Avatar: The last Air Bender Season 1

To get ready for the new Air bender movie coming out I started watching the cartoon. I honestly have never heard anything about it before nor had any interest in watching it. But my friend and her husband have started watching it and they absolutely love it. So I thought I would give it a try. Just to let everyone know this is not a Asian Anime. This is definitely an American Cartoon/Anime brought to us by Nickelodeon. So far I’m not a big fan of the animation. To be honest it looks like Totally Spies (I know what a retarded show but I’ll admit it in the morning when I was getting ready for high school I used to watch it lol) Anyways many of the shows concepts are Eastern Asian based. I think this cartoon could of gone even further with the right animation, a more mature script and better voice actors. Having said that we have to remember the demographics for this  are I believe or for boys between 5-13 it’s still very entertaining and has been nominated and won awards including Annual Annie Awards the Genesi Awards Emmy awards and Peabody Awards. Bare in mind when you watch this that it is for a little boys, its innocent to a certain degree and cute and its has its silly innocent jokes all in all its a show for anyone old or young with a good story definitely worth a watch. It has its exciting parts its romance and fighting its conflicts even some death. The creators did a good job of making this a show really anyone can watch and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Ps. This is totally unrealted but Zuko’s voice for months I couldn’t figure out where I heard his voice before then I did some research. He’s Rufio’s voice from Hook. LOL. Lookie Lookie, I’ve got Hookie. He also played a guy from Moesha lol. Oh man does that bring back memories.

Now to the story
Earth Fire Air and Water…. years ago these 4 nations lived together in peace until the fire nation decides to destroy the other nations. There is one man called the Avatar who can stop the Fire nation. He’s a special man who can control and master all 4 elements’, but when everyone needs him he unexpectedly disappears. 100 years later two kids in the South Pole discover the new reborn Avatar -he was brought up as an air bender and has been frozen that entire time. He has a lot to learn the last 3 elements to save their world.

Season 1: Book One:Water

Episode 1: “The Boy in the Iceberg” -Katara a 14 year old water bender and her 16 year old brother Sokka are out fishing. Katara gets mad at her brother and cracks an ice berg into pieces unknowingly with her power. A strange glowing iceberg pops out of the water and they see a boy in the middle of it. The ice burg lets off a white blue light high into the sky and a ship belonging to 16 year old Prince Zuko and his uncle Iroh (the fire benders) from the fire nation see it and head towards the light. When they get the boy out he introduces him self as Aang he has this weird flying bison called Appa (which honestly looks like a cross of buffalo-beaver-polar bear with 6 legs) they figure out that he’s an air bender. Aang can’t stop looking at Katara (I can’t help it if there’s romance involved I’m going to write about it) They bring him back to the water tribe where Aang learns he is the last Air Bender alive. Aang and Katara bond and he realizes that there’s been war going on for 100 years (since he’s been gone) when he was around there was no war the only thing good about getting re-awaken was that he met Katara. They go to an abandoned fire nations war ship and set off a booby traps that alerts Prince Zoo’s ship.

Episode 2: “The Avatar Returns” -When they get back to the water tribes camp Aang gets kicked out for setting off the trap. Katara thinks its a bad idea but Aang tells her not to worry and leaves. Aang notices the fire people coming for the Water tribe he goes back and saves them by revealing that he’s the Avatar and trades himself to save the water tribe. Katara and Sokka decide to take Appa and save Aang. Aang is able to escape from the ship himself but gets knocked out and ends up in the water. Katara and Sokka see him fall into the water. Katara starts yelling out his name. In the water he hears her voice and his eyes turn blue he turns into the Avatar form and controls the water. He saves himself and passes out and returns he to normal. Katara and Sokka get him and they fly away. They decided to go to the North Pole so Aang and Katara can properly figure out how to bend Water.

