Avatar the last air bender is awesome

[alias_sqbr]

I just finished the first season (Book 1: Water) of "Avatar the last air bender". It's great! In fact I can't think of a high/historical-ish fantasy tv show I've enjoyed more. (Admitedly, it's not competing with much. Lets see: Xena. And, um..)

I mean it is a kids show, and it falls into kid-show tropes here and there (Let's learn an important lesson about honesty!) but despite the simple story telling, young protagonists, and lack of sex and gore it's quite subtle and well written. It doesn't try too hard to have a Serious Moral, and there's very few charcaters or groups who don't have a mix good qualities and flaws. (Though the Fire Nation is mostly an evil nation of unsympathetic characters)

In one episode there's a guy in a wheelchair and NOONE MENTIONS IT apart from mentioning how cool it is that his chair can fly(*).

As a westerner I found the Asian-inspired fantasy setting really rich and engaging, but I can see how some actual Asian people find it appropriative. The fact that afaict the only Asian voice actors amongst the main cast are Fire Nation is a bit..hmm. (I'd say "It's probably hard to find Inuit voice actors" but the guy playing Zuko is Filipino which isn't very Fire-Nation-y)

Two pieces of knowledge which amuse me while watching:
-that some people managed to watch this and not see the characters as Asian (my amusement here is very dark)
-that there's an obsessive core of Katara/Zuko shippers (if I hadn't have been aware of this before I would have become so after looking up reference pictures of him)

EDIT: I also like the fact that the teenage/tween characters don't come across as adults, but are still relatively mature and sensible, as suits kids brought up in a pre-modern society with a heavy responsibility. I can't STAND fantasy about whiny immature teenagers. It's not that it's neccesarily unrealistic, but I had enough of that crap when I was a teenager and would rather not relive it.

Oh and the fight sequences are fantastic. They did a really good job combining martial arts with elemental magic and just general good plotting/choreography, I don't usually like fight sequences but sit there engrossed.

(*)pippin mentioned there was a flying wheelchair thing on my prompts post and I've been looking forward to it. Even cooler than I expected!

Comments

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Whenever I hear the name "Avatar", I think of a cigar-chomping wizard.

[david adam <zanchey> (from livejournal.com)]

I think of the introductory sequence to Ultima 8. "You have been a thorn in my side for faaar tooooo looonnggg, Avatarrrrrrr".

[alias_sqbr]

And of course now there's the new James Cameron movie. (Meaning we get a live adaptation of the cartoon called "The Last Airbender" :))

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

"I'm too old for this sort of thing. Just wake me up when the planet's destroyed."

[sanguinity]

We've been watching it, too! Slowly, though, since the library only lets us have one disk at a time. We're only twelve episodes in, but we like it very much. Sometimes the kids'-show tropes make me roll my eyes a little, but it's always brief and good-natured eye-rolling.

(However! I am frustrated that Aang needs to learn earthbending (among other things) and there is a tight timeline and they have spent WEEKS in the Earth Nation and yet they are not learning earthbending while they are there. Dude! You're just going to have to come back here later!)

(And yes, I know the original deal was that Katara and Aang were gonna go look for a waterbending teacher together and Katara has no need to learn earthbending. However, it seems weirdly out of character for her to not suggest that they do the efficient thing and learn some earthbending.)

(This may all be explained soon, I realize.)

I had similar thoughts as you when I realized that only Fire Nation voice actors were Asian. And I am flabbergasted that some people watch the show and don't realize the characters are Asian. Do they not realize the settings and clothes and martial arts and everything are Asian? Or do they think this is an Asia populated by white people? (EITHER WAY, I AM DISTURBED.)

[violetsquirrel.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that hasn't been explained yet actually, it's not a spoiler or anything. There's just a set order that the avatar is meant to learn the elements in, which for Aang goes air -> water -> earth -> fire. So while it would have been more efficient it wouldn't be right (possibly it wouldn't work? I'm not sure).

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

Earth's the opposite of Air and thus the most difficult for him to learn, so he'd probably need to 'lead up to' it with Water anyway.

[alias_sqbr]

Aah. That makes sense.

[sanguinity]

Ah, thanks. :-)

[tevriel.livejournal.com]

well if they're asian where are the slanty eyes and chingchong accents huh OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'RE ALL NORMAL AND STUFF THEY CAN'T BE ASIAN

I sputter with rage over this. Also, Kotara and Sokka are ACTUALLY BROWN and are clearly culturally more akin to the Eskimos (they seem vaguely more Yupik than Inuit to me, but I could be wildly, comprehensively wrong). WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE.

Other comments risk spoiling Sophie which I would rather not do, so.

[alias_sqbr]

Yes, exactly!

And good point about me assuming they're Inuit when they could be Yupik.

Thankyou for not spoilers.

[alias_sqbr]

I felt it lagged in the middle then picked up near the end of the season/book, if that gives you something to look forward to :)

The earth bending thing hadn't really occurred to me, but good point! And lo the mystery is solved for me before I have a chance to worry about it for long :)

Do they not realize the settings and clothes and martial arts and everything are Asian? Or do they think this is an Asia populated by white people? (EITHER WAY, I AM DISTURBED.)

Exactly! And of course the movie is an Asia populated by white people, blarg.

[sanguinity]

White heroes. Villains and extras, not so white.

[alias_sqbr]

ARGH yes.

This morning distantcam showed me this slideshow of the cast and was getting very grumpy about how most of the Fire Nation characters are cast not only as POC, but as Indian (his dad's from India so he's particularly sensitive to racism towards Indians)

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

Ah, I love the fights. And the best thing is that as you continue watching the series, the characters actually get stronger/smarter/better at team fighting. The difference between first season and third season fights... maaan.

[violetsquirrel.livejournal.com]

... hey penny want to have an avatar marathon day or two before I go. I haven't seen most of it more than once :(

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

yezzzzzzzzz

[alias_sqbr]

Awesome!

[tevriel.livejournal.com]

I really liked the way the young characters are portrayed, too. Up to and including the way sometimes, they *aren't* that mature. Sometimes they slip up, or get fed up, or just cranky.

The series is, imo, quite simply brilliant. Which is, alas, why the movie casting/etc felt like such betrayal...

[alias_sqbr]

*nods*

Yes, they're not implausibly mature all the time, and I like that. But they're also not really irritatingly immature for extended periods, especially not to create frustrating idiot plots (Yes, I am looking at you "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix")

I keep thinking "This would make for a GREAT live action..oh that's right. Hmmph"

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

I am in love with this show, I adored it :)

[alias_sqbr]

I have fallen for it pretty hard myself.

[nico-wolfwood.livejournal.com]

Like you, I've only finished book one (stupid DVD rental has not got the rest) but I second everything you've said about the maturity of the characters so far. I just watched Saikano and the comparison between them was enough to make me want to stab myself in the head.

Also, ditto on the white washed live-action casting. I'd have liked to see actors who actually match the ethnicity of the groups their characters were inspired by. Of course that's all down the drain now. Bah Humbug.