Avatar
The Legend of AvatarBY ALEX BALLARD JANUARY 22, 2015
Water. Earth. Fire. Long ago the three seasons lived together in harmony, but everything changed when the fanbase attacked.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA)” was by far my favorite show of my childhood. I don’t even know where to begin with everything that I loved about it. The animation was phenomenal, the stories were fantastic, and the characters were all different, original and interesting. Despite the show being on Nickelodeon, the creators, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, were not afraid to deal with mature topics. “ATLA” explored themes of philosophy as well as mature subjects such as genocide and torture. The show taught differing ideas, breaking away from the cliché of good versus evil and showing that most issues aren’t black and white. Even in a 100-year war, there were innocents on both sides. It was the most memorable show of my childhood, and I credit it as being part of why I am who I am today. “ATLA” went off in 2008 with one of the most gratifying series finales I have ever seen. I was as satisfied as a fat 10-year-old could be, which as you could imagine, only lasted so long. I loved this world that Konietzko and DiMartino had made, and I just couldn’t let it go. Luckily, neither could the fanbase. Just four years later after saying they were taking a break, Konietzko and DiMartino sucumbed to the fanbase and launched another “Avatar” series, “The Legend of Korra (LoK).” Taking place some 70 years after “ATLA,” “LoK” succeeded in not just being as good as the previous show but enhancing the previous show. One of the biggest themes of “Avatar” was balance. Even the main role of the Avatar is to bring balance to the world. It’s amazing to me how Konietzko and DiMartino were able to further expand upon this idea across two separate series with different characters. Korra, an impatient, headstrong chief’s daughter, was the opposite to Aang, a peaceful, pacifistic monk. The two series mirror each other in how the two Avatars solve their problems. All during “ATLA,” Aang attempted to keep his cool, never wanting to be a killer or resort to violence. It wasn’t until the finale that he learned that violence can be necessary. While Korra always resorted to attacking, it wasn’t until her finale that she found peace is sometimes the answer. Even then, they both had to use a combination of violence and peace to finally take down their adversaries. “ATLA” and “LoK” pushed the boundaries of what was allowed on a children’s show. While humor was and always will be a large part of what made “Avatar” “Avatar,” this ability to be subversive and mature is what will make it live on in the years to come. The “LoK” series finale was one of the most shocking and beautiful moments on television to me, and while I’m not going to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, those who have know exactly how large of an impact that ending had. I could write a whole newspaper on this show and what it meant to me if the editors allowed it. With its ending, I feel like a part of my childhood has gone with it. I can only hope that after this second break, Konietzko and DiMartino will return to give us the next Avatar, but until then, I can only applaud them for their work. Flameo, Hotmen. Flameo. |
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