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Avatar The Last Airbender - Book 1 Water, Vol. 5 Review

All throughout the first season of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," the little gang has been slowly heading toward the North Pole.

But of course, that isn't the end to the problems as the season reaches an explosive, sometimes terrifying finale -- and unlike 99% of the children's TV out there, "Avatar The Last Airbender - Book 1 Water, Vol. 5" is an astounding combination of plot, mysticism, action and a hint of romance. And while the writers prepare the stage for the next season, they also tweak and change some of the overhanging arcs (especially regarding Zuko).

Aang is overjoyed when he hears rumors of "airwalkers" from a storyteller... but when they reach the Northern Air Temple, he finds that they aren't airbenders. They are refugees who have taken up residence in the Temple, led by a steampunk inventor called the Machinist -- and the "progress" enrages the young Avatar. But when a Faustian pact is uncovered and the Fire Nation attacks, Aang and his crew will have to use all the Machinist's skill to stop them.

Then the gang finally reaches the North Pole, and are welcomed by the chief there. But problems start cropping up: Aang's new waterbending teacher is a crotchety old guy who refuses to teach anything to Katara because she's a girl, and Sokka has fallen in love with Princess Yue (who is engaged to someone else). At the same time, Zhao's ambitious plans lead him to try to kill Zuko via assassination, even as he leads a war fleet to the North Pole.

But as the battle begins, Aang is introduced to a more mystical way of fighting -- he enters the Spirit World to find the Moon and Ocean spirits, and encounters one of the most horrific spirits of all. In the regular world, a desperate Zuko makes a last-ditch effort to capture the Avatar... and Zhao reveals the terrible, arrogant plan he has to defeat the Waterbenders once and for all... and possibly destroy the rest of the world as well.

The entire first season is pretty brilliant, but "Avatar The Last Airbender - Book 1 Water, Vol. 5" is a truly epic experience. The first couple episodes are a pretty unusual pair: first there's a steampunk action story, with spiky-wheeled Fire Nation tanks and an aerial assault from the Temple, followed by Katara's frustration over being left out of battle training. There's a lot of explosions, an eruption of foul green ooze, a spectacular waterbending duel, and a siege on the Temple -- which is pretty much unrecognizable, since it now has pipes going everywhere.

But the final two episodes are truly brilliant and nearly flawless -- a mesh of spectacular action sequences, a bit of humor (Hahn trying to kill Zhao, who just steps aside and lets him charge off the boat), fantasy, and some subtle horror (a sinuous spirit that steals the faces of anyone who shows emotion in front of it).It all climaxes is a brilliant, terrifying display of Aang's power, interspersed with a heartrending personal scene that's a lot more tragic than you'd expect from a kid's show.

All the main characters get some solid development in these episodes -- Aang struggles with the changes in the once-beautiful Temple, while Katara fights against the sexism towards female waterbenders (and learns a bit more about her Gran-Gran). Sokka gets a lot of attention as well -- he is revealed as a bit of a technical genius, he becomes a soldier of sorts, and he falls in love with a girl he can't possibly be with.

And on the Fire Nation side, Zhao becomes even more contemptible and repulsive than he was before; Iroh's paternal feelings for his nephew are shown in a simple, heartrending farewell, and a desperate Zuko loses his ship, his crew, and almost his life.

The first season of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" ends with several bangs, a big splash, and the introduction of a new villain -- the best way to finish off a season. And it promises to get even better after this.

Avatar The Last Airbender - Book 1 Water, Vol. 5 Overview

The fifth volume of Nickelodeon’s hit series Avatar is available on DVD September 19th! Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 1: Water - Volume 5, contains 4 more exciting episodes filled with love, loss, hope and a fierce battle with the Fire Nation (episodes 17 through 20).

Avatar The Last Airbender - Book 1 Water, Vol. 5 Specifications

Chapters 17 through 20 of Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 1 Water, Vol. 5 find Aang, the 12-year-old Avatar destined to bring peace to the world by mastering the four elements, once again in direct collision with the forces of the Fire nation. In "The Northern Air Temple," a sad Aang visits the ruins of a monastery well known to him in his past life. Aang is shocked to discover a tribe of faux Airbenders living there, presided over by an inventor with a dark and even treacherous secret. "The Waterbending Master" introduces Aang to a mentor he would just as soon avoid: an old Waterbender who can teach him to move, shape, and fight with liquid, prerequisites to Aang assuming his place as the world’s savior. Meanwhile, Aang's traveling companion Katara is frustrated by that same master’s refusal to sharpen her own natural, Waterbending talent; until, that is, an unexpected link between them becomes clear. (Aang's other friend, Sokka, stays busy--and crazy--chasing a princess who gives him mixed signals about her romantic interest.) "The Siege of the North, Parts 1 and 2" is yet another epic confrontation between Admiral Zhao's Fire Navy fleet and the Aang gang. The twist this time is that Zhao attempts the murder of Prince Zuko, an action that cannot go without consequences. As usual, Avatar is visually exciting and highly original, an otherworldly yet fully accessible fantasy full of dreams and good humor. --Tom Keogh

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Customer Reviews

Great - Alice Caldwell -
First of all, I love animations but one day I saw my husband watching the Avatar; it looked like it was really good so I went into another room and start watching it myself and fell in love with the Avatar. I think I have recorded all of them. While on the Amazon site one day, I looked it up and when I found them that truly made me happy. I will continue ordering until I have all the dvds. This is one of my absolute favorite animations. It has a great storyline with great action; I love these dvds and if you watch them, you, too, will fall in love.

The story is getting good - Brice L. Korte - Summerdale, Al.
This is the 5th volume of Book 1. Things are starting to make sense. Give me the next book.

American Anime - E. Strobel - Alexandria, VA
This series is nice. The animation is anime-like, but I noticed that in its DVD form that some of the quality is removed and in some places blotchy.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 26, 2010 17:15:04

Animation

Thursday, August 26, 2010