Avatar Live Action Was Always Doomed

[@lumostsumos9049]

As soon as Aang declared that he’s just a kid who loves banana cakes and goofing off with his friends instead of the show just…you know…SHOWING US what kind of kid he is, I knew this adaptation was doomed.

[@alikazi997]

Exactly! What kid says they're goofing off? It's not goofing off to them. That's what the adults would say.

[@silver2therescue1]

@@alikazi997 now that you mention it it sounds exactly like the writers of this script did that "hello fellow kids" meme

[@AdamYGO6893]

The characters looked like the characters, but they weren't the characters.

[@MumRah]

Mando season 3.

[@DoomBowser64]

"but the effects where decent"

[@grappling.enthusiast]

@@DoomBowser64 brilliant reference

[@oladrolahola]

Well, they resembled them at least?

[@Jason.todd1279]

I didn't finish the first episode. The whole time I was watching it I kept thinking to myself, "dang, they did this so much better in the animated show."

[@MajorstiQ]

the first episode felt like it was 3 hours long 🥱

[@gregowen2022]

I had to watch the third episode alone, and dragged my kids through the second episode. They are huge fans of the animation and they were ready to call it quits after the first episode, haha

[@DanteMishima]

@greg how could you torture the children? How could you?

[@AvatarSucker]

Good, we don't need you to watch either, coz we don't need your shit hate

[@urbnctrl]

Bro you don't even have a Netflix account lmao troll

[@Nexuish]

Interesting bit of trivia. When they were prepping the team to animate Avatar, they had people watch an anime called Fooly Cooly as an example of what style they were going for. This tidbit is important because Fooly Cooly is one of those animations that really can only work as an animation because of how expressive and kinetic it all is. Avatar has a similar issue: the movement and expressive body language is lost for a more grounded adaptation.

[@gregowen2022]

Agreed, the movement was better and the voice acting carried so much more emotion in the animation

[@RicardoTrevinoLohman]

@@gregowen2022 it was way better directed, this adaptation feels like theater with its clean costumes, fake backgrounds and overacting. its 100% done that way on purpose. I dont know why but they decided to do that and it doesnt work at all

[@theechidna2916]

@@gregowen2022 Technically unlike Fooly Cooly Avatar can work in live action, who's watching an actual movie expecting exaggerated facial expressions, no one is expecting that because those things are not important!

[@melodymsg]

If I'm watching an animated movie exaggerated expressions only help the experience imo. Its possible to capture that energy in live action but that kind of expressiveness is something that can be much more effectively achieved with animation. ​@@theechidna2916

[@eldritchbeauty]

@@theechidna2916 I'm not sure that's the point they're trying to convey. A lot of what makes ATLA work is because of the animated medium -- the humor, the characterization...a lot of it works because using an animated medium makes it easier to convey those things. Animation just makes things more expressive, and it's honestly easier to nail that down using animation as opposed to doing it in live action, where you have to find the right actors, and those actors then have to be extremely careful in the way they express emotion, or it comes off as hammy or poor acting. They did a good job with the bending in the live action, but even still, some of it (the air bending in particular) looks off and strange. At the end of the day, could ATLA be adapted into live action? Perhaps. I don't know too many high fantasy series that work in live action. Lord of the Rings and (ironically) Game of Thrones come to mind, but in a lot of ways I'd argue they work because they are more grounded, in a sense. As in, yes, they both have plenty of magical elements, but there are stretches where the focus simply isn't on the supernatural elements...and both the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones were incredibly expensive to make. Making a fantasy series with a lot of supernatural elements is just going to be hard, and a live action ATLA series even more so, because matching and surpassing the animated series' writing and story-telling beats is just incredibly difficult.

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

Really don't understand why they made this. We already have the animated series which told a full, complete story, with excellent pacing, characterization, fluid animation and great writing. Why in the WORLD would I watched a rushed, visually less impressive and poorly written live action version when the animated version is still around?

[@dr.mund0339]

I don't think they thought of any of that lol I think they basically said avatar is popular let's do that

[@ShadowtheRenamon]

Because animation old. For kiddos. And it's a massively popular property that they can try and milk for content. Despite the fact none of that means a LA version should exist.

[@DIRECTEDBYH]

yes you can see that in the promo videos they are doing, just milking the fans and the series

[@jarrodedson5441]

​@@dr.mund0339 yeah

[@gregowen2022]

Yeah, I wasn't sure what the point was either, except the obvious attention grab. It's adapting a TV show that's about 8-9 hours into..... Another TV show that is 8 hours. What are we accomplishing?

[@theimaginarium]

Sooner or later Netflix and co. will realize that writing and character are more important than spectacle and IP recognition

[@MumRah]

It's getting to the point where I think these executives are holding massive short positions against their companies and are trying to drive down the price 😂

[@theechidna2916]

No they fail with spectacle, it is one of their biggest problems!

