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.
