Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series) The Tales of Ba Sing Se (2006) User Reviews

In Memory Of Mako

[mariaraluca-19590 · 10/10 · 2 December 2020]

Leaves From The Vine

Falling So Slow

Like Fragile Tiny Shells

Drifiting In The Foam

Little Soldier Boy

Come Marching Home

Brave Soldier Boy

Comes Marching Home

Easily one of the best episodes of any animated show.

[jdmclucas · 10/10 · 22 September 2014]

Avatar is a great show. We all already know this. But this episode contains something so truly powerful that makes it one of the best of the series. If you've watched it, you know what I'm talking about. We have watched the characters featured in this episode from the beginning as they grow, make mistakes and learn from them. We are able to therefore relate to them, and truly feel what they feel. That is why Iroh's story is so impactful. For the entirety of the series, we've seen what kind of man he is - Kind, happy and generally a good man. Changed from the legendary "Dragon of the West" by the death of his son, by the time we see him in Ba Sing Se he seems to wish for nothing more than a peaceful life with his nephew, no matter where that may be. As his story opens, we are again shown the good and happy side of him. Calming a child, making mischief with local children and helping a thief one again find confidence in his life's wish solidify what we already know about him, and make him that much more relatable. Through the entire episode, we see him preparing things; Food, a picnic basket, etc. In the story's last scene we finally see why. As he sets his picnic basket up, we see him place a picture of his lost son next to a tree. He then begins to tearfully and solemnly sing the same song he used to calm the child: Leaves from the vine/ falling so slow/ like fragile, tiny shells/ drifting in the foam/ Little soldier boy/ come marching home/ Brave soldier boy/ comes marching home. This is such a far cry from the happy-go-lucky character we've seen in the past, and the relatability of the character makes that scene like a punch in the gut. The best thing about it, though, is that it doesn't drag on for a second too long. After he is done singing, the story ends with the Words "In honor of Mako" scrawled on the screen. The concise ending and the reference to his real world voice actor make this scene all the stronger, and truly bring out the best of what this series can do. The other stories have their own virtues, but even if you removed everything but Iroh's story, it would still make for a fantastic and truly impactful episode. I truly believe that this is the best representation of grief that we've seen in media - Kid's show or not. It is a testament to what can be accomplished through simplicity and good writing, an it is truly special.

Excellent character development

[Tigger512 · 10/10 · 17 December 2006]

This episode consisted of several vignettes giving us more insight into the main characters. Katara convinces Toph to go to a day spa. Uncle Iroh makes his way through town, on his way to commemorate a special day. Aang goes looking for Appa and ends up using his "way with animals" to help a zookeeper and his run-down zoo. Sokka wanders about and finds himself entangled in a haiku showdown. Zuko reluctantly goes on a date. Momo goes looking for Appa and makes friends with some (eventually) helpful cats.

I have loved Uncle Iroh pretty much from the start, and his segment was most excellent. We get to see more of the depth of his kindness, wisdom, humor, and humanity. The other stories were quite good too, but if the episode contained only the tale of Uncle Iroh, I would still give it a 10.

Something truly special

[matt-716-661021 · 10/10 · 19 April 2020]

Every time I watch this episode, I'm reminded of what separates Avatar from other nick shows of its time: heart. The Tale of Iroh is less than five minutes long, but leaves me with tears in my eyes every time that song ends.

Beautiful.

[tomatdotcom · 9/10 · 3 November 2018]

Every now and then, this show goes from being incredibly entertaining to truly special - and this episode is a definite example of that trend. My skepticism at what the writers could do with only five minutes apiece was quickly blown out of the water as I was reminded how exceptional each one of the characters are. Even Momo, arguably Ang's sidekick's sidekick, is more fully drawn and realised than some protagonists I've come across. But by far my favourite of the stories belongs to Iroh. His five minutes are some of the best I've ever experienced, a beautiful portrait of a complicated man that brought me to tears. You could come into this episode completely cold, knowing nothing about the show or its players and I'm still almost certain you would have the same reaction. That is the mark of excellent writing. And then, the touching goodbye to Mako right at the very end wrung just a little bit more out of me, a beautiful final punctuation for the most impactful piece of television I've seen in quite some time.

The haiku rap battle was fun too, I guess.

I love the Structure

[injury-65447 · 10/10 · 22 August 2020]

This is a perfectly constructed and beautiful episode. We get to spend quality time with pretty much every character. There are genuine heartfelt and touching moments that can easily bring you to tears. Absolutely stupendous!

Great Episode...Love the separation of the stories...

