The Gallery {Exhibit 1: Water}
Welcome to the recap of Book 1: Water! I looked back over all my blogs and gathered together all my favorite screenshots. Not just the ones that looked cool, but the ones that meant the most to me. I'd like to say a quick thing about each picture and why I chose it.
This gallery is meant to be a celebration of Avatar: the Last Airbender, and a nice milestone for my blog. I've come so far, yet I have so far to go! I'm happy to have provided something (I'd like to think unique) for this wonderful community. So join me on this adventure through Book 1's best moments!
This wonderful painting in the Episode 1 intro really stood out to me. It added emotional weight to Katara's narration of how all the men of her tribe journeyed far away to fight in the war. I also like how the moon is carefully framed.
Childhood is fleeting... Katara says, "I haven't done this since I was a kid!" Aang replies, "But you are a kid!" Standout frame in a great scene:
My favorite scene in Chapter 2: The Avatar Returns. Aang's first transformation into the avatar state, and the first time he waterbends:
Opening scene of Chapter 3. It's famous within the Avatar community for a reason:
Commander Zhao peers over the world map. This scene is important because the scope of the war comes in to perspective. We're merely in episode 3, and Zhao mentions "the earth kingdom capitol" as the last obstacle in the way of the Fire Nation winning the war. What great forethought and planning this series had!
A flashback of the Southern Air Temple. A glimpse at how peaceful life was like before the 100-year war. And who doesn't like sky bison?
"We're all that's left of this place." Aang, Appa, and Momo are the last survivors of a once-great civilization. Their actions from here on out will determine its legacy.
You may not like it, but this is what peak human performance looks like. Chapter 4 is notable for its humor and stylistic choices. It has a distinct animation style that is more "cartoony" and "silly" than any other episode. Enjoy the screenshots!
This is an interesting easter egg I found! Kyoshi's left eye is burned just like Zuko's.
This shot from Chapter 5: The King of Omashu was MADE to be captured. The frame pauses while a little "ding" sound effect occurs.
While the fight between King Bumi and Aang was intense, the earthbending move Bumi did afterwards was the most interesting. I believe Bumi was the only earthbender to perform this trick in the whole series.
Just a cool screenshot of Omashu.
The earthbender prison in Chapter 6. The art team NAILED IT.
This fire nation dude voiced by George Takei was drawn differently in this one scene. I guess the animators wanted to pay homage to Japanese anime, which heavily influenced ATLA as a whole.
Uncle Iroh can see the spirit world! What a mystery! :P
The winter solstice (Chapter 7). I picked this one because of how beautifully the colors were blended. I would consider framing this!
Aang kicks a fireball in Episode 8:
Shots like this are plentiful in such movies as The Tree of Life. But Avatar: the Last Airbender? Yes, yes indeed. If you're wondering what's so special about this staircase, ponder for a moment all of the hundreds of ways someone could draw a flight of stairs. Why this way? Beautiful scenes like this tell me that Avatar was meant from the very beginning to inspire a new generation of artists. The creators reached beyond their comfort zone to present something that made a statement, something that would live on and be remembered. And it shows:
Avatar Roku talks about Sozin's Comet:
Avatar Roku possesses Aang's body to destroy the temple. Definitely a highlight of Book 1:
Katara demonstrates the water whip (Chapter 9). This is the first time Aang gets to train to master the elements:
I lied about providing a description for each one. Some, I feel, don't need any explanation. They just are:
Smh... Fun fact, Zuko laughs twice in the entire series. Is this one of those rare times where he found his honor??
Momo gets a ton of action in Chapter 9, more than any episode prior. One of the many things I love about ATLA is the inclusion of animals as strong and meaningful supporting characters.
The Lost Boys. Chapter 10: Jet. Probably my favorite part about Jet is how well-realized the locations are. Very cool!
During Aang and Jet's furious fight in the trees, the action pauses for a moment to bring in scale and perspective. It's much appreciated, and artfully done.
Jet is essentially Sokka's episode. His bravery and instincts are admirable.
The old man's honesty touched me. I love when stories come full circle!
This is the dumbest thing, but this scene stood out the most to me as a child. Custard from The Great Divide:
The Storm is my favorite episode on Book 1, not only because of the excellent storytelling, but because of the impactful imagery.
This sequence of screenshots stood out to me. Take a moment to reflect and figure out what it's trying to say... without the context of the episode. It's easy, right? That's a quality of good animation.
Iroh is a complete badass:
Now on to Chapter 13, The Blue Spirit. The White Lotus tile in the foreground is actually the one he "found" in Chapter 9.
Have you ever wondered how much our pets understand us? Well, probably not much because we don't use the same language! This is Katara from Momo's perspective.
Here's a touching moment from the end of the episode. Aang reminisces about going on adventures with his fire nation friend Kuzon. Aang was ready to give Zuko a chance, and was even open to the possibility of them being friends. Despite all the horrible things Zuko had done to him, he was ready to forgive it all and start anew. Zuko, however, was not prepared for such a mature act of kindness.
Chapter 14, the Fortune Teller. LOL!
What an Easter Egg! I was shocked the first time I heard this. The painting behind them is actually sort of a fortune; they commandeer a small ship in the next episode.
In Bato of the Water Tribe, we dive into the events that shaped Sokka's past, namely, his father leaving him behind. "Being a man is knowing where you're needed the most."
The end fight scene is debatably the best fight scene up until that point in Book 1. I still think that the epic fight in The Waterbending Master is the best overall. :)
Shhhhhhhhhhh. #nocontext
Aang blowing up a dragon at the fire festival in Chapter 16: The Deserter.
Perhaps my favorite small scene in Book 1 is this one. "I have mastered the elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. Now, I must do it once again."
Wow.
Wow.
The only time we get to see this majestic creature is here in Chapter 18.
Winter, Spring. Summer and Fall. Four seasons, four loves. Four seasons. Fo-oo-oo-oorrrr looooove.
This is really cool.
As I stated before, this epic fight is my favorite fight scene in Book 1. It's so well-choreographed, and makes sure to add space (and humor!) where necessary. Most people don't realize these characteristics are important to martial arts fights.
I'm so happy you made it to the finale! This is where the show really steps up its game in both the visual and storytelling departments.
"No nephew of mine is going in without some back-up!"
I'm not sure how to describe this, but I'll try. At least to me, every frame in the finale takes on a more polished and cinematic feel. Just by scrolling down this blog, it's striking to me, like someone flipped a switch for these last two episodes.
Can you see it? The use of 3rds to frame the subject of each shot. The unique perspectives, such as being lower to the ground and looking out the window of Zhao's ship. Generally more striking subject matter and use of color, such as saturation, black and white, and accenting only certain colors (which in and of itself is a symbolic animation choice). I could go on and on! I invite you to linger on each one and appreciate the massive amount of work, dedication, and love that went into these episodes.
If you defined the "best" moment as the most spine-tingling and heart-stopping moment, Aang becoming one with the Ocean Spirit would take the cake.
Wow! Avatar is very successful at balancing multiple storylines and keeping the tension of ALL of them at the highest levels. Take this screenshot, for instance. Although we're focused on Zuko's fight with Zhao, we also get to see Aang and the Ocean spirit progress towards the Fire Nation fleet. The selective use of color is also notable
Chop Suey!
The final shot of Book 1, minus the small epilogue about Azula.
If you made it this far, congrats and thank you! I definitely plan on doing write-ups for Book 2, but I don't know when I'll be able to. They will take more work than these episodes, that's for sure. I have to do them justice.
Just started a rewatch, looking forward to Book 2. Keep up the good work! :)
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