Avatar: The Last Airbender: Difference between revisions
| Line 96: | Line 96: | ||
===International=== |
===International=== |
||
''Avatar'' premiered in |
''Avatar'' premiered in Canada on [[September 10]]th, 2005. New episodes air on YTV Saturdays at 11:30 am on in the Vortex block of programming. |
||
It premiered in the UK on [[November 4]]th, 2005. It airs on Nickelodeon UK Fridays at 5 pm, and it's sister channel Nicktoons TV on Mondays at 4 pm. |
|||
==DVD Releases== |
==DVD Releases== |
||
Revision as of 23:05, 8 January 2006
| Avatar: The Last Airbender | |
|---|---|
| File:Avatar-TLA people2.gif From left to right: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Momo, Prince Zuko. | |
| Created by | Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko |
| Starring | Zach Tyler Eisen Mae Whitman Jack DeSena Dante Basco Mako |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode (including commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | February 21, 2005 |
Avatar: The Last Airbender (titled Avatar: The Legend Of Aang in the UK) is an American animated television series airing on Nickelodeon since February 21, 2005. Produced at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California, and animated in South Korea, it was co-created and executive produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (the latter of whom also serves as art director and character designer).
Set in a fantastic, Asian-influenced world of martial arts and elemental magic, Avatar follows the adventures of Aang, the successor to a long line of Avatars, and his friends Katara and Sokka, in their quest to save the world from the evil Fire Nation, while avoiding capture by their pursuer Prince Zuko.
In the US, new episodes air Friday nights at 8 pm Eastern Standard Time in Nickelodeon's Friday Night Slimetime block of programming. Due to this, start times may vary by up to ten minutes, making the actual start time closer to 7:50 pm EST. Repeats (though not necessarily of Friday's episode) air on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 am EST. In Canada it airs on YTV at 11:30 am in the Vortex block of programming, It airs on Nickelodeon UK Fridays at 5 pm, and it's sister channel Nicktoons TV on Mondays at 4 pm. It airs on Nickelodeon Australia Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm in the SLAM block of programming.
A consistently high ratings performer in the Nicktoons lineup, even outside of it's intended 6-to-11 year-old demographic, Avatar is popular with both audiences and critics. The series' success has prompted Nickelodeon to order another twenty-episode season, which will begin airing in early 2006.
The DVD of Book 1: Water, Volume 1 is set to be released on January 31st, 2006 by Paramount Home Entertainment.
Overview
Premise
In another time and place, the world is divided into four nations: Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Within each nation, there is a remarkable order of men and women called "Benders" who have an inborn talent for learning to manipulate their native element. Bending is a powerful artform, combining martial arts and elemental magic. The bending arts are waterbending, earthbending, firebending and airbending, respectively.
In each generation, one Bender is capable of controlling all four elements. That Bender is the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When an individual Avatar dies, the Avatar Spirit reincarnates into an unborn baby of the next nation in the Avatar Cycle. Starting with the mastery of his or her native element, each Avatar learns to bend all four elements in the order of the cycle, which parallels the seasons. (winter for water, spring for earth, summer for fire and fall for air) Throughout the ages, the countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony. The Avatar is also the bridge between the mortal world and the Spirit World, home of the universe's disembodied spirits.
Plot Synopsis
A century prior to the series' opening, Aang, a twelve-year-old Airbender of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, learned from his monk instructors that he was the Avatar. Usually, the Avatar is told of his/her true identity only after turning sixteen; however, the Air Nomads feared that a war between the Four Nations was on the horizon, and that the Avatar would soon be needed to help maintain balance. Shortly thereafter, it was decided that Aang would be separated from his guardian Monk Gyatso and sent to the Eastern Air Temple to focus on his training.
Confused, frightened and overwhelmed by all he had learned, Aang fled from his home on his flying bison Appa towards the South Pole. While over the ocean, a sudden storm caused Appa to plunge deep into the sea. Channeling his Avatar Spirit, Aang reflexively used waterbending to freeze Appa and himself in an ice sphere, putting them in a state of suspended animation in the icy waters surrounding the South Pole.
