The scene of Lu Ten's funeral makes me tear up every time, Iroh sits alone in mourning, his own brother gives him hollow platitudes and then just leaves. But Zuko comforts him, shares a memory of what a good person Lu Ten had been, and then sits down to share in his mourning so he won't be alone. You see all you need to see to understand why Iroh loves his nephew and will do anything for him.
i feel that scene is unearned because there's no character development that happened in the past 3 episodes. it's more effective if they put it back in season 2. maybe it's heartfelt because fans know the story.
Honestly. Cried my effing eyes out when I saw the funeral scene. Leaves of the vine started playing and I was sobbing 😭😭 also fun fact if you re watch and look at the photo of Irohs son it's the same picture from the anime and if you look in zukos notebook the avatars are literally the ones from the anime.
Fun fact, that was the original Cabbage Merchant reprising his role. I knew about him being in this a couple weeks ago when he appeared on one of the episode reactions series of who voiced Toph. He even made cookies made with cabbages to share with her to honor his character. He is a really charismatic guy!
Tbh I'm glad of the change between familial love than romantic. Aang's actor is still really young and they haven't really established a crush on Katara yet. It makes sense in this season that he is still working through his loss and responsibility and hasn't really thought of things like romantic feelings. It will come in time I am sure. I agree, Katara's actress is the weakest actor, I hope she grows in the coming seasons, because we need that emotional depth from her. In regards to Zuko and Iroh. Omg it's a stab through the heart to see their relationship and how it's been developing through the years. I love their scenes so much. Zuko's actor adds so much nuance to his scenes it's so wonderful to see.
@@aubryellaotero1064 you're being completely unreasonable, lol. what difference does it make except whether it happens in season one or two? it could have easily happened in season one in the cartoon. it's a bunch of hippies with a silly song.
You're absolutely right about comparison leading to disappointment. From everything I've read online people who have never seen the original show love this show a ton. People who have seen the original are less enthusiastic because they can't help but to compare.
the decisions they made ruined the characters so much. it’s not about comparison. they changed things that were integral to the plot and characters just for action and drama. it’s disrespectful to the original creators, no wonder they left
Bumi is such a difficult character to write into live form, you can't just make him like in the original show because he's way more cartoony then even Sokka, and it would look out of place. I think the writers did the right thing by leaning more on making Bumi a scared old man, and now with Aang back Bumi will start to turn into the character that we know from the original show. I think that's how you have to think about a lot of the live show, it's a set up for season 2 to have much more emotional weight. In the original show so much happens in season 2, including introducing Mai and Ty Lee, Toph, The Library, The Secret Tunnel, and a ton of character development, so it makes sense to get some of it out of the way in season 1, so you don't have to introduce as many characters in season 2 and you leave more room for relationships to grow naturally.
I liked how they combined different plot lines into one place - Omashu, the only real problem with these episodes I have is dialogues and how little time Aang spends with his team😐
YES! Thank you! I really have a problem with how little time Aang spends with Sokka and Katara. It is so sad. Their friendship is one of the best things about the cartoon. The team is the heart of the show and I don't feel like we're getting that in the adaptation. I don't feel their friendship.
I think Bumi's anger is justifiable. He lived without his friend for 100 years. He must have felt alone. Aang knows he didn't abandon anyone but other people don't know that. They have only seen the effect of war for 100 years. It makes sense that people are mad at Aang. Also, in real life if we are mad at our friends or family. We don't stay mad for long time. When Aang said he is gonna save the world with the help of his friends, it wasn't a sudden change of heart out of nowhere for Bumi. More like he realized what Aang said made sense because I bet in those 100 years Bumi wished that Aang was there to help him. Bumi probably wanted his friend to help save Omashu (if not the world).
I absolutely agree. It's easy to forget in the animated show over Bumi's craziness. He lived through 100 years of war after Aang disappeared instead of becoming the savior back then. I'm glad that Cocoa Couch realised this in the discussion in the end.
I'm with you on that. The first time through I wasn't happy with Bumi. I initially thought he was playing a trick on Aang because I was so surprised. But after watching it a second time, I understood that this is exactly how someone would react if they had been thrust into a war at 12 years old and had been fighting the same war for 100 years. All of that death and destruction will weigh on a person. If you look at it from that perspective, he actually showed restraint.
yet in the original show Bumi was wise enough to understand, that mocking Aang is not a good thing to do, give him a hard lesson and show full support is, bc Aand is literally their last and only chance. And this character is one of the ground reasons why this live action is a joke, they did not understand the character, they changed the very ground of him, and this mistake is similar with every single one of other characters in the show. I'm really sorry if you find it a good thing, because it's not. What this live action can do better with already nearly perfected character development and writing? Live action only have 2 interesting characters, and it's Zuko and Iroh, that's it, and only bc those two are closest to their animated versions with pretty good acting. I can spend nearly an hour explaining why and where and how exactly they missed the very base and idea of this show, if only it would change the live action itself for the better... I'm sorry, but this Live action is missing the very idea of original, they are not improving anything, they butcher the very ground of almost every character, and doing some unnecessary changes just to make some changes. the writing is shit, character's development lost, and that's sad AF. Bumi is just sad here, there is nothing, that can justify this. I'm not against changes in live action, but this is not what I want to see, it is poor writing and missed timings on characters and their development, that's sad, and I don't have anything to say anymore, I disappointed with the result I'm not native, so I hope I did not butcher any names, but yea
@@tomoe2824 You have some valid points. When I watched the show, I didn't compare it to the original series. I watched it as a new show. I understand they had to make changes in order to condense everything into 8 episodes. I'm sorry you're disappointed, but I enjoyed it the moment I stopped comparing it to the original because it is nearly impossible to replicate the original into live action perfectly. I am glad to see some of the scenes that we never got to see in the original series.
47:21 Totally agree, and I've seen lots of people agree with it, too. I've heard a suggestion that she might've been toned down because they were scared of her being emotional being sexist?? As if they didn't watch the original and didn't know that Katara's portrayal is one of the best portrayals of a female character
I totally feel the same. The first two episodes were great, then these two were a struggle for me. Katara is definitely way too subdued, and the writing and dialogue is quite cringy at times, but I am really enjoying the moments where they expand upon Zuko and Iroh's relationship, and the effects of the war, and Aang and Gyatso's relationship.
Honestly this version of Bumi is quite realistic, just like the rest of the show. It truly shows how the 100 years of war can affect you and tbh, if i had a friend who was the avatar and disappeared then i had to live through all of that I would be pretty pissed off too. We know, as the audience, that Aang is back and it's trying to fix everything but it doesn't erase all of what Bumi saw and lived
But honestly, no matter what my life would have been like in the last hundred years: I would have been so happy if my friend, who I thought was lost, had suddenly appeared again. Especially in such dark times. Of course you can argue. You can shout and accuse each other, ask questions. But the fact that Bumi only attacks Aang and doesn't even give him the chance to explain himself gives me the feeling that he doesn't have the same wisdom or the same heart as in the cartoon. Personally, I think that's really sad and I'm a bit sceptical about the possible developments. Especially when we think of the white lotus.
@@kebekblood yeah but you have to understand, in their eyes HE DID run away. They don't know he was just going for a quick fly, literally no one knows that but Aang and Appa lol
@nunugirlswag109 I disagree. I think Bumi was the only one who was upset with Aang and showed it in an extreme way. Also he wasn't even in the war by the time Aang showed up. It makes sense that Bumi was upset. But it doesn't make sense to be extreme and play games with Aang. It's just really immature because Bumi is an adult and his anger is his own to carry. It's a shame his character in the show couldn't realize that it's just a waste of time letting out his anger on Aang when main priority is getting Aang prepared to save the world. Not make him feel guilty the entire time.
The way they wrote 3-4 is definitely creative and different but it was far from bad. I think this makes for a cohesive flow especially since most people binged the series anyway. 8 episodes was surprisingly enough because the writers did their best. It wouldve been pretty sweet to have 10 episodes tho, with 2 of those being filler but I am not complaining that much tbh. Cant wait for season 2 (crossing my fingers)
That is one of the few changes I hope they make for season 2. Despite almost having the same runtime, the live show still ended up feeling a bit rushed.
My main issue with this season is that there's a lot of blatant character work happening. Characters just blurt out all their feelings and motivations rather than just act and let the audience figure out who they are. Which is kinda embarassing cause it's essentially the first rule of writing.. show don't tell. But there's so much that's done right as well. Here's hoping to a season two that can take what works and improve what isn't working.
While I didn't find him perfect, necessarily, my thoughts when I first saw him were "Yup, as someone who was a 14-year-old girl once, I absolutely can forgive Katara for falling for his bs!" 😂
It’s funny that you got that it was Jet but didn’t realize that was Azula because I recognized Azula straightaway but didn’t recognize Jet despite Katara’s obvious attraction to him. (And, yes, I facepalmed (for not recognizing Jet) so hard I might as well be OG Sokka after the Cave of Two Lovers. 🤦♀️) Edit: I also loved the addition of Lu Ten’s funeral. That was such a beautiful moment between Zuko and Iroh. I’m pretty sure Albert Kim is Fire Nation because it seems like the Fire Nation has some of the best scenes, if not most of them.
