ALARIS' REVIEWS

30th June 2010
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Seasons 1,2 & 3 (2005)

Back in March, I reviewed season one of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an animated fantasy series set in a world resembling the ancient Asia Pacific. While Avatar: TLA is a children's series, it sets a hell of standard for animated series in general.

One. Storytelling.

Avatar: TLA is divided into three distinct seasons – Book of Water, Book of Earth, and Book of Fire. Each season has a strong thematic arc, peppered with entertaining side stories, as the characters move from exploring new lands, to defending their world. Every season has the characters struggling towards a major goal, and every finale feels both critical and inevitable.

Two. Characters.

The characters in Avatar: TLA are likeable, engaging or compelling. From the optimistic water tribe girl, Katara, to the fearsomely competent fire nation princess, Azula, every major character has layers and unexpected facets. The character dynamics run the gamut from exuberant fun to agonising betrayal, and the mix of personalities and motivations make for interesting plotting.

Most importantly, the characters grow. Some more than others, but they all evolve. Not only do they increase in power, but they make hard choices, they build and break and mend relationships, they learn to understand the world a little better. Character growth is absolutely key to storytelling, and its absence is the fatal failing of popular anime Bleach (2004) .

Three. Drama.

Whoever said ‘you don't want no drama' doesn't know me. Drama can be the difference between a story and a vignette. It's easy for a show to go through the motions – village in danger, doomed romance, blah blah blah. However, a good show makes you feel it.

Avatar: TLA has an excellent sense of pace, plot, and escalation. The writers understand the rise and fall of a story. It's the quiet, funny moments which give the big, explosive moments their impact. Because we see not only how much the characters care about each other, but we understand why. And in watching them grow, and struggle, and party, we come to care about them too.

Furthermore, Avatar: TLA doesn't just do drama, it does epic drama. Every season finale is big, every character has their moment, and the outcome really matters. Every finale feels like a finale.

Four. Animation.

The cinematography in Avatar: TLA is very impressive, especially for a children's series. The storyboarding must have been crazy, because some of the action scenes are from the school of John Woo. The movement is dynamic, the fights are creative and exciting, and the shots are framed with genuine attention to the mood of the moment. There are some genuinely lovely scenes in Avatar: TLA , matched by an equally memorable score.

The animation itself is often fluid and dramatic, dipping into cute and comical when required. The character designs are distinctive and pleasantly realistic, and it's great to see so much attention paid to costume differences across the various cultures. The scenery is also sometimes surprisingly beautiful, from floating temples to fields of rippling grass.

Five. Fun.

This is such a fun series to watch. It's a children's show, so unless you're a Blake's 7 (1978) at Christmas kind of person, you want it to be fun. Avatar: TLA deals with some complex moral issues - to its credit - but overall it's an easy, enjoyable ride.

You know nothing gutting is going to happen, and you trust that the writers have a good handle on what they're doing. There are ups and downs, but humour is never far away. There's also considerable self awareness, wit and humanity in the humour, along with the obligatory slapstick. And who doesn't love a giant, flying bison?

Overall, Avatar: TLA is an impressive animated series, which deserves to be a children's classic.

Verdict: A fun, thoughtful, and dramatic children's fantasy series. Great for kids, and adults who enjoy fun fantasy.

If you like The Mysterious Cities of Gold (1982), you might like this.

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