When the series opens one hundred years later, the Fire Nation is on the brink of victory in its imperialist war. The Water Tribes are in dire straits--the Southern Water Tribe's warriors have gone off to war, leaving their home defenseless and subject to raids, and the Northern Water Tribe, though largely intact, is continually on the defensive. The vast Earth Kingdom is now the only true barrier to the Fire Nation's supremacy, but as the Fire Nation continues to encroach on its borders and occupy its territories, hopes for victory grow bleaker with each passing year.
In the present day, two teenage siblings from the Southern Water Tribe--Katara, a Waterbender, and her brother Sokka--discovered and freed Aang from his iceberg prison. Aang soon saw that in his absence, fears of war had became a reality. The very year he vanished, the then-leader of the Fire Nation, the ruthless Fire Lord Sozen, took advantage of both the Avatar's absence and the firebending-enhancing powers of a mystical comet to launch a war on the three other nations. To Aang's shock and disbelief, the Fire Nation's opening gambit had been a genocidal assault on the Air Nomads. The Air Temples were stormed and the the Airbender monks slaughtered in an effort to break the Avatar Cycle, leaving him as the last known Airbender in existence.
Aang realizes that, as the Avatar, it is his duty to restore harmony and peace to the Four Nations. Along with his newly-discovered friends Katara and Sokka, and pets Appa and winged-lemur Momo, Aang travels the world to find and learn from Master Benders, all while evading capture by the Fire Nation's Prince Zuko.
Although it takes years of discipline and training to master any particular element, Aang must master them all, and defeat the current Fire Lord Ozai before summer's end, when the return of Sozen's Comet will grant the Fire Nation the power to conquer the entire planet. If these events come to pass, not even the Avatar will be able to restore balance to the world.
Episodes
- See List of Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes for a full list of episodes and information.
Characters
Primary Characters
- Aang (Mitchel Musso pilot)/(Zach Tyler Eisen) - The main character of the series, Aang is the reincarnation of the Avatar, who must master all four bending arts to save the world.
- Katara (Mae Whitman) - A Waterbender, Katara freed Aang from suspended animation, and travels with him to assist him on his journey.
- Sokka (Jack DeSena) - Katara's warrior brother, Sokka believes in cunning over bending, and travels with Aang and his sister to hone his skills.
- Prince Zuko (Dante Basco) - The banished prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko seeks to capture the Avatar to earn his return home. (see below)
- Uncle Iroh (Mako) - A retired Fire Nation General, Prince Zuko's uncle is a powerful Firebender, who travels with his nephew to assist in his quest to capture the Avatar. (see below)
- Although a key part of the series, Uncle Iroh and Prince Zuko do not appear in all episodes.
Secondary Characters
See: Secondary Characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Guest Stars
See List of Guest Stars in Avatar: the Last Airbender Episodes
Influences
Cultural References
Avatar is notable for its extensive borrowings from Asian mythology and art in order to create a cohesive fictional universe. Apart from it's anime-inspired character designs, Avatar also draws on a motley mix of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, Indian and even Inuit language, philosophy, religion and culture to flesh out the show's settings and peoples. The show staff even employs a cultural consultant, Edwin Zane, to review scripts.
Avatar
The term "Avatar" comes from the Sanskrit word Avatāra which means "descent." In Hindu mythology, gods often manifest themselves into Avatars to maintain balance on earth. This agrees with the calligraphy written above the word "Avatar" in the show's opening, which means "the divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world."
Reincarnation
In the show, Aang unknowingly revealed that he was the Avatar when he chose four toys out of thousands. These four toys were the exact ones that past Avatars had chosen for generations when they were children, revealing Aang to be the reincarnation of the Avatar. This same test is used by Tibetan Buddhist monks when a reincarnated Dalai Lama is expected. Visions the monks have revealed who the Dalai Lama is, and this test finalizes that he is, indeed, the reincarnation.
The Elements
Avatar draws on four of the five classical Indian elements of Hindu and Buddhist traditions for the four bending arts - Fire, (agni or tejas) water, (ap or jala) earth, (prithvi or bhumi) and wind or air (vayu or pavan). The fifth, Aether (akasha or akash) is symbolized by Aang as an intermediary of the Spirit World. Some names in the series, such as "Agni Kai" and King Bumi the Earthbender, borrow directly from these elements.
