Avatar: The Last Airbender became a very popular animated show after its debut on Nickelodeon. After Netflix added the show to its list in May, Avatar has once again has become one of the most watched shows, breaking Netflix viewing records. Fans have recreated the show's intro using 3D animation in a video that has gone viral since being shared online.
The intro of Avatar: The Last Airbender famously shows Avatars bending the four elements: water, earth, fire and wind. The 3D video created by a group of seven talented fans has amassed over 3 million views. The 3D animation matches the show's original movements with Aang's graceful bending and the perfect flow of the elements around him. Aang's bending has become so iconic that fans have recreated his intro moves in real life videos that show off the extreme athleticism needed to perform them.
The animator who posted the now-viral video on Twitter has responded to the positive feedback by graciously thanking fans, praising and crediting his team, and gave fans a couple bonuses. After posting such a popular video yesterday, Jacob Mann followed up with posting another 3D video, this time featuring a clip of Aang's dialogue from the episode, The Blue Spirit. The animation is so impressive, it raises the question of how the entire show would look in 3D. Mann also thanked fans by posting an Easter egg that depicts a well-known tree from Uncle Iroh's episode, Tales From Ba Sing Se.
The talented group of animators have recreated the animated show with the impressive clips of the intro and Aang's dialogue. The seven person team consisted of roles such as modeling, rendering, FX, and animation and each person was crucial in the success of the Avatar videos.
Mann made a point to make it known what role his team played and how impressive their work was. Avatar: The Last Airbender has been reimagined as a movie, several video games, and an upcoming live-action show, and the popularity of the videos posted by Mann may warrant a 3D rendition of the show to be considered in the future.
Avatar: The Last Airbender has not only had massive success on Netflix, but its follow-up series, Legend of Korra will also release in the United States next month. The franchise's popularity has grown massively since 2005 and fans have been inspired by the show to create impressive recreation like seen in the 3D intro.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is available now on Netflix.