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 Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:26 pm
So how awesome is this show? The correct answer is: VERY AWESOME.
I don't know how, I don't know why, but this supposedly silly Nickeodeon show has captured my fangirl heart. It has beautiful artwork, a well-realized story world, intricate character arcs, one of the best hero and anti-hero combinations on television, and magic kung-fu.
Though the whole thing is PG at best, it does a great job at hinting at more mature topics beneath the surface. Child abuse, terrorism, the cultural effects of industrialization, gender inequality in warrior cultures, war orphans and child soldiers... the list goes on. Though the program begins with a simplistic conflict between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world, as time passes it's revealed that all of the societies there are out of balance without the Avatar to set things right. The FN is overly ambitious and devours other cultures to grow stronger, the Earth Kingdom has become stagnant and oppressive, the Air Nomads have scattered into the winds (I'm not fully convinced that they're all dead), and the Water Tribe has forsaken the rest of the world.
Seriously, what's not to love about this show? Hopefully someone else here loves it too! I'm so excited to see where the third season goes, since so many questions went unanswered after the second season finale.
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:38 pm
I really enjoy the show despite being way out of their target demographic. xp
it's really terrible that the actor who played General Iroh died, since he was an interesting guy and Iroh was one of my favorite characers. I'm curious as to where they're going with the plot in season 3, but now I'm curious as to how they're planning on handling his death. sad
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:48 pm
Quoted from my journal: Quote: That show is so freaking good, it's sick. The writing, the acting, the score, the story, it's the pinnacle of what american writers and actors can do with the visual majesty of the Japanese art style/cultural influence. ... Thank god for shows like Avatar, which prove that you can work around the system of negative mindsets and tell an engaging story that is mature, emotional, thought provoking (at times) and entertaining to both young and old. Disney could really learn something from you guys. I love Avatar, and can't wait for the new season (whenever the hell that'll be), though I do share the same concern Kao does about what they're going to do about Iroh's VA not being here with us anymore. emo
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:50 pm
Dude, they replaced Iroh's VA after that one ep where they had the memorial short. Since then they've been using some taped lines from the (sadly deceased) original Iroh, and others newly recorded by a guy that used to be his understudy in the theater. In season three it'll be all the new guy.
I must say, the new guy does a pretty great job. You can hardly ever tell the difference, although occasionally he doesn't have the same richness of tone at Original Iroh.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:04 am
It will possibly take me a very, very dear AND persuasive friend to get me to watch this series. The art burns my eyes for some reason. sweatdrop
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:07 pm
I have to say, this is one of the only shows That I'm glad the came out with in America. Motly because Sokka is a snarky b*****d. The best was high!Sokka.
"LOOK A GIANT MUSHROOM!! Maybe it's friendly."
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:52 pm
I love that the two creators of the show were former Family Guy and Futurama writers. It totally shows in a lot of their comedy segments that are strange and verbal (the whole "refurbished room" joke from book 2).
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:24 pm
It's too bad Mako died. He was also the wizard in the Conan whatsits. That you should watch. All the time.
Avatar's the cartoon that other cartoons should try to be for this generation. Like Pirates of Dark Water was for last generation.
Sadly, there are very few contenders for that spot this time around. No Invasion America or Gargoyles for you, kids! It's this or Danny Phantom.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:38 am
Gargoyles and Pirates were definitely my favorite cartoons when I was a kid. and I really don't think it's nostalgia talking - cartoons in the 2000's have sucked, with a couple of rare exceptions.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:47 pm
warriordude I have to say, this is one of the only shows That I'm glad the came out with in America. Motly because Sokka is a snarky b*****d. The best was high!Sokka. "LOOK A GIANT MUSHROOM!! Maybe it's friendly." Completely seconded. That episode had me laughing every few moments. Sokka is awesome. I must say, I recently started watching the series and I practically kicked myself for not discovering it sooner. Of all the tripe that Nickelodeon puts off, it figures I'd miss it, but thank all the various gods for Nicktoons TV. Voice acting is superb, art style is awesome, story is EPIC. And by epic, I MEAN epic. This show is the correct example at how to make a children's show out of very mature topics. I'm sure that I appreciate it more than, say, a 9 year old, but that's just me. I'm far too tired to articulate in my usual fashion right now, and I'm still reeling in excited agony over the prospect of seeing TMNT again with my friend Melissa. ...........Oh GOD I'M COUNTING THE HOURS DOWN......
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:49 am
I was able to see the DVD versions, which, I might add, have all the episodes, both as they aired on Nick and also uncut. With all the blood and swearing that'd you expect from a martial arts epic lol. Also, I'd like to point out your thing about how women weren't given a lot power in warrior cultures, for Asia thats true, but in the Germanic Tribes, the Nordic Peoples and the Celts women were often the leaders of armies.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:46 am
I've just started watching this show and I'm liking it a lot.
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:47 am
Well. Power...that's debatable. Inheritance was often matrilineal all over the damn place, because before DNA testing, that's the easiest way to be sure whose child is whose. (You know who they came out of.)
I don't reckon going into battle is exactly a power-sharing matter, exactly. It does say something about how strong and brave you consider women to be, however, which is a strong indictment of later Western societies among others.
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