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Avatar: The Last Airbender

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Avatar: The Last Airbender
File:Avatar-TLAlogo.jpg
GenreAdventure, Fantasy
Created byMichael Dante DiMartino
Bryan Konietzko
StarringZach Tyler Eisen
Mae Whitman
Jack DeSena
Jessie Flower
Dante Basco
Mako (deceased)
Greg Baldwin
Dee Bradley Baker
Grey DeLisle
Crawford Wilson
Olivia Hack
Cricket Leigh
Clancy Brown
Mark Hamill
Jason Isaacs
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes51 aired, 61 planned [1] (list of episodes)
Production
Running time24 minutes
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon
ReleaseFebruary 21, 2005 –
Present

Template:ChineseText Avatar: The Last Airbender (also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in several countries) is an award-winning American animated television series that currently airs on the Nickelodeon television network.

Set in an Asian-influenced world of martial arts and elemental manipulation, the series follows the adventures of the latest of a long line of Avatars, Aang, and his friends in a quest to save the world from the ruthless Fire Nation. The series is shown as a book series, with each episode serving as a "chapter" and each individual season as a "book."

Originally slated to begin airing November 2004, Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted on TV on February 21, 2005. The show is also available on DVD or for download at the iTunes Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.[2] Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are the creators and executive producers of the series. The show receives high ratings in the Nicktoons lineup, even outside its intended 6-to-11-year-old demographic. Avatar: The Last Airbender is popular with both audiences and critics,[3] garnering 4.4 million viewers on its best-rated showing.[4]

The series' success prompted Nickelodeon to order second[5] and third[6] seasons. Merchandise based on the series includes nine DVD sets of episodes, six-inch (15.34 cm) scale action figures, a trading card game, two video games based on the first and second seasons, stuffed animals distributed by Paramount Parks, and two Lego sets.[7]

The Chinese characters 降卋(世)神通 (pinyin:Jiàngshì Shéntōng) appear with the English logo. They translate to "The divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world."

Background

Avatar: The Last Airbender is co-created/produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California. The first episode of Avatar was created six years following its original conception, a period much longer than the norm for animated shows.[8]

According to co-creator Bryan Konietzko, the concept of the program was initially conceived when he took an old sketch of his—a balding, middle-aged man—and turned the character into a child. Bryan then did a drawing in which the boy was shepherding bison through the sky. At the time, Mike DiMartino was studying a documentary about explorers who were trapped in the South Pole. The various aspects all seemed to gradually come together. The two thought:

"There's an air guy along with these water people trapped in a snowy wasteland... and maybe some fire people are pressing down on them..."[9]

The co-creators proceeded to successfully pitch the idea to Nickelodeon VP and executive producer Eric Coleman just two weeks later.[10]

While it was originally set to premiere in November 2004, the first episode of Avatar aired in February 2005. Following the conclusion of the first season of Avatar, Nickelodeon promptly ordered a second twenty-episode season that premiered on March 17, 2006, and concluded on December 1.[5] The third season began on September 21, 2007 and reportedly will go on to feature twenty-one episodes rather than the usual twenty.[6] [11]

Premise

A map of the four nations. The characters at the top, 群雄四分, mean "the heroes divide [the world or the country or the land] in four." The characters of the four lands are 水善 (Water Peaceful), 土强 (Earth Strong), 火烈 (Fire Fierce), and 气和 (Air Harmony). The phrase at the bottom, 天下一匡, reads "correct all things under heaven." The "correct things" phrase, with roots of the Confucian analect phrase 一匡天下, refers to reunification.

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world, home to humans, fantastic animals, and supernatural spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations—the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Within each nation, an order of men and women called "Benders" have the ability to manipulate their native element. These Bending arts combine a certain style of martial arts and elemental mysticism. The Bending types are Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Airbending.[12]

In each generation, one person is capable of Bending all four elements; this is the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When the Avatar dies, he or she is reincarnated into a baby native in the next of the four nations in the Avatar Cycle, which parallels the seasons: winter for water, spring for earth, summer for fire, and autumn for air.[13] While legend holds that the Avatar must master the elements in order, starting with their native element, this can sometimes be compromised when the situation requires it. Learning to bend the element opposite one's native element is extremely difficult because opposing Bending arts are based on opposing fighting styles and doctrines. Firebending and Waterbending are opposites, as are Earthbending and Airbending. [14].

