[Book Spoilers] Yara?

[teemo]

OMG. Asha is NOT pudgy. I honestly think she is actually muscular, and a lot of people are mistakenly seeing that as fat. And even if she's not muscular...so what? She isn't a size zero, but she's still far from chubby or fat.

[ChromeWeasel]

OMG. Asha is NOT pudgy. I honestly think she is actually muscular, and a lot of people are mistakenly seeing that as fat. And even if she's not muscular...so what? She isn't a size zero, but she's still far from chubby or fat.

Gotta disagree there. I'd call her pudgy on first viewing. Part of that might be that I expected a lean and athletic looking girl from the books. But even looking at the still photos right now, she looks pretty un-athletic. Nothing about her suggests that she's a dangerous athletic young woman who could take me out in battle. She looks more like a worn-down saltwife than a lean and hungry hunter.

[Knight of Ashes]

I just wanted to see Theon get turned on at the thought of his sister lactating.

[Sam with Hooters]

Noble wrote:

Now my other problem with this "Yara", is the fact that she looks ugly for one, but also she does not have the fire and charisma that Asha is suppose to have.

Well, I keep *hoping* she was keeping her attitude under wraps so Theon would be THOROUGHLY shocked upon realizing she was his sister. I guess we'll find out Sunday!

[teemo]

The only way you get confidence and swagger like Asha has in the books, is if you have a certain level of physical attractiveness.

Really? So you have to be physically attractive to have confidence and swagger? Ok. I would say Olenna has confidence and swagger and she's like 100.

[Fredwin]

Gotta disagree there. I'd call her pudgy on first viewing. Part of that might be that I expected a lean and athletic looking girl from the books. But even looking at the still photos right now, she looks pretty un-athletic. Nothing about her suggests that she's a dangerous athletic young woman who could take me out in battle. She looks more like a worn-down saltwife than a lean and hungry hunter.

Pudgy? Is that really the adjective you want to use here? Maybe, un-atheletic, but you would only have a guess without seeing the actress elsewhere.

What do you think she weighs, 100lbs?

[Buckwheat]

The name change is pretty annoying, they should give the audience more credit. No matter what the show would be good, even if you can't distinctly remember every characters name. They shouldn't dumb things down for the average viewer, because when you leave things the way Martin made them, it makes it enjoyable to re-watch episodes, because everytime, you catch more thing, things make more sense etc.

One of the best things about aSoIaF, is the fact that GRRM doesn't dumb anything down for the casual reader, he rewards the dedicated fans, by trusting that they will figure it out. As a result of GRRM's writing, every reread is more enjoyable, because you get to see how connected and crazy awesome everything really is. So yes, the name change does bother me, because if they have to change things like that now, so "audiences are not confused", then they might as well give up now, because if the viewers can't figure out the names of characters, they will have no chance with the things that are actually complicated. So by changing Asha's name, it makes me very worried that they are going to continue making a bastardization of a great story, by dumbing down everything that makes the story so amazingly, complicatedly, awesome.

:agree: This so much. If they want to show an uncomplicated story, they apparently chose the wrong book.

I keep calling her Asha, I will never think of her as Yara (which sounds like something else in my language).

[Ghost714]

Really? So you have to be physically attractive to have confidence and swagger? Ok. I would say Olenna has confidence and swagger and she's like 100.

Read what I said.... I didn't say you have to be physically attractive to have any swagger or confidence. I said "the only way you get confidence and swagger like Asha has in the books, is if you have a certain level of physical attractiveness".

So again I am not talking about just any confidence or swagger, I am talking about the specific confidence and swagger that Asha has in the books.

Way to go and quote part of my post to make me sound bad or something, I was saying that after a bunch of other stuff to argue that Asha in the books is attractive.

I mean I am completely ready to defend what I said, surely you can see that Olenna Tyrell has a completely different level of confidence and "swagger", than Asha. They both use different means to get what they want, however they are both confident in those means, and I agree that they both have swagger, but a far different kind of swagger. You won't see Olenna using physical means to get what she wants, wether that's sexual means or martial force. Just like you won't see Asha using her social status to get what she wants.

[Ghost714]

Pudgy? Is that really the adjective you want to use here? Maybe, un-atheletic, but you would only have a guess without seeing the actress elsewhere.

