The Last Airbender

In the past year or so, my siblings, MHH and I have been following an animation series intently. It's called Avatar: The Last Airbender (sometimes known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in several countries). Have you watched it? It's aired on Nickelodeon, and TV3 (and TV9 too I think), though we never really watched the series on those channels because they were not the latest one. My brother usually downloads the latest episodes from either YouTube or Veoh. There's three Books (seasons) altogether, with 20 Chapters (episodes) for each Book. The most recent one being aired is Book 3 Chapter 13. You can also watch or download the whole series from AvatarChapters.org. Although each episode is a story on its own, it is important to watch in the correct order for the story to make sense.

What's so great about this cartoon? I like it because:

• Great idea. Although this is not the first time the four elements are being used in cartoons, the way it's being used is refreshingly interesting. Reminds me of something Robert Kiy0saki said in his books: Idea makes money.


• Flawless execution. Nice animation. The plot and storyline is interesting, entertaining and engaging. The lines are convincing, witty and funny in the right parts.


• Good values. I think the stories do portray good values for children to learn from.

What's the story about? Here's a bit from AvatarChapters.org:

In a lost age, the world is divided into four nations: Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Within each nation, there is a remarkable order of men and women called the "Benders" who can learn to harness their inborn talent and manipulate their native element. Bending is a powerful form combining martial art and elemental magic.

In each generation, only one Bender is solely capable of controlling all four elements. That Bender is the Avatar. The Avatar is the spirit of the world manifests in human form. When the Avatar dies, it reincarnates into the next nation in the cycle. Starting with the mastery of his or her native element, the Avatar learns to bend all four elements. Throughout the ages, the countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony.

Then, the Firebenders attacked. Just as the world needed the Avatar the most, he mysteriously vanished. A hundred years later, the Fire Nation is near final victory in its ruthless war of world domination. The Air Nomads were destroyed, the Air Temples ravished, and all Airbender monks eradicated. The Water Tribes were raided and driven to the brink of extinction. The Earth Kingdom remains and fights a hopeless war against the Fire Nation. Many believe the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and the cycle is broken.

In the desolated South Pole, a lone Water tribe struggles to survive. It is here that the village's last remaining Waterbender Katara and her warrior brother Sokka rescue a strange 12-year-old boy named Aang who has been suspended in hibernation in an iceberg. The tribe soon discovers that Aang is not only an Airbender--the extinct race no one has seen in a century--but also the long lost Avatar. Now Katara and Sokka must safeguard the child Avatar in his journey to master all four elements and save the world from the Fire Nation.

More on what Uncle Wiki said on the Avatar..