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Despite ending 12 years ago, Avatar: The Last Airbender gains new fans every day. The show never seems to have run out of new fan art. So I decided to watch it again and try to find out what makes it stand out so much from other shows.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) show is consistently at the top of most “Best TV shows”. The show was finally released on Netflix on May 15 amidst the lockdowns, it gained more traction from people who have never watched it before and fans who want to watch the show again for the nostalgia.
ATLA is an original animated show that ran on Nickelodeon between 2005 and 2008, containing three seasons. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, with Aaron Ehasz as head writer, the series gained a large and passionate fan base.
In the world of ATLA, people have the ability to “bend” one of the four elements; air, water, earth, or fire. ATLA follows Aang, the destined Avatar. An Avatar is a guardian figure who can master all four elements. However, this information is revealed to Aang too soon, and becomes too overwhelmed with the responsibility and runs away. During his disappearance, the Fire Nation has killed all the Airbenders and took over most of the world, a Firebender, Zuko’s goal is to hunt down the Avatar to regain his honor. A hundred years later, Katara and Sokka find him encased in a giant ball of ice.
Writing and Storytelling
Everyone always assumes that cartoons and animated shows are always meant for kids, but not all of them are. Though, the animation style looks “childish”, ATLA deals with mature themes such as child abuse, war, and legacy, in a language and style that children can understand. DiMartino and Konietzko are aware and respect that kids are watching, they manage to balance out all the mature themes with happiness, silliness, and fun. The humor never gets in the way of the story and the story never gets in the way of the humor.
Jet C., a junior says that “A good story is not defined by age.”, and that’s what ATLA essentially is; it is a good story.
Characters
ATLA hooks you in not with its writing or world-building, but with its lovable and charismatic characters. Within just a few lines of dialogues, the ATLA has already managed to make you fall in love with the characters. There aren’t any bad characters; all the main characters have their own flaws, problems to work through, “cool moments” and arcs. Prince Zuko is an exceptionally well-written character.
Why does everyone seem to love Prince Zuko so much?
Miss Dean says that “the writers did such a good job making him a sympathetic villain and then a redeemed one.” Everyone loves a good redemption arc!
Stream It or Skip It?
Avatar: The Last Airbender is the perfect mix of heavy-handed serious themes with goofy humor. Not that, much like what you see in Game of Thrones, for example, but enough so that it is philosophical and teaches a couple of things about life to its audience.
Shows this good are rare; animated or not.
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