What do you think she weighs, 100lbs?

I agree, Yara wasn't "pudgy", but she definitely did not look fit and athletic, like Asha looks in the books. I can not picture this Yara wielding two throwing axes at all, much less kicking major ass with them. I think just all out gross, would be more accurate than pudgy.

[Maginor]

I agree, Yara wasn't "pudgy", but she definitely did not look fit and athletic, like Asha looks in the books. I can not picture this Yara wielding two throwing axes at all, much less kicking major ass with them. I think just all out gross, would be more accurate than pudgy.

I think your mindset is pretty gross.

[lyvyathan]

So the reasoning is the name is too similar to Osha, well it's not like people have ever had the same name is it?

Jon Snow has never been confused with Jon Arryn

Robb Stark was never confused with Robert Baratheon

And seriously could no one figure out that Osha (the captured wildling prisoner) is a different person from Asha (Theon's sister and Ironorn princess)

Yeah, I didn't really get the change - I also don't know why they gave preference to an added non-canonical character rather than to a main text POV character.

Heck even if they changed Osha's name in Season Two to "Wildgirl4202" or "Magyar" I don't think anyone would have noticed.

[lyvyathan]

And Asha shouldn't be incredibly sexy, she has to look like a sea captain. Besides some characters have to be noticeably more attractive than others, Cersei should look beautiful, as should Margaery, Dany and Sansa to leave something up in the air for the 'beautiful young Queen' of Maggy's prophecy.

I thought Asha looked pretty attractive to me. And yes, considering she's been at sea since she was a young girl - she should look kind of weather beaten a bit.

[lyvyathan]

It's really amazing how so many readers have build up Asha's beauty when reading the books. Some practically think she is a tomboy version of Dany/Cersei. BUT this is far from the case. This is Theon's description from ACOK, when he first sees her: (before knowing her as his sister)

"He liked what he saw. Ironborn, he knew at a glance; lean and long-legged, with black hair cut short, wind-chafed skin, strong sure hands, a dirk at her belt. Her nose was too big and too sharp for her thin face, but her smile made up for it."

I don't know about you guys, this seems like a fairly average looking woman. With a great smile. So far I think the casting works really well - this might even be a case of 'hollywood casting'. (actress being prettier than the character)

Thank you for that. I hope the other readers who dislike the actress will give it up now.

I thought the actress playing Asha was brilliant - and very attractive too for a seafaring warrior. She looked the part! Too bad others don't feel the same way.

[Ghost714]

Thank you for that. I hope the other readers who dislike the actress will give it up now.

I thought the actress playing Asha was brilliant - and very attractive too for a seafaring warrior. She looked the part! Too bad others don't feel the same way.

Others don't feel the same way because it doesn't fit. She looks like a thrall that might be on a ship for the men's pleasure, and only out at sea with no other woman around could she ever be desirable.....if you were out at sea for a very long time, that is.

This Yara has none of the fire, charisma, or wit that Asha has.

I now know for a fact that Alfie Allen, the guy who plays Theon, is a good actor, because he had to act attracted to that bastardization of Asha.

When Theon left Pyke to become Ned's ward, his sister was an ugly duckling, part of the reason he did not recognize Asha, is because she grew up to be a fairly attractive young woman. Yara is not attractive at all. My problem though isn't just with Yara not being attractive, it's the fact that she isn't attractive, and she doesn't look like she could Captain a ship full of Ironborn. She doesn't look or act like she is capapable, much less good at, leading raids and attacks. Nothing about Yara puts off the vibe that she could beat your ass, or seduce you, to get what she wants. I would be more scared of old Nan with a throwing axe, than I would this Yara.

[Greywolf2375]

Others don't feel the same way because it doesn't fit. She looks like a thrall that might be on a ship for the men's pleasure, and only out at sea with no other woman around could she ever be desirable.....if you were out at sea for a very long time, that is.

This Yara has none of the fire, charisma, or wit that Asha has.

I now know for a fact that Alfie Allen, the guy who plays Theon, is a good actor, because he had to act attracted to that bastardization of Asha.

