Netflix Avatar is a BIZARRE Mixed Bag (Season Review)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.พ. 2024
- So I just woke up after spending 8 hours binging the entire first season of Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender… and… what I feel inside is a mix of apathy, joy, and confusion, but not at any one thing. Unlike the M Night movie, there aren’t a whole lot of egregious things to point out. There’s no group of earthbenders trying to bend a single rock here. Instead, there’s a mix of middling quality with regard to the writing, the performances, the choreography, and the visual effects, and the show ultimately leaves me largely hollow and perplexed. But when I say middling I don’t mean it in a consistent way. It’s not as though the show is perfectly mediocre throughout. It’s more like when you microwave a burrito and you take a bite.
#avatar #thelastairbender #atla #lok #legendofkorra #avatarchronicles #netflix
***
New to the channel? Check out my channel sampler playlist:
• Antoine Bandele Channe...
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @antoinebandele
Want to share with your non-English speaking friends? Contribute translations!
th-cam.com/users/timedtext_cs_panel...
***
FOLLOW ME
WEBSITE: antoinebandele.com
YT MEMBERSHIP: / @antoinebandele
***
CREDITS
WRITER, HOST, & EDITOR: antoinebandele.com
***
MUSIC
Ricky Elliott | "Master of the Elements" | www.raelliott.com/
Ted Miklas | "Power of the Elements" | / moonlakeproductions
***
BETA READERS:
N/A
***
What really makes me sad is that I'm not even mad at how bad it was because... it wasn't *bad.* It was just not as good as it could have been, and my expectations were not that high, I'm not disappointed because I thought it was going to be perfect, it just didn't do things as well as it could easily been imo, the disappointment is what really makes me feel so... dissatisfied.
This is exactly how I feel lol
This perfectly summarizes this series. When watching it I noticed they could of made small little changes in the dialogue or storytelling and it could of been so much better. Not even drastic changes. Little things to improve the characters personalities and their relationships with other characters. I'm really curious if they had people in place to help and they just ignored all their advice and that is why the original creators left the project.
@bumpin0 it's a mystery to me how/why they did what they did. They had a perfect blueprint, and they could have asked the original creators to flesh out dialog or add scenes and events that made sense, and didn't contradict the original series, but instead they just made questionable choices throughout, or just copied the original which makes it even mire frustratimg that they changed they shouldn't have.
Stop comparing it to the original and it’s a great show. 8/10.
@@Topher9203 I hate the whole “don’t compare it to the original show” argument. If you don’t want something compared to something that was previously made, maybe make something original? They use the world characters and story of an established piece of media. Why shouldn’t I compare it?
I finally realized what Albert Kim meant by removing Katara’s “gender issues.” He’s referring to the motherly role that she plays in the gaang. When you remove that quality of her, you’re essentially removing the entirety of the gaang’s dynamic. Who keeps Sokka in his place? Who helps out and reassures Aang? Who headbutts with Toph until Toph learns how to accept her affection? Who shows warmth to Zuko and is the first to include him in the gaang? When you remove Katara’s motherly qualities (the good and bad) - her assertiveness, compassion, anger, bossiness, stubbornness, etc - you not only water down her character, you tremendously water down all gaang dynamics. Yes, your fave characters might be Zuko or Iroh, but Katara is the heart and soul of the show. When you strip Katara away of her core characteristics and traits, you ruin the whole gaang dynamic - and that’s exactly what happened.
I agree. awful show
Um katara was the last one to accept zuko to the group, unless your talking about that thing in the caves ba sing se
@@LinV24 u missed the point
Somehow they're not allowed to show girls or women being motherly anymore. I mean, at some level, if they want to make show, they are literally not allowed to do that.
I mean a maternal figure is technically a leader
The 41st Division thing was my favorite change
that was the ONLY good change PLEASE change my mind
Yeah absolutely! It added so much more weight and depth to Zuko and his character to the point, where I wish that was included in the original animated series. It made the actor's portrayal of the character more believable compared the other characters and finally gave me something to invest, in this adaptation. In some ways the fire nation salute scene on the ship, gave me a similar feeling the clone troopers did, when they saluted Ashoka in the clone wars.
Totally agree they cooked there. I just wish other changes didn't make me verbally yell out "WHY THO?"
Wow they got me there. With the slow walk of honor. Gosh...
It wasn't even really a change. Just an addition. Probably something the original creators realized quickly after shipping the original first season of avatar, and which they've been keeping in the back of their minds for a long time now.
Aang not bending water a single time in the entire season absolutely destroyed me. Like obviously he doesn't need to master it and I like that Katara is fully going to train him, but they shouldve at least laid the ground work for it throughout the season instead of him completely neglecting the option to learn until he was in the north
same... it's a big oopsie from the writers honestly... and I dont want to think of why they made that change less I roll my eyes as I can imagine why--
originally i thought it was supposed to be because katara’s still a novice during book one so she can’t exactly train him to master water, which was fine, but then they made katara a master waterbender by the end which one: didnt feel earned and two: doesnt make sense with what i think is what they were trying to do
Dudeeeeeee you just made me realize that they won't show aang learn any bending 😭 he'll prob just go avatar state whenever he needs all the bending .
I though she taught em after anyways
Yep. But I was fine before the final episode, cuz I was at least expecting to see them try to teach Aang the basics of waterbending during the season finale, which didn't happen. So they've gone the other direction, it seems
I hate the change at the beginning where Aang was only going for a ride to clear his head. In the show he chooses to run away because he is afraid of his responsibility and leaves a letter to gyatso before leaving. This is his greatest regret and guilt (as shown in the guru episode) but the live adaptation chose to changed it? SMH
Not to mention, him seeing Gyatso in the Spirit World is 1. A major lore breaker and 2. Momentarily heartwarming but ultimately completely undermines Aang's guilt, since, YOU KNOW and YOU SEE that someone is still PRACTICALLY ALIVE after they die, and THEY THEMSELVES tell you to NOT FEEL GUILTY.
Aang's guilt is a huge part of his character, and both these changes (the one you mentioned, and the one I mentioned) turned out awful IMO.
True, his entire arc is for him to accept being the avatar and in the process forgive himself for running away from his responsibilities and bearing the guild of the death of his people. Running away was key.
I hate when the fire nation plot change to capture every talented air bender become killing them all. Like.. WHAT?
And then Kyoshi yells at Aang for running away from his responsibilities… even though in this version he didn’t run away. Its almost like the writers forgot they changed that storyline
@@kaitlindoucette6292 another thing is how did kyoshi even knows about the moon and the ocean spirits when roku doesn't have any idea who they are and aang needs to ask koh the face stealer
Aang not waterbending in the season he should learn how to do it is really weird to me,idk why they did that
We're probably supposed to find out in season 2...
@@07Flash11MRC i hope you're right
Definetly because they didn't have time (only 8 episodes). I believe there will be a timeskip going into season 2 where they stayed at the Northern Water Tribe and trained with Pakku
@@RandomGuy93543 So do I. Unfortunately I'm no insider, so I can't guaratee anything.