The Avatar possesses a unique power that resides within him or her, called the Avatar State. It is a defense mechanism that empowers the Avatar with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars. When the state is reached, the current Avatar will be able to wield the combined power of all past lives. When the Avatar enters this state, his or her eyes and mouth, and tattoos in the case of an Airbender, begin to glow. The glow is the representation of all the Avatar's previous incarnations focusing their energy through his or her body. However, if the Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, then the reincarnation cycle will be broken, and the Avatar will cease to exist.[15]

Through the ages, countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony and maintain world order.[12] The Avatar also serves as the bridge between the physical world and the Spirit World, home of the world's disembodied spirits.[16]

Plot synopsis

Main article: List of Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes

A century prior to the series' opening, Aang, a 12-year-old Airbender of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, learned from the elder monks that he was the Avatar. Usually, the Avatar is told of his or her true identity after turning sixteen; however, the monks feared that a war between the four nations was on the horizon and that soon the Avatar would be required to maintain balance and order in the world. Shortly thereafter, the monks decreed that Aang would be separated from his guardian, Monk Gyatso, and sent to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his training.

Confused, frightened, and overwhelmed by these recent events and his new responsibilities as the Avatar, Aang fled from his home on his flying bison, Appa. While traveling over frigid southern ocean waters, a sudden storm caused Appa to plunge deep into the sea. Aang unconsciously entered the Avatar State, and used a combination of Airbending and Waterbending to protect Appa and himself. By creating an air bubble around them and then freezing it, Aang was able to ensure that he and Appa could breathe and be protected from the storm until it dissipated. However, the storm transferred the bubble very near the south pole and it could not thaw, forcing the two of them into a state of suspended animation.[13]

The series opens one hundred years later, with the Fire Nation on the brink of victory in its imperialist war. All of the Air Nomads have been destroyed. The Water Tribes are in crisis — the Southern Water Tribe's warriors have left to wage war, leaving their home defenseless, while the Northern Water Tribe, though largely intact, is continually on the defensive.[17] The vast Earth Kingdom is now the only true barrier to the Fire Nation's conquest, but as the Fire Nation continues to encroach on its borders and conquer its territories, hopes of victory grow bleaker with each passing year.

Two teenage siblings from the Southern Water Tribe — Katara, an inexperienced Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka, a warrior and caretaker of the tribe — discover and free Aang and Appa from the iceberg. Aang soon discovers to his horror that, during his absence, a century-long war has been waged. The very year he vanished, Fire Lord Sozin took advantage of both the Avatar's absence and the Firebending-enhancing powers of a passing comet (named "Sozin's Comet," for Fire Lord Sozin) to launch a war on the other nations.[18] 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 Airbenders slaughtered in the Fire Nation's effort to break the Avatar Cycle, leaving Aang as the last known Airbender in existence.[13]

As the Avatar, Aang's duty is to restore harmony and peace to the four nations. Along with his newly discovered friends Katara and Sokka, his flying bison Appa and his winged lemur Momo, and later the blind Earthbender Toph, Aang travels the world to master all four elements. During his quest, he must constantly avoid being captured by the banished Prince Zuko and, later, Zuko's cleverly deceptive and fiery sister, Princess Azula.

Although normally years of disciplined training are required to master a single Bending art, Aang must be a master of all four and defeat Fire Lord Ozai by summer's end, when the return of Sozin's Comet will give the Firebenders the power to win the war. If these events come to pass, not even the Avatar will possess the ability to restore balance to the world.[18]

Characters

Main article: List of Avatar: The Last Airbender characters

The Avatar series has been praised for several strong points including character development and depth. All the main characters are portrayed as "marvelously flawed human beings," and the series shone in its initial season with the characterizations of its main antagonists.[19]

