What With The Live Action Almost Being Out, People Have Been Talking About How Great Its Gonna Be Because

The removal of the sexism pisses me off not because it just affects Sokkas character but because it has ruined almost every woman in the show.

Suki takes off her make up often, as if it isn't a large part of her cultural identity and personality, as if her being a kyoshi warior and her destinctly femenine clothes are something to be ashamed off or that hinders her. Because its only her that gets this treat amongst the warriors, and shes the only main kyoshi warrior for the audience.

Yue's entire character is removed. It is replaced with what I think is meant to be a sympathetic princess to the people, she joins the nans in the kitchens and make deserts for the children. Like a disney princess whose quirky and silly and held back only by her title of a princess. Gone is the battle between her desire to help and her duty to be a water tribe ideal woman. Gone is her realising that the best way to help her people is to not be an ideal woman, but to take action and to do what no one else can, to become one with the moon so that she can forever help not just her tribe but the entire world. It is depressing, it is deep, it isn't fair to her but when has the world ever been fair?

Katara aswell. Her bending is forever unlocked by men (Aang and Jet), her defiance of authority is lessened and her naievety is also changed. A lot of her motherhood role is also completlty gone since they have changed Sokkas sexism into elder brother smothering. Her fight with Paku holds a lot less significance since she has no RAGE behind her. No rage that has built for YEARS as time and time again people have said no to her face for being a woman, for being weak, for not being enough simply because of who she is. that doesn't exist for her anymore because the water tribes are just...nice. We see one bad person in the water tribe and its Hadoka and he's mean to sokka! Kataras rage comes from Paku saying no to her, and whilst thats swell, it changes her entire "I'm a master now" moment into just...lame girlbossery. Thats kinda how the entire last 2 episodes felt like for her character. A common girlboss character without the emotional depth to make it femenism.

I think my main issue is that both shows set themselves up as being femenist by nature. The og show wanted to tackle issues with sexism, using book 1 as its main demonstration with it, but the theme still follows throughout the narative. netflix's show outright said they were removing the sexist elements. When you place youself onto that pedastal, any sexist writing you have becomes emphasised.

The og show undoubtably has sexist moments! Irohs comments to June are the most obvious to me, a long with a couple comments from Zuko later on. You can certainly argue that the extreme lack of GOOD mother figures is an issue (Kat and Sokkas mother is dead, Zukos is 'dead', and Toph is awful and rather quite compared to her father). Theres other examples, although currently my brain cannot think of any since I don't often write indepth critisms.

The live actions main point of sexism is its female main characters. we literally meet Yue in the kitchen! Women can be in kitchens but that is certainly a choice! Theres this strange hatred for make up aswell, yes with Suki but also with Sokka. His war paint is removed. Its like saying make up cannot be worn by strong fighters which is rather sexist. Speaking off: not putting Sokka in the kyoshi outfit is just...dumb? If you want to show him learning the style, having him wear the outfit. Its an aspect of the style and philosophy. A man wearing make up and a skirt doesn't emasculate him yet the show makes it feel that way with the refusal to do it. "Oh but then you'd have Sokka and Suki kiss in the kyoshi outfits" who cares. "it will look like lesbians" it won't. Even if it did, who cares? you can't be 'femenist' and anti-lesbian. Putting Sokka in the Kyoshi outfit, having him respect it, is just as important as having Aang learn the other elements, or Iroh creating lightning redirection. Why? because it shows a respect of culture, and how you can blend that into your own way of thinking. It's cultural extchanged based on respect.

When you name yourself femenist, yet have explicitly sexist writing, your GOING to get dogpiled with critism based on that 'femenist' msg.

I feel like Usagi is prone to just getting up and sobbing on her kitchen floor at night. and It will be about really deep topics and shit. And then when she comes to borderland doing that becomes harder but then she meets Arisu and they start existing together she discovers HEY he does the same thing. after a couple days of this he finally asks  Arisu: so what are you crying over? Usagi: my mum died when I was young and I'm sobbing over how I had to grow up fast and take care of what my dad didn't. He tried his best but he wasn't super human so I took up the cooking. Guess I'm just sobbing over the loss of my childhood tonight and how I’ll never get back my teen years- and now I guess this time either...what are you crying about 

Arisu:...a gravity falls amv I saw 2 years back 

I’m up at way to early and I hate it so here

Usagi on the first day of her and Arisu working together tried to wake him up and this dude most definitely punched her, shot up looked at her, muttered a soft “sorry” before promptly flopping back down and sleeping.

will you keep posting ethan and benny content on your page?

Just because you asked, no. Never again. You’ve ruined it for everyone now.

