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Avatar: The Last Airbender

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Television

                Avatar: The Last Airbender
              Avatar: The Last Airbender logo
         Genre       Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
     Running time    23 minutes approx.
      Creator(s)     Michael Dante DiMartino
                     Bryan Konietzko
       Starring      Zach Tyler Eisen
                     Mae Whitman
                     Jack DeSena
                     Jessie Flower
                     Dante Basco
                     Mako
                     Dee Bradley Baker
                     Grey DeLisle
                     Crawford Wilson
                     Olivia Hack
                     Cricket Leigh
                     Clancy Brown
                     Mark Hamill
                     Jason Isaacs
   Country of origin Flag of United States  United States
   Original channel  Nickelodeon
     Original run    February 21, 2005–Present
    No. of episodes  38 aired of 60 in production
                     Official website
                       IMDb profile
                      TV.com summary

   Avatar: The Last Airbender (also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in
   several countries) is an American animated television series airing on
   Nickelodeon. Set in an Asian-influenced world of martial arts and
   elemental magic, the series follows the adventures of Aang, the
   successor to a long line of Avatars, and his friends Katara, Sokka and
   later Toph, and their two animal companions Appa and Momo in their
   quest to save the world from the merciless Fire Nation, while avoiding
   capture from pursuers including Prince Zuko, Princess Azula and other
   hunters from the Fire Nation.

   Originally slated to start November 2004, Avatar: The Last Airbender
   debuted on TV February 21, 2005 and is available on DVD or for download
   on the iTunes Store, and XBOX Marketplace. Produced at Nickelodeon
   Animation Studios in Burbank, California, and animated in South Korea
   (where many animated television series are animated), it was co-created
   and executive produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
   In the United States, new episodes air Friday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern
   Standard Time on the Nickelodeon cable network. New seasons of Avatar
   begin in the spring and episodes are rerun in the summer; new episodes
   return in the autumn and the season ends in early winter.

   A consistently high ratings performer in the Nicktoons lineup, even
   outside of its intended six-to-eleven-year-old demographic, Avatar: The
   Last Airbender is popular with both audiences and critics. The series'
   success prompted Nickelodeon to order a second twenty-episode season,
   which began airing on March 17, 2006, and a third season has been
   announced to begin airing in 2007. Notable merchandise based on the
   series include five DVD sets of episodes, six-inch scale action
   figures, a video game, and two Lego sets.

   Nickelodeon airs Avatar: The Last Airbender every weekday at 6:30 PM
   Eastern Standard Time on Nickelodeon, and new episodes air on Fridays
   at 8:00 PM EST.
   Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Overview

Premise

   Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a fantasy world on a planet that
   is home to humans, fantastic animals, and supernatural spirits. Human
   civilization is divided into three pre-industrialized nations: the
   Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Air Nomads. The fourth nation,
   the Fire Nation, is, in contrast, an industrialized nation that is
   capable of manufacturing various kinds of machines. Within each nation,
   there is an order of men and women, each called "Benders," who have an
   ability to manipulate their native element. The bending arts combine
   martial arts and elemental mysticism. They are Waterbending,
   Earthbending, Firebending, and Airbending.

   In each generation, one Bender is capable of bending all four elements;
   this is the Avatar, the Spirit of the Planet manifested in human form.
   When the Avatar dies, he or she reincarnates into an unborn baby native
   to the next nation in the Avatar Cycle. Beginning with the mastery of
   his native element, the Avatar learns to bend all four elements in the
   order of the cycle, which parallels the seasons: winter for water,
   spring for earth, summer for fire, and autumn for air. Learning to bend
   the element opposite of one's native element is extremely difficult
   because of opposing fighting styles and doctrines.

   The Avatar possesses a unique power that resides within him, called the
   Avatar State. It is a defense mechanism that empowers the Avatar with
   the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars. When the Avatar
   enters this state, his eyes and mouth begin to glow. The glow is the
   combination of all the Avatar's previous incarnations focusing their
   energy through his body. However, if the Avatar is killed in the Avatar
   State, then the reincarnation cycle will be broken and the Avatar will
   cease to exist.

   Throughout the ages, countless incarnations of the Avatar have served
   to keep the four nations in harmony and maintain world order. The
   Avatar also serves as the bridge between the physical world and the
   Spirit World, home of the world's disembodied spirits.

