Customer Reviews

Avatar The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 1 Collection

5 star:		(285)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In a world where the airways seem to be ruled by uninspired and badly dubbed anime, Nickledeon has created something truley amazing. A show that both kids and adults can enjoy, complete with tremendous voice acting, fantastic animation, good music, and awesome execution.

Season One of Avatar begins with a war going on between nations who control different elements through techniques called 'bending'. There's the Fire Nation, which, under Fire Lord Ozai, is attempting to take over the rest of the world. The Avatar, the only one who can control all four elements, is supposed to stop power imbalances between the nations, but the war started 100 years ago and the Avatar hasn't been seen since. And with the airbenders already wiped out and the water tribes being composed of tiny populations, only the great Earth Kingdom remains intact.

What makes this show great is a combination of character and plot. The characters aren't stereotypical. They act in predictable ways sometimes, but then there are episodes that really show their deeper sides (The Storm, The Fortune Teller, and The Blue Spirit are all examples of this.) The story focuses around the main characters Sokka, Katara, and Aang, the Avatar (returning to the world after being incased in an iceberg for 100 years.) There's also the Fire Nation's General Iroh, Price Zuko (a banished prince trying to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar) and Admiral Zhao. However out of these characters only Admiral Zhao seems truley evil. Zuko and Iroh however are in the gray.

There's some fantastic fight scenes in this series. The Blue Spirit, Jet, and Bato of the Water Tribe are all episodes with incredible choreography. Animation is top notch. There was only one episode where it went down a little. And finally the Season Finale is really well done and filled with mythology about the spirit world which the Avatar must learn to communicate, as well as he must learn to master the four elements to defeat the Fire Lord.

As good as Season One is, it's inferior to Season 2. If you thought that the Earth Kingdom was portrayed as the good guys and the Fire Nation are the only ones with bad leadership, Season 2 may change your mind. However as a first season of a show Avatar succeeds incredibly well. Recommended to people of all ages. There's some corneyness in a few episodes, but the series does a great job of catering to all ages.

Wow, this is seriously the BEST show on television right now. I'm over 30 years old and I get more excited about a new episode of Avatar than I do about Lost, Smallville... ANY other show. I am a big fan of animation, and Avatar is like a breath of fresh air. FINALLY there is an animated show on television which is intelligent, exicting, humorous and surprisingly emotional. (I can't tell you the amount of times I've gotten teary-eyed watching it!) Yes, it's THAT good.

The animation is wonderful and the characters are well devoloped and engaging. The martial arts are fantastic to watch. The storyline is incredible - the writers for this show have a clear vision and every episode is linked. (Even now when I watch Season 2 characters from Season 1 will unexpectedly show up.) This is the only show on TV where you KNOW every episode is going to be pure gold.

Please don't underestimate this show because it's on Nickelodeon or you might think it's for kids. It has so many levels that it appeals to everyone. One episode and you'll be hooked - TRUST me! ;)

Nick cartoons have really gone downhill lately, EXCEPT for the Avatar. It's an excellent, extremely well-written, beautifully animated series that is very engaging, dramatic and funny all at the same time. It is clearly well-researched, and serves up lots of Asian wisdom, not just a lot of silly platitudes. I love this show. Hurray for the AVATAR! I can't wait to buy the complete series as a Christmas gift for my kids (and me!)

Wow. I just bought this blind after reading a couple reviews on here and I will say this: it absolutely blew me and my girfriend away. And we're huge animation geeks...not always easy to please. Watched the whole box set in 2 nights. She's keeping it so now I have to get my own copy.

Great art/design, beautiful animation and color, realistic and thinking characters and a well thought out story. Great voice actors also. I noticed Andrea Romano of Batman: TAS fame is in charge of voice casting so it's bound to be good.

See, this is what we get when a network like Nick takes a chance and does something daring and different. Not since Zim has Nick done something even remotely innovative and different. Same old kiddie crap in my opinion. I realize it's their bread and butter but thank goodness theyre finally doing another Friday night type of show for an older crowd (Oh how I miss Invader Zim). Good for them....now do more, Nick!!

This is right up there with Venture Bros, Teen Titans and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends as my current favorite toons in production. Although all of these are quite different I will say.

I would also recommend this to any fans of Samurai Jack as well.

R.I.P. Mako. (voice of Uncle Iroh on Avatar; Aku on Samurai Jack)

I may be biased from the cartoons I watched while growing up, but it seems like nowadays cartoons are just lacking in quality. I changed that opinion, though, once I saw Avatar.