Honestly one thing from the original I always found a little odd was how Katara was Aangs water bending teacher when she learned at the same time as him. I actually think this development makes her training him make a little more sense - though I had hoped she would receive some training herself. Her being her own master is all cool and empowering and all, but I think having some formal training to cap off her raw natural talent and power is the push she needs to then make a great teacher for Aang. There will probably be a time skip since the actors have aged, and I imagine that will cover a lot of water bending training so it makes sense if Aang and especially Katara are now good at it for the next season
They needed to do 10 episodes instead of eight and I feel like that would have fixed a lot of the pacing for the season. I also do not like how separate the trio were during the omashu storyline and the fact that they did the tale of two lovers storyline but had sokka and katara be the ones to go through them together it was….very odd.
Haha, I was really worried they were about to go down a plotline of incest there when Sokka and Katara were going through the cave. I know they said they want this version to be darker than the cartoon, but geesh.
They just didn’t want to leave it out… intentions were good but I agree
They just need a few more episodes to work with
Yea imo Sokka should’ve been the one captured and Katara and Aang should’ve been the one to go through the cave. I understand the age diff between actors but they could’ve just cut the “kiss” and just had a romantic moment and then touch backed in in S3 when the actors are aged up a little more. Idk. I didn’t really get any romance between those two and I’ve been a die hard Kataang fan since I was 8 so if they cut that romance completely it’ll pretty much ruin the entire series and lore.
When they said that they wanted the series be more like game of thrones, i didnt think that would go in *that* way
It feels like a fever dream but a good one but mixed with strange and confusion
After some more thought I pinpointed the crux of the problem. Aside from the acting and dialogue issues, the real killer was not having the Gaang be together all the time, naturally relating to each other.
One Piece did a good job of this.
I was thinking about what I love about ATLA and its simply the Gaang and how they're family. Its like the live action series kept verbally reminding us that they're family but they didnt actually show it enough. The characters split up too often, they didnt have group hugs and if anything they barely touched each other at all. The relationships felt too sterile even when they were together. They acted more like coworkers than family. For season 2 they need to really address that.
I can’t see this cast of characters sitting down in Iroh’s Tea Shop after the 100 year war ends as one big family called “Team Avatar”. Iroh playing his sunki horn, Sokka sitting in the corner badly drawing his friends, Aang and Katara, everyone at peace.
@@tankdogization yeah exactly. If season 2 happens I hope they put more effort into showing them behave like family not just mentioning it. Group hugs, Katara giving Aang a kiss, monkeying around with each other. It will fail if they can't sell us on this element
One Piece did a tremendously good job of this. I have tons of issues with that show but I was loving every minute of it (except Koby/Garp scenes, I was a bit bored) and the overall reception was overwhelmingly positive. It's not a perfect show either, but the group dynamics and character development won people over. The ATLALA show is sorely lacking in that department.
This is a valid point, I feel like these live adaptations forget that it’s the stories that get us hooked to a show/series, how do characters bond / interact with each other
When making a straight to streaming service show, they try to condense that story and speed track it….. but that slow burn and extra details add nuance that help people fall in love with the art
I'm glad it's not me feeling this way. When I finished watching I felt like we didn't see the gaang together much or like their relationships weren't built out enough. Wasn't sure how to verbalize what was missing.
I HATE what they did to Bumi. He was no longer the resilient eccentric but wise old man. He felt like a scorned old friend who got jaded and worn down by war. Tho realistic, life time of war and hard choices would do that to you. I like how strong the original bumi despite all of that.
Man, I don't think the writers watched the animated series. Bumi, is literally about being steady and patient in his genius, not about anger, frustration, cynicism. For me the worst part of the show because Bumi is one of Aang's most important teachers.
@@xSpartinox that or They want to hammer down a different take on bumi but completely missed the nail. Either way its not fun to Watch at all. I tried to get excited but after seeing that my mood went down significantly
Same thing! I didn't like this show. But after episod with Bumi... agrhhh
@@xSpartinox I don’t understand why they tried to “fix” things that weren’t broken at all
@@wastedtime4962 100% agreed.
i hate how dirty they did katara. she was fierce in the original and outspoken. here she was so shy. the actress did a great job with what she was given tho
With the changes I feel that they are planning an arc to have her go from shy to more outspoken and fierce
As she grows in her power
I also feel people forget the first 3 books of the jg show take place within 1 year
And that seems like way too quick for all the development that happens wjth all the characters
And feels rushed
Season 1 to 3 work better when you think of them as reflecting one year per season
I missed Katara's rage. Here she just got frustrated and quiet and occasionally blurting out good points. In the animated show her fury was feared and was her original emotion for her powerful bending.
Like a soft sigh in an autum breeze. Completely lost in the shuffle.
Same!! I’m watching it now and Katara felt off. I think Sokka actor was the best out of the gaang. Lol
@@blackberry96713bro I’m a sokka fan and that is not sokka maybe a lil bit but that’s not him…
I like when the 41st realized Zuko saved them from the front
That’s honestly the only good detail they added in the show
it felt rushed, like they just jammed all the emotional scenes from the cartoon together and it never had time to breathe
Exactly!
😂😂😂😂😂 facts
Probably cuz they only have limited episodes. I mean people should've expected that the show wouldn't be able to include everything without taking liberties with it cuz the entirety of Book 1 is only 8 episodes so I'm not sure how people would expect them to make it so that the show isn't rushed when they don't really have a choice. I'm not saying it was good though haha.
@@derplololol9717 they could have achieved a similar impact… the biggest problem is it seems they didn’t truly understand the characters, motivations, themes and pacing of the original show… they cut down so much character development & growth to give us a watered down “straight to the point” layout… which the original is far from!
@@v9productions I wished the creators of the original series didn't leave, they weren't given limited budget and have more than 8 episodes per season so they could've achieved that.
They never showed GAND going to sleep and wake another day. It didn´t felt like a journey but a rushed week.
You’re right, they should’ve used those kind of scenes
Most of the episodes feel like they have a "you might be wondering how I got into this situation" type of opening.
Gonna assume you mean the Aang and his friends when you say GAND but yeah I agree. The whole series felt like a few days chronologically and that's why it felt so weird any time they called each other family.
no like as much i loved zuko’s arc and his portrayal i dont think he ever said the word honour 😅😅
you know what i don't think he did🤨
I think he said once, in a flashback. but not in the context of him regaining his honor.
@@Nisacha49 😞 i was really looking forward to at least one “i have to capture the avatar to regain my honour!”
@@bxzarie_ at least he said “it’s my destiny”
I WAS JUST SAYING THAT
Luten's funeral scene was my favourite in the whole season... The orchestra, zuko sitting next to iroh, the single tear... Man, it gets me every time...
Yh zuko and iroh scenes were highlight of season and the bumi scenes too 🔥
@@danwarner7816 And the climax ending scene to "Legends" is more bittersweet. The ocean spirit is an uncontrollable raging force of nature while everyone in the Northern Tribe grieves and mourns for the loss of their loved ones.
any time that the leaves from the vine rendition came on reminded me of the original series and I loved that
I loved Zuko's men saluting him
You could also hear some of the notes of the melody before, during some Iroh dialogues. Even that was enough to tear up a bit. I do wish they kept more of Iroh's backstory for season 2 just like the original and showed more of the present Iroh. Bringing stuff in from season 2 also makes me feel like the writers didn't fully believe they'd get to do the next season (which we can see why...). And while I hope we get two more seasons, the majority of the these writers have got to go
My biggest issue was Aang not learning waterbending at all... How is he going to learn bending if he learns completely nothing in this season? I find it so weird no-one mentioned this. But it bothers me so much.
