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| Tuesday, December 16, 2008 09:22 PM |
| On the Viewer - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Book One, Chapters 5-12) |
 by Fëanor |
Poppy and I have now watched two more volumes of Avatar. Here are the highlights from each episode:
"The King of Omashu"
I really enjoy the insane King of Omashu (and thanks to the fact that I've seen future episodes, I know he comes back into the story). Aang's 100 year sleep adds an interesting level to the story; it's almost like he's traveled in time. This episode also introduces a running gag that will reappear in future episodes: a cabbage vendor whose wares Aang and friends are constantly ruining, to his horror and rage. "My cabbages!!" It may not sound like it, but it's pretty hilarious.
"Imprisoned"
Katara's speech to the Earthbenders was a little corny, but I liked that it didn't work at first, and that it took a lot more to convince them to fight back. And hey, it was great hearing George Takei as the Firebender prison warden!
"Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World"
This was a really cool episode that reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki films, especially Princess Mononoke. Aang has to appease a rampaging spirit to keep it from attacking a town and kidnapping its people. The story also has shades of Beowulf, with the town gathering together in the main hall each night and trying to avoid being taken away by the monster. Aang learns a bit more about his abilities here, entering into the Spirit World and experiencing a vision that gives him a frightening look at the future, and points him toward his next goal: getting to the statue of Avatar Roku before the Solstice, so he can commune with his former self and learn what he has to do next. It's interesting that Iroh can see Roku's spirit animal when it flies by, even though no one else can; poppy and I assumed that's because Iroh, like Roku, is a Firebender, and the spirit must be a spirit of fire. The scene in which Aang resolves the issue of the spirit attacking the town, and it leaves and returns all those it's kidnapped, is powerful and beautiful.
"Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku"
Another very cool episode. Aang and friends have to make a dangerous race into Fire Nation territory to get to Avatar Roku in time for Aang to contact him, but must contend with a Fire Nation blockade, Fire Sages, and Prince Zuko. There's some awesome action and a clever trick that gets Aang in to see Roku on time. He learns some important new things and is given a deadline for mastering the other elements: before next summer, when Sozin's comet will return and the Fire Lord's power will be ascendant. Roku intercedes to help Aang and friends escape, briefly bumping Aang up to full Avatar power. Cool stuff.
"The Waterbending Scroll"
The cabbage vendor is back! Hooray! There are also pirates, and Iroh gets some very funny scenes. Actually, this episode is quite funny in general. Plus, it turns out Aang's a natural at Waterbending, which makes Katara envious and upset. Poor Katara.
"Jet"
In this episode, the gang meets Jet and his motley group of fighters, who are essentially Robin Hood and his Merry Men, preying on Fire Nation soldiers the way Robin preyed on the Sherriff of Nottingham and his soldiers. Jet seems like a wise leader and a brave warrior, and Katara is smitten with him immediately, but Sokka distrusts him - and with good reason. This is another fun episode with lots of action and a cool treehouse hideout. Katara is really getting the hang of her Waterbending, too. And Appa has some cute moments. We love Appa.
"The Great Divide"
This is not one of my favorite episodes, but it's all right. It starts off with Katara and Sokka bickering about chores; essentially Sokka is being lazy, and Katara is angry at him. Aang breaks it up, but it's just a foreshadowing of what's to come. They find themselves at what is essentially the Grand Canyon, where two tribes of refugees are preparing to cross. The problem is, the tribes are ancestral enemies and hate each other. One is made up of slobs, the other by stuck-up clean freaks. Katara knows part of Aang's job as Avatar is to bring peace, and so kind of pushes him into protecting these people and bringing them together. As you might expect, he eventually succeeds in doing this. This episode is a little more obvious than normal about teaching you its moral, which is a little disappointing, but what nearly saves the episode is the fact that the story Aang tells that ends the conflict is not entirely factual.
"The Storm"
This is a particularly cool episode, as it weaves together the telling of the origin stories of both Aang and Zuko. We finally get to learn how Zuko got his scar, and why he was banished (talk about some Daddy issues!), and we get to learn how Aang found out he was the Avatar (in a fashion very similar to the way the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama is discovered, which is not surprising, as that's clearly what the Avatar is based on), and how he ended up frozen under the water for 100 years. There's also a neat moment near the end where Aang and Zuko cross each other's paths in a rare moment of peace. I also loved hearing the voice of James Hong, one of my favorite character actors, as "Dour Monk." (And wow! I had no idea Mark Hamill was the voice of Fire Lord Ozai. Crazy.)
I really love this show. The more episodes I see, the more I love it. The characters are wonderful, there's exciting action, there's hilarious comedy. It's just great. Can't wait for the next disc! |
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