Standing on a tall column of rock, Aang awaits his destiny. The skinny, bald, 13-year-old kid with an arrow tattooed to his head has trained all year mastering the four elements to defeat the Fire lord. He gets into his battle stance as Fire Nation war balloons come his way. They demonstrate a monstrous display of their firebending ability as they try to decimate the Earth Kingdom. 

Rich with plot and character development, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is an animated series that ran on Nickelodeon from 2005-2008 and is available on Netflix beginning May 15. The series is recommended for people of all ages. My family and I have watched the show since it was on cable, and we have been watching it on DVD ever since.

The story takes place in a world filled with ancient spirits and elemental magic. The four elements that can be controlled are water, earth, fire and air. The people who could control these elements created their own kingdoms, and lived in harmony with one another. One day the Fire Nation rose against the other nations and started a 100-year war and wiped out the Air Nomads, who had lived in peace. The Avatar, the one person who could control all of the elements, was the only one able to bring peace to the world and end the war.  

The story follows Aang, a young boy who discovers he is the Avatar and runs away from home of the Air Temples. He is trapped inside of an iceberg for 100 years only to be awakened by two teenagers of the water tribe, Katara and Sokka. Once he awakes it is his destiny to bring the world back into balance and stop the Fire Nation from conquering the world. 

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” is not only an action packed adventure, it teaches the viewer life lessons and shows you that no matter the hardship, you are never alone. The animation is crossed between Japanese anime and American classic cartoons. This show can also launch you into Japanese anime, a genre you may never have considered to watch. 

The plot is also such a developed idea that draws in the audience and captivates their attention until they are itching to finish. Even though the stories take place in a war-ridden world, the show is largely comical and knows when to be serious and when to make the perfect joke.

  Since 2008, my family has loved having this show around. My brothers and I played in our backyard for years trying to recreate epic battle scenes from the show and were eager to see every episode. Much like Star Wars and Harry Potter, Avatar has its own vast and dedicated fan base that I am happily a part of. Even my mom didn’t mind if we were blasting the volume from the back seat of the car because she enjoyed it as much as we did. 

If you’re ever looking for the perfect show that the whole household will enjoy, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a promising choice that will keep you occupied for days.