Episode 3: “The Southern Air Temple” -Aang decides to take Katara and Sokka to the Air temple its changed greatly since the last time Aang was there. Katara and Sokka see the presence of a battle with the Fire tribes but they decided not to tell Aang. Aang remembers his master many years ago told him to go to the Air temples sanctuary to meet someone so they all head there. When they get there they see thousands of Statues they figure out that they were all Avatars in Aang’s past life. Meanwhile Prince Zuko goes the get repairs done on his ship at his rivals dock. We find out that his father Fire Lord Ozai has band him from returning to their land and the prince is trying to find the Avatar so he will be welcomed back. He tries to keep it a secret about the Avatar but Admiral Zhao his rival hears about the Avatar and now its a race between them. Aang and Sokka chase a lemur into a dark room where he sees many dead fire benders and his old masters skeleton. Aang gets really upset and his eyes turn blue -the Avatar form. Katara is still in the Air temple sanctuary and sees all the statues eyes light up. Meanwhile every temple in the Earth, Water, Fire, Air temples are lite up. Aang starts letting off tones of energy when Katara arrives she tries to calm him down she tells them that they may all be gone but herself and Sokka will be his family. He calms down they take the Lemur with them when they leave.

Sokka

Episode 4: “The Warriors of Kyoshi” -Aang tries to impress Katara with some of his air bending she doesn’t really pay attention. Aang wants to ride giant Koi so they got tot his island called Kyoshi. While he’s riding some kind of big fish is in the water and he uses his air bending to get out of it’s way. When he gets to shore they get captured by the Kyoshi people and Aang convinces them that he’s the Avatar. Word spreads of the Avatars whereabouts and Prince Zuko finds out. The people start treating Aang like a king and he uses his powers to impress the people. Sokka gets angry when he was taken down by a bunch of girls so he goes to get them back but ends up training with them instead. Aang asks if Katara wants to watch him on the Koi but Katara can tell the popularity is going to his head and says no. Aang thinks she’s just jealous and goes with out her. Katara does go watch to make sure he’s ok but big fish comes and and starts trying to eat him. Katara uses her Water bending to save him. At that moment Zoo’s ship arrives they put fire to the village to find Aang. Aang feels bad about what happened he jumps into the water and uses the big fish to put out the fire in the town. He air bends his way back to Appa and the others. Katara is relieved and gives him a big hug.

 

Episode 5: “The King of Omashu” -They go to the city of Omashu and they disguise Aang as an old man and entre the city gates. He’s there for one reason using a huge slide that the villagers use for the mail. They go for this wild ride and end up destroying half of the town they get taken to the King. The king finds out Aang is the Avatar and he throws them a feast. But the next day when Aang wake up Sokka and Katara are missing. The king wants him to complete some challenges then he will get his friends back and they can leave. Aang gets past all the obstacles the last thing the king wants him to do is find out his name. Aang guess’s it right. the king is his hold friend from many years ago Bumi.

Episode 6: “Imprisoned” -While the gang meets a teenage boy practicing earth bending we find out the earth bending is illegal in this part of the world and anyone who practices gets taken away just like Haru (the earth benders father). Katara and Haru go for a walk and she explains she lost her mother to the Fire nations all she has left is a necklace. They hear an old man cry out for help and Haru uses his earth bending urged by Katara to save him. Haru gets caught and taken to a ship. Katara gets herself captured for earth bending thanks to Aang and tries to get Haru back. She ends up on the same ship as Haru and his father. She tries to rally the imprisoned Earth benders but they have no hope. She decides to help them Aang gets some coal that they are using to power the ship but they still wont do anything. It takes the commander of the ship blasting Katara to awaken Haru’s spirit and saves her. His father starts steps in and then all of the earth benders fight and they take over the ship. Haru wants Katara to stay but she can’t her quest is with Aang. Katara’s mothers necklace in the battle has disappeared from her neck.

