Just... One... More... Ep...

So, as some of you may know, I am currently watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. Some of you may have seen it when you were kids. I never watched it and have been told I missed out, so here I am now. ATLA is an American children's show with heavy anime influences, set in an Asian-inspired world. Its plot is pretty much summed up by the intro, as told by the character Katara:

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them; but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar: an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.

Yup. Chosen one has to save the world. With his elemental powers. That are better than anybody else's. It's great. Even though ATLA's target audience is considerably younger than I am, the show is still readily accessible and entertaining to people who are older. Sometimes there's a monster of the week or a bit of drama that seems simplistic and childish, but this is more than made up for by the fantastic cast of characters. Pretty much all the main and recurring cast are well-rounded and believably flawed, traits that culminate in "lovable." Aang, the main character, could easily have become a generically kind kid for the audience to identify with, but he's as developed and interesting as any of the others, coming across as very human and real. And in the second season, the gender balance and variety of personalities and abilities within the cast is absolutely brilliant. It's rare to find a show where so much actual work has gone into creating the characters and their world.

Speaking of the world, it is equally great. As I mentioned, the Four Nations are all stylistically derived from East Asia, reminiscent of ancient China and Japan. The result is gorgeous aesthetics all over. The "bending," or physical manipulation, of the four elements is an accepted art here, and the fighting sequences are full of martial arts moves and awesome, "magical" elemental attacks. There is also a wide menagerie of strange and splendid hybrid beasts, such as turtle ducks, ostrich horses, and saber-toothed moose lions. Most prominent among these is Aang's oldest companion, Appa the flying bison. He is my favorite character, by the way.

At the time of writing, I am almost done with the second season (or "Book 2," as it's called in the show's vernacular), and am really enjoying myself. For anybody who's not averse to watching a "kids' show," I can really recommend it. Although it's so easy to watch that at times it's hard to stop. Just... one more, then I'll go to bed. Promise.

*presses play*