Excellent reaction! Really loved how we still got the cabbage man and we got a first glimpse of Azula! I think what was great about this episode was that it really shows how the war had affected everyone from different sides. Bumi was forced to grow up and make hard decisions and didn’t have Aang there to consult with let alone confide in which made him feel abandoned. Iroh had lost loved ones as well as he was forced to take other people loved ones against his reluctance. Also I did agree how you said that they are doing everything from a different perspective yet still keeping to the spirit of the original animated series! 👑🐲🪨🔥💨💧🥬💚❤️💛💙
I think you read Boomie wong. Boomie lived through 100 years of War, where he had to diced who is going to die and who is going to live basically daily. He is burned out emotionally. And than all of the sudden, the Avatar, the savior of the world arrives... and is still a 12 year old child, that seemingly hasn't grasp the seriousness of the situation.
I think the problem comes from the fact that Bumi let his anger out on Aang. When he should have just carried it on his own. Aang isn't a punching bag. His job isn't to carry Bumi's anger. His job is to prepare to end the war and defeat Ozai. Not play mind games.
@@ebduleszary3528 But the animated show is irrelevant to the point I was trying to make in my original comment. If you want to talk about the animated show, we can. 😂
The reason I like Bumi in this is that this isn't just any war. The original show has refugees, dead relatives, people turning to the wrong side (Jet) but only Bumi has been around to see the entire war. for 100 years. That's a long, long time. The Avatar's absence is a big deal most of the time because they are meant to be the One And Only and the world really does need the Avatar, and Bumi doesn't know that Aang was frozen in ice. He might've been a bit harsh but I think it's believable that he would be hopeless. Also the actor playing him was really solid.
In the animated show, Bumi knew since Aang was presented to him after the little cabbage incident that it was his old friend. But he just kept playing with them. The chicken he send was just to push him to show his airbending to everyone in the room, reason why he added that Aang was the avatar instead of just saying he was an airbender. The Bumi we have here feels more human, he bears all these years of war and his sadness. It'll be controversial but as much as his animated version is funny and one of the best characters ever, the live version feels more realistic, you can feel his emotions, he's not just fun and games. Also, Azula training with the Yuyan archers? That would mean that these archers aren't non benders only, which is great!
The thing with Bumi is he's hurt cause he thought Aang abandoned him when he needed him the most, he was crying while fighting Aang, he's trying to show him the hard truth of war where sometimes you have to make hard choices.
You can hear leaves of the vine playing a couple of times in episode 4. If you listen closely, the first time is when Aang and Iroh are in neighboring cells and conversing. So sad
Am I the only one who noticed how often when they should say the 'fire nation people', 'the earth kingdom people ' they say benders instead, as if non-benders don't exist?
They don't specify 'benders' as often in the original, that's why I noticed it right away here, the first line I noticed and remembered was in ep.2 when Kyoshi was warning Aang that another nation of benders is going to be wiped out, doesn't it sound off?
They lost me with those two episodes lol. The Zuko-Iroh moments were the only saving grace for me. They tried to put way too many story arcs from the original show and I just wasn't feeling most of the changes. I watched the entire season, still, but yeah. CHOP!
As someone who loved every second of this adaptation, I appreciate SO much that you kept the positivity while also working through your disappointment. I think it's hard when we have the full 3 seasons of the OG show to look at and then we have to take this version one episode at a time and wait for things to come together, but overall it's a beautiful season and the writers really did something amazing with just 8 episodes.
I completely agree with your point at 49:53, because this has been bugging me too. I feel like they should have thought Aang got killed with the other air nomads... I don't get why they are all so bitter when it appeared that the Air Nation got attacked the same day Aang left. It'd make more sense if the attack occurred later and they showed the air nomads out looking for Aang and word spreading that he "ran away".
I actually really like the change to Bumi’s character, it feels much more realistic that a child had to go through war for years, becoming a leader and having the bear the brunt of it all, knowing that his best friend could’ve saved them but he disappeared and left everyone else to suffer. It feels much more realistic and it feels soooo much more satisfying when he comes to a realisation that Aang wasn’t a coward he was just a kid too
Hi there! Are you posting the reaction for the last four episodes? I’d love to hear your take on them! EDIT: In my opinion, episodes 5 and 6 are the best in the TV show, and the finale is just *chef's kiss*, these two you've just reacted to were the lowest points in the show, with episode 4 slightly worse than episode 3 - Bumi is such an awesome character, a mad genius, and we (as fans) only got disappointment from his portrait in the show😢
You are definitely not alone in the love for Dallas/Zuko and Paul/Iroh. I freaking lost it and ugly cried during that funeral scene and then again at the end when he says nothing about Appa. Despite it's flaws thus far, I would watch a season 2 purely for them. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is a given, I mean, come on. But Dallas Liu, as early into it as he is, I think has an amazing career ahead of him. He's just so darn good at projecting things with his expression even when he's not saying any lines. I can't wait for you to get to 6, my favorite out of the season. Everyone has already talked you to death over Bumi, so I won't go into it too much. I get his change is very divisive. What I will say is that I've seen an equal number of blind reactors to the animated show who are utterly put off by his attitude as there are those that completely loved him, and literally nothing in the middle, so at least it's consistent that way? Also that my dude has literally been having the weight of Omashu's citizens on his shoulders through 100 years of war, and while I get his dialogue was not the best written stuff in the world, would you really say "oh just get over it" to an actual war veteran with that kind of trauma? That's really the only part of your commentary that rubbed me a little bit the wrong way. Anything else I didn't agree with, I can agree to disagree, honest. But speaking of agreeing, yes, Kiawentiio's Katara falls kind of flat for me. How much of that is her and how much of it is behind the camera is hard to say. There's definitely a lot of clunky writing that I can't attribute to just the actors' delivery. Which is sad, because from a directional standpoint, I see a lot of what they're trying to lay down and the seeds for plot that they're planting, but the execution is just not always there when it gets to whoever is doing dialogue. It's really my main negative when talking about the live action. I have some faith that what people don't necessarily like now will pay off if we manage to get more seasons, so I am doing my best to keep an open mind. Jones Vibes I think helped put it into perspective when talking about how the live action isn't necessarily going for the same 3 season structure as the animated show, so I hope that if we do get more, that it grows into itself some more. Going forward as you keep watching (assuming you haven't already finished behind the scenes) the theme I think you should keep in mind is "regaining hope." Weirdly enough, I think the live action is at it's worst when it's trying to 1:1 the animated series, so I'm still interested in the different directions it will take. A remix and not a remake, if you will, like discovering a cover of a song that is so different you end up loving it for totally unrelated reasons. And if I'm wrong, well, I will happily insert my foot into my mouth on my own 😘
kiawentiio is still a pretty new actress! this is like her fourth out fifth role i believe! she was great in anne with an e. i see her improving a lot in the future!
I highly doubt they are going to have any hints or references to a possible Aang/Katara relationship. Right now, Aang's actor is 14 and Katara's is almost 18. It would be a sticky situation, both morally and legally, to have them kiss on screen. Having hints of Kataang would lead to even more backlash when it doesn't happen.
Im really not fond of how they wrote Bumi in this. Him being an angrier version is fine, as it allows for a more retroflective look at the impact of not having the Avatar around, but the aggression is so out of character to me. When his kookiness was a way of teaching Aang how to look for new approaches to things, here the writers just discarded that aspect in favour of making him an antagonistic force who needs to be taught a lesson. Its so backwards.
Thank you for your positivity and wearing your heart on your sleeve letting Leaves from the Vine emotionally touch you so. That’s the sign of a beautiful soul ❤😍
I always love how insightful your reactions are. Also I think this live action is "okay" as someone who's a fan of the original, but can treat this as a separate series, as should be done with any adaptation. I hope you don't feel too pressured to avoid talking about your dislikes with this show, as I like hearing your own input and thoughts! I agree with what you're saying so far, I think some of the acting falls flat and I have a hard time getting past all the exposition.
Something that I liked about the series is that we can see the aftermath of the war, the difficult decisions that Bumi has to make, the sad story of the earth soldier and the loss of his brother, and what Lu Ten's death meant for him. Iroh, you can feel how no matter who is the good or bad guy in the story, both sides lose children, brothers, fathers, mothers, in short, irreparable losses.
Also i didnt like what they did to bumi AT FIRST but then i did when i realised hes a bitter old man without friends anymore and aang didnt just abandon the world he abandoned him. Also fun fact the cabage guy is the same as the one who played him in the anime.
This could make sense but Aang didn't abandon anyone in this show, it was an accident, he even was on his way home🙂 that's why this guilt tripping from Bumi doesn't work for me
@@sunnygrassx216I wouldn’t want to hear any of that bs if I was his friend and had to live like that for 100 years. Got to live in peace while Bumi went through hell
@@AkaeusAang and the viewers, that's why I am saying it doesn't exactly work from the writing pov, they should've just kept Aang really running away then
I think that you might have missed some of the subtext from Bumi's rants at Aang. I don't think that Bumi was angry at Aang for getting trapped in an iceberg, but because his absence caused so much death and destruction, regardless of how that absence occurred. Those impossible choices Bumi kept talking about, they were him having to decide which group got to live and who died. Do you feed the soldiers who are defending the city or do you feed the orphans who are just children, but can't help defend the city for many years? He probably had to feed the soldiers and the children died. He has to live with those deaths on his conscience, along with thousands of others who died because of his decisions. Decisions that he wouldn't have had to make if Aang had been there. At least, that's how Bumi feels about it. His turnaround might have seemed a bit sudden, but Bumi had no hope and thought that he only had more years of people dying because of him ahead of him. Aang showed him that Aang was actually going to try to end the war. He gave Bumi hope again. That's what caused the turnaround.