Plot Synopsis

   A century prior to the series' opening, Aang, a 12-year-old Airbender
   of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, learned from the monks that he
   was the Avatar. Usually, the Avatar is told of his or her true identity
   after turning sixteen. However, the monks feared that a war between the
   four nations was on the horizon, and that the Avatar would soon be
   needed to help maintain balance and restore order. Shortly thereafter,
   it was decided that Aang would be separated from his guardian, Monk
   Gyatso, and sent to the Eastern Air Temple to finish his training.

   Confused, frightened, and overwhelmed by recent events and his new
   responsibilities as the Avatar, Aang fled from his home on his Flying
   Bison, Appa. While flying over frigid southern ocean waters, a sudden
   storm caused Appa to plunge deep into the sea. In the Avatar State,
   Aang used Airbending to protect Appa and himself by creating an air
   bubble around them. However, the air bubble quickly froze into a sphere
   of ice, forcing them both into a state of suspended animation.

   When the series opens one hundred years later, the Fire Nation is on
   the brink of victory in its imperialist war. The Water Tribes are in
   crisis — the Southern Water Tribe's warriors have gone off to war,
   leaving their home defenseless, and the Northern Water Tribe, though
   largely intact, is continually on the defensive. The vast Earth Kingdom
   is now the only true barrier to the Fire Nation's domination, but as
   the Fire Nation continues to encroach on its borders and conquer its
   territories, hopes of victory grow bleaker with each passing year.

   Two teenage siblings from the Southern Water Tribe — Katara, a
   Waterbender, and her brother Sokka — discover and free Aang and Appa
   from the iceberg. Aang soon discovers to his horror that during his
   absence, a war had started. The very year he vanished, Fire Lord Sozin
   took advantage of both the Avatar's absence and the
   Firebending-enhancing powers of a powerful comet to launch a war on the
   three other nations. To Aang's shock and disbelief, the Fire Nation's
   opening gambit had been a genocidal assault on the Air Nomads. The Air
   Temples were stormed and the Airbenders slaughtered in an effort to
   break the Avatar Cycle, leaving him as the last known Airbender in
   existence.

   As the Avatar, it is Aang's duty to restore harmony and peace to the
   four nations. Along with his newly discovered friends Katara and Sokka,
   his Flying Bison Appa and his Winged Lemur Momo, and later the blind
   Earthbender Toph, Aang travels the world to master all four elements,
   while evading capture by Prince Zuko and Princess Azula.

   Although it takes years of discipline and training to master any one
   element, Aang must master them all and defeat Fire Lord Ozai by
   summer's end, when the return of Sozin's Comet will give the
   Firebenders enough power to win the war. If these events come to pass,
   not even the Avatar will be able to restore balance to the world.

Episodes

Characters

Main characters

   One of the Avatar series' strong points is character development and
   depth. All the main characters are portrayed as "marvelously flawed
   human beings" and the series especially shined in terms of
   characterization in its initial season with its main antagonists. To
   date, the only two major characters that can be considered "flat" are
   Azula, who is portrayed as entirely evil, and the Fire Lord, who is
   seen only briefly on screen, usually in flashbacks.

   Aang ( Mitchel Musso in the pilot, Zach Tyler Eisen onwards) - The
   fun-loving, 12-year-old (plus 100 years spent in suspended animation)
   titular character of the series and the current incarnation of the
   Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. As the
   Avatar, Aang must master all four elements to bring peace to the world.
   This burden was dropped on his shoulders early in life and eventually
   led to his being frozen in suspended animation for one hundred years
   until awakened by Katara and Sokka.

   He loves to travel the world and is always eager to learn new things
   and to take detours to take in the sights. Deep down, Aang is truly
   saddened by the loss of his people and concerned about his new-found
   duty. But this is replaced by his deep love for Katara and his
   friendship with Toph and Sokka. At times, he is somewhat naïve of the
   world and other's true feelings, too preoccupied with the events
   occurring around him to notice what is really going on.

   Katara ( Mae Whitman) - The 14-year-old, sole remaining Waterbender of
   the Southern Water Tribe who, along with her brother Sokka, discovered
   Aang. She and Sokka accompany him on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord
   and bring peace to the war-torn nations. She is a very gifted
   Waterbender who, by season two, achieves her dream by becoming a master
   Waterbender. Her next task is to train Aang to become a Waterbending
   master himself.

