a retraction
Jan. 11th, 2007 03:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
intertribalA while ago I wrote a post called "Goddamn why are people so talented" about great titles. But I started out the post with a rant on TV.com's ratings. One of the shows I especially lambasted was this show I'd never heard of, Avatar: The Last Airbender. I implied it did not deserve its high rankings - #3 in both ratings and quality. I was wrong.
As I was flipping through the digital cable navigator, I saw this show, and decided to see what the hell it was - knowing nothing about it. Apparently it's a Nickelodeon show, which automatically does not bode well for it, but this one proved my prejudices wrong. It was actually good. Of course, I only watched the last 10 min. or so. This is what I gathered from those ten minutes.
1) It's animated using the same style as Teen Titans, but it's 500x times better. Fairly realistic in terms of proportion and motion, and very fluently-animated.
2) It's not set during modern times. Maybe it's set during the past, but for some reason I even got the feeling it was set perhaps in a post-civilization future. Or at least in an alternate Earth, because it does not seem to follow any particular history.
3) An airbender is somebody who can manipulate, or bend, air to their means. There are also waterbenders. Probably other "benders" too.
4) There's magic/mysticism, and apparently the avatar can sense mystical happenings. But it's more Eastern than Western - more "spiritual energy" than "superpowers", y'know?
5) The animals are freakin' crazy. They're sort of mixes of various animals, with bizarre details: enlarged ears, elongated tails, various quirks that make them not like any animal you've ever seen. Some animals look totally invented, and it's pretty creative inventions.
6) Likewise with the people. The one I saw was set in a swamp, and the people who lived there wore big leaves on their heads and talked in Australian accents and rowed longboats. It's sort of a nice mix of history, diversity, and creativity, with a very admirable level of detail for a cartoon show.
What I found most impressive about the show was its imagination, detail, and its refusal to stick to bare, hackneyed stereotypes of ancient civilizations. I couldn't identify any particular culture to the protagonists - not even individually - and the ability to transcend culture like that is very impressive. It indicates a high level of worldbuilding. I was impressed.
p.s. God almighty, apparently M. Night Shyamalan is planning to write, direct, and produce a 3-film live-action version. *facevaults*
As I was flipping through the digital cable navigator, I saw this show, and decided to see what the hell it was - knowing nothing about it. Apparently it's a Nickelodeon show, which automatically does not bode well for it, but this one proved my prejudices wrong. It was actually good. Of course, I only watched the last 10 min. or so. This is what I gathered from those ten minutes.
1) It's animated using the same style as Teen Titans, but it's 500x times better. Fairly realistic in terms of proportion and motion, and very fluently-animated.
2) It's not set during modern times. Maybe it's set during the past, but for some reason I even got the feeling it was set perhaps in a post-civilization future. Or at least in an alternate Earth, because it does not seem to follow any particular history.
3) An airbender is somebody who can manipulate, or bend, air to their means. There are also waterbenders. Probably other "benders" too.
4) There's magic/mysticism, and apparently the avatar can sense mystical happenings. But it's more Eastern than Western - more "spiritual energy" than "superpowers", y'know?
5) The animals are freakin' crazy. They're sort of mixes of various animals, with bizarre details: enlarged ears, elongated tails, various quirks that make them not like any animal you've ever seen. Some animals look totally invented, and it's pretty creative inventions.
6) Likewise with the people. The one I saw was set in a swamp, and the people who lived there wore big leaves on their heads and talked in Australian accents and rowed longboats. It's sort of a nice mix of history, diversity, and creativity, with a very admirable level of detail for a cartoon show.
What I found most impressive about the show was its imagination, detail, and its refusal to stick to bare, hackneyed stereotypes of ancient civilizations. I couldn't identify any particular culture to the protagonists - not even individually - and the ability to transcend culture like that is very impressive. It indicates a high level of worldbuilding. I was impressed.
p.s. God almighty, apparently M. Night Shyamalan is planning to write, direct, and produce a 3-film live-action version. *facevaults*
