@@Drudenfusz I'm trying to think who you might mean lol I like season 2s cast as well but Iroh is still my fav. Trying to avoid spoilers but I guess in fairness it is easy to like a character like Iroh who already has been through his main arch and came to us highly developed
Bending is based on real-life martial arts. Firebending - Northern Shaolin kung fu waterbending - Tai chi earthbending - Hung gar kung fu airbending - Bagua
Also, while it's looser I think the four cultures are also based on real ones. Fire Nation: Japan Earth Kingdom: China Water Tribes: Inuit Air Nomads: Tibet
I think that this show has some great examples of the best way to trope. Uncle Iroh is a great mentor. Zuko had one of the best redemption arcs. Aang is a great take on the chosen one. This show just does tropes well.
Avatar fans be like: *our desires have been fulfilled* 🙇♂️🙇♀️ You're in for a big ride. I like you mentioned how the show touches on heavy topics in a natural way because it happens a lot more as the series go on. Season 2 is my favorite and does it a lot but season 3 it's the best and definitely the deepest one. Observations: · Katara is 14 and Aang is 12, or 112; · Each element movements are based on a different martial art style; · Zuko's uncle is called Iroh; · Aang hurting Katara with firebending was meant to teach him to respect the learning cicle and not rush his training; · Azula is coming. Edit: that final ad though 😂😂
@@NShll-sd9yw May wasn't my favorite character, but I didn't dislike her at all. I think she added a nice contrast to the other Fire Nation characters, and just added more personality to the show. And Ty Lee is just pure awesome, lol. She actually one of my favorite "minor" characters in the show
Air Nomads are pacifist by nature, so their style is “the path of least resistance” and circular movements. Aang can use wind to super jump, but he needs the glider to control his movements and go faster. Also even by the end of the show, Aang cannot stop those Fire Nation canons. You’ll see him try, but those things are like meteors.
Theres actually a scene in season 1 when he stops a single one. He lands, tired after splitting the canon on half then looks on in horror as he sees a whole blockade. So yeah, the idea that hes going to be able to stop the onslaught at the north pole is ludicrous
@@kristienwhitneyjohns2215 Bending in 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' has limits; benders tend to only work within a certain radius immediately around themself, which is why they tend to line a perimeter of benders around anything they're trying to protect, or try and somehow position what they're protecting immediately behind themself. Splitting something in half and redirecting the two halves around its target is also totally different from just stopping or extinguishing something completely. Plus, aside from just the extreme physical and mental toll in general, don't they make those balls of fire by lighting actual canon balls of stuff on fire..just with firebending instead of with a torch?🤔🤔 or, am I remembering that wrong? 🤷♀️ IDK Loll ( ..certain kinds of fire, in reality, can not really be extinguished effectively by water; water will merely spread it around. They must be deprived of oxygen. ....throwing air at it would only give it even MORE oxygen, not less.) 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
Jaginaia Electrizs I think she’s just misunderstanding bending. She keeps calling it an elemental magic system which it’s far from. She’ll learn though once she watches the rest of the show.
@@hotnessgaming1396 Within ATLA bending is never called magic, but within the fantasy genre any supernatural ability tends to get lumped into the category of magic and that's why she calls bending magic.
Aang's airbending: As someone who's seen the whole series, and trying not to spoil you in any sense, bending appears to be like a physical exertion for benders and takes a great deal of concentration and energy. So benders create aides, objects, and machines to help them achieve bigger movements/execution. It's a sort of limitation to their seemingly awesome power.
Yea she had the qualm with aang not choosing to simply go after the village jet was gonna flood but its less efficient and a lot slower to get to the town without his glider.
Aang needing his glider actually makes sense. Bending is like a muscle. You can't bend too much of the element and if you do it a lot you get tired. Aang is light so he can move himself a lot easily. But he can't travel big distances and he certainly can't fly. Just thought I should explain.
The glider gives Aang control while he lifts himself with air bending. So when its removed hes extremely limited in his versatility. Hence why he couldnt just summon a gust of wind to take himself down to the village when Jet took his glider.
@@thesamuraiman yeah he can jump down directly and land softly. But the village was a distance away and so required the glider. One thing he could have done would have been using the air to give him greater speed. But my head canon tells me he just wouldnt have been fast enough 🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@kristienwhitneyjohns2215 You're right. I forgot how far away the village was. I was coming back here to add that, but youtube hid my comment from me 😂 But you're right. Flying is faster than running, so it probably wouldn't have been enough
In one of the seasons in the sequal series Legend of Korra, the ability to strictly "fly" using just airbending without the use of a glider is delved into more deeply. Aang not being able to fly without his glider makes much more sense in that context. Think of it as Voldy knowing howw to fly without a broomstick.
@@ShinyShiranai That's not really what anyone was trying to argue, we understand Aang can't fly without his glider, so all you've kinda done is spoil something for someone who hasn't watched Korra yet.
I think your mind set when watching is that because benders can control their respective elements then that must mean they can control /everything/ about their elements and/or the quantity of the element and that’s leaving you frustrated. Air benders cannot fly. Like Aang they need a glider to travel by sky. It’s been proven that he can run fast by having the wind push him from behind, but he still wouldn’t have been able to get to the dam in time to stop the explosion. For water benders making a one hundred foot tidal wave by themself is impossible, unless there’s more water benders helping them out at the same time. Like how Katara and Aang have water bended together to stop the boat from going over the waterfall and how they bended together to get the boat off the shore during the episode where Aang was learning fire bending. Katara has been water bending way longer than Aang has and yet she still needed help in those situations. It’s an entirely different situation when Aang is in the avatar state (that’s why he was able to make a tidal wave in the finale, and also technically that was the spirit doing it not him), but an avatar can be extremely powerful when he or she is in the avatar state. Normal benders wouldn’t be able to do what the avatar does in the avatar state because that type of bending is just too powerful for non-avatars. There’s a limit to how much of the elements can be controlled by non-avatars.
Indeed. Now I feel inspired to resume my re-watch of LoK. Sure, both series have their little issues here and there but on the whole they're absolutely great. Agree with Merphy's comment that these shows tackle some serious subjects. This is very true of TLB, and even moreso of LoK. Also, lots of character work in all of these series. Antagonists are all well-motivated as well. LoK suffers a little from the fact that it was renewed season to season and thus had a few villian arcs that didn't develop as much compared to TLB, but within this constraint everything is still pretty well-realized.
*Refers to elemental magic* Katara: "It's not magic, it's waterbending" On another note, it's always a joy to see people discovering and appreciating this masterpiece of a series
Nature Kit that foam mouth guy was like a jump scare, only instead of being scared I lost my appetite and had to spit, even though I didn’t have anything I’m my mouth. Lol
One of the most impressive aspects of this series is how in the world building the magic system, the geopolitical landscape, the cultures, and the philosophies are completely intertwined.
The only shows I know of that come anywhere close to this one are Fullmetal Alchemist and FMA: Brotherhood. Seriously. If you've never watched them, *_you need to watch them._* FMA first, then FMA:B after. Watch 'em in English. Some of the best dubbing ever done.
Rob Vel To be fair, I don’t think they mention his name very much in the first season. Most of his interactions are with Zuko and he just calls him “uncle.”
Love Avatar, such a good series. Just a word on Aang’s air bending ability. I think you may over estimating his powers. He is strong but unless he is in the avatar state (the bit where he fuses with the ocean spirit) a lot of the things you mentioned he wouldnt be able to do on his own. Without getting into too much detail, cos it may spoil the sequel series for Korra, he cant actually fly like a bird. So if he wants go long distances he needs the glider. In the scene with Jet( the treetop episode), the fact he cant get the dam without it makes sense. This is also backed up in the episode where you meet the inventor. Where Aang explains he controls the current in the air, kinda like a plane, but himself without these wings, he cant actually fly
Being an aggressive air nomad monk would be a character flaw. We know he deeply loved being part of the Air Nation, and respected everything about their beliefs.
EFoxKitsune it’s entirely a flaw he would be a stronger earth bender if he wasn’t like that. It’s not that important but that’s why he still sucks ass at earthbending by the end of the show. He never actually masters it
Just for your information, here's an age chart for all three seasons: Aang: 12-13 Katara: 14-15 Sokka: 16-17 Zuko: 16-17 Iroh: 60-ish Azula: 14-15 Ozai: 39-ish (if my math from the books are correct) Toph (season 2): 12-13 So, the romance will be early-teenage angst and trying to tell the difference between love and crushing, but it's handle pretty well as far as these kids are concerned.
