beccastareyes | Avatar: the Last Airbender

So, I did like the Sun Warriors -- they looked very Meso-American. Considering I geek out over that, it's cool. Downside was I don't like the whole 'Aang + Zuko meet the dragons, have mild visions, and can firebend'. Seems too easy. Zuko, maybe I can understand, since he spent years practicing the forms, and he just needed regain (or transform) his state of mind. Aang is more problematic, since he only could just barely create or maintain the flames (and he did have a couple of lessons). If there's some practice shown, then I'll accept that he just has the very basics, and one more advanced form down. Aang might be the reincarnation of a firebender, but I don't like things coming like magic to him.

And, as always, I want to know more about Iroh's life as a young man. He had the title "Dragon of the West" before he fought at Ba Sing Sei, so he had met the dragons then. So, part of him had transformed enough to accept that 'fire'='energy' (though I think 'passion' might be a better word here, though maybe not for a 21st century audience, who equate 'passion'='lust'), and not 'fire'='rage & aggression', which seems to be common Fire Nation Firebending.

Also, given Jeong Jeong already used the Sun as an example for Aang, did he visit the Sun Warriors, or was this something mainstream Firebending learned? It could be retained knowledge, since he seemed to stress that Firebending was dangerous. I also wonder if Roku learned the original forms from his dragon friend, or if a more primal form of firebending was practiced in his use. (I think primal is a right word -- almost typed primitive, but that has the wrong connotations.)

So, Waterbenders learned from the moon, Firebenders from dragons and the sun, Airbenders from sky bison and Earthbenders from badgermoles. Wonder if the Waterbenders also have an animal influence as well, or if it was just watching the moon move the water. Or if the swampbenders maybe had a different source, since they couldn't see the tides there. Maybe they watched how water flowed through plants and humans (in the form of blood). Which might mean Hama's trick of bloodbending would be easier for a swampbender to use, since they already can control plants with their bending.

Finally, li'l Toph and the badger-moles is, quite frankly, the most adorable thing ever.