Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3 (2007)

Still not anime, got it, thanks.

That was good. Really good. It's all I can really ask for, is a good story, and characters that matter.

I want to move on to Korra, but before that, what else do I need to check out? There are some extra materials, and I need to know what they are, in what order, and how to get them.

At least I can now finally read the tvtropes page on Avatar. Ouch, first thing that happens is I get hit by a spoiler -

* spoiler notice *

Aang's son has some interaction with the next Avatar, Korra. Oh well. Have to be more careful, and try to move ahead into the story.

Looks like there are two comics I need to read, "The Promise" and "The Search". Hopefully at this late date I can find them easily and for free.

weeks later...

I did find them easily and for free. I tore right through The Promise, and it felt like a long tv episode. It was good, and welcome, but not necessary. Its very clear at the end of Last Airbender that the story has come full circle again, that the dominant lord of the realm and the avatar enjoy good relations, and the world is at peace. It doesn't need to be said that the lord might slip some day, and the avatar might have to fix the situation again. It was wonderful to watch this cycle go through another turn, even as you could see it coming from a great distance. The fact the current lord rectifies himself, without much need for the avatar, is nice, but it was fine where it was. Especially if the show is going on to the next avatar series.

As I'm lining up the next comic, The Search, I notice that it is not complete, and I notice a lot of the dates are recent. I assumed, because of the time span of years that the shows have been coming out, that the comics came out between the shows. Not so. Korra has run a season or two, wait, before I make more assumptions, back to Wikipedia.

The TV shows ran 2005-2008. Now I found there was a prequel, Zuko's Story, which came out in 2010. I don't care, I read the synopsis; I will not seek it out. The Legend of Korra started in 2012 (April), and The Promise came out in 2012 (January, May, and October). The Search came out in 2013, in March, July, and a few days from now at the end of October. And according to Wikipedia it will be followed by The Rift. I guess that spoilerish sounding title hints at things I will learn in Korra. So it sounds like I need to watch Korra first, then The Search, and then someday The Rift will come out.

I should mention my assumption, up till now, that the way to follow a work is in the order it came out, not the order of whatever story they're telling. If I'm going to read a prequel at all, it will be only after I've read the main story. The prequel is to be read after, if at all. I tend not to like prequels, because anything that's in there should have been in the story, proper, and not tacked on later to create additional product to sell. It's a little disturbing to enjoy the great series that was The Last Airbender, to find they are selling these extra comics that don't add anything to the story. Though who knows, maybe The Search will be interesting.

Conclusion: Avatar series so far is good, and worthy of attention, I must continue. Korra season 1 was in 2012, The Search came out 2013. So, watch Korra season 1, read The Search, which by then should be completely out. Then start watching Korra season 2. Actually, I better start gathering Korra season 2 on the DVR now, since it started a month ago, and I won't be able to easily get it any other way (until a year from now, when it will probably be on streaming). Must avoid spoilers.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 (2006)

I know, its still not anime.

But from my limited knowledge of anime, I can recognize lots of little tropes that they've borrowed from Asian animation. Much like they borrowed lots of little cultural bits, ex: Ba Sing Se is modeled after Beijing.

I like the writing. I like the story. I especially like the world, and I'm always listening for some new bit of information about the world we haven't heard yet. I mostly like the characters, though they seem a little thin in spots. Its really mostly the main character, who still doesn't quite seem like a real person to me. Its almost like a video game character that's purposefully left blank, so you can more easily use it as your... avatar.

Off to the dictionary. A Hindu deity, not applicable here. Though there was that strange Indian character, the guru. Where does he come from? Where's the analog of India in this world of islands? "An incarnation in human form". That could work, if Aang is the embodiment of all the elements.