Didn’t miss anything his annoyance was warranted I just thought it was childish considering Aang was making it very clear the whole time he was prepared to change the world now he was back.
I feel like watching it in that order is more bad than good like for example the iron funeral scene hits harder especially because of the background music that plays which you wouldn't understand the meaning of that background music without the animated series
@@suhailraja7797 it's certainly possible that I am not getting everything that others who have seen it are. But once I watch the animated series I can rewatch this or gain a better view into this.
I'm a big fan of the show and I think that Sokka was perfect in this, as well as Zuko (and Ozai). Aang and Iroh are good but yeah, Katara was really flat. She didn't have much presence, like the Katara from the cartoon, and her whole character just ended up meh. Also the cabbage guy was the same person who voiced the character in the cartoon, which is really cool! He's awesome. I just wish they would've done more episodes because 8 wasn't nearly enough. I enjoy watching your reaction more than watching the series on my own lol
Overall most of the changes in the show don’t bother me too much, and in a lot of instances I think they did an excellent job adding depth and expanding on some elements in the original. The two things that do bother me are Katara and Zuko. In both instances I think they lifted up the siblings by transferring character complexity and depth to Azula and Sokka to the detriment of Zuko and Katara. I love how they are fleshing out Azula and Ozai. Azula is instantly a more sympathetic character in this show. Unfortunately they sacrifice some of Zuko's sympathetic traits by making his main motivation his "rightful place on the throne" rather than emphasizing his need for love and acceptance from his father. In a similar vein, I think they have spent a lot of time giving Sokka additional depth, but stole that away from Katara. Hopefully they build her up and give her more passion next season.
20:02 yea I thought that too.. to me, my favorite is episode 1,2 and 6, the rest is not bad but it's pretty good.., but overall it is entertaining and I like it
People tend to underestimate the amount of exposition in the caroon and overestimate the cartoons handling of the mature themes. The cartoon was for 7 year olds, so there was a lot of exposition, but it wasn't as detailed and it could only imply and vaguely cover the more mature themes of war and its effects on people because it was a kids show. This show can show those things the cartoon can not and that of course is why it is darker.
We already have many stories that show that. Avatar the last air bender was good because they were making the war and genocide across in a child friendly way. The humour mixed with the reality of war was the point. It set it apart from other war shows. It also allowed the deeper meanings and themes to come out because you weren’t having act packed and or heavy emotions only scenes. It loses the appeal when you make the story darker. I can watch that anytime I can’t see a dark story with a light hearted flow anywhere but in avatar last air bender.
It couldn't go deeper precisely because it was a kids show. It seemed like it did, but it didn't. War is not light hearted and people die. Those things that a cartoon for children couldn't delve into unless it was vague and only implied death. Also, the cartoon did not actually portray war and suffering except superficially. That's the nature of the medium used - kids cartoon. This show, because it isn't a cartoon and it is made for an older audience, can show that which the original could only tell.
I had a very similar reaction to Bumi's new persona. While I can see how Bumi could turn into a bitter old man tired of war and raging against the person who 'could have stopped it' it never hit right because the Live action also changed Aang's story from a run away to a kid trying to grow up fast. If they had kept Aang on his original story arc and had him trying to desparately avoid his responsibilities as an Avatar I think this version of Bumi would have been a real hard hitting episode where Aang gets a really personal experience with the effects of the war and how it changed his friend. Nothing with Bumi's arc, in my mind, is an actual issue with Bumi, the issue is that the story the Directors are telling are at odds with how Aang and Bumi resolved Bumi's justafiable resentment, even if its misplaced. It would have been fantastic to have to watch Bumi and Aang rationalize the others perspectives and come to an understanding. After their resolution Aang could ask if he would teach him earthbending and Bumi could then pave the way for Toph. The episode feels like a flop for me because I felt no real payouff for Bumi or Aang; Aangs perspective on the war never changed, Aang didn't really learn anything usefull from Bumi except that his friend has been wallowing for the better part of 70 years (I say 70 becuse no way bumi was king as soon as the air nomads were killed). And quite frankly, while we all know that the war has gone on for 100 years, Omashu doesn't look like a devistated or recovering city. It doesn't feel like the city has been under seige or having supply lines cut, things that would put stress on Bumi as King - They didn't show us a Kingdom of a jaded king, they showed us a thriving market, a strong defensive guard, developing infrastructure - all of which make Bumi's festering resentment ring hollow. And look, I get it, before you come in the comments I know in a 100 years that the city could have been attacked, they withstood the seige, and have since recovered. All True. but Bumi is making it out like he's had to make the sort of impossible choices hes giving to Aang every day since the battle began. I'm just looking for the show not tell, have a bit of dialoge from the guards that supplies are running low so their happy for any produce that enters, expand the cabbage slug dialogue to explain that they wont get another shipment for months and cant risk pests; have beggars on the streets looking for bread and shelter in between the shop stalls. Anything! plus the state of a struggling city would have paired beautifully with a mad king dressed in finary, the freedomfighters misguided desire to help those less fortunate with bombs etc.
9:24 I know theres a lot peole nitpicking this show for shitty reasons (like the changes, I don't mind those, the message is still there) but the ONE THING that I do believe is a real problem is the delivery of some lines. TOO.MUCH.EXPOSITION!! We're not dumb, some things go without being said explicitly to our face...
To be honest, I don't really vibe with Katara-Aang's 'romantic' love from the OG. I kinda like, brushed it off try to forget about it. I mean, it's okay if they fell in love later when they grew up. But that's just me. The live-action decision to make the love is between siblings probably because they have so few episodes to build Katara and Aang romantic love in such a short time before this episode, and won't be paid off until the season finale. But I'm not here nor there though. I kinda accept both approaches.
While the Iroh/Zuko flashbacks were nice, I hated how they happened so early on. Felt like they're in a rush to show everyone's true character which takes away a lot of the suspense for new watchers and cheapens some of the emotion that would have been there if these scenes happened after getting to know the characters better.
You're gonna notice a lot of the characters are blaming Aang, a twelve-year-old boy, for running away. Logic. Sorry, I wouldn't call Bumi a friend after that. A 112 year old man Angrily demanding Aang to explain himself for something he couldn't control in the past and even now. Avatar state that is. In the other show at least he confessed that he likes to mess with people like a form of entertainment to a bored king. 45:36 That was Irrational anger. A productive person would be "OK you're here and now. We still have a chance." If anything shock, hope, heck even desperation to get his old friend going should have been his motivation.
To be honest, "meh" is one of the expressions that came to my mind the most while watching the show. I liked the first few episodes and I don't have a problem with changes in general. But for me the changes have to make sense and "feel right", if that's understandable. Sometimes I didn't get that feeling while watching. I think that's mostly because I didn't really liked the writing. There are so many problems with it (in my opinion). The bad dialogue, the fact that there are so many "in your face moments" instead of using "show don't tell", the simple way in which many things are done. I also didn't like Katara in the show. It feels like she is more of an empty shell than anything else. I don't want to blame the actress, maybe it's the writing too. To be honest, the show didn't hit me in the feelings like it should have. And I'm a bit disappointed because the scene with Iroh and Zuko shows us that it could have been different. But as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if that scene really hit me because of the show's storytelling, or just because of my knowledge of the original. Hm. I don't know what to think. In the end, I feel like so much more could have been done. We will see what comes if we get another season. By the way I don't want to talk shit about the show, these are just my thoughts and opinions. I'm happy for everyone who loves it.
Out of everything they changed, the one thing I totally LOATHED was what they did to Bumi. /frown . The funeral scene and some stuff in future episodes are AMAZING updates to the lore. I find it ironic the most meaningful changes to the story focus on the Fire Nation! BTW, dunno if you take requests but I would HIGHLY recommend One Piece after finishing this up. That's a stellar example of deviating from the source material and making it even better. Somehow, they condense 45-50 episodes of the anime into 8 meaningful hours --- you'll laugh, you'll cry.
I actually love what they did with Bumi....Bumi in the original was a very one-dimensional, flat, cliche character....An entertaining one, especially for an animated series...But one that would look completely out of place in Live Action... Bumi in this one if far more natural....A naive little kid who, unlike Aang, lived through those one hundred years of war, with the responsabilities of a King resting on his shoulders, crushing him day by day, while he had to deal with it alone, feeling there is no one left to rely on... Until he grew into a bitter old man with a damaged psyche, who has completely lost all hope and will to live, and who learned the wrong lessons in life....
While I would have loved a more light hearted Bumi, I think your assessment is correct. And it fits with the overall darker tone of the series. I liked it a lot.
@@MusikCassette As much as love the animated series - Bumi in the original was a one-trait trope of a "Goofy but wise" character..like Yoda or Oogway, but more of a goofball....He didn't have a lot of character beyond that, not to mention he did not have a backstory or an arc.... He was a cool, funny character, but he had no depth
At first, I was sooooo not okay with the major plot changes they made in these episodes. However, I remembered your words of wiping the slate clean and allowing the story to be what they made it this time around and actually ended up really enjoying them! I am curious too, though, about how they’ll keep up with the story and making changes due to the ones made in these episodes!