The real hero of the show: trixx

The humans are simply their puppets for mischief and the other kwamis are the poor witnesses to their crimes

Alya is probably the only miraculous holder who isn’t especially worried about her kwami. Not that she doesn’t love Trixx. But for as long as Gabriel has Trixx... Trixx has Gabriel. Alya has seen the mischief Trixx can do alone. Gabriel doesn’t have a miracle box, so the kwamis will be out all the time. Whether he can command them as their holder or not, Gabriel will be begging Ladybug to take back the kwamis before this is over.

Zuko realises he's the avatar whilst out at sea and is like "OH! I've done it I've found the avatar...I'M THE AVATAR! I can finally help father and reclaim my honour by serving my nation" and starts charting a course for home. And next to him Iroh is breaking down realising he has to tell his son nephew that his father will kill him the moment he even implys that he's the avatar. And that's the 'nicest' thing he'll do. Most likely he'll lock Zuko away so that the cycle doesn't continue but also that Zuko isn't a political threat. Fake his death ya know. Maybe he might even force Zuko into the avatar state before killing him so he realllly kills the cycle.

Thinking about one post here that I read a few years back, where, instead of Aang surviving the air nomad genocide, he dies with them, and the Avatar is reincarnated along the cycle, and by the time of the show, the Avatar is now in the Fire Nation, and it's. Zuko. And I cannot stop thinking about how funny this is as a concept. The same guy who yelled at the sky to strike lightning at him. That's the Avatar now.

Heavenly Tyrant is out today! It's a weird feeling after so many years of losing hair over it. It didn't feel like I was capable of finishing the book until I wrote the last word. The publication process was not a happy one. I'm not doing any events for it, not even a launch. I'm typing this while lying in bed and thinking about what a terrible year it's been. We joked about 2020 being the worst year ever, yet every year since has been progressively worse. And the coming years do not show any indication of being better.

But a big theme in Heavenly Tyrant is that wherever there is oppression, there WILL be resistance. I have had as much heartwarming support from peers, friends, and readers as I've faced heinous shenanigans this year. When a very, very famous author I met this summer asked me "Are you a controversial person?" after I told him about the stuff I was going through, I answered "To many who hold power? Yes. To regular people? I don't think so."

I want to thank all of you who gave me the faith to say something like that. Most people I know are on the right side of history. If you aren't - I don't want to know you.

Anyway, the book. Heavenly Tyrant is SO different from Iron Widow that I'm pretty nervous about whether people would like it. I want to ask you all to adjust your expectations going in. You're not going to get another breakneck-paced story about a Girlboss Going Smash. The smashing was the easy part. Rebuilding what she broke into something better is much, much harder. The story is a lot slower by necessity, and the problems she faces are way more complicated to deal with. I also ask that you read until the end before making a judgement because, well, developments you don't like might not be endgame! And there's a book 3 coming! (This was always supposed to be a trilogy; it's just that my publisher was only willing to buy 2 books from me at first. They changed their minds after seeing the preorder numbers for IW.)

Finally, I want to bring everyone's attention to the five songs the Bookish Songs Collective wrote specifically for Iron Widow! They're now available to stream whenever you get your music. It blows my mind that MY book would get such epic music?! I can't thank or praise them enough. Seriously, CHECK THE EP OUT.

i cannot BELIEVE they're dragging hugh jackman's corpse back into the marvel movies after promising like 50 times that this really is his last movie guys i promise no more wolverine guys he's not gonna be back again i swear. all so he can have gay sex with deadpool

⚗️🤍

....I ran out of more space

the northern water tribes wall looks pretty cool. I also like how they add like...specific names to the northern and southern water tribe areas we see. It adds a little realism.

the pakras the northern water tribe people wear arn't all the same and I think its a really cute detail. its a great addition that expands upon the animation. its sick.

Iroh casually and polietly insulting Zhao and then zhao insulting him back is some much needed political awkwardness I needed.

YUE MIXING THE DESERT FOR THE LITTLE GIRL WITH BENDING. ITS SUPER CUTE.

"that I was stuck up?" "yeah! :D UH I mean no" I hate this change BUT this is funny.

I kinda love how they show HOW out of touch the north is via their understanding of fire nation armour. I mean I know its done in the show I just love that they kept it in.

I like the healing dummy in the healer hut. I think its a very sick addition.

I like that Kuruk is a thing. I also like how Yue doesn't JUST beleive that Kuruk was an avatar who didn't do his job. Its sweet its like Katara and Aang. that cute little paralels comming through again.

honestly I have a love hate relationship with Aang seeing past avatars. on one hand Its great to get to see them more, and it foreshadows the final invasion and aang trying to seek help before choosing his own path. on the other hand, it sometimes removes his agency when they do these things for him. specifically with Kyoshi.

