@stevenstrumpf7 This could not have been said better. In my case, I presently favour 3 over 2 because I watched enough Book 2 episodes to last a lifetime back in the day 😂 whereas I barely caught Book 3. So in my case, it may be the novelty. Definitely gonna rewatch the whole thing again 🔥🔥🔥
Well he is a genius if needed, and a ditz at any other time.^^ The first sign of this is actually him remember the "Yip Yip" command, despite paying the least attention to it.^^
I love how Aang trying and failing to learn firebending from Jeong-Jeong was the reason Zuko was able to join the gaang. Without that episode, Aang wouldn't have needed Zuko to teach him firebending, so it is likely they would have rejected him from their group, and Zuko may have never had a redemption arc
@@SkYla416 my first watch was both the worst and the best, the best in i enjoyed it the most out of any watch, but the worst because I could not stop watching it until it was finished so i spent 3 days straight binge watching the entire show.
Season 1 is the trunk to a beautiful tree. No trunk - no tree. Certainly, the beauty of season 1 is of a different nature, but you can't deny a trunk can be very beautiful as well, in another way
@@emminist naw, i think his hair kinda serves symbolism importance actually. s1 shows he's still super uptight and rigid regarding his values, i'm pretty sure tons of people have talked abt the hair cutting scene at the end of the season, his hair in season 2 symbolizes his growth as a person, and season 3 is more of zuko's shaggy hair finally symbolizing his rebellion. whereas his hair at the end of the series looks like that of a firelord that will bring change for the people. at least, that's what i think. (doesn't make his s1 hairstyle pre hair cut less ugly but i think that's the point)
Hair also represents identity to an extent, and death/rebirth from rock bottom. Think of Disney's Mulan cutting her hair in a similar way, becoming a different person. Or heck, Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.
Season 1 has one of the best speeches in the show when zuko is talking to an unconscious aang and talks about the difference between him and his sister. How he had to deal with pain and it has made him strong.
That line broke me when I least expected it to. I can't even imagine what is like to be told that as a child by your own father. That is so twisted. The emotional scars and self-esteem issues that kind of talk can create have to cut incredibly deep. Of course this is only a glimpse into the abusive behavior Zuko endured all through his childhood. I love how Season 1 makes it very clear why Zuko is the way he is and why he obsesses so much over his mission. That as a juxtaposition to those little humanizing moments like saving the sailor after essentially telling him that he doesn't care about the crew's safety, giving up chasing Aang to rescue his uncle from the Erath benders, that moment where he talks to his uncle before going off in the last arc of Season 1, etc. shows that he has a conflict over who he actually is at heart (thanks to his mother and uncle) versus who he thinks he is supposed to be (the son that will make his father proud and earn his love). That is why his arc is SO GOOD and his choice to join Team Avatar SO POWERFUL. His reunion with Iroh where he begged for forgiveness gave me serious feels. I also cried when he visited him in jail. You could tell he just wanted validation and guidance, but Iroh had the wisdom to make him confront his own choices head on. It was time for some tough love.
My personal theory is that soka was killed by cabbage man because he came back for revenge and cabbage bent the water in the cabbages and then that’s why it’s so easy to blame cabbage Corp because the company already did a crime
Xaldyn Nemo yeah it’s really cool to notice those small things like iroh redirecting azulas lightning then episodes later Zuko learns how to redirect lightning
Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning is not just about Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning. It’s also about a father-figure teaching a son how to take in life’s blows and redirecting them to your advantage.
@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 the second part is really cool. especially the fight on the gondola. but i think "zuko alone" is actually my favorite episode
17:38 Ok lemme just say this Momo was the last of his species Left in the air temple alone for years And finally he found companionship, in the gang and especially with appa, and when appa disappeared momo lost the his friend, and he was alone again. They didn’t leave any characters without character development
Andrew Ellison I don’t know if this is entirely accurate but I saw someone comment about the growth of suki being the same as sokka. She too was abit misogynistic when she said they don’t train outsiders especially boys and when she realised how capable sokka is she changes as well. But that’s about it because for the most part she was used to give sokka character development
@@PJEllison Suki was originally meant to be a one-episode character, maybe to be brought back for that failed invasion like nearly everyone else that the gang met during their journey, but she originally wasn't intended to be a recurring character, or part of Team Avatar. Her popularity with the cast and fans (heh...) alike is what brought her into the gang. That's probably why she doesn't really have much of a character development. By the time she first appears, she's already a well balanced as a person, so there's not really much room for further development in the story as she wasn't designed to be developed.
The ending of book one is personally my favorite, every time aang enters the avatar state I get intense chills down my spine, so the end of book one, where the ocean spirit takes over hearing aang say "No, it's not over" with his voice mixed with the spirit is one of the best moments of season 1 for me.
I only realized the brilliance of season 1 after rewatching it, in season 1 he is still the kid running away. yeah he has to learn water bending but he is going to procrastinate a lot first. It is only after meeting with Roku that the story feels like they are actually moving towards the northern water tride rather than just bounce around. and fighting and seeing the war first hand in the north is what makes Aang realise he can't stay a kid and must accept he is the avatar and thus season 2 and 3 are less bouncing around.
exactly. even before he got stuck in the ice berg, he didn't want to be the avatar. not to mention that he is only 12 years old. season 1 is his journey to accepting his fate.
You also have to keep in mind that they're literally traveling to the other side of the world. That's not a quick journey, so it's understandable that it takes almost a whole season. That's not to say that Aang isn't stalling, but it's not just that.
Actually, there's a nice parallel in the three seasons in terms of speed: all three start quite slow, setting the scene for development in the first two episodes, amd then continue quite aimlessly for a few episodes, then suddenly get a direction at the middle, and drive there until the climax. In season one the turning point is Roku telling Aang about the comet, and bringing up a sense of urgency that they'll keep until the end of the season, in book two (which to me has the slowest start, needed to introduce the new characters of Toph, Azula, Mai and TyLee) it's the simoultaneous disappereance of Appa and discovery of the eclipse at the end of episode 10, and in the last season it's the invasion, which starts in episode 9. They all trigger some character growth, and they all actually drive most of the season from then on.
Im 30 and hearing uncle Iroh sing under the tree still brings tears to my eyes. Thats the genius of character development in this show. It makes u feel emotion
@@cheeseham9503 my point is that the show was made for kids in 2005. So its not odd that a 30 year old would like the show since they probably grew up with it.
"It might not have all of the crazy payoffs from book 2 & 3, but it’s the reason all those payoffs even work in the first place." This sums it up perfectly, there’s so much legwork that book 1 does but I could never articulate it well.
@@spartan7983* Grabs it and throws it into the river angrily* But for real tho every scene with pai sho is serious foreshadowing for the order of the white lotus
Book 1 of Avatar is kind of like the first 2 Harry Potter books. Fantastic, does a brilliant job setting everything up and there's a charm to its more simple and straightforward narrative. It is my least favourite of the three books, but it's still incredible in its own right.
Irrelevant BMB well I agree for that for the most part but in both cases especially avatar imo they’re not strait forward , they’re more episodic and distracted from the main plot unlike later books like in either examples
@@blakedavis2447 As a pre-teen/teenager, I preferred the first 2 Harry Potter books mainly because the characters were more relatable to my age and the more lighthearted approach. Had I watched Avatar around the same time, I might have enjoyed Book 1 more than the other two. Of course I'm older now and my opinion has changed, so I now prefer the later stories but still like the early stuff a lot.
Book 1 is the worst season. But being the worst of three amazing, immaculate seasons isn’t an insult. Each season was better than the last, and that’s something a lot of shows can’t say.
no, season 3 is the worst. Most of it is just filler and then they fight the fire nation. Season 1 and season 2 are both incredible. Season 3 comes up short compared to them. Didn't realize this until I rewatched it on Netflix. Season 2 has "filler-y" episodes, but they both develop the characters and move the plot forward, ex Tales of Ba Sing Se. In season 3, the character development episodes don't move the plot at all. For example, there are entire episode dedicated to Aang dream sequences worrying about the firelord. That's cool, but it doesn't move the plot at all. There's an entire episode watching a play. Interesting to see the characters interact with the world, but doesn't move the plot at all. An entire episode of Aang going to school and dancing. Doesn't move the plot. The painted lady episode didn't move the plot at all either. Cool, we learned Katara has a great sense of justice, but good writing an do that and progress the plot at the same time. Book 3 is good TV but definitely inferior to books 1 & 2.
Nah, later they would be overpowered by the increased bending powers of the protagonists. So unnecessary to use them again although they are cool as heck.
Foreshadowing in season 1: Blue Spirit- Aang asks Zuko "If we knew each other back then, do you think we good have been friends too?" Turns out that's exactly what they were. I do confess that when I was trying to get my father to watch Avatar with me, I did tell him "You are required to watch Season 1 with me. Once Season 2 comes around, I guarantee you will be hooked." But it wasn't because I didn't like Season 1. I always viewed Season 1 as the safe season, the one the writers used to get the feel for what they were doing (have you noticed how the animation style and character designs isn't consistent until the last half of the first season) and really develop the basics of the world and the characters from which they could then be developed. It's where they introduced a bunch of different things to give us the outline. Seasons 2 and 3 were where they filled in the details and completed the picture. Season 2, in my opinion, is the point where the writers said "Ok, we got the audience's attention, now lets get going." Put simply, if Avatar was on a different network that would support a story like this, I don't think they would have played it safe. And I personally hope that since they have a definitive fan base, the live action netflix show they're making won't play it safe either.
Briana Lambert I also tell people they have to make it through the first season and into season 2 so they don’t give up and get to see the seeds planted in season 1. Especially when the series is so greatly loved, a newcomer can be pretty underwhelmed by watching season 1 by itself.
I loved Yue and Sokka's relationship in book 1. It seems unrelated but develops him with his character into being overprotective and settling his grief which I wish we saw more of.
