Reasons I like Avatar- The Last Airbender

Reasons I like Avatar- The Last Airbender

Where do I begin?

I’m going to start off with a little rant. I know some people don’t like it, and that’s fine. As long as you have a good reason, whether you don’t like the plot, the characters, the idea, or even you think it’s too childish I don’t mind. However, the main reason most people who haven’t seen it don’t watch it because ‘it’s not a real anime.’

People who don’t like anime confuse it with an anime and people who do say it’s not a real anime, which it isn’t. However, I don’t think that ‘it’s not a real anime’ is a good enough reason not to watch it. I’ll watch, or read for that matter (another day maybe), anything with a good plot. You shouldn’t cut it off because it isn’t an anime. People who think it is an anime and don’t like anime- broaden your mind and try watching a few different things.
Now to the reasons I actually like it.

This is really the best TV series I’ve ever watched. There are a few I count as favourites as well, like Adventure Time and Spectacular Spiderman (the latter of which has been cancelled. I’ll go on a rant about that on another day). This however, wins. I’ll go on a long post about why. If you don’t care for the series, you may leave. If you want to watch it later, there will be spoilers. If you don’t want to read this, that’s your choice.


First reason- The World

Ever since I saw this, I’ve been obsessed with anything that involves controlling the elements. For those of you who don’t know. The world in Avatar is comprised of four nations. The Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. Born in each of these nations, some people have the ability to control their element (eg: earth kingdom person may control earth.)

I would go into more detail, but this is the reasons I like it, not a summary.

 

Second Reason- The Plot

This isn't the biggest reason why I like it, but it makes it good enough to be better than most stuff. The plot is the Avatar* has been gone for a hundred years, during which the Fire Nation has waged war on the other nations (even killing all the Air Nomads). Finally, The Avatar has come back from his hundred years of being frozen in a iceberg, and must learn all the elements (except air, because he was born as a Air Nomad and he already mastered it). It's not the nest plot, but just because it fits so well with the world, and the fact the althrough the series the plot doesn't fail, I'll count it as a reason Avatar is brilliant.

 

Third Reason- The Writing

This isn't the plot. By the plot, I mean the whole story plot. By the writing, I mean the smaller things that make up the plot. And some moments in the writing are brilliant. As I said, I've seen better, but the writing is perfect for the story.

 

Forth Reason- The Characters

This is my main reason for liking the series. The characters are some of the best I've ever seen, and even better, the character development is stunning. I'm going to devote most of this post to the characters

Okay, so we've got Aang, the Avatar. A goofy kid. He can fight, but he's childish, to the point where it annoys me. But the character development... He starts off goofy, then he begins to get more serious and wise, then he's determined and focused. I love how he was developed without changing him completely. Like he still has his morals. He doesn't kill, fights only when he has to, tries to get out of situations by being quick and clever. But at the same time, he's responsible.

Katara. A hopeful waterbender who, quite frankly, sucks. She can't fight, she's almost stupid in some situations, and is almost useless. She changes as well. She becomes responsible to the point where it's basically nagging, a very capable fighter. She's my least favourite character, but still, she got better than she was at the start.

Sokka- A Warrior from the water tribe, who's almost useless. He's basically the comedy relief in the series. At the start he couldn't fight, sarcastic and almost annoying in the way he treated people with such disrespect. They changed him so he could fight (I don't think this is character development, they just decided to change his fighting skills). He wasn't funny at first. A couple of humorous things happened to him, but he wasn't funny himself. They changed that as well. They also changed the way he treated people, not with more respect, but he's just not taking it as seriously.

Toph- This is one of the characters that doesn't develop really. She's a tough, stubborn fighting earthbender. But even if she doesn't change, we get to sometimes she her insecurities and problems, which is enough for me.

Azula- A cold blooded, sadistic firebender who seems to have no conscience. She sees herself as better because she's royalty, and she's one of the best firebenders alive. She doesn't change for nearly two seasons (she's only in two) but then, in the last four episodes, we see the change. Her friends, which she had bullied and terrified into liking her, betrayed her and she sent them to prison. She starts to slip, losing trust in everyone, from her servants to her advisers. She banishes nearly everyone, and actually goes insane, seeing her mother (who disappeared when she was six or so. We think she was either banished or killed. Azula doesn't like her mother either way) in the mirror, which Azula eventually smashes. When she's defeated, she's reduced to crying, and you can obviously see how insane she is.

Zhoa- A firebender admiral who is hunting the Avatar in the first season. He died at the end of the first season. Despite the fact he didn't change, he was so flawed yet good that I couldn't help feeling that he should have lasted longer.