I'm months late, I know, but I wanted to say that I wholeheartedly agree about Katara. I appreciate the show for what it was-I think they made some stellar choices that respect the source material while not being a carbon copy, but the one character I think that they didn't nail was Katara. They made everyone much more human and took away a lot of the cartoony aspects, which, as a live-action is necessary. However, they took someone who was the emotional heart of the original series and stripped away her emotion. It felt like they took fan criticism of the original (the overly critical, as we see in Ember Island Players) that Katara is "weepy" and "preachy" and nothing else, and told the actress to be Everygirl Watertribe rather than Katara Effing Baddie. You said it in reactions to the original, that Katara is the heart of the group, the sort of representative of the group's more extreme emotions because each character is meant to be a particular representative. She's the one who acts with her heart, not her head, and in this adaptation, while she does still do that, we don't see her heart on her sleeve. They pulled that awful crime of "tell, not show," because they tell us that Katara has emotional stuff going on, but they never let her HAVE that to play on. They did her dirty by not letting the actress have anything. Even if she didn't cry or do a speech or anything, they truly could have given the actress a moment to tear up or touch her necklace or ANYthing that might have suggested more than the smile she tends to wear.
17:04 I liked the actor of Jet, too, but I couldn't take Jet seriously here because he reminded me so much of Ted from "Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure"... xD
People are forgetting how bumi was comparable to iroh in terms of his wisdom and way of seeing the world, both have experienced tragedy and became masters of their craft. Bumi wasn't just a king, he was a mad genius, and that's what kept him optimistic. This bumi was just.. depressing.
I love your reactions and love how much fun you're having with the show, but I really hate what they dis to the show, like why they made Azula so insecure
I'm really glad you're honest about this and not just fanboying like people did for One Piece. This show isn't great. It has its moments, but it's too melodramatic and soap opera-y. You're right about Katara. She's awful. I actually don't like Iroh very much either. I can feel him playing a character, while i just see Zuko and Zhao as real people.
the only reason I continued watching this show after episode 3 was because I wanted to watch your reaction lol 😅 for me it was quite unbearable to watch, there's good moments in the show, but the overall feel was just not very engaging to me? I even fast forwarded several parts to finish an episode. I guess I have a hard time seperating it from the original, but also the way they did Katara was so dirty to me like where is her character? 😭
I have watched the entire series now, and there isn't a change in this, that I don't like. It is different, but it wouldn't have any right to exist, if it's just a 1to1 copy.
The spirit world episode was a bit strange. But then again it was too in the original series. In both cases the reason to see Roku was, well shoehorned in a bit.
@@tracim3080 What's *the* point of the original according to you? Because to me it had *many* points and *many* where covered by this adaptation. At least by this point
I just don't get why Bumi was so mad at Aang like that? Bumi would've thought that Aang would've been murdered a long time ago? Why is he mad at him for having survived? How did he even know Aang was the avatar? Aang didn't exactly have time to go visit the Earth Kingdom and tell him before he froze. If he'd heard about the avatar being back, then seeing that AANG was the Avatar (and ALIVE) should've really surprised him, right?
IF Aang tried joking around and diminished the war, I would be more open to Bumi acting like this. The way it is now... it just feels like they completely misunderstood his character and his role in Aang's journey. In the first season, Bumi taught him that things in the world are serious, he needs to think outside the box, and he needs his friends' support. Here, he guilt tripped Aang (who already felt bad) and Aang had to teach HIM the importance of friendship. Bumi did not help him here, if anything, he became another "task" for him on the way North.
There were two specific changes to this show from the original that I can point to that I didn’t like. One of them was Bumi feeling a bit too harsh on Aang, the other is in a later episode. But my overall enjoyment of the live-action and the changes they made that I DID enjoy outweigh the things I didn’t like. Plus, I saw someone point out that it was almost like they were combining Bumi’s character with the fisherman from The Storm, which made it a little easier for me to accept the more cynical Bumi. As for changes I do really enjoy, most of them are in later episodes so I can’t talk about them yet (one of them fixes one of my very few minor nit-picks of the original series) but one I can point to is that I love that we get to see a bit more of WHY Azula is the way she is. The original show always had that implication that she took after Ozai and was also just a victim of his “parenting” in a different way than Zuko was. But here we get to SEE it. She’s not just daddy’s little monster, he MADE her that way.
17:20 Uh Aang, you can "FLY." I'm pretty sure you'll get there faster. Especially if this is an emergency. I mean, I get it if you're trying to stay undercover, but lives are on the line here. 41:12 By feeling? Or feelings?That's not the same thing. Look I'm trying to be logical here. I don't want to compare the two shows either but I could buy the musical instrument thing more because it's an unfamiliar sound to something that's blind. Grabbing your sister's hand because you're cornered shouldn't stop the animal from charging 42:38 If Bumi wasn't an earthbender I would have called him Suicidal right there. 😨
3 and 4 were the hardest episodes for me. They aren't BAD but they aren't my favorite. It took a second viewing to appreciate them more. Not a fan of combining the multiple storylines, honestly.
Seeing Danny Pudi as Sai, makes me think you might enjoy watching Community, if you haven't seen it yet. One of my top comedy TV shows, personally. I think the 3rd episode is my least favorite from the series. It's the one where it really felt like too many plot points were mashed together. For what it's trying to do, I found it impressive that they get the subject points through in a way that does work cohesively. But you can just feel how it was forced together. I think it just gets better from here on out.
50:20 THAT'S what I've been saying, it doesn't feel justified for us, the viewers, it makes me irritable whereas in the og I felt shame for Aang when he was called out by people for that
You have to think about this as to why they made some adaptation changes The average viewership for the airbender animated series is around 1.1 to 2 million viewers per episode whereas episode 1 had more than 22 million viewers and it's the number one overall viewed show on Netflix. The only small fraction of the people who watch the live vacuum have ever seen the animated in the live action is more popular than the animated now the animated came out first and is the inspiration absolutely but they made the show so that a wider audience could enjoy it the same way comic book adaptations do they don't follow the comic book to the team as that represents about 5% of the movie going audience they make a movie that a much wider range of people can enjoy. So if you go into a movie or a series that's being adapted from a book a comic or animation and you're disappointed that it's not exactly the same That's a you problem That should never be your expectation just go in and see if it's a good movie on its own and judge it based on that.
47:37 I agree about Katata. I’m fine with most of changes they did, but not with her (the main trio tbh) It’s like they took away half of her personality
The scene of Lu Ten's funeral makes me tear up every time, Iroh sits alone in mourning, his own brother gives him hollow platitudes and then just leaves. But Zuko comforts him, shares a memory of what a good person Lu Ten had been, and then sits down to share in his mourning so he won't be alone. You see all you need to see to understand why Iroh loves his nephew and will do anything for him.
i fully lost it when iroh explains the 41st division to the 41st division and then the soldiers respectfully bow to zuko…
tbf that scene is unearned.
@@chickenporkadob0What?
Lu Ten's funeral was a brilliant addition and I thought I managed to get thru it, then I looked down and saw my mattress was covered in tear stains
it was badly timed imo. it came off as a "ok u suffered, but i suffered more" like its a contest
i feel that scene is unearned because there's no character development that happened in the past 3 episodes. it's more effective if they put it back in season 2.
maybe it's heartfelt because fans know the story.
You're pathetic.
Honestly. Cried my effing eyes out when I saw the funeral scene. Leaves of the vine started playing and I was sobbing 😭😭 also fun fact if you re watch and look at the photo of Irohs son it's the same picture from the anime and if you look in zukos notebook the avatars are literally the ones from the anime.
Fun fact, that was the original Cabbage Merchant reprising his role. I knew about him being in this a couple weeks ago when he appeared on one of the episode reactions series of who voiced Toph. He even made cookies made with cabbages to share with her to honor his character. He is a really charismatic guy!
The Cabbage Merchant is the is the same guy who did the voice on the animated
Yayyyy
Only he could do the line justice 👍
And he loved it
Tbh I'm glad of the change between familial love than romantic. Aang's actor is still really young and they haven't really established a crush on Katara yet. It makes sense in this season that he is still working through his loss and responsibility and hasn't really thought of things like romantic feelings. It will come in time I am sure.
I agree, Katara's actress is the weakest actor, I hope she grows in the coming seasons, because we need that emotional depth from her.
In regards to Zuko and Iroh. Omg it's a stab through the heart to see their relationship and how it's been developing through the years. I love their scenes so much. Zuko's actor adds so much nuance to his scenes it's so wonderful to see.
Would’ve made more sense if they didn’t go through the tunnels at all, considering that doesn’t happen in the cartoon until season 2
@@aubryellaotero1064 they prob thought they wouldn't have time to fit it in S2 so they decided to condense it here.
@@aubryellaotero1064 you're being completely unreasonable, lol. what difference does it make except whether it happens in season one or two? it could have easily happened in season one in the cartoon. it's a bunch of hippies with a silly song.
You clearly did nit watch the show@@brandonjuno
@@modernlife1321 lol
I think I loved every single thing about Zuko and Iroh's journey in this show, really glad for that
You're absolutely right about comparison leading to disappointment. From everything I've read online people who have never seen the original show love this show a ton. People who have seen the original are less enthusiastic because they can't help but to compare.
