So after nearly a year of not updating this journal of mine, I decided to blog... and not because I have anything interesting in my life happening, but because I wanted to review one of my..... no scratch that... MY FAVOURITE SHOW OF ALL TIME's grand big bang finale. Brace yourself, folks. Here's my longggggggg review.

SOZIN'S COMET
I suppose there are too many things to talk about all at once, so I shall critique in categories, so I can at least attempt to keep my thoughts from jambling in excitement.

ART/ANIMATION
No words can describe how unbelievably MAJESTIC the art and animation was in this movie. There has never been a show both Anime or Western cartoons that has captured beauty THIS SPECTACULAR. Ever. Nothing was corner-cut. Nothing was sloppily done. Attention to detail was ASTOUNDING. You really can tell the amount of love and care each artist, animator, colourist, storyboarder, etc have put into this show. Such breathtaking special effects. The camera angles were splendid. What would have been so epic in a live action film alone, was captured just was well in the animation form. AGain, I repeat, no other animated series has ever been this close to reaching Avatar's level in skill and craftsmanship. I bow and kiss the ground with my forehead at the Avatar artistic crew. I salute each and every one of them. Sozin's Comet was simply BEAUTIFUL.

MUSIC
The Track Team really has outdone themselves with this finale. To have made a completely new set of tracks to play in this one movie finale alone... it's INCREDIBLE. You can really tell these people take their job and this show very seriously. The music for each scene was SO BEFITTING, each intended emotion was conveyed successfully. From Iroh's and Zuko's reuniting scene (which made me bawl like a baby---and I NEVER cry!), to Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai, to Aang's epic battle with Ozai, to the peaceful Kataang kiss at the end... Each music track never failed to inspire the emotions of the scene. If they release a soundtrack, I'm blowing my money on ever CD they ever release.

PACING
This was one of the better paced episodes. I was a bit troubled because the pacing for various episodes of season three seemed rather rushed, and I was afraid that because they had to answer so many questions for the 4 episode finale, that they'd rush it too. But I was proven wrong. It moved at a good rate, and eased from casual to epic in a seamless manner. The ending felt a tad rushed with Zuko learning about his mother's whereabouts, but overall, it moved nicely. I still say that the best-paced episode was the Day of Black Sun, but this finale follows closely after.

STORY
There are always parts I would have preferred to have happened differently in the finale, but overall, I was satisfied with how the creators managed the story. It's a lot of pressure to come up with a MIND BLOWING ending that had been building up like baking soda and vinegar throughout the past seasons, but the creators managed it just fine. In all honesty, if the creators pushed their luck a little, I think it would have made for a more epic ending if Aang had died. I suppose they can't do that since this is primarily a kid's show, but Aang's legend would have lived forever if he died. I guess its not a risk many storytellers would take if you have a beloved character as Aang.
I also would have enjoyed seeing some sort of timeskip epilogue, perhaps after the credits, that showed just how much the world got better after that grand fight. But the creators decided to leave it ambiguous, for that sliver of a chance they might create a new season. Or at least an epilogue episode.
Overall, the story was beautiful. And Aang's decision to take away Ozai's firebending seemed, in a way, much more cruel than killing him off, so it was befitting. Well done.

DIALOGUE
Or rather, lack of it. I actually enjoyed that this episode was more about actions than words because in most ways, actions speak louder. The scenes such as Katara and Aang's kiss, Katara healing Zuko, Aang's battle with Ozai... All of these scenes show the intensity of the scenario without words...which is quite hard to do in animation. That being said, the acting was incredible. Both the animation acting (that required little to no dialogue), and voice acting. Zuko's reunion with his uncle was one of the best written redemption scenes in the series. Dante Basco's acting (which on a normal basis is subpar) was spectacular in this scene. Azula's craziness was portrayed SO WELL, I actually almost so the Joker in her (reference to Batman: the Dark Knight). All the dialogue was great except a teensy weensy part at the end...but I'll get into that in the next category.

finally...

SHIPPING
(always a touchy topic.. but please, no bashing, if you must comment. I'm being very good. And very mature.)
With all that's been building up over the past three seasons, I was very very happy they ended with Katara and Aang. They deserve each other, and the ending kiss actually got me semi-giddy. Even as a Zutarian, I still very well respect that Aang and Katara's love story was always the creator's prime choice, and I rather enjoyed how Katara and Aang finally had closure to their feelings. Their story was beautiful, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
In my respectfulness towards all ships, I did, however feel a pang of disappointment that Zuko ended with Mai. I am in NO WAY bashing Mai, I actually think she's a MADD COOL character... it's just... it feels... rather... unbalanced. Here we have this incredible character of Zuko who has grown IMMENSELY over the seasons, who has shown all sides of him good and evil, and who has become, in essence, the TRUE hero of the story... And then we have this quiet, rather serious girl whose shown very little about herself up until the beginning of the the third season... It just seems rather...what's the word? I don't know how to describe it, but I can't seem to find their relationship as well-developed as let's say Katara and Aang's. And I think that after all Zuko has been through, he deserves a character who's had just as great a build-up as him.
And it may be the Zutarian in me talking, but the way they were sorta inching into a love-triangle near the end of the season, I would have actually preferred if that happened... and that Katara would STILL chose Aang, even with the choice of Zuko. If they had left Zuko's love interest ambiguous at the end, it would have at least made it less cheesy. I find his and Mai's dialogue to be quite.....elementary, out-of-character, and slightly badly written. But I suppose the creators just wanted for everyone to be happy, everyone to have a partner. It's not completely horrible... I just would have preferred a little more Zutaraang triangle.

All in all, it was a very memorable finale, which will be labeled as one of the greatest finales in the history of all animated television shows. I really do hope they add some crazy extras in the season 3 Boxed Set, just for the questions that were unable to be answered during the course of the show. Or if they had some crazy alternate endings or something, SOMETHING to let us fans have our fun.

In essence, I am EXTREMELY sad that this show is over. It gave me hope that even television shows can be grand and epic too. It inspired me to be a great animator, director, storyboard artist, story developer, and concept artist, so that one day I can make something as epic as this winner.

I'll show this to my kids, and to my kids' kids, and it will forever be my favourite show of all time.

And now, Avatar: The Last Airbender, I SALUTE YOU.