ATLA Rewatch: Episode 1,2, and reacting to my reaction.

Seeing the beginning of the original reaction again reminded me that the only reason I found this Chanel in the first place was that over a year ago my brother told me I should watch this cool show called midnight gospel and I could not really find it so I looked for reactions on YouTube as I regretably did back then when I could not find a show properly. I loved the reactions and have kept this as one of only three reaction channels I watch anymore because of all the great rants and hilarious quips. It is just crazy to remember that I might have missed out on all this since I had long gotten over watching most reaction channels at that point.

Silent Shadow

That's my favorite book! It was so incredibly impactful for my life. How Coelho describes the connection between people and our greater purpose is so beautiful

Flavia Lobato

Did you notice when Iroh put down the "chip?" during his game, the symbol was one of wind and the next visual we have is wind?

Nick Heiney

Damn, I just cried at your speech from 32:54 - 33:55 it described me and my situation to a T. Dreaming my whole life about exploring the world, working my ass off to try and achieve that goal, and then being dissuaded by everyone I encounter simply because it's not how they lived their lives and not the norm in American culture or because I'm seen as too young to have my own adventure. And what you said about there not being many role models for people who "do things differently," I think one of the reasons I love your channel so much is because you are sort of that role model for me and you encourage everyone so strongly to constantly learn and explore and to do the things that are meaningful to them and will help them grow as people. So thank you for everything and for always being so encouraging to do what makes me happy.

Soren Monroe

Although Sokka wasn't fully equipped to protect the tribe, Hakoda must've known that he has something in him that will make him a great warrior. Like, he's smart! And he always puts Katara and the tribe first. He's so dedicated! He just has to really grow into that role. Also just noticed that the older people of the tribe are very pessimistic about Aang at first because they're the ones who've really experienced war. The little kids haven't, so they see Aang for who he really is. But then Gran-Gran understands what Katara feels when they banish him, because she was also the one who ran away from a stifling culture in the North Pole. And bonus? Aang's the AVATAR?? Ok maybe the future isn't so bleak after all!

Kotryna

hearing your analysis I get the strong impression that you've read the book "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, am I right? :) maybe not but it just has really strong themes of the hero's journey and following the omen's and heeding the call and that kind of stuff. I really like that book.

Fane Alexander

Agree!

Taylor

I've always thought that because Katara was the only waterbender (and she was the only one for a long time - Hama was the last to be captured, which we learn in The Puppetmaster, and that was before the both of them were even born), Sokka was super cynical about it. I mean, I think they were committed to the bending thing because they meet Aang in this episode, who is also a bender, and they reference firebending/firebenders often. I just think it was part of Sokka's character to be like that until he was exposed to the world/more benders in general.

Taylor

aang also i think "pretends" to be wiser. like he thinks he is more mature than he actually is.

Burooj Ahanger

Love this format.

Virginia Harp

Episodes 3&4 will be up tomorrow (Saturday) :)

Alex G

That bois got hops.

Virginia Harp

Hey Alex, this is honestly awesome. I'd like you to take a shot everytime Zuko makes a long-ass jump. Or a long-jump counter maybe :P

A Suresh

Don’t be so hard on yourself. I think you picked up on a lot of things for the first episode. And I don’t think anyone could know how much depth this show would have based on the first episode. Also, I like the format of what you’re doing here. So I would encourage you to continue with it like this.

Blackeyedlily

Are you putting another up???

gostrobo100 .

Oh man this was a ride to watch. I did not see some of your early reactions so this is fun for me as well. I do appreciate the dragon ball comparisons, even if they weren't entirely correct. I also appreciate bringing up Ashley's character in Mass Effect and her story/arc/background without calling her a space racist like half the fandom does. Her being one of my favorite characters while being one of the fandom's most hated is fun.

WolfWarrior623

I love what you did and how you see things different is so cool. I would say 3 episodes but it’s up to you.

gostrobo100 .

Can confirm, my name is Alex Goodwin :)

Alex G

That is a great idea. I will do that sometime this week.

Alex G

Nicely said. Aang is a beautiful character and my appreciation for him only grows over time. If I remember correctly, it took me a while to really figure that out the first time. I can't remember when it was, (maybe when he's a student at the fire nation academy, but I don't want to think it was that late) when he gets a chance to actually be a kid and play, and that's when it hit me that he just hadn't had the emotional space to be the actual sweet kid that he is because of all the pressure being put on his shoulders.