From what others have said, this is going to be the explanation for why Aang grows up like 3 years by the time season 2 drops. He's been working on water bending that entire mid season time
I find it bizarre that they made it a point to show multiple instances of him reaffirming his resolve to get involved and fight only to outright refuse to learn waterbending. After said refusal he goes on to give katara advice on how to waterbend properly as if he was and expert only to play it off as a joke and undermine his own point. The show was way too all over the place.
What? He can just learn it season 2 what are you saying
Bro can we talk about how aang didn't water bend AT ALL until he went into the avatar state and became that spirit at the north pole??????
They’re probably gonna say that the spirit of the moon and sea gifted him mastery in return for his help. Which is lame
And how did katara become a master again؟
pretty much my exact opinion, the people saying its 10/10 or total trash are both living in another reality
Awe yes, the “if you don’t agree with me you’re automatically in a different reality” argument. Lol
@@mattcollins3591 nothing is ever complete garbage or perfect like everyones saying. the show has its pros and cons. even the original Avatar had its flaws. theres people acting like its worse than the movie. their argument is valid and you sound goofy
Hear, hear. It's not on the level of the One Piece live adaptation, which was much better than this.
@@SonicLegends Didn't One Piece include the creator of the original involved?
well we all watched the same series, so if you think its a 10/10 either as a stand alone series or as an adaption you clearly are in another reality because it definitely wasnt@@mattcollins3591
"A mixed bag" is definately the phrase that came to mind for me. There were definately a lot of highs, but some of the choices they made for the series was just confusing. The biggest disappointment for me was the appearance of the previous avatars and how they interacted with Aang, they all seemed weirdly hostile towards him. Roku's character is sadly unrecognisable and his appearance feels like more of a throwaway scene. Overall though, it was an interesting watch and I am interested to see what they do with season two. Hopefully the pacing is a little better in the next one.
Yeah, I don't like the change for Roku or even Kuruk. Wasn't Kuruk supposed to be the worst avatar among the 4? 😂
I forgot where it stated, but Kuruk was so neglectful of his duty as avatar.
And Roku, my man ... why Roku character is like THAT.
@@valhatan3907
Kuruk's story was expanded in the Kyoshi novels. And, if you pay attention, the live action did say that Kuruk was a neglectful Avatar.
Kuruk essentially chose to spend most of his time in the spirit world, after Yangchen neglected that part of her duties.
On the writing of Roku, yeah... that was weird. Roku was goofy in the original series, but not this goofy.
Even his first line was cheeky: "What took you so long?"
But in his backstory scenes... I mean, the guy heated his tea in anticipation of his Earthbending teacher Sud.
@@WritingGeekNL yeah, sorry to what I said about Kuruk is slightly innacurate. I forgot about his lore and just a few minutes ago searching some video essay about him 🤣
@@valhatan3907the only Avatar that seemed a little out of character was Roku like yeah he was kind but not goofy all the others had their spirit Kyoshi was tough Kuruk was neglectful
how is no one else not pissed about the secret tunnel change. Aang needs to go through that with katara.
When I saw that the cave's lore was not really changed other than which lover died, it made me kinda uncomfortable at first that it was Sokka and Katara going through it together.
@CaptainSherbertTheQuestionable I don't like Frozen or Malificent, but the concept of true love was never really said to be soley romantic in those movies, so that made their "twist" work. Netflix Avatar, they didn't change the story about the lovers in the cave other than the gender change and which one dies. The tale itself is still directly referring to romantic love, so the show making it so that sibling love between Sokka and Katara can still work not only makes it come out of left field, but also feels kind of icky. I didn't expect to possibly feel that yet until maybe the 143rd chapter of Oshi no Ko comes out.
@@deadpoolrockz6410 I said something similar either here or somewhere else but my opinion on it was that how they altered the tale was so minimal that I not only don't care but if I hadn't watched through the series 6 times then I would never know. They don't go the romantic route obviously but it still feels gross in hindsight knowing the lore and knowing what was supposed to happen there which knowing what was supposed to happen and it not or happening differently does seem to be the core criticism for the show as I sit on it longer. It is still a middling(6/10) project but more like a (3/10) as a faithful adaptation.
Respectfully disagree, I felt that way at first but then thought it was a better fit to have some sibling growth instead of a romantic moment between a 12 and 14 year old. In the cartoon that worked, but of we saw these kids have a romantic arc together (especially right after jet) I think it would have been even weirder
I felt like Sokka actually had way more interaction time with Suki and Yue in the live action. These girls falling for Sokka so quickly made even less sense in the cartoon. But I completely agree that Sokka and the whole team Avatar together didn't have enough screen time to shine, and a lot of the dialogue they did have felt off. And it's almost completely the writers' fault
I just rewatched the original cartoon up until the end of the episode on Kiyoshi Island and the Netflix adaptation definitely made their relationship more in your face and kinda rushed. In the cartoon their attraction is more subtle and less obvious, and Sokka and Suki don’t even kiss on the lips on Kiyoshi island, unlike in Netflix where they do. In the cartoon, Sokka’s romantic interests is more subtle and a slow burn instead of being kinda forced due to how quickly the relationship progresses in the live adaptation.
^^^^^^ talk to that man bro
@@AKTechX17 i kinda liked how they made sokka and suki kiss in ep 2 (i’m probably biased cause i love their ship) but it emphasises the fact that suki wasnt just some yue replacement for sokka, and that he genuinely had feelings for her
@bxzarie_ it's always been suki wasn't a replacement for Yue tho 😅. Shi- if anything Yue was sokkas very small replacement for suki his true crush.
I think the casting was also an issue tbh. Sokka, zuko, suki, jet, the mechanist, cabbage man, jun perfect casting. Everyone else could have been improved in some way. Although Ozai and Iroh were great castings too, just the writing for their characters was the problem. They didn't show much of Iroh's comedic side other than some tea jokes, and they tried making Ozai too relatable which makes him look weak. Katara's actress is too quiet and kind, not enough of katara's strong will and confidence. Aang's actor was great as a child, but can come across as cringe sometimes and a bit too 1 emotion. Azula and her friends look and act nothing like azula and her friends from the cartoon. That being said, they could still fix this show for season 2 with some minor tweaks and improvements. I wouldn't even be mad at some recasting, especially on azula and her friends.
I'll tell you what's missing. The humour. Now, people might say nowadays the humour could be overbearing, but as kids, we all loved it.
Honestly, if any show needs a remake that's more serious, it should have been Legend of Korra.
THIS
^THISSSS
Oh god.. if they made the light hearted ATLA this humorless, imagine how edgy and dark the Korra live-action would be. Honestly, I think I would have preferred a live action korra, with a bit more mature rating, and directly addressing the issues of the original show now that we have hindsight
Alot of humor doesnt land because its mostly Sokka and Zuko, Sokka in the live action isnt carried by the animations of him freaking out and usually just comes off as too sarcastic, they took away alot of Aangs comedy as well.
No, the fans hate Korra already. We cannot afford for people to hate it more.
My BIGGEST gripe was how the Pakku vs Katara dynamic worked. It's flat out arrogant how Katara crowned herself as a master without training with one herself. As a martial arts instructor, this is beyond ridiculous. Learning Tai Chi based on drawings and intuition is stupid.