[csisnowflake · 10/10 · 29 September 2006]

It is split into 6 parts. The tales of Katara and Toph, Iroh, Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and Momo. They each discover something in each part. Katara and Toph go to a spa and spend time together. Iroh helps out in the community and mourns his dead son and Aang transports Animals out of the city and makes a larger zoo outside the walls of Ba Sing Se with earthbending. Sokka discovers that he's good at poetry. Zuko goes on a date with a girl named Jin, and becomes upset near the end of it and Momo is attacked by giant cats that ultimately try to help him find Appa..

it was a GREAT episode. it was a short summary, but it's a lot better to watch. Was performed greatly and at some points are really sad.

Uncle Iroh's Tale

[mike-v-roberts · 8/10 · 30 September 2006]

Prev. post sums up a lot of what happens, but Iroh's is a bit more complex. He buys a basket for a picnic, then sings a song to a little boy who is crying in the market. The song is about waiting for soldier to come home. He then is mugged, but Iroh gives the mugger a few tips on stance and notices that he does not look like a mugger. Scene cuts to the two sitting in the alley sharing tea and Iroh convincing the mugger he should not give up on his dreams of being a masseus. At the end of his tale, you see that his helpfulness is tempered by the guilt he feels for the death of his son. The picnic is to celebrate the son's birthday and he sings the same song he sang to the little boy in the market. Also, a very nice dedication to Mako (rip)

A hard 10

[pato_sk · 10/10 · 28 July 2020]

Best episode so far in my opinion, cried my eyes off.

Amazing episode !!

[twicel4nd · 10/10 · 14 March 2021]

I love how all the characters have their own story and they show also their struggles, Toph faces low self esteem even though she seem really tough and Katara helps her to be fine with herself. Iroh remembers his son and (This part made me practice tear bending). Zuko realizes he has a double life when he met Jin. Aang tries to help people, Momo realizes he miss Appa and Sokka being Sokka. I can say this is the best season 2 episode along with Zuko Alone.

Iroh's tale made me cry!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 29 October 2023]

This is how you do a filler episode! What a beatifull and emotional experience!

This episode is a character centered episode with small stories dedicated to each episode! While not all is equally good, the good ones are REALLY good!

Iroh's tale is obviously the stand out! Its the one everyone is talking about, containing perhaps the most emotional scene of the entire show! It also shows why Iroh is one of the best characters! So many important life lessons! "Leaves from the vine" was beatifull and sad, and when it said "In honor of Mako" my heart was broken!

I also enjoyed Zuko's tale as we saw him happy, after everything he has been through! It was like we saw a glimpse of the real him!

Entertaining Filler

[mipfel · 7/10 · 14 September 2022]

Some very nice stories here, most notably Momo and Iroh and even Zuko and Katara/Toph was pretty good.

But some people consider this to be the best episode/a 10? That I simply cannot understand, just because some parts are good/emotional, doesn't mean it's a perfect 10. Especially Aang's and Sokka's story definitely is FAR from a 10. If it was just about Iroh, then fair enough but you can't just ignore the other stories dragging down the quality of this Episode. I like this episode too but it's far from being perfect for above mentioned reasons. Rated individually, I'd give Aang's and Sokka's a 5 or a 6, while I'd rate Iroh's 9 or even 10 - so everything combined I'd rate this anthology a 7 or 8 in total.

Worst Episode Yet

[wwwrook · 2/10 · 22 April 2020]

I have loved pretty much every episode up to this point, but this episode was worthless. The only short that had any creative merit was Uncle Iroh's, the character who needed attention and development the least. Zuko acts entirely out of character by fire-bending in a completely public place for a girl he is uninterested in. His short is a clumsy introduction to the idea that he isn't interested in women. Sokka has the miraculous ability to speak in Haiku ... Aang makes a zoo OUTSIDE the walls of Ba Sing Se ... Did the writers even watch the earlier episodes? This episode was full of thoughtless fillers that betrayed the otherwise well-written series and it's discerning audience.

Amazing

[colonyasline · 10/10 · 29 September 2021]

An absolute masterpiece from start to finish. I cannot stress how delightful of a watch this is. From joy to anguish, it covers so many emotions in just 25 minutes.

Perfect

[rhysdanthomas · 10/10 · 14 February 2021]

Whenever I'm sad I watch the tale of iroh and then I'm better. Enough said.

What was possibly meant as a filler gave us some of the most beautiful television of the 21st century

[michaeltlaw · 10/10 · 21 November 2023]

I am.not going to rate something less than a 10 if it is truly perfect. And this episode is truly perfect. The tale of Momo had no dialogue and made me cry. Toph and Katara were simultaneously fun and uplifting. Sokka spat bars that will never die. Zuko gave us a glimpse into vulnerability and had us rooting for his happiness. The titular character became an afterthought. And then there was Iroh. He was nothing other than himself from start to finish. And he hit us the the most emotional left hook that we still have yet to recover from. They gave us highs and lows with zero connection that somehow worked flawlessly and will forever stand as a cornerstone of the series.