Honestly season 1 Aang was a mood. He said I didn’t ask for any of this Avatar bullshit, I’m a 12 year old, so imma be a 12 year old. And he end up maturing a lot by the end of the show. Gotta love that
I thought it was an interesting exploration of the effects of war and how petty differences can prevent people from coming together and helping each other when their situation calls for it. Not close to my favorite, but I wouldn't call it a wasted episode.
I am very sure they would also brought these characters back, if they hadn't got so many negative feedback about the episode. Which they acknowledged them self in the recap episode. They planted enough seeds to bring them back later, just in case, but they choose not to do it because of the feedback. The same way the cabbage man was planed as a one off, but the feedback let them to reintroduce him in season 2.
So basically, instead of telling people that it gets good in books 2&3, making them think that they're just wasting their time until they get there, tell them that it plants dozens of seeds that are ALL payed off in books 2&3 in super satisfying ways. Except for the great divide. That might be the only Avatar episode that doesn't really add anything. You could argue that it develops sokka and katara's relationship, but I think it moreso just points out that they have different conflicting personalities, which has already been established and they don't do anything with it.
The only other thing this establishes is that refugees go to Ba Sing Se for safety. But I believe at that point we don't know that is the Earth Kingdom capital.
@Andrew Gharibian I respect that, but I kinda disagree. In the great divide, Aang's lying is played for laughs and comes out of nowhere. It's the solution that solves everything and isn't portrayed as a bad thing/an easy out to a more complex problem. In Bato of the watertribe, Aang keeping the message from Sokka and Katara's dad not only brings him negative consequences, but it also feels more believable to me, personally. This 12 year old kid, who grew up with a very care free life, lost everything that he's ever loved and those two are his only family now. I think it's entirely reasonable that he'd childishly hide the message because he's made the assumption that they'd leave him for their dad. Also, I think this episode is very important for Sokka, because up till this point, he's always tried to be the leader, but it's generally been played for laughs. We really see where his drive to lead comes from and his potential. On top of that, the episode solidifies Katara as the glue that holds the group together, as she's the one who first suggests that they stick with Aang regardless of what he did, because he's their friend and he needs them, and Sokka was also already thinking the same thing, which shows their maturity. It's not a perfect episode, and one of the weakest of the series, but I wouldn't call it bad or anywhere near the great divide's problems 😁. But that's just my opinion and my reasons for why I feel that way.
Andrew Gharibian kinda but not really, its sets up the bounty hunter for season 3 and also sets the tone for the invasion, and katara and sokka realizing that journeying with the avatar is more important than going back to their dad
@@MomoKanjaki Totally agreed. In Naruto, there was also a philosophical level of conflict. Naruto's infamous talk no jutsu was the key to reach a satisfying conclusion in each battle. The resolution was not only on physical level, aka Naruto blasting his opponents, but also on an ideological level, him convincing his opponents. With Madara, that conclusion was never reached. Which makes me think that Kishimoto couldn't figure out a good way to end Madara's arc in philosophical terms. (and madara was a beast, so maybe even at a physical level)
@@ilke3192 I disagree I think Madara was a person words could not reach. He claims he could see everything yet he could not see the enemy lurking behind him. His arrogance and unwillingness to listen or see others cost him everything in the end. Kaguya was listed as existing in Chapter 646. The series lasted to chapter 700. That means a weekly minimum of 54 weeks without breaks. There were some breaks in there plus his planning well before hand. So you cannot claim it was not foreshadow.
Returning to the show for the first time in ten years, I personally loved the episodic "odyssey" structure of Book 1, even without all the build-up to later seasons. The Avatar world is so rich with lore and interesting locations that I'll take any opportunity to see all the weird and interesting things that it has to offer. The fact that the writers were able to weave it into the later seasons makes it that much better, but even episodes with relatively small impacts on the later story (like say, The Fortune Teller) are amazing because they make such great use of the world. If you gave me a one off episode of an Earth Kingdom merchant traveling from port to port, with no impact on the later story, I'd take it in a heartbeat. I just want to see more of the world, and Season 1 offers so many looks into it.
Season 2 did a better job in my opinion as we got to see the lives of refugees the lives of people in basing se and we really got to see the Gaang struggle and build up from that, I think season 2 had the best of everything, I think season 3. Until the last few episodes wasn't that good
Rewatching it recently, I actually forgot that Zhao was only in the first season. He has such presence and makes for a really good foil for BOTH Zuko and Aang.
A:TLA has a deep word, strong continuity, a hard magic system, clear stakes, juggles about a dozen character complete arcs, has impressive and consistent art, and rarely feels contrived. 10/10, would watch again.
IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW. THAT’S why newcomers dislike Book One so much more than old fans. They don’t see the point of any of it and don’t appreciate the seeds it plants because they don’t realize that seeds are being planted at all (and how good the resolutions are actually going to be). I feel like newcomers and old fans appreciate Season 3 almost equally, but their love for Season 1 varies drastically. Now I realize why.
I could never decide a favorite book in the series. I don't view the story like that, I view it as three parts to the whole story. They don't work without each other. They packed so much story in this tiny little package that every episode in the series is important to have the whole story feel satisfying or even really make sense in some cases.
People are stupid I started watching it and book 1 got me hooked because I actually liked the slow pace it gave the characters their traits that entertained me instead of the narrative although it’s world building so I can say firmly I liked it for slow revaluations with well written characters.
@@luiscastanon6031 yes exactly, you learn to know and love the characters and the world in book 1. I think it did it's job pretty well! Also don't worry about your English, it's really good! English is my first language but I'm still terrible at it :P
I love season 1 because it’s so precious and innocent. It’s before the kids start experiencing real war (until the season finale). And the finale is so beautiful that it’s always made me cry watching it. It feels so spiritual.
YES YES YES! I agree with EVERYTHING!! The payoffs wouldn't have worked if they hadn't been tiny "seeds" in the first place! The "boy in the iceberg" BECAME "Avatar Aang"...That is freaking beautiful!!!!!! It made me tear up!
tbh, book 1 is where almost all of my most memorable childhood memories of avatar came from. it was the beginning of an adventure, a quest, and seeing the characters and the world of avatar in book 1 as a kid was so inspiring. book 1 is definitely under appreciated.
Book 1, 2, and 3 were all amazing to me and I've never knew there were people who didn't like Book 1, but at the end of the day ATLA is a masterpiece 🔥🔥🔥💯.
5:41 - Missed a prime opportunity; "I thought this video was about why book one is good." "Trust me, this video gets so much into that in the second part."
My favorite thing about book one was the formatting of each episode. Every episode is written like a fable; albeit sometimes cliche, there’s always some message about honesty, loyalty, compassion, etc. We need to keep in mind that this is a kids show, and even when the storyline itself doesn’t hold up to the rest of the show, the storytelling always has a purpose for the audience
The reason why I think book 1 is so important is because every character in book 1 was their most flat or weak selves. This is what allows them to gain depth and gain power. They needed a starting point, and Book 1 provided that.
I've never heard anyone say this .. this show was almost perfect .... I just binged watched the entire series agaon.... and I cant improve it .... I do wish the pacing was a little slower.... but that's just cause I wanted more episodes
Yes I totally agree thats the only reason I kind of want a the live action to work bc we can dive fuurther and take time with the story. This anime series is still untouchable and spectacular but i agree sometimes 22 min is not enoughof this brilliant series.
I wanted at least 2 more episodes with them in the Northern Water Tribe territory. I like Sokka and Yue's relationship (and her as an independent character), but it could have used a bit more development to get those max feels at the end. Plus, the anthropology lover part of my brain wanted to learn more about their society's structure and culture. You could see how it was a branch of the South, but obviously morphed into something unique due to geography, time, and history. I kinda thought it was ironic how this was the book where they spent the least amount of time (4 episodes out of 20ish) dealing with the actual element the book was named after. Then again it is the first season and they have to spend more time setting the show and its characters up.
I really really and I think we all wished that there was a season four, I don’t mind if its still about the kids, but if they became adults and it showed how much their childhood affected them I would be obsessed (not that I’m not already re watching it after I just did and obsessing over it especially the character Sokka) I WOULD CRY!
Two seeds planted in Book one that were the keys to how Aang defeated Ozai. Bumi "You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius." The Fortune Teller "Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Because my first time watching ATLA was on Netflix and I just binged it, I didn't separate the seasons in my mind, so it surprised me when I saw the fandom was referring to it as Book 1, Book 2 or Book 3. To be honest, it all really blended together and the only reason I noticed it was a different season was because of Zuko's hair change lmao.
Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning is not just about Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning. It’s also about a father-figure teaching a son how to take in life’s blows and redirecting them to one’s advantage.
Season 1 is the fundaments of one beautiful masterpiece. It wasn't supposed to be complete or perfect, it was supposed to get us hooked, to fascinate us and wanna watch season 2 - and dare I say it DONE did that. YES, the animation wasn't as good as in the latter seasons - of course it wasn't, that's what happens with most shows once they pick up popularity, they get more funding, hence better animation. Of course it has a lot of exposition and introduction of plot lines we'll only see resolved much later ... but that's what a good initial part of any story needs to do. The 1st part isn't SUPPOSED to be the most interesting one, the most crazy one - bc if it were, who'd stick around to watch the rest?! And dare I say, ATLA does a darn good job of even making the exposition amazing - The Storm, anyone? Even the episodes many feel are mere fillers still give us info about the characters, show us other facets of their personalities ... they're not supposed to be great individually, but they're crucial to the overall amazing result that was ATLA as a whole.
The best use of foreshadowing in book 1 was Iroh looking for his white lotus piece for his board. It sets up the order of the white lotus at the end of SEASON 3! What an incredible show
"The Winter Solstice Pt. 2" is one of my favorite episodes of the series. AANG KICKING THE AIR THROUGH THAT BOMB CATAPULT THING IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST RAW THINGS EVER.
I’m in the middle on Season 1. There’s still a whole lot that’s great, and to say the show doesn’t get good in season one would be false (just look at the Siege of the North or The Storm). The main thing that holds it below the other two (at least for me) is the pacing. A good portion of season one feels a little slow moving, so for newer fans (especially more impatient ones like me), it can be somewhat difficult to get into.
