u/Glum_Landscape9502

My first TADC fanart

...and I don't even think Goose herself understands it with how sentimental the ending is.

The whole schtick of the finale was just "fixing" the system - Caine used to ignore their needs and force them into adventures, and now he doesn't! And everything is good and wonderful because these people (brain scans) have each other, UwU! Isn't it nice?

The world doesn't need to be a literal hell though, like in IHNMAIMS - because naturally speaking, places like these aren't real.

But isolation? I mean not complete isolation, - even when we mean big groups of people forced together without a way to escape or change the status quo - dude, it must be horrible. It reminds me of a cult logic; there is seemingly no way to escape and there is always one in charge (in this case - Caine, but he lately gives the others ability to others to do stuff on their own - yeah, literally nothing can go wrong sarcasm). Like...it's still relatively a bad thing?

But that's only if we're speaking about how it would feel if people still functioned like people.

Now let's see: a bunch of people are taken out of their human world, - they are brain scans but they FEEL like real people. They have memories, they had goals, they had their history, relatives, friends, favourite places to be, favourite foods to eat, their pets, their LIVES, - to lose that without a way to turn back? Just for what, to get stuck into a cartoony world with a bunch of randoms who could be absolutely anyone? Sounds fun indeed.

Not only that but human body basically isn't set to immortality. We are born, we age, we die. The concept is sad but also that's how our life somewhat makes sense - because our human psyche can only take so much.

Now imagine you've suddenly lost all that.

It's not just "you can't go back to your world so it sucks". It's basically, what's the point of your existence? You don't have to eat, to sleep, you can't get sick and even experience a mild satisfaction of getting well after a nasty sore throat.

Even if you like aren't a big fan of the outdoors and a shut-in instead - you won't have a continuation of your favourite show or a new game to play.

Your creative side isn't going to see the end of the day. Only a bunch of people will see it, but...is that enough?

Abstraction isn't even much of a choice. It's your literal breaking point of desperation. And you must feel really horrible emotionally when something like this happens.

That's why I think Cain could never recreate real life for these characters, - they may have chosen to cope. For now.

But we not know how long is it going to last.

When the world needed him the most he RETURNED

...and everyone is crying except for Ragatha and Kinger 🥲

This is a serious topic for many that's why I apologise if I come off as insensitive.

But like...

Is it just me or does anyone else sees the way "Abstracting" is depicted through the series as inconsistent and strange?

We begin with the first episode where Kaufmo abstracts, and every character just goes like - "oh man, Kaufmo abstracted? Hmm, okay", like it's not much of a big deal at all - happens all the time whatever.

Then, later it's revealed that abstracting literally means death. And yes, I get that, it's probably close to that and it especially makes sense from the narrative standpoint and also opens a lot of possibilities. Like for example, characters not knowing what "abstracting" means thus treating it like death (because the person they knew basically do not exist anymore). There was no way to know if there was any cure from this and etc.

Then Gooseworx reveals it's an analogy of s**ide. And I was like...uh? I say she reveals it as in - I don't believe it was stated anywhere in the series.

Okay, now I am going to be direct.

I have always believed "abstracting" meant a this breaking point of mental breakdown, devastation and insanity. Not the same thing as the person deciding to unalive themselves.

The mental state might be similar, but...unaliving yourself is still a choice. Like, literally doing something to your body is a choice.

What we see from Jax's near-abstraction - he starts to trip and hallucinate, was that a choice?

Or Kaufmo. His room had the word "exit" scribbled all over it like he had some sort of a manic episode, he probably was in the same position as Jax. Was that also a choice for him?

Like...I have a strange feeling that naming this whole experience "s**cide" is an attempt to make things slightly darker and more personal rather than establishing what the lore is.

Again I apologise if I sound insensitive but it just doesn't make much sense to me.

Okay so...uh, might I say after the finale I was dissapointed? Well because first (and the main point): I was hoping for a satisfying conclusion with at least some answers given instead of a bunny pity party. And second: I didn't feel like Jax's story even...you know, made sense?

Like okay, all I got from there was "hurt people hurt people" and being in a closet is bad for you. But like...

Isn't he a grown man (or Idk, woman?) in his twenties? Didn't he have mates, friends, pals, partners, - Idk, at least some form of human contact except for his parents? Why is Ribbit like...considered to be the first one to reach out to him and the one he pushes away and ghosts violently? Was it because he thought this world wasn't real, like wtf with this animesque "I don't want people getting close to me" bs?

What does it have to do with his mother? Like...for some reason I can't put these things together.

He had an absent dad -> his mother was abusive towards him -> she put a weight of expectations and condemnation on his shoulders. Yes, I get it.

But what about him violently rejecting Ribbit, thinking she was going to manipulate him and hold these things he said against him (his gender identity confusion I can also get, but was it all about this again?). Then he decides to make everyone around himself miserable because...why?

