Avatar: the Last Airbender Review - The Warriors of Kyoshi · 2:57am Dec 7th, 2020
First, I feel the need to say that I started reviewing this one a long time ago, over a month I think. I was mostly finished with the blog, but I had to step away from my laptop for a bit. When I got back, my laptop had lost power and everything I wrote disappeared, and let me just say, that does not motivate to get back to it.
I may actually start a schedule for these reviews after that mishap.
Anyway, on to the review.
First, I think I have a Mandela Effect thing going on because I could've sworn this episode was called "The Kyoshi Warriors" and I thought "The King of Omashu" came before this episode. Huh. Weird.
Okay, my points.
- Okay, we're starting off with Zuko on his ship. He appears to be meditating.
- In comes Iroh saying he has bad news. Zuko says he can take it, receives it, and can't take. Butch Hartman would be proud.
- "He is clearly a master or evasive maneuvering." They're lost. Wow. Two Butch Hartman jokes in the span of a minute. Come on. I remember this show being funnier than that.
- Get a quick glimpse of Aang staring at Katara implying his crush. I did not care for this ship when I first watched the series, and I certainly don't after watching the entire series.
- Aang tries to impress Katara with a parlor trick and she's too busy to pay attention.
- Sokka makes some sexist comments, and, boy, I'm glad he gets over this character trait after this episode.
- And now Aang strips to play with big fish. As a kid, I always had a bit of a problem with Aang and Samurai Jack finding little to no reason as to walk around in their undergarments. I actually have a fun memory with my aunt with this. She said (in Spanish) "And he couldn't do that while wearing any pants?" That always stuck with me. Love you, Auntie
- I must say, Aang is a skinny guy, and he looks a little weird in certain parts of this scene. Like, his mouth covers half his face while riding the fish
- Aang running on the water reminds of Pain vs Naruto. Yeah, I didn't even watch Naruto growing up, and I know about that. I should start watching Naruto.
- And now the titular Kyoshi Warrior ambush Team Avatar. I get they had the element of surprise, but that just seemed a bit too easy.
- Again, I'm REALLY glad Sokka gets over his sexism by the end of this episode.
- The exposition here feels a bit forced but not the worst the show has done. It's... meh.
- Aang does some airbending to prove he is the Avatar and then does his marble trick while making a pretty funny face. I legit laugh at his expression
- And foam-mouth guy! I remember him. He makes me chuckle.
- Word gets around that Aang is on Kyoshi Island to Zuko pretty quickly. Ha! See? Word gets around pretty fast. I refer you to my "Take the Southern Water Tribe Hostage" plan 😏
- Iroh wants to eat Zuko's meal. The the most solid joke in this episode.
- Ew. Guys, come on, don't talk with your mouths full
- Butch Hartman joke into a montage of Aang letting the attention go to his head. It's okay for the most part, but the part with artist trying to paint Aang and then just giving up made me chuckle.
- Sokka claims to be the best warrior of his tribe. Come on, dude, your competition was kids asking for potty breaks.
- Now, we're building one of the few (and I do mean few. Seriously, the Avatar franchise is really not good with romantic relationships) ships in Avatar that I actually like: Sokka x Suki.
- Aw. Sokka makes an embarrassed face.
- Cut back to Aang and Katara bickering. Like I said before, I don't believe the Aang x Katara ship is done well.
- I do admire that Sokka humbles himself and asks to be trained by Suki and the girls. It's part of why I actually like Sokka x Suki: he grows better as not only a warrior but a person of her.
- Aang comments on Sokka in a dress. I'm not sure how to respond to that.
- Cut back to Aang and Katara bickering. Please, stop this.
- Now back to Sokka and Suki training and they start bickering and... how is it the writers got good bickering from those two while failing with Aang and Katara?
- Okay, Aang tries to ride the Unagi, the girls leave and Katara arrives so they can make up. Glad that's over.
- And we see the Unagi! Cool, a sea serpent. Makes me think of Digimon. It even has a water cannon! Though, that part makes me think of Pokemon.
- Aang and Katara get to safety and then... Zuko shows up?
I know this scene was hinted at earlier, but, wow, that was quite the jump from plot a to plot b. Talk about scene whiplash. - Zuko arrives at the village and tells his soldiers to search for the Aang. Come on, Zuko. Take a hopeless hostage. Threaten their life. Make Aang go to you. The Fire Nation really need to work on their capturing skills, though I guess that was kind of implied given that this war has been going on for a century.
- Now, we get some fight scenes and they're okay. Not the most impressive fights but I at least feel the impact of their hits.
- I do like seeing Aang flying over the village and seeing all the destruction. Zuko's soldiers wasted no time trashing this place.
- Katara says they should leave because Zuko will follow Aang. Again, Zuko, take a hostage! This village is pretty much at your mercy, and Aang is right there! You don't even have to really hurt them! Just threaten them! Make Aang go to you!