Season 1 was amazing. It was a bit more elementary than the later seasons, but the slow progress from elementary to something more mature made the pacing of the show flow really well. Season 1 also had some of the best martial arts choreography and introduced us to the avatar world in a really amazing way. Its only fallback is its lack of amazing characters like Toph and Azula. But once again, having such talented benders appear so early in the show could have ruined the pacing and development of the show, and introduced too much too early.
8:34 this reminds me of The Boiling Rock episode in Book 3, where Zuko and Sokka went with a hot air balloon but it started falling as they reached air full of hot steam. Zuko panicked trying to keep it flying by putting more fire under it, but Sokka was calm and got ready for the fall, telling him that it wouldn't work as 'the hot air inside is the same temperature as the hot air outside.' I completely forgot that the control of a hot air balloon was Sokka's idea from the first place. Wow.
One Dixie Cup Just For You yeah like i’m not saying it’s completely out of character but a lot of people don’t want him to hand himself that huge of an L
0:00 Intro 1:48 Music 1:54Start 2:22 Analytic approach • NO TOPH 2:57 Writers hint that they are trying to figure things out 3:30 Structure Episodic Story-Telling 4:12 Story-Arcs Book 2: Find Oppah, Save Bah-Sing-Se Book 3: Invasion Arc, 5:09 Book 1: Aang needs to learn Water Bending 5:59 _Foreshadowing_ 6:41 The Northern Air Temple, a stand-alone story, War-Balloon 7:17 They are important in Season 3 7:43 The Minor Characters Return in Season 3 - Deadly Zepplin Technology 8:53 King Boomey & Omashu, Jet & The Freedom Fighters, Kiyoshi Warriors 9:50 Winter Solstice, Spirit Encounter with Roku • The Comet’s Power 💥 11:21 The Fire Lord’s Defeat is The Ultimate Goal 12:00 _The Characters_ NUANCE, REAL PEOPLE Book 1: Establishes Book 2: Builds Book 3: Solidifys Aang & Zuko (Naruto & Sasuke) (Batman & Joker) 15:27 The Avatar & The Fire Lord (Yugi & Kaiba) 16:50 Amazing Sakka Grows As A Leader! Katara Grows Toph Iro So Satisfying Real World Feel Fantasy Elements, Cultural Influence Comedy Fun Beautiful Art-Style
One thing i expected to find in here, is how much "the fire nation" is developed in season 1. We see the outcome of the firenation's actions, in episodes such as Imprisoned, Jet, winter soltice, the deserter, and the northern air temple. All these smaller stories form together to tell a story, not about characters, but about the result of politics. Even when it is primarily Zuko and Zhao hunting Team Avatar, we really feel the entirety of the fire nation's presense and influence on the world, and how their colonization leads to day-to-day difficulty in people's lives.
@@haldir108 Ignore the troll. I 100% agree with you. Why would we care so much about the final outcome unless we care about the people who will be most affected by it? Why would Aang's growth matter to us unless we also saw what was at stake if he made the same choice now as he did 100 years ago? I had this conversation about the air temple episode where they meet the scientist with my mother not too long ago (my brother and I are making her watch it). She laughed it off as the scientist being a coward who sold himself out to the fire nation. I said that, while his choice was wrong, this man lost everything and is now responsible for other people who, like him, wanted to escape the war and live in peace. He lost his home and wife, and his only child was crippled. He loves him and the community who became his extended family. When the Fire Nation showed up he was alone and outnumbered. We all know how brutal and cruel they are to people who refuse them. They came to him, not the other way around. The scientist isn't a bad man. He was desperate and afraid. He chose to protect the people he loves above doing the objective right thing. He will have to answer for his sins, but give him credit for eventually deciding to step up. I was happy that he found people to inspire him and have his back (not that he still isn't putting himself in danger). It seemed like a very real decision an imperfect person would make under extreme pressure and hopelessness that I could at least be empathetic to. This show is deeper than some people who only watch it on a surface level want to give it credit for.
You make an interesting argument and I think I agree. In hindsight it's so easy to say that books 2 and 3 are "where it REALLY gets good," but it's only natural to remember those books more than the first one because that's where all the payoff takes place. Which is unfair to book 1 since that was setting everything up. I also agree it's great how books 2 and 3 kept going back to the well of book 1 and finding existing plot elements to expand on and reincorporate instead of just coming up with new ones, which it very well could have done (and in fact did sometimes). It shows a great deal of confidence in the existing material. As much as fans might say there's stuff in Book 1 you'd rather just forget, the writers at least always treated it with a lot of respect and considered it worth carrying out. It's hard to say how much of that was intended from the get go and how much of it was just "hey, why don't we use that thing from Book 1 again?" but either way, it's really satisfying. It makes me want to rewatch Season 1 to see how much I wouldn't have noticed the first time around.
I’m rewatching the entire show and I’m still in book 1 and there are some things I’ve either completely forgotten about or just didn’t notice. And yeah, book 1 lays the groundwork and plants the seeds for books 2&3.
That also makes sure that they didn’t pull random plot point out of their ass, if we were told about sozins comet any later it would’ve felt like they made a table and forgot it needs to have 4 legs not 2 so they grabbed the first branches from the tree that was the right size and glues them on
A great example of how incredible the attention to detail and foreshadowing is one of the smallest little nods in the entire series. Even something as insignificant and tiiiny as what name Aang will go by while in the fire nation in book 3 is foreshadowed aaaaaall the way back in "The Blue Spirit", the frog-sucking episode. It's astonishing how much the creators cared about this series. Season one is also a masterclass in effective worldbuilding. The globe-trotting style of storytelling lends itself to showing us glimpses of the world in a way that the other seasons can't. Without that setup the other seasons would be lacking a lot of what makes them great.
"Nothing is wasted" Exactly. My favorite moment in Season 1 is from Ep 11 The Great Divide where after the 2 tribes settle their differences and travel together to the Earth Kingdom, you see them again in Season 2 and they assist Team Avatar in defending the Earth King from Azula by fending off the Dai Li, both leaders soundly defeating Long Feng and shouting "REDEMPTION!!!"
That actually could've been fun. It's on the writers for not utilising the characters from TGD in later seasons. They could've but decided not to. Jet also would've been a filler episode had they not brought him back in Season 2.
I loved season 1 and still do. There are few action scenes that I find as exciting as them running the blockade with Oppa and Zuko's ship in the Winter Solstice part 2 episode. Or Katara's blow up at Master Pakku when she demanded a fight. Or foaming mouth guy.
Season 1 has one of my all time best moments of the entire series: Episode 2 when Aang and friends are about to fly away and Iroh helps Zuko up and he goes “SHOOT THEM DOWN” then they shoot a massive combined fire blast at Aang and he jumps to the front of appa and inhaled through his nose and just redirects the fire with an air blast from his staff. That was the exact moment Zuko and Iroh realized Aang is stronger than they think. Easily one of the best moments in the entire show for me
THIS VIDEO DESERVES SO MUCH MORE ATTENTION ESPECIALLY CUZ THE NEW FANBASE OF THIS SHOW GREW 667% since it became the number one watched Netflix show for 2 weeks straight. I’m a HUGE avatar fan and I appreciate content like this I’m the kinda guy who wants nothing more then a couple more season based on azula and Toph. Thanks for making this video
Good to see I'm not the only one The Storm freak out there 😂 You know what else I love about the book 1? Zhao. Before Azula, before Ozai, this show needed some other villain. Zuko was never the pure evil, so they needed to create someone else. His whole role would be to disturb team Avatar and than step away to make place for the real villains, like Azula and Ozai. They could have created some simple, shallow bad guy, but they didn't. They gave as a great villain with a goal, personality and quite fascinating backstory - and each of those elements affect main plots. His goal - to kill the moon spirit - forces Aang to explore the spirit world and face Koh. His personality - big ego, lack of morality - has a huge impact on Zuko's story and partially leads to his redemption. His backstory - the library - is an introduction of Wan Shi Tong's library that will be crutial in book 2. Zhao has some development - he gets promoted - but he's mostly steady. In a show full of characters that grow up and chagne it's important to have at least few steady characters and Zhao is perfect for that - he's ambicious, he's blinded by hunger for power, he's hardly disliked, he's a lost case, and the most important thing, he's temporary. Him being like this from the very beginning makes the way he went out more believable and satisfying.
I think the best part of his character was his death. Although overall, I’d say that he isn’t as good of a villain as Azula or Ozai, and his character wasn’t the deepest, his death almost described his entire character so well. What makes his death so great is that his action before his death defines his character forever.
@@Tyler-cm6vk his death and the story with The Firebending Master when we learn that he's unstable and aggressive. Also his unhonourable duel with Zuko, when he tried to knock him down after loosing. Also he's a tricker, we can see it in The Blue Spirit episode. I'd say there are many spicey moments that show us who Zhao is
I will say that you appreciate season 1 more when you watch the entire show. When you rewatch book 1 because you look at things that happen and really make the connections I how that influenced their character development. That's what I really like about book 1. Book 1 feeds so much into how the characters are in later seasons. Think of how different they all would be if they had never met jet or if they had never met the Kyoshi Warriors or if Anng never went to the creasent island. It is the exposition of the seasons and that is important.
The storm in context of Roku’s story plays so well. It makes so much sense that aang would run away, because in his past life, he failed, so didn’t know how he would deal with it and decided to run away in his next life. Really makes the idea of the avatar being reborn even stronger.
I think an important factor is also that Zuko is really an antagonist in this season. The show still lets you sympathize with him like in the Storm when they reveal his backstory and also show that he cares about his crew or how he respects his part of the agreement and leaves the Southern Water Tribe alone after Aang let himself get captured but at the end of the day he was still the bad guy. Obviously it has to be that way for his redemption arc to work but it's kinda sad to see him as just some angry fire shooting dude knowing how much his character will develop
YES. YES YES YES. EVERY ASPECT OF AVATAR DESERVES ALL THE PRAISE and then some, i'm CONSTANTLY finding new little details for the characters, story, and world building, even after 15 years.