Main Characters

File:Avatar-book 1 Chapters 1 And 2 0003.jpg
Aang (Mitchel Musso in the unaired pilot, Zach Tyler Eisen onwards) is the fun-loving, 12-year-old (chronologically 112-years-old) protagonist of the series. He is the current incarnation of the Avatar, the avatar of the planet manifested in human form. As the Avatar, Aang must master all four elements to bring peace to the world and balance between the four Nations.[20] Every way the reluctant hero, Aang openly expresses that he would rather be searching for fun adventure and making new friends than being charged with saving the world. Compounded with his energetic nature and childish naïvete, at times Aang can be somewhat oblivious of the world around him and others' true feelings, as he is often too preoccupied with the events immediately surrounding him to notice what occurs on a more in-depth level. However, over the course of the series, Aang matures drastically as his experiences cause him to fully realize the state of the world and gradually shape him into being physically and mentally suited for the task set before him.
Katara (Mae Whitman) is 14 years old, and one of the remaining Waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara, along with her brother, Sokka, discovers Aang at the beginning of the series. She and Sokka accompany him on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to the war-torn nations. Katara is mature, loving, and responsible. Always looking out for the well-being of others, After the passing of their mother at the hands of the Fire Nation, Katara took on a motherly role over Sokka, a nature that she later took to in relation to Aang and Toph. She is an apt leader when the situation calls for one.[21] However, she can be overbearing at times, and believes without exception that her way is the right way, never relenting on her views even when they are disproved.[22] Despite Katara's kind nature, she has a temper which, when combined with her impressive waterbending skills and idealistic views, can be quite destructive.
Sokka (Jack DeSena) is a 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe who, with his sister Katara, accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord. Sokka describes himself as "meat-loving" and "sarcastic."[14] Unlike his companions, Sokka cannot bend an element. However, the series frequently grants him opportunities to demonstrate his true gift: ingenuity. He takes great pride in his mental and physical strength, though it is often overshadowed by others' ability to bend. He is extremely clever, relying on science where the mystical and martial arts elude him, though his silly and immature manner often causes others to underestimate his intellect.
Toph Bei Fong (Jessie Flower) is a 12-year-old, blind Earthbender who leaves her wealthy lifestyle and home to join Aang on his quest in order to teach him earthbending. Though blind, Toph "sees" with Earthbending, feeling vibrations in the ground that objects make when they are moving, which also allows for certain other abilities unique to her. Toph has largely lived in seclusion all her life due to overprotective parents, which makes her somewhat selfish, sarcastic, and, at times, bitter and arrogant. She does not hesitate to speak her mind and is bluntly truthful. With the presence of friends, Toph gradually becomes less overly abrasive towards others and learns what it means to be part of a team. She also seems to be the only Earthbender who has the ability to bend metals which she discovers she could do after being captured by bounty hunters attempting to return her to her parents.
File:Zuko Season2.png
Zuko (Dante Basco) is the exiled 16-year-old prince of the Fire Nation and original primary antagonist of the series. Zuko was obsessed with capturing the Avatar in his quest to restore his honor and redeem himself in the eyes of his father, Fire Lord Ozai, who deems him a complete failure. The most defining aspect of his appearance is the scar over his left eye, which he received during a forced Agni Kai with Ozai.[23] As a result of his conflicted life, including the loss of his beloved mother Ursa, Zuko often acts temperamental, bitter, and cold to anyone he comes in contact with. However, his character is subjected to the most significant amount of development throughout the series, influenced by both the presence of his Uncle Iroh and his time as an exile. Over time, Zuko becomes less of an overbearing, pompous prince and more of an emotional outcast. He is shown to be a very caring and contemplative individual, at times struggling with his feelings of pity and bonding with the same people his nation has terrorized. He later decides to align with the Avatar.
File:AzulaHiRes.png
Azula (Grey DeLisle) is the 14 year-old-princess of the Fire Nation, Zuko's younger sister, and Fire Lord Ozai's pampered favorite child. Azula has been cruel and self-centered her entire life. Her mind is set on war and power; she manipulates and even tortures others to advance her own desires, ignoring family and emotional bonds whenever necessary. As a firebending prodigy with a sadistic personality, Azula is a dangerous opponent. Azula is one of the few Firebenders shown to possess the ability to generate lightning. The only others known to create lightning are Fire Lord Ozai and Iroh. Azula sees others as expendable, and intimidates her lackeys and all those under her command.
File:Iroh ID BitterWork.png
Iroh (Mako in seasons 1 and 2, Greg Baldwin onwards) is a retired Fire Nation general and Prince Zuko's uncle. Iroh is the older brother of Fire Lord Ozai and was the original heir to the throne of the Fire Nation.[24] A powerful Firebender of great renown and respect (he is known as the Dragon of the West), he looks upon Zuko as a son more than as a nephew, especially after the loss of his own son, Lu Ten. On the surface, Iroh is a cheerful and kind old man whose hobbies include drinking tea, playing Pai Sho, and singing. But inside he is a very determined individual who would do anything to protect those he cares about. So far, he is the only one shown to know about Zuko's ancestry and destiny. Much older and more experienced than any of the other main characters, Iroh chooses to take a less active role in the affairs of the series, acting as more of a mentor and guide to Zuko and nearly everyone he meets, including Aang and company.

