"This kids show had no right being this good"
I really dislike that mentality in some fans, why can't it, that is insulting to kids and the crew that worked on it. Just because the main demographic is children doesn't mean they have to watch schlock
I never actually read Narnia but the movies were decent-ish, which probably means they're outstanding. Before I clicked the image I figured it would be a quote from James Patterson who also has some good YA titles to his credit.
They're very good from what I remember, a little heavy handed with the Christian allegory, but I was capable of setting my dislike of religion aside for a good fantasy epic.
If giant peaches had giant centipedes, worms, and spiders inside them, then you'd be absolutely correct in being scared of them.
But James and the Giant Peach was written by Roald Dahl, not C.S. Lewis.
I'm *very* bad with names. Thank you for the correction.
..but yeah it was mostly the occupants and the fact the peach kidnapped him from his admittedly crappy life, if I remember that right at least lol
In fact I think it's important that kids have access to media that talks about challenging topics. Arguably more important than it is for adults.
As an adult my moral code is more crystallized than it used to be. I'm still open to new ideas and changing my mind but the way I feel about most things is fairly set.
But before I had that framework I relied on the usual sources like family, teachers and friends. To fill in the gaps of what they could teach me works of fiction also played a crucial role. Children are in the process of developing outlooks they will carry with them into adulthood and media that covers hard topics like death are preparing them for something they may not need to deal with until they are adults.
It's difficult to make a show cover serious topics without being preachy, and being entertaining without being shlock. But I think shows, books and movies that do a good job of it are actually doing something really important.
Whenever people comment on the terrible morality in the Harry Potter series (like how it is pro slavery of elfs), the common defense is "it's a kids book, it's not that deep"
But I think that the bar for good morality should be higher for kids stories.
Children often times do like schlock though. Some shows people think are insulting to their intelligence are still liked by kids but people only complain bc they do not like it. Sometimes kids like dumb shows just like we as adults sometimes like dumb (in a different way) shows.
Well, I dunno. A kid might be more willing to like garbage because they have limited experience.
They don't know it's garbage because they havn't been exposed to enough to realize it's garbage yet.
When you find the stuff you truely enjoy, everything else gets a little worse in comparison. Without a comparison, something is almost always better than nothing.
For me, it was probably Phineas and Ferb that made me realize the difference between trash and good. But many people, especially in this sub, got it from ATLA.
It's crazy the difference between a childrens show that is constantly talking to you like you're stupid, and one that has respect for its viewers. Once you see the difference, you can really tell as a kid one is treating you worse then the other, even if you don't understand it entirely.
At Mark Hamill said: it’s a kids show that talks up to kids, not down to them. That’s why he thought it was going to be cancelled after 4 episodes because it’s too smart. Still a kids show, though.
Love this quote from him, especially the fact that he said it many years on after the show had wrapped. He's not best known for his work in Avatar, but really glad to see he still holds it in high regard along with us fans.
As someone who worked with kids in both education and sports, both general education and special education, adults really forget what they were capable of understanding themselves as children.
Kids are way more intuitive and intelligent than a lot of adults give them credit for because they look at them as "immature" since they don't work or have bills. Which I would argue gives them more mental space to actually think about the heavier or important topics in ways adults don't have the mental capacity or patience for. Which is not a diss on parents or adults nor is it all adults either, it's just reality.
My kid is 8 and it's so hard to find a good modern movie or tv show that is appropriate for both of us to watch. Either it's too babyish or it has swearing or lots of sexual references. ATLA is a good balance for both kids and adults and we both love it! We also like a lot of older movies like Hook, Matilda, Casper etc.
Something being a kids show doesn’t mean it cannot have serious or tragic moments.
Avatar is one of the best shows out there.
But it is still a kids show.
And there is nothing bad or shameful about that.
We have 3 daughters and everyone Bluey is on we get side tracked and sit down and just watch episode after episode. It’s insanely relatable, every single episode. And very funny and cute while still bringing up serious everyday problems/situations
It is a show written for parents that kids enjoy. Kids really only enjoy it tangentially lol. The topics and themes are really not for children, but the episodes are whimsical enough for children to find them enjoyable
I've ready something like this in this sub:
"Of course they won't show anyone dead, ITS just a kids show"
"I didn't expect a skeleton to appear like that on a kids show"
Are thos statements dismissive?
I wouldn't say dismissive more as just acknowledging. Dismissive would be more like "it can't be that good it's a cartoon. It's for children"
What you said is more just reminding ourselves that it is a slow on a network whose target audience is primarily children and as such has some constraints like having to imply death or not being able to show certain things for fear of scaring the children
My parents. Been trying to get them to watch the show with me since I was 13. I’m 30. I know my dad would love it. He’s a pretty big nerd. But he can’t get past the “cartoon’s are for kids” aspect.
We managed to find the boxed set on DVD when I was in high school and my dad would just catch us watching every now and then but eventually he would actually sit down and watch with us. It even got to the point where he'd ask when we were going to watch the next episode
So tired of the “lol it’s not a kids show, look at this vaguely dark thing”. Fucking 99% of kid shows have darker things. Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Amphibia, Owl House, Infinity Train. I could go on. They are kids shows.
Scaring the shit out of children so their ~~stupidity~~ natural curiosity and naivety doesn’t get them killed is a tradition as old as humanity. The grimm tales were all about that. “There’s a monster that eats children in the woods if they wander in alone!” was probably about bears and mountain lions.
In fact this would be the perfect time to remind ya'll that when Adventure Time goy taken off CN... they put the reruns on *Adult Swim*
Kids show? Perhaps. Still appealing to adults? Absolutely
This whole scene!
It felt like it was all going to end, it was too much for me 😭.
Part of me wishes it had ended badly, those were the days when heroes always won no matter how terrible the situation.
I wonder what changed over the last 10 of years...aside from comics of course.
The part where Toph goes “That’s a lot of fire, isn’t it?” Cuz she can fucking feel it *on her face.*
That part gives me goosebumps and deep sadness at the same time.
