Why The Tales of Ba Sing Se Will NEVER Be Replicated - Avatar The Last Airbender

I think for a lot of people the tales of bossing say is that one Random episode in book two that just decided to make you cry like a baby because well that's just what it does but I think equally many tend to overlook the larger narrative structure of the episode that makes that entire emotional roller coaster so incredibly powerful even in very very broad Strokes the episode exists in what I describe as a almost limbo State AA is still missing the message to the earth king is still pending The Invasion plans as a whole are still up in the air zuku and iro two are in the city but we are yet to cross paths and so on everything in this episode operates in that weird limonal period which I think too plays into that odd sense of Peace a trait that is actually not that common an avatar and I mean of course let's address the elephant in the room the structure of the episode itself with the tales format is also one we have never seen before or since this type of scattered storytelling never appears neither in Avatar nor in Kora but before we get to how that too shapes our perception of what's to come next I think it's important to also briefly talk about the substance of the episode on a very very macro scale in the year 2024 the word filler is thrown around a whole lot and importantly often with a very negative connotation thing is in a series like Avatar much of what we see especially super early in book one can easily be called quote unquote filler for the simple reason that the show was episodic with a very loose overarching story so if you really wanted to sure you can call at least parts of this little slice of lifelike episode pure filler but personally I think that would be number one just downright criminal but number two just really selling it short with it planting our characters in situations we probably couldn't even imagine seeing them in the tales of tof and Zuko for example are all about pushing them out of their comfort zones right but okay we'll have plenty of time to delve into all of that later on what I more so want to talk about on a very macro level is that transitionary period that this episode is in much like the larger story going from those Loosely connected Adventures to a more focused and linear narrative I also find it really interesting how this episode is not just an independent story but the episode itself is made up of even smaller bite-sized independent stories just like we the viewers operate in this linal space of still eagerly awaiting to see apaa again the show too in a very structural way leads into that in between period of the episodic nature of book one and the far tighter Narrative of book three with this sort of format deliberately focusing on these small stories it's not just that the tales format is this sort of Slice of Life where nothing super big happens it's also the fact that those stories take place in what is already a transitionary period for the show itself I think by having this perfect mixture of the not at all connected stories of book one and the laser focus on the characters like book three we just get this sort of reminder of where all the characters stand right before they become pieces of a far greater puzzle and as a result it does feel like this oddly peaceful but also oddly anxious in between period if you've seen my video on Ang I talk a little bit about it there already but there is a genre in anime and manga called Yash probably butcher the pronunciation but when translated literally it means healing stories there usually focus on the more mundane challenges of life nature and generally lower stake stories to soothe and heal the audience and while you could spend hours arguing about the definitions and what does and doesn't fit in the genre I think mushishi is the most appropriate example of what I mean first off if you like the swamp episode in N spirit world Shenanigans watch mushishi you will love it but the series as a whole deals with these small bit-sized stories that while often quite sorrowful still have that bizarre sense of just being at peace it does often get a little bit spooky sometimes a little bit sad sometimes a little confusing but it still feels oddly soothing and that is exactly how I would also describe the tales of bossing say it marks the final truly peaceful moments before the macro story of the invasion takes from stage he challenges the characters in often unseen ways but also heals others all of this comes together for a truly beautiful and ever so slightly emotionally manipulative episode about different forms of loss and what that entails the first of the tales follows toffen guara which already looks back to what I mentioned earlier with it challenging characters in unique ways not only is it the only tale to feature two characters but it also pairs up T and Katara a Duo that is notorious for buting heads over there well perspective on life really Katara is always tidy and organized tof is nonchalant and somewhat chaotic Katara is often liken to a mom for the group tof wants to deliberately Escape her parents's Shadow so pairing them up for this little day trip already plant is in a situation we normally wouldn't see throughout their little Spa session we see T going from fighting back tooth and nail to actually enjoying it it's a small story of her and Katara just finding common ground something that would come into to focus again later in book three and the same goes for those Rando girls calling out Toof on their way back initially Toof plays along with their little funny Haas only to then clap