[@LastBastian]

Don't hold your breath.

[@thegauntlet90]

Bankruptcy is another possible outcome

[@lasercraft32]

It just bothers me that the _entire purpose_ they even showed us a GENOCIDE was so that they could have an action-packed fight sequence. They showed us the mass murder of an entire civilization and didn't have an ounce of melancholy or sadness. It was pure _spectacle._

[@Speederzzz]

Remember kids, war crimes are cool - Hollywood

[@Correctgistlover]

Compare this to the rumbling in attack on Titan and these people look like one big joke.

[@kristenasskickin]

So true story time - Avatar came out at a time when I was aging out of watching Nickelodeon. I saw the promos for it and thought, well that looks like another dumb kids show, and never watched it. When I was 23, I was living on my friends couch, and they all decided they wanted to rewatch Avatar. I was outvoted. I figured I would just put up with it until it was over. Then something happened - the mystery of Aang’s origins actually hooked me. I was right along with everyone else saying, “yeah, let’s go ahead and watch another episode.” I was dying to know what had happened. Then when the reveal came, it was a gut punch. That was the moment that I fell in love with the show, and I’ve held it in very high regard ever since. The fact that they eliminated this pivotal mystery within the first fifteen minutes just for the sake of “cool battle scene” and “appealing to adult audiences” makes me fucking seethe. It was the best part of the show for me, it was what actually got me interested in what turned out to be a phenomenal story. You know what a lot of adults like? MYSTERIES! I mean talk about a miscalculation. Hollywood has absolutely no idea how to tell a story anymore, or what audiences actually want.

[@jaywlkrr]

I already knew I wasn't going to watch it when the original creators left the project nearly 4 years ago now. Once I heard that, I was comfortable in keeping this thing out of my mind and time

[@draketheduelist]

By "original creators", do you mean Brike, or Ehaz? Ehaz wasn't even around for Korra, which explained a lot.

[@Fingerscrossedout]

Exactly what i was thinking! Everyone is hyping them up so much while they're clearly not the mastermind 🙄​@@draketheduelist

[@leonardomeloni69]

@@Fingerscrossedout sorry but I think he meant Korra was bad because the dude wasnt there

[@ConnMannMusic]

@@draketheduelist ohhh is that why we had stupid giant kite creatures that rule the spirit world?

[@samadams7336]

Yes, Brike are the kevin fiege of Avatar.​@@ConnMannMusic

[@gunnervi]

Its interesting how they weave the different stories together but it also results in a story where - we don't get to see the Mechanist make the choice to stop helping the Fire Nation on screen - Sokka and Aang barely talk to Jet - Katara and Aang aren't made complicit in Jet's terrorism

[@gregowen2022]

That's a good point. Both the mechanist and Jet had their stories truncated quite a bit. We met Jet and 3 minutes later he was a terrorist.

[@jessicaseyfried7888]

Life is too short to read bad books or watch bad movies. A book gets 100 pages. I finished the animated series with my daughters and don’t feel the need to watch. I may watch an episode for context. Thanks Greg!

[@RyanApplegatePhD]

But not too short to watch bad youtube vids? oof

[@Kyubii01]

@@RyanApplegatePhDwait you think this video is bad but you are here and wasting your time in the comments ?

[@pewpewpandas9203]

Just as a warning (I've watched the whole season), episode 1 is significantly worse than the entire rest of the show. If you've already seen the animation and want to judge whether the show is worth a watch, I'd recommend starting out on episode 2. If you like it, you can go back to episode 1, but episode 1 is kind of like the pilot of any cable TV show in that it doesn't really feel much like the rest of the show.

[@jessicaseyfried7888]

Thanks for the advice. I would like to check it out and having a plan sounds smart!

[@michaellane5381]

Don't watch an episode for context, episode 1 and 6ish have the most new stuff, but the whole thing is scrambled, so 1 episode will not provide context of the new flow or changes.

[@retiefgregorovich810]

First rule of entertainment, the first chapter, first episode, first act must grab you. If you can't accomplish that, then what makes anyone think you'll do better later?

[@MumRah]

Agreed. But to be fair, GoT and Monarch Legacy of Monsters both took me a few episodes to get into tem.

[@leyenda6149]

That's exactly how the GOT show snared me when I was tardy to the party

[@John-fk2ky]

@@MumRah I haven’t seen Monarch, but I think GoT got the “grab you immediately” idea even if I didn’t really get engrossed until later. It gives you a reason to keep watching. I didn’t get too into Avatar until a quarter of a way into season 1. However, the show got my interest from the first episode. It gave me things to be interested in.