The show draws on Chinese culture and mythlogy and is drawn anime-style, which means that each episode is a visual feast. But what really drew me was the characters. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko, the main characters, are easy to gain affection (and sympathy) for, and even the minor characters that appear for just an episode have depth.
The story is both serious and funny, a combination that could appeal to both children and their parents. I recommend this especially for people who want a cartoon that goes beyond slapstick stupidity, and I'm already looking forward to the next season!

Warner Brothers can take pride in "Batman: the Animated Series". Disney lays claim to the "Gargoyles" series. But "Avatar: the Last Airbender" can be said as one of the most sophisticated animated shows that have ever been aired on Nickelodeon. Those that have been watching Nick for at least two decades will remember the fan-favorite Anime epic, "The Mysterious Cities of Gold". What MCOG was 20 years ago is what "Avatar" is today.

Viewers may distinguish this show from a typical Anime that was created in Japan for Japanese viewers (and sometimes dubbed into English for American viewers). "Avatar" is NOT Anime--it was created by Nickelodeon and sent overseas to be animated in Korea. The show's general audience is pre-teen children but the stronger elements are drawn from a continuous epic storyline that stays consistent as well as very believable characters that the older viewers can relate to. From the magic of supernatural flight to the setting of an ancient land that blends Asian myth and folklore to the modernized battleships and tanks that adorn the power-driven Fire Nation (think Imperial Troopers from "Star Wars") the cultural awareness and depth to a children's cartoon is surprisingly well researched.

The story begins in a world of coexisting nations based on the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. The term "bender" refers to someone who can master a particular element of his or her culture e.g. firebenders, earthbenders, and so on. The Avatar is one chosen person in every generation who possesses the power to master all four elements. It is his or her duty to keep peace and balance in the world. When that person dies, the Avatar is reincarnated into the next life cycle of a different person.

The mysterious disappearance of the Avatar, along with a 100-year war with the Fire Nation, has lead many to believe that hope is lost. But two children from the Southern Water Tribe, brave and loving Katara and her sarcastic but practical brother Sokka, discover the new Avatar frozen within an iceberg. When Aang awakens from his hibernation he discovers that the Fire Nation annihilated all the other airbenders years ago, leaving him the only survivor of his kind. Though Aang is chronologically 112 years old, biologically he's 12.

Aang is a good-natured boy and though he's slightly mischief, he willingly accepts his role as the Avatar and the tremendous responsibility he must undertake. He's unselfish, loyal, and willing to do anything for his friends. Aang must study and master all four elements by the end of the summer or else the Fire Nation will be too powerful to stop and Armageddon will occur.

Aang's primary adversary in the first season is Prince Zuko, an exiled member of the Fire Nation who has been given strict orders to capture the Avatar. While Zuko's hard driven obsessive nature makes him a hostile threat to Aang and his friends, his personal struggles depict him more as an anti-hero than a villain. Viewers discover that Zuko's distinguished facial scar was a sign of punishment from his father for refusing to fight him in a duel. He has been banished from his home and considered a disgrace to the entire Fire Nation for showing "weakness". Only by capturing the Avatar can his honor be restored. Despite his arrogance and short temper, Zuko is deeply loyal to those close to him such as his uncle, General Iroh.

In contrast to his nephew, Iroh is a good-humored man who enjoys music, drinking tea, and playing Pai Sho. Iroh's carefree attitude barely masks his true identity as a shrewd strategist and master firebender. He considers Zuko like his own son and is constantly by his side, offering words of consolation and wisdom to the agitated prince.

The show's plots often involve social issues that are relevant even today. There's nothing to tone down the grimness of life after Sokka and Katara constantly mention how the Fire Nation killed their mother. The show accepts death as a natural part of the life cycle; something I'd only see handled this well in a Miyazaki film until now. Despite this loss, the siblings are strong and courageous kids who stick with Aang throughout their adventures.

Katara and Sokka aren't the only ones with challenges. Zuko suffers abuse and shame from his father, Aang must find a surrogate family after his own is destroyed, and Katara struggles with a sexist society that bars women from learning the art of waterbending. These obstacles are smaller ones that occur during first season although the larger challenge is to get Aang to the North Pole where he may find a waterbending master to teach him. Along the way they encounter various obstacles including hazardous weather, threatening armies, supernatural spirits, and the power-hungry Admiral Zhao who also wants the Avatar but with less noble intentions and methods than Zuko.