Alex G

I'm doing good! Thanks for asking D Dub :)

Alex G

Watching it this time it made me wonder if they were deliberately trying to draw parallels between Zuko and Sokka. There's the part where they are both getting suited up for battle.

Alex G

I'm glad!

Alex G

I love this format, no need for more editing. Keep it minimal!

Drake Chuckle

Yeah it took a while for me to get in sync with the show. It surely is cringe at times haha. But I'm glad they exist.

Alex G

I was wondering about this very thing. I remember thinking that Zuko and Iroh would not be villains for long when I first watched. But after finishing the show looking back my impression was that Iroh was always who he was by the end. But after watching this episode that doesn't seem to be the case. He seems a little less sure about where he stands on things, or at least much less open about it.

Alex G

"Good job past Alex" was that a name drop? or am I just an idiot and never realized his name was Alex? LOL

R'Mani Leavell

That was amazing i love the format a nice long sit down is wonderful and it lets you get your ideas out. Don't over work yourself but i am looking forward to more rewatches!

Cody Taylor

and Sokka learns to fight in the style of all the elements... he fights with the south and north pole worriors, the Kyoshi worriors, swordfighting with Pian Dao, and conquers the air with the invention of air ballons and the seas with the invention of submarines.

Raysa Fonseca

This was awesome, I cant wait to see more of this rewatch. I think that this will be the sixth time I'll watch the full extend of ATLA, and i'm really looking foward to it

Raysa Fonseca

I think this is a good format as well. Also I was wondering if you are going to start tagging your patreon posts by series as you continue to add shows. This way people can sort by series rather than scrolling through every post.

Ace

I like the format for this. Watch the episodes again (no edit) than watch your reaction. Keep it up and can't wait for the next one

gostrobo100 .

To be honest, I wasn't all that excited for a rewatch, but I now see the value and entertainment. I'm glad I was wrong.

Digital Milan

I kind of miss the Evangelion background from your first videos 😂

Feral Riot

I think I'm loosing it.. Paying a dude to watch him watching himself.. LOL just kidding : ) I enjoyed the format, keep it comin' : )

Therion

I'm so glad I stumbled onto your reactions and eventually here. You're a very thoughtful and relatable person.

Duopierce

And Zuko's ship is just a small Fire Navy ship..

Therion

I love the current format you have here. It works really well plus it is so nice to see you reacting to the entire episodes. Really appreciate that but also you going back to your old reactions. I'm so glad you appreciate Aang more now. Full disclosure: Aang is my favourite character followed by Toph and Zuko for tied second but all three are really close for me. I feel like Aang isn't always appreciated enough. He is hated by certain parts of the fandom, he is often overlooked and sometimes people say wild things about him being weak or being too caught up in the past and his culture. But Aang at heart is a kind, gentle soul who loves fun. He's not an overly serious person/character. That's what makes his story so tragic and beautiful at the same time. It's what made him my favourite character. I always wondered if deep down he didn't want to be the Avatar so much because he knew it would be hard to keep his Air Nomadic beliefs and be what the world needed him to be, because whether people like it or not, Aang truly believes in the teachings of the Air Nomads. He doesn't believe in violence or murder, even when the situation might arise where others would say it's justified. He has his moments where he does lash out and is violent but that's because he's a flawed person like the rest of us. But what makes his Air Nomad beliefs so beautiful is that he forged his own path and he also forged a path for future Avatar's to take if they so wish. He found a new way to defeat the bad guys in the world without more killing and to me that is so impactful and along the way he never truly loses who he is at the heart of it all. We even hear Yangchen say this to him that he is a gentle soul when she's giving him guidance and it's so so true. That is who he is and he found a way where that could exist alongside his being the Avatar and doing what he needed to do. I also loved his and Zuko's parallels and how they were each others foil throughout most of the show and ultimately they came together as friends and then best friends. That is so amazing to me and it all makes Aang such a lovable person. Because let us not forget: he saved Zuko more than once while Zuko was trying to capture him. It can also be said that airbending is the most different kind of bending in how they use it. BTW, there is a book called Legacy of The Fire Nation you might like to read. :)

Trisha

Wow, I HAVE done at least 10 rewatches and I didn't even notice that.