Netflix and their writers completely missed the point of Pakku and Katara relationship in the animated series. Like Katara necklace being a gift from Paku to Katara's grandmother. Where Paku have regrets about Katara's grandmother that he changed his mind to train Katara and Aang. Thus, Katara develop into a water bending master with Paku guidance til the end of book 1 of the animated series.
Bro that's cartoon 💀 that aint that deep i know what u mean but show aint woud be working if Katara would spend training there for 8years
Yeah, they ruined the dynamic between Pakku and Katara. If they want to go pro-feminism, the original animation was already is and did it better. They don't change something already good.
Yeah, Pakku, in the original story, was teasing Katara when she tried to apologize to Pakku. He literally said, "I'm waiting, young lady," and that pissed Katara off. It flows naturally.
Here, it feels forced
@@pawenazwisko5025 you what mate? They just called him a sexist and said shes a master now, while the animated series gave them actual charecter development. How does netflix keep dropping the ball with existing IPs Transfer into live action keeps blowing my mind, first Witcher and now this.
Katara is the character that changed the most, she just doesn’t feel the same, he doesn’t smile, didn’t throw any tantrum (unusual).
And we need more self inflicted harm on Sokka
The show is better than the movie we got but it’s still a 6/10 for me (the movie was 3/10)
I think there planning to make her shy to fierce it’s the first season!
SELF INFLICTED HARM HAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH (totally agree tho 😭😭😭😭😭)
So u didn’t see her smile not once in this live action?….
5/10 is more accurate tbh
Aang completely loses his wise beyond his years, fun loving, trauma avoiding characteristics.
I wasn’t sure about irohs performance at first but by the end of it he ended up growing on me. Zuko and iroh’s relationship was a highlight of the show from episode 4 onward
Iroh was definitely strange for me. But he grew on me by the end.
For me he failed at being a wise intimidating general. When he stands up to Zhao who backs down from killing the koi (for a sec) its a big moment. But the line delivery was just...it had no fire in it. Maybe thats alo fault of the direction cuz he doesn't go into a stance either so he toned it down but...ugh.
I try to picture him yelling at Zuko in s2 about his plan to steal Appa and I can't.
Its like they stopped everyone other than Zuko from showing raw emotion and it sucks.
@@shepardoakenshieldprime3357 I think in the original you also couldn't imagine Iroh yelling at Zuko. That's what made it so powerful.
Yeah same here. The actor playing Iroh, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, is generally pretty good but whats weird is that he didn't feel as great as I thought he would be. Like I wasn't getting that much Iroh vibes from him and the dialogue they gave him didn't stand out. But yeah by the end it came out fine specifically when he was with Zuko
Iroh was Iroh. People for some reason was expecting him to imitate Mako's voice. Same with Azula
Is anyone else annoyed that aang didn't water bend once the whole show?
Moreso that he outright refused to learn and immediately offered advice to Katara on how to do it.
@@CaptainSherbertTheQuestionable Yeah that was weird
Aang is a peaceful monk, but also ‘naughty boy’. But he is too serious in this show.
In the original, he played around with Sokka on a daily basis, and sometimes got annoyed with Katara. Like a normal child. But now, he just always kind for others and self-destructive.
I hardly ever see him laugh, and he just blames himself for the entire eight episodes, which is exhausting for the viewers. He looks listless. He just a sad character now 😢
Of course, even in the original, Aang sometimes blames himself for running away from the Air Temple. But it didn't go too far like this. I guess the director decided to fill this season's theme with only lonely duties to the Avatar. In order to convey the message that even avatars need friends, making the previous avatars say absurd things like "Avatar don't need a team" or showing Aang just blaming himself is really unsophisticated and one-dimensional. It's a hostile method. The director needs to make viewers feel the importance of friends naturally through organic interaction between team avatars. The perfect structure and flow of the original story is ruined by the contrived message.
Even in terms of directing, I can't get the thrill of the original at all. To give a specific example, in episode 8, as soon as Yue says, "It's all over now," Aang has to say "No, it's not over" in his avatar state and combine with the ocean spirit to feel the suddenness, but then there's a useless flashback scene to the previous avatar. The flow of direction is broken. That small difference takes away the creepy feeling of the original. Also, when Aang combines with the ocean spirit, the music in the original is much better. Instead of having the mystical feel of the original, the Ocean Spirit has become a just powerful, dull, and stupid, screaming Godzilla.
In this show, all the animals except Momo are literally just beasts. Especially to Appa. People who watch this show without watching the original will see Appa as just a ride, not a member of Team Avatar.
It may be a spoiler, but Appa's disappearance is a really key part of the original season 2. Likewise, the original 'The Library' episode in which that scene appears is also a very important episode in many aspects. However, since Wan Shi-tong has already appeared in the spirit world in this season of the drama, I think he can only appear in this scene at the entire show for fans of the original's service. Also, since the story is set in a temple, not in the Wan shi-tong Library, where Zhao obtains information about the souls of the ocean and the moon, it seems highly likely that the library episode will not appear at all or will be significantly altered. I think they might not lose appa. Because that is not that dramatic like the original since he is just a ride.
Aside from everything else, in order to have an ending where Katara and Aang are dating, there should have been a scene where Aang loses his heart to Katara at least later in the season1. The longer this moment is delayed, the more the love line will feel too sudden and unnatural to viewers.
Someone may point out to me that since live-action dramas and animations are fundamentally different, there is no choice but to make major changes in the story and direction. For example, running time. However, I don't think that removing the unnecessary parts I pointed out above and strengthening cooperation and interaction within Team Avatar like the original work will have a negative impact on the live-action drama.
I hope that in Season 2, these issues will be corrected and we will have a true 'team' avatar based on each character's personality and charm. Of course, Toph joins!
Since the original series is a well-structured masterpiece, it will definitely be a good drama as long as it doesn't deviate too much from the core guidelines😊
I pretty much agree with your take. The most jarring thing for me was when they changed things from the original show but then kept in iconic moments that felt totally out of place with those changes.
yesss fr. like the girl with the doll that sokka met? wth 🤦🏻♀️
Zhao was my favorite character this season, surprisingly
He was good.
Definitely an interesting take on the character
I really like this zhao,imo he is better here
Agreed!
For real? I actually thought he was the worst character lmao. I felt like they made him into a dunce and a lot of his scenes didn't land. Particularly the scene where he's telling his troops about how he captured the avatar
The butchered Katara's best moments -
Katara getting angry at Sokka early on, and accidently waterbending an iceberg to be broken behind her.
Katara holding Aang's hand solemnly when he goes Avatar State during the Air Temple revisit
Katara NARRATING THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW WITH HER PERSPECTIVE.
WTF they do to my best girl. She was the main motivator and truly a leader of the whole group. Now she is a passive-observer in the LA
That’s exactly what I noticed after the beginning of episode 5… these characters are constantly being split apart and when they’re together it doesn’t really feel like they’re bonding as friends. The beginning of episode 5 where they’re bending together feels absolutely great and reminded me of the cohesion I’m missing between them. Doesn’t feel like a team yet… and I just finished episode 6. Maybe Zuko and iroh work so well is because they’re literally always together. We get to see bonding and disagreements and various emotions. It’s what team avatar should be too, but it feels very hollow.
@@gaminginvirinch3339 and you speak for everyone?