As others have said, the price for this is a bit steep but it is certainly worth it. There are plenty of extras to watch on the making of Avatar. I found the origins of the bending styles very intriguing. After leading the viewers on a fascinating quest around the world, the season finale pits the ruthless Fire Nation against the Northern Water Tribe in a fight that can only rival that of the battles in "The Lord of the Rings". The choreography, all based on various forms of Chinese martial arts, is dazzling to watch while the excitement is heightened as the ruthless Zhao seeks to uproot the balance of life itself. There is little that can be expected as surprises turn around every corner. Can Aang protect the Water Tribe or will the balance be destroyed along with the Avatar for good? By the end of the first season, you'll be in tears, cheering with delight, hankering for more good storylines, or all of the above.

Spoiler warning: Season two will turn certain events around as Aang and his friends get a new member of the team. Toph is a small feisty girl who, despite a particular handicap, is a master earthbender. Zuko's menacing sister Azula brands him and his uncle as traitors so the former prince-turned-refugee is forced to go on a spiritual journey, seeking his own destiny and questioning his personal values. Though Azula and her cronies are a deadly threat, she's the least of Aang's problems and we discover that there are other scheming forces besides the Fire Nation. The tension and thrill only accelerate as the series progresses and as an avid viewer, I'm looking forward to every new episode.

I am 38 years old and I do NOT have kids. I either sit down and watch the show every week, or I DVR it.

It is a wonderful story line. Don't let the fact that it is animated stop you from watching it. The plot twists rank up there next to "Heroes".

I put this DVD collection on my Christmas list. I can't WAIT for Season 2!

NOTE: I got it for Christmas, and I also got Season 2 - great!

to start, i am a 25 year old male... this is an excellent series, I absolutely cannot say enough good things about it. its in depth and has a continuing story with interesting plot twists and elements, making you wonder whats next. in a world different from our own, but similar none the less (like middle earth or pokemon, or final fantasy games) featuring unique animals and technology and ways of life that are not quite medieval, yet not quite post apocalyptic.

the creators also took alot of time studying, each martial art for used by the tribes is based on actual styles. theres alot of deep things that come out of the storyline that dont always go above the children... like a kid friendly wisdom.

its got humor, action, mystery, and jsut fun charicters and settings. i fully reccomend it

its a shame that childrens cartoon series' sold in america are done in several 3 episode $20 dvd sets, avatar was no different... till now.. its about time that this is being sold as a seasonal set and not at the price hikes we have seen with the 6 episode flcl (three, 2 episode disks at approx $20 each) or samurai champloo, and cowboy bebop to name a few. usually we see cartoon series, especially childrens cartoons done this way because children dont care if mommy and daddy shell out big bucks for 2-4 episodes of spongebob, or fairly oddparents, or dora the explorer, etc. but im guessing because of its appeal to the young adults and teens it has gone seasonal... much like the tv series of the adults... its a simple formula.... kids get 2-6 episodes per pop.... where adults get an entire season. i feel bad for anyone that purchased this in sections.... thank you nickelodeon for making the series more accessible and not entirely "gouging" the fans of the show.

I have not yet bought this item, although I intend to as soon as it is available. I have, however, seen every episode of Avatar Book 1. I recommend this show to anyone who appreciates smart writing, beutiful animation and an animated program that gives kids more than a few cheap laughs. "Avatar, the Last Airbender" is by far one of the smartest, funniest and most worth while "cartoons" to be aired on Nick. It holds strong moral lessons and combines them with amazing animation and hilarous writing to teach kids the value of standing for something. I highly recommend this show to any parent for their kids, and anyone of any age who loves animation and smart, witty and sharp writing.

My kids (ages 4 & 2) love this animated series. It is also very enjoyable for adults, at the same level as other high-end "save the world" productions like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. However, I have had problems with the 6 DVD set for the Book 1 Collection. I had problems with DVDs not working in each of the two sets that I ordered; when I tried to get a third set from Amazon, they told me that this has been a widespread problem and they would not ship out another set until this problem was fixed. If and when it is fixed, I will order this again.
IF YOU ARE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW THIS SERIES IS ORGANIZED: the first season is "Book 1: Water", the second season is "Book 2: Earth" (and I assume there are two more seasons to come for Fire and Air). It took me awhile to figure this out since they also have volume listed, which represents the order of the shows for that season.