It really makes me happy seeing people watch Korra in good faith and with enthusiasm. It was a grim, miserable time out in the fandom trenches for years, being a Korra liker.
I really like that they didn’t make Aang or Katara perfect parents. They weren’t perfect kids, why should they be perfect adults!
Sometimes it feels like fans are always saying they want complex, complicated and flawed characters right up until they have to contend with the actual reality of that.
Anyway, really enjoying your reactions so far!
so weird that people praise this universe for being realistic to real life problems and human characterization but get mad when a character they praise are characterized humanly.
The more I rewatch Korra now as an adult I realize that my initial dislike of Korra as a character boils down to her being everything I hated in the teenagers around me. I was 14 when book 1 started and just going into high school and I was fairly the opposite of your stereotypical teen. I was essentially a nerd; really studious, always reading, watching anime/reading manga, and really quiet and introverted. I couldn’t stand the impulsive, reactive teens similar to how Korra is presented at times and I think that’s why I was so hard on the series. It was to the point that I couldn’t watch the series more than once whereas I would rewatch ATLA almost religiously every year.
I will say tho personally, Korra isn’t my favorite character by a long shot even since I’ve rewatched it as an adult and come to understand her character more. I just connected more with the side characters and even sometimes wish we got more scenes with all of them ?
So S2 is my least favorite season of Korra (two eps in the middle exempt). The plot feels predictable and certain parts (no spoilers) are downright stupid/make no sense within the established context of the verse. Don’t get me wrong, there are still excellent aspects, just feels generally sub-par.
North incorect if refering to what i think u are the creators literaly stated that it was the original plan that ang was supost to get that flash back not korra and the info we had before was the misinterpreted history thats been warped over centuries
I don’t hate it, I enjoy the series, and personally I think the first half a season 2 is amazing and the second half less so.
There’s definitely people out there that are upset because it isn’t Avatar and all kinds of other superficial reasons.
But I genuinely believe there are issues with the writing that really hold the series back. There were a few things in season 1 that I had an issue with that you guys seemed to love, so it just comes down to a difference in perspective.
Keep in mind, I do actually really enjoy the show and I think it gets too much hate. So from someone who actually like the show – it isn’t all just superficial stuff that people have issues with.
Aang is NOT a bad dad! It completely makes sense that the LAST air bender that had his ENTIRE air bending culture exterminated would have a little biased to his only child with air bending. I think the writhing around this story line is a little clunky. I completely understand why Aangs other children would feel that way about their father but there is no counter point. It’s all yeah dad kinda sucked I guess.
Like how Ruff watch some trials on shows or movies, and think thats how real trials work xD
Courts have procedures like “Discovery” created for this exact reason, to not turn it into a gotcha-party.
Most work takes place outside the actual trial itself, in gathering, researching and presenting evidence – for both the judge and opposing party, you dont just spring it on the judge in the middle of a trial, thats fantasy – because real trials are super boring xD
Your conversation at the end. You are not at the point of contention within the franchise. Once it happens. You will know. Like it will be “OHHHH I can see why it made this show divisive”. I’m saying this from stance of being a Korra FANBOY I really enjoyed the powerful yet vulnerable female role she develops into, the ending scene of Korra also left a lot of speculation that for a 2012 audience was very ground breaking and new. So just be cognizant of that. Korra is a great show personally for me. I was a teenager while it aired and it was cool how the franchise grew up with us. But I think change is hard for a lot of people and it did not go well with how they evolved the series. So there. I don’t feel like that was spoiling anything.
I agree here. Despite being a big fan of Korra, I’ve rarely interacted much with the online fan base. Same with Steven Universe. As a result, while I sometimes heard second-hand about toxicity in the fan bases, and I was aware season 2 wasn’t well receive by some fans, but I apparently missed out on *why* some fans disliked it.