When Theon left Pyke to become Ned's ward, his sister was an ugly duckling, part of the reason he did not recognize Asha, is because she grew up to be a fairly attractive young woman. Yara is not attractive at all. My problem though isn't just with Yara not being attractive, it's the fact that she isn't attractive, and she doesn't look like she could Captain a ship full of Ironborn. She doesn't look or act like she is capapable, much less good at, leading raids and attacks. Nothing about Yara puts off the vibe that she could beat your ass, or seduce you, to get what she wants. I would be more scared of old Nan with a throwing axe, than I would this Yara.

Oh I don;t know, the way she walked right in with Theon & Balon pretty much solidified it that she has the confidence in herself needed to be an Ironborn captain.

So in the couple minutes we see her, how should she have acted to show she can lead the raid? Punch Balon? Balon gave us her resume, whether or not she looks the part. Quite frankly, Loras out of his armor doesn't look like much of a fighter...but there's only a handful that can best him. book...cover...that whole thing.

[Ghost714]

Oh I don;t know, the way she walked right in with Theon & Balon pretty much solidified it that she has the confidence in herself needed to be an Ironborn captain.

So in the couple minutes we see her, how should she have acted to show she can lead the raid? Punch Balon? Balon gave us her resume, whether or not she looks the part. Quite frankly, Loras out of his armor doesn't look like much of a fighter...but there's only a handful that can best him. book...cover...that whole thing.

It's not just that she doesn't look physically capabable, she doesn't have that vibe about her, no attitude at all. She seemed so dull, and lifeless, compared to Asha in the books. She has dead eyes, no wit, no charm.

I really have to just think of her as a completely different character, Theon's sister we never knew, because she is no Asha.

[boojam]

Oh I don;t know, the way she walked right in with Theon & Balon pretty much solidified it that she has the confidence in herself needed to be an Ironborn captain.

So in the couple minutes we see her, how should she have acted to show she can lead the raid? Punch Balon? Balon gave us her resume, whether or not she looks the part. Quite frankly, Loras out of his armor doesn't look like much of a fighter...but there's only a handful that can best him. book...cover...that whole thing.

Har!

I always felt that way about Loras out of his armor too!

Read the recent interview with Gwendoline Christie, man she put herself , and then the producers put her through the wringer for physical training. She seems to have the frame , not to become a body builder, but some real physicality. Have already seen enough of her that I am really looking forward to her as Brienne next Sunday, she really takes the role seriously.

Funny she said she cried when she had her hair cut, but at the DVD party she looks terrific in short hair.

She and Gemma Whelan are friends, Asha does not do much weapons work for some while yet, so well have to see how her training goes. Putting an axe into somebody's head cuts through a lot of character complaints.

[Lord Hodor]

While I`m completly perplexed by the name change, the actress playing her dosen`t bother me at all.

In fact I liked the entire pike scene. I think the actress may lack the charisma we look for the leaders and commanders of the sort, she does look like she`s bored most of the time and not at all fiery. But I`m sure even George Washington wasn`t in commander mode 24/7. We`ll see how much commanding power she has when she`s actually commanding, not tricking her brother into groping her or huging her dad.

And if you think she`s ugly, well that`s too bad, I guess your Asha is ugly then. Mine isn`t a beauty queen, but she sure looks like she knows her way around the bedroom.

The name change though.. :ack: Why? Oh why?

[David Selig]

Others don't feel the same way because it doesn't fit. She looks like a thrall that might be on a ship for the men's pleasure, and only out at sea with no other woman around could she ever be desirable.....if you were out at sea for a very long time, that is.

This Yara has none of the fire, charisma, or wit that Asha has.

I now know for a fact that Alfie Allen, the guy who plays Theon, is a good actor, because he had to act attracted to that bastardization of Asha.

Have you considered the possibility not everyone shares your opinion who's attractive or not. Just a thought. In this very thread plenty of posters wrote that the actress who plays Yara/Asha looks fine to them, and I agree with them. You make it sound like she's some deformed monstrosity that nobody ever could find attractive at all, which is ridiculous.

[Iotun]

Let's be honest a bit, Asha is such a stupid name anyway. Imagine the scene where Theon recognizes his sister, and him saying instead 'ASHA?!' instead of 'YARA?!'. Be honest with yourselves, Asha sounds lamer.