Episode 7: “The Spirit World: Winter Solstice, Part 1” -Flying over the Earth kingdom the gang stop in a destroyed forest-by the fire nation. A village leader meets them and he guess’s Aang is the Avatar and asks Aang for help. A black and white spirit comes every night and captures their people. Aang has never had anyone teach him how to be the Avatar and he’s a little unsure how to do it. Sokka thinks he shouldn’t be doing this alone and goes to help but the monster takes him. Aang chases him and when he goes to grab Sokka’s hand the monster disappears. When Aang returns the villagers and Katara can’t see him he has entered the spirit world. A spirit dragon comes belonging to Avatar Roku. Aang gets on him and the spirit guide takes him to a temple. Meanwhile Iroh gets captured by the earth benders while taking a break from his search of the Avatar. Prince Zuko sees Appa flying be saves his uncle instead. After visiting the temple the dragon drops him off at a bear statue where Aang body is waiting he returns to himself and goes to Katara. That night Aang confronts the spirit who is really the spirit of the forest Aang is able to get back all the Villagers and Sokka. Aang explains that he was in the spirit world and when he was at this certain temple. If he can make it to the crescent shaped island with that temple on it before the winder Solstice he will be able to talk to Avatar Roku. Two problems winter solstice is the next day and its in Fire Nations territory.

Avatar Roku

Episode 8: “Avatar Roku: Winter Solstice, Part 2” -The gang make it past the fire nations barriers and Prince Zuko is right behind them. The barrier ships let Zoku pass they think he knows where the Avatar is headed. They make their way to the Fire temple but Fire Sages try to capture them. One of the Sages says he can help them and they have no choice but to follow him. Aang gets past the gate and he finally gets to meet Avatar Roku. Outside Zuko and Zhao capture the trader sage, Sokka, and Katara. Roku explains about a commit that the Fire Nation used to make them stronger 100 years ago. That commit is  now returning at the end of the summer and the Fire Lord Ozai will use it to finish the war. Aang must defeat the Fire Lord before the commit arrives. It takes years to become the Avatar and master the 4 elements but he must do it before summer ends. Avatar Roku helps Aang escape and destroys the temple.

Katara and Aang

Episode 9: “The Water bending  Scroll” -Aang is freaking out about his quest and Katara tells him she will teach him the little she knows about water bending so he can practice. Aang picks it up fast and actually surpasses Katara but flushes their supplies down the stream. Katara gets a little jealous. They go to get supplies and end up stealing a water bending scroll from some pirates. Aang picks the moves up quickly while Katara struggles. She blows up at him out of frustration Aang begins to whimper and she realizes what she’s done and apologizes she gives him the scroll to practice. Prince Zuko arrives and the pirates tell him what the Avatar stole it. Later that night while everyone is sleeping Katara takes the scroll and practices. Prince Zuko sees her and kidnaps her. If she gives him the Avatar he will give her her mother’s necklace. Aang and Sokka also get kidnapped by the pirates. They decided to keep the Avatar and trade him in to the Fire Lord but Zuko and his ship fight. In all the confusing Aang Sokka and Katara are able to escape they take the ship and use their water bending to get away.

Jet

Episode 10: “Jet” -Sokka makes them all walk, and they end up in a Fire Nation camp. They meet a boy named Jet and his freedom fighters who savethem. The freedom fighters take them to their hide out. Katara kind of likes the Jet guy. Jet isn’t that great of a guy he wants to blow up an Earth town where the Fire Benders are residing. Sokka figures it out and he goes to warn the villagers while Aang and Katara try and stop Jet. Jet fights Aang in the tree tops Aang falls and Jet comes to finish him but Katara uses her water bending to protect him. Its late though Jet has already given the signal to destroy the village thankfully Sokka got the village in time and no one was injured.

Episode 11: “The Great Divide” -The gang heads to a Canyon where two tribes are fighting Aang makes a compromise so that they can all travel together with the help of a earth bending guide. The only problem is his idea makes Aang Katara and Sokka have to walk the whole entire Canyon. Unfortunately the guide gets his arms broken and they can’t make it through the canyon so its up to Aang to get them through safely. In the end they are able to work together and get out of the canyon alive.
Episode 12: “The Storm” -Aang is getting strange dreams about being the Avatar and people relying on him. They stop in a village and Sokka gets a job on a fishing boat. The old man notices Aang is the Avatar and tells him he’s useless since he hasn’t been around for the last 100 years Aang gets upset and runs away. Katara follow him he then explains his story of how he was enclosed in the ice burg.