All this stuff about disliking how they portrayed Aang as a bad father is new to me. The issues I had with season 2 (which still don’t rise to *disliking* the season) occur later. At best I have mixed feelings about some things, and I feel it’s overall the weakest season, but that’s not the same as saying it’s weak. Sort of like saying season 1 is the weakest season of ATLA. First, it’s mostly a subjective opinion, and second, season 1 is still very good.
Complaints I’ve heard about this season thus far are people not liking the Aang as a parent revelations, not liking Unalok, and a general distaste for everything Korra says and does. They feel like she should be different because of season 1 experiences. They don’t like when she is upset, they don’t like that she is not taking sides between the tribes, and some of those same people are upset when she finally does.
Saying that Aang not giving his children equal attention “doesnt sound like Aang” is not a meaningful complaint. We never knew Aang as an adult, and hes a human being with flaws like everyone else. Im so glad you guys understood and apreciate the nuance in that writing.
Aang and Korra drastic opposites but yall forgetting how much of a gangster Aang was when someone he loved was threaten he almost marked the sand benders for Appa.
what people seem to forget about aang as well is that even before being the avatar he was a dedicated air nomad who was so strict to the principles even while running for his life constantly to survive he still never harmed an animal ate an animal or killed in any regard even when previous avatar were outright telling him to do so, it makes sense that when tenzin found an interest in airbending that aang above all else also wanted to carry on the traditions of the air nomads as well as airbending as a whole gotta remember aang basically also single handedly revived an entire previously extinct bending style while also building republic city
I think for math’s sake, ATLA ended in 2008 and Korra started in 2012, so there was a small-ish gap between each show. Seemed a lot longer though as a kid. And there was maybe ONE comic released between those dates. Everything else was really around 2012 and beyond.
…
When did Avatar Extras air the reruns with all the trivia pop-ups during the episode? Maybe that happened between 2008 and 12?
Still mad that those aren’t on any of the DVD/ Bluray collections! ?
Also to answer the point you guys brought up about bending being inhereited here is a bit of lore drop. Bending is shown to be partly genetic and partly spiritual. This is especially true for Air benders. To my knowledge every Air Nomad that appears in the series (both in the books and the shows) is an Air bender which could be linked to the highly spiritual lifestyle of the Air nomads. And there is some evidence to back this up. Avatar Kiyoshi mom was an Air bender who abondend her nomadic culture and become a criminal. Her bending got significantly weaker as a result.
I think it makes sense that Aang probably wasn’t that good of a parent because he was a monk and don’t know who his parents are and not to mention he spent most of his life outside the care of adults and I feel like his did love Bumi and Kya but when Tenzin was born and can airbend he probably got overwhelmed and saw this as the perfect opportunity to rebuild his nation and that sense of responsibility carried over to Tenzin. As Ruff said i like that they humanize the Avatar and just because he or she is the Avatar that doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes and looking at how the kids turned out, they could have been a lot worst. Aang is definitely no Ozai or Yakone
In regards to Aang not being the best father, or prioritizing his airbending son above his other children, I don’t think it was a bad thing to add into the show. However, I think it was way too extreme. Never going on any trips with him? Ever? That doesn’t make sense. I think it would have been more realistic that maybe Tenzin went on more trips with him than the other two, but Kya and Bumi going on none at all just seems ridiculous. In ATLA, we know how empathetic and kind Aang was, so this stark contrast in LOK is inconsistant. Also, Katara doesn’t strike me as the kind of person that would put up with her husband not treating their kids equally. So while I didn’t mind the fact that Aang was portrayed as an imperfect father, because even Avatars have flaws, I don’t think it was written very realistically.
Think about it though, the Gaang either didn’t have their parents around or they had bad ones. Is it no wonder they weren’t the best at it having no point of reference?
‘So this stark contrast in LOK is inconsistent.’
I mean not really… Your point is that somehow that 12 year old Aang would continue to be the same empathetic and flawless person into his 30s and 40s.
