Review - Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 - 2008)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and you know something? Every generation has that one cartoon series that everyone falls in love with at once. Some past examples include the likes of The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, Looney Tunes, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Animaniacs, Pokémon, and the list goes on. But, in the mid 2000's one Nickelodeon show was created that would transcend the generations, and would inspire fans for future generations to come. It was popular when it aired, gained new life on Netflix, and is honestly the most beloved Nicktoon of all time. I am, of course, talking about Avatar: The Last Airbender.

        Airing from February 2005 up through July 2008, Avatar is one of those once-in-a-lifetime animated series that can truly be called a masterpiece. Only running for three seasons, this was one of those series that had a definitive story that had a beginning and a conclusion. Outside of a majority of anime, that is a rarity when it comes to animated series, which usually have a premise and just build on individual segments going off of said premise. Avatar, however, doesn't merely have a premise. It has a proper story. 

          And just what is that story? Well, in an ancient world, gifted individuals called Benders exist, and are based on the four classic elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. And, every generation sees an individual born who can master all four elements. This individual is called the Avatar. However, one hundred years before the series begins, the previous Avatar, Roku of the Fire Nation, died, and so the next in line was born. However, he disappeared without a trace. And since then, the Fire Nation has ravaged the world in a campaign for world domination. 

         One hundred years later, and two siblings from the Southern Water Tribe, Katara and Sokka, find a massive sphere beneath the ice. Inside of it is a twelve year old boy named Aang, along with his flying bison Appa. And, because Aang is of the Air Nomads, he IS the Avatar. However, Aang didn't want the responsibility of being Avatar, as he just wanted to be a normal kid, and so he ran away, only to be caught in a storm and frozen alive for one hundred years. 

         Meanwhile, we also meet Prince Zuko, the disgraced and exiled son of Fire Lord Ozai, who seeks to find the Avatar and return him to the Fire Nation, which will redeem him in his father's eyes. Traveling along with Zuko is his uncle Iroh, a once mighty warrior for the Fire Nation, but has taken more of the role of a pacifist and is trying to teach his nephew balance. So, while Zuko is an antagonistic individual, I wouldn't declare him a straight up villain, because there are plenty of those throughout the series. For example, a recurring villain in the first season is Zhao, a high ranking officer in the Army of the Fire Nation. And after him, we have Princess Azula, sister of Zuko and daughter of the Fire Lord. And, of course the final boss, the main antagonist in the third and final season, is Fire Lord Ozai himself. 

        Now, just to illustrate how evil Fire Lord Ozai really is, we're talking about a guy who usurped his brother Iroh's claim to the throne, arranged for the death of his own father Fire Lord Azulon, sent his wife Ursa into exile, and burned his own son Zuko in a Fire Duel, sending him into exile as well, all because he spoke out against a military General during a council meeting in the Fire Lord's war room. Seriously, we're not just talking about a tyrant here, we're talking about a genuine monster. And, let's just say, when he finally makes a proper appearance after two seasons of build up, his appearance doesn't disappoint. 

       So, the series progresses as such: Aang, along with Katara and Sokka, traverse the world to find teachers for Aang, so he can master the elements of Water, Earth, and Fire. Katara, who is a skilled Waterbender in her own right, acts as Aang's Waterbending teacher. However, when Azula arrives with her crew, Ty Lee and Mai, it becomes clear that Team Avatar needs a new ally, as well as an Earthbending teacher for Aang. Enter Toph Beifong, a blind girl from the Earth Kingdom and an absolute badass. Seriously, this girl uses Earthbending to detect vibrations, allowing her to react when something or someone is coming in her direction. And, after a discovery in a sunken library in the middle of the desert, Team Avatar learns that a solar eclipse is coming, and it will temporarily weaken the Firebenders of their powers. So, Aang and Team Avatar make a beeline for the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se to tell the Earth King of this revelation, and to prepare for an assault against the Firebenders on the day of the eclipse. 

