Yikes...I haven't blogged in over a week. Seems like I am getting in the same pattern like I had at the old blog location. During the next few weeks I am going to try to change that. I'll sneak in a quick one tonight and hopefully you'll get some good old fashioned blogs very soon.
I have recently become very obsessed about a show that I never really gave much of a chance in the beginning when it first came out. In fact, I've enjoyed the most recent new episodes of this show so much, that I went and bought the entire first season DVD disc set. The show I am referring to is "Avatar: The Last Airbender" on Nickelodeon. I remember when it first came out, I didn't give it much of a chance because it "looked" like anime. I heard so many people giving this show rave reviews, but I just couldn't get myself to sit and watch an episode. Overall, I am not a big fan of anime shows, particularly those in which the characters on the show do not properly mouth the words of their English voice actors. Naturally they are made in Asia and I really should not base my criticism just because of that. But it's one of my pet peeves in regards to anime, which is why I tend to stay away from it. However, "Avatar" is not like that.
Yes, this show is animated in Asia, North Korea in fact. Yet, the voices match the characters perfectly. This show was originally made for an American audience instead of first being aired in Asia, which it probably why the characters mouths move with the English language. And yes, overall this show is anime, yet, it's doesn't scream complete anime. A lot of the facial expressions of the characters, especially when they are excited, have an anime style to them. But overall, the animation is crisp, clean, and superb. Sometimes it doesn't even seem like I am watching an animated show. This really could be a live-action drama. I do remember "trying" to watch this before when it first came out and thinking how "confusing" this show seemed, particularly the main character and him mastering the four elements of earth (water, fire, earth, and air). Funny how much can change in a year, when everything COMPLETELY makes sense. Goes to show you I should've tried harder watching this show in the first place.
The setting for this show takes place on a fictional planet (very much like earth, except the continents are shaped completely different), which is divided into four nations - those being the same as the four elements of earth (the fire nation, the water tribes, the air nomads, and the earth kingdom). The main character's name is Aang, and he has been born as the Avatar. An Avatar is a bender that can master all four elements. There is only one Avatar at a time, and when he/she dies, a new Avatar is reincarnated. Aang at first would rather not be the Avatar, but he really has no other choice and finally accepts his role. He plays an especially important role considering that a war is ongoing in the world and he's basically the only true warrior with tremendous power that can defeat the fire nation in taking over the world (the fire nation is the most industrialized nation and most powerful). The war has been ongoing for over 100 years and during that time, Aang was frozen in an iceberg. A lot has taken place during that time and many believed that the Avatar died and was never reincarnated. Aang develops new frienships with Katara and Sokka, teenage siblings from the Southern water tribe, who released him from the iceberg. They follow him in his adventures as he learns to master all four elements and defeat the fire nation. One of his arch enemies, Price Zuko, is always after Aang but can never seem to capture him (no real surprise considering how powerful the Avatar is). Although this show has many powerful and dramatic moments, there are times of great humor as well.
"Avatar" is not your typical cartoon, that is for sure. It's an animated show unlike I've ever seen before and one that is thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Season two ended over a week ago but season three is expected to air early next year. If you haven't given this show a chance like I did for a long time, consider doing so. And yes, it is an animated show, but you certainly shouldn't be ashamed to watch this one, because it is great TV.
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