As a writer, I find the adaptation educational.
the decisions they made ruined the characters so much. it’s not about comparison. they changed things that were integral to the plot and characters just for action and drama. it’s disrespectful to the original creators, no wonder they left
Bumi is such a difficult character to write into live form, you can't just make him like in the original show because he's way more cartoony then even Sokka, and it would look out of place. I think the writers did the right thing by leaning more on making Bumi a scared old man, and now with Aang back Bumi will start to turn into the character that we know from the original show.
I think that's how you have to think about a lot of the live show, it's a set up for season 2 to have much more emotional weight. In the original show so much happens in season 2, including introducing Mai and Ty Lee, Toph, The Library, The Secret Tunnel, and a ton of character development, so it makes sense to get some of it out of the way in season 1, so you don't have to introduce as many characters in season 2 and you leave more room for relationships to grow naturally.
I agree 100%. Also I actually think they mixed these characters very well in these two episodes.
I liked how they combined different plot lines into one place - Omashu, the only real problem with these episodes I have is dialogues and how little time Aang spends with his team😐
YES! Thank you! I really have a problem with how little time Aang spends with Sokka and Katara. It is so sad. Their friendship is one of the best things about the cartoon. The team is the heart of the show and I don't feel like we're getting that in the adaptation. I don't feel their friendship.
It was an awful idea takes away a lot from all the character since now they have to cover all of it at the same time
I think Bumi's anger is justifiable. He lived without his friend for 100 years. He must have felt alone. Aang knows he didn't abandon anyone but other people don't know that. They have only seen the effect of war for 100 years. It makes sense that people are mad at Aang. Also, in real life if we are mad at our friends or family. We don't stay mad for long time. When Aang said he is gonna save the world with the help of his friends, it wasn't a sudden change of heart out of nowhere for Bumi. More like he realized what Aang said made sense because I bet in those 100 years Bumi wished that Aang was there to help him. Bumi probably wanted his friend to help save Omashu (if not the world).
I absolutely agree. It's easy to forget in the animated show over Bumi's craziness. He lived through 100 years of war after Aang disappeared instead of becoming the savior back then.
I'm glad that Cocoa Couch realised this in the discussion in the end.
I'm with you on that. The first time through I wasn't happy with Bumi. I initially thought he was playing a trick on Aang because I was so surprised. But after watching it a second time, I understood that this is exactly how someone would react if they had been thrust into a war at 12 years old and had been fighting the same war for 100 years. All of that death and destruction will weigh on a person. If you look at it from that perspective, he actually showed restraint.
yet in the original show Bumi was wise enough to understand, that mocking Aang is not a good thing to do, give him a hard lesson and show full support is, bc Aand is literally their last and only chance. And this character is one of the ground reasons why this live action is a joke, they did not understand the character, they changed the very ground of him, and this mistake is similar with every single one of other characters in the show. I'm really sorry if you find it a good thing, because it's not. What this live action can do better with already nearly perfected character development and writing? Live action only have 2 interesting characters, and it's Zuko and Iroh, that's it, and only bc those two are closest to their animated versions with pretty good acting. I can spend nearly an hour explaining why and where and how exactly they missed the very base and idea of this show, if only it would change the live action itself for the better...
I'm sorry, but this Live action is missing the very idea of original, they are not improving anything, they butcher the very ground of almost every character, and doing some unnecessary changes just to make some changes. the writing is shit, character's development lost, and that's sad AF. Bumi is just sad here, there is nothing, that can justify this.
I'm not against changes in live action, but this is not what I want to see, it is poor writing and missed timings on characters and their development, that's sad, and I don't have anything to say anymore, I disappointed with the result
I'm not native, so I hope I did not butcher any names, but yea
@@tomoe2824 You have some valid points. When I watched the show, I didn't compare it to the original series. I watched it as a new show. I understand they had to make changes in order to condense everything into 8 episodes. I'm sorry you're disappointed, but I enjoyed it the moment I stopped comparing it to the original because it is nearly impossible to replicate the original into live action perfectly. I am glad to see some of the scenes that we never got to see in the original series.
@@DonMachado exactly, I'm glad we got to see a different side of Bumi as compare to anime
47:21 Totally agree, and I've seen lots of people agree with it, too. I've heard a suggestion that she might've been toned down because they were scared of her being emotional being sexist?? As if they didn't watch the original and didn't know that Katara's portrayal is one of the best portrayals of a female character
I totally feel the same. The first two episodes were great, then these two were a struggle for me. Katara is definitely way too subdued, and the writing and dialogue is quite cringy at times, but I am really enjoying the moments where they expand upon Zuko and Iroh's relationship, and the effects of the war, and Aang and Gyatso's relationship.
Honestly this version of Bumi is quite realistic, just like the rest of the show. It truly shows how the 100 years of war can affect you and tbh, if i had a friend who was the avatar and disappeared then i had to live through all of that I would be pretty pissed off too. We know, as the audience, that Aang is back and it's trying to fix everything but it doesn't erase all of what Bumi saw and lived
it's not a bad change, but it could be more realistic for Bumi to be angry if Aang did run away like in the anime.
But honestly, no matter what my life would have been like in the last hundred years: I would have been so happy if my friend, who I thought was lost, had suddenly appeared again. Especially in such dark times. Of course you can argue. You can shout and accuse each other, ask questions. But the fact that Bumi only attacks Aang and doesn't even give him the chance to explain himself gives me the feeling that he doesn't have the same wisdom or the same heart as in the cartoon. Personally, I think that's really sad and I'm a bit sceptical about the possible developments. Especially when we think of the white lotus.
@@KeinName-xq7zoy
Yes!!!
@@kebekblood yeah but you have to understand, in their eyes HE DID run away. They don't know he was just going for a quick fly, literally no one knows that but Aang and Appa lol
@nunugirlswag109 I disagree. I think Bumi was the only one who was upset with Aang and showed it in an extreme way. Also he wasn't even in the war by the time Aang showed up.
It makes sense that Bumi was upset. But it doesn't make sense to be extreme and play games with Aang. It's just really immature because Bumi is an adult and his anger is his own to carry. It's a shame his character in the show couldn't realize that it's just a waste of time letting out his anger on Aang when main priority is getting Aang prepared to save the world. Not make him feel guilty the entire time.
The way they wrote 3-4 is definitely creative and different but it was far from bad. I think this makes for a cohesive flow especially since most people binged the series anyway. 8 episodes was surprisingly enough because the writers did their best. It wouldve been pretty sweet to have 10 episodes tho, with 2 of those being filler but I am not complaining that much tbh. Cant wait for season 2 (crossing my fingers)
I don’t find it has a flow. It misses the heart of the original story and just hits the shallower plot points.
That is one of the few changes I hope they make for season 2. Despite almost having the same runtime, the live show still ended up feeling a bit rushed.
i honestly really loved the changes!
My main issue with this season is that there's a lot of blatant character work happening. Characters just blurt out all their feelings and motivations rather than just act and let the audience figure out who they are. Which is kinda embarassing cause it's essentially the first rule of writing.. show don't tell.
But there's so much that's done right as well. Here's hoping to a season two that can take what works and improve what isn't working.
@@tracim3080 comments are full of people saying these episodes made them sob and your criticism is it doesn't have heart. ok. lol.
Jet is PERFECT.
While I didn't find him perfect, necessarily, my thoughts when I first saw him were "Yup, as someone who was a 14-year-old girl once, I absolutely can forgive Katara for falling for his bs!" 😂
Exactly, and yes I didn't agree with jet's actions in the animated version, but live action jet can do no wrong 👀😍
The earth king has invited you to lake Laugai🤣
Where’s the reactions to the rest of the season? I love your perspective on this show!
It’s funny that you got that it was Jet but didn’t realize that was Azula because I recognized Azula straightaway but didn’t recognize Jet despite Katara’s obvious attraction to him.
(And, yes, I facepalmed (for not recognizing Jet) so hard I might as well be OG Sokka after the Cave of Two Lovers. 🤦♀️)
Edit: I also loved the addition of Lu Ten’s funeral. That was such a beautiful moment between Zuko and Iroh. I’m pretty sure Albert Kim is Fire Nation because it seems like the Fire Nation has some of the best scenes, if not most of them.
Leaves From the Vine is a Pavlovian effect for me these days. I hear those first four notes and I'm crying.
Excellent reaction! Really loved how we still got the cabbage man and we got a first glimpse of Azula! I think what was great about this episode was that it really shows how the war had affected everyone from different sides. Bumi was forced to grow up and make hard decisions and didn’t have Aang there to consult with let alone confide in which made him feel abandoned. Iroh had lost loved ones as well as he was forced to take other people loved ones against his reluctance. Also I did agree how you said that they are doing everything from a different perspective yet still keeping to the spirit of the original animated series!
👑🐲🪨🔥💨💧🥬💚❤️💛💙
I think you read Boomie wong.
Boomie lived through 100 years of War, where he had to diced who is going to die and who is going to live basically daily.
He is burned out emotionally. And than all of the sudden, the Avatar, the savior of the world arrives... and is still a 12 year old child, that seemingly hasn't grasp the seriousness of the situation.
Yep also when Aang give Bumi his trinket you can tell that’s when he turned back to the loving crazy bumi he is. Like it brought back memories.
I think the problem comes from the fact that Bumi let his anger out on Aang. When he should have just carried it on his own. Aang isn't a punching bag.
His job isn't to carry Bumi's anger. His job is to prepare to end the war and defeat Ozai. Not play mind games.
