Water. Earth. Fire. Air. 

On February 21, 2005, Nickelodeon released one of the most iconic and binge-worthy television series. A series that had people on their toes and left many viewers questions unanswered.

With a 100% rating on “Rotten Tomato” and a 9.2/10 rating on IMDb, Avatar: The Last Airbender was released to the public in the early 2000’s. However, this show didn’t become popular until 2020 when Netflix released it on their platform during quarantine in May. From there, millions of watchers fell in love with the cartoon within the first episode.

The show follows Aang, a “12 year old boy” who has been missing for over 100 years. He is the avatar, master of all four elements (water, air, fire, and earth). During this time, a 100 years war was going on between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world, and only the avatar can stop the war. When Aang returns, he travels the world along with his new friends to master the elements and stop the Fire Nation from conquering the world.

The sequel, Legends of Korra, is a follow-up series placed 70 years later with a new avatar named Korra. Released on Nickelodeon in 2012,  Korra fights to keep her city safe from an anti-bending revolution and evil forces that threaten to tear it apart. 

The show’s animation is different compared to other cartoons. In fact, the cartoon has brought many debates about whether or not to call this show and its sequel anime. The show was heavily influenced by Japanese anime, but because it was not made in Japan this show (as well as Legends of Korra) would be western anime. It is also a part of the Nickelodeon franchise. With that being said, it cannot be considered anime (even though there are anime-like animations).

Both shows have been on Netflix’s Top Ten. They bring tears to people’s eyes, but at the same time, they bring brightens people’s days with its comedic side. These are the types of shows that make you want to watch it continuously, and you grow to love the characters! Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legends of Korra are two shows that are great for all ages and leave you wanting more! If you haven’t seen them, I suggest you start binge-watching as soon as possible!