Rachel Espiritu

Wooooohooooo. It’s good to be back for a second go around. How are you doing Mr. Goodwin!?

D DuB

One thing I really want to draw attention to is the parallel between Sokka and Zuko. They're both older brothers who've had immense burdens placed on them by their fathers, who are also struggling to define their own identity compared to their prodigal younger sisters. Not much focus is placed on it, but we have to remember that Hakoda didn't tell Sokka to just hide and be safe, he told Sokka to Protect The Village. As an outside audience we know Hakoda was just doing the fatherly thing and sparing Sokka's feelings, but poor Sokka really took those words to heart. When Zuko's ship rolls up, there is clearly fear in Sokka's eyes, the poor kid knows he's no match for the Fire Prince but he rushes in anyways. Likewise, Zuko fully expects to fight a century-old, fully-realized Avatar who is most definitely going to kick his ass. In a way, they're both a mirror of Aang's journey, as the young boy who had a massive burden placed on him... and ran away. All three of our boys have the weight of the world on their shoulders, and none of them see it in each other yet. Also... 1x01: "You can't fight the Fire Nation with fun!" 3x20: "I can't believe the captain remembered my birthday!"

Rachel Espiritu

Thanks for doing this!! You seriously spoil us with content 😂 (Also for the record, I don't mind the way you have the format set up right now, and I will be looking forward to the next ones!)

Neth110

I'm so excited for this rewatch! The beginning episode reactions weren't my favorites on your first time around but I loved seeing your new reactions with new appreciations! Your reaction to your old reaction was great haha. I'm sure it's very cringe to have to watch yourself back. However, I wish I had videos of my reactions the first time I saw the show. I would love to be able to go back and experience it for the first time again!

Shawol930

Pay attention to Uncle Iroh on your rewatch. I think that a lot of viewers on first watch assume that he's Fire Nation, and therefore automatically the enemy. But he's also the goofy comic relief to contrast against Zuko's over-serious nature. But that goofiness is actually really deliberate on closer inspection. There's an argument to be made that Iroh was severely depressed after the loss of his son and this depression put him in a passive state for years. After returning from his defeat he did not question Ozai's claim on the throne. He didn't try to find out what happened to Ursa. As far as we can tell he didn't do much to guide either Zuko or Azula at that time. During the war meeting it was Zuko who spoke up against the cruel general's plan, not Iroh. And, most importantly, Iroh looked away when Zuko was burned. He didn't step in. Iroh must be feeling immense guilt over his inaction. So he goes with Zuko when Zuko is banished. He does his best to stop Zuko from being hurt more, either physically or emotionally. He knows that Zuko won't appreciate this, so he tries to use humor and distraction to try to push Zuko onto a healthier path. Obviously this turn out to be a three-season long endeavor, but it's fun to see its origins here. Oftentimes Iroh isn't being obtuse just to give the show laughs. He's deliberately trying to get Zuko to see the light.

Rachel Smith

That's awesome. I will have to be more on the lookout for that. Please let me know as they come up!

Alex G

I think what I will do is this: I will keep doing the full rewatches like this, and watching my own reactions. But going forward I will include a summary of my thoughts on the episodes at the end of the video. That way if you don't feel like watching the full thing, you can skip to the end for the final reaction and my thoughts on the whole thing.

Alex G

Haha yeah I'm definitely getting a taste of it now.

Alex G

I had no idea the type of response it would get. I enjoyed the first few episodes but I didn't see the full potential of the show (how could I have known all the amazing things to come?). But one great point of feedback I got from these first videos (beyond "YOU CUT THE AVATAR STATE HOW DARE YOU" and "it's NOT wind bending!") was "trust me, keep going, it gets so good!" And that latter type of comment was really exciting. Thankfully it didn't take long for me to get more into it, and obviously at a certain point I was hooked.

Alex G

Appreciate it :D

Alex G

Thanks, I'm glad!

Alex G

That would be bizarre but fun in it's own way :)

Alex G

i know you love Eva so, the smile Katara gives Aang after he says "i did get to meet you" is a Rei reference. The directors were big fans and there's a few more in the series, especially early on.

Joseph Hallowell

"Aang don't go, I'll miss you", "I'll miss you too, unnamed child #3"

MrEvers

I enjoy the format. Instead of watching the whole two episodes and your reaction, how about react to your original video and expand upon what you were trying to say. I really enjoyed it when you expanded upon your preconceptions of the show rather than the actual show itself. Not sure, if anyone agrees. but I can't wait till the next rewatch.

