Avatar: The Last Airbender complete series review
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a T.V. show that takes place in a world where there are people with special powers called bending. Not all people in the world can bend, but of the people that can, there are 4 elements that are bendable: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. The people in the world are split into groups by their elements: the Air Nomads, the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation. From here it is easier to let the opening of the show do the explaining: “Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world."
Positive Aspects:
Avatar: The Last Airbender has a plethora of positive properties. First of all, the general concept of the show is genius. It is a fairly complex concept, but it works superbly in the mythology that has been set up. On that note, going hand-in-hand with the concept is the world of the show. This is a very interesting place. It is not simple by any means. The Fire Nation is the main antagonist in general regarding the show, but in the 3rd season when our heroes are traveling through the land of the fire benders in disguise they realize that there are still good people in the enemy camp. Alternately, when they are traveling in the Earth Kingdom they realize there is much corruption there, and just because the Earth Kingdom is against the Fire Nation does not necessarily mean that every resident is a good person. Michael DiMartino and the other creators of Avatar could have easily made every member of the Fire Nation a coldhearted antagonist, and every member of the Earth Kingdom a sympathizer of Aang’s cause, but that is not nearly as realistic or interesting. The visuals are awe-inspiring. The fact that this show is animated is taken full advantage of by the artists. They depict some stunning visuals, and choreograph some spectacular action scenes. The bending looks wonderful, and the action is quick and intense. Believe it or not, the concept, world, and animation are not even the most prolific properties of Avatar. Hands down, the characters are the best part of the show. The show is driven by the people that inhabit it. DiMartino and his fellow writers take substantial amounts of time to develop these characters, and make each individual relatable in their own way. Each character is unique, and enjoyable because of the care the writers put into fully developing the cast. The main characters will be discussed later, now onward to the Negative Aspects!
Negative Aspects:
The series is only 61 episodes. Only 1,342 minutes. Only 22 hours of Avatar. The series is not necessarily perfect, and not every episode is perfect, but there are very few that are not great. However, if the only complaint is that not every episode is perfect, that alone says a lot about the series as a whole.
Characters:
Aang is the main protagonist of the show. He is the Avatar. Aang is a fun-loving, and peace-loving 12-year-old boy. He gets his laid-back demeanor from his Air Nomad roots, but despite his somewhat laid-back attitude Aang is a hard worker, and will do anything for his friends.
Katara is one of the two members of the Southern Water Tribe that find Aang frozen in an iceberg and release him, and accompany him on his journey. Katara is a teenage girl, and a gifted water bender. She is designated to teach Aang how to waterbend. The Fire Nation killed her mother, and her father left to fight the fire nation, so she has had to take on a motherly persona from a younger age. She is generally the mother figure of the main group often being the voice of reason.
Sokka is the other member of the Southern Water Tribe that finds Aang frozen in the iceberg. He is Katara’s older brother, and he cannot bend. He relies on his uncanny ability to think on his feet, and strategize to help the group. Additionally, he is one of the main sources of comedy of the show being a sarcastic wisecracker. However, he is not solely comic relief, as he still has dignity as a character and is a useful asset to the group.
Toph is a blind earth bender. She uses her bending to see, and because of her blindness she is much more in tune with the environment and is the most powerful earth bender from the Earth Kingdom. She is brought on the team to teach Aang how to earth bend. Toph is a very independent young girl because her parents sheltered her so much growing up because she is blind. She never really had friends growing up so she sometimes has a hard time getting along with others, but she still is a great friend, and is willing to risk it all and do whatever it takes to help Aang defeat the Fire Nation.
Zuko is the son of the Fire Lord, and prince of the Fire Nation. However, he has been banished by his father, and sent on a quest to find and capture the Avatar. Zuko is a very conflicted young man that is trying so desperately to earn back his honor, and earn back favor with his father.
Iroh is Zuko’s uncle, and older brother of the Fire Lord. He is traveling with Zuko, and is watching over him. Iroh is an old man who was formerly a great general, but was shamed after failing to capture the capital city of the Earth Kingdom, and sent off with his nephew. The two outcasts are both fire benders, but Iroh is much more powerful and is teaching Zuko and helping him to improve his fire bending to become stronger, and he is imparting as much of his wisdom to his nephew as he can.
Conclusion:
If you have not seen Avatar: The Last Airbender you should go start watching it. It has even more characters than the ones briefly explained here, and a much more complex story full of twists and turns. Avatar is a complete and total masterpiece, and is absolutely worth the 22 hours it takes to watch it.
10 Out Of 10