Jet- A sixteen year old boy from the Earth Kingdom, who hates the Fire Nation completely. He was willing to flood a town just to destroy some of the Fire Nation soldiers that were there. He views anything, even innocent lives, as nothing as long as he stops the Fire Nation. The was the first season. Second seasons we see him again, claiming he's changed. Yet, when he suspects that Iroh and Zuko (look bellow somewhere) he tries to find evidence obsessively. Eventually, he gets frustrated and attacks Zuko in the hope he'll firebend to protect himself. I won't describe what happens to him next, because it would take too long, but he dies. He hardly changed, but I like that, despite the fact he was a great fighter, he was insane and so very, very flawed.

Ozai- The Firelord, leader of the Fire Nation, and best firebender alive. He's kept in mystery for two seasons. We eventually see him. He's insanely powerful and sadistic. Despite the fact he doesn't change and has little in the way of flaws, I like how powerful he is, and he's a great character for a villain.

Iroh- Many people's favourite character. He's Zuko's uncle. A wise old man, who takes care of Zuko. He doesn't change, for the simple fact he doesn't need to. We find out that he was a good person. Which explains why we never saw him act against the Avatar. His love for his nephew stopped him from helping the Avatar, who hindering Zuko. In season one he did almost nothing besides give good advice the Zuko. In season two he helped Zuko, and we saw him finally doing things. In season three, we saw him as the brilliant fighter he is. He has almost nothing in the way of flaws, and because he doesn't do anything major in the way of fighting, he doesn't need to develop or be less powerful.

Zuko- My favourite character. 'A fallen prince who's been stripped of his pride' is the best way I've heard him being described. He's a firebending prince, who's been banished. He'll be allowed back to the Fire Nation if he captures the Avatar. He thinks that he needs the Avatar to get his honour back. For season one, he hunts Aang. He never really gets close until the final episode, but even then, he doesn't succeed. In season two, he's on the run. He goes from prince (albeit a banished one) two a refugee. The Fire Nation is hunting him, and because he is from the Fire Nation, no one else wants him either. He hides in the Earth Kingdom. At the end, his uncle tells him that he has to make a decision. He has to stop hunting the Avatar, and be a good person. For a while (meaning a episode) it seems like he will be good, but then he betrays his uncle. In season three, he's allowed back into the Fire Nation because they thought he killed the Avatar. He's guilty about what he did, and confused about who he is. That's the first half of season three. The second half he chooses to help the Avatar, and sides completely against the Fire Nation.
I love seeing him go from a villain, to a person with nothing, to a good person. After a while, you realise that you actually care about him, mostly in season two, although a fair bit in season one. Even after he betrays everyone, you still care about what happens to him. I like him best in season two, because he had no idea who he was, and he seemed to be his own person there most, instead of someone who's life revolved around the Avatar. He's so very very flawed, and despite his changes he still has his flaws. It's because of the flaws he has that I like him so much.

 

Fifth Reason- The Humour

 It's not laugh at loud funny, but it's enough to make you smile at times, and it helps build the series into what it is. Without the humour it would be too serious, and that would completely take away from everything it is. It has the perfect amount of humour.

 

Sixth Reason- The Fighting

There has been better fight scenes, but the show isn't about the fight scenes, and what fight scenes they have are quite good. However, there is only three fight scenes that deserve mentioning. The first one is in season one, the last episode. Aang goes into the Avatar state, and joined with a spirit, turns into a huge water monster-thing. He doesn't fight as such, but  it sends shivers down my spine to see it. The second one, and may of you who have watched this would have guessed the last two- is Zuko and Azula's fight. The display of firebending is brilliant, and there's almost an art to it. The third is Ozai's and Aang's fight. The best way I've heard it being put it

"Now here they are
2 gods face to face
a battle which took a century to make
and now as they both do clench there fists
they create a force so big
that the whole world could feel it

and now as the ground begins to shake
people grit there teeth as they know the stakes

one fights to protect there lives
as the other fights to commit genocide"

This describes it almost perfectly. Two people so powerful fighting is just very awesome to see. I'd describe it, but it's best you see it for yourself. I say there have been better fight scenes, but even so, these are still very VERY good

 

Seventh Reason- The Setting

Not quite the world. The actual way they made the landscape look. Very good.

 

Eighth Reason- The Music

It's extremely good. It adds to the scenes so perfectly. Without the music, it would be very much bad. The music at times when you're meant to feel sad is actually quite sad music. But my favourite is the fight scene music. Zuko and Azula's fight scene music just makes it a thousand times better.

 

Those are the reasons I like Avatar. Characters are my main reason, but everything else just collects together and makes it so very awesome.

In conclusion, if you haven't watched it, DO IT NOW. The first season is my least favourite, and it gets better, so don't give up on it. Also, the video I found a few lines I mentioned from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBdIfwqvQGw

Thanks for reading!