Book 1, Chapter 1: The Boy in the Iceberg
THIS IS SO EXCITING!! Thank you guys so much for coming to read about Avatar the Last Airbender. It's simply one of the greatest shows of all time! I really hope you'll enjoy these blogs, as I'll be working hard to put them out on a (hopefully) regular basis. This is my first blog ever, and I wouldn't have it on any other topic. This show has deeply touched me.
First, let me tell you a little bit about my experience with Avatar. Although I watched a few episodes from Book 1 here and there in my youth (I'm in my early 20's now), about 9 months ago I watched the entire series for the first time. It changed my life. Many of the characters are deeply inspirational to me, and their wisdom has guided me in recent troubled times. I just can't express how much Avatar the Last Airbender means to me.
In order to give something back, I'm going to be rewatching and analyzing the show through this blog. I have watched it 3 times so far, and this will be my 4th viewing. Since I tend to binge, this will be by far my slowest and most thorough viewing experience. I'm pretty excited to find and share the hidden treasures within.
Because of the possibility of people following along on their first watch of the show, I will not be spoiling anything in these blogs. I think it would be really cool if my blogs were used as a companion piece to garner more enjoyment and a deeper understanding of the show! Of course, I'm sure that most of you have already seen ATLA, but I just want to leave that possibility open to a newcomer. This shouldn't lower the quality of my analysis in any way, as it is my intention to just dive deep into each individual episode. If a plot point links to a future episode, I'll try to remember to write about it when I get to that episode. But again, no major spoilers here.
And here... we.... go....
The Boy in the Iceberg starts with a beautiful 1-minute 20 second introduction that is unique to this premiere. While it is mostly the same as the normal introduction, it adds an important key element in understanding the story: "Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the earth kingdom to help fight against the fire nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe." Katara and Sokka were burdened with so much responsibility at a young age, and it's shown throughout the episode how much that has affected their development.
Can we talk about how well Sokka is characterized in this short beginning sequence? Taking the introduction into account, we know that Sokka has been the only man on the south pole for the last 2 years. Just think about that. Many may think Sokka is annoying and needlessly immature on first watch, but all his actions make perfect sense. Of course he has masculinity and ego issues! At the age of 12, he was entrusted to protect all the women and children of his tribe. He's had to be the tough guy and at least act like he's had it all figured out. With no other men to keep him in check, it's easy to see how he could develop a narrow and sexist worldview.
While fishing with Katara, Sokka remarks that waterbending is "magic," and he continues to talk about it in a condescending and sarcastic manner. Again, this is his ego issue. He's not only jealous that he wasn't gifted with waterbending, he also feels threatened by it. He knows that his sister will eventually be much stronger than him, and that makes him feel weak. But most of all, he can't use the power to protect his tribe. This directly threatens his ego and he promptly compensates for it. How do the writers show this? Well, Sokka starts flexing at his reflection in the water! I think it's brilliant.
In just the first two minutes, Sokka is already a pretty defined character. To me that's impressive!
You'll find that there really aren't any wasted scenes or "filler" in all of The Last Airbender. Every scene has a purpose and flow. Push pull, Yin Yang. I've noticed that all of the scenes balance each other out. The story weaves from Aang to Zuko, seamlessly telling multiple story lines simultaneously, all while never jarring you from a transition. The way Avatar is constructed is a testament to one of its core themes-- Balance.
This is the first time we see the weird animal hybrids that Avatar is known for. I love them all!
This is the first frame that Prince Zuko is in. How fitting is it that we first see him in the exact moment he finds the Avatar? Also notice that the light beam is bright enough to cast a shadow on Zuko during the day.
Here, Uncle plays a game inspired by Mahjong with the 4 elemental symbols on the tiles. I just noticed that right when he lays down the air tile, a gust of wind caused by the iceberg explosion blows over the table. It also symbolizes that the airbending Avatar was found. Wow! I can't wait to find and share other examples of symbolism in the show!
Aang and Appa, companions for life. Right after this, "And this is Katara, my flying sister." xD
How could I not include this screenshot??? Majestic!
Uncle can't miss his bowl of roast duck! YUM YUM!!
