If you love The Last Airbender (the live-action movie), then have I got a show for you!

Welcome, reader. May I offer you a cup of tea and a riveting tale?

I was wandering through the IMDb reviews of M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action movie adaptation of The Last Airbender, when I happened across a most interesting sight: it seems that there are multiple people who, at the time of reviewing, had not yet watched Avatar: The Last Airbender—the animated Nickelodeon masterpiece. Yet, they had watched, and had thoroughly enjoyed, the live-action movie:

The live-action movie was their first introduction to the franchise, and the characters/story within. For some, it may be their only link to the franchise. There are people out there, who hear 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', and think of the live-action movie. How...fascinating.

Now, dear reader, much like one’s preferred flavor of tea, one’s taste in entertainment is subjective. Though I am not particularly fond of the movie, for a variety of reasons that have been spoken by thousands of other fans, I cannot outright dismiss these people’s opinions. Instead, I am here to say: if you love The Last Airbender (the live-action movie), then have I got the show for you—Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Featuring the titular character, Aang:

(Whose name is pronounced like the last syllable of ‘boomerang’.)

“I don’t know,” you say with the uncertainty that Aang developed, when the monks told him about his destiny. “Is he going to act annoyingly goofy throughout the whole show, like a lot of animated protagonists?”

What an amazing question! The answer is: No.

"...Is he okay?"

Also, no.

“That doesn’t exactly look like Aang from the live-action movie.”

You will find, dear reader, that a lot of characters look different than their live-action counterparts. For example, did you enjoy the white actress who played live-action Katara?

If so, may I introduce you to her animated character?

You might have noticed that her appearance is a wee bit different. In fact, you’re going to be amazed when I tell you that none of the characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender are white. Not a single one. Katara—and her brother, Sokka—are specifically part of The Southern Water Tribe, which was created using Inuit influences. Other nations are influenced by a variety of Asian cultures, including but not limited to: China, Japan, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. [Source]

It is for this reason that the animated series opens with the Chinese pictographs for the different elements:

“Ah,” you say. “I thought those were just squiggles in the live-action film.”

Oh, no, the live-action film absolutely uses squiggles. [Source] The animated series does not. The series took the time to use the actual pictographs. It took the time to represent many different elements (no pun intended) of real-world phenomena. This is why Sifu Kisu was brought in as a consultant; his work allowed benders to move with specific martial arts techniques:

Speaking of bending, are you impressed by these six characters’ synchronized dance routine?

I mean, why wouldn’t you be? That is...that is...something.

On a semi-related topic, here’s what a single twelve-year-old blind girl can do in the show:

“Who is she?”

You’re not ready for that character. You don’t deserve that character.

“Do I deserve to know about the tea-holding man in the opening photo of this article?”

My first instinct is to say, “No.” Then again, Iroh would be disappointed in me, and take it from Zuko, you never want Iroh to be disappointed in you. General Iroh (pronounced 'eye-ro') is one of the greatest characters in television history and the uncle to another one of the greatest characters in television history. While going through a perfect arc of his own, Iroh does his best to heal his nephew’s scars—the psychoemotional scars; not the physical scar.

“Zuko has a scar?”

I can see why you would be confused:

Yes, Zuko has a scar:

Zuko also has what many people commonly-cite as their favorite redemption arc in any animated series. If you like Zuko's lack-of-a-story in the film, imagine how much you'll love his meaningful-story in the show! A story featuring multiple parallels and symbols, including his scar.

“Was the scar from a training accident?”

It was no accident.

“...So, how did he get his scar?”

Wouldn’t you like to know? (If you would like to know, Zuko’s backstory is revealed in Book One’s The Storm, my favorite episode.) All I’ll say is that Iroh is the father-figure that Zuko—and the audience—desperately needs. If nothing else, watch the animated series for Iroh, who will calm you with a soothing quote about the balance of life. Such scenes are always filled with such peace and ambiance, that one can’t help but feel like a better person, after watching.

In fact, there are many tranquil scenes within the show:

My dear reader, I do apologize, for I have yet to mention the music! The Last Airbender live-action film may have music. I assume it does. Most films do. Admittedly, I cannot remember and I am unwilling to rewatch a scene to confirm. However, I am willing to bet two copper pieces that comparing the movie’s score and the animated series’ score is like comparing a children’s plastic recorder to Mozart. Take this song:

This is just the song used for the Book Three trailer(s); imagine the music utilized in the show! Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘That trailer music was pretty good, but is there a chance I could listen to it while a room filled with fans scream at the top of their lungs?’ I thought you’d never ask! You see, reader, this is a link to an old but endearing video of a New York Comic-Con panel, wherein fans were shown the trailer for the series finale. I highly encourage you to watch it, for the nostalgia alone. It will show you just how passionate the fans of this show are.

My dear reader, I must confess that most of the fans who had reverent responses to the trailer had irreverent responses to the live-action movie. It may come as a surprise but I am not the movie’s biggest fan, either. Alas, I cannot claim to be the animated series’ biggest fan, mostly because I cannot get my vocal cords to produce the sounds that the fans in the aforementioned video created. Nevertheless, I have loved the series since the very first episode aired, all the way back in 2005. Over a decade and a half later, I would still passionately recommend the series to anyone, including / especially people who were fans of the live-action movie, and have yet to see what sparked the franchise. If this applies to you, then I am afraid that you have hardly scratched the surface. To find the full iceberg, and the boy within, you need to watch the animated series. Fortunately, it has recently gained a resurgence, due to it being released on Netflix. If you have an account, grab your closest friends, get some tissues ready, and for god’s sake, make yourself a cup of ginseng tea.

It’s time you watched this incredible story. It's time you knew why so many people love the series. Most importantly: