Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim, two lifelong friends, rewatch and discuss why they love Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this special episode, the duo steps behind the curtain to react to the documentary Avatar Spirits, which explores the passion, sacrifice, and craft that went into making the show.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

Episode Highlights

Sacrifice for a "Nerdy Hobby": The hosts marvel at how the creators spent months in Korea making the pilot, with Bryan living alone in an apartment without cell phones. They talk about the risk of chasing a dream when you're young, whether you're being paid or not.

From Email to Pitch in a Month: Jim and Mike are floored that it took only a month from the opportunity to the pitch, with 15-hour days and takeout for every meal. They also wonder how the order grew from 13 episodes to a 20-episode first season, and note that Korra stayed at 13.

The Art of the Voice: Voice director Andrea Romano shows how many different ways she can gasp, and the hosts try a few of their own. They also speculate that her connections helped land Mark Hamill as Ozai.

Music, Instruments, and a Very Good Email: The hosts geek out over the unusual instruments in the score, including the duduk and a Chinese lute. They also love the clip of the creators writing to the Nickelodeon president to get live strings for the finale, and Jim's experience seeing a live Avatar orchestra.

No Violence, So Bending: Nickelodeon's no-violence rule is what led to bending, and the hosts agree you never miss the violence. They praise the choreographer's arm motions and the martial arts behind each nation: Bagua for airbending, Tai Chi for waterbending, Northern Shaolin for firebending, and Hung Gar for earthbending.

Fans, Creators, and Dissonance: Mike and Jim reflect on the gap between how fans see the creators as heroes and how the creators experience the work as a labor of love. The fan appreciation hits them both hard, though in different ways.

Specialization and Knowing When to End: The hosts reflect on how the show shows that specialization is one of humanity's superpowers, with Jim's math major as the example that you can't learn it all. They also applaud the creators for ending the show at its original length, and they come away with gratitude for the humanity behind it.

Thanks for Listening!

- Mike & Jim

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Also, check Mike out on ⁠Realms of the Lost⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds, and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this special episode, the duo breaks from the usual rewatch to react to the trailers for the new series Seven Havens, and Mike admits he broke his golden rule to watch them.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

The trailers we're discussing:

Seven Havens Trailer

Seven Havens Teaser

Episode Highlights

Chanting, Culture, and the Great Divide: The opening chanting reminds Mike of yogic chanting, so he theorizes the new setting is inspired by India. He ties this to the show's pattern of basing nations on real cultures. Jim wonders if the canyon setting, Ellora, is the Great Divide.

A Melting Pot in a Low-Tech World: Mike and Jim guess that Ellora may be a melting pot like Republic City in Korra. The world seems low-tech, as if its "tech tree" was reset.

Korra, the Fallen God Queen: The trailer hints at a great catastrophe blamed on Korra, including a tsunami hitting a skyscraper city. Both suspect she was framed or acted for the greater good. Mike jokes it could be a "double bluff" to win over Korra haters.

A Golden Building and the White Lotus: Mike first likens the huge golden building to the Sydney Opera House, but up close it resembles a lotus flower. Since the trailer also features the Order of the White Lotus, the hosts wonder if the building is a hidden reveal.

Animation Style: Jarring, But Maybe Growing on Us: Both love the location designs but aren't sold on the new animation. They feel it has less detail, less shading, and bolder, cleaner colors. Since they grew up with the look of Avatar and Korra, it feels like a different universe.

A World Out of Balance: Crystals, weather effects, and destruction suggest the fallout of a spirit attack, and the trailer says the Avatar is needed more than ever. "Seven Havens" might mean seven refuge cities remain, with a Mad Max feel.

Animal Companions Old and New: The hosts spot returning bison and debate whether a new animal is a lynx, a bobcat, or an anteater mix. This leads to a debate about Naga's role in Korra, compared with how integral Appa was to Team Avatar.

Twins, Prosthetics, and Pavi's Path: They guess Pavi is the Avatar who follows Korra, an Earthbender, and that her twin sister Nisha may bend too. They theorize about a split between elements and spirit, or an evil twin.

Spiritual Roots and Chakras: Pavi walking a colorful astral path echoes Aang's cosmic scene with Guru Pathik. Mike and Jim wonder if the Havens are united by connecting with the spirit world rather than by a bending discipline. They hope the show revisits the chakras, which they praised as a clear, non-religious way to show how spiritual connection helps you master yourself.

Thanks for Listening!

- Mike & Jim

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Also, check Mike out on ⁠Realms of the Lost⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds, and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this episode, the duo completes their competition for Book 1 supremacy. I wonder which host had to rap at the end, hmm.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. ⁠Watch it first!⁠

Join us for the culmination of our first-ever Triviapalooza hosted by Jack! In this episode, he runs us through Avatar-themed games like "Title Trouble" and "Lost in Translation". Don't forget, the host with the fewest points at the end has to perform a freestyle rap about Avatar! Yikes!