One of my favorite episodes in season 1 is The Blue Spirit, and one of the things I noticed about Zuko was how careful he was to not hurt anyone, tying them up, slicing off the spear points instead of attacking the guards themselves.
@Adrian But it was just the 13th episode of the first season , that's just the beginning. If they had done this in the 2nd season, I would have agreed with you. Zuko never needed to fight using swords before that, but in that episode, he had to, so that he could rescue Aang without revealing himself.
There's a layer of extra tragedy with Zuko's banishment and his relationship with Iroh that is easy to miss. Half the reason Iroh started discouraging him from going after the Avatar wasn't purely out of a desire to do good, it was because the Avatar had been missing for 100 years and his father telling him he could regain his honor by capturing the Avatar was really saying "You're banished and never coming back". It was never a real offer for redemption. Zuko took it at face value, and his uncle just wants what's best for him, and part of that is learning that he was manipulated and what he's seeking isn't real. Iroh knows this. In fact, I would assume Iroh, knowing his brother, half expects even catching the Avatar to do nothing for Zuko in relation to his standing with his father. So Iroh pushes Zuko to relax and to learn more about himself etc. because the true tragedy of Zuko is that he is seeking something he can never have. Anyway, there's a theory that Zuko has some mild form of Autism, and it makes a lot of sense. He takes people at face value, he has trouble changing his mind about things, doesn't really understand social interaction, sees things as absolutes 'I failed' rather than 'this time it didn't work'. its an interesting lens to view him through and made Iroh and his relationship a lot deeper and his father's manipulation that much more tragic on my last watch through
I never considered the autism spectrum theory (not that I'm against it, just never heard of the theory), but a lot of his mannerisms reflect someone who has been manipulated, gaslit, and abused by a parent and raised in a broken home, and has the social drawbacks of being raised in a very limited environment since they are royalty (you'll see Azula is the same way- could also mean she is also on a spectrum but if we wanted to diagnose her, she more so has a personality disorder partially nurtured by mental manipulation). I never thought Zuko seeing things were at face value, just that he was desperate for approval and acceptance from his father, and that honor is a cultural value from the Fire Nation (esp since it is mostly based on Japanese values) that isn't actually taken literally but more in the way to feel worthy and dignified in the eyes of people. But thats just the take I got from it. It could still be that plus the A-spec theory too. Zuko is quite a varied and complex character after all!
Bianca Ch was about to say the same thing but u put it perfectly so I don’t need to lol. brushing all of his upbringing off as autism is a dumb theory tho
I'd never thought of the Autism Spectrum thing for Zuko. An interesting theory, though a bit unnecessary given that his childhood being sheltered, manipulated, abused, and gaslit by everyone around him except his mother explains his personality well enough that the A-spec theory is a bit unnecessary. Not saying its not possible or interesting, just that its unnecessary to explain the character given what we're given in the text of the show.
I'm actually kind of glad they didn't attempt the ocean spirit. It is my FAVORITE scene in the whole series and since I had already lost hope for the movie and didn't want to see my favorite scene. Amazing how a movie can channel so much disgrace in such a short movie.
Merphy: I loved how much Aang's character grew in the 1st season. Me: *grinning* just wait. Merphy: I think Sokka was my fav. Me: *bigger grin* Season three. SEASON THREE. Merphy: Katara, good character, not my fav. Me: but IT JUST FILLED ME WITH HOPE! ... Merphy: Zuko, the main antagonist. Me: Oh, honey... oh, HONEY. Merphy: little bits of layers. Me: HE'S A FREAKING ONION. Merphy: Zuko's uncle Me: *Face splitting grin* (Iroh, btw)
Those aren’t plot conviences, Aang had said he took out a dozen battle ships prior. He was absolutely exhausted by this time. He even says it. As for jet Aang can’t fly using air bending, his glider is used to help him well glide on air currents. When jet slashed it open, he was pretty much stuck.Also Aang is a pacifist raised by monks, he really only uses his bending for defensive purposes and hates outright violence.
I like how she was able to call so many things that happened in later seasons. On top of that, spoilers aren't that bad. It's the journey that matters. P.S Uncle Iroh is fantastic. Now I will make some tea and meditate.
@@thesamuraiman Yeah, but here it is hard to watch it without the big spoiler at the end. I watched Avatar 3 weeks ago for the first time and it was great. I regret not seeing it sooner
I think that the division of seasons into “books” each with a name of the element is very figurative. In the first season, Aang and “team avatar” is flowing into the situation. Learning how to adapt, coming to terms with their journey. It is part of the lore of the story that learning all the elements is not just learning to bend them, but above all, learning that element’s quality and what it has to teach. It’s not the bending that makes the avatar spirit powerful.
I'm fangirling so hard right now. It's ridiculous haha I'm in the middle of rewatching the series and agree about everything. What struck me was that as a kid, I saw Aang as "just the main character", but now I appriciate his character so much more. Also, I laughed out loud at your sponsorship-part at the end! Edit: I kinda disliked Katara more than I used to (still like her though). I think she oftentimes assumes she's right just because, even though she has proven to be quite naive.
AndYouWillBeWithMe Warning: there are vague spoilers. It’s kind of obvious but still beware. I liked Katara. Even though she has her flaws, she is a charming character. She is probably my least favorite in the gaang (including all the later gaang members) (That was the spoiler) but that doesn’t mean I dislike her. There just isn’t any reason for me to dislike her. Sure she has her flaws but it’s balanced out with qualities Overall of her character: I like her character and her with the gaang is 👌🏻 but she’s not someone I would go out of my way to like see edits of or anything. No hate on her though. I am attached to her but she just isn’t outstanding to me. 🤷🏼♀️
I always took Aang "freezing" at the very start of the battle at the Northern Water Tribe was his guilt over running away surfacing again. You're right, its not that he is a kid...its more the fact that he ran away because he was overwhelmed by being the Avatar and here is an entire fleet of ships that he has brought down on these people. He feels responsible and freezes for a bit...but he's grown through this season and collects himself enough to go to the Spirit World to seek guidance and actually do something this time.
Ang was raised by the monks and is hence a passivist. He doesn't want to hurt anyone and always looks for the non violent way out will hold off fighting for as long as possible. Him being a passivits plays a huge role in future seasons. Kid is also 12 but yeah I see your gripe with it
I don't think Aang would have been able to just summon a tidal wave all by himself at this point. You have to be really really powerful to do that and he just learned how to waterbend simple stuff. That's why when he's in the avatar state, he can do all thr powerful stuff because it's the combined powers of every avatar before him that's enabling him.
Kathrin Jenner crazy exactly what I was thinking. I think part of her frustration with this is that she considers bending to be magic (or at least that’s how she refers to it). However, like you said bending is a physical ability that takes power. Creating a tidal wave or using air to blast all of those projectiles back was definitely too much for him this early on
@@2KJones not only that he was o e of the greatest strengths the water tribe had against the fleet so his energy would have been wasted in just trying to deflect fire balls instead of doing what he did and taking out a dozen or so ships during that first day
My thoughts exactly. I think that is also the thing that makes bending look ''fair'' in the series; you can't just do everything, you need the right state of mind, the ki and it is very physically exhausting. It's not only picking spells for your spellbook and having manapoints to spend. Why should Aang jump in front of a fireball just because he can stop it? I can catch a chair falling on me from a balcony. But it would be stupid because I could heard myself and I would probably jump out of the way by reflex. Same goes from jumping of a cliff without glider; I can swim and I can dive, but never would do it.
Remember how quickly Sokka learned from the Kyoshi Warriors, that was also less than a day of training; I always felt like some of the non-benders in this universe have hyper abilities that compensate pretty effectively.. Ty Lee is another good example
Jesse Moreno well i always thought katara waterbending was an insane jump from season one and season two, even when i was a kid watching it I found it hard to believe
@@louiseryan1230 A lot of the time-scale in the show is pretty unclear. Sometimes its days passing, sometimes much longer, and there's no real clear differentiation or signaling to the viewer. Its also important to remember that Katara hadn't been trained before reaching the Northern Water Tribe at the end of season one, but she'd probably been experimenting and figuring things out by herself for years, so it makes sense that she could pick things up pretty quickly. Though yeah, the jump from the end of season one to the beginning of season two is a bit, well, hard to believe.