Secondary Characters

Main article: List of Avatar: The Last Airbender major secondary characters
  • Appa (Dee Bradley Baker) is the ten-ton flying bison companion of the Avatar Aang, who was also trapped with him in the iceberg. Being capable of airbending and flying, Appa has been the group's main form of transport in their quest to help Aang, and occasionally assists in battle as well. He is Aang's animal guide, with whom he shares a spiritual connection. Appa is stubborn, uncomfortable when underground, and often irritable, but is gentle, loyal, and very protective of his friends, often losing his temper when confronting someone who is a threat.
  • Momo (Dee Bradley Baker) is an intelligent and curious Winged Lemur who travels around the world with the group. Momo also loves to eat, and will eat as much as possible when a lot of food is available. He has a tendency to dislike other flying creatures of his size and often picks fights with them. Momo mainly serves as comic relief for the show, but has often played an important role in the plot. He and Appa share a close friendship; they often share food, and protect each other from harm.
  • Jet (Crawford Wilson) was a charismatic teen who held a deep grudge against the Fire Nation. He was the leader of the Freedom Fighters, a group of teenagers who spent their days antagonizing Fire Nation soldiers. Later, he decided to start a new life in Ba Sing Se. Jet was brainwashed by Long Feng in his base under Lake Laogai.[25] Jet used Twin Tiger-Head hook swords as his weapons. He was killed while helping Aang and the others save Appa from the Dai Li.
  • Long Feng (Clancy Brown) is the intelligent and cunning Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, head of the Dai Li secret police, and advisor to the Earth King. In reality, the Earth King is merely a figurehead of Ba Sing Se's government, as it was actually Long Feng who held the real power, until Azula overthrew him in the final episodes of season 2.
  • Mai (Cricket Leigh) is an impassive, bored, and mysterious fifteen-year-old girl who, along with Ty Lee, accompanied Princess Azula on her quest to capture Zuko, Iroh, and the Avatar. Mai specializes in throwing weapons, which she conceals in many parts of her clothing. She has a crush on Zuko and, later in the series, the two start dating each other.
  • Fire Lord Ozai (Mark Hamill) is the ruthless ruler of the Fire Nation, father of Zuko and Azula, younger brother of Iroh. He is leading his country in a century-long war against the other three nations to create an empire and awaits the arrival of Sozin's Comet so that the Fire Nation can utilize its Firebending-enhancing powers to win the war.
  • Avatar Roku (James Garrett) was the Avatar before Aang, who was born to the Fire Nation. He was best friends with Fire Lord Sozin until the latter revealed his plans for conquest, and died underneath a landslide of an erupting volcano after Sozin left him for dead. Throughout the series, Avatar Roku appears as a spiritual advisor to help Aang fulfill his duties as the Avatar.
  • Ty Lee (Olivia Hack) is a cheerful and energetic 14 year old who, along with Mai, accompanies Princess Azula on her quest to capture Zuko, Iroh, and Aang. Ty Lee is a skilled acrobat who strikes opponents's pressure points to stop the flow of chi in her opponent's body. Disrupting chi flow against benders temporarily disables their bending ablilities. Ty Lee also appears to have a crush on Sokka.
  • Princess Yue (Johanna Braddy) was the beautiful Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. She is Sokka's second love interest introduced in the series. Yue sacrifices her life to restore the Moon Spirit at the end of Book 1. As a result, she becomes the Moon Spirit herself.
  • Admiral Zhao (Jason Isaacs) was a hot-tempered Fire Nation admiral in pursuit of the Avatar and Zuko's principal rival throughout Book One. He was killed by the Ocean Spirit after he killed the Moon Spirit and tried to cripple the Northern Water Tribe.
  • Suki (Jennie Kwan) is a fifteen year-old girl, the leader of the young female warriors of Kyoshi Island. She is a staunch ally of Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Towards the end of Book two, she was captured and taken prisoner by Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee, as revealed in The Day of Black Sun.