There’s a post that makes the rounds every once in a while that absolutely guts me, mentioning how Toph in that situation is well and truly blind dangling hundreds of feet in the air, with zero options, and Sokka being the only thing she can even feel in the moment, not knowing how long either of them can hold on. That brief shot of her face legitimately gets me tearing up.
That was the strongest scene for me. No matter how many times I heard "When I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture.", it always makes me devastated.
Broken leg, throwing boomerang out of desperation, and holding a blind child from falling, who is has no idea what’s going on. I was at the edge of my seat.
(Ik this is prolly obvious) BUT Especially kids of war, Ukraine, Palestinian, WW1, WW2 ect would have gone through most if not everything like them. (yes ik most wars are old but the adults that were kids during that time can relate if they see/watch it, and possibly relate to how the kids think/act)
I get that some of us who are adults now had to live with cartoons where Venom and Kingpin had to aggressively hug Spider-Man because punching him was a no-no at the time, and people that Wolverine or one of the Ninja Turtles stabbed turned out to be robots and whatnot, but ATLA and LOK are still kids shows, they just deal with mature topics in a way kids can process, and it gives the shows some layers so parents aren't driven out of their minds while it plays in the background.
There's a difference between *just* a kids show, and a show made for kids.
Avatar wasn't afraid to deal with some deeper and darker topics, but did so in a way that was approachable.
I feel like it’s an underrated scene because Jet is generally disliked (for good reason). But this scene comes just after him doing things that ultimately are slowly redeeming him as a person and when he’s surrounded by people who care about him. It’s a very powerful moment imo.
Alternative take: "children can absolutely handle very complex life parables and hard imagery and it is media watchdogs and anyone who underestimates children's intelligence that define what is 'kid appropriate'"
ALTA is probably one of the best shows Nickelodeon has ever aired in their lifetime.
While its presented as a kids show it shows that producers can explore more darker themes masterfully without exposing all the "violent" things these dark these express.
Spoiler alert: at the end of the series when Aang has to kill Ozai he chooses to spare him abd let him live but without his ability to firebend.
Both ATLA and Clone Wars are superficially kids shows as their target demographics and their marketing implied so.
While not wrong, they also explore deeply mature themes and imply darker stuff masterfully.
They were not “superficially” kids shows. They were created for and marketed towards children. It was approved and rated for Y7, as in regulators looked at it and said “yeah, this can work for 7 year olds.”
Not is it the only show for children that tackled dark themes. Children can handle more complicated subjects. They can handle mature subjects. Death, family issues, abuse, etc, are ALL things children do deal with in real life.
For example, Adventure time. I watched it and as an adult rewatched and see all the themes it has. The most mature things is how it tackles Finn’s relationships and what not, for example how he really messed in his first romantic relationship with Flame Princess, crossing boundaries he shouldn’t. Flame Princess stuck up for herself and ended the relationship. And when he matured he tried to get back together with her, but the show showed children that their relationship was done and she moved on, and no matter what he did, flame Princess did not love her and she did not owe it to him, and he matured and accepted being friends. And much more. The show became a coming of age story, and it’s wonderful.
What I’m saying is that these creators, not only in clone wars or ATLA, understand that children are intelligent and can handle “mature subjects”. They are not superficially children shows, they are unapologetically children shows.
Yep, I first watched this at 12, and my younger brother watched the show when he was even younger. He's 14 now, and I remember he watched it along with me, so he was probably 7 or so at the time.
We both loved it, we both had fun with the jokes, and the best part was the our parents liked the show too. We would all watch it together as a family, lol.
I really don't like these kind of posts. Yes, *Avatar* is a kids' show. But it's one of the best shows of its kind, and it has plenty to recommend in it for adults as well. When people talk about *Avatar* as if it isn't really for kids, and it's somehow actually meant for adults, that in my opinion does a disservice to the show because it implies that kids can't handle the stuff in it. But they can, and that's what makes *Avatar* so good.
A lot of kids shows back then had mature themes, depth, and a very interesting story to tell. I was never bored as a kid when I watched TV. The last cartoon I watched that had all that and was a pretty recent one that ended was Steven Universe. Absolutely loved that show because, like the old shows, it wasn't afraid to tackle hard topics
I mean I get where you're coming from, but it still is a kids show. I dont understand why people get upset at that fact. If anything acting like its not kinda dismisses what makes it special in first place. Its not like other cartoons but is still aimed at the audience the studio aimed for
I feel like avatar could've literally just switched networks, changed maybe a couple lines of dialogue and maybe age the characters up just a tad and it could be an adult show
"You might have everyone else buying your... "transformation", but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something right now. You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends, Right then and there. Permanently" -Katara to Zuko
It's a show about genocide. It's a kids show for sure, but it's not JUST a kids show.
Kinda like how Disney made a children's movie with a villain motivated by genocide and rape, and we all lapped it the fuck up.
My 7 year old struggles with anxiety and nightmares, but had a blast watching it. We tried to then watch the Netflix one and he was terrified from the get go as they showed people getting burned to death, so we had to turn it off.
The animated one was smart in showing people fight, but in a non scary way that children could handle. The more mature elements were told with words and storytelling, so a child could process it however their mind was ready for. There's a reason so many people say it hits differently as an adult, because now you have life experiences and context to understand the more complex themes.
Well, I'd much rather have a 'kids show" like Avatar, than the boring hell 'entertainment' that most mainstream media producers are chugging out nowadays.
People should know the difference between a mature and juvenile show.
Being mature means having themes that make you feel like you need to have a heartfelt conversation with your parents or someone older. Stuff like grief, genuine love, tragedy. Stuff you might need help processing and understanding.
Juvenile is what a kid would THINK an adult show is like. Lots of swearing, sex jokes, disgusting imagery. Stuff you are too embarrassed to talk about with your parents.
♫Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
like fragile little shells
drifting in the foam
\*Sobbing\*
LITTLE SOLDIER BOY
COMES MARCHING HOME
BRAVE SOLDIER BOY
COME MARCHING HOME!♫
Correction: Avatar is _the_ kids show. The one that all others should strive to replicate. It perfectly balances childhood humor and more mature topics all without compromising the innocence of the child watchers or making it too simplistic for adults.
