I'm gonna watch this show and LoK until the day I take me last breath.
Never watched this one before, it appeared as something like anime style for kids. Sometimes they do that annoying anime style emotions like overreactions etc., but it's a very minor setback.
Overall, kids thoroughly enjoyed it and so did I. Lots of good humor, good fights, very good animation. Also, what make this one stand out from other animated series and even big movies - great characters development, almost all of them. And the characters are not black & white, they all have flaws and their own personal issues, just like normal human beings. It's very fun to watch.
And the finale was awesome.
Recommended to everyone, especially to watch with kids.
Don't watch Netflix bullshit, they can ruin anything, watch this original animated masterpiece.
Just an amazing show! I can watch this over and over again and it never gets old. Really looking forward to seeing The Legend of Korra.
Absolute classic series that was a big part of my childhood. Nothing more positive could be said about this series than what has already been said.
I was one of those lucky enough to watch this show at a relatively young age, 11 I think- coincidentally the same age as Aang in the show. Because of it I started meditating and understanding Chakra systems and spiritual knowledge at that age! Bless this show for all that it gave me!
FYI- If you haven't watched the show and are curious about its spiritual knowledge, reference season 2 episode 18 "The Guru" the one I am watching now!
Literally the greatest TV series of all time. A must-watch.
I need to shout into the void a little about this show. Sure, it's aimed at kids, and that comes across occasionally. Sometimes there is comedy that is obviously aimed at that age group. Sometimes an episode will have too neat a conclusion or an overly obvious moral. But as a whole, the show has more depth, of character, of theme, of everything, than most shows I've seen that are supposed to be for adults.
The characters are brilliantly written on the whole. Sometimes an arc will seem slightly rushed, but it's hard to avoid considering each episode is only around 20 minutes long. The characters all pretty much make sense - OK, there are a couple of complete evil lunatics, but I think some are needed for the telling of this kind of elemental (no pun intended) story.
The show looks gorgeous - some of the best fighting I've ever seen, really. And there are some beautiful moments in the show. There is a lot of emotional turmoil in here.
I don't think this show really feeds my nostalgia of childhood. Something like Adventure Time is great at that - I feel like that is a show about childhood. And there is nothing wrong with that - Adventure Time is amazing after all. But I think this is just an amazing story, that gives one a lot to genuinely think about. It's seems remarkably not like a story for children to me... there are incredible cruelties enacted on heroes and villains alike, there are some complex lessons about the banality of evil, the nature of revenge, the nature of destiny, and of pacifism.
Of course, that isn't to say that it isn't a story for children... just that it manages somehow to treat both audiences with respect. It is for children without pandering overly to them, and works for adult simply because it is a great story that doesn't become overly simple or obvious.
I think everyone should watch this show. It is fantastic, and I truly think one of the best shows I've seen, animated or not, aimed at children or not.
The ending was just wonderful. I've cried multiple times since finishing the series tonight. I will miss all the characters so much and I can't wait to rewatch someday!
What could I possibly say about this EXCELLENT show that hasn't already been said? I wish it had never ended. It is; to this day; my all-time favorite American-produced animated show. The recurring themes in this series (and its sequel series: Avatar: The Legend of Korra ) are timeless. It is the perfect mixture of drama, action and comedy. As I anxiously await the Netflix-produced live-action version of this story, I just rewatched it again and it still holds up. Such a great show. If you think animated shows are just for kids then do yourself a favor and watch both series.
This series is a martial arts masterpiece! The fight scenes are so well choreographed. Despite being a family friendly show the war aspect feels real and there is always a sense of danger. There are plenty of series wich are supposed to be "for adults" and don't give nearly as much thought to its battles as this cartoon does.
This is one of the masterpieces of our time, IMHO. Probably the only series I would give a 10/10.
The first episode is slow. Trust me, it gets better.
The sequel series (Legend of Korra) is worth watching, especially if you appreciate the high art/music standard.
And as others said, this is a mature story disguised as a Nickelodeon cartoon.
This show is amazing from the first to the last episode. Like most people I put off watching this for a while, because I thought it was nothing more than a kids show, but holy crap I was wrong! The thing I liked about this show was that there was a set objective, to put a end to the Hundred Year War and bring balance to the world, which I preferred more than The Legend of Korra's villain of the season format.
The animation, writing and voice acting are all top grade. What else is there to say to describe a good TV show? I would definitely recommend this to anyone, children and adults alike.
