Avatar: The Last Airbender (Storytelling done right)

Honestly, everyone should just be amazed it took me this long to cave and make a post about this TV show. Avatar: The Last Airbender is by far one of my favorite, possibly my most favorite, television series. There are a lot of things that make this show incredible, but I believe that by far it's strongest quality is it's impeccable storytelling.

If you have never seen this show (which oh my god I know I always tell people to watch things in these posts, but I have never been more serious when I say you need to watch this show) I could waste my time trying to summarize the basic plot, but why do that when you can just watch the show's intro which will explain everything for you in 45 seconds.

So now that everyone has a least some idea of what I'm about to discuss we shall forge on! 

This show is incredibly complex and nuanced for a children's show. It explores themes that most children's programing wouldn't dare touch including but not limited to: sexism, racism, genocide, war, death, murder, religion, environmental awareness, family disfunction,  domestic abuse, disability and many other "adult" themes. 

It is because of the extreme care the shows creators took with the storytelling that they were able to address these themes in a show that is targeted for such a young audience.

Firstly the show's characters are in no way one demential. Most children's shows, and let's face it, many adult shows, have archetypical characters with cliched problems who never develop throughout the show's run. The characters in Avatar, have complex problems and personalities that do not feel contrived or cliched. They grow and evolve through each episode and learn from past failures and events.

Even the shows villains are fleshed out. We understand and learn as much about the villains of the story as we do the heroes. We sometimes find ourselves sympathizing with the villains even more than the heroes. This is something particularly unusual for a children's show, as usually characters are defined as either good or evil, and good always triumphs over evil. In this show the heroes frequently are defeated by villains. It is in these defeats that we are most able to feel for our heroes and connect with their struggle. 

As in most television shows there are some episodes that can be considered "filler", or an episode in which not much is done to advance the plot but instead to simply fill up time because they creators of said show signed a contract with the TV station to make a certain number of episodes. However, unlike most shows the "filler" episodes in Avatar never feel like a waste of time. While not much is being done to advance the plot, these episodes serve to explore and deepen our understanding of the characters and their struggles.

Another unfortunate reality of many TV shows is that they go on for too long. There are too many seasons of the show, because it is popular and making the station money, and they story eventually gets lost as it continues to droll on and on and the writers must continually come up with new problems for the characters to face. This is a problem that Avatar does not have. When the creators of the show pitched their idea to Nickelodeon they already had the entire story planned beginning, middle, and end. Even when they were offered more seasons, the creators refused because they did not want to jeopardize the telling of the story. In result, the story is exactly as long as it needs to be. It does not drag to a point where you lose interest in the characters. I have massive respect for the writers for turning down a potential to make more money in favor of telling the best story possible. It really paid off.

In conclusion, Avatar: The Last Airbender is really a masterpiece of storytelling and everyone should take the time to watch the show at least once. Don't let the fact that it is a children's show stop you, because as I mentioned earlier it deals with adult themes and in no way talks down to it's audience. It is something that people of all ages can enjoy.

I would like to end by linking to a really interesting documentary about the making of Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you are a fan of the show you will definitely find it interesting!

Legend of Korra, Book 2: Big Philosophical Shoes to Fill

Growing up, I was an avid watcher of cartoons, a word perhaps too often and unfortunately correlated to brainless childhood animation and crude adult comedy. All though the percentage of time I spend watching animated shows has greatly weened in relation to my aggregate TV watching, I still like to revisit some of my "old favorites". Toward the end of my senior year, I re-watched a show called "Avatar: The Last Airbender", which ran from 2005 to 2008.The show was one of the few that withstood the test of my aging. It was undeniably a great show, and perhaps, at times, more than that. I hybrid of action, drama, and comedy, "The Last Airbender" seemed to have more heart than any other "children's cartoon" of the time. That is the reason why I was so excited to hear that a sequel series, "The Legend of Korra"  was to be released in 2012.

"The Legend of Korra" seemed to transcend any and all expectations but, before we delve into that, a little background information. The series takes place one hundred years after its predecessor, in a fictional world where people are spiritual connected to one of four elements, and can manipulate or "bend" it. Only the Avatar, the protagonist of the show, Korra, can bend all four elements: water, fire, earth and air. It is Korra's duty to maintain peace and balance in the world. The main action takes place in Republic City, the hub of this fictional world, a world that clearly favors benders and, in some ways, mirrors our own.

Although the "Legend of Korra" is,  at least on the surface, an action show, the backbone of the plot lies in the disparity between benders and non-benders. The very lowest common denominator that separates the two groups is the fact that some non-benders are oppressed by a bending mafia. Beyond that however, lie social, economic and political implications that separate them. Due to their "predisposition", benders certainly get a leg up in the aforementioned categories. Talented fire-benders, who can harness the power of lightning, power the city with electricity. Pro- bending competitions provide a lucrative and entertaining sport for the folks of Republic City. Earth-benders, who can bend metal, make up the city's police force. No non-benders are included in the political system, as the city is ruled by a council of benders. Essentially, social mobility only exists in Republic City for benders. While all of these issues are occurring, a group called the Equalists, led by a masked man named Amon, calls for outright egalitarianism, a principle that favors equal opportunity.

Although egalitarianism is not an inherently bad principle, and the show addresses that the current state of affairs in Republic City is wrong, Amon is most certainly the villain in the show. He essentially becomes a terrorist, bombing the city and eventually taking it over. Gifted with the power to remove people's bending ability, Amon wants to "rid the world of benders", a sentiment eerily mass genocidal. Blinded by his zeal, he becomes a hypocrite in his own cry for equality. The show presents a very clear message: violence is the wrong answer.

This message, befitting the likes of Gandhi and MLK, is beautifully woven into the plot, even in the face of disproportionate economic, political and social advantages. Now, I'd like to reiterate that this show is largely marketed toward children. Very few adult shows are able to craft a message of peace and equality so beautifully and so poignantly. Whether you subscribe to any sort of movement or not, "The Legend of Korra" masterfully preaches to always strive toward equality and balance but warns against the dangers of extremism.

The show is slated for a second book, or season, coming out September 13th. The first season was so perfectly crafted that I'm afraid that it's second season cannot reach the same heights of storytelling. However, with undeniably brilliant writers, I will most definitely, and suggest you do too, watch when it comes out.