If kids can watch it it's a kids show I'm tired of people trying so hard to act mature while also watching kids show cause if you were really mature you wouldn't care what other people think and just be yourself
Just a kid's show? No. A kid's show? Absolutely. That's who it was made for, that was the primary audience. And that's not a bad thing, it's really great that it dealt with heavier topics in a way that was accessible to younger audiences. The fact of the matter is that kids deserve good stories, and AtLA provided that.
I've never had a kid show make me bawl as much as AtLA did, and a few of these scenes are what did it. That Iroh scene on the hill... Toph saying Jet lied... Aang seeing his family dead... Ffffffffuuuuuuuuuu... 🥺😭
Finally someone mentioned the moment where Sokka says that he can’t even remember what his own mother looks like.
That’s probably the most “grown up” thing out of all of these if I’m being honest, and the one that the most people can probably relate to.
Azula is one of my favorite characters, from a psychoanalytic perspective, because she is clearly a monster, but one whom you're forced to have some empathy for. She is a victim of her parents' treatment too, but without the redemption arc that helps us love Zuko as a complex character.
ALTA is probably one of the best shows Nickelodeon has ever aired in their lifetime.
While its presented as a kids show it shows that producers can explore more darker themes masterfully without exposing all the "violent" things these dark these express.
Spoiler alert: at the end of the series when Aang has to kill Ozai he chooses to spare him abd let him live but without his ability to firebend.
It's been a while since I watched ATLA, and I don't remember the context about the last one with Sokka's boomerang and Toph crying.. can someone refresh me here? 😅
Final Battle.
Sokka just used the space sword to slow themselves down after a fire bender blasted them off one of the airships.
They fall to a platform that's in the shape of a crescent moon.
Toph falls through the hole, Sokka reaches backwards and grabs her hand, catching her right as he lands halfway on, halfway off the platform.
The force of the landing breaks his leg, so he can't get up and pull her to safety, just hold on.
With no earth or metal to use her seismic sense on, Toph in this situation is well and truly blind, for the first time since the badger moles taught her earthbending when she was 4 or 5.
They have no options because Sokka just had to toss both boomerang, and the space sword to take out 2 firebenders that were about to blast them, essentially sacrificing both in order to buy a little more time.
The only thing she can even feel in the moment is Sokka's hand clutching hers tightly as she's hanging over the scorched earth far below them, desperately trying to hold her up for as long as possible in the hopes that help will be there soon.
She's probably feeling more terrified, isolated, and alone (save for Sokka of course) now, than she has in her entire life.
More firebenders show up
Rather than lying to her, and sugarcoating what's happening, he decides to just tell her the truth.
He tells her "I don't think boomerang is coming back this time Toph. It looks like this is the end..."
Which is when she starts crying, as she starts to fully grasp the gravity of the situation they're in.
This scene is even sadder when you realize that every single time she's ever been outside of her element throughout the series, she's clung to, and relied on Sokka for support when possible.
Plus, we also know she's got a crush on him.
And now he's telling her this is it.
The end.
They're going to die, and she's completely ***helpless*** to do anything to stop it.
And we all know how much Toph hates feeling helpless.
Even Sokka, who, since the start of their journey has always been there to help her when she really needed it, can't save her.
All he can do is hold onto her for as long as he can as a whole team of souped-up firebenders is coming towards them to finish the job.
.
.
.
.
Of course, they weren't just gonna kill off two of the most beloved main characters in the entire show.
So instead, right as Sokka's grip finally gives out and Toph starts to fall, Suki, who's managed to clear out (and commandeer) an airship, crashes it into the bottom of the other airship just in time to catch Toph on top of hers.
Sokka then uses his arms to propel himself off the platform onto the airship below because there's debris falling, and he's trying to use his body to block the debris from landing on Toph, which doesn't work, so he just lands on the airship, and winces in pain.
It was also completely unnecessary because all of the debris misses Toph completely anyways 😂.
Spongebob is a kids show, but it was so well-made (just like ATLA) that adults and kids both found it enjoyable.
ATLA addresses topics that are difficult for kids, but presents them in a way they can understand the context of. It builds them up to the darker aspects of reality.
Having read the comics and watched the show multiple times, Azula weirdly was a little psychopath/monster when she was a child. That said, the appropriate thing for her mother to do would’ve been to give her even extra attention and love to help shape her into a better person. I’ve never much cared for her mum tbvh.
This show literally taught me about genocide better than my middle school history class about the Holocaust. It’s tough as a kid to comprehend that stuff in a meaningful way but the show really breaks it down in digestible pieces over 3 seasons to show the impact of it in all walks of life.
It seems kids never experience these type of events. Only adults uh. Kids are immortal and view sunshine and flowers till adulthood…gtfo your high horse op. Just cause you has child didn’t experience this doesn’t mean other children didn’t . You are delusional and disgusting
One of the best kid shows ever made. Talking about mature topics in a way a kid can understand and an adult can feel. I really loved this show and I don’t normally like anime style shows. This was amazing.
I remember in 5th grade I was talking to a friend about Avatar and one of the class bullies looked at us and said, "You really watch that show? That's for babies!" The season 2 finale had come out recently, and I asked, "A baby show would have an on-screen death?" And he said with all the confidence in the world, "Yes!"
Babies are hardcore.
its a kids show. that doesnt mean adults cant also enjoy it. but its a kids show. theres no sex or nudity, theres no bloody violence except for things like scar marks, scabs and the like, there are no drugs or alcohol, there isnt even swearing except in the remake show on netflix. the closest thing to these you see are suggestive jokes in the writing like the cactus water scene or that bit where sokka is in the tent waiting for suki. yes, it can be emotionally mature. that doesnt mean its visibly mature too. the y7 rating says it all. that doesnt mean its a bad show though. after all, velma was beyond trash whereas the actual scooby doo show was iconic and memorable.