I like how Kuruk holds power, how he blows the snow away and his voice gets louder. I also love WHY he cannot do what Kyoshi did. I love that they play on old cannon to expand on their own. It's sick.

"silly avatar"

I like how in episode 8 Sokka seems to be taking on a leadership role in the fight, specifically by calling out commands to Katara and Aang. Its a prety nice addition.

"one way or another this is how my journey ends" the fact that Iroh just has to accept that Zuko is willing to die for this. thats fucked. its good.

I like that they use Kuruks knife. it adds a nice touch I guess.

I also like that zhao acts as though killing the ocean would be insane and not just killing the moon. its so funny.

MOMO DOES ONE THING THIS SEASON AND ITS SAVE A CHILD AND ALMOST DIE. best character ever made. I ma so glad he was used in this show.

the spirit oasis is insane I kinda love it and I kinda hate it cuss HOW IS THAT BEING HIDEN BY THE CASTLE. if they had decended a few more stairs I'd beleive it but oh god. I will say the abundance of flowers is really cute.

Zuko went under the ice as well.. him bursting through hte suface looks sick. I'm glad he's an idiot in this series as well.

I like the fish.

zhao actually like has a plan and for once in episode 8 he is scary.

THAT RED MOON FUCKS. its intresting how they move to it being completlty red compared to the animation being deprived of colour. Its an intresting twist stylistically. I also reallly like how the world starts fading to black the moment rhe fish is killed, its just a reallllly sick thing. I always loved how the seige of the north is animated so for them to do it gustice style wise its fun.

"master of three elelements, hasn't really got the same ring to it" is helarious. "touching, not that I care"

SEEING THE BOAT MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE WALL WAS INSANE. IT WAS MESSY, IT WAS DANGEROUS, IT WAS IMPOSIBLE.

I think the destruction shown to the buildings is actually shown much better in the LA then in the animation, for obvious reasons. Either way I like it.

Hahn staying behind for the others to retreat is an intresting change. I'm still not sure if I LOVE it but it is an intresting change.

the ocean spirit LOOKS dangerous and insane. that is SICK. Its like if Gozzila was clapped.

I like how all the water tribes people are bowing down towards it.

"he's a small man whos gonna meet a small end" we love you Iroh

Zuko and zhaos battle o the bridge looks good, I love that they kept the animations stylistic choice of fire lighting up the world despite the moon. it adds such a good contrast between them and the world and UGH yes.

Zukos desperation for zhao to be lying is so painful.

I've been so negative to the LA so heres a few things that I genuinely loved. Spoiles ahead. duh.

Sukis eye make up. the yellow blend into red? a nice subtle change to her character design that reallly adds to her

Zuko having those avatar dolls and their eyes lighting up. was cute

Zuko getting so hissy and destroying his room cuss his journal was missing. very relatable, very silly, the way Iroh is just kinda there realllly shows their dynamic well and also shows how Zuko IS just a stressed teenager

all the maps and drawings on the walls. they are very pretty and I'd love to have some of them irl

the entire scene of Suki and Sokka training together. Sokka slowly following her, Suki directing his moves and changing his forms. it felt like a dance and reallly highlighted how beutiful and deadly martial arts can be. it was also just filmed very sweetly with little noise beyond a sound track and grunts. Genuinely the best scene of episode 2 (and maybe the whole show).

Zuko unirioncally trying to fight Kyoshi??? it was so random but SO fitting. I aspire to be as stupid as this dumbass.

Sokka going "leader vs leader" to Zuko when asking him to fight was very cute and I HOPE they keep this style of interactions in like season 3 if they get that far.

JET USING THE HOOKS ON HIS SWORDS TO CONNECT THEM AND USE THEM AS ONE LARGE EXTENDED SWORD??? so intresting. SUCH a good use of props and how dynamic the fights in this show COULD be.

Longshot. Idk they are just so funny to me, I love how they are just casually posed on a tree as they shoot the first arrow.

the mechanist telling Sokka that he's tallented when it comes to engineering. it was very sweet, although I feel like it might bite the writers in the ass eventually. but for now it was very sweet.

I know in a past post I complained that Aang taught her bending to much, BUT Jet helping her open up about her mother and it helping her bending was an intresting take. I can see why people would hate it, but also why people would like it. Its intresting, its unique, and introduces an intresting paralel of Katara struggling to bend because of her emotions, and (hopefully) zuko facing that same issue later on in the series.

OMA AND SHU. best change of the entire series, truly the ultimate step up from the og, it works so well. I've seen this change in fanfiction and always loved it there, so happy it's now in a cannon media. Also the art work as they explain is very very beutiful.

