Avatar the Last Airbender - Book 1: Water
With little fanfare, I finished season one of Avatar last month. Now with life easing up again I have the time to talk about it!
Aang is probably the most complicated character given he's like Captain America in that he was frozen and now in a time not of his own. I enjoyed his reunion with his old friend, Bumi - now the King of Omashu and their trips down the chute mail delivery system. It's fun whenever Aang tries to impress Katara and how clueless she is of his intentions. I like the aspect of being able to talk to his Avatar predecessor and I hope Roku has more advice for Aang in following seasons. Seeing how much Aang cares is also a big theme, him telling Katara about his relationship with Monk Gyatsu or when they come across Bato of the Water Tribe and Aang keeps the message away from them for awhile as he was scared to lose their companionship. His fun attitude is addictive, and I loved the episode with the two feuding Earthbending tribes and crossing the great canyon and the story Aang created about the two characters at the center of the age old feud.
Katara is just as amusing as Aang when it comes to crushing on someone and while I'm heavy Kataang fan I didn't mind when she found herself investing in the cause of Haru and the imprisoned Earthbenders or the rogue Jet and his band of fighters. I also liked showing that despite her calm, thoughtful way to life at times she'll let her impatience and do rash things like steal the water scroll from those pirates or how she attacked the Northern Water Tribe's waterbending master when he refused to teach her because she was a girl.
Sokka is easiest the most shippable character. When they crossed paths with the Warriors of Kyoshi I loved how his and Suki's perceptions of each other changed over the episode. I hope there is a reunion in following seasons. And even more I loved Sokka's time with Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe. I really wish there hadn't been the need for that sacrifice because I instantly became a fan of those two together. That was probably the most emotional moment of Book One.
Zuko has fallen into the character I don't like one bit category that I have with several series to differing degrees. I'd probably relate him to Sasuke from Naruto with the amount of distaste I have for the character. I don't know how I feel about his escapades as the Blue Spirit, feels like a way the creators are trying to create a thread of redemption for Zuko, but watching the Blue Spirit episode I don't think it's possible for him to be the Spirit given where you first see the Blue Spirit and then where Zuko is. I was really confused by that.
Overall, I can't wait to start on the next season of the show, and I really wish that the movie had captured the spirit of the show. Hopefully maybe in five to ten years Nickelodeon can give it another try and create a live-action version of Avatar the Last Airbender that everyone would be happy to see. I'm excited about the news of the sequel series that they're working on and I can't wait to see the shorts with the chibi versions of the characters that I have seen and I guess are in the last two seasons because there wasn't anything on the Book one DVDs.
Aang is probably the most complicated character given he's like Captain America in that he was frozen and now in a time not of his own. I enjoyed his reunion with his old friend, Bumi - now the King of Omashu and their trips down the chute mail delivery system. It's fun whenever Aang tries to impress Katara and how clueless she is of his intentions. I like the aspect of being able to talk to his Avatar predecessor and I hope Roku has more advice for Aang in following seasons. Seeing how much Aang cares is also a big theme, him telling Katara about his relationship with Monk Gyatsu or when they come across Bato of the Water Tribe and Aang keeps the message away from them for awhile as he was scared to lose their companionship. His fun attitude is addictive, and I loved the episode with the two feuding Earthbending tribes and crossing the great canyon and the story Aang created about the two characters at the center of the age old feud.
Katara is just as amusing as Aang when it comes to crushing on someone and while I'm heavy Kataang fan I didn't mind when she found herself investing in the cause of Haru and the imprisoned Earthbenders or the rogue Jet and his band of fighters. I also liked showing that despite her calm, thoughtful way to life at times she'll let her impatience and do rash things like steal the water scroll from those pirates or how she attacked the Northern Water Tribe's waterbending master when he refused to teach her because she was a girl.
Sokka is easiest the most shippable character. When they crossed paths with the Warriors of Kyoshi I loved how his and Suki's perceptions of each other changed over the episode. I hope there is a reunion in following seasons. And even more I loved Sokka's time with Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe. I really wish there hadn't been the need for that sacrifice because I instantly became a fan of those two together. That was probably the most emotional moment of Book One.
Zuko has fallen into the character I don't like one bit category that I have with several series to differing degrees. I'd probably relate him to Sasuke from Naruto with the amount of distaste I have for the character. I don't know how I feel about his escapades as the Blue Spirit, feels like a way the creators are trying to create a thread of redemption for Zuko, but watching the Blue Spirit episode I don't think it's possible for him to be the Spirit given where you first see the Blue Spirit and then where Zuko is. I was really confused by that.
Overall, I can't wait to start on the next season of the show, and I really wish that the movie had captured the spirit of the show. Hopefully maybe in five to ten years Nickelodeon can give it another try and create a live-action version of Avatar the Last Airbender that everyone would be happy to see. I'm excited about the news of the sequel series that they're working on and I can't wait to see the shorts with the chibi versions of the characters that I have seen and I guess are in the last two seasons because there wasn't anything on the Book one DVDs.