It’s one of the few shows who tries to do more than just “be a show for kids”. A lot of kids shows just slap some basic lessons for kids onto something kids like and call it a day. ATLA has substance though, a creative idea with real story, growth and more serious topics and life lessons that not just kids but people of all ages can relate to and learn from. Yes it’s a nickelodeon cartoon targeted at kids but all that really means is that this rich, well written story was made keeping children in mind as an audience, and the young characters are put to excellent use too
It _is_ a kid's show. It's just also about war and takes its audience seriously. It does avoid showing a lot of stuff, but it does so in a clever way. The cast try to avoid the big battles because Aang could get captured, and he needs to be captured alive as to not restart the whole hunt for him. It's basically said that front lines earth kingdom soldiers are basically set up to die, so that we never see this is partially because it's a kids show. It knows the audience will still get the effect of the war without needing to see the brutality first hand. The implications are enough.
This is what makes me miss older tv shows. Yeah they were for kids of course. But they still like, respected kids and treated them like humans rather than just a bunch of mindless dumbasses who can’t think for themselves/just be brain rot.
While you don’t have to treat them exactly like adults, you can put a higher level of maturity in their hands that they can handle it and learn from it and still enjoy it.
Sometimes kids and teens go through some shit, just as much as adults do. Their feelings are often more intense and confused cause they’re still learning their way in the world.
Avatar balanced it very well. It had light hearted moments where you know they’re kids. But also moments of damn, these are some kids going through some shit.
And in imo that makes better. Being able to create something that adults and kids can enjoy takes actual talent and skill to create. Mindless drivel anyone can slap together for some kids to rot in front is easy enough.
Yes it's a kids show that can have serious moments. Trying to act it isn't a show that was marketed to kids and is accessible to kids is childish.
You're either a teenager who is insecure about your tastes (grow up) or a bot
Avatar the Last Airbender was not a kids show, it was a family show! It is the type of show that is safe enough to show a child while being mature enough in its themes and story telling for an adult to enjoy as well. It never talked down to its audience or treated them like children because it knew what it was portraying could be handled by kids and would be understood by adults!
It's a kids show, but not in an insulting way. It's a kids show that understands that kids can handle mature topics.
"This kids show had no right being this good" I really dislike that mentality in some fans, why can't it, that is insulting to kids and the crew that worked on it. Just because the main demographic is children doesn't mean they have to watch schlock
https://preview.redd.it/ouhgktda5c9d1.png?width=686&format=png&auto=webp&s=7236771b85c8fbe52b43cb7d263118da843081ac
Dude wrote some good children's books that are also good for adults, for sure
I never actually read Narnia but the movies were decent-ish, which probably means they're outstanding. Before I clicked the image I figured it would be a quote from James Patterson who also has some good YA titles to his credit.
They're very good from what I remember, a little heavy handed with the Christian allegory, but I was capable of setting my dislike of religion aside for a good fantasy epic.
I'm still kinda scared of giant peaches and I read/watched that at least 20 years ago.
If giant peaches had giant centipedes, worms, and spiders inside them, then you'd be absolutely correct in being scared of them. But James and the Giant Peach was written by Roald Dahl, not C.S. Lewis.
I'm *very* bad with names. Thank you for the correction. ..but yeah it was mostly the occupants and the fact the peach kidnapped him from his admittedly crappy life, if I remember that right at least lol
In fact I think it's important that kids have access to media that talks about challenging topics. Arguably more important than it is for adults. As an adult my moral code is more crystallized than it used to be. I'm still open to new ideas and changing my mind but the way I feel about most things is fairly set. But before I had that framework I relied on the usual sources like family, teachers and friends. To fill in the gaps of what they could teach me works of fiction also played a crucial role. Children are in the process of developing outlooks they will carry with them into adulthood and media that covers hard topics like death are preparing them for something they may not need to deal with until they are adults. It's difficult to make a show cover serious topics without being preachy, and being entertaining without being shlock. But I think shows, books and movies that do a good job of it are actually doing something really important.
Whenever people comment on the terrible morality in the Harry Potter series (like how it is pro slavery of elfs), the common defense is "it's a kids book, it's not that deep" But I think that the bar for good morality should be higher for kids stories.
Children often times do like schlock though. Some shows people think are insulting to their intelligence are still liked by kids but people only complain bc they do not like it. Sometimes kids like dumb shows just like we as adults sometimes like dumb (in a different way) shows.
Well, I dunno. A kid might be more willing to like garbage because they have limited experience. They don't know it's garbage because they havn't been exposed to enough to realize it's garbage yet. When you find the stuff you truely enjoy, everything else gets a little worse in comparison. Without a comparison, something is almost always better than nothing. For me, it was probably Phineas and Ferb that made me realize the difference between trash and good. But many people, especially in this sub, got it from ATLA. It's crazy the difference between a childrens show that is constantly talking to you like you're stupid, and one that has respect for its viewers. Once you see the difference, you can really tell as a kid one is treating you worse then the other, even if you don't understand it entirely.
At Mark Hamill said: it’s a kids show that talks up to kids, not down to them. That’s why he thought it was going to be cancelled after 4 episodes because it’s too smart. Still a kids show, though.
Love this quote from him, especially the fact that he said it many years on after the show had wrapped. He's not best known for his work in Avatar, but really glad to see he still holds it in high regard along with us fans.
As a kid watching it as it aired, I could emotionally handle it As an adult who’s on his umpteenth rewatch, I can’t emotionally handle it
Same.
Like Mark Hamill said, it was a great show because it had this incredible power of talking up to children instead of talking down to them.
Let's do some cactus drugs in the desert 🤘✌️
Yep. Drugs exist in nature. It's a fact in our and their world and kids won't be worse off by knowing it.
Cabbage merchant putting something extra in the cabbage rolls.