10/10
Nexu
Masterpiece through and through. If you are on the fence, just go watch it right now!
This is the definition of peak fiction
Just Beautiful. Nothing to say more.
This show is fucking awesome. I don’t know why, but I always thought Avatar was the kind of show that had way too much episodes, like 400/500 or something, so it never came to mind like something worth investing much time in. I’m an idiot, because…
… Boy, was I wrong. Not only is this a nice and compact show, but now I wish there were way more than 61 episodes. The way this story is told is a masterclass in all aspects. There is almost no filler and it’s executed almost perfectly. Even the musical episode before the grand finale is an amazing way to recap all that has happened. Not really necessary if you binged it, but I can only imagine if you watch this on tv over two/three years time when it aired originally and relive the whole story like this one more time before that amazing ending. God, I’m glad I looked more into this. I loved every aspect of it.
Yip Yip!
I wasn't expecting to be invested in the plot. I started watching this show because I was curious, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a kids show, yes, but it teaches some good lessons, and the story is interesting. But, I'm not used to watching show produced in the early '00, so I didn't expect sexism. I think it's annoying that girls, on top of fighting for the world, have to face and deal with sexism. Also, Azula isn't really a complex character, but more the representation of a hysteric teenager. It's true that Katara and Toph are interesting characters that are well written, but they still deal with sexist comments.
And also, isn't this show a bit racist?
An incredible animated show with a gripping plot, amazing characters, and a great mix of humor and drama. It's a show where you really feel like you grow with the cast, and the numerous themes and huge amount of lore make this a rich and fulfilling ride. Great action and animation are just a cherry on top at this point, and it all culminates in a show that is near-perfect in every possible way.
(+) Amazing cast of characters with great performances all around
(+) A spectacle of action, with great animation to boot
(+) Engaging plot filled with equal parts humor, action, and drama
(+) Rich worldbuilding and lore that fleshes out the universe even further
(+) An emotional story of friendship, love, responsibility, sacrifice, and destiny
(+) Incredible assortment of themes covered, all with a delicate touch
Final Verdict: 9.97/10 (Masterpiece)
It was awesome. Would be a 10/10 show if it weren't for the romance. That stuff just made me cringe.
What a show, definition of excellent character development. Incredible characters, deep, heartfelt stories, consistent throughout and a great world! A classic.
Brings eastern philosophy, history, and fighting styles into a western kid's TV show that turned it into something bigger than they expected.
One of the best, if not THE BEST, animated shows ever made.
I could really just end the review there and call it a day, but Avatar: The Last Airbender really is that good. It's unique, well defined world is infinitely fascinating, and the cool magic system at play, along with the endless possibilities for action scenes, make it a ton of fun to watch in a simple mindless way. But that kind of world is only as good as it's cast, and the complex, three-dimensional, and layered cast at the center of it. Not a single one here is bad, and even purposefully evil characters get their chance to have development and layers added onto them as people. And Avatar is driven by it's cast, it's emotions, the decisions they make - it's great storytelling, one where everything builds and builds to a natural conclusion that's among the most satisfying in TV. One of the best things period. Love it to death.
Avatar is an animated series that very quickly outgrows the label of a “Nickelodeon cartoon”. The show gains a lot by drawing inspiration from anime whilst applying a very Western sense of quick and snappy pacing, making for an incredibly well laid-out show that gets to the point. The characters, though perhaps a bit childish at first, become extremely well defined and nuanced, and the plotting is very well structured and ends up tying together as well as anyone could hope for. The animation maintains a consistent level of good quality throughout, the standout being any bending scene, with each style referencing different martial arts. At times it could definitely be smoother if more inbetweens and breakdowns were added, but the extremes and character poses were always very strong. And that’s still more than can be said for many anime, which usually vary from excellent to terrible animation within a single series. Most of all I love that the creators apply a very non-Nickelodeon policy of not patronising the audience, dealing with mature themes like war and genocide from the very first episode.