Calligraphy
A particular type of calligraphy is used for almost all of the text in the show. With the obvious exceptions of the English text on the masthead, titlecards and credits, all writing used is Classical Chinese calligraphy, a very old form of written Chinese once used in formal communication and literature. For each instance of calligraphy, an appropriate style is used, ranging from the archaic to the clerical. The show employs calligrapher Siu-Leung Lee, PhD.as a consultant and translator.
Fighting Styles
One final Asiatic influence is found in the show's action choreography. The fighting choreography draws from martial arts films, and the fighting styles and weaponry are based upon Chinese martial arts, with each bending art corresponding to a certain real-world style. The creators use Ku Tai Chi for waterbending, Hung Gar for earthbending, Northern Shaolin for firebending, and Ba Gua for airbending. The show employs Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association as a martial arts consultant.
Nominations and Awards
Avatar won two Pulcinella Awards in 2005 for "Best Action/Adventure Series" and "Best Series of the Year." It recently received 2005 Annie Award nominations for "Best Animated Television Production," "Best Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production" and "Best Writing in an Animated Television Production."
Broadcast History
United States
First glimpsed in a short teaser reel at Comic-Con 2004, Avatar's US premiere was initially scheduled for November 29th of that same year. However, the show was delayed until February 21, 2005. During the delay, Nickelodeon contracted House Party Inc to maintain interest and create advance buzz by arranging "House Parties." These parties were private home viewings of a DVD of the pilot episode by 6-to-11-year-olds and their friends, arranged by internet signup to occur simultaneously on February 5th.
New episodes air Friday nights at 8 pm Eastern Standard Time in Nickelodeon's Friday Night Slimetime block of programming. Due to this, start times may vary by up to ten minutes, making the actual start time closer to 7:50 pm EST. Repeats (though not necessarily of Friday's episode) air on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 am EST.
International
Avatar premiered in Canada on September 10th, 2005. New episodes air on YTV Saturdays at 11:30 am on in the Vortex block of programming. It premiered in the UK on November 4th, 2005. It airs on Nickelodeon UK Fridays at 5 pm, and it's sister channel Nicktoons TV on Mondays at 4 pm.
DVD Releases
Book 1: Water, Volume 1, containing the first four episodes and the making-of special, is set to be released on January 31st, 2006 by Paramount Home Entertainment. Book 1: Water, Volume 2, details as yet unreleased, has an advertised street date of March 28th, 2006.
Promotions
Avatar has several free promotional games on its affiliated sites, including a collection of flash games and subscriber-limited collectible "e-trading cards" on it's parent site, and a (now-defunct) limited-edition flash game on the Viacom-owned Neopets site.
In addition, an Avatar-themed family roller coaster is set to debut October 1st, 2006 at Paramount's King's Island amusement park in King's Island, Ohio.
Merchandising
Avatar t-shirts are currently sold through the Nickelodeon and Hot Topic websites. Upcoming merchandise includes Upper Deck Entertainment's Trading Card Game, (January 2006) Tokyopop's cine-manga, (February 28, 2006), LEGO branded playsets, (August 2006) and a THQ-published videogame (Fall 2006).
Title Sequence Narration
The title sequence narration from the pilot; Narrator: Katara (Mae Whitman).
- "Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
- My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace; when the Avatar kept balance between Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads.
- Only the Avatar mastered all four elements.
- Only he could stop the ruthless Firebenders, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.
- A hundred years have passed, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war.
- Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe.
- Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken.
- But I haven't lost hope.
- I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world."
The title sequence narration from Season 1, "Book 1: Water"; Narrator: Katara (Mae Whitman)
- "Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
- Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.
- Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
- Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them.
- But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
- A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar,
- an Airbender named Aang, and although his Airbending skills are great,
- He still has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone.
- But I believe Aang can save the world."
See also
The Four Nations
The Bending Arts
References
-
{{cite AV media}}: Empty citation (help) - Nickelodeon's Official Avatar: The Last Airbender Flash Site
- Distant Horizon: Calligraphy Writings in Avatar
- The Comic Con teaser reel
- Paramount's King's Island press release
- Upper Deck Entertainment press release
- LEGO press release
- Announcements of Upper Deck and THQ games
External links
