Only a handful of kids' shows, like Nickelodeon’s critically acclaimed fantasy hitAvatar: The Last Airbender, appeal to such a wide-ranging audience. For those unfamiliar withAvatar– not to be confused with James Cameron’s movie franchise –The Last Airbenderdrops the audience into a world sullied by war. Each of the four nations inAvatar’s world represents one of the elements – Water, Earth, Fire, Air – with select people from each nation able to manipulate, or"bend" these elements to their will. Only the titular Avatar, a young boy named Aang, can master all four.
Though Aang initially seems to be a typical “Chosen One” character, he is the latest in a long line of reincarnated Avatars, burdened with the duty to foster peace between nations and liaise with the spirit world.The gravity of Aang’s purpose is a large part of what makesATLAso suitable for viewers of all ages. Though accessible,The Last Airbendernever sugarcoats the horrors of war and the importance of peace. With minimal filler episodes and a well-paced, three-season structure,Avatar: The Last Airbenderis genuinely one of the greatest animated showsever made.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Is Aimed At Kids, But Everyone Should Watch It At Least Once
Avatar’s Characters And Stories Are Universally Relevant
Avatar’s leading characters may all be children, but being born into a war-torn world forced them to grow up faster than they deserved. Aang is technically 12 years old, yet he carries a heavy burden. As the Avatar, he’s the only one strong enough to end the Fire Nation’s imperial regime, and a looming deadline pressures him to learn his craft at an accelerated pace. He’s also forced to reconcile with the genocide of his people and what it means to be the last surviving Airbender.
The beauty ofATLAis that, while the show recognizes that what these kids accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary, they still get to be kids.
His friends, meanwhile, have known only oppression since they were born, with Katara and Sokka also forced to deal with the loss of their mother and their father’s absence. Toph, introduced early inATLAseason 2, was stifled by a strict upbringing but became one of the most powerful Earthbenders the world has ever known. Then, of course, there’s Fire Nation prince Zuko, the show’s and perhaps fantasy TV’s most nuanced and complex character.Zuko’s redemptionis incredibly well plotted; very few, if any, redemption arcs come close.
The beauty ofATLAis that, while the show recognizes that what these kids accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary, they still get to be kids. They argue with one another, make crude jokes, play silly games, and have crushes, yet none of that detracts from what they’re going through or the momentous mission they’ve undertaken. If anything, their well-timed moments of levity only add to the gravity of the situation. These playful kids deserve to live in a world without war, yet they’re best placed to finish it.
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This duality makesThe Last Airbenderone of the few children’s shows truly enjoyable for adults and kids. It’s fun yet solemn, comprehensible yet intricate, and historically and socially relevant.Avatardoesn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics, and doesn’t attempt to bite off more than it can chew. It knows its limits and tells its story beautifully within them, a feat few other shows have been able to replicate.
What Makes Avatar: The Last Airbender A Near-Perfect Fantasy Show
Avatar Strikes A Perfect Balance Between Narrative, Character Development, And World-Building
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis very tightly structured. There are three seasons in total; in each season, Aang learns how to bend a new element, with each one bringing him closer to mastering the Avatar state and his full power.Almost every episode and storyline has a purpose. In any given episode, Aang might learn about his power, bending, the Avatar’s history, or his role as a mediator.
If an episode isn’t focused on Aang’s journey, audiences learn ’s world through the rest of Team Avatar and their enemies. The approaching deadline of Sozin’s Comet looms large over the story, but it also forces the characters and the show to keep moving forward. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the only episode that can truly be considered “unnecessary filler” isThe Last Airbender’s lowest-rated episode– the season 1 installment “The Great Divide.” Yet, even there, Aang still gains valuable experience as a peacemaker.
ATLAis an incredibly mature narrative wrapped in a child-friendly, accessible, beautifully animated, and wonderfully empathetic package.
The Last Airbenderis a story about war, oppression, and imperialism, yet it is also about hope, love, and people’s capacity for change.ATLAis an incredibly mature narrative wrapped in a child-friendly, accessible, beautifully animated (the fight scenes are impressively intricate, and the colorful art style is stunning), and wonderfully empathetic package. Prince Zuko himself summed upAvatar’s most important lesson best in the season 3 episode “The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse”:
“Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history, and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was… The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don’t see our greatness. They hate us, and we deserve it. We’ve created an era of fear in the world. And if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.”
Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation Isn’t A Proper Substitute For The Nickelodeon Show
The Live-Action Series Is Missing That Same Magical Spark
For some reason, animation is often (and wrongly) viewed as an inferior storytelling medium.Live-action remakes are all the rage nowadays, with popular animated productions likeOne Piece,Cowboy Bebop, and every animated Disney movie receiving the live-action treatment. These live-action adaptations have all enjoyed varying degrees of success, with Netflix’sOne Piecewidely hailed as one of, if not the best, anime adaptations of all time. Unfortunately,Netflix’s live-action adaptation ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderdoesn’t quite reach the heights of its version ofOne Piece, and certainly doesn’t match the quality of the originalATLAcartoon.
That’s not to say that Netflix’s live-actionATLAis without merit. It’s much better than the terrible 2010 live-action movie adaptation, which largely disregarded the cartoon’s carefully constructed and culturally sensitive worldbuilding. Netflix’s cast is solid, the effects and fights look impressive, and while it fails to include some important plot points, the overall structure largely works. That magical spark is absent, however. It’s missing the passion that made the originalATLAcompelling.
It’s hard to describe, butwhen watching live-actionATLA, you’re able to feel that you’re watching a Netflix show. It has a strange, overly polished, curated vibe, which doesn’t entirely fit Aang and Team Avatar’s messy, fun, dangerous, and joyous story. If you’re interested in whatAvatarhas to say, I promise investing time in the original animatedATLAis worth it. Watch Netflix’s live-action version ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderafterward to compare.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Cast
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
Avatar: The Last Airbender follows a young boy, the Avatar, who embarks on a quest to master the four elemental powers. Tasked with saving a world engulfed in war, he must confront a relentless adversary determined to thwart his mission.