My only issues with the show are mainly concentrated in Book 1, with some clear interference from the studio in order to keep things “family friendly”. Though I think the tone is handled well from the beginning, there are some things that feel like restrictions placed upon the production staff to conform to the company’s arbitrary standards of appealing to kids. Random references to sweets, jokes to undermine an otherwise serious or grim situation, scenes dedicated to Aang chasing animals and fights where it’s ok because nobody gets hurt; these all appear enough to feel like a regular compromise to the show’s vision. Aang’s immaturity becoming a source of conflict between him and his friends also starts to get tired, especially in a couple consecutive episodes that act it out like a Nick sitcom. And it does sometimes rob exciting scenes of their tension when even someone getting mildly hurt is pretty rare in the first season. The outcome of a fight is often someone being pushed over, and weapons are often swapped out for something less threatening (like when they drove away the Fire Nation with stink bombs and “slime grenades”). However, once you get to the finale of Book 1, mortality is suddenly brought into the equation, and all of these issues are pretty much phased out over the course of Book 2.
That’s not to say I dislike Book 1 at all, I actually quite enjoy it, it’s just that Books 2 and 3 are so much better in comparison. The much more mature tone and ongoing story across episodes is truly where Avatar shines, moving up from a good show to a great one. The one-off episodic plots of the first season were enjoyable enough, but once the story is able to stretch its legs and really get going it never stops that excellent momentum. Even the start of Book 2 had a couple of first-season-esque detours that bothered me slightly, but the Fire Nation setting made this period of Book 3 manage to stay very interesting and relevant (though I’m mixed on the beach party episode). Overall it feels like the creators were dealing with restrictions and learning in development of the first two seasons, and the third feels like the perfect execution of the show they wanted to make. The perfectionist in me wishes the more kiddy tone at the start of the show wasn’t as prominent, but it’s still an incredible feat to have such a solid show that is so enjoyable from start to finish.
I've never watched a show more than twice...except this one. Watched this show probably close to 20 times (no exaggeration) amazing show. Good for all ages.
Rating: 20/10
I miss this show so much! I cried when it ended and was lost on what to do for some time. Legend of Korra is good but never as awesome as the original
Great show great story line,nice animation a MUST WATCH
One of the great animation show I have watched. May be the best one available too. Love it too much. If you love animation then you will love avater: the last airbender too. RECOMMENDED
This cartoon is leagues above any other western animation I have ever seen. It appeals to both children and adults, as its story is not only simple to follow, but also extremely good. Each character is unique and endearing, and their interactions with each other are even more so. The plot flows perfectly, each story beat hitting its mark and culminating in an epic finale. This is a show that people are still talking about over ten years after its original release, and I think they still will be for many years to come, Netflix adaptation notwithstanding.
You know...it lived up to the hype. Definitely one of my favorite animated shows now. So glad I finally watched this.
But PLEASE you could feel the chemistry between Zuko and Katara ever since her revenge adventure episode with him :rofl: why did the writers do Aang like that?? lmao I can't help but ship it. A true enemies-to-lovers.
This show will always stick in a part of me, the story is nice and the development of the character very well managed, my favorites are Zuko and his uncle but I like the others too haha. I recommend you to watch it, no matter how old you are.
I was spoiled about almost every part of this show when I started it. I was also not a child when I watched it, and understood what makes a show good or bad.
The fact that I was still floored by how amazing this show is says a lot.
I Feel like this Show was Approved to Appease the Criticism that Nik Kills Brain Cells.
A superb show. Before watching this series properly i remember watching a few episodes of it when i was a kid, i remembered what the characters looked like and i remembered about the bending but that was it. Before i started watching it i had expectations that this might be slightly aimed at kids and it mabye was a kids show but i had heard so many great things about it so io had to check it out. When i watched the first episode i gave it a 6, i thought it was ok, alright, it did not seem to much aimed at kids, i could see signs of it being an adult kind of episode. 2nd episode comes along and after watching it i could really see the potential of this show, it could be great. And it was, i enjoyed this series so much, the humor, the action, the characters, even the story which i felt was one its weakest points but its still a great overall story. Some of the writing in this show is simply fantastic, especially the continuity stuff later in the show wow honestly it does not disappoint whatsoever so if you are into that you really need to check this show out. Character development is great too, and also its nice to see the characters get stronger throughout (don't expect DBZ kinda stuff though) and their journey through the show from where they started to where they ended. I could watch more seasons of this but sadly it is the end. A superb show, simply superb.
I was really excited see how true to life the chakra explanations are. They took some creative license with the upper 3, but I'm not mad at it. They even went through the colors.
I've never seen a show explain real-life spirituality in this way, let alone a "kid's cartoon." To have kids understanding their chakras and how to unblock them at such a young age is just what the doctor ordered for this world.