Iroh is the uncles name. He is THE best character of all time, right now in season 1 he just seems like a goofball that is loveable, and u say that u think his already developed, which he has, but YOU haven’t seen what he developed from and how. You haven’t seen his backstory and his history and how ended up the way he is. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t, just know that he becomes even more loveable and u get to see his development in the past without actually seeing it (it’ll make sense). Now finish season 2 and 3, this series just gets better later, with better world building and character building coming!! Aang, katara, Sokka and zuko all develop naturally and beautifully, even characters you haven’t met yet, like aangs earth bender teacher, who is one of my favourite characters. Really, I can’t wait till you watch it and fall in love with it like the rest of us avatar fans
I'm curious on your thoughts on Admiral Zhao and the way everything with his character unfurled. Overall I found him to be much more of a threatening antagonist to the heroes in this season than Zuko. Plus with everything he did at the North Pole, he became less of an antagonist and more of a straight up villain. I'm also curious on your thoughts on Sokka's little romance with Yue, the Northern princess. While neither of these characters play a massive role in the story from here on out, they are mentioned occasionally, and I'd be interested just to hear your thoughts on them.
Oh Zhao, if you're going to try to kill what is essentially a god make sure that A: You get it right the first time and B: She doesn't have a spouse that is also, by the way, a god
> I'm also curious on your thoughts on Sokka's little romance with Yue, the Northern princess. He cheats on Suki and the show completely glosses over that fact.
@@ThePreciseClimber There was definitely not an established dating relationship between Sokka and Suki at that point. She kissed him on the cheek once, but nothing else happened. They hadn't even been on a date and they only knew each other at all for a few days. It was an implied beginning to a future romance, but it definitely wasn't a true relationship. Yue, on the other hand, definitely cheats on what's-his-face-fiance-dude with Sokka, though.
Katara doesn't feel so much like a problem. The problem is that Aang is 12 and they set this child up for a romance. Probably the one thing about the show I don't approve of.
@@moviedefender9452 Yeah it does happen in real life but I didn't really like the romance either. I don't have a problem with the age, I just feel like aang did most of the pursuing. To me throughout all the seasons Katara's worry and care for aang seemed more motherly to me so I had a hard time seeing them as a couple. However, I feel like this is mostly due to the writing of the show, so if the show had done it differently, then I would be more on board with it. I don't hate aang and Katara together, I just wish it had been done better.
He can't free flow control wind, the movements he makes cause the wind to move in specific ways. He can move the air so that it catches on the portions of his outfit for small movements, but he couldn't sustain flight nor gliding for extended periods.
Two things I love about this series, its characters and its pacing. The entire series is in less than a year, but it feels so much longer because everyone grows so much. If you compare Katara from book 3 to book 1, they’re completely different people.
Let's be honest: Aang himself could've not done anything against the fireballs with either water or airbending. Otherwise the hundreds of waterbenders of the tribe would've done it, wouldn't they? The only way he could've done something without the ocean spirit merge was with the Avatar state, but he can't activate it willingly.
I was almost in middle school when the first season aired & almost in high school when it ended there was nothing like it & nothing like it since (unless u count Korra lol) it’s truly something special and will have have a place in my heart
I just binged avatar and Korra for the first time over the last couple weeks. While I agree Sokka was my favorite of the trio my favorite character from the entire show is Zuko.
Just the mention of Avatar made me hav an entire essay's worth of stuff to talk about and I almost did that here in this comment but decided to just settle on this: I will never get tired of hearing people's thoughts as they watch it for the first time, and I wish I could watch it for the first time again 🥺 also Merhpy I'm bitter you didn't tell us you have bending skills as shown in that ad at the end- smh
I love each and every character and though I love Aang, he has always been my least favourite of the cast. Katara is 14, Sokka is 15, and Aang is 12. I am still uncomfortable with the hints as two years older as a girl between 12 and 14 is such a huge gap. I adore Sokka and his arc. I think they did a great job of hinting of Zuko's arc from the beginning. Iroh (the uncle) is the greatest. He is a fan favourite and I love his wisdom and he does have an arc though not as large as the others. He can use air to jump longer, but he cannot not fly unaided. But it is true Aang can sometimes not think things fully through Greatest sponsor video ever 😆💕
Yeah, I agree... They're cute together, but I think that age 12 is just too young to be put in a romantic subplot, especially with a 14-year-old. It may only be 2 years, but it's exactly those two years between childhood and teenager and it always makes me uncomfortable when I watch the series.
right! like the massive wave she was talking about. aang would have to be in the avatar state to create one that big if he wanted to block those fireballs. not to mention how high up he was on the wall. i hope someone tells her that bending does have distance limits because aang couldn’t have pulled that stuff off.
I'm trying to get caught up on videos, and I was so excited to see that you reviewed Avatar!! I'm currently rewatching it (I never finished Avatar but I watched seasons 1 & 2 a long time ago) and just started on season 2! I always forget Zuko's uncle's name so i don't blame you 😅 I love how many layers and growth each character has through out the series. And the action scenes are amazing!
I'm very excited for your review for season 2 because that one is my favorite. One character in particular but you haven't met them yet so I'm not gonna say. I think the people who have seen it already can guess who I'm talking about ;) Edit: yeah that thing about him just watching the fire balls hit it instead of hitting it back made me mad. Especially since we've seen him do it before when they were on Appa, flying to the fire tower
You were spot on when talking about the actions scenes. Each element has a different fighting style that they are based on. Water bending for instance comes from tai chi hence the flowing movements. Great video, can't wait for the review of season 2, 3 and 4!
Can't believe it.... I was about 13 when I watch the show that was 7 years ago man how time flies. P.S. I never picked up the sights when I watched the show, and had to be spoon fed basically...... I love your critique but if I may say Ang doesn't create a wall of air or water because there's level to the magic user and there's a limit to how much they can control the elements. Yes Ang is op and can do what others cant but dosent utilize his power or potential cause he really do not want to be the Avatar and reject his powers. Great video Merphy btw.
fun fact, the animators studied different martial arts for each of the elements. there are videos of the animators just learning martial arts in big rooms to make sure they get it as accurate as possible
Actually I don't think they went to any Asian countries to learn the fighting techniques, they had 2 martial arts consultants (mainly one, Sifu Kisu, but they did have two.) If I'm not mistaken Bryan did live in Korea for a little bit while they were first getting stuff going for avatar but that was just to be more hands on with the animators. I don't think it had anything to do with the martial arts stuff.
The show's creators based each Bending style on a style of real-world martial art, leading to visual differences in the techniques used by Waterbenders (tai chi chuan), Earthbenders (Hung Ga kung fu, for the most part), Firebenders (Northern Shaolin kung fu) and Airbenders (baguazhang).
I'm so jealous. I got to the party pretty late, too. Not to mention I watched this series... _way_ out of order, so I didn't get to follow along with a lot of the development. Uncle Iroh is _awesome_ and I'm glad we have another great mind on the Iroh bandwagon. As great as he is now... unbelievably, he gets better. I cannot wait for your take on the next two seasons. If you liked this one... well, I and many others consider it the weakest season. So that's great news, I think. It only improves from here...
It was really cool hearing your perspective on a show that I have seen probably 5 times. Normally when people review this show they (like me) already know so much about it. Its nice hearing from someone who really knows stories and is a good story teller herself that doesn’t know what happens beyond season 1. Great video! I can’t wait to watch the next:)
@@audradisselkamp5945 SPOILERS! Even though he doesnt change, I think by Arc, its his reveal that he could be a bad Firebender, but was changed by the death of his son, and the fact that he actually saved the last dragons. Not to mention the white lotus, which is a fantastic look into older people who dont want to see the world ruined (which I think is really popular bc too often now it seems like its 'us against them' in terms of the age gap.) So yeah we wont see him be one person, then develop into another, but his reveals I feel are an arc in themselves and we get alot out of him. If anything we as the viewer get our own character arc after living through this character and his messages lol
“I’m not in my ELEMENT.” Ha Ha Ha. I see what you did there. Also, by the way, this is a great series. You’re in for a treat. So many good characters, arcs, and interesting themes in this series.
They actually change how it's pronounced in the series toward the end of the series from how it was pronounced toward the beginning. The fact that they changed voice actors partway through when Uncle Iroh's original voice actor died may or may not have contributed.