- Cut to Suki and Sokka saying their goodbyes. This scene is really short, but at least it enforces one thing: I like Sokka and Suki being together because I wish this scene was longer, unlike the Aang and Katara scenes where I wish the scene would just end (despite the fact the scenes are already short to begin with).
- And then Team Avatar escapes. Amidst all the danger, destruction and chaos, hearing "yip-yip" just feels... out of place.
- Zuko sees Appa fly away and orders everyone to give chase. The simple "hold the village hostage" idea be damned.
- Aang, seeing all the fire, decides to jump into the water and properly control the Unagi, symbolizing him conquering a character flaw. I will hacks, though. I don't think Aang should've been able to control the pressure of the Unagi's hydro pump.
- Katara hugs Aang and the episode ends.
Okay, overall thoughts:
This episode could be funny in spots. I legitimately laughed at certain points. Plus, seeing Sokka develop into not only a better warrior, but a better person because of Suki is a real treat. I do like how he humbles himself and drops his sexism because he legitimately admires and respects Suki and her skills. That is good character development.
However, I really do shake my head at the Aang and Katara moments. Unlike Sokka and Suki, Aang and Katara's moments don't really mean anything past, "Don't let the attention go to your head," and "I'm not jealous. You are!" I get that Suki wasn't originally meant to stay long and that Aang and Katara are supposed to develop over time, but that doesn't make their relationship any better, especially after knowing that it really doesn't get much better in the end. If anything, that knowledge only lowers my thoughts on this episode.
The rest of the episode was decent if jumpy. Like I said in my points, scene whiplash. I do not see tropes as inherently bad, and this episode was decent. Nothing spectacular but nothing awful.
My arbitrary grade for this episode: B-
Sentence: Sokka x Suki may just be the best ship in the Avatar franchise (though most of their competition isn't fierce).
So, what are your thoughts on this episode? What are your thoughts on my thoughts of the episode? Was there something I missed that could've made me enjoy it more? Did I give you more food for thought? I'd really like to know!
I'll try to review the next episode in week.
See ya later!
What stuck in my mind with regards to the Sokka x Suki relationship was a post-episode reveal I read somewhere during the eclipse assault in a later season. Right before, when Sokka sneaks out of his tent in the morning wearing a lei, of all things. It's meant to be symbolic. He got lei-ed.
Frankly, I'm surprised they got away with that, even with the layered context.
5411127
Yes, I recall that. I believe it was the episode "The Southern Raiders". Zuko goes to ask Sokka how his mother passed away but bumps into Suki. Zuko enters Sokka's tent and sees that Sokka has prepared quite the setup while expecting Suki.
I really hope Toph didn't feel the vibrations on that one.
5411129
Heh. A fun crossover on that note...
5411170
That's perfect! I love She-Ra and CatraDora
Yeah, but it helped that Zuko wasn’t on the move. He docked to get food. If he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t know. This instance is pretty plot convenient.
5411191
You could say a lot of what happens in Avatar is plot convenient.
Still, at the very least, Zuko should have taken Kyoshi hostage.
5411203
I take the fact that Zuko does not take the village hostage or (go out of his way to) harm innocents tells you something about him. The fact that other characters later would do so without hesitation tells you something about them.
5411203
Yeah, but unlike the southern tribe they have more more than one warrior and they’re capable of fighting back. The kyoshi warriors attacked him and his soldiers less than 30 seconds after they started going into their village, and their short fight gave aang enough time to show up. He barely had the opportunity to take a hostage, if he were to even consider that.
5411240
I think the goal there was to show over the course of the series, what sets Zuko apart from Azula. If Zuko were the hostage-taking type, he'd have not hesitated to fight his father in the Agni Kai, even if he had absolutely no chance of winning, because he wouldn't back down from an opportunity, no matter how slim.
Instead, we have a flawed character with a strong ethical center, who's at war with himself and his family over the course of the series. It's a more interesting person than if he'd just been Azula's little brother.
5411270
Yeah! I had considered that. It’s not something he would do, because that’s not how he is.
5411219
5411240
I understand that Zuko is one who seeks honor and, for that reason, he may not go out of his way to attack innocents or taking a hostage. Well, I say "honor" when the real reason is the writers don't want Zuko to do anything really heinous because they want to redeem him in the future, but I digress.
However, I have a hard time believing he wouldn't commit anything a little underhanded, especially since he is shown to be a bit deceptive and treacherous in future episodes. If capturing the Avatar is really his life's goal and he is shown to do less-than-honorable acts, I don't see a reason as to why he can't go a bit farther with his attempts.
5411535
He kind of does in The Waterbending scroll
5411535
That's fair, I just have a bit of a different read on the character. I think he's willing to be an underhanded jerk personally, as in The Waterbending Scroll. But he's not willing to say "come back here or I burn this random person's face off." That jumps from dealing with an enemy to, well, Azula. And even if he threatened it I don't think he could go through with it.
Basically, impersonal strategic violence to bystanders is a whole different level of evil and I don't think it's a line Zuko would cross.