Cartoons aren’t just for kids anymore. Nor are they just about making toys. A fascinating thing happened between the 80s and the 90s – we grew up and became adults. And some of those adults are a lot more successful than I am, and they got jobs in TV. So everyone who grew up watching cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers and GI Joe (like me!) are now the ones making cartoons. They are putting that love they had as kids into the products of today.

Which is why Avatar: The Last Airbender is probably the greatest cartoon ever.

Bad to the Ass

Did you see the movie by M. Night Shamallamadingdong? Forget that fucking movie. It was an abomination. Not only was it just a poorly made movie, but he crammed the entire epic first season of the show into a 2-hour crapfest. Do not watch the movie.

Watch the cartoon that ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon.

It’s about a 12-year-old boy who finds out that he’s the chosen one, and is the only one who can stop the bad guys and save the world. But it’s told with such grace, depth and character that you can’t help but be riveted throughout the whole epic saga. The hero, Aang, is simultaneously a boy trying to have a childhood, and a hero with the fate of the world on his shoulders. He wants to have fun with his friends, but they all know they have this incredible responsibility. The group of them must travel the world, gather the allies and the training they need, so that in the end they can defeat the villains and save the world.

It’s a story about politics, about moral gray areas, and in the end it’s about heroism, friendship and romance. It’s also about super powers, so that’s pretty awesome. And it’s most definitely NOT about making toys.

Not action figure accesible

The reason I’m telling you all of this is twofold. 1. Not all of my readers might be familiar with Avatar: The Last Airbender. And if they’re not, I want them to know that it’s totally worth watching. If you have kids, show them Avatar. If you’re bored one weekend, watch Avatar. You have the Henchman-4-Hire guarantee that it’s awesome.

And 2. There’s a sequel coming! It’s called The Legend of Korra, and stars, of course, a girl named Korra.

Inheriting badassness

She’s the new Avatar, because the position of all-powerful being comes once per generation. She’s got a lot of learning to do when it comes to controlling her powers, and I guess that’s what the show is going to be about. The world might need saving again, and it’ll be up to Korra, and possibly her friends, to band together and do the hero thing. That should be pretty awesome.

Recently on the Internet, I found the opening sequence for the sequel cartoon:

And if that’s not enough, here’s the teaser trailer!