Season 1 is great, but Season 2 and 3 are better. The next seasons have Azula, Toph, Ozai, Mai and so many characters that were added that made the show go from great to phenomenal. Plus they have the redemption arc of Zuko and the development of Iroh and Zuko's relationship.
Great analysis 👌🏾 I'm guessing that I'm one of the few who thinks season one was highly underrated. I was drawn to the series from the get go and believe that in order to create a great show you need a strong foundation. I agree 💯 with you!
I mean honestly people say “wait till you see season 2 and 3” is because that’s the riding action/climax of the story. Of course no one is going to boast about the introduction, though it’s amazing.
I honestly don’t think book one is that bad, it’s just when I’m trying to introduce the series to my friends and they watch the first episode, they don’t get the hype. and it’s so hard to explain how good it is without spoiling the whole series
I really like the storm episode, especially since on rewatch you get a moment where in the crowd you see Azula. That little tie in only to set her up as one of the big bads of season 2 and beyond was awesome to see
Tbh I never knew Book 1 was viewed like this. I'm rewatching it now and tbh its just fun. Every episode is fun and its even better knowing how well its payoff is. It set the stage for an enjoyable show and I find it silly people don't view it as such. Its Act I of the Hero's journey and does its job masterfully.
I definitely agree. Book 1 has the most important job out of all the books, and that's to get you invested in the world and the characters. Just because it doesn't have the most epic events doesn't make it the least greatest. Book 3 is my favorite, but I personally Book 1 should get more credit.
Actually I have never heard anyone say season 1 is bad. Though the only time I really discussed Avatar with anyone was after Korra season 1 and all I got was that ALL TLAB was amazing and most of the Korra series sucks compared to it.
Season 1 being considered bad is a lie this guy told to make himself look like an underdog fighting the status quo. A cheap trick to lure our sympathy.
After rewatching the show on netflix the little moments of forshadowing that I noticed in retrospect were so amazing. Jiao saying he found out about the location of the moon and water spirit in a library "buried somewhere in the earthkingdom" was so cool because that wasn't just a figure of speech, but he was talking about the actually buried library of Wan Shi Ton. Same with the Balloon, Moments like Iroh redirecting Lightning when no one is looking. Suki, Bumi, June and Jeong-jeong as reoccurring characters . And the siege of the North will always be one of my favorite moments in the show. I like that S1 dabbled a lot with the spiritual world in Avatar, Tui and La, Koh, The panda bear spirit, Yue giving back her life to the moon spirit etc. In later seasons the war was more of the focus so a lot of the spirital stuff was mostly pushed in the background.
Honestly, yeah, I’ve done this. Aside from the first three episodes, Spirit World Pt. 2, The Storm, The Blue Spirit, and the NWT arc, it was often very “character of the week” in structure. What people fail to recognize, self included, is that this is half of the season. I agreed with all your points, (both positive and not really negative but neutral) so good job.
16:24 I think Aang already knows this. I mean, his team went to a fire nation festival in season 1, then his team went to a fire nation city in season 3. Aang knows that the whole fire nation is not evil/dangerous.
I LOVE this show so much I’ve finished the last episode yesterday.. for the 16th time. yes, I am absolutely obsessed:3 I watch it at least once a year and it has become part of my life tbh. the connection I have to this show is unlike any other,, for me at least. Not only bcs the execution of the impeccable story line and characters is perfect IMO but also bcs of the experiences and struggles I lived with at the time I was watching idk it just feels so nostalgic but also fresh every time I rewatch it lol
Book 1 is an extremely strong season its just Books 2 and 3 just blow it out of the water. Most shows would be blessed to have a season as strong Book 1 but the other two seasons are just exceptional
Bro when the abzu music strated playing I lost my shit. The choices for clips and music is phenominal and structure seemed unique to me and extremely well done. Thanks for reminding me of the brilliant music of that small game
Minor correction: Kyoshi's spinoff series is a novel series, not a comic book series. You should read them! They're really good, especially if you felt Korra didn't quite hit those same notes you wanted from Avatar.
Another foreshadowing in the northern air temple episode is the mechanic guy is looking over the blue prints of a giant drill, that would lead to the episode "the drill" in season 2. Its a glance, and you'll miss it moment.
![Korra's Worldbuilding: How did technology advance so quickly? [ Avatar: The Last Airbender ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NZkEcbsGaC0/mqdefault.jpg)
Season 1 walked so that season 2 could run and so that season 3 could fly. The payoffs in the show were topnotch
Could not have said it better myself.
Season 2 was by far the best. It was like the Empire strikes back for avatar.
@stevenstrumpf7 This could not have been said better. In my case, I presently favour 3 over 2 because I watched enough Book 2 episodes to last a lifetime back in the day 😂 whereas I barely caught Book 3. So in my case, it may be the novelty. Definitely gonna rewatch the whole thing again 🔥🔥🔥
well said!
ThatGothGamer Daven exactly what I thought when I saw this comment, Probably cuz I'm watching empire strikes back rn
Also: Season 1 is essentially Mai in "The Beach": "I'm sorry I'm not as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you!"
@anabelle padilla +
LOL
Lol so true
"And Sokka 200-IQ-ing our way to victory." FINALLY someone mentions what a genius Sokka is!
Well he is a genius if needed, and a ditz at any other time.^^ The first sign of this is actually him remember the "Yip Yip" command, despite paying the least attention to it.^^
@@aureliodeprimus8018 True, true. He's smart and an idiot at the same time. It's the best combination.
@@storystimmler It is incredibly hard to achieve.^^
Nah we still have to look for Sokka's intelligence...get it?
@@aureliodeprimus8018 if only that were true-
I love how Aang trying and failing to learn firebending from Jeong-Jeong was the reason Zuko was able to join the gaang. Without that episode, Aang wouldn't have needed Zuko to teach him firebending, so it is likely they would have rejected him from their group, and Zuko may have never had a redemption arc
yeeeesssss
I honestly think Zuko's arc felt shoved down our throats and I didnt like it that much Jeong Jeong was better :P
@@benjaminwhitehead4050 nobody agrees with u but ok
@@TTInfiniteGaming Yeah I know XDDD
That one accident with Katara burning her hands by Aangs firebending made him stop learning it.
I wish I could erase everything about Avatar from my mind and spend the rest of my life rewatching it as a new series again and again
Same
@Soggy Carrots no it’s always great rewatching it
@Soggy Carrots well avatar studios is gonna be making new content!
I would say your first watch through is the worst. And it gets better with rewatches
@@SkYla416 my first watch was both the worst and the best, the best in i enjoyed it the most out of any watch, but the worst because I could not stop watching it until it was finished so i spent 3 days straight binge watching the entire show.
foaming mouth guy is iconic. He's right up there with cabbage guy
True
Foaming mouth guy is basically kpop stans
mr salty I haven’t seen a comment that’s more true lmao
As a k pop Stan I can confirm this is true
mr salty 🤡🤡🤡
Season 1 is the trunk to a beautiful tree. No trunk - no tree. Certainly, the beauty of season 1 is of a different nature, but you can't deny a trunk can be very beautiful as well, in another way
Perfectly put
That's an Iroh level metaphor right there
It should be the root, but trunk works too
Calm down uncle Iroh
Whoa, I didn't know uncle iroh used youtube
actually, what made everyone dislike season 1 was zuko's hairstyle pre-haircut
True and would you enjoy his hair if they where that way from the start?
emminist no. And that’s what makes it special
@@emminist naw, i think his hair kinda serves symbolism importance actually. s1 shows he's still super uptight and rigid regarding his values, i'm pretty sure tons of people have talked abt the hair cutting scene at the end of the season, his hair in season 2 symbolizes his growth as a person, and season 3 is more of zuko's shaggy hair finally symbolizing his rebellion. whereas his hair at the end of the series looks like that of a firelord that will bring change for the people. at least, that's what i think. (doesn't make his s1 hairstyle pre hair cut less ugly but i think that's the point)
Hair also represents identity to an extent, and death/rebirth from rock bottom. Think of Disney's Mulan cutting her hair in a similar way, becoming a different person. Or heck, Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.
Honestly
Season 1 has one of the best speeches in the show when zuko is talking to an unconscious aang and talks about the difference between him and his sister. How he had to deal with pain and it has made him strong.
It's a great lead in for Azula in Book 2 as well
Naxip and in the blue spirit when aang is talking to a just woken up Zuko and tells him “we could have been friends you know”
That line broke me when I least expected it to. I can't even imagine what is like to be told that as a child by your own father. That is so twisted. The emotional scars and self-esteem issues that kind of talk can create have to cut incredibly deep. Of course this is only a glimpse into the abusive behavior Zuko endured all through his childhood. I love how Season 1 makes it very clear why Zuko is the way he is and why he obsesses so much over his mission. That as a juxtaposition to those little humanizing moments like saving the sailor after essentially telling him that he doesn't care about the crew's safety, giving up chasing Aang to rescue his uncle from the Erath benders, that moment where he talks to his uncle before going off in the last arc of Season 1, etc. shows that he has a conflict over who he actually is at heart (thanks to his mother and uncle) versus who he thinks he is supposed to be (the son that will make his father proud and earn his love). That is why his arc is SO GOOD and his choice to join Team Avatar SO POWERFUL. His reunion with Iroh where he begged for forgiveness gave me serious feels. I also cried when he visited him in jail. You could tell he just wanted validation and guidance, but Iroh had the wisdom to make him confront his own choices head on. It was time for some tough love.
Yeah that scene was great. I got chills when Zuko said "I've had to struggle all my life and that makes me strong"
I’ve heard that called the “Lucky Born” speech.