I’m sure once you guys get pass the point where people have grievances they can explain why they don’t like it then so you don’t get spoiled. Cause as far as I know and agree they are specific nitpicks about lore stuff.
Which is fair to not like things in the show or not like the show at all, but people were literally telling them the show was god awful and they should just skip it.
imagine Aang the last airbender and having a child, the next generation of aribenders hangs on his…. balls? and the first kid you get doesn’t even have bending powers. then you get a second kid because you kinda have to (but i’m sure they actually also wanted more kids) and the second kid turns out to be a water bender.
That is one of the common complaints that people have about season 2, the show is making it sound like Aang was a neglectful father which doesn’t sound like Aang.
It doesn’t sound like 12-13y old kid Aang, but it does sound like an adult Avatar Aang that is helping a world rebuild from war while trying to build a city where people that have been separated since the beginning of time can live together in peace. It wasn’t malicious or from a lack of love but Aang was also communaly raised as all the monks were so expecting him to be an excellent father is just a complete lack of perspective and expectation from the viewer.
I call bs on Bumi and Kya not going on vacation. Spiritual retreats, cultural visits, and history lessons with the future of Air Nomads. I can understand that. But Vacations?! Kiyoshi Island koi fish surfing and Ember Island sand castles?! No way Katara let that slide. No way you couldn’t have someone come with you and the kids. Even if she was busy, White Lotus, Hakoda, anyone in the Southern Tribe could have been a chaperone or something.
You realise even in last airbender ang ran away from his responcibilities alot his major flaw was allwa6s horific manajment of responcibility it took him seasons to even fully and healthily work on his responcibility as the avatar thats one responcibility add three more and well he would fuck up
It humanized Aang though to me. Aang was a paragon of good. Since the Age of 12 he was this child thrust with adult responsibilities. So, it is believable that when it came time to pass on his culture to his children, he focused on the airbender. Culturally which I know sounds like an antiquated nuance, passing on your beliefs customs and traditions has the upmost importance. Look at real world examples where indigenous tribes are having to focus and ingrain their culture to future generations because they are slowly being lost to time. I don’t think the Monks taught Aang how to process this or deal with this. So I personally liked that it showed him as flawed in a way. Because though its terrible Kya and Bumi suffered he did manage to pass on his culture to Tenzin
just bc we like aang he’s not exempt from being a real person. like imagine growing up in a non-nuclear family structure and being the last of your kind and then image raising 3 children. he was bound to fail in some aspects and i really love that tlok showcased that.
I like that they added the flaw to him happy he wasn’t perfect at everything, and makes sense he would prioritize his air bending son because that was his culture and is the future of the air nation. He wasn’t right but I appreciate the flaw
I actually like the fact that they did that. In ATLA, Aang is infinitely wiser than any 12 year old would realistically be, and shows very few personality flaws. In fact, sometimes it felt like he wasn’t even the main character. Sure he matured throughout the series, but he hardly overcame any real personal demons. Zuko takes the crown on that one. Aang just gave Tenzin more attention than the other two, and the reason he did it makes sense. He didn’t do it on because he’s a bad father or loved him more than the others. It’s because Tenzin was the only one who could carry on the entire art of Airbending. Parents sometimes have a closer relationship with one of their kids more than the others. It’s a real thing that can happen and it makes Aang feel more human rather than being an Avatar that never made any mistakes for the rest of his life after the show ended. He’s not perfect, and I’m glad they showed that with an imperfect quality rather than a flatly hatable one that doesn’t make sense for the character to ever have.