   Katara is mature, loving, and responsible. Always looking out for the
   well-being of others, she is a leader when the situation calls for her
   to lead. However, she can be overbearing and always thinks her way is
   the right way, never relenting on her views, even when they are
   disproved. Despite Katara's kind nature, she has a temper which when
   combined with her impressive Waterbending skills and idealistic views
   can be quite destructive. After the passing of their mother at the
   hands of the Fire Nation, Katara took on a motherly role over her older
   brother Sokka, and later, Aang. Katara is an idealist, trying to right
   wrongs and help those that have lost hope. But her kind and controlling
   nature makes her rather blind to others true feelings and what they
   really want, rather than what she wants.

   Sokka ( Jack DeSena) - A 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water
   Tribe who, with his sister Katara, accompanies Aang on his quest to
   defeat the Fire Lord. Unlike his three companions, Sokka cannot bend.
   He constantly struggles to deal with his lack of mystical power in a
   world ruled by benders. However, the series frequently grants him
   opportunities to demonstrate his true gift: inventiveness.

   Sokka describes himself as "meat-loving" and "sarcastic." He takes
   great pride in his mental and physical strength, though it is often
   overshadowed by others' ability to bend. He is extremely clever,
   relying on science where the mystical and martial arts elude him,
   though his silly and immature manner often causes others to
   underestimate his intelligence and makes him the comic relief of the
   group. Sokka is very flirtatious and has gained the interest/affection
   of three female characters in the series - Yue, Suki, and Ty Lee. At
   the start of the series he was a male chauvinist, but after witnessing
   the strength of women like Suki and his own sister, his prejudice has
   slowly waned.

   Toph ( Jessie Flower) - A 12-year-old, blind Earthbender who leaves her
   wealthy lifestyle and home to join Aang on his quest in season two. Her
   parents are incredibly overprotective, leading her to rebel and fight
   in underground tournaments. Her popularity as "The Blind Bandit"
   attracts a hopeful Aang, then looking for an Earthbender to teach him.
   Though blind, Toph possesses a unique ability to sense vibrations in
   the ground, essentially allowing her to "see" her surroundings.

   Toph has largely lived alone all her life, which makes her somewhat
   selfish, sarcastic, and at times, arrogant. She is also a loner who
   isn't afraid to speak her mind and be bluntly truthful. She does not
   take pleasure in being mean, but rather, she has been sheltered from
   the world her entire life, never having a friend until she joined the
   group. Thus, her social skills are lacking. Unable to communicate well
   with others, she initially appeared mean and selfish to Katara.
   However, her travels with Aang, Katara, and Sokka have gradually taught
   her the meaning of teamwork and friendship.

   Toph's attitude towards her blindness shifts between humorous and
   indirectly bitter. Although she is not angry or sad because of her lack
   of sight, she is very proud of herself. Many times, she questions the
   kind actions of others towards her as being due to the perception that
   it makes her weak (as is the attitude adopted by her family). On the
   other hand, she frequently jokes about her blindness when her
   companions forget about it in heated situations (ex.: Sokka complains
   about not being able to see anything in a dark tunnel, and Toph
   sarcastically replies, "Oh no, what a nightmare.").

   Zuko ( Dante Basco) - The exiled 16-year-old prince of the Fire Nation
   is obsessed with capturing the Avatar in his quest to restore his
   honour and to redeem himself in the eyes of his father, Fire Lord Ozai.
   After being branded a traitor at the beginning of season two, he begins
   to change from a spoiled prince to an outcast who begins to pity and
   bond with the same people his nation terrorized. He is an incredible
   warrior, especially in disguise as the Blue Spirit. Zuko, while not as
   skilled a Firebender as his sister, has other, more powerful skills,
   specifically in the superior use of twin broadswords and hand-to-hand
   combat.