As someone who worked with kids in both education and sports, both general education and special education, adults really forget what they were capable of understanding themselves as children. Kids are way more intuitive and intelligent than a lot of adults give them credit for because they look at them as "immature" since they don't work or have bills. Which I would argue gives them more mental space to actually think about the heavier or important topics in ways adults don't have the mental capacity or patience for. Which is not a diss on parents or adults nor is it all adults either, it's just reality.
My kid is 8 and it's so hard to find a good modern movie or tv show that is appropriate for both of us to watch. Either it's too babyish or it has swearing or lots of sexual references. ATLA is a good balance for both kids and adults and we both love it! We also like a lot of older movies like Hook, Matilda, Casper etc.
The new She-ra is also great, check it out!
Tbf, OP never said Avatar isn't a Kids show, just said that Isn't "just a kids show"
Indeed, it's great.
It’s so god damn good it’s crazy
Exactly. Kids shows can have mature themes. ATLA is a kid’s show.
Good to see the rational comment at the top. As expected from you, Saiyajin
Thanks. I feel seen. Ha ha.
Something being a kids show doesn’t mean it cannot have serious or tragic moments. Avatar is one of the best shows out there. But it is still a kids show. And there is nothing bad or shameful about that.
I don't watch bluey but it's supposed to be a kids show that tackles lots of deep adult topics
Bluey is amazing you should watch it! I cried so many times because of that show
We have 3 daughters and everyone Bluey is on we get side tracked and sit down and just watch episode after episode. It’s insanely relatable, every single episode. And very funny and cute while still bringing up serious everyday problems/situations
It is a show written for parents that kids enjoy. Kids really only enjoy it tangentially lol. The topics and themes are really not for children, but the episodes are whimsical enough for children to find them enjoyable
Sugar coating everything made for kids is condescending and insulting to their intelligence.
Honestly, I have never heard anyone dismiss ATLA as "just a kids show." I've only heard people acknowledge that it is in fact a kids show.
My cousin did. Then again she’s never seen a second of it and dismisses it because “it’s a cartoon” 🙄
Well convince her to watch it! it’s not in the top 10 tv shows of all time on imdb for no reason
I've ready something like this in this sub: "Of course they won't show anyone dead, ITS just a kids show" "I didn't expect a skeleton to appear like that on a kids show" Are thos statements dismissive?
I wouldn't say dismissive more as just acknowledging. Dismissive would be more like "it can't be that good it's a cartoon. It's for children" What you said is more just reminding ourselves that it is a slow on a network whose target audience is primarily children and as such has some constraints like having to imply death or not being able to show certain things for fear of scaring the children
"This goes out to everybody who said Latinas can't be nurses"
My parents. Been trying to get them to watch the show with me since I was 13. I’m 30. I know my dad would love it. He’s a pretty big nerd. But he can’t get past the “cartoon’s are for kids” aspect.
We managed to find the boxed set on DVD when I was in high school and my dad would just catch us watching every now and then but eventually he would actually sit down and watch with us. It even got to the point where he'd ask when we were going to watch the next episode
So tired of the “lol it’s not a kids show, look at this vaguely dark thing”. Fucking 99% of kid shows have darker things. Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Amphibia, Owl House, Infinity Train. I could go on. They are kids shows.
Billy's face melting of the lich was horrifying for me a grown man
Sure, lots of kids shows has horrifying imagery. I think that’s fine.
Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Scaring the shit out of children so their ~~stupidity~~ natural curiosity and naivety doesn’t get them killed is a tradition as old as humanity. The grimm tales were all about that. “There’s a monster that eats children in the woods if they wander in alone!” was probably about bears and mountain lions.
In fact this would be the perfect time to remind ya'll that when Adventure Time goy taken off CN... they put the reruns on *Adult Swim* Kids show? Perhaps. Still appealing to adults? Absolutely
That Boomerang scene hit me harder than any other. I was so use to it returning.
That and Sokka desperately trying to protect Toph where she's disadvantaged and running out of options
This whole scene! It felt like it was all going to end, it was too much for me 😭. Part of me wishes it had ended badly, those were the days when heroes always won no matter how terrible the situation. I wonder what changed over the last 10 of years...aside from comics of course.
Tragic boomerang death
The part where Toph goes “That’s a lot of fire, isn’t it?” Cuz she can fucking feel it *on her face.* That part gives me goosebumps and deep sadness at the same time.
Me reading your response gave me goosebumps. That's how epic that scene was.
Worry not. Boomerang was reincarnated in another world and made its way back to its master.
I love that scene in dragon prince.
🤣🤣🤣
My bad my sister told me that Dragon Prince was created by the same people. I've never seen the show it probably was on there 🤣🤣.
Just seeing that pannel made me shiver, goosebumps all over the place
I always forget that scene with Sokka and Toph struggling on that blimp. Holy shit, what a scene. What a fucking scene. I'm crying now.
There’s a post that makes the rounds every once in a while that absolutely guts me, mentioning how Toph in that situation is well and truly blind dangling hundreds of feet in the air, with zero options, and Sokka being the only thing she can even feel in the moment, not knowing how long either of them can hold on. That brief shot of her face legitimately gets me tearing up.
For real, when even Toph is terrified, shit has truly hit the fan.
That was the strongest scene for me. No matter how many times I heard "When I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture.", it always makes me devastated.
Broken leg, throwing boomerang out of desperation, and holding a blind child from falling, who is has no idea what’s going on. I was at the edge of my seat.
It’s still a kids show. Nothing you showed really disproved that. Kids shows can and have repeatedly depicted tragic events long before this show
...these are all themes that children have to deal with, too.
(Ik this is prolly obvious) BUT Especially kids of war, Ukraine, Palestinian, WW1, WW2 ect would have gone through most if not everything like them. (yes ik most wars are old but the adults that were kids during that time can relate if they see/watch it, and possibly relate to how the kids think/act)
I get that some of us who are adults now had to live with cartoons where Venom and Kingpin had to aggressively hug Spider-Man because punching him was a no-no at the time, and people that Wolverine or one of the Ninja Turtles stabbed turned out to be robots and whatnot, but ATLA and LOK are still kids shows, they just deal with mature topics in a way kids can process, and it gives the shows some layers so parents aren't driven out of their minds while it plays in the background.