to follow up on raptor, a big thing to also remember is airbending lifestyle was being raised as a collective without nuclear family upbringings (no parents) so aang went from having no parents and no idea how it worked to raising three children with katara, he would be as a big disadvantage from that
Yeah, when I first watched Korra in like middle school, I still loved it but my only gripe was “character assassination” of the existing characters. Because as a child, I was like “oh, Aang is a bad dad but I love Aang and he was great so he would never.” But the first time I rewatched it as an adult, I realized that he was a person who made mistakes and wasn’t a perfect father, but his reasons were perfectly in-character. Whether it’s right or not, of course he would focus on Tenzin more and try to pass down his culture. As they keep pointing out, the two of them were the ONLY AIRBENDERS ON THE PLANET. I think Aang’s main misstep was not realizing that it was also Kya and Bumi’s culture and therefore excluding them. And that’s bad, but it doesn’t make him a bad person. It makes me wonder how many Korra haters watched the series as kids and disliked it for childish reasons like that and never returned to it because they remember disliking it. Like, my whole family loves Avatar AND Korra lol.
My thoughts exactly. I mean, they make it perfectly clear in the show that Kya and Bumi absolutely love their father. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t hurt and frustrated with him. And saying Aang was a “terrible father” as some people try to make it seem like the show was going for, is a stretch. He loved his children equally, he just spent a lot more time with his airbender. After all those years of being “the last airbender”, it’s not surprising that Aang would cling to this living embodiment of his culture truly rebuilding. Doesn’t make it any less fair or right that he neglected Kya and Bumi’s feelings, but that just makes him human. He made a mistake, probably many mistakes, as we all do.
I agree with the complaint to a degree as I also love Aang, but I also think it’s realistic for a man with so many responsibilities to not have enough time for all of his kids, especially if only one of them needed one on one airbending training.
Uncle Palpatine fo real though.
It really makes me happy seeing people watch Korra in good faith and with enthusiasm. It was a grim, miserable time out in the fandom trenches for years, being a Korra liker.
I really like that they didn’t make Aang or Katara perfect parents. They weren’t perfect kids, why should they be perfect adults!
Sometimes it feels like fans are always saying they want complex, complicated and flawed characters right up until they have to contend with the actual reality of that.
Anyway, really enjoying your reactions so far!
so weird that people praise this universe for being realistic to real life problems and human characterization but get mad when a character they praise are characterized humanly.
Man you guys are SortaStupid <3
The more I rewatch Korra now as an adult I realize that my initial dislike of Korra as a character boils down to her being everything I hated in the teenagers around me. I was 14 when book 1 started and just going into high school and I was fairly the opposite of your stereotypical teen. I was essentially a nerd; really studious, always reading, watching anime/reading manga, and really quiet and introverted. I couldn’t stand the impulsive, reactive teens similar to how Korra is presented at times and I think that’s why I was so hard on the series. It was to the point that I couldn’t watch the series more than once whereas I would rewatch ATLA almost religiously every year.
I will say tho personally, Korra isn’t my favorite character by a long shot even since I’ve rewatched it as an adult and come to understand her character more. I just connected more with the side characters and even sometimes wish we got more scenes with all of them ?
So S2 is my least favorite season of Korra (two eps in the middle exempt). The plot feels predictable and certain parts (no spoilers) are downright stupid/make no sense within the established context of the verse. Don’t get me wrong, there are still excellent aspects, just feels generally sub-par.
North incorect if refering to what i think u are the creators literaly stated that it was the original plan that ang was supost to get that flash back not korra and the info we had before was the misinterpreted history thats been warped over centuries
oh by the way just incase there is still any confusion about her Age, yes in Book 1 Korra is 17 and in Book 2, Korra is 18.
Korea definitely has writing issues.
I don’t hate it, I enjoy the series, and personally I think the first half a season 2 is amazing and the second half less so.
There’s definitely people out there that are upset because it isn’t Avatar and all kinds of other superficial reasons.
But I genuinely believe there are issues with the writing that really hold the series back. There were a few things in season 1 that I had an issue with that you guys seemed to love, so it just comes down to a difference in perspective.
Keep in mind, I do actually really enjoy the show and I think it gets too much hate. So from someone who actually like the show – it isn’t all just superficial stuff that people have issues with.