   Zuko is hard, militant, and was more than a little obsessive in his
   quest to capture Aang in the first season. He often acts coldly, but
   has revealed himself to also be a very caring character as well - a
   trait which usually is exhibited best in the presence of his Uncle
   Iroh, who is truly more a father to him than Ozai. However, his quest
   to capture the Avatar seems to have lost its importance since Azula,
   his sister, started to seek to hunt and capture him and his uncle. The
   longer he remains a fugitive of the Fire Nation, the more his overall
   attitude and demeanor continues to change as well. Zuko has begun to
   put others before himself in survival situations and as such his more
   compassionate side begins to show. Zuko's appearance is well-known with
   his scar on his face marked by his own father, recieved during an
   imprompt duel that also led to his exile two years prior, and a bald
   head with a single ponytail. However, in season two, he and his uncle
   cut off their traditional topknot/ponytails, which has led to Zuko to
   grow his hair out.

   Azula ( Grey DeLisle) - The 14-year-old princess of the Fire Nation,
   Zuko's younger sister, Iroh's niece, and Fire Lord Ozai's favorite
   child. Azula has been especially cruel all her life. Her mind is set on
   war and power; she manipulates and even tortures others, including her
   brother. At the end of season one, Ozai sent Azula on a mission to
   imprison Zuko and Iroh, and she later became interested in capturing
   the Avatar.

   Azula is a prodigy, which combined with her sadistic personality makes
   her an extremely gifted and dangerous Firebender, capable of using
   hotter blue flames and even lightning abilities possessed only by a
   select few Firebenders. Azula is uncaring and possibly sociopathic,
   willing to manipulate others, to the extent that she will put their
   lives in danger to get what she wants, and almost never gets her own
   hands dirty in the process. She sees others as expendable, and
   intimidates her lackeys, older men that quake with fear when she is
   displeased. At times, Azula acts kind and caring, but only to further
   her own interests. Otherwise, she is an inflexible and domineering
   personality, allowing no one to question her aside from the Fire Lord
   and two crones who oversee her martial arts training. She pushes
   herself harder than even her men, accepting nothing less than
   perfection in her training and missions.

   Iroh ( Mako) - A retired Fire Nation general and Prince Zuko's uncle,
   who is also branded a traitor in season two. Iroh is the older brother
   of Fire Lord Ozai, and was the original heir to the throne of the Fire
   Nation. Iroh is an immensely powerful Firebender of the highest order
   who accompanies his nephew in his quest to capture the Avatar. He looks
   upon Zuko as a son more than as a nephew, especially after the loss of
   his only son, Lu Ten (Lu Ten died tragically during a raid on the Earth
   Kingdom city Ba Sing Se many years before the story begins). He is as
   pained by his nephew's past as Zuko is, and hates that his nephew must
   suffer as he does. On the surface Iroh is a cheerful and kind old man
   whose hobbies include drinking tea, playing Pai Sho, and singing.

   Much older and experienced than any of the other main characters, Iroh
   chooses to take a less active role in the affairs, acting as more of a
   tutor and guide to Zuko and sometimes even the other characters (Toph
   in " The Chase"). Especially in Season 2, Iroh is shown to take
   pleasure in helping others, prefers a more passive approach to
   problems, and at times displays great humility. It is revealed he has
   crossed into the spirit world at least once before, shows great
   sympathy and respect for the role of all elements in the world (his
   defense of the moon spirit against Admiral Zhao in " Siege of the
   North" caused him to be labeled a traitor), and has admitted to
   studying the disciplines of other nations (" Bitter Work"). All of this
   contrary to what one might expect from the would-have-been Fire Lord of
   an imperialistic Fire Nation.

   He is shown to be extremely patient and resourceful: there are many
   times when Iroh's disposition gives the impression he is holding back
   when he could take a more active role. These situations often arise
   when acting as a tutor to the more impatient and inexperienced Zuko. In
   many cases Iroh chooses not to intervene when it is clear he is
   uncomfortable with the decisions his nephew makes (he is upset about
   Zuko's theivery in " The Swamp" but remains silent; he keeps his
   distance by tracking Zuko after they separate in " The Chase").

   Beneath his kindly appearance is a cunning and resourceful master of
   Firebending who can rival the Fire Nation's best. Though usually
   friendly, in times of danger Iroh can become incredibly angry and truly
   dangerous, scaring even the cocky Admiral Zhao into submission. On
   several occasions Iroh comes to the aid of Zuko only when it is
   absolutely necessary to ensure his nephew's safety (stopping Zhao's
   attack after the duel in " The Southern Air Temple", intercepting
   Azula's attack in " The Avatar State", the duel where he is injured by
   Azula in " The Chase").

