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Avatar: The Last Airbender Forums

Nickelodeon (ended 2008)

Is Avatar Chinese or Japanese?

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  • Avatar of streaky2007

    streaky2007

    [1]Sep 21, 2008
    • member since: 06/30/08
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    I've been wanting to ask this since I started watching the show but wanted to wait until I'd finished watching it. I just saw the last episode - what a great series!

    I know many elements of the show are pure fantasy (such as element-bending, hybrid animals etc.), put it's clearly heavily based on Eastern philosophy and culture. My guess is that it's predominantly Chinese, but there were some very Japanese-feeling aspects throughout certain parts of the story.

    Please could someone who knows a lot about the show, and Eastern cultures tell me where some of the inspirations come from? I'm interested in any revelations about character names, costumes, behaviour, architecture, fables - anything really.

    Thanks

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  • Avatar of Teamrat

    Teamrat

    [2]Sep 21, 2008
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    Avatar: the Last Airbender is all American
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  • Avatar of libraman_92

    libraman_92

    [3]Sep 21, 2008
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    streaky2007 wrote:

    I've been wanting to ask this since I started watching the show but wanted to wait until I'd finished watching it. I just saw the last episode - what a great series!

    I know many elements of the show are pure fantasy (such as element-bending, hybrid animals etc.), put it's clearly heavily based on Eastern philosophy and culture. My guess is that it's predominantly Chinese, but there were some very Japanese-feeling aspects throughout certain parts of the story.

    Please could someone who knows a lot about the show, and Eastern cultures tell me where some of the inspirations come from? I'm interested in any revelations about character names, costumes, behaviour, architecture, fables - anything really.

    Thanks


    it's NOT anime. it comes from the basis of anime, with Chinese characteristics mixed with other asian influences but is primarily american.
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  • Avatar of isabelwhatx

    isabelwhatx

    [4]Sep 21, 2008
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    I think what he meant was what influenced the show. The show is all American, but it's based on ancient Eastern civilization beliefs.
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  • Avatar of Jackson5050

    Jackson5050

    [5]Sep 21, 2008
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    The theme of the show is really an amalgamation of many Asian cultures. I have heard Bryke mention Thai, Korean and Bhutanese influences in addition to Chinese and Japanese influences. Also, the Water Tribes are obviously influenced by the various Eskimo cultures. I would suggest listening to the audio commentaries to find out more as they are quite informative.
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  • Avatar of libraman_92

    libraman_92

    [6]Sep 21, 2008
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    Jackson5050 wrote:
    The theme of the show is really an amalgamation of many Asian cultures. I have heard Bryke mention Thai, Korean and Bhutanese influences in addition to Chinese and Japanese influences. Also, the Water Tribes are obviously influenced by the various Eskimo cultures. I would suggest listening to the audio commentaries to find out more as they are quite informative.


    QFT. i think jackson5050 has answered this perfectly.
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  • Avatar of JSparrowGirl

    JSparrowGirl

    [7]Sep 21, 2008
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    libraman_92 wrote:
    Jackson5050 wrote:
    The theme of the show is really an amalgamation of many Asian cultures. I have heard Bryke mention Thai, Korean and Bhutanese influences in addition to Chinese and Japanese influences. Also, the Water Tribes are obviously influenced by the various Eskimo cultures. I would suggest listening to the audio commentaries to find out more as they are quite informative.
    QFT. i think jackson5050 has answered this perfectly.

    yea, great answer but, you forgot to mention that even though it has these influences, the show itself it American

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  • Avatar of Jackson5050

    Jackson5050

    [8]Sep 21, 2008
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    [QUOTE="JSparrowGirl"]

    libraman_92 wrote:
    Jackson5050 wrote:
    The theme of the show is really an amalgamation of many Asian cultures. I have heard Bryke mention Thai, Korean and Bhutanese influences in addition to Chinese and Japanese influences. Also, the Water Tribes are obviously influenced by the various Eskimo cultures. I would suggest listening to the audio commentaries to find out more as they are quite informative.
    QFT. i think jackson5050 has answered this perfectly.

    yea, great answer but, you forgot to mention that even though it has these influences, the show itself it American

    [/QUOTEIt was created by Americans and is produced in the United States, but the animation is done in South Korea. I would call it an American cartoon...one of the best. It is in the pantheon of The Simpsons, Batman: The Animated Series and a few others.
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  • Avatar of Dafoose

    Dafoose

    [9]Sep 21, 2008
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    Lol, it's chinese. based on the four forms of chinese martial arts.