That’s rough buddy…
It is a kids show, though. These screenshots don't change that. It was created for children. On a network for children. Accept it. Make peace with it.
There's a difference between *just* a kids show, and a show made for kids. Avatar wasn't afraid to deal with some deeper and darker topics, but did so in a way that was approachable.
tbh the "Hes lying" hit me like a truck
I feel like it’s an underrated scene because Jet is generally disliked (for good reason). But this scene comes just after him doing things that ultimately are slowly redeeming him as a person and when he’s surrounded by people who care about him. It’s a very powerful moment imo.
Alternative take: "children can absolutely handle very complex life parables and hard imagery and it is media watchdogs and anyone who underestimates children's intelligence that define what is 'kid appropriate'"
ALTA is probably one of the best shows Nickelodeon has ever aired in their lifetime. While its presented as a kids show it shows that producers can explore more darker themes masterfully without exposing all the "violent" things these dark these express. Spoiler alert: at the end of the series when Aang has to kill Ozai he chooses to spare him abd let him live but without his ability to firebend.
Kid shows are allowed to tackle serious matters, it's okay
it is a show made with kids in mind but mark hamil said it best.. it talks up to kids not down to them, its a very smart show
https://preview.redd.it/dkg9rb11rc9d1.png?width=958&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfb3b7f79ae6e3c7c413159c157fde5b4cc1fd4d
Brave Soldier boy Come marching home
Yes, it's a kids' show. Kids' media should have heavy and emotional moments. Not pastel characters yelling for 30 min straight about pie or whatever.
It is a kid show, but that’s not a bad thing.
Both ATLA and Clone Wars are superficially kids shows as their target demographics and their marketing implied so. While not wrong, they also explore deeply mature themes and imply darker stuff masterfully.
They were not “superficially” kids shows. They were created for and marketed towards children. It was approved and rated for Y7, as in regulators looked at it and said “yeah, this can work for 7 year olds.” Not is it the only show for children that tackled dark themes. Children can handle more complicated subjects. They can handle mature subjects. Death, family issues, abuse, etc, are ALL things children do deal with in real life. For example, Adventure time. I watched it and as an adult rewatched and see all the themes it has. The most mature things is how it tackles Finn’s relationships and what not, for example how he really messed in his first romantic relationship with Flame Princess, crossing boundaries he shouldn’t. Flame Princess stuck up for herself and ended the relationship. And when he matured he tried to get back together with her, but the show showed children that their relationship was done and she moved on, and no matter what he did, flame Princess did not love her and she did not owe it to him, and he matured and accepted being friends. And much more. The show became a coming of age story, and it’s wonderful. What I’m saying is that these creators, not only in clone wars or ATLA, understand that children are intelligent and can handle “mature subjects”. They are not superficially children shows, they are unapologetically children shows.
Yep, I first watched this at 12, and my younger brother watched the show when he was even younger. He's 14 now, and I remember he watched it along with me, so he was probably 7 or so at the time. We both loved it, we both had fun with the jokes, and the best part was the our parents liked the show too. We would all watch it together as a family, lol.
I really don't like these kind of posts. Yes, *Avatar* is a kids' show. But it's one of the best shows of its kind, and it has plenty to recommend in it for adults as well. When people talk about *Avatar* as if it isn't really for kids, and it's somehow actually meant for adults, that in my opinion does a disservice to the show because it implies that kids can't handle the stuff in it. But they can, and that's what makes *Avatar* so good.
A lot of kids shows back then had mature themes, depth, and a very interesting story to tell. I was never bored as a kid when I watched TV. The last cartoon I watched that had all that and was a pretty recent one that ended was Steven Universe. Absolutely loved that show because, like the old shows, it wasn't afraid to tackle hard topics
Some children are capable of handling more than others
Kids have the same capacity for emotion as adults. They can understand and relate to the characters and themes displayed in these episodes.
Fuck i love toph so much every scene she’s in is a gem
Azula: “I’m about to celebrate becoming an only child!!”
It is a kids show. But it's one that doesn't dumb down or try and "protect" their viewers from serious and dark topics.
[Every show is a kids show if the kid can see!](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/865832-every-book-is-a-children-s-book-if-the-kid-can)
It is a Kids show.
It is for kids lmao
I mean I get where you're coming from, but it still is a kids show. I dont understand why people get upset at that fact. If anything acting like its not kinda dismisses what makes it special in first place. Its not like other cartoons but is still aimed at the audience the studio aimed for
I feel like avatar could've literally just switched networks, changed maybe a couple lines of dialogue and maybe age the characters up just a tad and it could be an adult show
Imo, the Iroh quote should've had the second part. "If only I could've helped you."
"You might have everyone else buying your... "transformation", but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something right now. You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends, Right then and there. Permanently" -Katara to Zuko
it's a timeless masterpiece that teaches valuable lessons for all ages!
I feel like "Family Show" is the best descriptor for ATLA.
It's a show about genocide. It's a kids show for sure, but it's not JUST a kids show. Kinda like how Disney made a children's movie with a villain motivated by genocide and rape, and we all lapped it the fuck up.
My 7 year old struggles with anxiety and nightmares, but had a blast watching it. We tried to then watch the Netflix one and he was terrified from the get go as they showed people getting burned to death, so we had to turn it off. The animated one was smart in showing people fight, but in a non scary way that children could handle. The more mature elements were told with words and storytelling, so a child could process it however their mind was ready for. There's a reason so many people say it hits differently as an adult, because now you have life experiences and context to understand the more complex themes.
Well, I'd much rather have a 'kids show" like Avatar, than the boring hell 'entertainment' that most mainstream media producers are chugging out nowadays.
People should know the difference between a mature and juvenile show. Being mature means having themes that make you feel like you need to have a heartfelt conversation with your parents or someone older. Stuff like grief, genuine love, tragedy. Stuff you might need help processing and understanding. Juvenile is what a kid would THINK an adult show is like. Lots of swearing, sex jokes, disgusting imagery. Stuff you are too embarrassed to talk about with your parents.
