This review contains spoilers in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5.
I chose to watch this show on a whim; I couldn’t sleep, I’d loaded up Netflix on my phone out of curiosity, and I saw a show that a friend had been recommending to me over the course of the last decade. Since episodes were no longer than around twenty minutes long, I figured sure, why not. And while I’m not prideful enough to feel out of place watching a Nickelodeon show as an adult, I can’t say I expected too much of an emotionally gripping storyline ahead of me. In fact, I kind of expected to put it down after a few episodes. I was just curious.
I went in expecting a formulaic cartoon wherein the over-arcing plot would be explored mainly towards the beginning, middle, and end of the series, but where the average episode was crafted in such a way that anyone could tune into an episode and not feel like they were in the middle of a storyline. This was originally aired on live TV after all, in the age before on demand viewing. And to an extent, this is the case; certain episodes are self-contained adventures. But they are always part of a larger journey which is constantly being discussed and considered, and watching them all in order over the course of a scant few weeks, none of them stood out to me as filler or as detracting from the larger narrative. What impressed me most of all in regards to this was the respect to continuity; if someone gets a scar, they keep it. If they change weapons or outfits, those decisions remain. It sounds rudimentary, but for an animated series airing on live TV pre-demand, it’s actually quite rare to come across.
I also think that Avatar: The Last Airbender would make an excellent source of study for anyone wanting to learn about character development. Zuko in particular has the most impressive journey as a character, starting from an entertainingly hubristic villain – “I don’t need your wisdom right now, Uncle! I need to find the Avatar!” – to growing into a reflective and compassionate character who has seen the error of his family’s ideals. Along the way, we see him not only take steps forwards to this final destination but also steps backwards as he makes mistakes and allows pride to get the better of him. I actually enjoyed watching his journey a little bit more than Aang’s, but let’s not give our troubled prince all the credit for character development; Aang’s constant self-doubt gives his position as the Avatar some weight, Katara’s mastery of water-bending is represented brilliantly, and Sokka’s desire to become a leader outpaces his initial insecurities.
The show was also ahead of its time in a lot of ways. Early on it tackled issues of sexism by means of the character of Sokka, which is the first time I really sat up and took notice of the narrative’s importance. Another general theme of the show is that of peace and violence, the conflict of which comes to a head during the four-part finale, where even Aang’s predecessors are telling him to end the Firelord’s life for the good of the world. In a lot of ways it reminds me of a sort of western-made Naruto, and given how much I respect that series for the messages it had to tell, I intend that as very high praise indeed.
Finally, to touch on the animation, I have to say that the act of elemental bending lent itself greatly to interesting fight scenes which used the environment in plenty of unique and exciting ways. The finale was an exceptional example of this, with all of the main fighting scenes prompting genuine jaw-dropping moments for me. The liberation of Ba-Sing-Se demonstrated Iroh’s long-teased combat abilities, as well as showcasing a fight on a city-wide scale; Sokka, Toph and Suki’s fight amongst the airships utilised 3D animation to really give the scene its necessary depth; Zuko and Katara’s fight against Azula really sold the frightening power of fire-bending during the passing of Sozin’s comet, and had me on the edge of my seat; and finally, the duel between Aang and Ozai grew to truly epic proportions against an apocalyptic backdrop, showcasing both the Firelord’s (sorry, the Phoenix King’s) frightening power and Aang’s mastery of the elements as the Avatar in equally awesome measure.
I wasn’t expecting much when I began watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it’s truly one of the best series I’ve had the pleasure of viewing. It awed me, inspired me, and touched me emotionally, and while it’s a shame it took so many years for me to get around to viewing it, I’m almost glad I waited until a time when I could watch it easily and in sequence like this.
Perpetually Perturbed 