What's to say about Avatar: The Last Airbender? This show is pretty darn popular, its success has even lead to the creation of a feature film, and two more to come. But there is in fact a lot to be said about this show. Why do I think so? Because, this is much more than just another kid's show, and there's a lot of people out there that simply don't know this yet. There's a lot of people out there that still wouldn't even consider sitting down and using (approximately) 25 hours of their time to discover the fictional tale of the last airbender, and these same people may find it becoming one of their favourites if they did. I sure was in that position; I was already surprised when I found out it was only 60 episodes long, and the creators hadn't cashed in on its success by prolonging it any longer. I really thought Avatar was basically the American equivalent of Naruto in that respect, but now I understand. No, the people who made this show didn't make a show so that they could keep it going as long as they could and make as much cash as possible. On the contrary, they did us, the rest of the world, a great favour by producing a kid's show this good - and respectable - in so many areas.

Though I obviously haven't hesitated to call it a kid's show (it was broadcast on Nickelodeon, after all), there are many reason's behind my calling it 'more than just another kid's show'. This action/adventure series is exactly what that kind of show should be; smart, funny and exciting. Let's start with 'smart'. The plot isn't Neon Genesis Evangelion style deep, and thank God it isn't. However, what makes it smart is how it presents its story, characters and ideas. The characters here are incredibly believable ones, and the way they are presented is not only entertaining on a basic, fun level, but a deeper level that examines what it means to be human very effectively. Speaking of this, one specific character can't be justified in not being mentioned: Zuko. Character development is another strong area with the show, and again, on this point, Zuko has to be focused on. Zuko is all over the place from beginning to end in regards to what he feels, thinks and believes in. He really is one of, if not the greatest example of a character being used to examine what it means to be human that I have ever seen. If I had to choose a favourite character, it would be him, if only for the emotional attachment I felt to him by the time the show was reaching its final episodes. I really cared about the guy. I don't want to go into too much detail, but you'll understand if you witness his story for yourself. Avatar features a whole host of interesting moral dilemmas, characters and causes worth caring about, and more.

It is for these reasons that I must give the series' creators my kudos, as what makes the show smart in these respects is good for us all. I'm 18 years old, and I enjoyed the interesting characters and ideas of Avatar, and I'm sure people of all ages could. But what also came to mind as I was watching the epic, amazing finale is that it's also a great thing that it is a kid's show. Characters this deep and real and ideas this relevant aren't things you see in your average episode of SpongeBob, and while SpongeBob is great for what it is (really), Avatar is something that would be good and beneficial for your kids to watch. Azula's descending into madness in the last episodes may be the kind of thing that I'm sure turned at least a few parent's heads. Let's face it, a lot of parents are a bit overprotective when it comes to what their kids are watching nowadays; however, Azula is just another example of the show being real with its viewers, including the kids. It's still a kid's adventure show, and not the most realistic thing ever televised, but it goes where a lot of kid's shows dare not to in a mature and intelligent way. I know that this is the kind of show I'd love my future kids to watch; full of conflict (heck, it's a war story), but one that would really teach them something. After everything, Aang's final choice (I'm not going to spoil anything too badly here) about how to resolve everything is definitely something I'd want my kids to see, and remember.

On a more brief note, of course, the show is also funny and exciting. There were some truly hilarious and well-executed comedic moments all- throughout season one, two and three, and the action just plain rocked. I was on the edge of my seat watching fight scenes like Aang vs. Azula on 'the drill' (season two highlight sup) and the final battle. The entertainment the show offered on this level was a great compliment to everything else that already made it excellent. Speaking of the end, although I'd already enjoyed the series so far and heard that it was epic, I was still very impressed. It would have been nice to actually see just a couple more things resolved, but otherwise it was brilliant.

Now, what more can I say about Avatar: The Last Airbender? If you're not opposed to a good action/adventure story, but haven't seen it yet, all I can say is give it a chance, no matter what age you are. If you have kids, watch it with them. The fact that people actually sat down and made a kid's show like this gives me a lot more faith in my fellow man.