What about him just switching between a "funny guy" and a bully persona, especially when towards women of the group (plus Zooble, but they were always able to kick his ass). What about him I guess trying to gravitate towards Pomni and "corrupt" her, just for the sake of making Ragatha sad?

What about the "you are my playthings" stupid cringy monologue?

Like idk could someone help me connect the dots because I feel so confused at this point because I don't feel like he is a complex character, just inconsistent and poorly written and all over the place

Am I the only one who thinks Jax has also pushed Ribbit off-screen like he did with his mother?

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Like, the way he gets in her face like this, and she looks genuinely scared of him, I really feel uncomfortable with this scene 🫠

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But since when it's Aang and not literally Katara

No hate for Aang - really, but there was no way he was ever hiding his feelings to make everyone happy, he is just not that character 🥲

I mean come on. Aang wasn't the one to hide his pain of losing Appa from everyone in the desert. It was Katara who had to keep everyone together - a tired and helpless Toph, drunk Sokka (and Momo), and yes, Aang wasn't helping as well as he just lashed out at her.

Sorry but it's just not it for me

Growing up I have realised I feel bad for Katara because of the fact that our poor girl has been denied one simple thing.

...Being a teenage girl.

Like, look at her falling for Jet and making a hat for him only for him to end up being a manipulative, bad guy all along.

Look at her getting excited about her fortune being told only for Aunt Wu to end up being a fraud after all (even though Katara still has to take her words as granted about her love life by the end of the episode).

Listen to her talk about using a moisturizer for skin (Aang hates the girly talk btw), enjoy dressing up and being pretty.

Look at her blush around other guys her age.

...apparently, most of these things are meaningless. Katara shouldn't look at other guys as she has a case of true love™ prepared for her. One guy was bad, the other one was never considered to be a match for her (and grew a pair of ugly moustache), the third one is a "devil on her shoulder" whom she "might've shared a couple of sparks with", but eventually she realises what she needs in life! A powerful bender, yeah! Because Katara, at her 14-15 years should already think about her future and - dare I say it - choose wisely!...She can play dress up and look pretty, though, because a certain someone has to look at her once in awhile in all these pretty pink filters and sparkles. But do not let her talk about it, okay? It's exhausting.

Now that I've wrote all this, I am wondering - was Katara ever allowed to experience fun the way a teenage girl is allowed to? What about love? Like, not the true love™ but a stupid, teenage crush with butterflies in her stomach and wobbly knees?

Has she ever shared a first kiss which wasn't a non-consentual press against her lips or the one she had to share in a cave she was literally trapped in?

Like, look. I know there is a lot of discuss about Zutara being toxic blah blah and they would've argued a lot and blah blah it's just merr attraction blah blah - but actually...is that REALLY such a bad thing?

Isn't she a teenage girl?

I believe the OP is right, because generally when someone ships you with anyone else irl is cringy, let's be honest

But it doesn't mean that would've changed the way they feel about each other 😉

I will never understand why they needed to draw Aang as buff in season 3, while occasionally making him run around shirtless. The funniest thing that the shipping game was the strongest this season (as well as Bryke's influence).

Then, there comes the movie and oh God 🫠 I have always thought Aang would be the "slick, agile" type of person with similar body type, not a freaking bodybuilder. Say, I've always thought Aang would be the "archer", not the "warrior" type if we're talking about RPG stereotypes 😂

Looking at the air nomads which were shown in the flashbacks, I am partly right (even though they were mostly women and old people and children, but I still doubt "bodybuilding" is in the air nomad's genes).

And like, doesn't he also look kinda strange with the same baby face attached to the brood shoulders of a Sweden male model?

...and before anyone says anything, I think Zuko is too beefy as well. Like yeah, he was so much so even in season 1, but at least it looked somewhat normal. The movie basically blew the body types of characters out of proportion, emphasising on the fact that they have to look *hot*.

I don't even think any adult character looked like that in the OG series, then LoK came and yeah, they've made them bigger and more westernised physically - but the movie for me is somewhat absurd.

Like... it's still Avatar. Not Berserk.

I am cackling at the fact that Bryke made this whole parody episode laughing at the fandom shipping and characters personalities being butchered ONLY to write the same exact thing unironically 15 years later

I think the Gaang reacting to the play is totally relevant to the movie lmao. Some complaints would've been just spot on.

Sokka: apparently, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who overreacts to everything, brags and is completely useless all the time!

Suki: at least you were in the movie, Sokka!

Katara: relax, everybody. They are not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy eye candy who can't resist throwing her arms around Aang all the time.

Zuko: they make me look totally stiff and humorless, even though hot!

Katara: actually, I still think that actor's pretty spot on.

Zuko: 😤

...Toph would've still liked the movie.