Thanks for Listening!

- Mike & Jim

Special thanks to Jack for running this incredible episode! Watch him cast Overwatch games at United Rogue!

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠ or comment on our ⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Check out Mike on ⁠⁠Realms of the Lost⁠⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this episode, the duo competes to determine, once and for all, who knows the show better! Or at least Book 1.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

Join us on our first-ever Triviapalooza hosted by our friend Jack! He made custom Avatar-themed games like "Weakest Link", "Erm, Actually", and "Spelling-Bee". Don't forget, the host with the fewest points at the end has to perform a freestyle rap about Avatar! Yikes!

Thanks for Listening!

- Mike & Jim

Special thanks to Jack for running this competition; he really outdid himself! Check him out at United Rogue!

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Check out Mike on ⁠Realms of the Lost⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this episode, the duo wraps up Book One with "The Siege of the North, Part 2," the explosive finale where the Fire Nation's assault on the North reaches its climax and old wounds, old grudges, and new destinies collide.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

Mike's Video: "You said! You SAID!"

FYI: Dee Bradley Baker is Numbuh 4!

Episode Highlights

No Time to Rest: Mike and Jim note how the episode opens mid-action and rarely slows down, with almost no quiet interstitial moments. It's go, go, go from the very first shot of fireballs raining on the city.

Sokka Steps Up: The hosts highlight how Sokka snaps Katara out of her panic in the Spirit Oasis, staying goal-oriented and focused. His pep talk shows a new maturity as he takes charge of getting Aang back.

Zuko's Misdirected Rage: The duo unpacks Zuko's speech to Aang, noting he's projecting his hatred onto a boy he doesn't actually know, blind to the Fire Nation's evil. They point out the gut-punch reveal that his "struggle makes you strong" mantra came from his mother.

Iroh's Wisdom: Mike and Jim reflect on Iroh's line about wisdom becoming rigid if drawn from only one place, tying it to Zuko's arc. They point to the episode's ending, where Zuko doesn't pursue the Avatar because Aang saved him, as an early hint of his coming turning point.

Into the Spirit World: The hosts call the Ko cave one of the tensest scenes in the show, comparing its "fairy logic" to other fantasy worlds where one wrong move changes your life forever. They also note Ko's brushing off an old grudge against past Avatars as a sign of how alien he is to normal, emotional beings.

Wan Shi Tong's Library: Jim is struck by the reveal that Zhao burned the Fire Nation section of the spirit library, closing it to all humans. The hosts connect this to real history, noting that conquerors have long burned libraries to erase a people's past.

Iroh's Stand: The hosts single out Iroh's "whatever you do to that spirit" moment as some of his best voice acting in the series and the scene that convinces the gang of his true character. They note it plants the seed for the group trusting Iroh even faster than they come to trust Zuko.

The Blood Moon: Mike and Jim praise the show's bold use of color as the moon turns blood red, a stark break from the muted black-and-white nighttime palette. They close by tracing Zhao's downfall to pure pride.

Thanks for Listening!

- Mike & Jim

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Also, check Mike out on ⁠Realms of the Lost⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds, and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this episode, the duo tackles "The Siege of the North, Part One," the tense penultimate episode of Book One as the Northern Water Tribe braces for an all-out Fire Nation assault.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

Episode Highlights

Intro Fumble & Master Pakku's Debut: Jim teases Mike for missing that the show's intro opens with water and for forgetting that Pakku is technically the very first character shown in all of Avatar.

Sokka and Yue, On Again Off Again: Mike and Jim revisit Sokka and Yue's forbidden romance, including their Appa "date" and the shared leitmotif song that plays whenever they're together.

Sokka's Growth as a Leader: The hosts praise how far Sokka has come since leaving the South Pole, pointing out that the chief immediately respects his recent combat experience and folds him into the war council.

Hahn, the Insufferable Fiancé: Jim and Mike relish Hahn's introduction as Yue's self-absorbed betrothed, especially Sokka's line calling Yue "wasted on a self-absorbed weasel." They're stunned that Hahn shrugs the insult off entirely, seemingly too self-assured to even register it.

Spirits of the Moon and Ocean: The duo digs into Yue's telling of the Water Tribe's origin story, where the moon is named the first waterbender. They riff on comparing it to fire, earth, and air bending's own elemental origins.

Black Snow and Rising Dread: Mike and Jim highlight the ominous detail of Fire Nation ships turning the snow black as they approach, calling it the kind of chilling image that would be passed down for generations.

A Siege Echoing Lord of the Rings: The hosts compare the tribe's preparations to the siege of Gondor, right down to the shot of a fireball striking the city wall.

Aang's Solo Stand Against the Fleet: Jim and Mike marvel at Aang taking on the Fire Nation fleet largely alone, disabling one ship's catapults piece by piece. The camera's reveal of the full, massive fleet afterward drives home just how outmatched the Water Tribe really is.