Influences

Cultural references

Avatar is notable for borrowing extensively from Asian art and mythology to create a fully realized fictional universe. Apart from its anime-inspired character designs, Avatar also draws on a mix of Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Korean, Indian, Polynesian and Tibetan philosophy, religion, language, clothing, martial arts and culture. In addition, the show's Water Tribe is heavily influenced by Inuit culture. Explicitly stated influences include Chinese art and history, Japanese anime, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism,[26] and Yoga.[27] The production staff 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 restore balance on earth after a period of great evil. The Chinese characters appearing above the word "Avatar" in the show's opening mean "the divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world."[28]

When Aang was a child, he unknowingly revealed that he was the Avatar when he chose four toys out of thousands that symbolized each of the main elements. These four toys were the same ones that past Avatars had chosen for generations when they were children, revealing that Aang was the reincarnation of the Avatar. There is a similar test a child must pass in order to be recognized as the reincarnation of a Tulku Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. According to the book Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel, "a number of objects such as rosaries, ritualistic implements, books, tea-cups, etc., are placed together, and the child must pick out those which belonged to the late tulku, thus showing that he recognizes the things which were theirs in their previous life."[29] Avatar's official site states "the successor is expected to show signs of continuity with the previous Avatar, such as being born within a week of the death."[12]

Elements

Avatar draws on four classical elements for its bending arts (rather than the 5 Classical Chinese Elements): Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Although each has its own variation, most ancient philosophies incorporate these four elements in some way, including the classical Hindu, Buddhist, Greek and Japanese elemental traditions. They are commonly used as the basis of elemental magic in modern fiction. The character King Bumi is also named after "bhumi", the Sanskrit term for "Earth" in the classical Hindu elements.

In the show’s opening, each element is accompanied by 2 Chinese characters — an ancient Chinese seal script character of the element on the left, along with a more modern Chinese character of the corresponding attribute on the right:

When read from right to left in the way Chinese characters used to be written, they form actual Chinese phrases — namely, the "benevolent water", the "strong earth", the "intense fire" and the "harmonious air".

Western culture

Cinema and books

Films series such as Star Wars, along with book series such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings were a heavy influence when it came to developing the story of Avatar, as the creators wanted to tell their own epic Legend & Lore story. [31]

Asian culture

Calligraphy

Chinese characters done in traditional East Asian calligraphy styles are used for nearly all the writing that appears in Avatar. For each instance of calligraphy, an appropriate style is used, ranging from the seal script (more archaic) to the clerical script.[28] The show employs calligrapher Siu-Leung Lee as a consultant and translator. See also: the Oracle Bone Script for the origin of many Hanzi characters and some Oracle Bone characters themselves are even used in the Avatar series.