My thoughts exactly! Sadly the fire nation cast brutally outshined the gaang's chemistry. And that kills me 'cause Katara is my favourite and I adore her dynamics with Sokka and Aang. Dang what a shame that was.
I think its because the writers dont understand the impotance of showing not telling
They def took their own spins but it was okay. Uncle Iroh needs to provide more wisdom
And needs to be more relaxed. The uncle Iroh in the show was peaceful and full of zen, This Iroh is too stiff
It was pretty obvious that there was something off about "Iroh" in the first episode when he tries to defend genocide by the fire nation when he speaks to Aang. I thought he was supposed to have learned how destructive and wrong it is to wage war from his past and loosing his son.
I swear if i hear aang say it's his fault one more time
5/10 for me. Started off decent but had me wishing it was all over by the 5th episode
Episode 5 was so rough
Same
Same
Same
Huh 🤣🤣 i really liked episode 5
I hate how they made it seem like Kyoshi island was always an island not one made by kyoshi herself
I hope we can all keep in mind that it’s still the first season. They have a very high standard to live up to and, despite the budget, still had a lot of budgetary constraints. Albert Kim talked about these constraints in the latest EW interview. It’s the classic initial catch-22 of high-budget shows: It needs budget to succeed, but it needs to succeed for budget. That often complicates first seasons. I truly believe it would’ve had a chance to end up a lot better had they just had two more episodes, but alas.
Thankfully the creative team seems very open and humble to criticism, so I’m hoping this is just the prelude to something much greater. I think this show and its actors can really grow into themselves. Very mixed bag with dubious choices and execution, but in that mix is also potential.
Edit: I’m not trying to defend the writing here. I’m just pointing out that plainly stating that the writing did a poor job or even that they’re hacks is oversimplifying the matter. There are more factors at play than meets the eye and they don’t necessarily have to mean book 2 and 3 will be ass. Budget is just one of these factors.
budget shouldnt really effect terrible writing tho
@@beluga2342 It unfortunately does affect writing, though. What you don’t have the budget for to include, you have to write around. Especially in the beginning it’s a very dynamic juggle between staying true to the original, unpredictable costs, and making sure things still make broader narrative sense. That’s a complex and tall order even for non-adaptations. I’m not trying to defend the writing, but these are also just factors that play into it.
This being the first season is not an excuse. A lot of shows have strong first seasons and leave the viewer wanting more. This, in my opinion, boils down to poor writing. They had a solid blueprint, and, while we didn’t need a carbon copy, they clearly showed that they do not understand the source material. The changes that were made to the lore, character traits and flaws being omitted, hindered the story greatly. I’m actually nervous to see what they do to Book 2
This is just netflix writers once again messing with the source story, and if it follows suit of other shows the following seasons will be increasingly worse written
You don’t need money to create good dialogue or acting
I agree, it is a very mixed bag. The part where they saw the airship hovering over their sacred area was when it went wrong for me. They could have attacked them whilst vulnerable in the air, shooting them out of the sky and why did they just hide, watch them land and also watch them just walk up to the two fishes and grab one? That just didn't make sense. Also, didn't the people expect their ying and yang gods to visit that day? Why did they not have anyone guarding that place, especially with it being so crucial to them. That part just didn't make sense it was actually stupid.
Yeah that made no sense. Aang was just sitting in a bush watching Zhao slowly walk up to the pond, figure out which one was the moon spirit, and capture it before he came out of the bush. He had so much time to stop him lol
I was sooooo confused as well. Like they had more than enough time to stop him. Even when Aang was airbending to move the fish........... LIKE HE WAS MORE THAN CAPABLE. BUT Y'ALL LITERALLY SAT AND WATCH. Bro even knew it wasn't a war balloon and he had a water bender with him. Aang followed shortly. Iroh would've helped too. They could've more than take them out.
My biggest issue so far is Aangs backstory being shown at the beginning. As much as I loved how they used Gyatso in this version and how well executed the emotional parts were, it just feels too soon.
The way it’s framed in the original show is that Aang for the first half is an ongoing mystery. He’s happy and fun and unphased by being frozen because he successfully evaded his responsibility, but signs of the consequences start to bite him in the back and his sense of reality starts to get harsher, which leads to the boiling point of Aang telling Katara about Gyatso and that entire ordeal with how he got trapped in the ice. It feels like a perfect payoff where you fully understand Aang and he becomes more nuanced from it.
This version… gets that out of the way for contextual reasons and you’re left with a half-baked Aang.
Yeah they are revealing way too much too soon. Same with front loading reveals about Iroh’s son.
I really liked how they added a festival for the air nomads in the beginning
I think a fan comic came up with the comet festival being the reason why air nomads were all in the same location. At least i think its a fan comic or an official comic, I couldn’t tell and i cant remember. But it makes the most sense !
Yeah I did like that too
@IsraelLlerena I think you're referring to the comic, the Rift. That's an official story to the show.
They completely ruined Bumis character. How did Sokka and Katara get Appa to fly without saying Yip yip. Why was Katara able to waterbend 400metres in the sky on Appa to stop a fireblast but not able to waterbend a tiny bubble. Why can Aang fly. Why is Katara laughing in the serious scenes. How did Katara learn to Icebend after barely being a waterbender. I'm not even going to finish it past Episode 4. What a joke of a show.
Damn. I gotta finish it so I can make an accurate assessment but from what I just read, my nitpicking ass bout to go through hell 😂
Bumi wasn’t even a character in the OG 💀
Most of those are nitpicks and would be valid if this was a 1 to 1 adaptation, which it isn't
Holy nitpick
@@andylarkin5779their problems isn’t it not being a 1 to 1 it is consistency. I do hope the show gets a s2 where the og show runner comes back.
I loved the series. There were a few issues I had with it, but they can be over looked, except for ONE BIG detail that I don't like nor agree with the direction, who ever decided, the show will be going. Book 1 is called Water, Book 2 Earth and Book 3 Fire, in correspondence to each element Aang is suppose to be learning in each Book/Series. I loved the whole arc with Katara learning to bend water and see her excel but I don't like the route they took with Aang. I tried keeping it as vague as possible for people that has not seen it yet, but that was my only issue.
Yes, but at the end of season 1 in the animated version aang dosent really learn waterbending still. In the animated version katara and aang is taught by pakko but katara is the only one who left a master. If your life depends on it are you gonna use beginner waterbending skills or master airbending skills. The writers probably thought since he no where near using it in combat by the end of the season why force him to use learn it rn. I was more upset that katra wasent shown healing someone because she uses that trait way more
my one fear i had with the live action is the directors seemed to think they can do better than the original and i feel that might have been what happened but i could also be wrong, but your burrito analogy was spot on, and bumi actually broke my heart one of my favorite characters which deep in impactful diminished to a man driven to insanity by war bumi is much more
I wanted to love it so bad😭
Pros-
Zuko
Iroh
CGI mostly
First 20 min of episode one
Flash backs
Cons-
Dialog 😭
Writing
Representation of past avatars
Imbalance tone
Pace
But the line "we protect those who cannot protect themselves" is straight out of teen wolf 😂
And two characters were literally from teen wolf lol
I actually wanted to slap zatara for going off on her brother in the cave when she literally was siding with Jet blindly like an idiot.
