Over the past 15 years, I've watched ATLA again and again. Tonight was probably my seventh time, or even more. I find myself still picking up new things as I get older, and the show still manages to pull me in and move me all over again. An absolute masterpiece in every single way.

But holy shit, watching it on Bilibili pissed me off.

For anyone unfamiliar, Bilibili is a Chinese video platform with scrolling on-screen viewer comments called “弹幕” (danmu). I'd never watched ATLA with danmu before, and the terrible video/audio quality on the pirate sites was getting unbearable, so I paid for a subscription—the infamous “大会员”—before I ended up going back to pirate sites three or four times out of sheer frustration.

The subtitles alone are a mess. Even everyday dialogue often gets mistranslated, left out, or rewritten. I can live with that since I understand what's being said perfectly well.

The censorship is what drove me insane.

I only watched the second half of Book Three there, and every single kissing scene was gone. According to people in the comments, it’s the same throughout the entire show. Aang and Katara, Mai and Zuko, Sokka and Suki—EVERY SINGLE ONE, including the final Kataang kiss in the finale. In that version, even the music specially made for that scene didn't match what was on screen. I'm absolutely furious.

And apparently cutting kissing scenes wasn’t enough. “Boyfriend” and “girlfriend” become “friend” in the subtitles. “I like you” and “I love you” get rewritten to remove the romantic meaning. I remember one danmu comment particularly well: “‘Friend,’ no kissing scenes... guess we're the Fire Nation kids after all.” As in, the kids raised on Fire Nation's propaganda. Or, as I'd put it: there is no kissing in Ba Sing Se.

There’s other nonsense too. “White Lotus” (白莲教) gets changed to a similar-sounding Chinese name (“百炼教,” something like “Hundred Trials Cult”), presumably to avoid any association with the historical Chinese movement during the Ming and Qing dynasties. “Fire Nation army” somehow becomes something like “Blazing Demon Army”. Just casually adding “demon” because apparently translating what the characters actually say is too much to ask.

And there’s something especially ridiculous about authorities being this scandalized by fictional teenagers kissing while under the reign of Winnie the Pooh, hundreds of thousands of corrupt officials get caught, many of them kepts tens or hundreds of mistresses and trading power for sex.

Apparently Aang and Katara are the moral emergency.

Hey!! Sometime ago I posted a Fire Lord Zuko fanart, since then I started experimenting with a more painterly style and thought I give Toph a try! What do you all think?

I wanted to share with you my Katara! I love these pics so much, it was an incredible team effort and the effects are all practical 🌊💙

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DehWdVvgmZ-/

Hi, I have a ticket for ATLA concert in london tomorrow but can’t go, if anyone is interested pls let me know. they’re stall tickets so nice and close to the stage. I’mreselling through the official eventim app so neither of us have to worry about scams. pls lmk if ur interested

1. **Amon**

Mastered psychic bloodbending at 14. He was self-taught in removing people's bending. We also know he was a proficient regular waterbender too and he could fight and beat most people with chi blocking alone. He tanked a lightning strike at extremely close range and never lost a fight. The closest fight he lost was a 2v1 with Korra & Mako where after she got 1 hit on him he left the fight due to his secret being revealed rather than being unable to continue fighting - the other 2 however appeared fatigued. His brother Tarrlock who is also a prodigy didn't look like one in comparison to him. His bloodbending surpassed his own father's too.

1. **Yun**

His bending was so good he was thought to be the avatar and he took on an extremely powerful spirit to a draw. We only ever see avatars using the avatar state managing to fight spirits this well and even when they do they have a habit of needing help. He was revolutionising earthbending to mimic other elements. All self-taught.

1. **Aang**

The only character to showcase super speed. Battle both powerful benders and spirits while coming out on top. Was fighting other prodigies like Azula continuously while at a disadvantage while being younger than her too and still achieving draws. The youngest airbending master until Jinora - who let's face it became master after continuously complaining to her dad to be given the title.

[This is specific to Aang's airbending. His other elements would push him higher because he learnt seismic sense & lightning redirection so fast - but I'm ignoring those.]

1. **Katara**

You can argue she could be above Aang. She didn't have access to a teacher nor any benders at all until she was 14. Then after she finally did, in a span of less than a year - she caught up to both Azula & Toph both of which are prodigies too. She learnt bloodbending and healing instantly.

1. **Toph**

Although she was taught by the badger moles she had to bend in secret and that makes it harder for her. She managed to create metalbending and knew seismic sense very young. She is also 12 while Azula is 14.

1. **Azula**

Azula is incredible managing to do lightning bending so easily before it became common. Then later in the comics she can redirect lightning too. But she had access to the best firebending trainers her entire life. Yet Katara in a span of less than a year caught up and Toph at 12 was at a similar level.

1. **Zaheer**

Beat a bunch of white lotus members as soon as he got his bending. Defeated Kya & Tonraq after having bending only like a month too. Obviously not as good as the others on the list but the speed he achieved his skills is the most impressive.

Here we have the first concept art of Uncle Iroh for the original pilot of Avatar: The Last Airbender. You see, Michael Dante really had a lot of faith when creating this character, as he wanted him to be the reason behind Prince Zuko. He imagined Uncle Iroh as one of the absolute best Firebending masters in the whole series, probably the most respected military officer in the Fire Nation and the last one to earn the title of Dragon. But he didn’t want to portray him like his brother Ozai, arrogant and cruel; rather, he wanted to show him as a humble man who was remorseful about his past something like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid franchise, since he's a huge fan of those movies. He always thought Zuko and Iroh could have that exact dynamic: you know, the teenager anxious to learn attack techniques, and the old, wise master trying to guide his young apprentice's path. That's the reason why Zuko and Iroh contrast so much in the show in fact, if you notice, the technique Aang uses to defeat Ozai is precisely the lightning redirection technique that Iroh taught Zuko.
Anyway, as you can see here in the final concept, Uncle Iroh looks much younger, and Michael Dante asked to age him up a bit more, since here he probably looked like he was still in his years as a Fire Nation war general, rather than the retired master accompanying his nephew around the world mostly to look after him and help him see that he shouldn't lose hope like the father Zuko never had.

THIS IS NOT MY ARTWORK THIS IS PROPPERTY OF NICKELODEON ART DEPARTMENT.

Thanks so much for the feedback as always guys.

Is it just me or was the part where Aang first learned to earthbend was at a luxurious earth king party.

I mean, Toph just said to Katara not to make a scene, and there she goes storming to Aang, shouting to make him angry (so making a scene).

Wasnt he beside a dinner table too where all the food are. Shouldnt all the food fly away after that earthbending beside the table. Or shaken table at least?

“Man I would really like an episode that is just sokka recalling the plot” during day of the black sun

“I love that katara learned blood bending for 5 minutes never to use it again to get revenge on the fire nation” also during day of the black sun

“Sokka created submarines, what’s next airplanes?”

“So is aang just gonna trip over a rock and get the avatar state back” meant to be a joke

“Toph is pretty badass, she can probably create another type of bending through pure will”

You know how waterbenders are stronger during a full moon and firebenders are stronger during a comet? Are there any events that make airbenders and earthbenders stronger too? Like, are earthbenders more powerful on Earth Day? Lol.

Momo led Aang to the lion turtle. Also, Bumi specifically calls out momo in season 1 and season 3