Book 1 introduced one of the Most Significant characters in the entire series:
THE CABBAGE MAN
YES
Book four: cabbage man's revenge
you forgot another
FOAMING MOUTH GUY
Hahahahahahahahahahhahaa
My personal theory is that soka was killed by cabbage man because he came back for revenge and cabbage bent the water in the cabbages and then that’s why it’s so easy to blame cabbage Corp because the company already did a crime
Foreshadowing: you forgot Iroh’s redirection of lightning in The Storm episode!
Wait WHAT. I've gotta go rewatch the series (again)...
Xaldyn Nemo yeah it’s really cool to notice those small things like iroh redirecting azulas lightning then episodes later Zuko learns how to redirect lightning
Xaldyn Nemo oh no what a travesty
That was really cool🤣
Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning is not just about Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning. It’s also about a father-figure teaching a son how to take in life’s blows and redirecting them to your advantage.
I wasn't aware season 1 was viewed less favourably
Season 1 didn't have Toph and Azula
It's a lie he told to seem like an underdog fighting a status quo. What a cheap trick!
Денис Бондоренко wot? it’s not like it’s hated but most people when discussing this show do see season 1 as weak/considerably weaker lol
same, i just love the whole show
@John Leegren He's obviously joking
"The storm" is a contender for best episode of the entire show in my opinion
One of my favourites. The Blue Spirit is fantastic as well.
The drill is definitely my favorite
Oh man. The Drill was perfect. Loved that episode. One of my favourites for sure. Too many to name although I loved The Boiling Rock.
@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 the second part is really cool. especially the fight on the gondola. but i think "zuko alone" is actually my favorite episode
@@TalkToMeTeef one of the best moments of the show in this episode, when aang launches himself on the drill from the city wall. so epic
17:38
Ok lemme just say this
Momo was the last of his species
Left in the air temple alone for years
And finally he found companionship, in the gang and especially with appa, and when appa disappeared momo lost the his friend, and he was alone again.
They didn’t leave any characters without character development
*Gaang
What about Suki?
@@PJEllison idk
Andrew Ellison I don’t know if this is entirely accurate but I saw someone comment about the growth of suki being the same as sokka. She too was abit misogynistic when she said they don’t train outsiders especially boys and when she realised how capable sokka is she changes as well. But that’s about it because for the most part she was used to give sokka character development
@@PJEllison Suki was originally meant to be a one-episode character, maybe to be brought back for that failed invasion like nearly everyone else that the gang met during their journey, but she originally wasn't intended to be a recurring character, or part of Team Avatar. Her popularity with the cast and fans (heh...) alike is what brought her into the gang.
That's probably why she doesn't really have much of a character development. By the time she first appears, she's already a well balanced as a person, so there's not really much room for further development in the story as she wasn't designed to be developed.
Let's just say people wouldn't continue to book 2 and 3 if they weren't interested from book 1 🤷🏾♀️
Couldnt agree more 👌👌👌
So true👍
Book 1 💧 is so underrated. I love how innocent Book 1 is. Y’all know what I’m talking bout
@@wattsnottaken1 it's obvious you're talking about that extra drama, suspense, excitement, thrill that was there in book 2 and 3 but not 1!
The ending of book one is personally my favorite, every time aang enters the avatar state I get intense chills down my spine, so the end of book one, where the ocean spirit takes over hearing aang say "No, it's not over" with his voice mixed with the spirit is one of the best moments of season 1 for me.
I only realized the brilliance of season 1 after rewatching it, in season 1 he is still the kid running away. yeah he has to learn water bending but he is going to procrastinate a lot first. It is only after meeting with Roku that the story feels like they are actually moving towards the northern water tride rather than just bounce around. and fighting and seeing the war first hand in the north is what makes Aang realise he can't stay a kid and must accept he is the avatar and thus season 2 and 3 are less bouncing around.
exactly. even before he got stuck in the ice berg, he didn't want to be the avatar. not to mention that he is only 12 years old. season 1 is his journey to accepting his fate.
Truee
You also have to keep in mind that they're literally traveling to the other side of the world. That's not a quick journey, so it's understandable that it takes almost a whole season. That's not to say that Aang isn't stalling, but it's not just that.
Actually, there's a nice parallel in the three seasons in terms of speed: all three start quite slow, setting the scene for development in the first two episodes, amd then continue quite aimlessly for a few episodes, then suddenly get a direction at the middle, and drive there until the climax. In season one the turning point is Roku telling Aang about the comet, and bringing up a sense of urgency that they'll keep until the end of the season, in book two (which to me has the slowest start, needed to introduce the new characters of Toph, Azula, Mai and TyLee) it's the simoultaneous disappereance of Appa and discovery of the eclipse at the end of episode 10, and in the last season it's the invasion, which starts in episode 9.
They all trigger some character growth, and they all actually drive most of the season from then on.
Im 30 and hearing uncle Iroh sing under the tree still brings tears to my eyes. Thats the genius of character development in this show. It makes u feel emotion
@Renee McPhail watched it when i was younger. And a show like avatar is for all ages to enjoy and apreciate
@Renee McPhail the show was made in 2005...
@@nikolaibasic5395 15 years ago he would've been 15. That's pretty young compared to 30.
Iroh didn’t have character development.
@@cheeseham9503 my point is that the show was made for kids in 2005. So its not odd that a 30 year old would like the show since they probably grew up with it.
"It might not have all of the crazy payoffs from book 2 & 3, but it’s the reason all those payoffs even work in the first place." This sums it up perfectly, there’s so much legwork that book 1 does but I could never articulate it well.
I love how this entire series takes place in just a year.
And 2 years prior of Zuko searching for the avatar.
Momo Kanjaki zuko your really going to get a kick out of this..... *your* *honor* *was* *in* *my* *sleeve* *the* *whole* *time*
PFFFFFTTTT HAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA
@@spartan7983* Grabs it and throws it into the river angrily*
But for real tho every scene with pai sho is serious foreshadowing for the order of the white lotus
@@spartan7983 LMAOOOOOO
"...or you could do none of those things and go back to rewatching Avatar for the 15th time"
how could you call me out like this?
I have a confession. I've never watched Avatar and it's killing me that I haven't
Analytical Inkling you watched this video and spoiled the entire show for yourself without watching the show???
@@icecreamguru7584 It didn't spoil the whole show. And I watched it after.
@@gabetalks9275 It's on Netflix in most countries, you should really give it a watch but don't spoil things by watching these videos.
lizard ledgend it’s finally on Netflix for US. Super hype and it’s number 1 deservedly so.
Book 1 of Avatar is kind of like the first 2 Harry Potter books. Fantastic, does a brilliant job setting everything up and there's a charm to its more simple and straightforward narrative. It is my least favourite of the three books, but it's still incredible in its own right.
Book 1 =< Book 2 < Book 3.
Irrelevant BMB well I agree for that for the most part but in both cases especially avatar imo they’re not strait forward , they’re more episodic and distracted from the main plot unlike later books like in either examples
@@blakedavis2447
As a pre-teen/teenager, I preferred the first 2 Harry Potter books mainly because the characters were more relatable to my age and the more lighthearted approach. Had I watched Avatar around the same time, I might have enjoyed Book 1 more than the other two. Of course I'm older now and my opinion has changed, so I now prefer the later stories but still like the early stuff a lot.
Avatar Book 1 >>>>>> First 2 Harry Potter Books
@@user-pu1rv5ck5b
Debatable.
Book 1 is the worst season. But being the worst of three amazing, immaculate seasons isn’t an insult. Each season was better than the last, and that’s something a lot of shows can’t say.
True
Yea, You have an point
Idk dude
Book one is my favorite.
I agree. worst doesn't mean bad
no, season 3 is the worst. Most of it is just filler and then they fight the fire nation. Season 1 and season 2 are both incredible. Season 3 comes up short compared to them. Didn't realize this until I rewatched it on Netflix. Season 2 has "filler-y" episodes, but they both develop the characters and move the plot forward, ex Tales of Ba Sing Se. In season 3, the character development episodes don't move the plot at all. For example, there are entire episode dedicated to Aang dream sequences worrying about the firelord. That's cool, but it doesn't move the plot at all. There's an entire episode watching a play. Interesting to see the characters interact with the world, but doesn't move the plot at all. An entire episode of Aang going to school and dancing. Doesn't move the plot. The painted lady episode didn't move the plot at all either. Cool, we learned Katara has a great sense of justice, but good writing an do that and progress the plot at the same time.
Book 3 is good TV but definitely inferior to books 1 & 2.
The Yu Yan Archers were slept on and should have reappeared.
They apear, or at least 1 does as a member of Rough Rhino. Also in the comic when Ozai send one to kill the man Ursa loved (can't remember his name)
The Yu Yan archers were my favorite thing about book 1. That Blue Spirit episode is fire.
Tepotita Ikem
@@aidey8mph605 that episode is what made me view Avatar differently.
Nah, later they would be overpowered by the increased bending powers of the protagonists. So unnecessary to use them again although they are cool as heck.
Foreshadowing in season 1: Blue Spirit- Aang asks Zuko "If we knew each other back then, do you think we good have been friends too?"
Turns out that's exactly what they were.
I do confess that when I was trying to get my father to watch Avatar with me, I did tell him "You are required to watch Season 1 with me. Once Season 2 comes around, I guarantee you will be hooked."
But it wasn't because I didn't like Season 1. I always viewed Season 1 as the safe season, the one the writers used to get the feel for what they were doing (have you noticed how the animation style and character designs isn't consistent until the last half of the first season) and really develop the basics of the world and the characters from which they could then be developed. It's where they introduced a bunch of different things to give us the outline. Seasons 2 and 3 were where they filled in the details and completed the picture.
Season 2, in my opinion, is the point where the writers said "Ok, we got the audience's attention, now lets get going."
Put simply, if Avatar was on a different network that would support a story like this, I don't think they would have played it safe. And I personally hope that since they have a definitive fan base, the live action netflix show they're making won't play it safe either.
Briana Lambert I also tell people they have to make it through the first season and into season 2 so they don’t give up and get to see the seeds planted in season 1. Especially when the series is so greatly loved, a newcomer can be pretty underwhelmed by watching season 1 by itself.