Brings back childhood memories :blush: this is an absolute timeless classic anyone of any age will enjoy :)
(I was just watching this show because of the nostalgia…was going to continue with Korra but wasn’t expecting a live action show to even be in the works, let alone released :blush:)
This is a simple and classic animated show that children and adults can enjoy together. The characters are all different but fun, and the action is very fun to watch as well.
GOAT animated series IMO. Simple as that.
This is one of the shows I happened to skip as a child, but ended up visiting for the first time as an adult based on recommendations. Being entirely new to the show, I was not too sure what to expect. I was not sure if it would just be some basic anime (which I am not typically a fan of), or how child-like it may feel, or if the recommendations I was receiving was more based on nostalgia from those people. I went in expecting the worst, and came out with a generally positive experience. Yes, it's still anime. No, I am not in love and not sure who I would recommend this to exactly. With that being said, it is a very solid kids show with a much better (and deeper) plot than any kids show has any right for. Tis a good one. Not sure if I will return to watch it again, but it was much better than I expected and I will get to Legend of Korra at some point!
Average Season Review: 8.33/10
Recommendation: At Least Give it a Whirl (For Anime Fans)
Endearing and well-developed characters, brilliant storytelling, stunning art direction, immersive world building, a perfect balance between comedy and drama; one of the best shows of all time.
Excellent characters and storytelling. Never loses its re-watch value. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, it'll make you angry... It's got the whole all you can eat buffet of emotions!!
What an awesome and unforgettable series! Definitely well worth the perfect ratings it has received over the years!
For a show to tell you exactly where it’s headed from the very beginning, it must be driven by its journey, not necessarily its destination. And boy is this a beautiful journey. I feel like I’ve been blessed with something I don’t truly deserve. This makes it hard to say goodbye, but when the time is right, I’ll be able to say hello again. No matter what, I’ll always remember the first time I watched Avatar: The Last Airbender.
I missed a ton of cartoons growing up as a kid. When the 2010s got me into animated television culture, one show that was constantly recommended to me was Avatar: The Last Airbender. 12 years after the show ended, I'm finally here talking about it. Here's my take on the series.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is, without a doubt, one of the best animated series I have seen. That's not to say it has its faults however, such as a few unnecessary "filler" episodes and the finale that felt a bit underwhelming and rushed. All that being said, those cons don't outweigh the brilliance of storytelling that this show offers. The abilities that the writers came up with for each of the four elements are really smart, and they get even better the further into the show you get. As for the characters themselves, each and every one is filled with depth and emotion. You can tell the showrunners took care of their own creation when each "recap" before the episode isn't solely based on the previous episode, but EPISODES (plural) that relate to the current plot at hand. It's a story and world that is well-told and full of depth, beauty, and morals.
Whether you're interested in cartoons or not, I can absolutely recommend this show to you. Its story acts are split up into three books/seasons, so it's well-paced and easily accessible for pretty much anyone. As for whether or not you'll enjoy the destination, that's up to you.
9.5/10
Absolute classic series that was a big part of my childhood. Nothing more positive could be said about this series than what has already been said.
Excellent show with a lot going on. The world that is built is beautiful and intriguing. The plot is kind of generic but the side plots are usually pretty unique. The characters are mostly great, unfortunately the one that I absolutely despise is the main character, Aang. There are a few stumbles here and there but overall it's great.
Season ranking: 2>1>3
Review by OllyVIP OG 12BlockedParent2013-08-28T06:17:23Z
I was recommended by a colleague to watch this show. To put it bluntly I was sceptical - it seemed just like a kids cartoon, and I am in my mid 30s - but I decided to give it a go, mainly because he kept saying "trust me"!
Over the past month I have watched the entire series and must say I was quite impressed. While it definitely is aimed at a younger audience, like all good children's stories it appeals to parents and children alike. If anything, it appeals to adults because it reminds them of what they loved about children's stories as kids.
The first season took a few episodes to get going. It took me a while to get into it and embrace the characters. The early episodes tend to be generally self-contained stories, however towards the end of season 1 the story takes off, and the story become much more serialised. From then on out it is a really enjoyable ride all the way through to the series 3 finale. If anything it gets better from season to season.
The animation is first rate for TV. I have never really watched any anime (or anime-style, in this case) series before so I was definitely going into this green, but I found the quality to be first rate. The characters were also very well written, and the constructed world of element benders was believable within its mythos. I highly recommend this to kids and adults alike. Better still, watch it with your kids.
At the end of the day, they are just telling good stories, and who wouldn't enjoy that?