Showing posts tagged Fire Nation
The Mountain Near Hama’s Village A lot of the Fire Nation’s landscape is modeled on Iceland. Hama’s village is no exception. The mountain in the background is based on the Herðubreið mountain. (Art Book, p. 147) “ Herðubreið (Icelandic pronunciation:... View high resolution

The Mountain Near Hama’s Village

A lot of the Fire Nation’s landscape is modeled on Iceland. Hama’s village is no exception. The mountain in the background is based on the Herðubreið mountain. (Art Book, p. 147)

Herðubreið (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhɛrðʏpreiθ], broad-shouldered) is a tuya in north-east Iceland. It is situated in the Highlands of Iceland in the midst of the Ódáðahraundesert and close to Askja volcano. 

Image source: One

Ozai the Bull Demon King of Confusion What should have been an easy post ended up more complex than I thought when I started. Ozai is dressed like the Bull Demon King from Journey to the West (compare picture). Thing is, even though there are many... View high resolution

Ozai the Bull Demon King of Confusion

What should have been an easy post ended up more complex than I thought when I started.

Ozai is dressed like the Bull Demon King from Journey to the West (compare picture).

Thing is, even though there are many illustrations that show the Bull Demon King dressed like that, that’s not how he’s described in the version of Journey to the West that I have. In fact, the only description that is given of the Bull Demon King is that he looks like a Bull.

Now what we do get in the text is a description of the Demon King of Confusion. Whose role Ozai is very clearly playing in Aang’s nightmare by confusing the pants off him.

On his head he wore a dark golden helmet,
Glistening in the sun.
On his body he wore a black silk gown,
Flapping in the breeze.
Below that he wore black metal armour,
Girt with a leather belt.
On his feet he wore patterned boots,
As splendid as a field−marshal’s.
His waist was ten feet round,
And his height was thirty cubits.
In his hand he held a sword,
With gleaming point and edge.
He called himself the Demon King of Confusion
And his appearance was truly dazzling. (1)

See how the description we get of the Demon King of Confusion in ‘Journey to the West’ also matches how Ozai looks in the nightmare.

So here’s what I think happened: All illustrations we see in Aang’s nightmare are in reference to particular shows. I just do not know which version of 'Journey to the West’ (or reinterpretation like Dragon Ball), they are referencing.

Image source: One, two

Hama’s Revenge Hama’s little cave of horrors leaves me with a couple of questions: Just how long has this been going on? I’ve tried counting the number of people she’s abducted and I count at least 20 and judging from the state of their clothing some... View high resolution

Hama’s Revenge

Hama’s little cave of horrors leaves me with a couple of questions:

Just how long has this been going on?

I’ve tried counting the number of people she’s abducted and I count at least 20 and judging from the state of their clothing some of them seem to have been there for a while.

The second thing that makes me think that this has been going on for a long time is that door. Did Hama build that, had it build, or used an existing storage cave or prison? If someone built it for her, what happened to said person? If it was per-existing, why did no one ever check? Or did they …

Water, obviously, is not a problem, but does she feed them, or are they left there to die? As I said before there are more than 20 people there. That is a lot of food. If she does feed them, how does no one notice that she buys so much, and also, that would cost quiet a bit and she does not seem inclined to ever let them go …

The more I think about it, the darker it gets.

Cat Owl Pun Alert 猫头鹰 is the Chinese name for ‘owl’. It translates, literally, into: Cat-headed eagle. Yeaaaah… View high resolution

Cat Owl Pun Alert

猫头鹰 is the Chinese name for ‘owl’. It translates, literally, into: Cat-headed eagle.

Yeaaaah…

Five Flavor Soup

Hama made a traditional Southern Water Tribe dish for the Gaang: Five Flavor Soup. Five flavor spice or five spice is a real thing:

Five Spice  usually consists of:

Five spice is a very popular flavor combo and there are loads of recipes in Chinese cooking that use it.

One of my favorite recipes using it is Marbled Tea Eggs:

6-8 eggs
¾ cup soy sauce
2 tea bags (any black tea will do)
1 Tbsp five spice
half a tangerine (incl. peel)
 
Boil eggs. Crack the shell with a spoon.
Put the eggs back into the pot and add enough water to cover them. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and immediately turn the heat to low. Simmer for half an hour then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid and let eggs steep overnight. The longer you steep them, the better they will be.

Happy Year of the Snake :D

Image source: One

You couldn’t resist, could you …

“Only one man saw it (the spirit who steals people) and lived. That’s Old Man Ding.”

钉(Ding) means nail.

Communication (messenger) bird training classes At sunrise at the post office Each class/lesson (is) 3 copper pieces 傳訊鳥訓練班 日出時於郵政局集合 每課三銅板 View high resolution

Communication (messenger) bird training classes
At sunrise at the post office
Each class/lesson (is) 3 copper pieces

    傳訊鳥訓練班
    日出時於郵政局集合
    每課三銅板
  

Toph’s Wanted Poster 緝拿逃犯 當局懸賞一千金幣 緝捕十二歲女童她 喬裝盲人個子雖小 極之危險報訊即賞 Wanted Authorities are offering a reward of 1000 gold coins for the arrest of this twelve year old girl. She disguises herself as blind, and even though she is small, she is very... View high resolution

Toph’s Wanted Poster

緝拿逃犯
當局懸賞一千金幣
緝捕十二歲女童她
喬裝盲人個子雖小
極之危險報訊即賞

Wanted
Authorities are offering a reward of 1000 gold coins
for the arrest of this twelve year old girl. She disguises
herself as blind, and even though she is small,
she is very dangerous. Information (that will lead to
her arrest) will be rewarded.

Note: The name “Runaway” is not mentioned in the poster. The first part translates into “Apprehend fugitives” i.e. “Wanted”

Ozai’s Statue

Just one of the small things I love about the show: How every little detail is planned out. Just look at the sketches, on how the animators actually designed Ozai’s statue in a way that would work if someone wanted to build it. Isn’t that cool :D

Ember Island (Theater) Players - 餘烬島劇院 The dragons on the poster, forming a heart, presumably means this is an advertisement for “Love Among the Dragons” that Zuko claims they always butchered. View high resolution

Ember Island (Theater) Players -  餘烬島劇院

The dragons on the poster, forming a heart, presumably means this is an advertisement for “Love Among the Dragons” that Zuko claims they always butchered.