Animated Series – 2005-2008 (61 episodes)
What is it about?
This is one of the most popular animated series of the 2000s, and there’s a reason. It has three seasons and sixty-one episodes. That’s a lot, right? But the story and the world feel twice that large. Each season is a full meal at a favorite restaurant. There is a good variety. The different ingredients meld wonderfully on the tongue. It’s completely filling. If comparison dare be made, it’s as rich as any recent medieval series that has warring factions. Only with a better ending.
The original trailer (listed above) gives a pretty good feel for the premise. There are four nations, Earth, Fire, Water, and Air; each with – magicians or benders– that can control that element. The most powerful Bender, the Avatar could control all four elements. The Fire nation decided to “expand” its territory.
World war was inevitable. The Avatar, who was a major force in keeping the balance between the nations, disappeared. This war has raged for a century.
Two siblings from the Water Nation, accidentally find the new Avatar. He is a young boy with no knowledge or training to help him fulfill his destiny. The siblings take him on a journey to learn who, and what, he is. In the meantime, the nations fight on. Don’t let the Nickelodeon label mislead. There’s plenty of adult content. This is a look at the war and how it affects the different cultures of the world. A rich variety of fleshed-out characters wind their way through this maze of shifting power.
Very adult subjects are explored, like genocide and tyranny. But don’t think this is a history lesson. It gets personal.
Final Words
Very Good – Plan multiple sessions.
Where to find it
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