@ULGROTHA to be honest I couldn't care less about the pronunciation thing because I grew up with a dub that tweaked the pronunciation of the names because it would sound a bit silly in my native language given that we have phoneticall consistency, the name pronunciations that remained unchanged were iroh's (because it sounded cooler) and Zuko's (because it's pronounced the same) I would appreciate consistency tho, the thing that does not exist in ba-singse doesn't have that, there's at least 2 different pronunciation of avatar and 3 of aang's name (and it's not like it's a different pronunciation between the 3 nations to add some sensation of diversity, gran gran and soka pronounce avatar differently)
"How dare he have a conscience" xD So happy for you that you've started this show! It's amazing and one of my favorite stories ever (not just tv shows). Looking forward to your thoughts on the other seasons!
What's funny is that I always recommend the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime to those who enjoyed Avatar because of how they both can blend comedy and heart with heavier themes and the fact that you're also (hopefully) still reading FMA is super exciting. Glad to hear you enjoyed the show and I'm looking forward to your reviews of the next two seasons!
I really hope you do reviews of the other seasons as well. It's one of the greatest shows of all time and it's great to hear more people find out and love it
0:02 *I've finally watched the first season of Avatar the last airbender,* _Apr 9, 2020_ "It aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons, from February 2005 to July 2008.", _Wikipedia_
I haven't watched Avatar in years but listening to you talk about it reminded me how much I loved it. And now I'm convinced that I don't want a Mistborn live action anything, I want to see it animated, Avatar style.
I saw the title. Imidietly saved the video in my watch later playlist. Rewatched season one. Now two days later I'm ready. And Merphy you need to do this video for the rest of the seasons! Loved this one!
I think aang is 12, katara is 14, and sokka is 15. Also there are limits to what certain benders can do. Age and experience determine the strength, so Aang could not have just "created a tidal" wave out of no where. He had just started learning waterbending. The only time he can do crazy stuff like that is when he is in the avatar state, because he gains all the experience and power from past Avatar's at that moment. And bending does have a limit, so I don't think it would have been possible for Aang to create muliple gusts of wind to get down from the mountain. Airbenders can not fly. I'm not trying to be rude i'm just trying to help you understand their bending.
The animators researched different martial art styles when figuring out bending that's why each type of bending is based of real techniques of different martial art styles
As of their introduction, Aang (biologically) and Toph are 12, Katara is 14, Sokka and Azula are 15, and Zuko and Yue are 16. Keep in mind these characters are introduced at different points along the series, so their ages may not be what this might make them seem; for instance, Sokka has turned 16 by the time he meets Yue; there is a time span of about a year between the first and last episodes.
![Avatar Season 2 Review [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3Y8PnrJbKDI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Avatar Season 2 Review [CC]](/img/tr.png)
Uncle Iroh is 100% the best character in the show and he just gets better at the series moves on
I like a certain character that gets introduced in the second season more, but uncle Iroh is nevertheless the best uncle anyone cold wish for.
@@Drudenfusz I'm trying to think who you might mean lol I like season 2s cast as well but Iroh is still my fav.
Trying to avoid spoilers but I guess in fairness it is easy to like a character like Iroh who already has been through his main arch and came to us highly developed
I love Iroh!
@@ninimeggie4771 My guess would be Toph and that's all I'll say about them because spoilers except I love them too.
.... Brave Soldier Boy... Comes Marching Home 😭
"Sokka has the potential to become a great leader"
Me: ah yes, she will love it.
Sokka's a great leader in book 1 too, he's just socially awkward.
Bread Eater aren’t we all.
Bending is based on real-life martial arts.
Firebending - Northern Shaolin kung fu
waterbending - Tai chi
earthbending - Hung gar kung fu
airbending - Bagua
Also, while it's looser I think the four cultures are also based on real ones.
Fire Nation: Japan
Earth Kingdom: China
Water Tribes: Inuit
Air Nomads: Tibet
xing yi quan master race
Except for Toph, whose earthbending style is based on Southern Praying Mantis kung fu.
@@JimCullen don't say season 2 spoilers
Hey, someone did it. Haha. I was thinking about it, but didn't feel like typing.
*breathes heavily*
@@prakritisingh7428 hes simping on avatar
@@hellothere2464 as any decent person should
@@fishraposo7192 exactly
@@fishraposo7192 nah not really
@@zainrodriguez3937 Yes, really
I think that Uncle Iroh is the best take on the "Older Mentor" trope in any fiction. I would take Iroh over Gandalf any day
CN Same! but he’s not as fleshed out until later seasons.
@@belleah5562 True. I'm excited for Merphy to get into seasons 2 and 3 because that's when pretty much all of the characters really start to shine
CN I agree. It it’s no disrespect to Gandalf, it’s just iroh is literally the trope done perfectly
I think that this show has some great examples of the best way to trope. Uncle Iroh is a great mentor. Zuko had one of the best redemption arcs. Aang is a great take on the chosen one. This show just does tropes well.
Season 2 was definitely when Iro became my favorite character. No spoilers but he gets some amazing yet sad backstory.
"There is a lot of growth in the first season"
Hahh. Haaaahaaaaaa. HAAAAAAAAA
Man you're in for a rollercoaster
*first two seasons
But, I see where you're coming from...
exactly what i was thinking lmaoo
@@tornadochaser2457 but she was only reacting to the first season do that's correct
I thought you wr
Were going to say something about my mom's feet but I see what you mean.....
@@thefangirlray Yes, I suppose you're technically correct.
Avatar fans be like:
*our desires have been fulfilled* 🙇♂️🙇♀️
You're in for a big ride. I like you mentioned how the show touches on heavy topics in a natural way because it happens a lot more as the series go on. Season 2 is my favorite and does it a lot but season 3 it's the best and definitely the deepest one.
Observations:
· Katara is 14 and Aang is 12, or 112;
· Each element movements are based on a different martial art style;
· Zuko's uncle is called Iroh;
· Aang hurting Katara with firebending was meant to teach him to respect the learning cicle and not rush his training;
· Azula is coming.
Edit: that final ad though 😂😂
Azula is my favorite villain throughout the series
Azula is coming
azula did nothing wrong
toph is coming too
Oh boy she comin', Azula be comin'!
Honestly, I can't think of a character in Avatar that I *don't* like.
cough cough *Mai and Ty lee* cough cough
@@NShll-sd9yw Nnnnope. Dig those two.
That Admiral "Zhao" i am sorry i do not have any idea how to spell the name.
@@NShll-sd9yw May wasn't my favorite character, but I didn't dislike her at all. I think she added a nice contrast to the other Fire Nation characters, and just added more personality to the show.
And Ty Lee is just pure awesome, lol. She actually one of my favorite "minor" characters in the show
@@fashionablyearlier134 You spelled his name correctly!
Air Nomads are pacifist by nature, so their style is “the path of least resistance” and circular movements. Aang can use wind to super jump, but he needs the glider to control his movements and go faster. Also even by the end of the show, Aang cannot stop those Fire Nation canons. You’ll see him try, but those things are like meteors.
Theres actually a scene in season 1 when he stops a single one. He lands, tired after splitting the canon on half then looks on in horror as he sees a whole blockade. So yeah, the idea that hes going to be able to stop the onslaught at the north pole is ludicrous
@@kristienwhitneyjohns2215 Bending in 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' has limits; benders tend to only work within a certain radius immediately around themself, which is why they tend to line a perimeter of benders around anything they're trying to protect, or try and somehow position what they're protecting immediately behind themself.
Splitting something in half and redirecting the two halves around its target is also totally different from just stopping or extinguishing something completely.
Plus, aside from just the extreme physical and mental toll in general, don't they make those balls of fire by lighting actual canon balls of stuff on fire..just with firebending instead of with a torch?🤔🤔 or, am I remembering that wrong? 🤷♀️ IDK Loll
( ..certain kinds of fire, in reality, can not really be extinguished effectively by water; water will merely spread it around. They must be deprived of oxygen. ....throwing air at it would only give it even MORE oxygen, not less.) 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
Jaginaia Electrizs I think she’s just misunderstanding bending. She keeps calling it an elemental magic system which it’s far from. She’ll learn though once she watches the rest of the show.
