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Every year I'm surprised all over again that people actually watch the Oscars. Although I have to confess that the random expressions of SHOCK AND OUTRAGE from Americans, that an overweight, middle-aged Australian actress they've never heard of got a best supporting actress nomination for an Australian movie they've never seen. Okay, it's not so much SHOCK AND OUTRAGE as confuzzlement, but I'm amused when the cultural bubble is stretched a bit.
(On a related note: Shaun Tan - Australian, not New Zealander.)
ANYWAY, here is a thought that has been following me around for a couple of weeks:
Li and Lo: most underrated female characters in Avatar, or most underrated female characters in Avatar?
I say this because I read a bunch of essays about the lack of older women in the series. Which is a serious problem, and really the major *ist failing in the whole series. Only, they tend to go on and on about Hama and totally forget Li and Lo.
AND THIS MAKES ME SAD! For I love Li and Lo, with their creepy talking together and finishing each other's sentences and general state of Old Lady Crazy. And considering that they're associated with the Fire Nation royals, and more particularly with Azula, they seem pretty benevolent. Which is to say, they're the only people who actually try and help Azula when she's having a psychotic breakdown. (And they make Zuko and Mai sleep in a room full of chintz, which is an hilarious affront to their gothling emo souls.)
It is therefore my personal canon that Li and Lo are members of the Order of the White Lotus, trying to look after Azula in the same way that Iroh did for Zuko. And failing, because Azula learns much too late that, when your father is a raging sociopathic abuser, being his favourite is actually worse than being the kid he doesn't like that much. But, y'know, trying. This to me makes a lot more sense than Hama, the woman who tortures civilians and children, being a member of the Order, which is something I keep seeing people proposing in apparent actual seriousness.
Anyway, here's a fun question for you to ponder: who are Li and Lo? They're subordinate to the prince and princess, yet powerful enough to criticise Azula. They can also critique her firebending, despite not being benders themselves. And though they own their own house at Ember Island, it's plainly a lot smaller than the royals are accustomed to.
So, not servants. A lot of people assume they're Azulon's sisters, which makes sense, only we see a portrait of them when they're young, and they don't have any of the genetic traits that mark the royal family, ie, hairline, ears, etc.
My guess is that they were Azulon's concubines when they were young, putting them on the outer edge of the royal family. Just close enough to help raise Azula after her mother left, and far enough removed as to not remotely be objects of filial piety. (Not that Azula bothers with respecting anyone in the family who isn't her father.) More personal canon, yes, but it makes so much sense in my head that I practically have to twirl with glee.
(On a related note: Shaun Tan - Australian, not New Zealander.)
ANYWAY, here is a thought that has been following me around for a couple of weeks:
Li and Lo: most underrated female characters in Avatar, or most underrated female characters in Avatar?
I say this because I read a bunch of essays about the lack of older women in the series. Which is a serious problem, and really the major *ist failing in the whole series. Only, they tend to go on and on about Hama and totally forget Li and Lo.
AND THIS MAKES ME SAD! For I love Li and Lo, with their creepy talking together and finishing each other's sentences and general state of Old Lady Crazy. And considering that they're associated with the Fire Nation royals, and more particularly with Azula, they seem pretty benevolent. Which is to say, they're the only people who actually try and help Azula when she's having a psychotic breakdown. (And they make Zuko and Mai sleep in a room full of chintz, which is an hilarious affront to their gothling emo souls.)
It is therefore my personal canon that Li and Lo are members of the Order of the White Lotus, trying to look after Azula in the same way that Iroh did for Zuko. And failing, because Azula learns much too late that, when your father is a raging sociopathic abuser, being his favourite is actually worse than being the kid he doesn't like that much. But, y'know, trying. This to me makes a lot more sense than Hama, the woman who tortures civilians and children, being a member of the Order, which is something I keep seeing people proposing in apparent actual seriousness.
Anyway, here's a fun question for you to ponder: who are Li and Lo? They're subordinate to the prince and princess, yet powerful enough to criticise Azula. They can also critique her firebending, despite not being benders themselves. And though they own their own house at Ember Island, it's plainly a lot smaller than the royals are accustomed to.
So, not servants. A lot of people assume they're Azulon's sisters, which makes sense, only we see a portrait of them when they're young, and they don't have any of the genetic traits that mark the royal family, ie, hairline, ears, etc.
My guess is that they were Azulon's concubines when they were young, putting them on the outer edge of the royal family. Just close enough to help raise Azula after her mother left, and far enough removed as to not remotely be objects of filial piety. (Not that Azula bothers with respecting anyone in the family who isn't her father.) More personal canon, yes, but it makes so much sense in my head that I practically have to twirl with glee.
