Book One: Chapter 1 - The Boy in the Iceberg

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The opening episode to one of the most highly acclaimed animated series in history is happy to display why it receives that praise. The narrator’s introduction sets the scene and premise before handing Appa’s reigns over to the cast and the story truly begins. Every piece of a story is wildly important, and there is a strong argument for the beginning being the most crucial. You need able to grasp a viewer’s interest in those opening minutes, which AtLA does stunningly.

There is a power in storytelling that is hard to achieve, which is presenting a world and cast that feels realistic. As mentioned, AtLA is captivating from the beginning. But it achieves this through the charm of it’s characters and the strength of it’s writing. The characters feel natural and their conversation is organic. There is never an awkward piece of exposition, or finding an excuse for a character’s name to be dropped. It feels, natural, which lends an immersion that is hard to achieve.

However, the opening episode isn’t purely golden winds that carry us to the heights of entertainment. Stories can be grand, but coincidential circumstances that allow a story to start can feel very forced. Katara’s limited ability to bend, while suddenly surging with power over frustration at her brother leading to the freeing of Aang, is incredibly “convenient.” Which, the story has to start somewhere. But it feels like a piece of an outline rather than a naturally occuring storybeat. These conveniences for the sake of set-up don’t stop there either. Zuko just happens to be in the area when Aang trips a trap in the old Fire Nation warship. Why was it trapped in the first place? And it was a Flar Signal Trap that Zuko could see, instead of just outright capturing/harming Aang and Katara? Again, convenient.

I have two last pieces of criticism for our opening episode. First one is that while it is understandable and necessary to cut some corners in animation, you should try to do it in a way that isn’t in the viewer’s face. Zuko sees Aang and Katara running from the ship, and they are moving at about 6 fps and looking like background characters in a striking contrast to the smooth movements when Katara was bending the fish from the water, Zuko’s flaming drills, or Aang’s Airborne Antics.

Finally, how in the world has this war gone on for 100-years? The Air Nomads have been supposedly extinct for 100 years. Which leaves the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. But the South Pole Tribe is absolutely tiny. The intro says the men went to help in the war… But looking at the remaining members of the village that must have been… 10 people?

Meanwhile the Fire Nation appears to have huge warships full of armed soldiers. Either the Earth Kingdom is absolutely massive, or the North Pole Water Tribe better be. Otherwise, buying the idea of a 100-year conflict is hard to accept in the face of such power.

To close, The Boy in the Iceberg is a brilliant set-up with charming characters that made me immediately want to click on the next episode.

Thank you so much for reading this entry of Anime Analysis.

~ Schwahn

Find all current Anime Analysis of "Avatar: The Last Airbender": HERE

The Anime Analysis for the next episode of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is: HERE

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LIVE WATCH NOTES:

• Was the FIre Nation army partially 3D? Isn’t this from like 2005?

• Why would the Avatar been reborn specifically into the Air Nomads?

• Background Artists aren’t paid enough.

• The cliche of a characters powers going off behind them due to an emotional moment never gets old.

• The perfect coincidence of the happenstance of Kitara’s powers freeing Aang.

• “I won’t get to finish my game.”, Lawl, I’m dead.

• Is the game that Unle Iroh is playing a real game? Always want to play those weird board games you see in games and movies.

• Ah the age when there were planned fade ins/outs for commercials.

• The absent-minded brush-off of Sokka’s spear in Aang’s stomach is choice.

• Welp… being covered in Bison Snot is a new fear.

• There is something delightful when a character says exactly what you are thinking. “You sneezed and flew 10-feet in the air.” (Pretty sure it was higher) - Aang: “Really? It felt higher than that.”

• Calm down Sokka. That leap from a creature that large WAS truly amazing.

• Is there any reason to believe the ORIGINAL Avatar would still be alive? 100-years? Presuming everyone is human. He should long be dead.

• Noted, Zenitsu is based on Aang. Dude’s Avatar powers just woke up when he was passed out.

• How dit Katara JUST NOW notice that he had tattoos.

• The snow looks like Mayonnaise…..

• Aang is made naturally more likeable by being good with children.

• The duality between the two “groups” is really strong.

• The undertone of everyone’s father’s being gone is… rough. War in general…

• That penguin had 4 arms…

• They ALL have 4 arms…

• Snow still looks like Mayonnaise.

• Being the ONLY bender would be insanely rough.

• That also means that none of the Water Tribe that went to help the Earth Kingdom were benders. just regular men. Rough AF.

• Aang’s purity is cherisable.

• The snowboarding minigame in Final Fantasy 7 should now be replaced with Penguin Sledding when the Remake gets to the Northern Glacier.

• Aang is taking the idea that all his friends are dead… rather well

• So like… why would you booby trap your OWN ship? I don’t get it.