right back and give them a piece of her mind just like to found common ground with qara katar up steps in tof's Direction with her response to being very retaliatory it shows us that despite their occasional differences in conflicts team Avatar is still a single unit and once one of their own is hurting they will all set aside their differences and come to their aid again just like we'd see in the runaway on top of that it also reinforces tof's very stoic worldview with her just saying that she doesn't care what she looks like or what others say saying that she's confident in her own skin and that's all that matters sure hearing harsh words does still hurt in the moments and the entire blind banded Persona is also a pretty clear rebellious act to carve out her own personality but at this stage in her life she knows who she wants to be and she has moved out of that box her parents had put in it is a story of knowing yourself being comfortable with yourself but still being able to find common ground with someone very very different tof is not the type to get makeup and in many ways she even hates just the thought of it since it reminds her of the life she left behind but at the same time she is willing to make compromises even if it means stepping out of her comfort zone it is a very low-key story that I think is deliberately planted there to disarm us a little bit to make us lower our guard as to what we should could expect in the rest of this episode that's obviously not a Digga story self-image is a very painful subject and there is also a form of loss in terms of her family connection that much is true but her story isn't about wallowing in misery or brooding over what the girl said no it is one of stoicism right away she stands up for herself which just establishes the sense of these will be bite-sized stories with quick resolutions and will likely have relatively little stakes and that is precisely when we drift into the tale of iro before we even talk about his story here I think it's extremely important to contextualize who iro really is looking back and even on a first viewing iro is just about the most lovable Father Figure and Mentor that you could probably ever write everything from his care of Zuko even in banishments to his seeming complete 180 during The Siege on the North to his usual tea Antics to his brief conversations with Toof everything about him is just pure good right well not really because as much as I think we don't want to admit it Ira was once a part of the thing we are currently trying to stop he laid C John bossing say for 600 days almost 2 years nonstop even if he never got into the city itself I mean 600 days that is tremendous human cost he was an incredibly dangerous General I mean he was meant to be the fire lord not just that he is also a part of the White Lotus which if you read the Kyoshi and yang Chen novels is not not just a group of P show enjoyers they often get into some very very shady dealings and I think it's in knowing that context that his story here is just elevated to incredible Heights I think the vision of taking bossing say turning out to be entirely misunderstood is the perfect encapsulation of what io's life turns out to be everything he does is not just an act of Purity no he is desperately trying to make sure that others don't lose sight of their true paths just like he himself did I think that his precisely why he always cared so deeply about Zuko He was largely a m image he saw Zuko speak out against the Fire Lord because he didn't want to sacrifice people but that literally got him burned he doesn't want Zuko to be broken down and turn out the same way that he did in that dark dark stage of his life so what he does is just try to Mentor Zuko and try to repay the damage he himself inflicted upon the entire world even the smallest of things like adjusting the moonflower after losing everything he begins to appreciate apprciate the little beauty in this world he buys a picnic basket saying that it's for a very special occasion in turn very much making it a check off's basket and just planting that thought at the back of our minds we also see him already sing a more upbeat version of leaves from the vine the little doll of the earth Kingdom Soldier just readying us for what's to come he tries teaching the kids with a balla lesson saying to admit their mistakes again readying us for what's to come but once again it also disarms us as we see this goofy Scooby dues Chase he even helps out a literal Thief just saying that he doesn't look the type and ends up helping him yet again dropping one of his very iconic lines of while it's always best to believe in oneself a Little Help from others can be a great blessing which again ties right back into Zuko's story but I think more importantly io's Own Story during the war with no one left by his side he just fell apart and it's only alongside Zuko that iro found some level of Peace so with all of those nice little acts of kindness out of the way he walks to the lone Hill unpacks the basket and simply mutters if only I could have helped you the most tragic thing about all of this is that Ira would re-experience this exact pain all over again with Zuko in book 3 we of course know that eventually it all ends in Smiles but for iro it was a journey and a half what I think hurts the absolute most about this episode no matter how many times you watch it is that while iro was always a very introspective character more often than not he was also pretty goofy I mean just a few minutes ago we saw him chased around in comedic fashion right but I think it's exactly because of all of