Things I'll Love Forever: Avatar: The Last Airbender

One of the terrible things about being a geek is the near-overwhelming tendency to obsess over the stuff we enjoy. Thankfully, one of the NICE things about being a geek is the seemingly endless supply of QUALITY stuff to obsess over. So it's with great delight that I take a minute to gush over one of my new favorite programs, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I'm a little late to the Avatar game - the series ended a couple of years ago. Apparently, there's a spinoff series and some comics in the mix, too, but I haven't indulged in those. I'm talking about the original, three-season story - a fairly standard children's fantasy show with a LOT of sophistication and depth.

• Honestly, one of my favorite aspects of Avatar: The Last Airbender is its brevity. One of the creators (I have no idea which) said (roughly), "If I were to tell you, 'I have this great story for you - it never ends,' you'd walk out of the room." The creators intended the show to last three years, and then, when they'd told the story they wanted, they ended it. It's admirable.


• I'll admit to not being a huge fan of the animation, but the character designs for Avatar are excellent. Each character has a distinct flair, yet each also contains elements in their design that link them to their heritage. There's a visual sense of community between members of the same tribe that help to establish a real depth to the world-building the creators have done here.


• The characters themselves are fantastic. While each character has a distinct set of personality traits, no one is confined solely to their archetypal role (there's no set "comic relief" or "love interest"). Everyone's fully fleshed out, and everyone is given the opportunity to change.


• Speaking of characters, these guys are the best:
  
  
  The dude on the left, Zuko, has one of the most complex character arcs I've seen. He's confused, angry, and frequently makes the wrong decisions. It's pretty awesome. On the other hand, Toph is pretty straightforward. She's tough, rude, a bit gross, and always ready for a scrap. She's a completely un-typical female character, and totally awesome for it.

The tremendous attention to detail and the dedication to telling story above all else set Avatar in a league all its own. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it may be my favorite animated show ever. Avatar is funny, exciting, and full of enthusiasm, and that's why I'll love it forever.

No relation.

Unfortunate relation that no one mentions at reunions.