Fighting styles

The fighting choreography of Avatar draws from martial arts, and the fighting styles and weaponry are based on Chinese martial arts, with each bending art corresponding to a certain real-world style or styles. The creators use Tai Chi for waterbending, Hung Gar for earthbending (although Toph employs a Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis style),[32] Northern Shaolin for firebending, and Ba Gua for airbending.[12] The show employs Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association as a martial arts consultant.[33]

Each fighting style was chosen to represent the element it projected:

  • Yang Style Tai Chi creates flowing energy, and fluid movements to represent water, turning an opponent's force against them. The Waterbenders find their offense in a strong defense, using the principles of energy in Tai Chi to redirect force, rather than meet it head on.
  • Hung Gar was chosen for its firmly rooted stances, linear patterns, and powerful strikes to represent the solid nature of the earth. The martial art is based on the movements of animals, particularly the tiger, which represents Hard Power, and the crane, which represents Soft Power.
  • Northern Shaolin Long Fist uses fast, aggressive attacks and techniques, making it the perfect candidate to mimic the power of fire. The strong kicks and jabs of the style, and the speed with which they are executed were meant to replicate the ferocity with which fire spreads and burns. The forms of Changquan are beautiful to watch, almost resembling dances, but also incredibly deadly, such is the nature of fire. In comparison to others, the style does not employ extensive defensive movements.
  • Ba Gua's erratic, circular movements were chosen to represent air's unpredictability and cyclical motion. Centrifugal force plays a vital role in generating power in Ba Gua, as the style lacks many finishing moves. This is echoed in the Air Nomads' belief that all life is precious, and should be protected.
  • Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis has distinguishing movements and unique footwork that are employed by Toph Bei Fong to complement her blindness, giving her an anomalous style of Earthbending.[32][34]

Non-Chinese arts have also appeared. The pirates who appear in Book One, Episodes Nine and Eighteen, employ Japanese weapons, a possible nod to the historical clashes between Shaolin monks and Japanese pirates. In The Headband, Aang's adaptation of martial arts forms into dance techniques evolves into a game of Brazilian capoeira, complete with roda and batteria, with Katara.

The flow of chi is the engine behind the bending arts. Benders require chi to flow from the breath as form of energy derived from breathing and oxygenation, and then extend that energy past their body to manipulate or manifest their element. This chi is stored in the abdomen of the bender, known among martial artists as the Dantian. Different choices of directing energy are referred to different kinds of Jing (simplified Chinese: 劲; traditional Chinese: 勁; pinyin: jìng), a system used to describe movements in sparring such as positive, or aggressive, negative, or defensive, and neutral, which is neither aggressive nor defensive.

The ability to bend stems from a compound of genetics and spirituality. As stated by the creators, all Air Nomads are benders as a result of their small population and increased spirituality in comparison to other nations. Civilization reduces spirituality and thus every nation has a different percentage of benders.[35]

Asian film

Asian cinema had a profound effect on the utilization of the choreographed martial art bending moves. Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino stated the particular influence in a magazine interview:

Asian cinema is really good at action comedy. Shaolin Soccer is one of our favorite movies. It has tons of fantastic action and lots of funny moments. Some of the effects provided inspiration for how bending moves might look on the show."[36]

Anime

While Avatar is not considered an anime because of its American origin, one review has commented that "Avatar blurs the line between anime and (US) domestic cartoons until it becomes irrelevant."[37] In addition, Avatar has many features of anime such as having a different color palette from other animated shows.[38]

Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino confirmed a particular anime influence in a magazine interview:

The best anime balances great action sequences with humor and emotion, something we try to do on Avatar. We love all the films of Hayao Miyazaki, especially Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Both movies deal with spirituality and the environment in an entertaining way. Also, there's a lot of great animation."[39]

According to an interview with the artists involved in creating Avatar, Appa's design was based on the Catbus in My Neighbor Totoro, due to the peculiar task of creating a mammal with six legs.[40]

Avatar also draws inspiration from the anime works of Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, as well as FLCL (Fooly Cooly) of Gainax. Other various studios from which inspiration was drawn include Studio 4°C, Production I.G., and Studio Ghibli.[41] Bryan has commented that some of his most cherished Watanabe fight scenes were the fight between Bebop's Spike Spiegel and a drug smuggler in "Asteroid Blues," as well as the duel between Mugen and a blind female Jojutsu-user in the Champloo episode "Elegy of Entrapment (Verse 2)." Avatar director Giancarlo Volpe also claims the staff "were all ordered to buy Fooly Cooly and watch every single episode of it."[42]

