Sunday, April 18, 2010

Wait! My friends need to suck on those frogs!

I tend to pick up a new show every couple months, if not sooner. Avatar: The Last Airbender is my latest find, and no question about it - a new favorite. I looked into it because a friend of mine recently had done just that and when nearing the end of the series, she announced it was now her second favorite show, booting Firefly to #3. (If you're curious, her #1 is Doctor Who.)

To be honest, it did take me some time to get on board with the show. The use of goofy sound effects when someone makes a face or is hit on the head made it difficult for me to enjoy. This may not be the case for others, but it hindered my ability to take it seriously. Nevertheless, I saw how much potential the show had and how well it dealt with every aspect of its story. The characters had depth from the very beginning - even Sokka, the character you'd assume to remain the annoying sibling who had it in for the unlikely hero and got himself into trouble. In the first episode, we may not take to his stubborn nature and slight ignorance, but at the same time we see that he clearly cares for the well-being of his sister (Katara) and their tribe.

That and many other aspects/qualities made me want to check out the next episode. Every character, no matter their purpose, had a story and developed as every character in a story should.

A new Collector's set of Book 1/Season 1 is being released on June 22nd. No doubt to coincide with M. Night Shyamalan's live-action adaptation, The Last Airbender, arriving in theatres the following week.

As if it wasn't obvious - I highly recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has wonderful characters, each with their own purpose and hardships. The plot is inspired, wonderfully executed, and realistic consequences of war are carried out. A great score accompanies lovely, and occasionally frightening, imagery. And lastly, it is FUN. Just as Hank Green vlogged recently: fun is important! Aang would certainly agree.

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