I loved Yue and Sokka's relationship in book 1. It seems unrelated but develops him with his character into being overprotective and settling his grief which I wish we saw more of.
She was soooo sweet
dude we need 20+ mins analysis of each books
Honestly season 1 Aang was a mood. He said I didn’t ask for any of this Avatar bullshit, I’m a 12 year old, so imma be a 12 year old. And he end up maturing a lot by the end of the show. Gotta love that
“-Nothing is wasted.”
Characters in The Great Divide : 👁👄👁
I mean honestly I see The Great Divide as character development for Aang, Katara and Sokka more than just a filler.
I thought it was an interesting exploration of the effects of war and how petty differences can prevent people from coming together and helping each other when their situation calls for it. Not close to my favorite, but I wouldn't call it a wasted episode.
Hahahahahahahhaahhahahaha
And he lied just to bring peace. Well i find that cute and witty 🤭👌
I am very sure they would also brought these characters back, if they hadn't got so many negative feedback about the episode. Which they acknowledged them self in the recap episode. They planted enough seeds to bring them back later, just in case, but they choose not to do it because of the feedback. The same way the cabbage man was planed as a one off, but the feedback let them to reintroduce him in season 2.
So basically, instead of telling people that it gets good in books 2&3, making them think that they're just wasting their time until they get there, tell them that it plants dozens of seeds that are ALL payed off in books 2&3 in super satisfying ways.
Except for the great divide. That might be the only Avatar episode that doesn't really add anything. You could argue that it develops sokka and katara's relationship, but I think it moreso just points out that they have different conflicting personalities, which has already been established and they don't do anything with it.
The only other thing this establishes is that refugees go to Ba Sing Se for safety. But I believe at that point we don't know that is the Earth Kingdom capital.
Aang lied in that episode. I don't know why but this is always coming to my mind first when I hear the great divide
He did the third option, taking neither side but have them choose peace
@Andrew Gharibian I respect that, but I kinda disagree.
In the great divide, Aang's lying is played for laughs and comes out of nowhere. It's the solution that solves everything and isn't portrayed as a bad thing/an easy out to a more complex problem.
In Bato of the watertribe, Aang keeping the message from Sokka and Katara's dad not only brings him negative consequences, but it also feels more believable to me, personally. This 12 year old kid, who grew up with a very care free life, lost everything that he's ever loved and those two are his only family now. I think it's entirely reasonable that he'd childishly hide the message because he's made the assumption that they'd leave him for their dad.
Also, I think this episode is very important for Sokka, because up till this point, he's always tried to be the leader, but it's generally been played for laughs. We really see where his drive to lead comes from and his potential.
On top of that, the episode solidifies Katara as the glue that holds the group together, as she's the one who first suggests that they stick with Aang regardless of what he did, because he's their friend and he needs them, and Sokka was also already thinking the same thing, which shows their maturity.
It's not a perfect episode, and one of the weakest of the series, but I wouldn't call it bad or anywhere near the great divide's problems 😁. But that's just my opinion and my reasons for why I feel that way.
Andrew Gharibian kinda but not really, its sets up the bounty hunter for season 3 and also sets the tone for the invasion, and katara and sokka realizing that journeying with the avatar is more important than going back to their dad
i doubt this series would be as great as it is if the whole book 1 did not setup for the following seasons. its the whole foundation of the show
You know what else is underrated?
This channel
You right fam
Duchi this comment should have a heart.
Edit: it actually got one
my mooooom
"no secret twist villain after Ozai"
LOOKING AT YOU, NARUTO
Wait, what ?
looking at you Voltron!
@AARON MEDDERS lol It should've ended with Madara tbh. But I still love Naruto.
@@MomoKanjaki Totally agreed. In Naruto, there was also a philosophical level of conflict. Naruto's infamous talk no jutsu was the key to reach a satisfying conclusion in each battle. The resolution was not only on physical level, aka Naruto blasting his opponents, but also on an ideological level, him convincing his opponents. With Madara, that conclusion was never reached. Which makes me think that Kishimoto couldn't figure out a good way to end Madara's arc in philosophical terms. (and madara was a beast, so maybe even at a physical level)
@@ilke3192 I disagree I think Madara was a person words could not reach. He claims he could see everything yet he could not see the enemy lurking behind him. His arrogance and unwillingness to listen or see others cost him everything in the end. Kaguya was listed as existing in Chapter 646. The series lasted to chapter 700. That means a weekly minimum of 54 weeks without breaks. There were some breaks in there plus his planning well before hand. So you cannot claim it was not foreshadow.
Returning to the show for the first time in ten years, I personally loved the episodic "odyssey" structure of Book 1, even without all the build-up to later seasons. The Avatar world is so rich with lore and interesting locations that I'll take any opportunity to see all the weird and interesting things that it has to offer. The fact that the writers were able to weave it into the later seasons makes it that much better, but even episodes with relatively small impacts on the later story (like say, The Fortune Teller) are amazing because they make such great use of the world.
If you gave me a one off episode of an Earth Kingdom merchant traveling from port to port, with no impact on the later story, I'd take it in a heartbeat. I just want to see more of the world, and Season 1 offers so many looks into it.
someone watch this man for being a wolf in sheeps clothing
Season 2 did a better job in my opinion as we got to see the lives of refugees the lives of people in basing se and we really got to see the Gaang struggle and build up from that, I think season 2 had the best of everything, I think season 3. Until the last few episodes wasn't that good
A very underrated element of Book One was Zhao. He was an epic and intimidating villain.
Rewatching it recently, I actually forgot that Zhao was only in the first season.
He has such presence and makes for a really good foil for BOTH Zuko and Aang.
marcus annegarn didn’t zhao die in book 1 or drowned or something like that
The whole series starting from episode one to it's last is the best.
What about the great divide?
@@sahargenish7058 Honestly I don't mind the great divide, I don't think it was terrible... but I still skip it when I'm rewatching ATLA lmao
@@sahargenish7058 huh? don't know what you mean every episode was an instant classic for me when I watched them as a kid.
@@sahargenish7058 Aang's leadership evolved in that episode. And he lied. I don't know why but these are important to me.
@@nathanieltheanimal9450 even the writers themselves made fun of this episode in the ember island players
I cried when Zuko was crowned Fire Lord, I was so proud of him
A:TLA has a deep word, strong continuity, a hard magic system, clear stakes, juggles about a dozen character complete arcs, has impressive and consistent art, and rarely feels contrived.
10/10, would watch again.
No one ever talks about how epic some of the transitions from scene to scene are
IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW.
THAT’S why newcomers dislike Book One so much more than old fans. They don’t see the point of any of it and don’t appreciate the seeds it plants because they don’t realize that seeds are being planted at all (and how good the resolutions are actually going to be).
I feel like newcomers and old fans appreciate Season 3 almost equally, but their love for Season 1 varies drastically. Now I realize why.
I could never decide a favorite book in the series. I don't view the story like that, I view it as three parts to the whole story. They don't work without each other. They packed so much story in this tiny little package that every episode in the series is important to have the whole story feel satisfying or even really make sense in some cases.
People are stupid I started watching it and book 1 got me hooked because I actually liked the slow pace it gave the characters their traits that entertained me instead of the narrative although it’s world building so I can say firmly I liked it for slow revaluations with well written characters.
People are stupid P.S I might’ve misused grammar in that sentence to convey my message but hey I 2nd English oggi Bogga
@@luiscastanon6031 yes exactly, you learn to know and love the characters and the world in book 1. I think it did it's job pretty well!
Also don't worry about your English, it's really good! English is my first language but I'm still terrible at it :P
I remember watching the finale of book 1 as it aired and I CRIED when Yue gave her life force back to the moon. Book 1 is just fine.
s1 has 100% on rotten tomatoes, I'd say it is rated just fine.
Soggy Carrots because it’s a masterpiece 👌🏾
It doesn’t have 2000% How?
Jeez only 100% my gosh are these critics dumb.
@Soggy Carrots Idk maybe because it does
I love season 1 because it’s so precious and innocent. It’s before the kids start experiencing real war (until the season finale). And the finale is so beautiful that it’s always made me cry watching it. It feels so spiritual.
YES YES YES! I agree with EVERYTHING!! The payoffs wouldn't have worked if they hadn't been tiny "seeds" in the first place! The "boy in the iceberg" BECAME "Avatar Aang"...That is freaking beautiful!!!!!! It made me tear up!
tbh, book 1 is where almost all of my most memorable childhood memories of avatar came from. it was the beginning of an adventure, a quest, and seeing the characters and the world of avatar in book 1 as a kid was so inspiring. book 1 is definitely under appreciated.
Book 1, 2, and 3 were all amazing to me and I've never knew there were people who didn't like Book 1, but at the end of the day ATLA is a masterpiece 🔥🔥🔥💯.
Book 3 set the bar way too high.
5:41 - Missed a prime opportunity;
"I thought this video was about why book one is good."
"Trust me, this video gets so much into that in the second part."
I’d argue that The Deserter is the most underrated episode of the entire series
I love that episode
I don't like what they did to zao with that epesode
One of my favorite jokes is from Book 1.
“The lemur is earth bending?!”
who tf are these mysterious people saying season 1 is underrated???
Ur pretty stupid if you think season 1 is bad, get out of here kid
Trathien Woah relax “kid” never said it was bad, in fact most ppl (myself included) love season 1. What’s pretty stupid is you can’t read 🤦🏾♂️
Trathien Don’t judge people’s opinion “Kid”
Green Boi exactly my guy 🤙🏽
🤙🏽
I never understood disliking book 1, I thought it was fantastic.
My favorite thing about book one was the formatting of each episode. Every episode is written like a fable; albeit sometimes cliche, there’s always some message about honesty, loyalty, compassion, etc. We need to keep in mind that this is a kids show, and even when the storyline itself doesn’t hold up to the rest of the show, the storytelling always has a purpose for the audience
The reason why I think book 1 is so important is because every character in book 1 was their most flat or weak selves. This is what allows them to gain depth and gain power. They needed a starting point, and Book 1 provided that.