@@ninalily In animated series Aang is bumi punching bag too 😅
@@ebduleszary3528 I disagree. Lol
@@ebduleszary3528 But the animated show is irrelevant to the point I was trying to make in my original comment.
If you want to talk about the animated show, we can. 😂
17:04 agreed lol
Zuko and Iroh are my favoritesss. I couldn’t keep my tears in the funeral scene lol.
The reason I like Bumi in this is that this isn't just any war. The original show has refugees, dead relatives, people turning to the wrong side (Jet) but only Bumi has been around to see the entire war. for 100 years. That's a long, long time. The Avatar's absence is a big deal most of the time because they are meant to be the One And Only and the world really does need the Avatar, and Bumi doesn't know that Aang was frozen in ice. He might've been a bit harsh but I think it's believable that he would be hopeless. Also the actor playing him was really solid.
Bumi is my biggest gripe. Katara is my second. She doesn’t have enough fire and, as you said, attitude. They aren’t the same characters.
In the animated show, Bumi knew since Aang was presented to him after the little cabbage incident that it was his old friend. But he just kept playing with them. The chicken he send was just to push him to show his airbending to everyone in the room, reason why he added that Aang was the avatar instead of just saying he was an airbender. The Bumi we have here feels more human, he bears all these years of war and his sadness. It'll be controversial but as much as his animated version is funny and one of the best characters ever, the live version feels more realistic, you can feel his emotions, he's not just fun and games. Also, Azula training with the Yuyan archers? That would mean that these archers aren't non benders only, which is great!
Bumi here is fisherman on episode 12 lol
The thing with Bumi is he's hurt cause he thought Aang abandoned him when he needed him the most, he was crying while fighting Aang, he's trying to show him the hard truth of war where sometimes you have to make hard choices.
It was quick, but Aang saved Bumi from a life of bitterness. That's what Avatars do, at least this one, anyway.
You can hear leaves of the vine playing a couple of times in episode 4. If you listen closely, the first time is when Aang and Iroh are in neighboring cells and conversing. So sad
Yeah, the show feels marvel-like. Katara also feels like unnecessary. She's just there. The is no authority coming from her or anything important.
I felt the same way about Katara
love your reaction style! such an underrated channel! wishing you the best!
Thankyou ☺️
I'm so glad you were able to recognize the tune of leaves from the vine playing in the background 😭
Am I the only one who noticed how often when they should say the 'fire nation people', 'the earth kingdom people ' they say benders instead, as if non-benders don't exist?
THANK YOU
But they do talk about benders. And there's been plenty of situations like this in the original show
They don't specify 'benders' as often in the original, that's why I noticed it right away here, the first line I noticed and remembered was in ep.2 when Kyoshi was warning Aang that another nation of benders is going to be wiped out, doesn't it sound off?
@@sunnygrassx216 Killing the Moon Spirit would've meant no more waterbenders, so she knew what she was saying
Anyone else confused that he didn't continue uploading this series?
i am
idk why
yeah its kinda sad
They lost me with those two episodes lol. The Zuko-Iroh moments were the only saving grace for me. They tried to put way too many story arcs from the original show and I just wasn't feeling most of the changes. I watched the entire season, still, but yeah. CHOP!
Same. They were mixing too much of season two in and completely missed the point of most of the storylines.
I love your reactions so much! I didn’t even like the Netflix show but I’m begging you to react to the rest of the season!
I cried with just 1 line "Everything I need is on this boat"
As someone who loved every second of this adaptation, I appreciate SO much that you kept the positivity while also working through your disappointment. I think it's hard when we have the full 3 seasons of the OG show to look at and then we have to take this version one episode at a time and wait for things to come together, but overall it's a beautiful season and the writers really did something amazing with just 8 episodes.
I completely agree with your point at 49:53, because this has been bugging me too. I feel like they should have thought Aang got killed with the other air nomads... I don't get why they are all so bitter when it appeared that the Air Nation got attacked the same day Aang left. It'd make more sense if the attack occurred later and they showed the air nomads out looking for Aang and word spreading that he "ran away".
I actually really like the change to Bumi’s character, it feels much more realistic that a child had to go through war for years, becoming a leader and having the bear the brunt of it all, knowing that his best friend could’ve saved them but he disappeared and left everyone else to suffer. It feels much more realistic and it feels soooo much more satisfying when he comes to a realisation that Aang wasn’t a coward he was just a kid too
Hi there! Are you posting the reaction for the last four episodes? I’d love to hear your take on them!
EDIT:
In my opinion, episodes 5 and 6 are the best in the TV show, and the finale is just *chef's kiss*, these two you've just reacted to were the lowest points in the show, with episode 4 slightly worse than episode 3 - Bumi is such an awesome character, a mad genius, and we (as fans) only got disappointment from his portrait in the show😢
Bumi knew aang in the animated series as well! Also great reaction
You are definitely not alone in the love for Dallas/Zuko and Paul/Iroh. I freaking lost it and ugly cried during that funeral scene and then again at the end when he says nothing about Appa. Despite it's flaws thus far, I would watch a season 2 purely for them. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is a given, I mean, come on. But Dallas Liu, as early into it as he is, I think has an amazing career ahead of him. He's just so darn good at projecting things with his expression even when he's not saying any lines. I can't wait for you to get to 6, my favorite out of the season.
Everyone has already talked you to death over Bumi, so I won't go into it too much. I get his change is very divisive. What I will say is that I've seen an equal number of blind reactors to the animated show who are utterly put off by his attitude as there are those that completely loved him, and literally nothing in the middle, so at least it's consistent that way? Also that my dude has literally been having the weight of Omashu's citizens on his shoulders through 100 years of war, and while I get his dialogue was not the best written stuff in the world, would you really say "oh just get over it" to an actual war veteran with that kind of trauma? That's really the only part of your commentary that rubbed me a little bit the wrong way. Anything else I didn't agree with, I can agree to disagree, honest.
But speaking of agreeing, yes, Kiawentiio's Katara falls kind of flat for me. How much of that is her and how much of it is behind the camera is hard to say. There's definitely a lot of clunky writing that I can't attribute to just the actors' delivery. Which is sad, because from a directional standpoint, I see a lot of what they're trying to lay down and the seeds for plot that they're planting, but the execution is just not always there when it gets to whoever is doing dialogue. It's really my main negative when talking about the live action. I have some faith that what people don't necessarily like now will pay off if we manage to get more seasons, so I am doing my best to keep an open mind.
Jones Vibes I think helped put it into perspective when talking about how the live action isn't necessarily going for the same 3 season structure as the animated show, so I hope that if we do get more, that it grows into itself some more. Going forward as you keep watching (assuming you haven't already finished behind the scenes) the theme I think you should keep in mind is "regaining hope." Weirdly enough, I think the live action is at it's worst when it's trying to 1:1 the animated series, so I'm still interested in the different directions it will take. A remix and not a remake, if you will, like discovering a cover of a song that is so different you end up loving it for totally unrelated reasons. And if I'm wrong, well, I will happily insert my foot into my mouth on my own 😘
kiawentiio is still a pretty new actress! this is like her fourth out fifth role i believe! she was great in anne with an e. i see her improving a lot in the future!
I highly doubt they are going to have any hints or references to a possible Aang/Katara relationship. Right now, Aang's actor is 14 and Katara's is almost 18. It would be a sticky situation, both morally and legally, to have them kiss on screen. Having hints of Kataang would lead to even more backlash when it doesn't happen.
Zutara nation is winning this one
Im really not fond of how they wrote Bumi in this. Him being an angrier version is fine, as it allows for a more retroflective look at the impact of not having the Avatar around, but the aggression is so out of character to me. When his kookiness was a way of teaching Aang how to look for new approaches to things, here the writers just discarded that aspect in favour of making him an antagonistic force who needs to be taught a lesson. Its so backwards.
I DIDNT EVEN SEE THE BLUE SPIRIT MASK IN THE BACKGROUND WOAH
Thank you for your positivity and wearing your heart on your sleeve letting Leaves from the Vine emotionally touch you so. That’s the sign of a beautiful soul ❤😍
I always love how insightful your reactions are. Also I think this live action is "okay" as someone who's a fan of the original, but can treat this as a separate series, as should be done with any adaptation. I hope you don't feel too pressured to avoid talking about your dislikes with this show, as I like hearing your own input and thoughts! I agree with what you're saying so far, I think some of the acting falls flat and I have a hard time getting past all the exposition.
it’s so refreshing to see someone that’s not bashing this show
Struckbybelz , Cruz Brothers , yaboyroshi & blindwave are also some other reactors that genuinely enjoying this show adaptation
Something that I liked about the series is that we can see the aftermath of the war, the difficult decisions that Bumi has to make, the sad story of the earth soldier and the loss of his brother, and what Lu Ten's death meant for him. Iroh, you can feel how no matter who is the good or bad guy in the story, both sides lose children, brothers, fathers, mothers, in short, irreparable losses.
Also i didnt like what they did to bumi AT FIRST but then i did when i realised hes a bitter old man without friends anymore and aang didnt just abandon the world he abandoned him. Also fun fact the cabage guy is the same as the one who played him in the anime.
This could make sense but Aang didn't abandon anyone in this show, it was an accident, he even was on his way home🙂 that's why this guilt tripping from Bumi doesn't work for me
@@sunnygrassx216I wouldn’t want to hear any of that bs if I was his friend and had to live like that for 100 years. Got to live in peace while Bumi went through hell
Only Aang knows he didn't abandon the world, but to everyone else they have their own ideas.