@@hotnessgaming1396 Within ATLA bending is never called magic, but within the fantasy genre any supernatural ability tends to get lumped into the category of magic and that's why she calls bending magic.
Sokka defeated all of the Fire Nation Cannons with the Holdo Maneuver.
Aang's airbending: As someone who's seen the whole series, and trying not to spoil you in any sense, bending appears to be like a physical exertion for benders and takes a great deal of concentration and energy. So benders create aides, objects, and machines to help them achieve bigger movements/execution. It's a sort of limitation to their seemingly awesome power.
Yea she had the qualm with aang not choosing to simply go after the village jet was gonna flood but its less efficient and a lot slower to get to the town without his glider.
*SPOILERS*
this show is good
Delete this, I can't watch the show anymore now I know that.
your profile picture i'm w h e e z i n g
Aang needing his glider actually makes sense. Bending is like a muscle. You can't bend too much of the element and if you do it a lot you get tired. Aang is light so he can move himself a lot easily. But he can't travel big distances and he certainly can't fly. Just thought I should explain.
The glider gives Aang control while he lifts himself with air bending. So when its removed hes extremely limited in his versatility. Hence why he couldnt just summon a gust of wind to take himself down to the village when Jet took his glider.
But he probably could have just jumped down there and landed softly. He's jumped ten feet in the air all the time. Haha.
@@thesamuraiman yeah he can jump down directly and land softly. But the village was a distance away and so required the glider. One thing he could have done would have been using the air to give him greater speed. But my head canon tells me he just wouldnt have been fast enough 🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@kristienwhitneyjohns2215 You're right. I forgot how far away the village was. I was coming back here to add that, but youtube hid my comment from me 😂
But you're right. Flying is faster than running, so it probably wouldn't have been enough
In one of the seasons in the sequal series Legend of Korra, the ability to strictly "fly" using just airbending without the use of a glider is delved into more deeply. Aang not being able to fly without his glider makes much more sense in that context. Think of it as Voldy knowing howw to fly without a broomstick.
@@ShinyShiranai That's not really what anyone was trying to argue, we understand Aang can't fly without his glider, so all you've kinda done is spoil something for someone who hasn't watched Korra yet.
"I'm not in my element discussing a TV series"
I see what you did there 😏
The glider is an aide for long term flying, he can do short burst of flight, but this a fatigue cost in the magic system
Also he hasn't mastered his chakras which we see is important not just in this series but in LoK
Even then, it's still just well-controlled gliding rather than true flight, which is something to be touched on.. at a later date.
@@brycelloyd3592
**spoiler**
I don't think even it is flight as much as immunity to gravity, it specifically said, "letting go of your earthly tether"
Aang can't do short bursts of flight. He can jump and then do a short burst of controlled falling.
I have to admit, even as a kid I was like "come on he could have at least deflected ONE of those fireballs!!"
I think your mind set when watching is that because benders can control their respective elements then that must mean they can control /everything/ about their elements and/or the quantity of the element and that’s leaving you frustrated.
Air benders cannot fly. Like Aang they need a glider to travel by sky. It’s been proven that he can run fast by having the wind push him from behind, but he still wouldn’t have been able to get to the dam in time to stop the explosion. For water benders making a one hundred foot tidal wave by themself is impossible, unless there’s more water benders helping them out at the same time. Like how Katara and Aang have water bended together to stop the boat from going over the waterfall and how they bended together to get the boat off the shore during the episode where Aang was learning fire bending. Katara has been water bending way longer than Aang has and yet she still needed help in those situations.
It’s an entirely different situation when Aang is in the avatar state (that’s why he was able to make a tidal wave in the finale, and also technically that was the spirit doing it not him), but an avatar can be extremely powerful when he or she is in the avatar state. Normal benders wouldn’t be able to do what the avatar does in the avatar state because that type of bending is just too powerful for non-avatars. There’s a limit to how much of the elements can be controlled by non-avatars.
THIS.
This is amazing
Thank you, her comments on this were so frustrating.
Jason Last ikr
Yes! Thank you!!!
this show will change merphy's life for the better ;)
@@Orange_684 No, like Avatar.
Indeed. Now I feel inspired to resume my re-watch of LoK. Sure, both series have their little issues here and there but on the whole they're absolutely great.
Agree with Merphy's comment that these shows tackle some serious subjects. This is very true of TLB, and even moreso of LoK.
Also, lots of character work in all of these series. Antagonists are all well-motivated as well. LoK suffers a little from the fact that it was renewed season to season and thus had a few villian arcs that didn't develop as much compared to TLB, but within this constraint everything is still pretty well-realized.
*Refers to elemental magic*
Katara: "It's not magic, it's waterbending"
On another note, it's always a joy to see people discovering and appreciating this masterpiece of a series
I want your thoughts on THE CABBAGE MAN
BlackBoy 27
And Kyoshi Island foaming mouth guy. God the legends have appeared
Nature Kit that foam mouth guy was like a jump scare, only instead of being scared I lost my appetite and had to spit, even though I didn’t have anything I’m my mouth. Lol
Asking the real questions out here
Best character in the show 100%
Yo foaming mouth guy on Kyoshi Island deserves more respect 😢
One of the most impressive aspects of this series is how in the world building the magic system, the geopolitical landscape, the cultures, and the philosophies are completely intertwined.
This show is so good it's not even fair to other shows sometimes
I can think of one other animated show as good, Gargoyles. Reboot and Exo-Squad come close.
Yes yes and yes!
I cried just watching this video thinking about the show. That doesn't happen for any other show for me
@ULGROTHA Stop being an annoying grammar person
The only shows I know of that come anywhere close to this one are Fullmetal Alchemist and FMA: Brotherhood. Seriously. If you've never watched them, *_you need to watch them._* FMA first, then FMA:B after. Watch 'em in English. Some of the best dubbing ever done.
Merphy: my favorite character was (Iroh)
*everyone liked that
Merphy: I don’t even remember his name
*no one liked that
Rob Vel To be fair, I don’t think they mention his name very much in the first season. Most of his interactions are with Zuko and he just calls him “uncle.”
Love Avatar, such a good series. Just a word on Aang’s air bending ability. I think you may over estimating his powers. He is strong but unless he is in the avatar state (the bit where he fuses with the ocean spirit) a lot of the things you mentioned he wouldnt be able to do on his own. Without getting into too much detail, cos it may spoil the sequel series for Korra, he cant actually fly like a bird. So if he wants go long distances he needs the glider. In the scene with Jet( the treetop episode), the fact he cant get the dam without it makes sense. This is also backed up in the episode where you meet the inventor. Where Aang explains he controls the current in the air, kinda like a plane, but himself without these wings, he cant actually fly
It’s funny to see her appreciate a lot of things that are only shells of how great they are in the next seasons
Aang's lack of aggression, and at times even passivity, is a character flaw that is directly addressed in later seasons. :)
It's more of a character strength that sometimes has a drawback.
I wouldn't call it a character "flaw", but otherwise true! :)
C'mon he's an Air Nomad!
Being an aggressive air nomad monk would be a character flaw. We know he deeply loved being part of the Air Nation, and respected everything about their beliefs.
EFoxKitsune it’s entirely a flaw he would be a stronger earth bender if he wasn’t like that. It’s not that important but that’s why he still sucks ass at earthbending by the end of the show. He never actually masters it
Just for your information, here's an age chart for all three seasons:
Aang: 12-13
Katara: 14-15
Sokka: 16-17
Zuko: 16-17
Iroh: 60-ish
Azula: 14-15
Ozai: 39-ish (if my math from the books are correct)
Toph (season 2): 12-13
So, the romance will be early-teenage angst and trying to tell the difference between love and crushing, but it's handle pretty well as far as these kids are concerned.
I think Ozai is more of 40-50
One of my favorite episodes in season 1 is The Blue Spirit, and one of the things I noticed about Zuko was how careful he was to not hurt anyone, tying them up, slicing off the spear points instead of attacking the guards themselves.
He even tried to save Zhao. I was like no, leave him to die.
Zuko's amazing skill, cleverness, sense of H O N O R and contant compassion seriously move me, like, in a deep emotional level.
Jen winget Zuko has the greatest growth of any character. But Toph is still my favorite.
@Adrian But it was just the 13th episode of the first season , that's just the beginning. If they had done this in the 2nd season, I would have agreed with you. Zuko never needed to fight using swords before that, but in that episode, he had to, so that he could rescue Aang without revealing himself.
