Recently, my friends and I have been introduced to Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is an animated series, dating back to 2005-2007 when it first aired on Nickelodeon.
What amazes me, is how I let this show slip through the cracks, until ~ 2-3 weeks ago. Perhaps in 2005, I was too busy writing my dissertation or finding a postdoc. Who knows. All I know is that I recently saw a movie preview for the upcoming movie next summer, and I thought to myself, "Ahh, that looks cool. Some archetypal hero representing some element, and oh wow, the Fire people are the bad g
uys. Yeah, cool, I'll watch it."
[The image I have posted, is the main character's trusty 10 ton 6-legged, flying bison - Appa. A very loyal and imposing friend to have.]
I brought it up in conversation to a friend, and he stressed how well executed the animated series was. WHAT? It was based on an animated series? Oh Snap!
So I NetFlixed the first 4 episodes. I liked it, I liked it a whole lot. I told my housemates/friends about it, and they were like, "I dunno Thakman Jones, you thought It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was good, too!"
HAAR! We tried watching an episode together, and then another, and another, ..... Yeah, we liked it!
What appeals to me the most about this show is that the characters are not flat. They are dynamic. The story itself, well, we've seen this sort of theme/meme in movies/series/literature - a hero comes of age, a hero understand his/her destiny and comes to embrace it, a person driven to ill pursuits out of a misguided but noble sense of honor, the hero embarking on a quest. There are probably others, but these will do for now, as I am only on episode 12 out of 61.
What is remarkable is that the primary antagonist, at least for now, is an amazing character. You can describe him as a "bad guy" but he is not "bad" for the sake of being bad. There is a reason he becomes the way he is, and his story and motivations are absolutely fascinating.
I feel, only my gut feel as I have promised not to spoil or read ahead about the series, is that one's redemption, both the hero and the current primary antagonist will play a role. If the first ~20% of the series are an indication, the creators have done an impressive job with their execution. I feel like the whatever direction the series takes, it will be an interesting journey and a compelling story.
What a thoroughly entertaining and delightful show.
What amazes me, is how I let this show slip through the cracks, until ~ 2-3 weeks ago. Perhaps in 2005, I was too busy writing my dissertation or finding a postdoc. Who knows. All I know is that I recently saw a movie preview for the upcoming movie next summer, and I thought to myself, "Ahh, that looks cool. Some archetypal hero representing some element, and oh wow, the Fire people are the bad g
uys. Yeah, cool, I'll watch it."[The image I have posted, is the main character's trusty 10 ton 6-legged, flying bison - Appa. A very loyal and imposing friend to have.]
I brought it up in conversation to a friend, and he stressed how well executed the animated series was. WHAT? It was based on an animated series? Oh Snap!
So I NetFlixed the first 4 episodes. I liked it, I liked it a whole lot. I told my housemates/friends about it, and they were like, "I dunno Thakman Jones, you thought It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was good, too!"
HAAR! We tried watching an episode together, and then another, and another, ..... Yeah, we liked it!
What appeals to me the most about this show is that the characters are not flat. They are dynamic. The story itself, well, we've seen this sort of theme/meme in movies/series/literature - a hero comes of age, a hero understand his/her destiny and comes to embrace it, a person driven to ill pursuits out of a misguided but noble sense of honor, the hero embarking on a quest. There are probably others, but these will do for now, as I am only on episode 12 out of 61.
What is remarkable is that the primary antagonist, at least for now, is an amazing character. You can describe him as a "bad guy" but he is not "bad" for the sake of being bad. There is a reason he becomes the way he is, and his story and motivations are absolutely fascinating.
I feel, only my gut feel as I have promised not to spoil or read ahead about the series, is that one's redemption, both the hero and the current primary antagonist will play a role. If the first ~20% of the series are an indication, the creators have done an impressive job with their execution. I feel like the whatever direction the series takes, it will be an interesting journey and a compelling story.
What a thoroughly entertaining and delightful show.
