YMMV / Avatar: The Last Airbender "The Tales of Ba Sing Se"

• Common Knowledge: At least for the people outside the English speaking community, many thought Mako was the name of Iroh's son. Not the case.
• Genius Bonus: Real Haiku has to employ imagery from nature, which is what the Haiku master does during her Rap Battle with Sokka. Sokka employs the modern style which is not bound to nature symbols, which is called gendai.
• Harsher in Hindsight: This episode aired immediately after Mako's untimely death. As such it has a memorium to him at the end of Iroh's tale.
• Heartwarming in Hindsight: Iroh's story is very sad but at the same time, there's a glimmer of hope to it. He gets another chance at being a dad with Zuko and is implied to have been a good enough of a pseudo grandfather to his daughter, Izumi, that she'd name her own son after him. No telling how many times he got her to calm down as a kid like he did with the kid here.
• One-Scene Wonder: Jin only has a few minutes of screentime (her second and final appearance during season 3 is a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo with no lines), but she became a fairly popular character for shippers to pair Zuko with. Jin's popularity is explained by her and Zuko having obvious chemistry, her being the first person to kiss Zuko onscreen, and her plucky and positive nature providing a healthy balance to Zuko's brooding and angst.
• Tear Jerker:
  • "The Tale of Iroh." In-universe because we find out that his cheerful jaunt through the city dispensing wisdom and soothing crying babies was actually his preparation for a tearful memorial marking the death of his only child. Out-of-universe because this was the first episode to air after the death of Iroh's voice actor.
  • "The Tale of Momo" essentially summarizes the bond both animal companions share with one another. Momo repeatedly has his hopes dashed thinking he's found Appa, only to eventually curl up in a paw print left by Appa at the end. Even the new friends he's made cry for him.

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