Jets actor is honestly pretty fucking good. his "I thought you were on our side. On my side" speech in episode 4 was very sweetly done and it FELT complex with his emotions. espeically the choked up "i am nothing like the firebenders" MY GOD. Its a different take on Jet that shows a bit more of his sympathy then in the show and I think it realllly works. Props to the actor.

Zuko struggling to lie during episode 4 and make up excuses as he walks around the prision. Its so fucking funny to see him struggle and be all "well...my comanders gonna be pissed if I don't get to my duty in times" its so funny. I love Dallas I think he does a great job with Zuko and his characterisation will only get better if the show continues.

changing it to Sokka and Katara in the cave from Aang and Katara is honestly pretty cute? I know it takes away from the building romance with Katara and aang (although the show has cut so many of their interactions then this time it really WOULD feel forced) BUT it does work to expand and examine the theme of family that Avatar as a thing LOVES. Its espeically sweet arfter we've seen Katara and Sokka struggling deeply with each others wants and desires earlier in the show (espeically since this is stright arfter Jet). ( I am slightly pissed that its KATARA who is the skeptic in the tunnels. they could have the same argument with Katara being the one to believe. but oh well). Their argument was well worth it, it was long building, and truly felt like the two had buckled under the stress of leaving their tribe. Plus with the glowing crystals its like they are surrounded by stars which I think adds to the idea of missing home.

finishing the song secret tunel to then go "yeah there doomed!" with the biggest smile on his face. 10/10 comedy.

The arctitexture of the Omashu palace AND the crystals he bends are extrodinarily stunning. I mean the crytals look like smash beer bottles when broken, but when they are crystals???? suppper pretty.

ZUKOS PONY TAIL DOES THE PONY TAIL SWING BACK AND FORTH! Okay I know this is dumb, ut in the animation it didn''t happen as much or as extreme so it pleases me that real world physics are happening. Plus its just so silly.

The earth benders talking about how much was LOST during Irohs siege of ba sing se was pretty powerful. I've always been slightly irked that they wash over Irohs past and that he is JUST a good person, so it felt pretty cool that they took the time to kinda have him be....confronted by it? "I was a soilder" "you were a butcher!". It was a very quick examination of grief and ptsd, we got to see Irohs own sort of views about what happened, we got to see another persons desire for revenge because of the war, it was an odd scene for what we know of Iroh but it WAS intresting.

The funeral scene. "what a great honour for you and Lu ten to die in service of the fire nation" AND THEN ZUKO ACTING LIKE IT WAS WRONG TO SAY THAT. god. And then offering the medal that lu ten gave him to Iroh to properly comfort him? I was sobbing. It was a beutiful examination of Zukos conflict with what is expected of him, and what he WANTS to do. and then sitting by his side when no one else would? and Irohs tears only NOW comming once Zuko joined him? It was reallly and beutiful scene. I am so happy they added this.

genuinely when it was revealed that the tunnels where changing??? chills. I expected it. but it still shook me to my core. Maybe its cuss of the funeral scene before hand but either way props to them.

Okay so the animals sometimes looks goofy, BUT they also express WHAT they are so well. I love all the animals they look so fluffy and silly.

Iroh using the chains against hte earth soilders, once again some fun fight choreography and I am living for it.

Katara finding the badgermoles reacting to emotions with like...wonder and then Sokka going all "soo uhhh Mr badgermole" Was SO cute and in character.

Sometimes theres issues with the earth bending speed, but in the Bumi and Aang fight I found all the speed rather fitting. When he threw rocks, he THREW them. espeically the smaller rocks those shits are DEADLY. I mean that recreations of the animations scene where he bends over the rock looks goofy, like I get it but it didn't quite translate well BUT The rest of the fight looked pretty good. (and whilst I GET why it was important for Aang to face this challenge of this or that, it was upsetting for BUMI to be the one to do that. There are multiple other characters where it would make more sense, with Bumi being an old friend it just feels wrong. "you think like a child" "Is that really so bad?" was very sweet though.). I think Im a little over critical of what they've done to Bumi. it is a sweet story line and I can KINDA understand Bumis stance. realistically it wasn't that awful of a change its just jarring cuss its BUMI. Love his dress though I think it REALLY adds to this diversity of cultures and earth kingdom citys.

Seeing Zuko with that bandages arround his head and all his hair kinda really hurt. Also the use of leaves from the vine again. very sweet. "home. everything I need is on this boat" IT MADE ME SOB SO FAST. For all this shows changes, the changes they do with Zuko and Iroh work. The way Zuko saw the air bison and STILL chose getting his uncle to safty over even mentioning them? wonderful.

THE ICE DISKS! KATARA LITERALLY SAYING SHE GOT IT FROM THE EARTH BENDERS! its pretty cool. I like that they are already going deep with the benders taking elements from other bending styles is super fun!

Sokka and the little girl