Go watch Avatar. Like, now. ... Why aren't you watching?!
So, I'm behind the times here, but I just finished Avatar: The Last Airbender a few weeks back, and it is fantastic. I didn't pay any mind to it at first for the obvious reasons - an anime looking show on Nickelodeon should be enough to keep most reasonable people away - but I found the episodes streaming online and was hooked by the third episode. It's a deceptively simple show with a great art style and wonderful characters. I can't remember the last time I genuinely enjoyed every aspect of a show like I did with Avatar. I heartily recommend everyone who likes animated things of any sort check it out as soon as they get the chance. As for anyone who cares to hear more before watching it, or is just bored enough to keep reading...
First: It's like an anime that forgot most of the annoying tropes. There's very little pointless meandering: in fact, one of the biggest issues with the series is sometimes the plot developes *too* quickly. They don't re-use animations, every fight is beautifully animated and coreographed and doesn't last for ten episodes, and there isn't insane power bloat throughout the series that have the protagonists knowing six ways to kill everyone around them faster than the eye can see by the end of the show. There are no real filler episodes; if an episode doesn't advance the main plot, it gives character background or development, not to mention being beautifully written (the one episode of the series that could most legitimately be called filler had such a great, tragic little segment that it brought me closer to tears than any other part of the show).
Second: The characters are really, really well done. There really is no "meh" character on the show, there's something to love and hate about everyone. And the girls kick ass! It's incredibly refreshing that by the second season, the writers are clear that they have no problem with strong female characters. The show is always going to center around Aang, being the Avatar of the title, but even he's overshadowed by how completely badass every girl ends up on the show. They're the most genre-savvy, intelligent, hard-working or just genuinely strong and self-assured characters, yet the writers manage to keep them from being Mary Sues. Seeing as much - if not more - "fanservice" in the show from the guys as the girls was surprisingly refreshing, too.
Third: It's funny! Like, legitimately funny. Some of it is kid-type humor that you can laugh along with, but there's something in almost every episode that you can laugh at without any reservation. Sokka reminds me of the funniest aspects of Uzil boiled down into a teenage human kid with a boomerang, and I could easily see myself watching a spinoff show starring him. Or Iroh. Or 80% of the characters on the show. The writers also tend to have a very good time sinking ships (and yes, I mean the ships of shippers) by the end of the show, and as someone who heard of some of the more out-there shippings before I watched the show, I have to say I found it amusing. >.>
Finally: Iroh. You can't not love the guy. Most traditional wise-old master/wanderer characters in this type of show would be better if they were more like Iroh. He's just that awesome.
So. While attempting to avoid spoilers, that's why Avatar is super awesome and everyone who happens to stop by to see my updating this journal for the first time in ages should go make some time to watch it ASAP. Go! Watch!
First: It's like an anime that forgot most of the annoying tropes. There's very little pointless meandering: in fact, one of the biggest issues with the series is sometimes the plot developes *too* quickly. They don't re-use animations, every fight is beautifully animated and coreographed and doesn't last for ten episodes, and there isn't insane power bloat throughout the series that have the protagonists knowing six ways to kill everyone around them faster than the eye can see by the end of the show. There are no real filler episodes; if an episode doesn't advance the main plot, it gives character background or development, not to mention being beautifully written (the one episode of the series that could most legitimately be called filler had such a great, tragic little segment that it brought me closer to tears than any other part of the show).
Second: The characters are really, really well done. There really is no "meh" character on the show, there's something to love and hate about everyone. And the girls kick ass! It's incredibly refreshing that by the second season, the writers are clear that they have no problem with strong female characters. The show is always going to center around Aang, being the Avatar of the title, but even he's overshadowed by how completely badass every girl ends up on the show. They're the most genre-savvy, intelligent, hard-working or just genuinely strong and self-assured characters, yet the writers manage to keep them from being Mary Sues. Seeing as much - if not more - "fanservice" in the show from the guys as the girls was surprisingly refreshing, too.
Third: It's funny! Like, legitimately funny. Some of it is kid-type humor that you can laugh along with, but there's something in almost every episode that you can laugh at without any reservation. Sokka reminds me of the funniest aspects of Uzil boiled down into a teenage human kid with a boomerang, and I could easily see myself watching a spinoff show starring him. Or Iroh. Or 80% of the characters on the show. The writers also tend to have a very good time sinking ships (and yes, I mean the ships of shippers) by the end of the show, and as someone who heard of some of the more out-there shippings before I watched the show, I have to say I found it amusing. >.>
Finally: Iroh. You can't not love the guy. Most traditional wise-old master/wanderer characters in this type of show would be better if they were more like Iroh. He's just that awesome.
So. While attempting to avoid spoilers, that's why Avatar is super awesome and everyone who happens to stop by to see my updating this journal for the first time in ages should go make some time to watch it ASAP. Go! Watch!