Avatar The Last Airbender

Bad Ass Avatar Poster

My Thanksgiving weekend was spent well, watching Aangsgiving Weekend on NickToons. Avatar, is my absolute FAVORITE cartoon (one of two favorites anyway, I also love Zim). We watched all weekend without a child in the house. We watched cause it is one of the best cartoons ever made. For those of you that haven't seen it, I recommend trying to watch it. The problem is, it's kind of like Hereos or Lost, in that if you don't watch it start to finish it's confusing. Why is it the greatest cartoon you ask?

It's great because of several reasons. First the plot line, it's actually a deep, well written plot line with well rounded characters. Second, it teaches non-violence, meditation, and kindness. Not many cartoons today do that. Third, it has fabulous political commentary, about war, freedom of speech, peace, etc. I think it was teaching the children of today things that they just aren't getting very many places anymore.

To give you an idea of the plot line, I will try not to sum up the entire 3 season show, but I do get carried away sometimes.

Appa, Aang, Katarra & Sokka, after they found Aang in the Iceberg

In the first season, two southern water tribe teenagers, Sokka & Katara, bother & sister, find Aang and his Air Bison frozen in an iceberg. They quickly find out that Aang is the last Airbender*, and that he is the Avatar** that has been missing for 100 years. Since he went missing the Fire Nation has taken over and they have commited genocide (though the word is never used) on the Air Nomads, Aang people, trying to kill the Avatar while he was still a boy.

Aang has to master all four elements so he can defeat the Fire Lord before a comet comes the following summer. The first season is called Book 1: Water, bacause Aang has to learn to Water bend first. Aang can already Air bend, extremely well.

Appa, the giant flying Bison

Aang, Katara, and Sakka travel on Appa, Aangs flying Bison, to the North Pole. They have lots of neat adventures on their way. They are also being hunted by the Fire Lord prince, who wants to capture the Avatar for his honor so he can return to his father. Katara also learns she has special healing powers, because water heals. They finally get the the North Pole, Katara and Aang master water bending. Sakka falls in love with the Northern princess, but she gives up her soul to save the moon.

Toph, Earth Bending

In season 2, or Book 2: Earth, the group travels to the Earth Kingdom to find Aang an Earth Bending teacher. Again, there are lots of battles & adventures. Finally they find Toph, an 11 year old, blind, master earth bender. She has a smart mouth a quick wit, and makes the show even better. During this season she also figures out that metal is just earth refined by fire, and she learns to metal bend, which no one has ever done before. Aang also falls for Katara, but the feelings aren't returned. Aang learns to earth bend, but isn't good at it for a long time. This season Princess Azula, the FireLords, daughter, starts chasing the Avatar too. She can bend electricity and fire.

Princess Azula bending lightning

Zuko, the her brother, also shows signs of going to the good side, but in the end falters and goes back to the bad side.

Zuko

Aang in the Avatar state

In Book 3: Fire, Aang has to learn to Firebend and has to fight the Fire Lord. He really doesn't want to kill the Fire Lord, or anyone else, he is a vegetarian and a monk for goodness sake. This is something he struggles with throughout the whole show, but now it's coming down to crunch time.

The Giant Lion Turtle

A giant Lion Turtle helps him solve his problem. I won't tell how, but he does.

I learned alot about Meditation and Chakra's from Avatar. I have also picked up alot of hints about inner peace and letting go. The significant other of Nicknameless and I are going to try to start doing some Buddhist Meditation, so we can open up our Chakra flow.

The Guru

I hope you all enjoyed my way to long blog about my favorite cartoon, I hope it makes you want to check it out. What is your favorite cartoon?

Peace & Love.

*Airbenders are a race of people in the world that this cartoon is based. They can "bend" air. There are also Waterbenders, that bend water, Earth Benders, that bend earth, and Firebenders, that bend fire (and are the bad guys, trying to take over the world).

**Avatar is the peacekeeper. Every lifetime he/she is reincarnated into one of the different tribes (air, fire, water, earth). The Avatar learns to bend all four elements, and keeps peace in the world.

BTW - The Avatar DVD collection is on my Amazon wishlist :)