So much in so few...

[thiago_gvarela · 10/10 · 30 November 2021]

What an incredible episode. There are whole movies that don't show this much character development yet this 20mins episode accomplished this so astoundingly. What a beautiful episode that really highlights the character of the show in such subtle ways. The episode gives short narratives to each character, starting with the girls Katara and Toph take a day at the spa and finally get a chance to bond and understand each other under calmer circumstances. Then we get the tale of uncle Iroh and his gentleness and wisdom as well as we get to see him cope his own pain... Next we see Ang and his drive to help and find solutions by helping some animals, while Sokka is up to his shenanigans again. After that we see Zuko go on a Date and see himself torn by the double life he is living. We even see Momo's tale as he also misses Appa and goes looking for him. So much in such few minutes, really one of the Best episodes of the season.

"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not."

[matitya-33937 · 10/10 · 16 February 2024]

1) Toph and Katara: This is a nitpick but given her lie detector abilities, Toph should have known that the girl who complimented her as a prelude to insulting her was not being sincere. (And given that ability was introduced two episodes from this one and this is a continuity based show, that is a plot hole for this episode.) That said, when Toph and Katara knock those mean girls into water it was a satisfying scene. I also appreciate the moments where Toph and Katara get along given how they were at each other's throats in The Chase. 7/10

2) Iroh: "Leaves from the vine, following so slow like little tiny shells drifting in the foam, little soldier boy come marching home, brave soldier boy comes marching home" Need I say more? 10/10

3) Sokka: Sokka haiku battling a poetry expert will never not be funny. Also "I'm Sokka, it's pronounced with an Ock-ah, young ladies, I rock ya" Shyamalan didn't watch this episode 10/10

4) Zuko: Nitpick. Was Zuko in a relationship with Mai before his exile in which case it's difficult to see his romance this episode in a positive light or did they just get together upon his return to the Fire Nation? I want it to be the latter so I could enjoy this episode more but the show's unclear. Even so, I like how this episode humanizes Zuko 8/10

Aang: This was basically a Season One filler episode for him. It's still better than the Great Divide but not as good as the Fortune Teller 7/10

Momo: Showcases how much Momo misses Appa and how noble that animal actually is. I also like how it sets up Appa's discovery two episodes later and adds to Long Feng's villainy 10/10.

Absolutely Perfect

[liambean-22352 · 10/10 · 3 March 2023]

I had to make an account just to review this episode. This episode is absolutely perfect in every way, I think it does an amazing job of developing, elaboring upon and showing off the characters so far in the story. The tale of Toph and Katara is an absolutely amazing study of how Toph sees the world from her unique perspective. Iroh's story has made me cry every time I've watched the episode. Seeing Zuko being unwilling to accept love from others because he still feels like he's undeserving of it is heartbreaking. Aang and Sokka's talesnare both really fun. And Momo's actually made me feel for a character that is mostly played for comic relief. Overall it's an absolutely perfect episode.

One of my favorites so far!

[dmyrwood · 9/10 · 22 June 2020]

I have been watching through the series for the first time and I finally got to this "episode" even though it's really just a collection of shorts and wow this might be my favorite episode and it's not even an official episode! I enjoyed the short format it's a good way of showing what the characters are up to without it having to take over the main story and you get to have some nice moments with them. And of course like many I've seen mentioned the Zuko and Iroh shorts are excellent! You get to spend more time with them as characters and even get to see their feelings and emotions.( the standout being with iroh) I loved this I wouldn't mind if some other shows did something similar;)

Tears in my eyes

[tanniemannie · 10/10 · 4 August 2021]

I never really review anything here, but this episode made me. Tales of ba sing se is the greatest episode ever aired on any animated show.

Tales of Ba Sing -- This episode follows each of the shows main characters as they experience Ba Sing Se in their own way.

[draldoraven · 9/10 · 27 September 2006]

Tales of Ba Sing -- This episode follows each of the shows main characters as they experience Ba Sing Se in their own way. Zuko goes on a date with Jin (a nice girl who wouldn't seem assertive but is, good parents from the poor district...btw-there's a turtleduck pond :)) Iroh is running personal errands (to spruce up the place??) and ends up helping a lot of people (singing a baby a lullaby and such). Katara and Toph go to the famous spa where they have a mud fight (no kidding, but it's a bending fight, sorry guys). Sokka does some Haiku (hilarious), and Aang frees a bunch of zoo animals (or tries to).

This is Dral, and if you want to know about the other episodes, let me know.