Before Uncle chows down on the roast duck, he explains something quite interesting: "Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire." I love how they drop lore about bending in the first episode. What's amazing is that this little bit of wisdom from Uncle is demonstrated many times in the show. In fact, a major part of Zuko's growth throughout ATLA is slowly learning and applying this technique. (I don't consider this to be a spoiler, because keeping this in mind will deepen your understanding and appreciation for Zuko's development. What Uncle explained here is so concise and important that it can't afford to be missed. To the best of my ability, I have carefully contemplated how every sentence could influence your experience moving forward. To get you thinking about things that you may have never even considered, but in a way that won't ruin the journey. This is part of the reason why this blog is such a huge undertaking; everything is connected.)
On to Aang and Katara. Aang already met the village and he just saw penguins (and no ordinary penguins of course). They are discussing possibly flying to the north pole so that Katara may train with a waterbending master. Already, we're getting several different opinions on bending. Whereas Sokka thinks bending is like black magic and shouldn't be practiced, Aang knows that bending is a part of oneself; it is a sacred and respected art form that is one's duty to practice. It would be such a disservice to deny that part of your life. And thus this scene sets up the plot, or what we think it will be: Katara must journey to the north pole to fulfill her dream of becoming a waterbender.
As a side note, just look at this scenery! I would totally visit the south pole in the Avatar world.
Uh, SIGN ME UP!!
After penguin sledding, Aang and Katara boobied right into a booby trap on the fire nation ship, setting off a giant signal flare. Here is where our two main characters' paths collide and the conflict arises.
Conclusion: Overall, I think The Boy in the Iceberg is a great first half of the premiere. It introduces most of the core main characters of Book 1, introduces them convincingly, and offers a story that is engaging and entertaining. I'll give episode 1 an 8/10. (While I enjoy seeing other people's ratings on their blogs, I realize that I could unintentionally shift someone's opinion of the show. Please be aware that these ratings are subjective and that it's equally valid to have a different opinion on an episode. I would like my readers to have radically open minds about everything I present. Consider everything, yet don't attach to any one idea. This will obviously become more relevant as the show progresses into deeper topics.)
Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!
First, let me tell you a little bit about my experience with Avatar. Although I watched a few episodes from Book 1 here and there in my youth (I'm in my early 20's now), about 9 months ago I watched the entire series for the first time. It changed my life. Many of the characters are deeply inspirational to me, and their wisdom has guided me in recent troubled times. I just can't express how much Avatar the Last Airbender means to me.
In order to give something back, I'm going to be rewatching and analyzing the show through this blog. I have watched it 3 times so far, and this will be my 4th viewing. Since I tend to binge, this will be by far my slowest and most thorough viewing experience. I'm pretty excited to find and share the hidden treasures within.
Because of the possibility of people following along on their first watch of the show, I will not be spoiling anything in these blogs. I think it would be really cool if my blogs were used as a companion piece to garner more enjoyment and a deeper understanding of the show! Of course, I'm sure that most of you have already seen ATLA, but I just want to leave that possibility open to a newcomer. This shouldn't lower the quality of my analysis in any way, as it is my intention to just dive deep into each individual episode. If a plot point links to a future episode, I'll try to remember to write about it when I get to that episode. But again, no major spoilers here.
And here... we.... go....
The Boy in the Iceberg starts with a beautiful 1-minute 20 second introduction that is unique to this premiere. While it is mostly the same as the normal introduction, it adds an important key element in understanding the story: "Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the earth kingdom to help fight against the fire nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe." Katara and Sokka were burdened with so much responsibility at a young age, and it's shown throughout the episode how much that has affected their development.
This wide, sweeping shot immediately after the introduction is stunning. The way the camera angle sweeps and tilts gives a sense of grand scale and vertigo, enhancing the boat's perceived isolation. I'm reminded of just how beautiful this show is!
Can we talk about how well Sokka is characterized in this short beginning sequence? Taking the introduction into account, we know that Sokka has been the only man on the south pole for the last 2 years. Just think about that. Many may think Sokka is annoying and needlessly immature on first watch, but all his actions make perfect sense. Of course he has masculinity and ego issues! At the age of 12, he was entrusted to protect all the women and children of his tribe. He's had to be the tough guy and at least act like he's had it all figured out. With no other men to keep him in check, it's easy to see how he could develop a narrow and sexist worldview.