@@AkaeusAang and the viewers, that's why I am saying it doesn't exactly work from the writing pov, they should've just kept Aang really running away then
But the point of bumi is that he always thinks differently and is very lively and optimistic especially for his age and life experiences.
I literally just checked ur channel and there's few seconds ago 😅i wish i could watch it but i don't wanna have it spoiled..
I think that you might have missed some of the subtext from Bumi's rants at Aang. I don't think that Bumi was angry at Aang for getting trapped in an iceberg, but because his absence caused so much death and destruction, regardless of how that absence occurred. Those impossible choices Bumi kept talking about, they were him having to decide which group got to live and who died. Do you feed the soldiers who are defending the city or do you feed the orphans who are just children, but can't help defend the city for many years? He probably had to feed the soldiers and the children died. He has to live with those deaths on his conscience, along with thousands of others who died because of his decisions. Decisions that he wouldn't have had to make if Aang had been there. At least, that's how Bumi feels about it. His turnaround might have seemed a bit sudden, but Bumi had no hope and thought that he only had more years of people dying because of him ahead of him. Aang showed him that Aang was actually going to try to end the war. He gave Bumi hope again. That's what caused the turnaround.
Didn’t miss anything his annoyance was warranted I just thought it was childish considering Aang was making it very clear the whole time he was prepared to change the world now he was back.
@@thecocoacouch PTSD and hopelessness don't necessarily respond to logic.
Yeah exactly @@psychokitty71
I haven't watched the animated one yet. I liked Jets character for more than one reason 👀. Lol I am enjoying this show very much.
I feel like watching it in that order is more bad than good like for example the iron funeral scene hits harder especially because of the background music that plays which you wouldn't understand the meaning of that background music without the animated series
@@suhailraja7797 it's certainly possible that I am not getting everything that others who have seen it are. But once I watch the animated series I can rewatch this or gain a better view into this.
I'm a big fan of the show and I think that Sokka was perfect in this, as well as Zuko (and Ozai). Aang and Iroh are good but yeah, Katara was really flat. She didn't have much presence, like the Katara from the cartoon, and her whole character just ended up meh. Also the cabbage guy was the same person who voiced the character in the cartoon, which is really cool! He's awesome.
I just wish they would've done more episodes because 8 wasn't nearly enough. I enjoy watching your reaction more than watching the series on my own lol
Ember island katara: "I just have so much hope!" 😂
Overall most of the changes in the show don’t bother me too much, and in a lot of instances I think they did an excellent job adding depth and expanding on some elements in the original.
The two things that do bother me are Katara and Zuko. In both instances I think they lifted up the siblings by transferring character complexity and depth to Azula and Sokka to the detriment of Zuko and Katara.
I love how they are fleshing out Azula and Ozai. Azula is instantly a more sympathetic character in this show.
Unfortunately they sacrifice some of Zuko's sympathetic traits by making his main motivation his "rightful place on the throne" rather than emphasizing his need for love and acceptance from his father.
In a similar vein, I think they have spent a lot of time giving Sokka additional depth, but stole that away from Katara.
Hopefully they build her up and give her more passion next season.
20:02 yea I thought that too.. to me, my favorite is episode 1,2 and 6, the rest is not bad but it's pretty good.., but overall it is entertaining and I like it
People tend to underestimate the amount of exposition in the caroon and overestimate the cartoons handling of the mature themes. The cartoon was for 7 year olds, so there was a lot of exposition, but it wasn't as detailed and it could only imply and vaguely cover the more mature themes of war and its effects on people because it was a kids show. This show can show those things the cartoon can not and that of course is why it is darker.
We already have many stories that show that. Avatar the last air bender was good because they were making the war and genocide across in a child friendly way. The humour mixed with the reality of war was the point. It set it apart from other war shows. It also allowed the deeper meanings and themes to come out because you weren’t having act packed and or heavy emotions only scenes.
It loses the appeal when you make the story darker. I can watch that anytime I can’t see a dark story with a light hearted flow anywhere but in avatar last air bender.
It couldn't go deeper precisely because it was a kids show. It seemed like it did, but it didn't. War is not light hearted and people die. Those things that a cartoon for children couldn't delve into unless it was vague and only implied death. Also, the cartoon did not actually portray war and suffering except superficially. That's the nature of the medium used - kids cartoon. This show, because it isn't a cartoon and it is made for an older audience, can show that which the original could only tell.
Yeah nothing screams show for 7 year olds like murdered people and genocide
I had a very similar reaction to Bumi's new persona. While I can see how Bumi could turn into a bitter old man tired of war and raging against the person who 'could have stopped it' it never hit right because the Live action also changed Aang's story from a run away to a kid trying to grow up fast. If they had kept Aang on his original story arc and had him trying to desparately avoid his responsibilities as an Avatar I think this version of Bumi would have been a real hard hitting episode where Aang gets a really personal experience with the effects of the war and how it changed his friend. Nothing with Bumi's arc, in my mind, is an actual issue with Bumi, the issue is that the story the Directors are telling are at odds with how Aang and Bumi resolved Bumi's justafiable resentment, even if its misplaced. It would have been fantastic to have to watch Bumi and Aang rationalize the others perspectives and come to an understanding. After their resolution Aang could ask if he would teach him earthbending and Bumi could then pave the way for Toph.
The episode feels like a flop for me because I felt no real payouff for Bumi or Aang; Aangs perspective on the war never changed, Aang didn't really learn anything usefull from Bumi except that his friend has been wallowing for the better part of 70 years (I say 70 becuse no way bumi was king as soon as the air nomads were killed). And quite frankly, while we all know that the war has gone on for 100 years, Omashu doesn't look like a devistated or recovering city. It doesn't feel like the city has been under seige or having supply lines cut, things that would put stress on Bumi as King - They didn't show us a Kingdom of a jaded king, they showed us a thriving market, a strong defensive guard, developing infrastructure - all of which make Bumi's festering resentment ring hollow. And look, I get it, before you come in the comments I know in a 100 years that the city could have been attacked, they withstood the seige, and have since recovered. All True. but Bumi is making it out like he's had to make the sort of impossible choices hes giving to Aang every day since the battle began. I'm just looking for the show not tell, have a bit of dialoge from the guards that supplies are running low so their happy for any produce that enters, expand the cabbage slug dialogue to explain that they wont get another shipment for months and cant risk pests; have beggars on the streets looking for bread and shelter in between the shop stalls. Anything! plus the state of a struggling city would have paired beautifully with a mad king dressed in finary, the freedomfighters misguided desire to help those less fortunate with bombs etc.
9:24 I know theres a lot peole nitpicking this show for shitty reasons (like the changes, I don't mind those, the message is still there) but the ONE THING that I do believe is a real problem is the delivery of some lines.
TOO.MUCH.EXPOSITION!!
We're not dumb, some things go without being said explicitly to our face...
To be honest, I don't really vibe with Katara-Aang's 'romantic' love from the OG. I kinda like, brushed it off try to forget about it. I mean, it's okay if they fell in love later when they grew up. But that's just me. The live-action decision to make the love is between siblings probably because they have so few episodes to build Katara and Aang romantic love in such a short time before this episode, and won't be paid off until the season finale. But I'm not here nor there though. I kinda accept both approaches.
Any reason you stopped reacting to these?
Pasiently waiting for the next 2 episodes....👀😁
While the Iroh/Zuko flashbacks were nice, I hated how they happened so early on. Felt like they're in a rush to show everyone's true character which takes away a lot of the suspense for new watchers and cheapens some of the emotion that would have been there if these scenes happened after getting to know the characters better.
You're gonna notice a lot of the characters are blaming Aang, a twelve-year-old boy, for running away. Logic.
Sorry, I wouldn't call Bumi a friend after that. A 112 year old man Angrily demanding Aang to explain himself for something he couldn't control in the past and even now. Avatar state that is. In the other show at least he confessed that he likes to mess with people like a form of entertainment to a bored king.
45:36 That was Irrational anger. A productive person would be "OK you're here and now. We still have a chance." If anything shock, hope, heck even desperation to get his old friend going should have been his motivation.
Hey! I was wondering if you are still planning to review the 2nd half of the show! I'd love to see your reaction and hear your thoughts about it :D
To be honest, "meh" is one of the expressions that came to my mind the most while watching the show. I liked the first few episodes and I don't have a problem with changes in general. But for me the changes have to make sense and "feel right", if that's understandable. Sometimes I didn't get that feeling while watching. I think that's mostly because I didn't really liked the writing. There are so many problems with it (in my opinion). The bad dialogue, the fact that there are so many "in your face moments" instead of using "show don't tell", the simple way in which many things are done. I also didn't like Katara in the show. It feels like she is more of an empty shell than anything else. I don't want to blame the actress, maybe it's the writing too.
To be honest, the show didn't hit me in the feelings like it should have. And I'm a bit disappointed because the scene with Iroh and Zuko shows us that it could have been different. But as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if that scene really hit me because of the show's storytelling, or just because of my knowledge of the original. Hm. I don't know what to think. In the end, I feel like so much more could have been done. We will see what comes if we get another season. By the way I don't want to talk shit about the show, these are just my thoughts and opinions. I'm happy for everyone who loves it.