There's a layer of extra tragedy with Zuko's banishment and his relationship with Iroh that is easy to miss. Half the reason Iroh started discouraging him from going after the Avatar wasn't purely out of a desire to do good, it was because the Avatar had been missing for 100 years and his father telling him he could regain his honor by capturing the Avatar was really saying "You're banished and never coming back". It was never a real offer for redemption.
Zuko took it at face value, and his uncle just wants what's best for him, and part of that is learning that he was manipulated and what he's seeking isn't real. Iroh knows this. In fact, I would assume Iroh, knowing his brother, half expects even catching the Avatar to do nothing for Zuko in relation to his standing with his father. So Iroh pushes Zuko to relax and to learn more about himself etc. because the true tragedy of Zuko is that he is seeking something he can never have.
Anyway, there's a theory that Zuko has some mild form of Autism, and it makes a lot of sense. He takes people at face value, he has trouble changing his mind about things, doesn't really understand social interaction, sees things as absolutes 'I failed' rather than 'this time it didn't work'. its an interesting lens to view him through and made Iroh and his relationship a lot deeper and his father's manipulation that much more tragic on my last watch through
Damn I never even considered Zuko might be on the spectrum. That makes a lot of sense in hindsight. Thanks for sharing.
I never considered the autism spectrum theory (not that I'm against it, just never heard of the theory), but a lot of his mannerisms reflect someone who has been manipulated, gaslit, and abused by a parent and raised in a broken home, and has the social drawbacks of being raised in a very limited environment since they are royalty (you'll see Azula is the same way- could also mean she is also on a spectrum but if we wanted to diagnose her, she more so has a personality disorder partially nurtured by mental manipulation). I never thought Zuko seeing things were at face value, just that he was desperate for approval and acceptance from his father, and that honor is a cultural value from the Fire Nation (esp since it is mostly based on Japanese values) that isn't actually taken literally but more in the way to feel worthy and dignified in the eyes of people.
But thats just the take I got from it. It could still be that plus the A-spec theory too. Zuko is quite a varied and complex character after all!
Bianca Ch was about to say the same thing but u put it perfectly so I don’t need to lol. brushing all of his upbringing off as autism is a dumb theory tho
I'd never thought of the Autism Spectrum thing for Zuko. An interesting theory, though a bit unnecessary given that his childhood being sheltered, manipulated, abused, and gaslit by everyone around him except his mother explains his personality well enough that the A-spec theory is a bit unnecessary. Not saying its not possible or interesting, just that its unnecessary to explain the character given what we're given in the text of the show.
As someone on the spectrum, I can assure you that he’s not. He’s just gaslight.
avatar is one of the few series that actually does live up to the hype that it gets.
"Make a tidal wave to block them or something"
Me: *THE LAST AIRBENDER FLASHBACKS*
I'm actually kind of glad they didn't attempt the ocean spirit. It is my FAVORITE scene in the whole series and since I had already lost hope for the movie and didn't want to see my favorite scene.
Amazing how a movie can channel so much disgrace in such a short movie.
Merphy: I loved how much Aang's character grew in the 1st season.
Me: *grinning* just wait.
Merphy: I think Sokka was my fav.
Me: *bigger grin* Season three. SEASON THREE.
Merphy: Katara, good character, not my fav.
Me: but IT JUST FILLED ME WITH HOPE!
...
Merphy: Zuko, the main antagonist.
Me: Oh, honey... oh, HONEY.
Merphy: little bits of layers.
Me: HE'S A FREAKING ONION.
Merphy: Zuko's uncle
Me: *Face splitting grin* (Iroh, btw)
😂
Literally 😂
he is an onion with a ponytail
😂😂omg yess
@@dogaoral3227 you're not wrong... LMHO
Those aren’t plot conviences, Aang had said he took out a dozen battle ships prior. He was absolutely exhausted by this time. He even says it. As for jet Aang can’t fly using air bending, his glider is used to help him well glide on air currents. When jet slashed it open, he was pretty much stuck.Also Aang is a pacifist raised by monks, he really only uses his bending for defensive purposes and hates outright violence.
I like how she was able to call so many things that happened in later seasons. On top of that, spoilers aren't that bad. It's the journey that matters.
P.S Uncle Iroh is fantastic. Now I will make some tea and meditate.
Nah, spoilers are definitely bad.
@@thesamuraiman Yeah, but here it is hard to watch it without the big spoiler at the end. I watched Avatar 3 weeks ago for the first time and it was great. I regret not seeing it sooner
Journey before destination!
@DM Animation Avatar trailers are historically very spoilery
Delectable tea, or deadly poison...
I think that the division of seasons into “books” each with a name of the element is very figurative.
In the first season, Aang and “team avatar” is flowing into the situation. Learning how to adapt, coming to terms with their journey.
It is part of the lore of the story that learning all the elements is not just learning to bend them, but above all, learning that element’s quality and what it has to teach.
It’s not the bending that makes the avatar spirit powerful.
I'm fangirling so hard right now. It's ridiculous haha
I'm in the middle of rewatching the series and agree about everything. What struck me was that as a kid, I saw Aang as "just the main character", but now I appriciate his character so much more.
Also, I laughed out loud at your sponsorship-part at the end!
Edit: I kinda disliked Katara more than I used to (still like her though). I think she oftentimes assumes she's right just because, even though she has proven to be quite naive.
Which isn't atypical for a 14-yr-old girl. I'm pretty sure I was just like that at that age. (Sometimes I think I'm still like that 20 years later...)
AndYouWillBeWithMe
Warning: there are vague spoilers. It’s kind of obvious but still beware.
I liked Katara. Even though she has her flaws, she is a charming character. She is probably my least favorite in the gaang (including all the later gaang members) (That was the spoiler) but that doesn’t mean I dislike her. There just isn’t any reason for me to dislike her. Sure she has her flaws but it’s balanced out with qualities
Overall of her character: I like her character and her with the gaang is 👌🏻 but she’s not someone I would go out of my way to like see edits of or anything.
No hate on her though. I am attached to her but she just isn’t outstanding to me. 🤷🏼♀️
I always took Aang "freezing" at the very start of the battle at the Northern Water Tribe was his guilt over running away surfacing again. You're right, its not that he is a kid...its more the fact that he ran away because he was overwhelmed by being the Avatar and here is an entire fleet of ships that he has brought down on these people. He feels responsible and freezes for a bit...but he's grown through this season and collects himself enough to go to the Spirit World to seek guidance and actually do something this time.
Zuko's uncle was General Iroh! He's actually one of the most beloved characters by the fandom
Gab Gonzales Leaves from the vine falling so slow. 😭
Dragon of the west and slayer of tea
Ang was raised by the monks and is hence a passivist. He doesn't want to hurt anyone and always looks for the non violent way out will hold off fighting for as long as possible. Him being a passivits plays a huge role in future seasons. Kid is also 12 but yeah I see your gripe with it
I don't think Aang would have been able to just summon a tidal wave all by himself at this point. You have to be really really powerful to do that and he just learned how to waterbend simple stuff. That's why when he's in the avatar state, he can do all thr powerful stuff because it's the combined powers of every avatar before him that's enabling him.
Kathrin Jenner crazy exactly what I was thinking. I think part of her frustration with this is that she considers bending to be magic (or at least that’s how she refers to it). However, like you said bending is a physical ability that takes power. Creating a tidal wave or using air to blast all of those projectiles back was definitely too much for him this early on
KJay it technically is magic. It’s just has very specific rules
@@2KJones not only that he was o e of the greatest strengths the water tribe had against the fleet so his energy would have been wasted in just trying to deflect fire balls instead of doing what he did and taking out a dozen or so ships during that first day
My thoughts exactly. I think that is also the thing that makes bending look ''fair'' in the series; you can't just do everything, you need the right state of mind, the ki and it is very physically exhausting. It's not only picking spells for your spellbook and having manapoints to spend.
Why should Aang jump in front of a fireball just because he can stop it? I can catch a chair falling on me from a balcony. But it would be stupid because I could heard myself and I would probably jump out of the way by reflex.
Same goes from jumping of a cliff without glider; I can swim and I can dive, but never would do it.