While fishing with Katara, Sokka remarks that waterbending is "magic," and he continues to talk about it in a condescending and sarcastic manner. Again, this is his ego issue. He's not only jealous that he wasn't gifted with waterbending, he also feels threatened by it. He knows that his sister will eventually be much stronger than him, and that makes him feel weak. But most of all, he can't use the power to protect his tribe. This directly threatens his ego and he promptly compensates for it. How do the writers show this? Well, Sokka starts flexing at his reflection in the water! I think it's brilliant.
In just the first two minutes, Sokka is already a pretty defined character. To me that's impressive!
You'll find that there really aren't any wasted scenes or "filler" in all of The Last Airbender. Every scene has a purpose and flow. Push pull, Yin Yang. I've noticed that all of the scenes balance each other out. The story weaves from Aang to Zuko, seamlessly telling multiple story lines simultaneously, all while never jarring you from a transition. The way Avatar is constructed is a testament to one of its core themes-- Balance.
This is the first time we see the weird animal hybrids that Avatar is known for. I love them all!
This is the first frame that Prince Zuko is in. How fitting is it that we first see him in the exact moment he finds the Avatar? Also notice that the light beam is bright enough to cast a shadow on Zuko during the day.
Here, Uncle plays a game inspired by Mahjong with the 4 elemental symbols on the tiles. I just noticed that right when he lays down the air tile, a gust of wind caused by the iceberg explosion blows over the table. It also symbolizes that the airbending Avatar was found. Wow! I can't wait to find and share other examples of symbolism in the show!
Aang and Appa, companions for life. Right after this, "And this is Katara, my flying sister." xD
How could I not include this screenshot??? Majestic!
Uncle can't miss his bowl of roast duck! YUM YUM!!
Before Uncle chows down on the roast duck, he explains something quite interesting: "Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire." I love how they drop lore about bending in the first episode. What's amazing is that this little bit of wisdom from Uncle is demonstrated many times in the show. In fact, a major part of Zuko's growth throughout ATLA is slowly learning and applying this technique. (I don't consider this to be a spoiler, because keeping this in mind will deepen your understanding and appreciation for Zuko's development. What Uncle explained here is so concise and important that it can't afford to be missed. To the best of my ability, I have carefully contemplated how every sentence could influence your experience moving forward. To get you thinking about things that you may have never even considered, but in a way that won't ruin the journey. This is part of the reason why this blog is such a huge undertaking; everything is connected.)
On to Aang and Katara. Aang already met the village and he just saw penguins (and no ordinary penguins of course). They are discussing possibly flying to the north pole so that Katara may train with a waterbending master. Already, we're getting several different opinions on bending. Whereas Sokka thinks bending is like black magic and shouldn't be practiced, Aang knows that bending is a part of oneself; it is a sacred and respected art form that is one's duty to practice. It would be such a disservice to deny that part of your life. And thus this scene sets up the plot, or what we think it will be: Katara must journey to the north pole to fulfill her dream of becoming a waterbender.
As a side note, just look at this scenery! I would totally visit the south pole in the Avatar world.
Uh, SIGN ME UP!!
After penguin sledding, Aang and Katara boobied right into a booby trap on the fire nation ship, setting off a giant signal flare. Here is where our two main characters' paths collide and the conflict arises.
Conclusion: Overall, I think The Boy in the Iceberg is a great first half of the premiere. It introduces most of the core main characters of Book 1, introduces them convincingly, and offers a story that is engaging and entertaining. I'll give episode 1 an 8/10. (While I enjoy seeing other people's ratings on their blogs, I realize that I could unintentionally shift someone's opinion of the show. Please be aware that these ratings are subjective and that it's equally valid to have a different opinion on an episode. I would like my readers to have radically open minds about everything I present. Consider everything, yet don't attach to any one idea. This will obviously become more relevant as the show progresses into deeper topics.)
Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!
This blog is just amazing, i really hope you'd stick to season 2 and 3.
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