   Mako, the voice actor who portrayed Iroh, died on July 21, 2006. The
   final scene of dialogue he had recorded (for the episode The Tales of
   Ba Sing Se) was dedicated to him. While guest starring at the Pacific
   Media Expo on October 28, 2006 the creators confirmed that another
   voice actor has indeed been selected. Although no names were mentioned
   as for who it is, they stated that the new voice actor had studied
   underneath Mako on Broadway during a show they did together, and had
   succeeded Mako in that role when Mako left the show. When the new voice
   actor had come in for a reading, they thought that he had studied the
   part ahead of time (they used an already aired part of Iroh's
   dialogue), but he had done the reading cold. Whoever he may be, the
   creators feel that Iroh's new voice actor really captures Iroh and
   Mako's spirit and acting .

Major secondary characters

     * Appa ( Dee Bradley Baker) - Aang's flying bison who serves as the
       group's main form of transportation as they travel around the
       world. He was stuck in suspended animation with Aang for 100 years
       and shares a very strong bond with him. He possesses the ability to
       fly and can use his tail to create powerful gusts of air.

     * Jet ( Crawford Wilson) - A charasmatic teen who holds a deep grudge
       against the Fire Nation. He was the leader of the Freedom Fighters,
       who spent their days antagonizing Fire Nation soldiers. Later, he
       decided to start a new life in Ba Sing Se. After trying to prove
       that Zuko and Iroh are from the Fire Nation, he was arrested and
       brainwashed by the Dai Li. While helping Aang and his friends find
       Appa, he was injured or possibly killed by Long Feng. Jet uses Twin
       Tiger-Head Hook Swords as his weapon.

     * Long Feng ( Clancy Brown) - The intelligent and cunning Grand
       Secretarian of Ba Sing Se, head of the the Dai Li, and advisor to
       the Earth King. In reality, the Earth King is merely a figurehead
       of Ba Sing Se's government, so it is actually Long Feng who holds
       real power. He and the Dai Li use hypnotism to silence talk of war
       and thus keep Ba Sing Se a peaceful, ordered utopia. Later, his
       conspiracy was revealed and he was put in jail, however, the Dai Li
       remain loyal to him.

     * Mai ( Cricket Leigh) - An impassive, bored, nearly emotionless
       young woman who, along with Ty Lee, accompanies Princess Azula on
       her quest to capture Zuko, Iroh, and the Avatar. Mai specializes in
       throwing weapons, which she conceals in many parts of her clothing.

     * Momo ( Dee Bradley Baker) - A intelligent and curious winged lemur
       who travels around the world with the group as their pet.

     * Fire Lord Ozai ( Mark Hamill) - The ruthless ruler of the Fire
       Nation, father of Zuko and Azula, and younger brother of Iroh. He
       is leading his country in a century-long war against the other
       three nations to create an empire and is waiting for the arrival of
       Sozin's Comet so that the Fire Nation can utilize its
       firebending-enhancing powers to win the war.

     * Avatar Roku ( James Garrett) - The Avatar before Aang, who was born
       to the Fire Nation. Throughout the series, Avatar Roku appears as a
       spirit to help Aang fulfill his duties as the Avatar.

     * Suki ( Jennie Kwan) - The leader of the young female warriors of
       Kyoshi Island, she is a tough fighter and staunch ally of Aang,
       Katara, and Sokka. Suki has a close relationship with Sokka.

     * Ty Lee ( Olivia Hack) - A cheerful and energetic young woman who,
       along with Mai, accompanies Princess Azula on her quest to capture
       Zuko, Iroh, and the Avatar. Ty Lee is a skilled acrobat who strikes
       pressure points to disable her opponents.

     * Admiral Zhao ( Jason Isaacs) - A hot-tempered Fire Nation admiral
       in pursuit of the Avatar and Zuko's principal rival throughout Book
       One. Zhao presumably died in the final chapter of Book One.

Minor secondary characters

Creatures and animals

Guest stars

Influences

Avatar

   The term " Avatar" comes from the Sanskrit word Avatāra, which means
   "descent." In Hindu mythology, gods often manifest themselves into
   Avatars to restore balance on earth after a period of great evil. The
   Chinese characters appearing above the word "Avatar" in the show's
   opening mean "the divine medium who has descended upon the mortal
   world."