Laffencrunch

I love watching you react to your reaction but every time you said “just wait...” that is exactly what we wanted to put in the comments haha

hays collins

How much success were you expecting your first reaction to gain for ATLA to continue the series? When you saw the success of your first video, did your expectation of the show change?

Laffencrunch

Really enjoy the format and length of the discussion/reactions. Please continue to do it in this order. This right here is A-1 content.

William Abbott

I love Toph and I think the show gets better once she joins, but there's something so nostalgic when its just the three of them. At least for me. This is making me very excited for next weeks video!

Dierane

I love the longer videos and I hope you stick with the format! Really enjoyed this video, this is such a unique concept.

Dierane

Now your gonna have to deal with wanting to wipe your mind so you can rewatch it for the first time. I’ve been dealing with that for years now

hays collins

Been looking forward to this! I like the format of re-watching the episodes first and then your original reaction. When you finish this re-watch, maybe you can do a third where you react to your reaction of your reaction (I'm joking, of course 😂).

Snarfield

The length... ha. Anyways yes I can’t fucking wait

Brock Percle

Bro this is so funny keep it up love the format

Jay Crigler

WOW the length of this video- I'm looking forward to this series so much. You must have so much more to say

Grace Lee

If you end up doing 3-4 episodes per week, I think you should definitely edit them. I think a 2+ hour reaction video is a little bit much for me lol.

Jupiterninja

You are so right!

Jupiterninja

every episode is a classic wym lmao

benj

Yup I like that their growth is not limited to Aang. All of them are becoming the best versions of themselves.

Alex G

I love the length of these videos, I think the setup for this is perfect. Hyped too see a very different but equally interesting experience when watching the show a second time. I'm on rewatch 20+ right now and I can confirm it only gets better everytime.

benj

That is interesting. There are so many details like that I could do 10 rewatches and never catch them all

Alex G

Great episodes. Can't wait to get to them again

Alex G

Lol it's a weird feeling! But enjoyable. It's interesting to see how my perspectives have changed over time.

Alex G

I don’t know if someone mentioned it before, but not only does Aang learn the four elements but the rest of the group also learns different versions of their best abilities whenever they travel. For example, Katara learns vinebending, healing, etc in different regions which is pretty cool. 🙃

jassihere

A really neat detail you might not notice about Firebenders is the variants in their troops. Fire Nation soldiers with face masks are usually Firebenders, while the soldiers with open helmets are usually non-benders. The same variants can be found in the Earth Kingdom- with Earthbender soldiers not wearing shoes, whilst the non-benders do.

Aaron Ong

There is a comical amount of gasps when Zuko's ship arrives and I never get used to it 😂😂😂😂😂

Jupiterninja

I recently went back and watched your reactions to the classics. Blind Bandit, Zuko Alone, Tales of Ba Sing Se, the big hits lol

Jupiterninja

Heck ya so that 3 or 4 episodes I'd watch it

gostrobo100 .

Lol and I actually was on YouTube earlier today watching you watch the series for the first time

gostrobo100 .

I love the fact you are reacting to yourself as well!!

gostrobo100 .

Happy you are rewatching it

gostrobo100 .

I can't wait for him to react to his reaction of appa's lost day.

Haha yeah at this rate. I'm hoping that once I get into the swing of things I can do 2 reaction videos worth of episodes per week, which means 3 or 4 eps of ATLA

Alex G

I just realized the rewatch is gonna take 30 weeks 😂 Anyway keep up the great work

Ana Andrade

Haha thanks. Yeah it is a lot. But the alternative is like... one episode of the show per week which would take over a year lol

Alex G

I am planning on watching some of the Hello Future Me videos soon! I've been waiting so long :D

Alex G

Now that is A LOT of Goodwin tv content in one video and I am all here for it

Nick

The day has come😂😂 I really recommend watching videos by Hello Future Me, now that you are all caught up😂😂 maybe even a reaction? Eeh😅😂 One more video I recommend is "The perfect musical symmetry of Avatar The Last Airbender" by Sideways! It's amazing and gives a different perspective!

FlatOutBoy

"lets save your boyfriend" Sokka the Kataang Shipper since day one

Max Pickartz