Response

Ratings

When the show debuted, it was rated the best animated television series in its demographic.[43] The show averages 1.1 million viewers on the Friday Night block of programming on Nickelodeon when new episodes premiere at 8:30 EST.[43] The one-hour special showing of Secret of the Fire Nation (consisting of the episodes "The Serpent's Pass" and "The Drill"), which was aired on September 15, 2006, gathered an audience of 4.1 million viewers. According to the Nielsen Media Research, the special was the best performing cable television show airing in that week.[44] Avatar is currently syndicated to more than 105 countries around the world and is one of Nickelodeon's top rated programs across broadcast and cable in multiple markets. The series is ranked No. 1 on Nick in Germany, Indonesia, Belgium and Colombia.[45]

Awards and Nominations

Awards Outcome
2005 Pulcinella Awards:
Best Action/Adventure TV Series Won
Best TV Series Won
33rd and 34th Annual Annie Awards:
Best Animated Television Production Nominated
Storyboarding in an Animated Television Prodcution (The Deserter) Won
Writing for an Animated Television Production (The Fortuneteller) Nominated
Character Animation in a Television Production (The Blind Bandit) Won
Directing in an Animated Television Production (The Drill) Won
2007 Genesis Awards:
Outstanding Children's Programming (Appa's Lost Days) Won
Primetime Emmy Awards:
Outstanding Animated Program (City of Walls and Secrets) Nominated
Individual Achievement Award (Sang-Jin Kim for Lake Laogai) Won

Media information

Main articles: Avatar: The Last Airbender media information and List of Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes

Broadcast history

The show was first revealed to the public in a teaser reel at Comic-Con 2004.[46] It was scheduled to air on Nickelodeon on November 29 of that year, but was delayed until February 21 of 2005. The first two episodes [47]of the series were shown together in a one-hour premiere event in the United States.

Promotion and merchandising

Avatar's success has led to promotions with Burger King and Upper Deck Entertainment, an Avatar-themed roller coaster that debuted on April 14, 2006, at Kings Island amusement park and a second to open in 2008 at The Park at MOA, and two special issues of Nick Mag Presents dedicated entirely to the show. Various members of the Avatar staff and cast appeared at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con International convention, while co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko appeared as guests of honor with Martial Arts Consultant Sifu Kisu at the Pacific Media Expo on October 28 2006. Avatar also has its own line of t-shirts, LEGO playsets, toys, a trading card game, a cine-manga, and two video games.

The Mattel-produced action figure toy line generated some controversy with its exclusion of any female characters. While minor male characters (such as King Bumi) and forms of the main characters unseen in the program (such as 'Water Nation Aang') were included, significant female characters, most notably Katara, were missing, leading to accusations of sexism.[48] However, Mattel has since released information stating that they have taken account of Katara's increased role within the program and also that she will be included in the figure assortment for mid 2007 release.[49]

Nickelodeon executives have since released highly optimistic plans for upcoming marketing strategies in regards to Avatar, with Nickelodeon President Cyma Zarghami openly stating their belief that if done correctly, the franchise very well "could become [their] Harry Potter." Nickelodeon expects consumers to spend about $121 million in 2007 on the emerging franchise, rising to $254 million in 2009 (not including revenue from commercial advertisers). The revenues make Avatar one of the most profitable animated series in television history. The marketing plans are to be enacted coinciding with the release of the first of a trilogy of live-action films based on the series in 2009.[50]

Feature film adaptation

On January 8, 2007, Paramount Pictures' MTV Films and Nick Movies announced that they have signed M. Night Shyamalan to write, direct and produce a trilogy of live-action films based on the series, the first of which will encompass the main characters' adventures of Book one.[51] The film is now in a dispute with James Cameron's film Avatar regarding title ownership.[52]

Avatar co-creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have come forward to voice their opinion within an interview regarding M. Night Shyamalan writing, directing and producing the film. The two displayed much enthusiasm over Shyamalan's decision for the adaptation, stating that they admire his work and he in turn respects their material. This newfound information dispels fears that the co-creators were going to be left completely out of the creative process as Paramount did not specify their level of contribution when initial announcements of the deal with Shyamalan came forward.[53]