Aang is NOT a bad dad! It completely makes sense that the LAST air bender that had his ENTIRE air bending culture exterminated would have a little biased to his only child with air bending. I think the writhing around this story line is a little clunky. I completely understand why Aangs other children would feel that way about their father but there is no counter point. It’s all yeah dad kinda sucked I guess.
Like how Ruff watch some trials on shows or movies, and think thats how real trials work xD
Courts have procedures like “Discovery” created for this exact reason, to not turn it into a gotcha-party.
Most work takes place outside the actual trial itself, in gathering, researching and presenting evidence – for both the judge and opposing party, you dont just spring it on the judge in the middle of a trial, thats fantasy – because real trials are super boring xD
Your conversation at the end. You are not at the point of contention within the franchise. Once it happens. You will know. Like it will be “OHHHH I can see why it made this show divisive”. I’m saying this from stance of being a Korra FANBOY I really enjoyed the powerful yet vulnerable female role she develops into, the ending scene of Korra also left a lot of speculation that for a 2012 audience was very ground breaking and new. So just be cognizant of that. Korra is a great show personally for me. I was a teenager while it aired and it was cool how the franchise grew up with us. But I think change is hard for a lot of people and it did not go well with how they evolved the series. So there. I don’t feel like that was spoiling anything.
I agree here. Despite being a big fan of Korra, I’ve rarely interacted much with the online fan base. Same with Steven Universe. As a result, while I sometimes heard second-hand about toxicity in the fan bases, and I was aware season 2 wasn’t well receive by some fans, but I apparently missed out on *why* some fans disliked it.
All this stuff about disliking how they portrayed Aang as a bad father is new to me. The issues I had with season 2 (which still don’t rise to *disliking* the season) occur later. At best I have mixed feelings about some things, and I feel it’s overall the weakest season, but that’s not the same as saying it’s weak. Sort of like saying season 1 is the weakest season of ATLA. First, it’s mostly a subjective opinion, and second, season 1 is still very good.
Complaints I’ve heard about this season thus far are people not liking the Aang as a parent revelations, not liking Unalok, and a general distaste for everything Korra says and does. They feel like she should be different because of season 1 experiences. They don’t like when she is upset, they don’t like that she is not taking sides between the tribes, and some of those same people are upset when she finally does.
Saying that Aang not giving his children equal attention “doesnt sound like Aang” is not a meaningful complaint. We never knew Aang as an adult, and hes a human being with flaws like everyone else. Im so glad you guys understood and apreciate the nuance in that writing.
Aang and Korra drastic opposites but yall forgetting how much of a gangster Aang was when someone he loved was threaten he almost marked the sand benders for Appa.
what people seem to forget about aang as well is that even before being the avatar he was a dedicated air nomad who was so strict to the principles even while running for his life constantly to survive he still never harmed an animal ate an animal or killed in any regard even when previous avatar were outright telling him to do so, it makes sense that when tenzin found an interest in airbending that aang above all else also wanted to carry on the traditions of the air nomads as well as airbending as a whole gotta remember aang basically also single handedly revived an entire previously extinct bending style while also building republic city
I think for math’s sake, ATLA ended in 2008 and Korra started in 2012, so there was a small-ish gap between each show. Seemed a lot longer though as a kid. And there was maybe ONE comic released between those dates. Everything else was really around 2012 and beyond.
…
When did Avatar Extras air the reruns with all the trivia pop-ups during the episode? Maybe that happened between 2008 and 12?
Still mad that those aren’t on any of the DVD/ Bluray collections! ?
Also to answer the point you guys brought up about bending being inhereited here is a bit of lore drop. Bending is shown to be partly genetic and partly spiritual. This is especially true for Air benders. To my knowledge every Air Nomad that appears in the series (both in the books and the shows) is an Air bender which could be linked to the highly spiritual lifestyle of the Air nomads. And there is some evidence to back this up. Avatar Kiyoshi mom was an Air bender who abondend her nomadic culture and become a criminal. Her bending got significantly weaker as a result.
