Avatar the Last Airbender: Japan’s Best Animated Show
No one could have expected a treat like Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender three years ago. An epic cartoon inspired by Japan’s best animated shows and the most memorable moments from Star Wars. A chimerical but unexpectedly current-present made by people who remember when the other, the mundane, was always better. The series is at its best when it mixes its unlikely heroes with an unexpectedly solid problem. “Sozin’s Comet” does just that while delivering some of the most exciting moments in the series.
Avatar is not a show that is trying to pull off ambiguous plot twists or subplots in its swan song. It remains appreciably straightforward in both execution and story. The only remaining sources of ambivalence are the characters themselves. Like the final act of the Star Wars trilogy, the characters know they have a big process ahead of them, but small difficulties still plague them.
The writers could have made the ending trite by setting up the tension between Aang and Ozai out of fear. However, the writers made a smart move in deciding to take advantage of Aang’s reluctance to take his own life as the main generator of stiffness. It provides a whole new layer of depth to the series and has Aang in the most thoughtful and thoughtful state of him. Just as Luke constantly contemplates how he would stop his father in Return of the Jedi, Aang’s confusion is the conclusion, not the battle. Aang has been very late for a time like this.
The opening sequence might seem silly if it was anyone other than the main leads of the show. A continent is about to be destroyed and their only savior is having fun at a beach party. It’s innocuous and amazing, but it’s a choice the writers wanted to make to convey that these young people are still kids. Aang is not an all-powerful warrior like previous incarnations of him; he is a boy who would rather play first and then work. Zuko’s presence on the show turns out to be essential, as she provides stability for Aang’s childish ways. He is the only person who knows firsthand how ruthless the Home Nation can be, and his outrage at Aang’s childish ways imbues an emergency way into the episodes.
Likewise, Azula’s newfound paranoia may be surprisingly real. It’s very superfluous in the execution of it, the amount of contractions is almost comical, but it’s believable. It’s a whole new side of the character that audiences haven’t seen yet, and it’s gratifying to see such a cocky villain break down. Different characters from past reveals make an appearance, and there’s no denying how nice it is to see the previous masters again. However, the writers made the odd decision to include some minor characters, Jun, but left out some old favorites, for example Jet’s outdated gang.
The writers do an excellent job challenging Aang and the viewers to the very end. The final battle is exciting, and the writers never suggest that Aang found a practical way to stop Ozai without killing him. What is most wonderful is that the contemplation of the character in no way overcomes the powers of the other material. There is still a fascinating movement and heart – warm moments, those of Zuko and Iroh will be unmatched. In the end, the writers are forced to lower the knife, but it never stopped being one of the most important dramatic adventures in the series.
