'I am a warrior, but I'm a girl too'

[dolorosa_12]

Day Eleven: Favorite female character in a children’s show

Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

In a show full of fabulous female characters, it's hard to pick a single favourite, but I think my heart belongs to Suki. I like how assertive she is, how she refuses to be bullied, devalued or mocked, and how she demands to be taken seriously. I also like how she stands in contrast to some of the more emotionally extravagant characters on the show, so that while someone (usually Sokka) is flailing around in a panic, Suki just quietly gets stuff done. (The two-part episode 'The Boiling Rock' is an excellent example of this.)

ATLA is a show concerned with trauma, child soldiers, and teenagers having to clean up the mess created by previous generations, and its various characters demonstrate myriad ways of dealing with the effects of these complex problems. Suki's approach is a kind of cautious belligerence: she's not going to go out seeking battle, but she will fight fiercely when those she cares about are threatened. While lacking in the supernatural 'bending' abilities possessed by so many other characters in the show, Suki is by no means defenceless, and takes on a leadership role, guiding a team of fan-wielding martial artist girls in defence of their island.

In shows with supernatural elements, I always tend to gravitate towards to the characters who lack superpowers, and ATLA is no exception. There's always been something that appealed to me in stories of completely ordinary individuals trying to find ways to navigate societies (or social groups) filled with superheroes. When such stories are well written, the superpowered individuals always end up viewing the abilities of 'ordinary' individuals in their social circles as being powerful in their own right: ordinary humanity becomes extraordinary. Some of my favourite moments in ATLA involve other characters recognising Suki's talents: Sokka, who accepts defeat at the hands of a pack of fan-wielding girls with humility and good humour, Zuko, who is grateful for Suki's presence in the Boiling Rock prison, and, above all, Toph, whose life is saved in the final battle by Suki's timely arrival in an airship.

Whenever I watch ATLA, I always get very emotional over the fact that its characters are so very young, and have such terrible burdens placed on their shoulders. Their resolve and bravery humble me. Although the show makes a big deal of physical courage, it carefully highlights other, quieter forms of bravery: the ability to respond to fear and trauma with kindness and friendship, and the ability to forge connections in a world that prefers separation and mistrust. Suki exemplifies all these kinds of courage.


Day Twelve: Favorite female character in a movie
Day Thirteen: Favorite female character in a book
Day Fourteen: Favorite older female character
Day Fifteen: Favorite female character growth arc
Day Sixteen: Favorite mother character
Day Seventeen: Favorite warrior female character
Day Eighteen: Favorite non-warrior female character
Day Nineteen: Favorite non-human female character
Day Twenty: Favorite female antagonist
Day Twenty-One: Favorite female character screwed over by canon
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship
Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship
Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship
Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character (from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like)
Day Twenty-Seven: A female character you have extensive personal canon for
Day Twenty-Eight: Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.)
Day Twenty-Nine: A female-centric fic rec
Day Thirty: Whatever you’d like!

Comments

[ellinou.livejournal.com]

Do you watch The Legend of Korra?

[dolorosa-12.livejournal.com]

I don't, actually. I watched the first season, but wasn't very impressed, then sort of gave up on the second season after a couple of episodes. I've heard it's got a lot better, but the problem was that I didn't like any of the characters, including Korra. It's a shame, as I really wanted to like it, but the show just didn't work for me.

[ellinou.livejournal.com]

Season 2 was bad, they had a different animation studio, but the went back to the ones who did ATLA for seasons 3 and 4, so the characters have faces that move again, yay! And it does get better in seasons 3 and 4 (so far). I didn't much like Korra in the beginning either, but she gets better too :) But it's true I didn't have any favourites like I did in ATLA. Korra is clearly below Airbender's standards in terms of quality, characters and writing, but it's still enjoyable :) The stories driving the seasons are very different from what we knew in ATLA, so they're fun to follow.