2005’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ featuring four elements (water, fire, air, and earth) opened a whole new fantasy world for us. Who thought we would experience something similarly great on Netflix? Now since the anime with the same name has debuted on Netflix, it has broken a ground record of nearly 20 years since it premiered.
Within the world of the original series ‘The Last Airbender’, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko created an expansive saga inspired by Chinese mythology, Japanese anime, Asian philosophies, and martial artistry. But it was more than simply a world indebted to Eastern influences, which many Western viewers may not have been aware of. DiMartino and Konietzko dreamed up an emotionally involving cast of characters led by Aang, Katara, Sokka, Prince Zuko, and Uncle Iroh, all of whom brought new weight to the timeless stories of good versus evil (neither approached as absolutes), and the possibility for hope and redemption.
However, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the only show that ranked above all those recent additions on Netflix. Also, none of the programs that rank above Avatar on the All-Time Top 10 list are still trending on the Daily Top 10 charts. This means nothing currently stands in Avatar’s way of claiming the All-Time #1 spot.
The show, which premiered on Nickelodeon in 2005, immediately broke records, becoming the highest-rated animated series in its demographic, and garnered critical acclaim that led to multiple awards including an Emmy.
The perspectives showcased in Avatar: The Last Airbender remind the viewers a lot of the animated series most 90s kids grew up watching like Batman: The Animated Series, and X-Men: The Animated Series, which contain pointed reflections of trauma, addiction, bigotry, loss and the powers of dreams and nightmares.