Remember how quickly Sokka learned from the Kyoshi Warriors, that was also less than a day of training; I always felt like some of the non-benders in this universe have hyper abilities that compensate pretty effectively.. Ty Lee is another good example
Jesse Moreno well i always thought katara waterbending was an insane jump from season one and season two, even when i was a kid watching it I found it hard to believe
@@louiseryan1230 A lot of the time-scale in the show is pretty unclear. Sometimes its days passing, sometimes much longer, and there's no real clear differentiation or signaling to the viewer. Its also important to remember that Katara hadn't been trained before reaching the Northern Water Tribe at the end of season one, but she'd probably been experimenting and figuring things out by herself for years, so it makes sense that she could pick things up pretty quickly. Though yeah, the jump from the end of season one to the beginning of season two is a bit, well, hard to believe.
I do believe that several days passed on Kyoshi Island, that's why Katara wanted to leave, and that's how Zuko had the time to found them.
@@blade7y156 It was said in the show that only a day had passed.
@@AnimeCritical Ah ok, thx
Iroh is the uncles name.
He is THE best character of all time, right now in season 1 he just seems like a goofball that is loveable, and u say that u think his already developed, which he has, but YOU haven’t seen what he developed from and how. You haven’t seen his backstory and his history and how ended up the way he is. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t, just know that he becomes even more loveable and u get to see his development in the past without actually seeing it (it’ll make sense).
Now finish season 2 and 3, this series just gets better later, with better world building and character building coming!! Aang, katara, Sokka and zuko all develop naturally and beautifully, even characters you haven’t met yet, like aangs earth bender teacher, who is one of my favourite characters. Really, I can’t wait till you watch it and fall in love with it like the rest of us avatar fans
Toph is the only character in the show who has a specified last name.
🤭
👁👄👁
Wang fire
...I've seen the show at least three times and I just now noticed that!
You guys can’t forget about Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the third and his daughter, June Pippinpaddleopsicopolis
And Sapphire Fire
I'm curious on your thoughts on Admiral Zhao and the way everything with his character unfurled.
Overall I found him to be much more of a threatening antagonist to the heroes in this season than Zuko. Plus with everything he did at the North Pole, he became less of an antagonist and more of a straight up villain.
I'm also curious on your thoughts on Sokka's little romance with Yue, the Northern princess.
While neither of these characters play a massive role in the story from here on out, they are mentioned occasionally, and I'd be interested just to hear your thoughts on them.
Oh Zhao, if you're going to try to kill what is essentially a god make sure that
A: You get it right the first time
and B: She doesn't have a spouse that is also, by the way, a god
same!
Excuse me... YUE BECAME THE MOON and you're telling me SHE doesn't have a *massive* role
> I'm also curious on your thoughts on Sokka's little romance with Yue, the Northern princess.
He cheats on Suki and the show completely glosses over that fact.
@@ThePreciseClimber There was definitely not an established dating relationship between Sokka and Suki at that point. She kissed him on the cheek once, but nothing else happened. They hadn't even been on a date and they only knew each other at all for a few days. It was an implied beginning to a future romance, but it definitely wasn't a true relationship. Yue, on the other hand, definitely cheats on what's-his-face-fiance-dude with Sokka, though.
Aang's character is awesome. i still look up to him, his morals, his heart, his outlook on life... its honestly just perfect lol
Greatest series ever and katara is 14 and sokka is 15 or 16
I'm not sure about Sokka's official age, but he's younger than Zuko and Zuko's 16
@@juliatrenton1611 Sokka is officially 15
Katara doesn't feel so much like a problem.
The problem is that Aang is 12 and they set this child up for a romance.
Probably the one thing about the show I don't approve of.
@@Yora21 well this is something that happens in our reality so them having it may be a problem for you but it's what society is like
@@moviedefender9452 Yeah it does happen in real life but I didn't really like the romance either. I don't have a problem with the age, I just feel like aang did most of the pursuing. To me throughout all the seasons Katara's worry and care for aang seemed more motherly to me so I had a hard time seeing them as a couple. However, I feel like this is mostly due to the writing of the show, so if the show had done it differently, then I would be more on board with it. I don't hate aang and Katara together, I just wish it had been done better.
Good. Now read Rise of the Kyoshi!
Lmao
oh hi i watch your channel!!
I'm glad to hear you liked the first season. And if you liked season one, oh boy you're going to LOVE what comes next. Avatar gets better and better.
He can't free flow control wind, the movements he makes cause the wind to move in specific ways. He can move the air so that it catches on the portions of his outfit for small movements, but he couldn't sustain flight nor gliding for extended periods.
Two things I love about this series, its characters and its pacing. The entire series is in less than a year, but it feels so much longer because everyone grows so much. If you compare Katara from book 3 to book 1, they’re completely different people.
Let's be honest: Aang himself could've not done anything against the fireballs with either water or airbending. Otherwise the hundreds of waterbenders of the tribe would've done it, wouldn't they?
The only way he could've done something without the ocean spirit merge was with the Avatar state, but he can't activate it willingly.
Even after all these years, this show is still my favorite! I even love it more now, then I loved it as a child!
Zuko's character is so complicated and I *LOVE* these kinds of characters
"I'm not in my element" *finger guns*
I was almost in middle school when the first season aired & almost in high school when it ended there was nothing like it & nothing like it since (unless u count Korra lol) it’s truly something special and will have have a place in my heart
I just binged avatar and Korra for the first time over the last couple weeks. While I agree Sokka was my favorite of the trio my favorite character from the entire show is Zuko.
As someone who has watched this series every year for years, it’s so cool to see your first reactions to the first season. You pretty much nailed it 👍
So pleased that you are watching this. Actually jealous of you, that you get to experience this fresh. Just enjoy the ride.
Just the mention of Avatar made me hav an entire essay's worth of stuff to talk about and I almost did that here in this comment but decided to just settle on this: I will never get tired of hearing people's thoughts as they watch it for the first time, and I wish I could watch it for the first time again 🥺
also Merhpy I'm bitter you didn't tell us you have bending skills as shown in that ad at the end- smh
I love each and every character and though I love Aang, he has always been my least favourite of the cast.
Katara is 14, Sokka is 15, and Aang is 12. I am still uncomfortable with the hints as two years older as a girl between 12 and 14 is such a huge gap.
I adore Sokka and his arc.
I think they did a great job of hinting of Zuko's arc from the beginning.
Iroh (the uncle) is the greatest. He is a fan favourite and I love his wisdom and he does have an arc though not as large as the others.
He can use air to jump longer, but he cannot not fly unaided. But it is true Aang can sometimes not think things fully through
Greatest sponsor video ever 😆💕
From what I remember Aang's relationship is quite one-sided since it's more his crush.
I think Aang is crushing on her and I can see that but Katara I think sees him as a little brother figure
Yeah, I agree... They're cute together, but I think that age 12 is just too young to be put in a romantic subplot, especially with a 14-year-old. It may only be 2 years, but it's exactly those two years between childhood and teenager and it always makes me uncomfortable when I watch the series.
My favorite character has to be Toph!!
Technically Aang is 112, which is definitely way worse.
Just wait until you find out how Iroh got the nickname "The Dragon of the West"
Technically...that's a fake title, as he never truly earned it, lol. Which is another reason I love his character
The things you talk about in your critique are feats that only a full fledged avatar could achieve, hes not at this power level yet.
right! like the massive wave she was talking about. aang would have to be in the avatar state to create one that big if he wanted to block those fireballs. not to mention how high up he was on the wall. i hope someone tells her that bending does have distance limits because aang couldn’t have pulled that stuff off.
Yea a full wave like the beach or even the width of your bedroom and the hieght of your house is abit of an ask.
Aang even tried and could only take out a couple ships “im just one kid” 🥺
I'm trying to get caught up on videos, and I was so excited to see that you reviewed Avatar!! I'm currently rewatching it (I never finished Avatar but I watched seasons 1 & 2 a long time ago) and just started on season 2! I always forget Zuko's uncle's name so i don't blame you 😅 I love how many layers and growth each character has through out the series. And the action scenes are amazing!
This show is on a different level
It fills me with joy that there are more people watching this show. You’re in for an *experience.*
I'm very excited for your review for season 2 because that one is my favorite. One character in particular but you haven't met them yet so I'm not gonna say. I think the people who have seen it already can guess who I'm talking about ;)
Edit: yeah that thing about him just watching the fire balls hit it instead of hitting it back made me mad. Especially since we've seen him do it before when they were on Appa, flying to the fire tower
SPOILERS!!!!