    Northern Shaolin Kung Fu

    Tai Chi

    Ba Gua

    And Hun Gar
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  • Avatar of WiseLad

    WiseLad

    [10]Sep 22, 2008
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    it has many influences

    just to name a few most martial arts are chinese or korean with some elements of Japanese

    FN seems to be mostly Japanese, most of EK seems Chinese, north and south water tribes mostly Eskimo, but the swamp is mostly Amazonian with language based on deep south of the USA, sandbenders based a lot of Arabian of the Sahara, Air Nomads is mostly "Nepal and Tibetan", the game at the "beach" episode based on a Brazilian game with some hints of their martial art, Ba Sing Se city having a lot of elements of New York during the old times, the "language used" in the posters and such being Chinese

    EDIT

    I almost forgot, the concept of "the Avatar" is based on Phylosophy from the region of India where Budhism was founded

    Edited on 09/22/2008 3:01am
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  • Avatar of keaton1anng

    keaton1anng

    [11]Sep 23, 2008
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    It is american i love it not chinnese our japanese like naruto our dbz.
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  • Avatar of DeeDuck33

    DeeDuck33

    [12]Sep 25, 2008
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    keaton1anng wrote:
    It is american i love it not chinnese our japanese like naruto our dbz.

    *facepalms*
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  • Avatar of FrigginGodess

    FrigginGodess

    [13]Sep 25, 2008
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    It's rather American. But it has these asien influences.
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  • Avatar of streaky2007

    streaky2007

    [14]Sep 26, 2008
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    isabelwhatx wrote:
    I think what he meant was what influenced the show. The show is all American, but it's based on ancient Eastern civilization beliefs.


    That's what he meant alright. I've watched tons of anime and refuse to watch Japanese programs dubbed into English.

    I'm aware that Avatar isn't anime and is 100% American (although lots of the hard work of getting the stories realised is done by Koreans, as has been so on almost all US cartoons since the late 1980s).
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  • Avatar of streaky2007

    streaky2007

    [15]Sep 26, 2008
    • member since: 06/30/08
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    Jackson5050 wrote:
    The theme of the show is really an amalgamation of many Asian cultures. I have heard Bryke mention Thai, Korean and Bhutanese influences in addition to Chinese and Japanese influences. Also, the Water Tribes are obviously influenced by the various Eskimo cultures. I would suggest listening to the audio commentaries to find out more as they are quite informative.


    Yes, this is more like it!

    Thanks loads
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  • Avatar of streaky2007

    streaky2007

    [16]Sep 26, 2008
    • member since: 06/30/08
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    Dafoose wrote:
    Lol, it's chinese. based on the four forms of chinese martial arts.

    Northern Shaolin Kung Fu

    Tai Chi

    Ba Gua

    And Hun Gar


    Thanks, good stuff.
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  • Avatar of streaky2007

    streaky2007

    [17]Sep 26, 2008
    • member since: 06/30/08
    • level: 4
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    WiseLad wrote:

    it has many influences

    just to name a few most martial arts are chinese or korean with some elements of Japanese

    FN seems to be mostly Japanese, most of EK seems Chinese, north and south water tribes mostly Eskimo, but the swamp is mostly Amazonian with language based on deep south of the USA, sandbenders based a lot of Arabian of the Sahara, Air Nomads is mostly "Nepal and Tibetan", the game at the "beach" episode based on a Brazilian game with some hints of their martial art, Ba Sing Se city having a lot of elements of New York during the old times, the "language used" in the posters and such being Chinese

    EDIT

    I almost forgot, the concept of "the Avatar" is based on Phylosophy from the region of India where Budhism was founded



    Yeah, this is great - thanks.

    I'd love to hear more of your Ba Sing Se / New York analogies - please give us some more details.
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  • Avatar of streaky2007

    streaky2007

    [18]Sep 27, 2008
    • member since: 06/30/08
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    Dafoose wrote:
    Lol, it's chinese. based on the four forms of chinese martial arts.

    Northern Shaolin Kung Fu

    Tai Chi

    Ba Gua

    And Hun Gar


    Yeah, those are the four fighting styles. This is what I found on wikipedia:
    In the Nickelodeon television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, air bending is based on baguazhang (sometimes called "Bagua" for short). The forms used in the show for airbending are similar or identical to baguazhang techniques. All four bending styles are based on four ancient forms of Chinese martial arts. Firebending is based on Northern Shaolin Kung Fu; Waterbending is based on taijiquan; and Earthbending is based on Hung Gar.

    But as many other people have noticed, there are many other countries' cultures represented in the show.
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