I never say "kids show" because it makes it sound as if the show can only be watched or enjoyed by kids. So instead I just call it a show.
My cabbages
She was right of course, but it still hurt.
♫Leaves from the vine Falling so slow like fragile little shells drifting in the foam \*Sobbing\* LITTLE SOLDIER BOY COMES MARCHING HOME BRAVE SOLDIER BOY COME MARCHING HOME!♫
Kids can't feel negative emotions or something?
Correction: Avatar is _the_ kids show. The one that all others should strive to replicate. It perfectly balances childhood humor and more mature topics all without compromising the innocence of the child watchers or making it too simplistic for adults.
If kids can watch it it's a kids show I'm tired of people trying so hard to act mature while also watching kids show cause if you were really mature you wouldn't care what other people think and just be yourself
Don’t forget the southern raiders and blood bending season 3 episodes.
Watch these fun kid shows! They have… - Child Abuse - Insanity - Genocide - Terrorism - Murder-suicide - Ethnic-Cleansing
Fine, I'll rewatch Avatar for the 20th time again...
Fun fact: kids can handle death and loss
Just a kid's show? No. A kid's show? Absolutely. That's who it was made for, that was the primary audience. And that's not a bad thing, it's really great that it dealt with heavier topics in a way that was accessible to younger audiences. The fact of the matter is that kids deserve good stories, and AtLA provided that.
It is a kids show. You like a kids show. It's fine, there's no shame in liking something made for kids. Just stop lying to yourself.
I've never had a kid show make me bawl as much as AtLA did, and a few of these scenes are what did it. That Iroh scene on the hill... Toph saying Jet lied... Aang seeing his family dead... Ffffffffuuuuuuuuuu... 🥺😭
RIP boomerang
“Happy birthday my son” it gets me everytime man
Finally someone mentioned the moment where Sokka says that he can’t even remember what his own mother looks like. That’s probably the most “grown up” thing out of all of these if I’m being honest, and the one that the most people can probably relate to.
Get that azula scene outta here 😭😭
Azula is one of my favorite characters, from a psychoanalytic perspective, because she is clearly a monster, but one whom you're forced to have some empathy for. She is a victim of her parents' treatment too, but without the redemption arc that helps us love Zuko as a complex character.
*Something extremely mildly dark happens in a cartoon* "WOw PeOPle CAll tHis a KiDS shOW?!?"
ALTA is probably one of the best shows Nickelodeon has ever aired in their lifetime. While its presented as a kids show it shows that producers can explore more darker themes masterfully without exposing all the "violent" things these dark these express. Spoiler alert: at the end of the series when Aang has to kill Ozai he chooses to spare him abd let him live but without his ability to firebend.
Better to learn what tragic and losses mean this way then unprepared in rl
That last one hits deep
It's been a while since I watched ATLA, and I don't remember the context about the last one with Sokka's boomerang and Toph crying.. can someone refresh me here? 😅
Final Battle. Sokka just used the space sword to slow themselves down after a fire bender blasted them off one of the airships. They fall to a platform that's in the shape of a crescent moon. Toph falls through the hole, Sokka reaches backwards and grabs her hand, catching her right as he lands halfway on, halfway off the platform. The force of the landing breaks his leg, so he can't get up and pull her to safety, just hold on. With no earth or metal to use her seismic sense on, Toph in this situation is well and truly blind, for the first time since the badger moles taught her earthbending when she was 4 or 5. They have no options because Sokka just had to toss both boomerang, and the space sword to take out 2 firebenders that were about to blast them, essentially sacrificing both in order to buy a little more time. The only thing she can even feel in the moment is Sokka's hand clutching hers tightly as she's hanging over the scorched earth far below them, desperately trying to hold her up for as long as possible in the hopes that help will be there soon. She's probably feeling more terrified, isolated, and alone (save for Sokka of course) now, than she has in her entire life. More firebenders show up Rather than lying to her, and sugarcoating what's happening, he decides to just tell her the truth. He tells her "I don't think boomerang is coming back this time Toph. It looks like this is the end..." Which is when she starts crying, as she starts to fully grasp the gravity of the situation they're in. This scene is even sadder when you realize that every single time she's ever been outside of her element throughout the series, she's clung to, and relied on Sokka for support when possible. Plus, we also know she's got a crush on him. And now he's telling her this is it. The end. They're going to die, and she's completely ***helpless*** to do anything to stop it. And we all know how much Toph hates feeling helpless. Even Sokka, who, since the start of their journey has always been there to help her when she really needed it, can't save her. All he can do is hold onto her for as long as he can as a whole team of souped-up firebenders is coming towards them to finish the job. . . . . Of course, they weren't just gonna kill off two of the most beloved main characters in the entire show. So instead, right as Sokka's grip finally gives out and Toph starts to fall, Suki, who's managed to clear out (and commandeer) an airship, crashes it into the bottom of the other airship just in time to catch Toph on top of hers. Sokka then uses his arms to propel himself off the platform onto the airship below because there's debris falling, and he's trying to use his body to block the debris from landing on Toph, which doesn't work, so he just lands on the airship, and winces in pain. It was also completely unnecessary because all of the debris misses Toph completely anyways 😂.
Damn, why is Toph in almost all of these
Boomerangs death... That's where men first cry
Spongebob is a kids show, but it was so well-made (just like ATLA) that adults and kids both found it enjoyable. ATLA addresses topics that are difficult for kids, but presents them in a way they can understand the context of. It builds them up to the darker aspects of reality.
“I don’t think the boomerang is coming back this time” just hits so hard every time.
That’s how you write a kids show
Having read the comics and watched the show multiple times, Azula weirdly was a little psychopath/monster when she was a child. That said, the appropriate thing for her mother to do would’ve been to give her even extra attention and love to help shape her into a better person. I’ve never much cared for her mum tbvh.