that disarmament that we reach this hill and slam into a cold cold wall if T's story was one of not looking back and embracing who you are then iros is of the deepest deepest regrets with those simple words of if only I could have helped you everything we just saw is immediately recontextualized to have rather been a deeply regretful and desperate attempt to make up for his past those were not just random acts of kindness no he is trying to help the very people who are suffering because of his War to put it in a more abstract form bosing say is no longer the city that he couldn't defeat it is the city that never fell iros tale explores the somewhat paradoxical situation where you have it all but you can do anything just like incredibly wealthy people often find themselves in the pits of of loneliness iro is one of the strongest people we've ever seen but in the face of death he's completely and utterly helpless no amount of strength no amount of kindness nothing could ever bring his son back again so while his own life might be tainted by that regret he now just does everything he can to make sure that others never end up in the same position and pursue the goals that they were always meant to just like Zuko just like that Thief Mur lad just like tof and just like everyone else who has had the pleasure of sharing a conversation with iro and as much as I don't want to talk about it because well I just don't want to make this little goofy video painfully sad but mako's performance of leaves from the vine is just the most tragically beautiful book into this little tale that warm embrace of the setting sun falling over the hill as his voice just cracks beneath the tears and the lyrics contrasting the beauty of those fragile leaves and the horrific hope that that little soldier boy does indeed come marching home it's just I don't think there really are words to describe the sheer emotional weight of that short simple song I think for iro as well as I imagine many of us watching the series it just means so so much anyone who has sat on that Hill will know the desperate plea the desperate wish that they could have taken that pain taken that burden away and carried it for them but you can't and you will never be able to all right we're all good not really well great because I think that's exactly why Ang's tale serves as the followup remember what I mentioned with the different Tales covering the emotional Spectrum well I think an story is meant to be that bit of catharsis right after the emotional Devastation that was the tale of iro in Broad Strokes angk story isn't exactly a happy one either with him just still desperately trying to search for haa don't forget that air bison are supposed to be lifelong companions so I think at this point Ang is not just questioning his abilities and responsibilities as the Avatar but he now also finds himself asking whether he's even a worthy air Nomad though unlike iro where it's those final moments that will make you start balling eyes out Ang story more so embodies that peeling angle I mentioned earlier everything he does is still with the hopes of finding his flying buddy but in pursuit of that much like iro he wants to help those in similar positions and so he ends up constructing the new outdoor zoo we get a visit from everyone's favorite cabbage Merchant which is also the last time we see him by the way remember the lional space we operate in we see a little bit of Controlled Chaos but all in all the conclusion is a happy one he hasn't found op up that much is true but there is still hope conveyed by those three little rabaroos popping up in the pouch it's not a blunt smash cut from the devastation that his leaves from the vine to a holy happy story where all is right in the world rather it is a smooth transition from that sad regrets to a still somber but positive story of healing he may be incomplete without Opa but there is new life all around him life that too is in need of Aid just like he himself and just like AA the tale of iro conveys theep powerlessness in the face of loss while angs conveys hope what is a very blunt transition however is the one we get to Saka we've now all calmed down a little bit and we are sitting there with still a tearful but a smile and that is precisely when the episode turns on its head and we get what is easily the goofiest story out of the bunch in classic Saka fashion he somehow finds himself in a hiu Battle of utmost intensity while the whole thing is played off for laughs and doesn't really Linger on any explicit form of loss I think it does perfectly convey Saka personality and really broad her narrative outside of a few select situations where he does indeed act like a bit of a buffoon notably kioshi Island Saka is quite the social chameleon he immediately finds common ground with the mechanist he later takes charge of the entire Siege preparations in the northern water tribe even smaller things like managing to draw out emotion from Toof during the whole runaway debacle or even his famous Wong fire disguise no matter what situation you put Saka in chances are he'll be able to fit right in on top of that as much as he is off in the comedic relief Saka is also Al a certified Mega brain with him and again the mechanist figuring out the whole rotten eggs then putting together the entire Invasion plans and quite literally designing a submarine that said he often gets up in his head and sometimes just a little bit overconfident and fails in the very very last stretch just like we see here as well as with his big Invasion plan presentation but what makes Saka special is that most of the time he