They did Avatar Roku nasty, turned it off after his appearance
I agree with this for the most part. The one thing I think you didn’t mention enough which is also my biggest issue with it is the writing. The “show don’t tell” rule was ignored heavily. There were so many moments that things were explained right after you made the realization on your own. A big one was Katara using the earth bending technique she saw Bumi use and then Aang calling it out immediately. As well as the repetition of Aang’s drive to make up for the past. Felt like he had no arc. He wants to become the avatar at the start and he wants to become the avatar at the end. But then for some reason he refuses to learn water bending. I could go on but I think my point is made.
As someone who watched the original show 5 times and didn't get bored. Binge the hell out of the animated version and save time not watching the Netflix version.
The casting was good dont get me wrong but i feel the entirety of the show is condensed down way too much.
Exposition dumps, odd dialogue, awkward catch phrases, dialed down comedy turned cringe, other changes that make no sense. Only thing it's got going is good cgi and actors wich gets ruined by bad writing. 5/10 for me.
Azula looks like she's been snacking on a few too many fire flakes.
That’s what i thought too. She looks a bit chubby unlike her animated counterpart who is leaner and hotter 😍
I gave it a 7! The Zuko and Iroh funeral moment did it for me and the genocide scene 🥺
No, I'm sorry to say it, but this adaptation left a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn't even make it through the first episode. There were too many things that felt off to me. TBH, it's my opinion that directors need to stop making live action adaptation shows. It ends up just being a cash grab trying to retell a story that was already told. Especially Avatar, they nailed it the first time, hence why it still has 100% on rotten tomatoes. Animation is the perfect medium to portray the story.
Exactly. They made a masterpiece so they need to milk that franchise...
The Legend of Korra was meh, Gene Yang's comics were full of OOC moments, now we got this useless live action. It's like people don't understand why A:TLA is so good and the fact so many people keep defending the new materials we get from the franchise makes me think we won't have anything good out of it anymore. I'm not looking forward to Avatar Studios' movies/series.
@@lanacastalacroix1565I feel the same way. I'm starting to believe the original series was lightning in a bottle and we'll never get anything on that level ever again
I thought if they did something cool with the fight choreo it would be worth it to be live action. But they didn't. I hate that they made it more like magic. I thought it would be cool from a martial arts perspective physically seeing them train and learn different elements, and even seeing on real (non cartoon) bodies how that would affect the way they fight. Alas ):
Ngl, ppl got to stop saying a show is bad if they couldn’t finish the first episode. If you didn’t watch it, then you can’t actually form an opinion about it.
@GeeksGets idk. I think a show is bad if you can't finish the first episode. Yes you can't form an incredibly educated opinion as you never finished it. But if someone can't finish a show because they think it's bad. It's their opinion that it's bad (side note: I agree with their opinion. I also found it a little hard to watch)
I feel like it started to fall off with Bumi, then completely fell off when all 3 were in the spirit world. It kinda lost me after that. It’s still better than the movie. I completely agree with your rating
For me it fell off on the second episode when it became apparent how the pacing was going to look like.
The thing I missed the most was Jeremy's music. I think Zuko and Sokka stole the show. I worry about Katara though. I think she doesn't have the acting range for the role sadly
But the show shines most when it tries its own thing. Like the Suko and Iroh flashback with a hint of Leaves from the vine. They took bold moves and respected the source material.
For me it's a 7/10. The original is a 10/10, and the 2010 one is a 2. So a +5 improvement is what we should focus on. Not the -3
Could not agree more with this
@@marenkendall7413 I just released a video explaining all of this if you're interested!
you gotta give em credit tho, it was a hard task from the beginning to make an adaptation on this show
I think you're spot on. Some moments had me in tears like when Zuko was at Irohs sons funeral. Absolutely loved that scene, until it ended on the weirdest roughest edit/transition I've ever seen. I don't now if it's because I have the version of Netflix with ads or what, but this whole show the video was glitchy and the edits were really rough. Sometimea it would go to the next scene, show a frame of the previous scene, and then continue on.
Despite my problems, maybe it isn't the editing and is a netflix problem, the show was a mixed bag. The dialogue was all over the place, ranging from excellent to I'm skipping through this conversation it's so bad. And that's true for the whole show. The cgi, sometimes I can't tell if the actors are using actual fire or not, and sometimes I can see the lines around the characters against the background.
All that said, I really hope Netflix doesn't drop this and instead takes the criticism into the next seasons. I get the feeling we'll never see another attempt at live action if this doesn't get a second season. And that would be very sad.
one thing charlie pointed out that i kind of notice with EVERY 8 episode netflix adaptation
is that characters are always standing on top of business being chess pieces in the world rather than stopping for a moment and just being goofball characters like they did every now and then in the cartoon.
I notice netflix did this to One Piece and Beebop
Yeah, this was a mixed bag for sure. It’s not terrible, but it could’ve been so much better. I hope that they can do some course correcting if they get seasons 2 and 3. And I want Netflix to give them 10-12 episodes to work with. 8 is nowhere near enough.
That’s probably why they squeezed the secret tunnel into this season. If season 2 does get greenlit with 8 episodes I think they’ll do it in the following order:
1. Avatar State/Swamp
2. Blind Bandit/Zuko Alone
3. The Chase/Bitter Work
4. Library/Desert
5. Serpents Pass/Drill
6. Ba Sing Se/Lake Laogai
7. Earth King/Guru
8. Crossroads of Destiny
Assume some of book 3 will get adapted across this season too.
@@tankdogization It feels like they were almost afraid they wouldn’t get a season 2, so they added in bits from it just in case. And even the fog of lost souls from Korra was stuck in there because…….. same reason, I guess.
@@Zan_JM I think they’ll get a season 2. But they need to ask for more episodes to make sure everything is fleshed out.
@@tankdogization Absolutely. The constraint of working within 8 episodes exacerbated the issues. I personally would like a minimum of 12 episodes to allow for some breathing room to help with the pacing issues.
I love the show, 8.5/10 can’t wait for more
I came away enjoying it too. Agree with everyone that it was far from perfect(particularly wasn't a fan of how they handled Bumi), but I thought they got way more right than they got wrong
1:06 ok now Im constantly pausing to write stuff. ANTOINE you are a Top tier movie reviewer. You would have been at least 1million plus if you did this exclusively. Although I am glad you do more than just that, I think it might be your calling. In 1 minute, I already knew that you are aware of the stigma behind this franchise in regards to it's live action versions. I knew you knew what the exact problems were, and that you were actively watching the show to see if they learned from their predecessors. Bravo Antoine!
I give this season 7.5 / 10.
I loved the first 2 episodes, especially "warriors" Kyoshi battling zhao and his army was my favorite part of the whole show. i felt like i was there and in fear.
I'm actually liked epsidoe 3, while bumi characters is not the same as the original i do like/understand the changes for bumi character in this adaption.
for 100 years this king been dealing with war and he knew his friend was the avatar and he disappeared to not be seen until 100 years afterwards.
in his kingdom where his people are dying, starving, because of this war. For 100 years of the same thing it gets tiring, you have to make tough decisions to keep things afloat.
so when bumi knows it's aang, he's letting all his frustration out while trying to get aang a taste of reality that he NEVER experienced. i actually loved the line "you were gone for 100 years but you NEVER lived for a 100 years" This bumi shows his grieve, but also trying to get aang up to speed about what's to come in this new world.
Zuko was definitely the best characrter of all.