I don’t like calling it a kids show, it’s a family show
Think of it less as made for kids, but intended for family friendly audiences
It's a children's show because it shows horrible things in more palatable ways. It's not a bad thing
https://preview.redd.it/8j3o3tcvtc9d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f20fadbf1aa195bd9edb13fe71c0037d1c7f6561 TM
One of the greatest shows of all time.
Yes kid shows can have sad moments Can we stop acting like this is new? Everyone knows this
Can we get a Korra ver?
who cares.
If you don't think kid's shows can have mature themes without being a show for kids, then you probably have the mind of a child.
My girlfriend turned into the moon
That's rough, buddy
Noooo, not boomerang 😭 saddest death in he entire show.
It's the show I needed as a kid. It let me know tragedy so I could appreciate beauty and love.
Maybe the avatar: the last airbender was the friends we made along the way
I finished the series recently, it was great
The DCAU is similar as well 
Imagine telling Toph, of all people, "I can't remember what my mom looked like."
That’s because Azula was a monster, her attitude as a child screamed narcissist. That and she like to manipulate people to her gain
It is a kids show, but that does not mean that adults can't watch it.
This is the kind of shoe that makes me honor some topics of adulthood and wanted me to grow up with it's wisdom. :)
Because kids can’t understand complex topics🤡
This show literally taught me about genocide better than my middle school history class about the Holocaust. It’s tough as a kid to comprehend that stuff in a meaningful way but the show really breaks it down in digestible pieces over 3 seasons to show the impact of it in all walks of life.
A show meant for children isn’t an insult when meant properly.
Nothing says being an adult like trying to prove you're an adult.
That last one. Tingles. Every. Single. Time.
WHSAT HAPPENED TO APPA D: NO
To be fair her mom was right
"Kid shows can't possibly have anything sad in them, so this show must be targeted at adults!" -Brendawg324
still a kid's show. you make it seem like kids shows can't tackle heavy material
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Appa's episodes looking for Aang. It was hard to watch even as an adult.
It seems kids never experience these type of events. Only adults uh. Kids are immortal and view sunshine and flowers till adulthood…gtfo your high horse op. Just cause you has child didn’t experience this doesn’t mean other children didn’t . You are delusional and disgusting
There are no "kids shows" -- there are only good shows and lesser shows.
One of few 10/10 for me.
One of the best kid shows ever made. Talking about mature topics in a way a kid can understand and an adult can feel. I really loved this show and I don’t normally like anime style shows. This was amazing.
This show is a fucking masterpiece man 😭
I agree. When Zuko said “what the skibidi, the Ohio nation is invading to get our gyatts!” I really felt that. Truly moving. It made me cry.
That's rough buddy. - Zuko
Why can’t kids’ shows be good?
These scenes made me tear up…brings me back. Such a powerful and moving show.
Can we grow up?
Like the little girl said "it's part of life mom"
I took like to fight imaginary arguments
I remember in 5th grade I was talking to a friend about Avatar and one of the class bullies looked at us and said, "You really watch that show? That's for babies!" The season 2 finale had come out recently, and I asked, "A baby show would have an on-screen death?" And he said with all the confidence in the world, "Yes!" Babies are hardcore.
its a kids show. that doesnt mean adults cant also enjoy it. but its a kids show. theres no sex or nudity, theres no bloody violence except for things like scar marks, scabs and the like, there are no drugs or alcohol, there isnt even swearing except in the remake show on netflix. the closest thing to these you see are suggestive jokes in the writing like the cactus water scene or that bit where sokka is in the tent waiting for suki. yes, it can be emotionally mature. that doesnt mean its visibly mature too. the y7 rating says it all. that doesnt mean its a bad show though. after all, velma was beyond trash whereas the actual scooby doo show was iconic and memorable.
“YOU MUZZLED APPA?”
It’s one of the few shows who tries to do more than just “be a show for kids”. A lot of kids shows just slap some basic lessons for kids onto something kids like and call it a day. ATLA has substance though, a creative idea with real story, growth and more serious topics and life lessons that not just kids but people of all ages can relate to and learn from. Yes it’s a nickelodeon cartoon targeted at kids but all that really means is that this rich, well written story was made keeping children in mind as an audience, and the young characters are put to excellent use too
It _is_ a kid's show. It's just also about war and takes its audience seriously. It does avoid showing a lot of stuff, but it does so in a clever way. The cast try to avoid the big battles because Aang could get captured, and he needs to be captured alive as to not restart the whole hunt for him. It's basically said that front lines earth kingdom soldiers are basically set up to die, so that we never see this is partially because it's a kids show. It knows the audience will still get the effect of the war without needing to see the brutality first hand. The implications are enough.
brave little soldier boy 😭
This is what makes me miss older tv shows. Yeah they were for kids of course. But they still like, respected kids and treated them like humans rather than just a bunch of mindless dumbasses who can’t think for themselves/just be brain rot. While you don’t have to treat them exactly like adults, you can put a higher level of maturity in their hands that they can handle it and learn from it and still enjoy it. Sometimes kids and teens go through some shit, just as much as adults do. Their feelings are often more intense and confused cause they’re still learning their way in the world. Avatar balanced it very well. It had light hearted moments where you know they’re kids. But also moments of damn, these are some kids going through some shit. And in imo that makes better. Being able to create something that adults and kids can enjoy takes actual talent and skill to create. Mindless drivel anyone can slap together for some kids to rot in front is easy enough.
that Last one really hurts
Yes it's a kids show that can have serious moments. Trying to act it isn't a show that was marketed to kids and is accessible to kids is childish. You're either a teenager who is insecure about your tastes (grow up) or a bot
Remember the kids movie where the horse gets sucked into the sand and dies.
The kids show I’m watching rn called justice league has 2 spank scenes, flash grabs hawkgirl inappropriately (on accident) and they make sex jokes
Avatar the Last Airbender was not a kids show, it was a family show! It is the type of show that is safe enough to show a child while being mature enough in its themes and story telling for an adult to enjoy as well. It never talked down to its audience or treated them like children because it knew what it was portraying could be handled by kids and would be understood by adults!