I think it makes sense that Aang probably wasn’t that good of a parent because he was a monk and don’t know who his parents are and not to mention he spent most of his life outside the care of adults and I feel like his did love Bumi and Kya but when Tenzin was born and can airbend he probably got overwhelmed and saw this as the perfect opportunity to rebuild his nation and that sense of responsibility carried over to Tenzin. As Ruff said i like that they humanize the Avatar and just because he or she is the Avatar that doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes and looking at how the kids turned out, they could have been a lot worst. Aang is definitely no Ozai or Yakone
In regards to Aang not being the best father, or prioritizing his airbending son above his other children, I don’t think it was a bad thing to add into the show. However, I think it was way too extreme. Never going on any trips with him? Ever? That doesn’t make sense. I think it would have been more realistic that maybe Tenzin went on more trips with him than the other two, but Kya and Bumi going on none at all just seems ridiculous. In ATLA, we know how empathetic and kind Aang was, so this stark contrast in LOK is inconsistant. Also, Katara doesn’t strike me as the kind of person that would put up with her husband not treating their kids equally. So while I didn’t mind the fact that Aang was portrayed as an imperfect father, because even Avatars have flaws, I don’t think it was written very realistically.
Think about it though, the Gaang either didn’t have their parents around or they had bad ones. Is it no wonder they weren’t the best at it having no point of reference?
‘So this stark contrast in LOK is inconsistent.’
I mean not really… Your point is that somehow that 12 year old Aang would continue to be the same empathetic and flawless person into his 30s and 40s.
Rough ages are apparently Bumi is 60, Kyah 55 and Tenzin 50.
I’m trying to figure out who on Team Avatar has the worst dating life right now. Everyone is so messy.
I’m sure once you guys get pass the point where people have grievances they can explain why they don’t like it then so you don’t get spoiled. Cause as far as I know and agree they are specific nitpicks about lore stuff.
Which is fair to not like things in the show or not like the show at all, but people were literally telling them the show was god awful and they should just skip it.
Airbending is without a doubt the most powerful element. No one in over 100 years knows how to fight an airbender
imagine Aang the last airbender and having a child, the next generation of aribenders hangs on his…. balls? and the first kid you get doesn’t even have bending powers. then you get a second kid because you kinda have to (but i’m sure they actually also wanted more kids) and the second kid turns out to be a water bender.
God this is so hilarious. Really loving these episodes
I’ve always thought that young Bumi looks like Sokka!
YES i 100% agree!!
That is one of the common complaints that people have about season 2, the show is making it sound like Aang was a neglectful father which doesn’t sound like Aang.
It doesn’t sound like 12-13y old kid Aang, but it does sound like an adult Avatar Aang that is helping a world rebuild from war while trying to build a city where people that have been separated since the beginning of time can live together in peace. It wasn’t malicious or from a lack of love but Aang was also communaly raised as all the monks were so expecting him to be an excellent father is just a complete lack of perspective and expectation from the viewer.
He was raised by monks. The air nomads don’t have parents. Realistically he would be a bad father by default
Being a great person doesn’t mean you’re gonna be great at being a parent.
I call bs on Bumi and Kya not going on vacation. Spiritual retreats, cultural visits, and history lessons with the future of Air Nomads. I can understand that. But Vacations?! Kiyoshi Island koi fish surfing and Ember Island sand castles?! No way Katara let that slide. No way you couldn’t have someone come with you and the kids. Even if she was busy, White Lotus, Hakoda, anyone in the Southern Tribe could have been a chaperone or something.