I felt like katara was the weakest unfortunately she isn't showing the values she carried in the show. I hope they fix this in book 2.
Yue being a fox also ruined it for me. There is only ONE bridge between the human and spirit world
I didn’t even realize that kitsune was supposed to be Yue. I assumed it was some random spirit, but a fox/kitsune doesn’t seem like something Yue would take the form of in the spirit world.
I agree. I get they were trying to do a play on the swamp but it endes up weird. I don't really have an issue with her waterbending though. For what she is/becomes, it kinda makes sense that she is in my opinion. I just wish that Katara was the one to heal momo. Yue doing it makes it feel like pointless filler.
Yue had part of the moon spirit's soul in her, so it makes logical sense that she'd be able to visit the spirit world
Much better than I expected, I'm looking forward to season 2.
I enjoyed it! Loved the “MY CABAGES!!” I had forgotten about that 😂😂😂
Your review nailed it. This is exactly how I feel. Some people straight up hate it, and some people love it. Microwave burrito is the perfect analogy. What they did to bumi was so sad. But I did love certain things. The show did have me rooting for it at the end, so I'm willing to watch season 2. They just gotta get their writing together and learn from the mistakes of the first season. Stop telling, and do more showing. And have more fun! I really wanted the characters to let loose. Aang was far too heavy. He needed to grow and learn to enjoy being the avatar a bit. Anyway, thanks for putting my thoughts into words. :)
The trailer was soooo good that I was super disappointed 😔
I hated the way they portrayed Azula
Uh...why?
I know! Mai and Ty Lee, too. They all look 10.
i love the analogy u did with burrito
you took the words straight out of me in this video. But i couldn’t continue to watch it i gave it a chance but a lot of things felt off to me the pacing just felt a little rushed and etc. so imma continue to stick to the animated
Smh Netflix shouldn't make other season if people think it trash it some of us thought it good or great.i dont know why people thought it was going be same as animated series. When they say they want it be like game throne be more serious but add and remove stuff and change it up i give it 8/10 which if they don't take it heart they will make other season if not they will stop but at least we have animated show that come out later when team avatar older but i got feeling people going be mad and trash that to
Agreed. Loved the show. Loved all episodes except the spirit one.
Man you put words to what I was feeling! Thank you! For me, I was quite excited about Omashu and Bumi but it’s the one that couldn’t sit with me. This Bumi can’t single handed free Omashu, this Bumi can’t guide Aang to find the right earth bender
I am glad people liked it bit for me personally, I found middling. In my opinion it is a solid 6 out of 10. I don't think it was bad, but they lost points for pacing, character directions that were a break from character, for what story notes they cut out of their version, and for a instance of hypocracy that they display for certain portrayals. Each of those instances were a -1 which is how I got to 6 out of 10.
That burrito analogy hit hard
5 for me, literally just left me in the middle. Didnt move forward or backwards. Didn't feel like a journey, it felt like Plain Toast. It's not bad, it's edible but you can do much more with it.
It is a mixed bag in the sense that the series was cut short by Netflix for not allowing more episodes across more seasons.
But in my opinion, they achieved the most that they could do.
I just really hope the series is enough of a success to develop more episodes across more seasons.
I think we can all agree that visually everything looks amazing.
The problem is Netflix doesn't seem willing to keep with how the Avatar story was told.
Choosing to mix things around in ways that simply don't make sense.
Given the fact that this is a Series with hour long episode, I can't see this as an issue of time.
So why is Netflix self sabotaging?
You're so right about the mixed bag. It's exactly what I felt. Sometimes it hit and hit so good. The 41st division thing was brilliant. DDK managed to still be so disgusting (but sexy). He saved the awkward storyline. And I'm sadly still simping😢.
But it's interesting that the best episodes were from the original creators. Yet there was talk about them ruining the show.
I definitely wish the writers would have trusted the audience a bit more instead of trying to answer all the questions. I honestly feel like they ruined the southern raiders episode but the reunion between Sokka and Hakoda could be epic. Again, a mixed bag.
I don't see how Zuko and Azula can reconcile especially considering the crossroads of destiny. But I guess we'll see.
5/10 just because the movie exists
Iroh wasn't as powerful, insightful, and compassionate as he was meant
Zuko was too soft. His initial anger didn't shine
Katarra was weird
Bumi was a tire fire
Azula wtf
Truthfully if we weren't comparing the Netflix version of the series to one of the set standards and goals for cartoons then the Netflix adaptation holds up far better. The show by itself wasn't bad, and while I didn't mind certain changes like Yue being a water bender, the expansion upon antagonists like Azula, Ozai, and Zhao, the amazing performance for the actors of Zuko and Iroh, information on the 41st division, and the bending (water bending needs to be ironed out a bit but it was alright).
The show definitely had intermediate expectations. It's definitely better the movie's version of ATLA but would obviously be inferior to the original series. The change in having Aang going for a walk versus running away from his destiny was an interesting change, and while I initially liked it, the series dropped the ball as it felt like the series was trying to beat the lessons of "this is war, take it seriously" to the wrong version of Aang. As you got Kyoshi, Bumi, and others constantly telling him to take things seriously, but he already is.
I also believe I agree that the changes to Katara's character, while interesting ideas, fell a bit flat. Unlike the original where Katara was receiving hidden training to hone her water bending skills, she just sort of popped up as proficient in the art through self study which I wasn't a fan of.
Personally I'd say it's a 6-7/10 for me. It has potential, and while I'm fine with them breaking away from the cartoon in certain ways, they need to have better long term planning for it.
Your report sums up my own impression perfectly. The last time I saw something so ambivalent was Swamp Thing. Everything in the swamp was top notch, but in the hospital I kept asking myself: WTF?!
I enjoyed it a lot and I think it’s super. The acting was spot on and I was genuinely shocked it was only eight episodes because it felt like longer.
I like that it showed that Bumi had been suffering under the stress of being a king.
I like the whole thing where Aang contacted with each of the previous incarnations.
I also like how the 41st division was expanded upon.
The effects were all super and I get that it wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot😊
I hope we get Book 2 and Book 3😊
The Netflix adaptation is a good example of "If it ain't broke don't fix"
Zero expectations going in and exactly it.. EP 5 is where it begins to break after 3/4 start cracking, not adding to characters full journey, and starts ushering in confusion.
Overall I enjoyed it as like you mentioned, it’s really not a total train wreck. It did enough to visually feed my fan geek.
The strongest parts of the show that I liked were Gyatso getting a funeral, Zuko comforting his uncle at his sons funeral, Boomy becoming worn down and getting his child like hope back, and The giant water fish monster. those were the best parts in my opinion or the onse that come to mind after watching the show. I previously watched the 3 seasons of the cartoon before watching this. immedietly after watching the last episode of the anime I watched the first and 2nd episode and its not even close but when it comes to live action remakes weve seen, this is my favourite remake and a season 2 I will look forward to and hope netflix doesnt cancel it like the rest.
I ended up watching it when my brother was watch and I was sooo confused y is there 6 things happening at once that happened in totalling different locations? I stopped thinking
Ill give it a 7 overall; It's good but falls short on some things. Personally I think they should have slowed down on the pacing and the information dump. They introduced certain characters way too early and some lack the backstories and time to feel any significance. The animated series (which is like you said untouchable) made alot of scenes & reveals impact the audience because they took their time and let us get invested into the characters.