Aang story: 100 years ago the monks felt that something bad was going to happen and they told Aang that he was the Avatar before the appointed age of 16. Because of this his friends stopped playing with him and the monk who he lived with was going to loose custody of him, Aang ran away. A big storm hit over seas and Appa and himself got thrown into the water. Aang used his powers and got incased in ice until Katara and Sokka found him.

This episode also explains Zuko’s history

Prince Zuko Story: To prepare for being king he sat at the battle table with his father. He spoke out of turn and was forced to do a duel. Yet he did not know he had to duel his father. Zuko would not fight his father and his father banished him because he would not fight. The only way to get back to the fire kingdom is to capture the Avatar.

A storm comes and Aang has to save Sokka and the old man he transforms into the Avatar to save them.

Zuko as the Blue Spirit

Episode 13: “The Blue Spirit” -Sokka and Katara get sick so Aang goes to a herbalist who tells him to get frozen frogs from the river. When he goes to the river he gets abducted by Admiral Zhao and takento his fortress. A masked man comes and saves Aang but the masked man gets Knocked out just outside the fortress and Aang saves him. When Aang  takes off the mask the man is actually Prince Zuko. Aang tells Zuko that back 100 years ago he had many friends in the Fire Kingdom if everything were normal maybe they could be friends but Zuko tries to use his Fire Bending on him and Aang escapes and goes to get the frogs for his friends.

Episode 14: “The Fortuneteller” -Aang makes Katara a necklace because Prince Zuko still has hers. When he sees her in it he’s stunned she asks how beautiful she looks. She asks how she looks and Aang replies “all of you? or just your neck” lol. Sokka tells taunts Aang saying smoochi smoochi someone’s in love but Katara tells him that Aang is just her special friend kind of like Momo (the lemur). They head to a village were a famous fortune teller is. They go to get their fortunes read a girl named Mae likes Aang at first glance and tries to pursue him Aang is indifferent. Katara goes first and Aang asks Sokka what they are talking about. Sokka says its probably about love, babies and things like that. Aang excuses himself to go to the washroom but goes to listen at the door instead. The fortune teller tells her that she sees a great romance for her the man she’s going to marry is a very powerful bender. Aang is so happy he jumps around. Sokka future is full of struggle self inflicted then she takes Aang she tells Aang that he’s the savior of the world and he will fight a big battle. But he already knows that he wants to know about his love life. The fortune teller didn’t see anything but makes it up and tells him to follow his heart and it will lead him to love. He’s pretty happy. They go outside where the fortune teller does her reading for the village if the mountain will explode or not. she says not and everyone cheers. This is when Aang decided to tell Katara that he likes her more then normal but she doesn’t hear him. Katara goes to find out more about her future. Aang asks Sokka for help with the ladies. Sokka things he means Mae so he tells him if you want to keep a girl interested you can’t be too nice. Aang goes to meet Katara and tries to act indifferent around her. lol but Katara is just acting like normal and doesn’t care. He decides to go up to the volcano to get a special rare flower. When they go there they see there’s lava and the fortune teller was wrong. they help the village by digging trenches, it isn’t enough and Aang saves them. Then Katara remembers Aunt Woo’s fortune telling about how she will marry a powerful bender…and realizes the man she marries could be Aang. Aang asks the the fortune teller if she just made up his fortune about love. She tells him he has the power to reshape his destiny.

Episode 15: “Bato of the Water Tribe” -On their journey they meet Bato a man from their tribe. Aang feels left out and when Bato suggests that they go to see their father Aang thinks they would rather do that then stay with him. Aang leaves the room upset. Both Sokka and Katara tell Bato that they would really love to see their father but Aang needs their help. Aang see a delivery man who has the where a bouts of the rendezvous point for Bato and Sokka+Kataras father. He takes the note and hides it from the others. Sokka and Katara eventually find out that he hid the note get angry and go with Bato while Aang goes his separate way. Sokka and Katara realizes that Aang is part of their family and want to go back to help him. Meanwhile Zuko hires a woman who can track the sent on Katara’s necklace he traces it to her. Aang hears about this and saves Sokka and Katara and also gets back her necklace when they are flying he gives it to her and she kisses Aang.

