'Avatar The Last Airbender' Is Not An Anime; Here's Why
Best boy Aang
Avatar The Last Airbender (ATLA) is one of the greatest animated series to ever be made. It tells a full story in 61 episodes, and it has one of the best endings to an animated show, ever.
It’s complex, and surprisingly deep. ATLA develops its characters in a nuanced way from other animated shows on Nickelodeon. This series gives off a completely different vibe than other Western shows, and it’s different than shows targeted for similar age groups. When watching Avatar The Last Airbender, it becomes very apparent that it took major inspiration from the extremely popular—Japanese Anime.
Despite it having similar storytelling elements and art style; Avatar The Last Airbender is not an anime. Allow me to explain…
To understand why it isn’t an anime, I must explain why people think it is.
The Squad
CULTURE
ATLA is extremely influenced by Asian culture. It is not specific with the cultures that it utilizes, but it’s clear that the show runners pulled from many South and East Asian cultures to form the different Nations.
For example, many fans of the show have drawn parallels between the Earth Kingdom and Chinese cultures; and the Fire Nation and South Asian cultures. It’s not something that the show tries to hide, and it is very adamant about its portrayal of Asian culture. In other words, ATLA is an animated show with lots of Asian influences.
As anime usually finds itself rooted in Japanese culture, it’s easy for many people in the West to think that ATLA could fall into the same categories.
STORY ELEMENTS
Many popular shounen anime feature fight choreography similar to the kind found in Avatar. Not to mention, ATLA features a main character who must go through the trials and tribulations of a troublesome journey. Aang is taught things, and he picks up friends along the way. To say the least, it’s a coming of age story.
To break it down even further; one could even draw similarities to the way ATLA’s villains are presented, and the way music plays a part in setting the tone for certain scenes.
Heck, they even have a recap and beach episode. It’s really easy to label Avatar as an anime! It “checks those boxes” that anime’s need to have. You can even find it on some “illegal anime” streaming sites if you look hard enough.
Beach Episode
The point is, ATLA is more similar to popular anime than it is different.
But here comes the million dollar question you came here for...
Why is Avatar The Last Airbender not an anime?
It has all the features of one. The action and art is a “check.” Character building and journey is a “check.” What more could it need?
Anime is more than just an art style. It is more than all the tropes that come with it too. ANIME IS AN INDUSTRY, and a lot of people forget that part.
Avatar The Last Airbender was not created by the minds inside of the anime industry. It looks like one, and it functions like one too; but alas, it is not one.
For comparison, Parasite is not a Hollywood film as it comes from another film industry. The same can be said for ATLA’s case.
Now this isn’t an attempt to discredit ATLA for the amazing series that it is (it’s pretty dang good); but I do hope this provides clarity to what is and isn’t anime.
People tend to miss the fact that anime is more than just a genre. It is an entertainment industry that has several genres living inside of it.
Some fans might answer the question posed in the title by saying, “Avatar The Last Airbender is not a Japanese show, that is why it’s not an anime.” While this is a valid point, my reasoning dives more into the production of the show rather than culture itself.
Castlevania on Netflix is another example of this. It is a Western animated show that takes heavy influence from the anime industry. This is also why many have confused Castlevania for being an anime.
Castlevania on Netflix
It is important for people to know what is a real anime, and what is an “inspired series” because of the way certain viewpoints have tainted the anime waters. This was ever so apparent in a recent Netflix documentary called Enter The Anime.
I won’t go into detail, but to say the least, the director of that documentary had no idea what she was talking about. To call something an anime just because it looks like it by way of art style and tone, is incorrect.
Anime takes form in its production. How can a show like “Baccano!” take place during the Prohibition Era in the United States, but still be considered an anime? It’s because it comes from the anime industry. From light novel to an anime television series.
Avatar The Last Airbender is an amazing animated series that was created for Nickelodeon. There is no denying the influence it pulls from anime, but it should not be confused for one. At the very least it should be known as an honorary anime.
If the live-action series being created for Netflix can be done correctly, ATLA could open the door for more forms of Asian media in America. This series could be the catalyst for seeing more social acceptance towards the medium.
In a way, it can also be seen as a gateway series into shows that are similar to it (i.e. Shounen). Avatar does a lot in just 61 episodes, and it deserves all the praise that it has garnered over the years.
Just because a Tiger roars, does not mean it is a Lion. Nonetheless, both are still magnificent creatures.
Avatar The Last Airbender follows a similar plot formula to popular anime; but they exist on two different platforms. It might not be an anime, but it will continue to be regarded as an achievement in Western animation.
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