Best episode of book one is totally blue spirit
the storm and blue spirit back to back is so well done and a great combo hahaha
I liked "Jet" and "the storm".
The blue spirit was such a sick episode!! I had already started liking it when it first came out but THAT episode had me at the edge of my seat
the seige of the north > the blue spirit.
Hate me for this, but that was the only episode I skipped when rewatching it. I just didn’t like it that much and that’s my opinion.
I've never heard anyone say this .. this show was almost perfect .... I just binged watched the entire series agaon.... and I cant improve it .... I do wish the pacing was a little slower.... but that's just cause I wanted more episodes
Yes I totally agree thats the only reason I kind of want a the live action to work bc we can dive fuurther and take time with the story. This anime series is still untouchable and spectacular but i agree sometimes 22 min is not enoughof this brilliant series.
i wished they had more episodes with sokka and yue, it would've her sacrifice even more impactful.
I wanted at least 2 more episodes with them in the Northern Water Tribe territory. I like Sokka and Yue's relationship (and her as an independent character), but it could have used a bit more development to get those max feels at the end. Plus, the anthropology lover part of my brain wanted to learn more about their society's structure and culture. You could see how it was a branch of the South, but obviously morphed into something unique due to geography, time, and history. I kinda thought it was ironic how this was the book where they spent the least amount of time (4 episodes out of 20ish) dealing with the actual element the book was named after. Then again it is the first season and they have to spend more time setting the show and its characters up.
I really really and I think we all wished that there was a season four, I don’t mind if its still about the kids, but if they became adults and it showed how much their childhood affected them I would be obsessed (not that I’m not already re watching it after I just did and obsessing over it especially the character Sokka) I WOULD CRY!
Two seeds planted in Book one that were the keys to how Aang defeated Ozai.
Bumi "You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius."
The Fortune Teller "Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Because my first time watching ATLA was on Netflix and I just binged it, I didn't separate the seasons in my mind, so it surprised me when I saw the fandom was referring to it as Book 1, Book 2 or Book 3. To be honest, it all really blended together and the only reason I noticed it was a different season was because of Zuko's hair change lmao.
Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning is not just about Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning. It’s also about a father-figure teaching a son how to take in life’s blows and redirecting them to one’s advantage.
Season 1 is the fundaments of one beautiful masterpiece. It wasn't supposed to be complete or perfect, it was supposed to get us hooked, to fascinate us and wanna watch season 2 - and dare I say it DONE did that. YES, the animation wasn't as good as in the latter seasons - of course it wasn't, that's what happens with most shows once they pick up popularity, they get more funding, hence better animation. Of course it has a lot of exposition and introduction of plot lines we'll only see resolved much later ... but that's what a good initial part of any story needs to do. The 1st part isn't SUPPOSED to be the most interesting one, the most crazy one - bc if it were, who'd stick around to watch the rest?! And dare I say, ATLA does a darn good job of even making the exposition amazing - The Storm, anyone? Even the episodes many feel are mere fillers still give us info about the characters, show us other facets of their personalities ... they're not supposed to be great individually, but they're crucial to the overall amazing result that was ATLA as a whole.
The best use of foreshadowing in book 1 was Iroh looking for his white lotus piece for his board. It sets up the order of the white lotus at the end of SEASON 3! What an incredible show
"The Winter Solstice Pt. 2" is one of my favorite episodes of the series.
AANG KICKING THE AIR THROUGH THAT BOMB CATAPULT THING IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST RAW THINGS EVER.
10:52 this scene really passed the torch from Roku to Aang, that “I’m ready” he drops when Roku posses him gets me every time
I’m in the middle on Season 1. There’s still a whole lot that’s great, and to say the show doesn’t get good in season one would be false (just look at the Siege of the North or The Storm). The main thing that holds it below the other two (at least for me) is the pacing. A good portion of season one feels a little slow moving, so for newer fans (especially more impatient ones like me), it can be somewhat difficult to get into.
Season 1 was amazing. It was a bit more elementary than the later seasons, but the slow progress from elementary to something more mature made the pacing of the show flow really well. Season 1 also had some of the best martial arts choreography and introduced us to the avatar world in a really amazing way. Its only fallback is its lack of amazing characters like Toph and Azula. But once again, having such talented benders appear so early in the show could have ruined the pacing and development of the show, and introduced too much too early.
8:34 this reminds me of The Boiling Rock episode in Book 3, where Zuko and Sokka went with a hot air balloon but it started falling as they reached air full of hot steam. Zuko panicked trying to keep it flying by putting more fire under it, but Sokka was calm and got ready for the fall, telling him that it wouldn't work as 'the hot air inside is the same temperature as the hot air outside.'
I completely forgot that the control of a hot air balloon was Sokka's idea from the first place. Wow.
Bato of the water tribe was a damn good episode, makes me sad that nobody talks about it
i think people hate on it or don’t care about it bc it makes aang look like a bitch and no one wants him to be one
@@AsherDrums_ Yeah, pretty much. Despite the fact that Aang is still childish and selfish, and is growing from that point still.
One Dixie Cup Just For You yeah like i’m not saying it’s completely out of character but a lot of people don’t want him to hand himself that huge of an L
I tough Appa's Lost Days was another good episode nobody talks about.
@@filthygaming265 that one hit me in the feels
0:00 Intro 1:48 Music
1:54Start
2:22 Analytic approach
• NO TOPH
2:57 Writers hint that they are trying to figure things out
3:30 Structure
Episodic Story-Telling
4:12 Story-Arcs
Book 2: Find Oppah, Save Bah-Sing-Se
Book 3: Invasion Arc,
5:09
Book 1: Aang needs to learn Water Bending
5:59 _Foreshadowing_
6:41 The Northern Air Temple, a stand-alone story, War-Balloon
7:17 They are important in Season 3
7:43 The Minor Characters Return in Season 3
- Deadly Zepplin Technology
8:53 King Boomey & Omashu, Jet & The Freedom Fighters, Kiyoshi Warriors
9:50 Winter Solstice, Spirit Encounter with Roku
• The Comet’s Power 💥
11:21 The Fire Lord’s Defeat is The Ultimate Goal
12:00 _The Characters_
NUANCE, REAL PEOPLE
Book 1: Establishes
Book 2: Builds
Book 3: Solidifys
Aang & Zuko
(Naruto & Sasuke)
(Batman & Joker)
15:27 The Avatar & The Fire Lord
(Yugi & Kaiba)
16:50 Amazing
Sakka Grows As A Leader!
Katara Grows
Toph
Iro
So Satisfying
Real World Feel
Fantasy Elements, Cultural Influence
Comedy Fun
Beautiful Art-Style
One thing i expected to find in here, is how much "the fire nation" is developed in season 1. We see the outcome of the firenation's actions, in episodes such as Imprisoned, Jet, winter soltice, the deserter, and the northern air temple. All these smaller stories form together to tell a story, not about characters, but about the result of politics. Even when it is primarily Zuko and Zhao hunting Team Avatar, we really feel the entirety of the fire nation's presense and influence on the world, and how their colonization leads to day-to-day difficulty in people's lives.
someone watch this man for being a wolf in sheeps clothing
@@Nickels1987 I'm confused about what kind of wold you think i might be, and what kind of sheep's clothing i'm supposedly wearing.
@@haldir108 Ignore the troll. I 100% agree with you. Why would we care so much about the final outcome unless we care about the people who will be most affected by it? Why would Aang's growth matter to us unless we also saw what was at stake if he made the same choice now as he did 100 years ago?
I had this conversation about the air temple episode where they meet the scientist with my mother not too long ago (my brother and I are making her watch it). She laughed it off as the scientist being a coward who sold himself out to the fire nation. I said that, while his choice was wrong, this man lost everything and is now responsible for other people who, like him, wanted to escape the war and live in peace. He lost his home and wife, and his only child was crippled. He loves him and the community who became his extended family. When the Fire Nation showed up he was alone and outnumbered. We all know how brutal and cruel they are to people who refuse them. They came to him, not the other way around. The scientist isn't a bad man. He was desperate and afraid. He chose to protect the people he loves above doing the objective right thing. He will have to answer for his sins, but give him credit for eventually deciding to step up. I was happy that he found people to inspire him and have his back (not that he still isn't putting himself in danger). It seemed like a very real decision an imperfect person would make under extreme pressure and hopelessness that I could at least be empathetic to. This show is deeper than some people who only watch it on a surface level want to give it credit for.
You make an interesting argument and I think I agree. In hindsight it's so easy to say that books 2 and 3 are "where it REALLY gets good," but it's only natural to remember those books more than the first one because that's where all the payoff takes place. Which is unfair to book 1 since that was setting everything up. I also agree it's great how books 2 and 3 kept going back to the well of book 1 and finding existing plot elements to expand on and reincorporate instead of just coming up with new ones, which it very well could have done (and in fact did sometimes). It shows a great deal of confidence in the existing material. As much as fans might say there's stuff in Book 1 you'd rather just forget, the writers at least always treated it with a lot of respect and considered it worth carrying out. It's hard to say how much of that was intended from the get go and how much of it was just "hey, why don't we use that thing from Book 1 again?" but either way, it's really satisfying. It makes me want to rewatch Season 1 to see how much I wouldn't have noticed the first time around.
It's not just payoff, it is also the amazing backstories and character moments we get in Books 2 & 3, just like with The Storm in Book 1.
I’m rewatching the entire show and I’m still in book 1 and there are some things I’ve either completely forgotten about or just didn’t notice. And yeah, book 1 lays the groundwork and plants the seeds for books 2&3.
i’m not trying to read an entire book bruh
That also makes sure that they didn’t pull random plot point out of their ass, if we were told about sozins comet any later it would’ve felt like they made a table and forgot it needs to have 4 legs not 2 so they grabbed the first branches from the tree that was the right size and glues them on
A great example of how incredible the attention to detail and foreshadowing is one of the smallest little nods in the entire series. Even something as insignificant and tiiiny as what name Aang will go by while in the fire nation in book 3 is foreshadowed aaaaaall the way back in "The Blue Spirit", the frog-sucking episode. It's astonishing how much the creators cared about this series.