Musical score

Avatar features an extensive original musical score, written by composers Benjamin Wynn and Jeremy Zuckerman, otherwise known as The Track Team.[54]

References

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  2. ^ "BitTorrent Launches Download Platform". worldscreen. 2007-02-26. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, Tony (2005-06-10). "Aang the Avatar, our kids' newest hero". TV.com Tracking. Media Life. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
  4. ^ "In Brief: Avatar's Big Finish". TVGuide: 12. December 18 – 24, 2006. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b Carlsbad (2006-01-24). "Article on Launch of Avatar Card Game". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
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  7. ^ Jim Cordeira (2006-08-21). "THQ Announces Games Convention". Gaming Age. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  8. ^ Edward Wyatt (2006-12-12). "SpongeBob SquareProfits: Nickelodeon Swears By Cartoons". NY Times. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
  9. ^ "In Their Elements." (September 2006) Nick Mag Presents, p. 6
  10. ^ It's Elementary -- Avatar: The Last Airbender
  11. ^ Avatar Spirit - Season 3 To Have 21 Episodes
  12. ^ a b c d "Nickelodeon's Official Avatar: The Last Airbender Flash Site". Nick.com. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
  13. ^ a b c "The Southern Air Temple". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 3. 2005-02-25. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b "Bitter Work". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 9. 2006-06-02. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "The Avatar State". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 21. 2006-03-17. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "The Spirit World". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 7. 2005-04-08. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "The Boy in the Iceberg". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 1. 2005-02-21. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ a b "Avatar Roku". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 8. 2005-04-15. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Ed Liu (2006-10-28). "Toon Zone Description and Review on Season 1 DVD". Toon Zone. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
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  21. ^ "The Desert". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 11. 2006-07-14. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "The Chase". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 9. 2006-06-02. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "The Storm". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 12. 2005-06-03. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Zuko Alone". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 7. 2006-05-12. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Szymanski, Mike (2007-03-20). "Avatar To End With Battle". Sci Fi Wire. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
  26. ^ "Interview With The Creators". NickSplat.com. 2005-10-12. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
  27. ^ Mark Lasswell (2005-08-25). "Article On Avatar: The Last Airbender". NY Times. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
  28. ^ a b KTChong. "Calligraphy Writing In Avatar". Distant Horizon. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
  29. ^ David-Neel, Alexandra. Magic and Mystery in Tibet. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1971 (ISBN 0-486-22682-4)
  30. ^ "Distant Horizon: Avatar Calligraphy". Retrieved 2006-12-09.
  31. ^ "IGN: Interview: Avatar's Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino". IGN.com. 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  32. ^ a b San Diego Comicon 2006 panel question and answer part 2 - Avatarspirit.net
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  34. ^ Acastus (2006-10-05). "Interview with Sifu Kisu part 1". Avatarspirit.net. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
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  40. ^ Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino (2006-09-19). Book 1: Water, Box Set (DVD).{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  41. ^ "www.musogato.com/avatar/magazine/anime_insider-dec06.jpg". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  42. ^ Volpe, Giancarlo (Director); Ehasz, Aaron (Head Writer); Desena, Jack (Voice of Sokka); Basco, Dante (Voice of Zuko). Audience Q&A Part 2 (WMV File) (Online Video). Flaming June. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
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  47. ^ "Avatar: The Boy in the Iceberg".
  48. ^ "Where's Katara? The Avatar, Mattel, and Sexism". Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  49. ^ http://community.livejournal.com/avatar_fans/1658088.html
  50. ^ "Nick pins hopes on Avatar - USAToday".
  51. ^ http://i14.tinypic.com/4qqwrcn.jpg
  52. ^ Pamela McClintock (2007-01-08). "Shyamalan's 'Avatar' also to bigscreen". Variety. Retrieved 2007-01-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. ^ Mike Szymanski (2007-03-17). "Avatar Creators Praise Night". Sci Fi Wire. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ "The Track Team". Retrieved 2007-03-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)

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