Avatar: The Last Airbender

For a cartoon series, animes have always had that edge, in terms of animation, visual and audio, and storytelling as well, but Avatar: The Last Airbender will always be up there with the greats. The lore was beautifully told, the intro alone would make you want to watch the entire series. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

The premise of it is that there is a world that is divided into 4 nations, namely: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. All of which lived together in harmony, but everything changed when the Fire nation attacked. Every generation there is one special individual, called an Avatar, who can control all 4 elements and bring balance to the world.

Characters

The characters and VAs (voice actors) in Avatar are diverse and everyone was able to give their respective characters life.

• Aang (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen) brought that young, energetic, and carefree voice into life. He made us fall in love with Aang and his playfulness. His serious voice was also on point, it sounds like a child getting frustrated, as funny as that sounds, it makes us, the viewers, feel for him even more.
• Katara (voiced by Mae Whitman) brings that warm but disciplinary vibe to the group. You know what I’m talking about if you have an older sister. In my opinion, Katara is the one that holds the group together.
• Sokka (voiced by Jack De Sena) sounds funny, and not metaphorically. He’s the comedic relief of the group and they did it oh so well. His voice, even though somewhat high pitched, still delivers his lines clearly, very well done.
• Toph (voiced by Michaela Jill Murphy) brings that tomboy gritty vibe. I always compare her to Buttercup from Powerpuff Girls, from the color, to the attitude, it screams Buttercup.
• Zuko (voiced by Dante Basco) is iconic. His voice is in the mid to lower range, and with that slight raspiness that he incorporates it adds that villainous tone to his character. He also voiced General Iroh, the son of the now Lord Zuko in Avatar: The Legend of Korra.
• Uncle Iroh, voiced by Mako Iwamatsu for the first two seasons, he unfortunately passed in July 2006. His voice gave us that warm feeling and assurance that everything will somehow work out. R.I.P.
• Not many people know this, but Mark Hamill (Star Wars, The Wild Robot) voiced Fire Lord Ozai.
• The rest of the characters delivered their parts masterfully as well, even the cabbage merchant is applauded for.

Music

Music score was original and iconic as well. The intro song is truly one of a kind and will really hype you up for what’s to come. My top list in the whole composition are:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender intro
• The Last Airbender theme
• Agni Kai – Epic Version
• The Kyoshi Warriors

Inspiration for bending movements

• Waterbending — Inspired by the flowing, soft movements of Tai Chi, emphasizing alignment, body structure, breath, and visualization. 
• Earthbending — Based on Hung Gar Kung Fu, known for its strong stances, strong stepping, and lateral transitions, embodying the grounded nature of the element. 
• Firebending — Modeled after the dynamic and powerful Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, characterized by strong arm and leg movements, kicking and leaping techniques, wide stances, and whirling circular blocks.
• Airbending — Inspired by Baguazhang, a martial art known for its constant spiral movements and circular walking, reflecting the free and fluid nature of air. 

Animation

The animation in Avatar would seem dated if you compare it with the current ones, but in my opinion, it still lives up to this day and age. Specially that final fight, that was pure magic. It shows what Aang is truly capable of in Avatar state. 100% power output and Fire Lord Ozai would perish, even under the influence of Sozin’s Comet.

Creature designs and originator of bending

The creature designs were carefully thought out, from the smallest of creatures like ducks with a carapace of a turtle, to the giant sea serpent called Unagi. They even have mythical creatures such as the ancient Lion Turtle and Dragons, each nation/element have a distinct creature of which the bending originated from.

• Earth – Badgermoles
• Air – Flying Bison
• Water – The Moon
• Fire – Dragons

Notable creatures are the Komodo Rhinos from the Fire Nation. The Shirshu, the lizard that hunted Team Avatar. The spirits were done beautifully as well, specially Koh, the face stealer, that was creepy, even for a children’s TV show. My favorite design was that of Wan Shi Tong, the owl being that symbolizes wisdom.

Romance

Romance is always present, whether it be a horror, action, comedy genre, even in children’s series such as Avatar. They portrayed it very well and conservatively. the most you’d see in terms of “act of romance” is them kissing, and it doesn’t last longer than 3 seconds, which I think is a healthy duration in terms of its audience. The romance between characters are well thought out and it drives the story further, nothing seemed forced.

Divided into three seasons

The series is divided into three seasons, and the reason for the division was simple yet clever, every season represents an element. An element which Aang haven’t mastered yet, and he needs to master all 4 elements to defeat the Fire Lord. The seasons are as follows:

• Book One: Water
• Book Two: Earth
• Book Three: Fire

This is the best storytelling cartoon animation I’ve ever come across that’s western made. It’s fluid and the pacing was steady. There are filler episodes but they aren’t annoying ones, in a way, it still contributes to the overall narrative.

Map and nations

The world of ATLA is divided into 4 nations, aptly named after their corresponding elements, Water, Fire, Earth and Air. The calligraphy on the top and bottom of the map forms a rhyming couplet when read aloud in Chinese.

The characters at the top read, “Powers are divided into four” while those at the bottom read, “The world is guided by one.”

If you’ve watched Raya: The Last Dragon, the plot is almost the same. One clan (Fang) wants everything for themselves, much like the Fire Nation’s Fire Lord Ozai. I’d dare say that Disney got the inspiration from Avatar. Even Zuko, the heir to the throne, turned into a good guy, much like Raya’s Namaari.

Conclusion

There’s a reason why Avatar has a 9.3/10 on IMDb and a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. One of the best cartoon animation series ever made in my opinion. The narrative is great, the characters are relatable, music is great, the conflicts are well plotted. The only cartoon series that could rival anime series. Overall, it is an enjoyable ride that everyone has to experience.