        The third season sees Team Avatar go into hiding in the last place the Fire Nation Army would think to look for them: in the Fire Nation itself. Also, two newcomers join Team Avatar. First is Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of warrior women, established by Avatar Kyoshi, who fight to defend the innocent. And, much to the shock of everyone, Zuko joins Team Avatar, and becomes Aang's Firebending teacher. And, this is a reason that, while he was antagonistic early on, Zuko was not really a villain in this series. Zuko's arc in this series is one of redemption, in more ways than one. Initially, it's to redeem himself in the eyes of his father, and later, it's to redeem himself to the world when he sees that his father is a tyrannical madman whose plan is too horrible to support. That plan, to be specific, is to use the power of Sozin's Comet, which will amplify the power of all Firebenders extensively, to burn the world and declare himself the Phoenix King. So, Aang MUST master the elements to face and defeat the Fire Lord before this happens. And, I will say, the episode where Aang and Zuko meet the Firebending Masters, which are a pair of dragons, was easily my favorite episode. Long before Daenerys Targaryen survived a funeral pire with three dragon hatchlings on Game of Thrones, Aang and Zuko witnessed an awesome sight when two dragons showcased the sheer beauty in fire, with fire appearing in a multitude of colors. Truly, it was breathtaking. Another episode I enjoyed in the third season was one where Sokka trained under a great swordmaster, and crafted a sword for himself made from meteorite. 

        Now, what's amazing about Avatar is the level of cultural diversity on display. Each of the Four Nations is based on cultures like Inuit, Tibetan, and of course both Chinese and Japanese. And, each Bending style is inspired by real life martial arts styles, with Toph's bending being inspired by Praying Mantis style Kung Fu. I absolutely love the level of diversity in this series, and I think that it's one of its greatest strengths. Other themes the series deals with include such themes as bigotry and systemic sexism, the latter of which becomes very prevalent during a part of the first season when Team Avatar arrives at the Northern Water Tribe, and Katara is unable to learn with the Waterbending Masters. Luckily, she is able to prover herself and begins learning with the Waterbending Masters, but it's still an obstacle she has to overcome. 

        Also, the voice cast in the series is absolutely iconic, which is why I didn't hesitate to get a large number of them to sign my Complete Series Blu-ray set of the series when I got the opportunity. For our main cast, we of course have Zach Tyler Eisen as Aang, Mae Whitman as Katara, Jack De Sena as Sokka, Jessie Flower as Toph, Jennie Kwan as Suki, and Dante Basco as Zuko. And, out of these, my two favorites are easily Jessie Flower as Toph, who is just a lot of fun, and Dante Basco as Zuko, who as I said, gets the biggest amount of character development throughout the series. 

      Additionally, the animals characters of Appa the flying bison and Momo the winged lemur are both voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who also provided the voice of Olmec in the game show Legends of the Hidden Temple. Both Olivia Hack and Cricket Leigh as Ty Lee and Mai were also memorable. Oh, and I forgot to mention, Mai was Zuko's girlfriend, and theirs is a relationship that is fun to watch throughout the series. Uncle Iroh was played, in the first two seasons by the legendary Mako, and by Greg Baldwin in the third season. And, while I do lament that I never got the chance to meet the iconic Mako before his unfortunate passing, I will always have great love and respect for his performance. Greg Baldwin, who took on the role after Mako passed away, also was fantastic. James Garrett also frequently had appearances throughout the series as Avatar Roku, who was the immediate predecessor to Aang as the Avatar, and serves as a spiritual guide and mentor for Aang. And for our two major villains, both Grey DeLisle and Mark Hamill are absolutely fantastic as Azula and Fire Lord Ozai. And while not as memorable as Azula or the Fire Lord, I will admit that Jason Isaacs was a decent first season villain as Zhao. I also enjoyed a surprise performance by Ron Perlman as Fire Lord Sozin in a flashback episode called "The Avatar and the Fire Lord." Heck, outside of the main and recurring voice cast is a who's-who of guest stars like Kevin Michael Richardson, Clancy Brown, George Takei, James Hong, Raphael Sbarge, Richard McGonagle, Tress MacNeille, Robert Patrick, the list goes on. 

         Of course, it's impossible to talk about Avatar without talking about the epic multipart series finale "Sozin's Comet." Not since Return of the King was a finale to a franchise so epic and so legendary, meeting all the hype that was built around it. Every storyline, every character, every bit of plot development paid off in an epic four-part finale that brings one of the greatest Nickelodeon cartoons to a satisfying conclusion. Honestly, no series released since Avatar, whether live-action or animated, has had such a perfect conclusion. Honestly, I gotta give major props to series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for bringing a perfect series to an excellent end, and for making such an excellent series overall.  

          If you haven't watched Avatar: The Last Airbender yet, then SHAME ON YOU. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how much EVERYONE needs to watch this amazing series. For those who've already seen it, you know what I'm talking about. Seriously, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a genuine masterpiece, an epic on the same level as Lord of the Rings, and I'm giving the series a rating of 5/5. Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys tomorrow with Kingdom Hearts III.