (which feels like an obvious hint towards his feelings, but it seems organic atp i really hope ot stays as an understandable but unrequited crush)
AND KATARA AND SUKI??? I LOVE THEM it feels like theyre putting more focus on developing their friendship and giving them time together and i looooved suki suggesting katara join the kyoshi mmhhhmm
the early introduction of the painted lady flower was nice too! they did not mention her specifically as a fire nation spirit which im iffy about but i hope they can introduce her nsturally :/ the idea seems to be planted in katara already. i am dyyyyying to see how she meets up with the blue spirit please please please
zuko and iroh's strained relationship hurt </3 and zuko blaming him for not stepping up from the position and chances he had felt pretty in character
