I've only just started watching this show and already I've bought the full first season on DVD, I just couldn't help myself. I wouldn't call it "fake" anime, since it is most certainly inspired by it, but at the same time it is completely western. There are certainly elements of anime in it, especially in the way action and humour are played off each other. The style is similar to anime as well, and yet has a distinct look that declares it to be something else entirely.

Another interesting thing about Avatar is that the humour is very western. Though it is based in a world that is clearly influenced by the cultures of the east, the jokes and humour are very clearly inspired by what we as westerners consider funny but it is combined with eastern humour in regards to expressions and reactions of the characters. (Of course many of the reactions are also more based in the west than the east. Maybe I haven't watched enough anime but I don't remember many where characters hit themselves in the forehead when someone says something dumb or strange. In most anime such a reaction would involve the characters falling over) The storyline itself is excellent. The characters themselves are round and dynamic. Even the villain at the beginning of the show grows and changes with his experiences. He has his own history and his a sympathetic character in his own right. The writers take the time in making the characters more real, in giving them their own stories and backgrounds. Few of the important characters are flat or static. Some you really can come to hate and some you can come to sympathize with. There is a sense that some of these characters could be real people. The storyline is interesting and keeps you wanting to watch and see what happens next. The writers are also clever in how they give strong characters weaknesses and creating characters that at first could seem weak but come to show that they have strengths of their own. I would say that this show, though a cartoon, takes a page out of the book of anime and makes itself accessible to children and adults. I certainly enjoy watching it and get several good chuckles out of each episode. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone. I certainly hope the writers are able to keep it up.