Avatar – The Last Airbender – Fantasy Collection really takes young and old into another world
Although it is an American series, Avatar is animated in the style of Japanese anime. The show is set in an Asian world, based on Asian concepts such as martial arts, elemental magic, chi, rebirth, and the supernatural.
The present is formatted as an epic story told in a sequence of books. Each episode of the show is a different chapter, and each season is a book.
The present is set to air for 3 seasons:
Book 1 – Water
Book 2 – Earth
Book 3 – Air
Additional seasons may or may not follow, but the Avatar is supposed to fulfill his destiny in a battle with the King of the Hearth at the end of the season.
The world of Avatar is divided into 4 nations based on the 4 elements. In each nation, certain individuals known as “masters” can use magic and martial arts to manipulate their own component in powerful ways.
airbenders
Aang is the last airbender. When the Fire Nation attacked, he wiped out the entire nation of Air Nomads. Only Aang remained, having been preserved in an iceberg. Airbenders are peaceful and only use fighting as a last resort. Airbending allows the practitioner to make use of the air and the wind in his favour.
waterbenders
Waterbenders rely on Chi, the ancient Chinese notion of an important life force that is inherent in all things. Waterbenders can manipulate water, turn it into ice, or control its movement in many ways.
earthbenders
Earthbenders can manipulate the earth, using dirt, rocks, and other ground matter, which they move at will. The Earth Kingdom is quite large, and if the Home Nation defeats the Earth Nation, all hope will probably be lost.
firebenders
They draw their energy from the sun’s core and the earth, and the firebenders harnessed the ability of a passing comet after launching their attack on the opposing nations.
The firebenders will try to take over the entire world, until Aang can help the other nations stop them.
Avatar
The Last Airbender has almost unprecedented plot intensity and complexity for an animated children’s show. The fantasy series really takes young people to a different world: a religious and magical world where each chapter and episode takes the viewer into a deeper saga. However, along with the additional story and character depth, the series also included a higher level of mature content than other youth television shows.
Because the show has a martial arts theme, there are numerous fights, each in close combat and fights involving various weapons similar to swords and knives. The combat scenes are animated and no blood/gore is shown, but some of the scenes are intense and the main characters are usually in dangerous conditions involving armed enemies. In the process of continuing their quest, the tween and teen characters are learning about themselves and exploring relationships with others. In no less than one episode, a young man’s character kisses a woman on the lips.
According to Nickelodeon, the show is most popular with kids, ages nine to fourteen. Comparing the series to TV choice choices made by kids this age, Avatar: The Last Airbender presents an exciting, suspenseful, and attention-grabbing show that is comparatively clean. However, the biggest concern for people will be the high level of animated violence and the glorification of martial arts. Also, some moms and dads may have reservations about the magical components of the show.