Season one is also a masterclass in effective worldbuilding. The globe-trotting style of storytelling lends itself to showing us glimpses of the world in a way that the other seasons can't. Without that setup the other seasons would be lacking a lot of what makes them great.
"Nothing is wasted"
Exactly. My favorite moment in Season 1 is from Ep 11 The Great Divide where after the 2 tribes settle their differences and travel together to the Earth Kingdom, you see them again in Season 2 and they assist Team Avatar in defending the Earth King from Azula by fending off the Dai Li, both leaders soundly defeating Long Feng and shouting "REDEMPTION!!!"
what episode in book 2 ? did the zhangs and gan jin return
@@saikiscoffeejelly5266 issa joke, fam
@@smellyeggboy4481 oh okay I was really confused hahaha
That actually could've been fun. It's on the writers for not utilising the characters from TGD in later seasons. They could've but decided not to.
Jet also would've been a filler episode had they not brought him back in Season 2.
stop being perverted.
I loved season 1 and still do. There are few action scenes that I find as exciting as them running the blockade with Oppa and Zuko's ship in the Winter Solstice part 2 episode. Or Katara's blow up at Master Pakku when she demanded a fight. Or foaming mouth guy.
Season 1 has one of my all time best moments of the entire series: Episode 2 when Aang and friends are about to fly away and Iroh helps Zuko up and he goes “SHOOT THEM DOWN” then they shoot a massive combined fire blast at Aang and he jumps to the front of appa and inhaled through his nose and just redirects the fire with an air blast from his staff. That was the exact moment Zuko and Iroh realized Aang is stronger than they think. Easily one of the best moments in the entire show for me
THIS VIDEO DESERVES SO MUCH MORE ATTENTION ESPECIALLY CUZ THE NEW FANBASE OF THIS SHOW GREW 667% since it became the number one watched Netflix show for 2 weeks straight. I’m a HUGE avatar fan and I appreciate content like this I’m the kinda guy who wants nothing more then a couple more season based on azula and Toph. Thanks for making this video
Good to see I'm not the only one The Storm freak out there 😂
You know what else I love about the book 1? Zhao. Before Azula, before Ozai, this show needed some other villain. Zuko was never the pure evil, so they needed to create someone else. His whole role would be to disturb team Avatar and than step away to make place for the real villains, like Azula and Ozai. They could have created some simple, shallow bad guy, but they didn't. They gave as a great villain with a goal, personality and quite fascinating backstory - and each of those elements affect main plots. His goal - to kill the moon spirit - forces Aang to explore the spirit world and face Koh. His personality - big ego, lack of morality - has a huge impact on Zuko's story and partially leads to his redemption. His backstory - the library - is an introduction of Wan Shi Tong's library that will be crutial in book 2. Zhao has some development - he gets promoted - but he's mostly steady. In a show full of characters that grow up and chagne it's important to have at least few steady characters and Zhao is perfect for that - he's ambicious, he's blinded by hunger for power, he's hardly disliked, he's a lost case, and the most important thing, he's temporary. Him being like this from the very beginning makes the way he went out more believable and satisfying.
I think the best part of his character was his death. Although overall, I’d say that he isn’t as good of a villain as Azula or Ozai, and his character wasn’t the deepest, his death almost described his entire character so well. What makes his death so great is that his action before his death defines his character forever.
@@Tyler-cm6vk his death and the story with The Firebending Master when we learn that he's unstable and aggressive. Also his unhonourable duel with Zuko, when he tried to knock him down after loosing. Also he's a tricker, we can see it in The Blue Spirit episode. I'd say there are many spicey moments that show us who Zhao is
I will say that you appreciate season 1 more when you watch the entire show. When you rewatch book 1 because you look at things that happen and really make the connections I how that influenced their character development. That's what I really like about book 1. Book 1 feeds so much into how the characters are in later seasons. Think of how different they all would be if they had never met jet or if they had never met the Kyoshi Warriors or if Anng never went to the creasent island. It is the exposition of the seasons and that is important.
The storm in context of Roku’s story plays so well. It makes so much sense that aang would run away, because in his past life, he failed, so didn’t know how he would deal with it and decided to run away in his next life. Really makes the idea of the avatar being reborn even stronger.
I think an important factor is also that Zuko is really an antagonist in this season. The show still lets you sympathize with him like in the Storm when they reveal his backstory and also show that he cares about his crew or how he respects his part of the agreement and leaves the Southern Water Tribe alone after Aang let himself get captured but at the end of the day he was still the bad guy. Obviously it has to be that way for his redemption arc to work but it's kinda sad to see him as just some angry fire shooting dude knowing how much his character will develop
YES. YES YES YES. EVERY ASPECT OF AVATAR DESERVES ALL THE PRAISE and then some, i'm CONSTANTLY finding new little details for the characters, story, and world building, even after 15 years.
Season 1 is great, but Season 2 and 3 are better. The next seasons have Azula, Toph, Ozai, Mai and so many characters that were added that made the show go from great to phenomenal. Plus they have the redemption arc of Zuko and the development of Iroh and Zuko's relationship.
Great analysis 👌🏾
I'm guessing that I'm one of the few who thinks season one was highly underrated. I was drawn to the series from the get go and believe that in order to create a great show you need a strong foundation. I agree 💯 with you!
I mean honestly people say “wait till you see season 2 and 3” is because that’s the riding action/climax of the story. Of course no one is going to boast about the introduction, though it’s amazing.
Season 1 introduced us to the world, its concepts, and many of the amazing characters we would see later on.
I honestly don’t think book one is that bad, it’s just when I’m trying to introduce the series to my friends and they watch the first episode, they don’t get the hype. and it’s so hard to explain how good it is without spoiling the whole series
I really like the storm episode, especially since on rewatch you get a moment where in the crowd you see Azula. That little tie in only to set her up as one of the big bads of season 2 and beyond was awesome to see
Tbh I never knew Book 1 was viewed like this. I'm rewatching it now and tbh its just fun. Every episode is fun and its even better knowing how well its payoff is. It set the stage for an enjoyable show and I find it silly people don't view it as such. Its Act I of the Hero's journey and does its job masterfully.
I definitely agree. Book 1 has the most important job out of all the books, and that's to get you invested in the world and the characters. Just because it doesn't have the most epic events doesn't make it the least greatest. Book 3 is my favorite, but I personally Book 1 should get more credit.
Actually I have never heard anyone say season 1 is bad.
Though the only time I really discussed Avatar with anyone was after Korra season 1 and all I got was that ALL TLAB was amazing and most of the Korra series sucks compared to it.
Season 1 being considered bad is a lie this guy told to make himself look like an underdog fighting the status quo. A cheap trick to lure our sympathy.
Korra isn’t bad, just different
@@KatieLHall-fy1hw Korra is awful. Watch E;R
Me: Turns on Legend of Korra
Katara:*Sokka died*
Me:
*Ok this is the moment where we turn that god dam awful show off*
@@lukibukisuzuruki3783 yeah, awful feministic propaganda is sooo hard to understand.
After rewatching the show on netflix the little moments of forshadowing that I noticed in retrospect were so amazing. Jiao saying he found out about the location of the moon and water spirit in a library "buried somewhere in the earthkingdom" was so cool because that wasn't just a figure of speech, but he was talking about the actually buried library of Wan Shi Ton. Same with the Balloon,
Moments like Iroh redirecting Lightning when no one is looking.
Suki, Bumi, June and Jeong-jeong as reoccurring characters .
And the siege of the North will always be one of my favorite moments in the show.
I like that S1 dabbled a lot with the spiritual world in Avatar, Tui and La, Koh, The panda bear spirit, Yue giving back her life to the moon spirit etc. In later seasons the war was more of the focus so a lot of the spirital stuff was mostly pushed in the background.
Hi Stan you also watch avatar?
Season 1 had some of the best episodes in the series. ( Storm, Blue Spirit, Jet, Imprisoned, Seige)
Honestly, yeah, I’ve done this. Aside from the first three episodes, Spirit World Pt. 2, The Storm, The Blue Spirit, and the NWT arc, it was often very “character of the week” in structure. What people fail to recognize, self included, is that this is half of the season. I agreed with all your points, (both positive and not really negative but neutral) so good job.
16:24 I think Aang already knows this. I mean, his team went to a fire nation festival in season 1, then his team went to a fire nation city in season 3. Aang knows that the whole fire nation is not evil/dangerous.
I LOVE this show so much I’ve finished the last episode yesterday.. for the 16th time. yes, I am absolutely obsessed:3 I watch it at least once a year and it has become part of my life tbh. the connection I have to this show is unlike any other,, for me at least. Not only bcs the execution of the impeccable story line and characters is perfect IMO but also bcs of the experiences and struggles I lived with at the time I was watching idk it just feels so nostalgic but also fresh every time I rewatch it lol
Book 1 is an extremely strong season its just Books 2 and 3 just blow it out of the water.
Most shows would be blessed to have a season as strong Book 1 but the other two seasons are just exceptional
Nobody:
Absolutely no one:
Not a single face on Koh:
PhenomSage: I´M GONNA PROVE THAT BOOK 1 IS AMAZING TOO
Bro when the abzu music strated playing I lost my shit. The choices for clips and music is phenominal and structure seemed unique to me and extremely well done. Thanks for reminding me of the brilliant music of that small game
Minor correction: Kyoshi's spinoff series is a novel series, not a comic book series. You should read them! They're really good, especially if you felt Korra didn't quite hit those same notes you wanted from Avatar.
Fire Nation: *Attacks*
Sokka: It's alright, Sokka's got 200 IQ
Another foreshadowing in the northern air temple episode is the mechanic guy is looking over the blue prints of a giant drill, that would lead to the episode "the drill" in season 2. Its a glance, and you'll miss it moment.