Episode 16: “The Deserter” -They decide to go to fire nation festival so Aang can learn some fire bending. They get discovered a man saves them, a pervious fire bender and he is not with the fire bending army. Some of the fire bender people that are not a part of the fire nation. He tells him there’s a great Fire Master who will train him in fire bending. During his training Aang is impatient and burns Katara, luckily Katara figures out she has the ability to heal. Zhao comes and tries to defeat Aang but Aang uses his power against him and burns his fleet. The Fire master disappears and they continue on their journey once more.

Episode 17: “The Northern Air Temple” -They go a Northern Air temple where an Earth Bending tribe have taken over and used it for their home. Aang gets upset when he realizes they desecrated this spiritual place for experiments. One of the main inventors is actually building weapons for the fire benders it was either that or they would have destroyed the air temple. Aang and the others come up with a war plan and when the fire nations come to claim their weapons the earth tribe will fight them.

Episode 18: “The Water bending Master” They finally make it to the North Pole they live in a huge ice city. The head water bender Master Pakku will not teach Katara water bending because she is a girl. Katara challenges him and he’s impressed. He then notices her necklace it belonged to him many years ago he was suppose to marry Katara and Sokkas grandmother, but she ran away. He teaches Aang and Katara water bending. Sokka likes the Princess of the tribe and she likes him back but he finds out that she’s already forcefully engaged. Meanwhile Zhao knows the Avatar has reached the North Water tribe. To stop them he gathers many many men including Prince Zuko’s crew. Lord Zhao decides to blow up Zuko’s ship using the pirates they ran into a few episodes ago. Prince Zuko was on the ship when it exploded but fortunately the prince jumps out before its blown up. Iroh his uncle joins Lord Zhao and Prince Zuko goes on the ship as a warrior unnoticed by Zhao.

Episode 19: “The Siege of the North: Part 1” -Katara has improved greatly in her water bending. They notice the army of Zhao, Aang realizes that he can’t defeat that many ships. He comes up with the idea if he can get help from the spirits again he may be able to defeat the army. Sokka and the princess Yue are falling in love but she finally tells him that she can’t be around him anymore. The princess takes Aang and Katara to a sanctuary where he can meditate and meet the sprits. Sokka is suppose to help the Northern Water tribe fight the Fire nation but the king has asked Sokka to look after his daughter the princess. Aang is finally able to achieve satori when Zuko who has escaped from Lord Zhao tries to disrupt him Katara knows Aang cant be moved when he’s in his trans. she has to protect him and fights Zuko. Zuko knocks her out and takes Aang’s body.

Episode 20: “The Siege of the North: Part 2” Zuko takes Aang to a nearby cave and Katara Sokka and Yue use Appa to look for Aang. The fire benders are winning Zhao reveals that he’s going to kill the the moon spirit (the spirit that gives the water benders their power) Iroh follow him. Meanwhile in Aang satori state he meets Roku. He tells him to seek out Koh a very old spirit. The spirit tells him someone is going to kill those spirits and Aang has to stop them. Aang realizes that the spirits are the fish in the sanctuary. He heads back but his body isn’t there he searches for it and finds it with prince Zuko. Lord Zhao and Iroh fight. Iroh knows if they spirit dies the balance of everything will be off. The gang saves Aang and they head to the sanctuary where they see Zhao kill the spirit. Zuko and Zhao fight desperately. Aang gets angry and turns into a huge spirit and fights back the army and kills Zhao. Yue sacrifices herself to save the moon spirit and everything turns back to normal. Katara has now become a water bender master and she will teach Aang the rest of the Water power on the journey to learn earth bending.

My first impressions of the first season.

Well I can’t deny it I’m hooked. It’s really good, but having said that I’m still not that fond of the animation I think they could have done way better. But other than that its entertaining, funny, suspenseful, adventurous and there’s just enough romance to keep this romantic occupied. Even if it is love between a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old. I like it so much I’m looking to buy the series

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