Reincarnation

   When Aang was a child, he unknowingly revealed that he was the Avatar
   when he chose four toys out of thousands. These four toys were the same
   ones that past Avatars had chosen for generations when they were
   children, revealing that Aang was the reincarnation of the Avatar. This
   same test is used by Tibetan Buddhist monks when a reincarnated Dalai
   Lama is expected. Visions of the monks reveal who the Dalai Lama is,
   and this test finalizes that he is, indeed, the reincarnation.

   The successor is expected to show signs of continuity with the previous
   Avatar, such as being born within a week of the death.

Elements

   Avatar draws on four of the five classical Indian elements of Hindu and
   Buddhist traditions for the four bending arts: Fire ( agni or tejas),
   Water ( ap or jala), Earth ( prithvi or bhumi), and Wind or Air ( vayu
   or pavan). The fifth, aether ( akasha or akash) is symbolized by Aang
   because as the Avatar, he is the intermediary between the physical
   world and the Spirit World. The four elements can also be found in
   Western traditions from at least the 5th century BC. Some names in the
   series, such as "Agni Kai" and King Bumi the Earthbender, borrow
   directly from these elements. The four elements, Fire, Air, Water, and
   Earth represents the four states of matter: plasma, gas, liquid, and
   solid.

Calligraphy

   Classical Chinese calligraphy, a very old form of written Chinese once
   used in formal communication and literature, is used for nearly all the
   writing that appear in Avatar. For each instance of calligraphy, an
   appropriate style is used, ranging from the archaic to the clerical.
   The show employs calligrapher Siu-Leung Lee as a consultant and
   translator.

Fighting styles

   The fighting choreography of Avatar draws from martial arts, and the
   fighting styles and weaponry are based on Chinese martial arts, with
   each bending art corresponding to a certain real-world style or styles.
   The creators use Tai Chi for Waterbending, Hung Gar for Earthbending
   (although Toph employs Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu), Northern
   Shaolin for Firebending, and Ba Gua for Airbending. The show employs
   Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association as a
   martial arts consultant.

   Each fighting style was chosen to represent the element it projected:
     * Tai Chi creates flowing, fluid movements to represent water.
     * Hung Gar was chosen for its firmly rooted stances to represent
       solid earth.
     * Northern Shaolin uses fast and swift strikes to mimic the power of
       fire.
     * Ba Gua's soft, circular movements were chosen to represent
       air/wind.

   The ability to bend appears to come from both genetics and
   spirituality. This is hinted in the series when twin brothers in the
   episode " The Fortuneteller" announced that only one of them is an
   Earthbender. However, all Air Nomads are benders due to their
   spirituality.

Anime style

   While Avatar is not considered as anime due to being primarily American
   in style and writing, one review has commented that "Avatar blurs the
   line between anime and (US) domestic cartoons until it becomes
   irrelevant."

Avatar and Hayao Miyazaki

   Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino confirmed a
   particular anime influence in a magazine interview:

     "The best anime balances great action sequences with humor and
     emotion, something we try to do on Avatar. We love all the films of
     Hayao Miyazaki, especially Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Both
     movies deal with spirituality and the environment in an entertaining
     way. Also, there's a lot of great animation."

   The episode, " The Spirit World" and the two-part first season finale "
   Siege of the North" are good examples of this influence, as the former
   prominently features a corrupted forest spirit attacking a human
   settlement as a direct result of the destruction of its forest home,
   while the latter involves the main protagonists trying to prevent the
   murder of a nature spirit by an ambitious mortal, all of which are also
   featured in Princess Mononoke.

   Similarly, the character Wan Shi Tong from " The Library" bears a
   strong visual similarity to No Face from Spirited Away, while the form
   Aang took in the finale after becoming one with the Ocean Spirit bears
   an even stronger resemblance to Shishigami's "Didarabocchi" ("the
   Nightwalker") form in Princess Mononoke. Also, according to an
   interview with the artists involved in creating Avatar, Appa's design
   was based on the Catbus in My Neighbour Totoro, due to the peculiar
   task of creating a mammal with six legs.

Nominations and awards

   Avatar won two Pulcinella Awards in 2005 for "Best Action/Adventure
   Series" and "Best Series of the Year." It received 2006 Annie Award
   nominations for "Best Animated Television Production" and "Best Writing
   in an Animated Television Production" ( The Fortuneteller), and won
   "Best Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production" ( The
   Deserter).
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