I recently finished my abnormal psych media paper and I really enjoyed looking deeply into a character’s mind to see what makes them tick and what psychological phenomenon they could be representing. To be honest, it’s only really fun when it is a character I’m fond of, such as from the books, shows, and games I’ve watched/played over the years. The character I chose to psychoanalyze for the media assignment was Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A:TLA was a show I watched back when I was a little kid and had fond memories of, although I didn’t really remember it or watch the all episodes in their correct order. I got my second chance when Netflix added the show, and it was even better than I remember it. The storytelling was masterful, and the characterization felt natural. Initially, I wanted to discuss Prince Zuko and his deeply complex mental state. In the first book, he was an interesting antagonist but from book 2 onwards he would eventually turn out to be one of the greatest redemption arcs I have ever witnessed. But that would be a lot to unpack for a short assignment of 2-3 pages.

It’s a shame animated shows are considered childish, I think they have the potential for amazing storytelling and visuals that live-action shows cannot replicate. I find a good animated show to be far more soulful and expressive than a good live show because all the visuals are placed deliberately and therefore have meaning.

In A:TLA, when characters change and develop, it is done gradually and naturally and some of it is demonstrated through psychological phenomenon such as what we are learning about.

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