Iroh's Complicated Return to Command: The pair questions why Zhao brings Iroh along despite his infamous failed siege of Ba Sing Se and the death of his son Lu Ten during that campaign. They land on the theory that Zhao mainly wants Iroh there to gloat, using him as a verbal punching bag while claiming the victory Iroh never got.

Thanks For Listening!

- Mike and Jim

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Also, check Mike out on Realms of the Lost, a fantasy actual-play podcast where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds, and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender. In this episode, the duo tackles "The Waterbending Master," an emotionally loaded episode that finally reveals the secret behind Katara's necklace and brings the gang into the icy heart of the Northern Water Tribe!

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

Episode Highlights

A Necklace Comes Full Circle: Mike and Jim trace Katara's betrothal necklace from a sentimental keepsake in episode one, through its role as a tool of emotional manipulation, to the key that finally reveals its true origin.

Pakku's Sexism: The hosts dig into Pakku's refusal to train Katara and debate whether his change of heart is real growth. Mike argues he mostly trades sexism for nepotism once he realizes Katara is sort of his granddaughter.

Katara Stands Her Ground: Jim and Mike praise Katara's maturity, both in confronting Pakku head-on and in swallowing her pride to train alongside much younger girls in the healing session.

A City Built for Waterbenders: The duo marvels at how the Northern Water Tribe's canals, ice elevators, and gondola-filled streets reflect a culture built entirely around bending. They compare its clean, uniform look to a Minecraft build and its waterways to Venice, Italy.

Iroh's Musical Interlude: The hosts enjoy the "Four Seasons" song and riff on a tangential comparison to the Hex Girls' performance in a Scooby-Doo movie. The lighthearted moment humanizes Iroh's crew right before Zhao barges in to ruin it.

Momo and Company: The hosts run through the episode's animal lineup, a scene-stealing otter, a caribou-esque quadruped, and a giant crab nobody seems to acknowledge, before praising Momo's comedic timing and voice actor Bradley Baker.

Sokka's Winning Streak: Jim and Mike celebrate Sokka's fearless flirting with Princess Yue, joking that every attempt counts as a win whether or not the joke lands. Unfortunately, his plan to have Aang secretly reteach Katara backfires instantly.

Bending as an Art Form: Pakku's line about Aang "moving the water" but not "feeling the push and pull" sparks a comparison to learning guitar. The hosts appreciate how the show conveys that true mastery of bending takes real time and practice.

Thanks For Listening!

- Mike and Jim

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Also, check Mike out on ⁠Realms of the Lost⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds, and a few unlucky individuals!

Welcome back to the Restoring Balance Podcast, where Mike and Jim dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! In this episode, the duo tackles "The Northern Air Temple," Book One's seventeenth chapter, where the gang finds shelter with the Mechanist and his refugees while Aang confronts what remains of his people's culture.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers, jokes, and insights about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Watch it first!

Episode Highlights

Storytellers: Jim and Mike open by reflecting on the episode's framing device of a traveling storyteller entertaining a crowd for coin, tracing it back to old campfire traditions. They connect it to their own love of podcasts and stories as a way of passing down wisdom and entertainment alike.

Nomads With Castles?: Jim and Mike debate a longstanding contradiction: how can the Airbenders be nomadic if they maintain four elaborate temples? They land on the theory that small groups rotated between temples throughout the year, which they feel fits the "nomadic" label.

Aang's Master Eye for Bending: The duo marvels at how Aang can instantly tell Teo and the refugees aren't benders, chalking it up to his mastery of the subtle, inimitable details of true airbending. Jim compares it to recognizing when someone you know well is lying: the fakery is in the details you might not know existed.

A Respectful Rivalry: Aang and Teo's silent, competitive gliding battle gets its own spotlight, with Jim sharing a personal story about a similarly unspoken sports rivalry that was rooted in mutual respect.

Animal Funtime with Mr. Mike: The segment covers fireflies, mountain-dwelling hermit crabs, and their mysterious shell supply chain, with Jim ribbing Mike's attempts to invent alternate names for lightning bugs.

Deflated Stakes: Mike and Jim note that the confrontation with the Fire Nation captain in the Mechanist's office lacks real tension, since the timing is too convenient and the captain is simply let go afterward.

The Mechanist's Foreshadowing: The hosts have fun spotting blueprints for the drill seen later in Book Two, plus jokes referencing the Mechanist's future work on Fire Nation warships in Book Three.

Thanks for Listening!

- Mike & Jim

Contact Us

Have thoughts on Avatar or want to share your favorite moments? ⁠Email us⁠ or comment on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠. Don't forget to subscribe!

Also, check Mike out on ⁠Realms of the Lost⁠, a fantasy actual-play where portals opened all across the land, letting in the refuse of a thousand worlds, and a few unlucky individuals!