TV Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Three (2007)

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Three (2007) created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

For my review of season one, go here, and season two, go here.

Avatar Aang is recovering from a near-mortal wound. He and his friends are hiding out in the Fire Nation, getting ready to attack on the day of an upcoming eclipse, hoping to knock out Fire Lord Ozai. Firebenders gain strength from the sun, so the eclipse will weaken them substantially. If successful, Team Avatar won't have to worry about the return of Sozin's Comet, which promises to give the Firebenders a huge advantage. Ozai plans to finish his world-wide conquest when the comet returns, creating a hard deadline for Team Avatar if the eclipse plan does not work. 

Meanwhile, Zuko has returned to the Fire Nation and the favor of his father since he "killed the Avatar" at the end of last season. His victory feels hollow to him even before he finds out the Avatar is still alive. His betrayal of Team Avatar and especially of his uncle Iroh weighs heavily on his mind. Is his destiny really to become the next Fire Lord? Will his crazy sister Azula let it happen?

As in other seasons, the story moves at a good pace. It's not too fast, allowing the characters to develop and more of the world to be explored. It's not too slow, keeping up the sense of excitement and peril. The story weaves in a lot of the old, familiar characters for the big fights during the eclipse and during the return of the comet. The narrative comes to a climax in the last episodes that is very satisfying.

The show also maintains the quality of writing. The characters are rich and conflicted. Zuko has a crisis of vocation, realizing that maybe he is not meant to be on his father's side. He has to swallow a lot of pride and overcome a lot of mistrust from Aang and Katara. His character arc is my favorite part of the show. Aang also deals with a huge conflict. Everyone tells him he must kill Fire Lord Ozai but his Air Temple training teaches him that all life is sacred. As a twelve-year old (if you don't count the hundred years of suspended animation in the ice berg), he has a burden that even adults would struggle with. The show doesn't give quick, easy answers to these problems. Though set in a fictional world, the show has a lot of moral truth. The writing is great.

Highly recommended--this is easily the best kids' show I have seen, and in my top ten shows of all time.

TV Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Two (2006)

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Two (2006) created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

For my review of season one, go here.

Avatar Aang and his two compatriots, Katara and Sokka, head south from the Northern Water Tribe is search of someone to teach Earthbending. After a few false starts, they discover Toph. She's the only daughter of a rich Earth Kingdom family. She's also blind, so they are very protective of her, to the point of smothering her. Toph sneaks off to compete in professional Earthbending fights (much like out professional wrestling) and is convinced to go with Team Avatar for adventures and training. They travel over much of the Earth Kingdom, looking for help and knowledge to take down the Fire Nation before Sozin's Comet returns. The comet's presence will boost the firebenders enough to complete their conquest of the other nations.

Meanwhile, dishonored Prince Zuko and his Uncle Iroh are reduced to fugitive status when Zuko's sister Azula tries to take them both back to the Fire Lord for a reckoning. Azula is clever and sadistic. She's been tormenting Zuko all his life. Now he's forced to be an impoverished outcast. Iroh is more philosophical about the situation. He still trains Zuko and tries to convince him to move on with his life. They also have a good variety of adventures as they alternately pursue the Avatar and search for a regular life.

The show does a great job of building on the strong foundation of the first season. More of the world is revealed, with the embattled Earth Nation fighting on various fronts and in different ways. The world is mostly Asian in character but the writers are able to give a lot of other familiar things an Avatar interpretation, like rednecks and professional wrestling and circuses. Azula makes a good foe for everyone. She is able to lighteningbend as well as firebend, making her a tough opponent. She is completely ruthless, making her even more dangerous. The show maintains the balance of drama and comedy well.

Highly recommended.

TV Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender Season One (2005)

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season One (2005) created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

In a world of elemental magic (though it's the classical elements (earth, air, fire, and water), not the periodic table ones), different nations focus on an individual element. For example, the Earth Kingdom has Earth-benders who can use special movements to control earth, shaping it or making it move or fly. The Fire Nation has spent one hundred years trying to take over the world. Part of their success was a surprise attack, part was the disappearance of the Avatar, an element-bender who can bend all four elements. As the story opens, two young teenagers, Sokka and Katara, from the Southern Water Tribe discover Aang, a young air-bender who has been frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years. He is the new incarnation of the Avatar but went into hiding for reasons explained in the first season. He is a very good air-bender but he needs to learn to bend the other elements before he fights Fire Lord Ozai. The young trio set off to the Northern Water Tribe in hopes of finding a water-bender to train Aang and Katara, who shows some talent for water-bending. She hasn't been trained since all the benders went off to war. 

The kids head north on Appa, a flying bison who was frozen with Aang. They travel across the world having various adventures along the way. They also come into conflict with the Fire Nation in two ways. Prince Zuko (a slightly older teenager) has been banished from the Fire Kingdom and wants to capture the Avatar to restore his honor. The official Fire Nation hunt is led by Commander Zhao, who has a large fleet and plenty of resources at his disposal to find the Avatar. Zuko and Zhao are both talented fire-benders, though Zuko still has a lot to learn. Zuko travels with his disgraced uncle Iroh, who provides some training and wisdom (and lots of comic relief).

This show is an amazing blend of world-building, character development, and storytelling. The various nations have their own color palates, styles of dress, and architecture that matches well with their specific element. Lots of animals are crosses or combinations of familiar animals, like turtle-ducks. The cast of characters all have their strengths and weaknesses and depth and history. The story slowly builds as the trio explores the world and finds out more about the Fire Nation's plans and the various reactions to the Fire Nation's aggressions, from appeasement to resistance. The story is engaging and interesting even for adults. It is a kids' show, so some humor is juvenile. But the quality of performances and writing more than makes it worth watching.

The animation style mimics Japanese anime. It's kid-friendly, so there's no overly buxom females who are scantily clad. In fact, the show presents very strong female characters and deals with sexism and bigotry in serious ways that kids can understand. The style suits the slightly unfamiliar world and the magical abilities of many of the characters.

Highly recommended. This is the best animated series I have seen (I am watching for the third time).