You realise even in last airbender ang ran away from his responcibilities alot his major flaw was allwa6s horific manajment of responcibility it took him seasons to even fully and healthily work on his responcibility as the avatar thats one responcibility add three more and well he would fuck up
It humanized Aang though to me. Aang was a paragon of good. Since the Age of 12 he was this child thrust with adult responsibilities. So, it is believable that when it came time to pass on his culture to his children, he focused on the airbender. Culturally which I know sounds like an antiquated nuance, passing on your beliefs customs and traditions has the upmost importance. Look at real world examples where indigenous tribes are having to focus and ingrain their culture to future generations because they are slowly being lost to time. I don’t think the Monks taught Aang how to process this or deal with this. So I personally liked that it showed him as flawed in a way. Because though its terrible Kya and Bumi suffered he did manage to pass on his culture to Tenzin
Him neglecting his responsibilities was literally a major plot point of the show and one of his defining characteristics that came up again and again
just bc we like aang he’s not exempt from being a real person. like imagine growing up in a non-nuclear family structure and being the last of your kind and then image raising 3 children. he was bound to fail in some aspects and i really love that tlok showcased that.
I like that they added the flaw to him happy he wasn’t perfect at everything, and makes sense he would prioritize his air bending son because that was his culture and is the future of the air nation. He wasn’t right but I appreciate the flaw
He isn’t perfect, it may not sound like Aang but it was Aang. The fandom idolize Aang too much.
I actually like the fact that they did that. In ATLA, Aang is infinitely wiser than any 12 year old would realistically be, and shows very few personality flaws. In fact, sometimes it felt like he wasn’t even the main character. Sure he matured throughout the series, but he hardly overcame any real personal demons. Zuko takes the crown on that one. Aang just gave Tenzin more attention than the other two, and the reason he did it makes sense. He didn’t do it on because he’s a bad father or loved him more than the others. It’s because Tenzin was the only one who could carry on the entire art of Airbending. Parents sometimes have a closer relationship with one of their kids more than the others. It’s a real thing that can happen and it makes Aang feel more human rather than being an Avatar that never made any mistakes for the rest of his life after the show ended. He’s not perfect, and I’m glad they showed that with an imperfect quality rather than a flatly hatable one that doesn’t make sense for the character to ever have.
to follow up on raptor, a big thing to also remember is airbending lifestyle was being raised as a collective without nuclear family upbringings (no parents) so aang went from having no parents and no idea how it worked to raising three children with katara, he would be as a big disadvantage from that
Yeah, when I first watched Korra in like middle school, I still loved it but my only gripe was “character assassination” of the existing characters. Because as a child, I was like “oh, Aang is a bad dad but I love Aang and he was great so he would never.” But the first time I rewatched it as an adult, I realized that he was a person who made mistakes and wasn’t a perfect father, but his reasons were perfectly in-character. Whether it’s right or not, of course he would focus on Tenzin more and try to pass down his culture. As they keep pointing out, the two of them were the ONLY AIRBENDERS ON THE PLANET. I think Aang’s main misstep was not realizing that it was also Kya and Bumi’s culture and therefore excluding them. And that’s bad, but it doesn’t make him a bad person. It makes me wonder how many Korra haters watched the series as kids and disliked it for childish reasons like that and never returned to it because they remember disliking it. Like, my whole family loves Avatar AND Korra lol.
I agree with that comment if that’s how it was but the show doesn’t really do that justice kaya comments makes it sound like he was jus neglectful.
My thoughts exactly. I mean, they make it perfectly clear in the show that Kya and Bumi absolutely love their father. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t hurt and frustrated with him. And saying Aang was a “terrible father” as some people try to make it seem like the show was going for, is a stretch. He loved his children equally, he just spent a lot more time with his airbender. After all those years of being “the last airbender”, it’s not surprising that Aang would cling to this living embodiment of his culture truly rebuilding. Doesn’t make it any less fair or right that he neglected Kya and Bumi’s feelings, but that just makes him human. He made a mistake, probably many mistakes, as we all do.
You said all my thoughts perfectly :’)
I agree with the complaint to a degree as I also love Aang, but I also think it’s realistic for a man with so many responsibilities to not have enough time for all of his kids, especially if only one of them needed one on one airbending training.