I've never been a huge fan of Anime, but over the last few years I've acquired a minor taste for it. I've learned that like most genres, there is as much good as there is bad. Having seen some of the more adult series, like 'Cowboy Bebop" (which is brilliant), I'm now more open to checking out what is available. Most recently I was introduced to a series called "Avatar" by my son and to say that I'm hooked is an understatement. When I first heard of "Avatar", I wasn't all that interested. I immediately expected it to be like "Dragonball Z", which I absolutely detested. Speaking of that show, I have no idea how it lasted as long as it did or why it was such a phenomenon. There just wasn't much substance there. But after accidentally catching an episode of "Avatar" I was quickly proven wrong. It was nothing like "Dragonball Z." There was actually a storyline and characters that were well defined… and even more surprisingly… interesting.

The series focused on the story of a group of shaman who had the power to work with the powers of the elements. But more importantly, there was a chosen one… the Avatar… who must learn to control all four (earth, air, fire and water). Throughout the series, there is a continual plotline, broken up by each of the 'chapters' or episodes. The episode I caught on TV was excellent, but it left me wanting more. It was airing on Nickelodeon at the time, and their schedule sometimes did not run the series totally in order, so it was hard to keep up.

But earlier this year Paramount Home Entertainment released the first of a series of episodes. They have since followed up second, third and a fourth disc, each with four additional episodes. I'm not sure why they didn't opt to just release a whole season, but beggars can't be choosers. The release of these discs have allowed me (and my son) to catch up on the series, starting from the very beginning, then let us watch them in the order they were intended. I understand that the final disc is going to come out in just a few weeks, so at least there won’t be a long wait between releases. Watching the series this way has given me an even greater appreciation for the time and effort the writers have put into creating a captivating plotline that keeps me wanting more.

What surprised me even more about "Avatar" was that it wasn't until I was well into this second release that I found out that it was created here in the U.S. Two of the writers, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have worked (independently) on shows like 'Invader Zim", 'King of the Hill" and "Family Guy." They've definitely earned my attention with this series and I will certainly keep an eye out for anything else that comes from this particular studio.

This 4th DVD release includes 4 episodes (listed below) as well as an uncut animatic and question an answer featurette with the show's creators. "Avatar" is an extremely well-produced series, and these DVD releases are well worth your time. They're even pretty well family friendly. The action can get pretty wild, but it doesn’t go way overboard with the violence.

Episodes:
Chapter 13 - The Blue Spirit
Chapter 14 - The Fortuneteller
Chapter 15 - Bato of the Water Tribe
Chapter 16 - The Deserter

Extras: Ask the Creators Featurette, Original Uncut Animatic
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital Stereo
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 7/18/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Avatar: Book 1, Volume 4 a B.