doesn't let those moments get him down and I think that is the message here he finds himself in a awkward and uncomfortable situation somehow manages to stumble through it but even if he ends up failing at the end he still makes it a learning opportunity in many ways I think it's a spin on top story if she can't just avoid these situations outright she confronts them head on sometimes maybe a little bit Overkill Saka on the other hand is a lot more easygoing and is just down to try just about anything so long as he can learn something from it okay I must come clean because I did lie a little bit when I said I don't think Saka tail really explores loss because in a way I absolutely think it does not in the form of the other Tales where they've all lost an explicit someone but rather in a loss of self later with Sak's Master we see this explored a little more with him wanting to undergo the training because he felt like he's just some dude on team Avatar while everyone else is a bending master I can't do anything each of you is so amazing and so special I'm just the guy in the group who's regular so in in a way I think you can interpret everything Saka does from poetry to his engineering prowess as a form of finding that true self for his entire life he has wanted to be strong just like his father was but when he gets that opportunity to be just like him he again fails in that last last stretch but he still did the rest right all of those achievements leading up to that point shouldn't be invalidated just because he couldn't stick The Landing no one's a jack of all traits and I think that is what his tale is all about it's about being open-minded about trying new things you might have never imagined yourself doing and not being afraid to fail he can still be that brave Warrior like his father was but he can also be Saka the Whimsical guy doing poetry engineering submarines and sipping on some good old cactus juice so if you return to that healing angle throughout the episode we've seen the depth of sadness and regret we've recovered with Ang's good deeds and now we are laughing right alongside Saka who is just trying his best not to let his past Define him which very nicely leads us into the tale of Zuko much like the rest of the cast I think his taale is basically a concentrated version of his entire story delivering both the happy highs as well as the very very lows at this point in the story he is unaware that Ang to is within bossing say and seemingly he has found some level of Peace we of course get the whole Whimsical angle of Zuko thinking that jyn is some sort of undercover spy while in reality she just likes him but underneath that goofiness I think his taale deals with this deeper sense of anxiety not quite belonging and generally feeling lost in life after their we'll call it very slightly awkward date they actually share a very touching moment of seeing the fountain and lanterns together even after the events of Zuko alone and him being entirely ostracized for merely being a Firebender even if he wanted to help he still lights those lanterns in hopes of just making jyn happy for the first time since they've arrived at bossing say and really for the first time since his banishments he allows himself to just enjoy the moments only he can't not really after they kiss he just begins to pull away and just rushes back to the tea shop he tells zyo that the evening was nice but he does not elaborate much like Zuko himself says the emotions here are complicated because for that moment he really was that Lee or just Zuko he wasn't the banished Prince he was just a guy helping his uncle run a tea shop who has went out on a date but then there is that Spectre looming over him always pulling him back in just like we later see with May Zuko's trauma is just what keeps him from opening up the one time where he was truly compassionate and honest he got well quite literally burned and so it's only natural that he can't do that again he desperately wants to leave that burden behind but time and time again he can't neither with jyn nor with May Zuko could never be totally honest for the simple reason of him still not being honest with himself something we'd see on full play with Lake La guy and of course the beach so is him telling gyo that it was nice what he really believes or was it merely not to sadden IO considering the events of the crystal catacombs and how much those decisions Haun him later on I think you could easily argue both ways he might have enjoyed the evening and the time they shared but much like with iro there's a certain amount of resentment for himself in that he wants to be happy but why does he keep pulling himself away why did he Rush away if it was truly nice why is he himself keeping him from enjoying these things much like the rest of the Avatar narrative at this point I think Zuko's tale is one of transformation it very blatantly shows us that underneath all of those layers and layers of trauma there is still Purity there is still a teenager who can just go on a date and not carry around the baggage of the banished Prince but at the same time just like his name that he takes from that boy Transformations are never easy he has taken multiple steps away from the the title of the banish Prince but even the name he has chosen for himself is still loaded with that regret even now there is still a long long way Zuko needs to go to just be Zuko I think his loss isn't even a specified thing but rather almost a state of mind he's lost his mom he's lost his family he's lost his crown he's even lost himself and goes by a fake name he himself is lost and that is