Out of everything they changed, the one thing I totally LOATHED was what they did to Bumi. /frown . The funeral scene and some stuff in future episodes are AMAZING updates to the lore. I find it ironic the most meaningful changes to the story focus on the Fire Nation! BTW, dunno if you take requests but I would HIGHLY recommend One Piece after finishing this up. That's a stellar example of deviating from the source material and making it even better. Somehow, they condense 45-50 episodes of the anime into 8 meaningful hours --- you'll laugh, you'll cry.
I actually love what they did with Bumi....Bumi in the original was a very one-dimensional, flat, cliche character....An entertaining one, especially for an animated series...But one that would look completely out of place in Live Action...
Bumi in this one if far more natural....A naive little kid who, unlike Aang, lived through those one hundred years of war, with the responsabilities of a King resting on his shoulders, crushing him day by day, while he had to deal with it alone, feeling there is no one left to rely on...
Until he grew into a bitter old man with a damaged psyche, who has completely lost all hope and will to live, and who learned the wrong lessons in life....
BASED
While I would have loved a more light hearted Bumi, I think your assessment is correct. And it fits with the overall darker tone of the series. I liked it a lot.
Well said
Bumi in the original was way more likeable and i do not think he was one dimensional.
@@MusikCassette As much as love the animated series - Bumi in the original was a one-trait trope of a "Goofy but wise" character..like Yoda or Oogway, but more of a goofball....He didn't have a lot of character beyond that, not to mention he did not have a backstory or an arc....
He was a cool, funny character, but he had no depth
Are you taking a break from this show until you're finished with Korra?
At first, I was sooooo not okay with the major plot changes they made in these episodes. However, I remembered your words of wiping the slate clean and allowing the story to be what they made it this time around and actually ended up really enjoying them! I am curious too, though, about how they’ll keep up with the story and making changes due to the ones made in these episodes!
I think in the finale fight, Bumi wasn't trying to teach Aang a lesson...was more to unalive himself
30:09 I feel like it's both after watching the interviews
I'm months late, I know, but I wanted to say that I wholeheartedly agree about Katara. I appreciate the show for what it was-I think they made some stellar choices that respect the source material while not being a carbon copy, but the one character I think that they didn't nail was Katara. They made everyone much more human and took away a lot of the cartoony aspects, which, as a live-action is necessary.
However, they took someone who was the emotional heart of the original series and stripped away her emotion. It felt like they took fan criticism of the original (the overly critical, as we see in Ember Island Players) that Katara is "weepy" and "preachy" and nothing else, and told the actress to be Everygirl Watertribe rather than Katara Effing Baddie.
You said it in reactions to the original, that Katara is the heart of the group, the sort of representative of the group's more extreme emotions because each character is meant to be a particular representative. She's the one who acts with her heart, not her head, and in this adaptation, while she does still do that, we don't see her heart on her sleeve.
They pulled that awful crime of "tell, not show," because they tell us that Katara has emotional stuff going on, but they never let her HAVE that to play on.
They did her dirty by not letting the actress have anything. Even if she didn't cry or do a speech or anything, they truly could have given the actress a moment to tear up or touch her necklace or ANYthing that might have suggested more than the smile she tends to wear.
I once called you shy but that’s the wrong word
I meant emotional 😅😊
😆 I remember. And yes, I am.
Oh really
I’d never thought you’d remember haha
I like your videos 🤭
Go on you’re doing a great job 😊
17:04
I liked the actor of Jet, too, but I couldn't take Jet seriously here because he reminded me so much of Ted from "Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure"... xD
People are forgetting how bumi was comparable to iroh in terms of his wisdom and way of seeing the world, both have experienced tragedy and became masters of their craft. Bumi wasn't just a king, he was a mad genius, and that's what kept him optimistic. This bumi was just.. depressing.
So I guess you’re not going to react to the rest of the episodes? Several reactors believe the last half of the season have the best episodes.
I love your reactions and love how much fun you're having with the show, but I really hate what they dis to the show, like why they made Azula so insecure
I'm really glad you're honest about this and not just fanboying like people did for One Piece. This show isn't great. It has its moments, but it's too melodramatic and soap opera-y. You're right about Katara. She's awful. I actually don't like Iroh very much either. I can feel him playing a character, while i just see Zuko and Zhao as real people.
the only reason I continued watching this show after episode 3 was because I wanted to watch your reaction lol 😅
for me it was quite unbearable to watch, there's good moments in the show, but the overall feel was just not very engaging to me? I even fast forwarded several parts to finish an episode. I guess I have a hard time seperating it from the original, but also the way they did Katara was so dirty to me like where is her character? 😭
I have watched the entire series now, and there isn't a change in this, that I don't like.
It is different, but it wouldn't have any right to exist, if it's just a 1to1 copy.
The spirit world episode was a bit strange. But then again it was too in the original series.
In both cases the reason to see Roku was, well shoehorned in a bit.
I feel the same way
It completely misses the point of the original story. It’s a very shallow retelling.
@@tracim3080 What's *the* point of the original according to you?
Because to me it had *many* points and *many* where covered by this adaptation. At least by this point
@@Exe3DWhat part doesn't make sense? Without quoting the original. What part doesn't make sense within this story?
I just don't get why Bumi was so mad at Aang like that? Bumi would've thought that Aang would've been murdered a long time ago? Why is he mad at him for having survived? How did he even know Aang was the avatar? Aang didn't exactly have time to go visit the Earth Kingdom and tell him before he froze. If he'd heard about the avatar being back, then seeing that AANG was the Avatar (and ALIVE) should've really surprised him, right?
You should finish the show now that the first season is done 😊. I enjoy your videos about avatar
IF Aang tried joking around and diminished the war, I would be more open to Bumi acting like this. The way it is now... it just feels like they completely misunderstood his character and his role in Aang's journey. In the first season, Bumi taught him that things in the world are serious, he needs to think outside the box, and he needs his friends' support.
Here, he guilt tripped Aang (who already felt bad) and Aang had to teach HIM the importance of friendship. Bumi did not help him here, if anything, he became another "task" for him on the way North.
There were two specific changes to this show from the original that I can point to that I didn’t like. One of them was Bumi feeling a bit too harsh on Aang, the other is in a later episode. But my overall enjoyment of the live-action and the changes they made that I DID enjoy outweigh the things I didn’t like. Plus, I saw someone point out that it was almost like they were combining Bumi’s character with the fisherman from The Storm, which made it a little easier for me to accept the more cynical Bumi.
As for changes I do really enjoy, most of them are in later episodes so I can’t talk about them yet (one of them fixes one of my very few minor nit-picks of the original series) but one I can point to is that I love that we get to see a bit more of WHY Azula is the way she is. The original show always had that implication that she took after Ozai and was also just a victim of his “parenting” in a different way than Zuko was. But here we get to SEE it. She’s not just daddy’s little monster, he MADE her that way.
17:20 Uh Aang, you can "FLY." I'm pretty sure you'll get there faster. Especially if this is an emergency. I mean, I get it if you're trying to
stay undercover, but lives are on the line here.
41:12 By feeling? Or feelings?That's not the same thing. Look I'm trying to be logical here. I don't want to compare the two shows either but I could buy the musical instrument thing more because it's an unfamiliar sound to something that's blind. Grabbing your sister's hand because you're cornered shouldn't stop the animal from charging
42:38 If Bumi wasn't an earthbender I would have called him Suicidal right there. 😨
3 and 4 were the hardest episodes for me. They aren't BAD but they aren't my favorite. It took a second viewing to appreciate them more. Not a fan of combining the multiple storylines, honestly.
Seeing Danny Pudi as Sai, makes me think you might enjoy watching Community, if you haven't seen it yet. One of my top comedy TV shows, personally.
I think the 3rd episode is my least favorite from the series. It's the one where it really felt like too many plot points were mashed together. For what it's trying to do, I found it impressive that they get the subject points through in a way that does work cohesively. But you can just feel how it was forced together. I think it just gets better from here on out.
Danny Pudi really bought an unexpected gravitas to the role. Loved his performance.
Where’s episode 5 and 6
When are we getting episodes 5-8¿
Are u going to continue with the series??
50:20 THAT'S what I've been saying, it doesn't feel justified for us, the viewers, it makes me irritable whereas in the og I felt shame for Aang when he was called out by people for that
i didn’t think they would make it romantic bc gordon was like 12 when they filmed this and kiawentiio was around 15. that’s a large age gap for kids
You have to think about this as to why they made some adaptation changes The average viewership for the airbender animated series is around 1.1 to 2 million viewers per episode whereas episode 1 had more than 22 million viewers and it's the number one overall viewed show on Netflix.
The only small fraction of the people who watch the live vacuum have ever seen the animated in the live action is more popular than the animated now the animated came out first and is the inspiration absolutely but they made the show so that a wider audience could enjoy it the same way comic book adaptations do they don't follow the comic book to the team as that represents about 5% of the movie going audience they make a movie that a much wider range of people can enjoy.
So if you go into a movie or a series that's being adapted from a book a comic or animation and you're disappointed that it's not exactly the same That's a you problem That should never be your expectation just go in and see if it's a good movie on its own and judge it based on that.
I love azulas portrayal 😍😍😍
At 18:44 he said the line.
47:37 I agree about Katata. I’m fine with most of changes they did, but not with her (the main trio tbh) It’s like they took away half of her personality
Did you ever finish the show?