I have not really watched Avatar but I kinda remember a few pieces like Bumi & the Water Titan, I was kinda in the in-between during this adaptation, but I heard that people really loved it and I didn't exactly KNOW why. But once I watched this, I thought that it was very good, in fact it made me want to watch the original series in its entirety (mainly to see Toph again, it's been so long ago) and I loved it.
As a person who has never watched the animated version of the show, I didn't have any expectations of how this netflix adaptation was gonna turn out. In my honest opinion, I liked it very much, I really enjoyed the show and I didn't feel bored while watching it.
I can't wait for another season where in Aang master some of the other elements.
This pretty much describes my thoughts. The first two episodes, insane, I was hyped, but when we got to Omashu it just got way too much to follow all of a sudden. Having basically 4 plotlines play out through two episodes it was maybe too much. I think they could've at least separated the freedom fighters from Omashu. The Blue spirit episode was probably the best one and the final two episodes were fit for an ending, although I don't like some of the things they changed.
There were some changes that I was looking at like HUH WHAT?! The biggest one for me was probably Wam Shi Tong appearing. I felt like: 'WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?!?!' But there were some really cool changes like Giatso appearing in the spirit realm or Yue can basically move in the spirit realm.
Overall I'm happy about what we've got and hope it lives at least another season. I think they showed the potential of the show but there were deffinitely things that I didn't like that much and things to improve on.
If I think as an outsider, who steps into this universe first, this is amazing, this is a must watch. As someone who knows the original pretty well it's interesting. I wouldn't say the direction they took was bad, but it's weird after the masterclass the cartoon showed us. This is the other reason why I would love to see at least one season is that what they can make out of this, how can they move forward (aaaand also I want to see how they imagine Toph and Ba Sing Se. And don't forget about how Mei and Ty Lee will fight, how much showtime they'll get).
If you loved the original cartoon: try to look at this live action as a remake, not an adaptation and that way it was way more enjoyable than being a hardcore fan and ciricising everything.
You actually liked the 1st and 2nd episodes!? I thought they were terrible, the first scene has the best action of both episodes and it ultimately didn't progress the story forward. I think the story telling was disjointed and just not good. Bad CGI, weird acting, and just overall not good.
The show itself is okay compared to Shyamalan's school project. But the acting of Aang is terrible. I understand he is a kid, but still, the portrayal lacks authenticity. They depict him as always crying, endlessly talking about friends, and appearing powerless. His inability to fight and manipulate water as expected is disappointing. It feels like Katara is the main character, and the show should be titled "Katara: The Last Northern Waterbender." Aang's character lacks development; he faces the same issues repeatedly without growth. Removing Aang from the show wouldn't alter its essence.
Azula is portrayed as a common teenager rather than the brave, calculated character she is in the original. There's a lack of confidence and strategic plotting, undermining her complexity.
While other changes from the source material are acceptable as adaptations, the omission of the love and connection between Aang and Katara is glaring. Their warm moments and sibling-like bond are absent. The Cave of Two Lovers, Katara's mentorship of Aang, all gone. Katara's sudden declaration of needing Aang and their familial bond feels forced.
Poor Bumi was butchered, instead of being mad genius that guides Aang and teaches him to think different, he is just old, depressed and self-destructive. He is not wise (God forbid man to be wise nowadays), he is just angry grumpy old man, like your neighbor across the street.
There's a lack of connection between the Avatar and other characters as well. They are merely shadowed to give more screen time to secondary characters. While exploring other characters is intriguing, not at the expense of the main hero. Overall, a 6/10. The spoonfeeding of morals and sidelining of the main hero are disappointing
@invirinch3339 Please be consistent with your thoughts and try to think before answering to comment.
You can't explain good acting to someone, if you like rotten bread I can't explain to you why its not good.
Katara gets more development than Aang, almost every character gets more development than Aang. The only time he is on screen, he is either in trouble, crying or saying "Monks used to say". Getting powerup is exactly the "THE MAIN PLOT". He learns different bendings and through that learns what does it mean to be an Avatar.
He took responsibility in anime right away he wasn't coward and baby like in a show. In the show he needed 3 different Avatar him to say that he should take responsibility. And in the final episode he turns himself in the giant blue fish. Really good development of character.
It turned out better than I expected. But I truly set the lowest bar possible. I believe that helped me to enjoy it more than to seek nuances and moments of dissatisfaction. The only thing that wasn't truly a feast to my eye was how mediocre Azula and her besties looked in the show out of all cast. I mean... it isn't the actor's fault, but it was a miscast. I didn't catch the vibe of Azula at all. Though I believe if you look closely to the first season you'll be able to find so much more of the weird things. Like Aang not even trying to bend water or else.
5-6/10 if I’m being generous
Your burrito analogy was pretty spot on though
Agreed totally.
I also feel like 10 or 11 episodes would have been better to fit in more of what was missing. They needed more downtime, more Aang and Katara training together. Them just hanging out and camping around a campfire add a bit more whimsy.
The pace was definitely very rushed. Fix some of the flat dialogue,
Hopefully with all the criticism coming out they will be able to improve on what's being expressed by fans.
Lol, it's really interesting how I agreed with pretty much everything you said except which episodes I thought were good. I thought 1-2 were by far the worst due to the massive unnecessary repeated exposition dumps and that 3-5 were my favourite due to the combining of the various plots (thought not all of it was perfectly fitting by far). Spirit World was butchered though, I only liked the Gyatso scene.
i cant decide if its bad acting or bad director
Bad writing imo
well said that's exactly also my thoughts. something felt of after on the episode 3 and as the episodes go on especially koh, spirit world etc. the changes was drastic and it might been felt off for me at tht time. but yeah, there is also a good point they comes with like zuko flashback n gyatso but still can't replace my fav animated series
I really loved the Zuko and Iroh plots and I found it interesting that they went for a darker, grittier theme.
The biggest problem in the show for me, is that the writers never let the characters have FUN. The core aspect of Aang's character is his joy in being alive and his curiosity towards the world; in the original, his excitement at everything and his playing and being a kid (penguin sledding, riding the stone carts in Omashu etc) are what make you fall in love with his character. Not only that, but it makes the world feel real and beautiful and makes you really feel how the world has suffered due to war in comparison.
In this remake, I think Gordon does a great job of giving Aang that spark of life, but he's thrown around from fight scene to emotional conflict to self doubt to straight up being harrassed. And it's the same with the other characters - we don't get to see any of the Gaang just straight up having fun, and to me it's a huge loss.
6.5/10 A jumbling mess of 4 or sometimes 5 animated episodes plots into one live action episode was just confusing. mixed with some poor writing in these episodes just made it worse.
I feel like some things they did SO well and it was so satisfying, some were copy paste and some were additions or remix but it just worked and I didn’t mind the changes. However some things they changed for what seemed like no reason and they just didn’t hit right or make any sense. Like why add Kuruk’s dagger detail or Katara and Sokka coming to the spirit world with Aang when Hei Bei could have taken both if they just didn’t want to leave Katara stranded.
I’ve watched the first 2 episodes so maybe I need to watch all 8 to give a better review. However from what I’ve seen so far is how dull all the characters are emotionally. Aang has no joy, Zuko isn’t really filled with rage, sokka isn’t arrogantly confident. This is more so down to the writing though.