It's obviously the Earth King's bear
I agree season two is perfection.
@@arjenachten8273 of course
You were spot on when talking about the actions scenes. Each element has a different fighting style that they are based on. Water bending for instance comes from tai chi hence the flowing movements. Great video, can't wait for the review of season 2, 3 and 4!
Ah, one of my favorites as well. Honestly, it only gets better from here so you're in for a treat. I kind of want to rewatch it again.
I'm so glad that even the 1st season has given you such a good insight into the characters and their journeys, especially Sokka
Can't believe it.... I was about 13 when I watch the show that was 7 years ago man how time flies.
P.S. I never picked up the sights when I watched the show, and had to be spoon fed basically...... I love your critique but if I may say Ang doesn't create a wall of air or water because there's level to the magic user and there's a limit to how much they can control the elements. Yes Ang is op and can do what others cant but dosent utilize his power or potential cause he really do not want to be the Avatar and reject his powers. Great video Merphy btw.
"I can see him becoming a great leader" I love hearing this from someone new to the series so so much
fun fact, the animators studied different martial arts for each of the elements. there are videos of the animators just learning martial arts in big rooms to make sure they get it as accurate as possible
Actually I don't think they went to any Asian countries to learn the fighting techniques, they had 2 martial arts consultants (mainly one, Sifu Kisu, but they did have two.) If I'm not mistaken Bryan did live in Korea for a little bit while they were first getting stuff going for avatar but that was just to be more hands on with the animators. I don't think it had anything to do with the martial arts stuff.
The show's creators based each Bending style on a style of real-world martial art, leading to visual differences in the techniques used by Waterbenders (tai chi chuan), Earthbenders (Hung Ga kung fu, for the most part), Firebenders (Northern Shaolin kung fu) and Airbenders (baguazhang).
“I’m not in my element” oh I see what you did there xD
I actually screamed when I got this notification - it's always nice to see people embark on the journey that is watching avatar for the first time
I'm so jealous.
I got to the party pretty late, too. Not to mention I watched this series... _way_ out of order, so I didn't get to follow along with a lot of the development.
Uncle Iroh is _awesome_ and I'm glad we have another great mind on the Iroh bandwagon. As great as he is now... unbelievably, he gets better.
I cannot wait for your take on the next two seasons. If you liked this one... well, I and many others consider it the weakest season. So that's great news, I think. It only improves from here...
I'm so glad you liked the first season 🤗 Can't wait to hear how you feel about the rest.
It was really cool hearing your perspective on a show that I have seen probably 5 times. Normally when people review this show they (like me) already know so much about it. Its nice hearing from someone who really knows stories and is a good story teller herself that doesn’t know what happens beyond season 1. Great video! I can’t wait to watch the next:)
Merphy : I don't see much of an arch for Iroh (the uncle)
Me: OH HONEY 😂😂😂😂😂
I wouldn't say he gets a character arc, we just see more sides of them that were already there. He barely changes through the series at all.
Yeah we learn of his character arc throughout the show, but he already had his arc/ development years before the events of the show
I mean he is literally perfect so...
If we go by Joseph Campbell's progression, wouldn't he be the wise master?
@@audradisselkamp5945 SPOILERS!
Even though he doesnt change, I think by Arc, its his reveal that he could be a bad Firebender, but was changed by the death of his son, and the fact that he actually saved the last dragons. Not to mention the white lotus, which is a fantastic look into older people who dont want to see the world ruined (which I think is really popular bc too often now it seems like its 'us against them' in terms of the age gap.) So yeah we wont see him be one person, then develop into another, but his reveals I feel are an arc in themselves and we get alot out of him. If anything we as the viewer get our own character arc after living through this character and his messages lol
“I’m not in my ELEMENT.”
Ha Ha Ha. I see what you did there.
Also, by the way, this is a great series. You’re in for a treat. So many good characters, arcs, and interesting themes in this series.
Zuko's uncle is named "Iroh", pronounced "eye-row".
The name isn't said as often as people remember, so I can't blame you for not noticing it.
They say the name more in later seasons, when his actions stsrt directly affecting the plot more.
@ULGROTHA Well in my country they actually even pronounced it like this in the series 😂 Probably because in Japanese it would be "eee-row"
They actually change how it's pronounced in the series toward the end of the series from how it was pronounced toward the beginning. The fact that they changed voice actors partway through when Uncle Iroh's original voice actor died may or may not have contributed.
@ULGROTHA to be honest I couldn't care less about the pronunciation thing because I grew up with a dub that tweaked the pronunciation of the names because it would sound a bit silly in my native language given that we have phoneticall consistency, the name pronunciations that remained unchanged were iroh's (because it sounded cooler) and Zuko's (because it's pronounced the same)
I would appreciate consistency tho, the thing that does not exist in ba-singse doesn't have that, there's at least 2 different pronunciation of avatar and 3 of aang's name (and it's not like it's a different pronunciation between the 3 nations to add some sensation of diversity, gran gran and soka pronounce avatar differently)
Ear row in the movie.
"How dare he have a conscience" xD So happy for you that you've started this show! It's amazing and one of my favorite stories ever (not just tv shows). Looking forward to your thoughts on the other seasons!
ugh, u're gonna love Azula
p.s I was smiling like a fool, I love series so much and I'm happy u like it so far!
IROH IS THE BEST 💕 the way he loves Zuko 😭💖 so excited to hear you talk about the rest of the seasons!!
Ohh Merphy this show will change your life 😁
What's funny is that I always recommend the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime to those who enjoyed Avatar because of how they both can blend comedy and heart with heavier themes and the fact that you're also (hopefully) still reading FMA is super exciting. Glad to hear you enjoyed the show and I'm looking forward to your reviews of the next two seasons!
Waiting for the moment Merphy watches Tales of Ba Sing Se 😭😭
I really hope you do reviews of the other seasons as well. It's one of the greatest shows of all time and it's great to hear more people find out and love it
Since being a kid myself, I've intended to use this show to teach about heavier subjects to my own children. I love it so much.
Would you say it's... spectacular?
Hmm... upon reading this comment a second time, it appears you probably wouldn't say it's spectacular...
Literally just found this and now i cant wait for a season 2 review!
Avatar is definitely one of the best series ever! And Iroh (the uncle) is such a great character!
0:02 *I've finally watched the first season of Avatar the last airbender,* _Apr 9, 2020_
"It aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons, from February 2005 to July 2008.", _Wikipedia_
Merphy's skin is once again...GLOWING!
This is one of my favourite shows ever. I love this show. Hopefully you enjoy the rest of it.
"There might not be a romance between Aang and Katara"
Little did she know...
One of my fave ships...Katara develops feelings for him later on haha
I haven't watched Avatar in years but listening to you talk about it reminded me how much I loved it. And now I'm convinced that I don't want a Mistborn live action anything, I want to see it animated, Avatar style.
Oh my gosh yes to Mistborn animated like Avatar
Your bending in the ad looked better than the bending in the Avatar movie.
If you like Iroh you're gonna love "tales of basingse" in season 2
I saw the title. Imidietly saved the video in my watch later playlist. Rewatched season one. Now two days later I'm ready.
And Merphy you need to do this video for the rest of the seasons! Loved this one!
I think aang is 12, katara is 14, and sokka is 15. Also there are limits to what certain benders can do. Age and experience determine the strength, so Aang could not have just "created a tidal" wave out of no where. He had just started learning waterbending. The only time he can do crazy stuff like that is when he is in the avatar state, because he gains all the experience and power from past Avatar's at that moment. And bending does have a limit, so I don't think it would have been possible for Aang to create muliple gusts of wind to get down from the mountain. Airbenders can not fly.
I'm not trying to be rude i'm just trying to help you understand their bending.
Aang is a master air bender though he can do crazy stuff with air but not with other elements at this point.
Oh I was so excited to see this pop up in my feed! I can't wait to hear thoughts on the next two books. I have such a love for this show.
The animators researched different martial art styles when figuring out bending that's why each type of bending is based of real techniques of different martial art styles
As of their introduction, Aang (biologically) and Toph are 12, Katara is 14, Sokka and Azula are 15, and Zuko and Yue are 16. Keep in mind these characters are introduced at different points along the series, so their ages may not be what this might make them seem; for instance, Sokka has turned 16 by the time he meets Yue; there is a time span of about a year between the first and last episodes.