what his tale is about but as with every great Redemption story he still needs to take one big big tumble along the way right and on that somewhat Bitter Sweet note the series brings us right back to the very bitter with the tale of momo if Ang story is one of desperation but pop then Momo's is of utter helplessness and more importantly loneliness you know how some people say that they feel infinitely worse about something that happens to an animal as opposed to people I think much of that is because we perceive other people as these completely independent actors that can to a certain extent at least choose what happens to them of course there are still plenty of things outside of their control but when compared to animals and especially pets they just have a lot more autonomy right with animals we immediately have this preconceived sense of helplessness and I think that is precisely what the tale of mmal leverages much like Ang peep dreams of finding his lost buddy but with him being a smart lemur but still a lemur it almost seems like the world itself is just stringing him along just to leave him disappointed time and time again he tries searching fur further but gets ambushed then made out to be a circus animal and eventually just captured outright it again just embodies that helplessness of the search it's like he's caught up in this current that he can't fight back against much like what we saw with aa's actual capture in the deserts though seeing this disgusting hypothetical of what might have happened to Opa Momo frees the pygmy Pumas despite being chased around by them just a few moments prior he misses Opa but more than anything he's scared for Opa though as much as he might have made a few new Buddies they just take the bit of of opos fur and lead him to the massive paw prints giving us a final shot that might just rival irose much like Ang there is a degree of Hope in Momo's story he does mean a few new Buddies after all but unlike Ang the conclusion is not a happy one purely practically speaking opa's paw print is of course a very explicit indication that next time we'd be seeing the tale of opa if you will or in other words following his Footprints or I guess Paw Prints but the shot of momo just sleeping in that Hall perfectly conveys that sense of loneliness that P Ang and even iro are feeling all he can do now is just hold on to this shell of opa the only indication that he may be close the only source of hope he might not feel his physical warmth or be close to him but this is the best he has and so he sleeps there even in the rain all alone it's like holding on to a pet story after they've passed it is a desperate desire to just fill that empty hole that's been left behind by something anything but just like we saw with with iro there really is nothing you can do I think the reason why this pseudo filler slice of lifelike episode resonates with so so many people and is easily among the best of book two is because it gives us these deeply personal looks into each and every one of the main players and how they manage different forms of loss in many ways it takes us on this roller coaster of emotion that is just life it gives you a stoic story about forging your own name but then it follows up with one full of deep regrets it allows us to Hope and heal but then it drops us into this fog of uncertainty and leaves us there all alone the tales of bossing say is a moment of transformation for the story and for us without op up we are quite literally grounded and are forced to think a whole lot more about who we are in the city of walls and secrets some choose not to show their true faces just yet While others open up for what might just be the very first time it ties together everything that came before to guide us into what comes next shown very EXP explicitly with oppos paw prints it might not be an episode filled with action or explicit story developments but it's an absolutely vital one for the bigger story of Avatar the tales of bossing say tell us to just slow down to reflect to look around and appreciate the little beauty in this world to enjoy the short moments of joy and to just feel because it's only in accepting your past that you can begin to look forward and that's the video oh boy I can't believe actually here you have no clue how long this was in my drafts and just how many times I've reworked it it started as a 30 minute video on iro alone and to be totally honest with you I was a couple of seconds away from scrapping it again but then I realized that it would just become a development Health cycle so here we are this was always a really special video I wanted to make so I hope you enjoyed it and with that I want to say a massive thank you to our current patrons and YouTube members who allow me to produce even more of these for you all Without You there'll be a whole lot less of my rambling so seriously thank you thank you other than that I want to say thank you very much for watching I hope you have a great day and hopefully I'll see you in the next one bye-bye

Channel: Korotos Mystery Shack

Views: 464,067

Keywords: Koroto's, Mystery, Shack, Korotos, Koroto, Avatar, The Last Airbender, Tales of Ba Sing Se, Book 2, Iroh, Analysis, Tale of iroh, the last airbender, uncle iroh, ba sing se, little soldier boy, leaves from the vine, Tale of Momo, Appas lost days, tale of sokka, sokka haiku, toph, katara, aang, Zuko, tale of Zuko, Zuko firebending, zuko alone, team avatar, avatar the last airbender, paramount, the legend of korra, nickelodeon

Id: GvMaw-cEFR4

Length: 26min 8sec (1568 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 26 2024