[@shaneglover9157]

The loyal fans who follow the show dummy that’s who. We were watching like what the hell does this even mean? Start with Sokka and katara even the movie which sucked knew to do that

[@Godfrey544]

Well said

[@Bahr_2006]

I'm glad you said it's okay to not finish an entertainment product. I was hyped for the Scott Pilgrim animated show, and was infuriated when it diverged from the source material. I couldn't make it half way through the thing. The movie's divergence had the excuse of the series being unfinished, and the show was a chance for the graphic novels to get a faithful adaptation. Scott wasn't even a present character in like half the episodes of his own show! Fun fact, Katara's voice actor Mae Whitman was in the show, as well as the movie.

[@jamesoneill1303]

I hate people calling this show “okay”. No amount of expensive special effects can balance out the horrible writing.

[@doubt2022]

9:11 "it gets better after 300 episodes trust me"

[@DanteMishima]

This sounds like One Piece statements, "C'mon, episode 750 is where it gets good" 😂😂😂😂😂

[@simple.30]

​@@DanteMishimatry harder clown 🤡 best selling manga one of the most watched anime today. then the live action is a success. then there is a remake coming 🤣🤣🤣 it's nice to be a one piece fan BWAHAHAHAHAHA

[@Jinxofthedesert]

I'm honestly so tired of hollywood and studios thinking animation is lesser and that for it to be considered 'adult/mature' they have to make it live action. It's insulting to think a cartoon can't handle complicated matters when I see it done all the time. So glad I passed on this, I know when not to waste my time on movies, shows, and remakes especially. Also, what's up with the costumes? They couldn't make them look somewhat lived in? Roughed up? Something? I will agree on the visuals though, it looks very impressive. Anyway, another great video! Great to hear your thoughts.

[@frogknightgames]

You expressed exactly my problems with the live action. Also, they didnt just change unimportant things, rthey changed key character moments and for seemingly no reason.

[@akumaking1]

Live-Action demakes always suck

[@gregowen2022]

Sadly, it's almost always true. Seems like One Piece was just an exception

[@bryanwigmore7224]

I agree with you 100% about lack of emotional engagement with the genocide caused by not yet being invested in any character involved. But I've seen some commentators say they were moved by the sadness of it. I have no reason to think they're not being honest, so just goes to show that what might seem clear "rules" to us don't always apply universally.

[@rainbowmoon1461]

Problem is that the those people are probably to e type the feel whatever the show tells them to feel, regardless of the reality.

[@bryanwigmore7224]

@@rainbowmoon1461 Not sure a piece of media can successfully *tell* someone what to feel against their genuine emotional reaction (or lack of). But I guess they could be convincing themselves they feel something because they think they're supposed to.

[@gregowen2022]

I think seeing death is always sad, so it works on that basic level, but I have a hard time understanding how that emotion would stay with them after the scene is over, since there is no impact to the story or characters. But I'm glad people are finding things to enjoy

[@markusgorelli5278]

If these people watched the animation previously, then isn't their emotion piggybacking on the animation? It is like some people who have watched Dark Crystal : Age of Resistance have remarked that they feel sad watching it. Why? Not because of the storyline being presented, but because they have also watched Jim Henson's Dark Crystal movie and they know that all these characters that they are getting attached to are all going to die in the end in the big genocide to come.

[@John-fk2ky]

@@bryanwigmore7224 movies and shows tell you what to feel all the time with how they frame scenes, the music that accompanies the scene, and how the characters react to the scene.

[@theanimeunderworld8338]

There are some things I liked Seeing the genocide in action, Zuko studying past Avatars to know what the full potential one can be, Aang seeking to learn from his past lives were good But... condensing 24 episodes to 8 is just as bad as a condensed movie

[@LoganChristianson]

Greg said in the video the runtimes are identical between the shows.

[@John-fk2ky]

@@LoganChristianson runtimes may be identical, but they focus on different things. The show, for example, doesn’t show the attack on the Air Nomads, only the aftermath a century after it happened. That means some things are going to get condensed or cut if you spend more time on something else.

[@LoganChristianson]

@@John-fk2ky Entirely irrelevant to his point. The commenter is complaining about "trying to cram too much into too small a time frame," but the time frames were the same.

[@OMGFrijoles]

Albert Kim turned Aang into a responsible Asheen kid who does his homework and goes to bed on time.

[@thaumaticpig]

I'm three episodes in and I am actually planning on giving it one or two more. I thought the combination of Jett, Omashu and the Mechanist was actually a really clever way to adapt the show while keeping things fresh, even if it felt like it was written by a middle schooler (like how Kitara was able to spy Jett sneaking through the city and figure out his whole plan within like 30 seconds of her telling Sokka she'll prove him wrong, lol). I feel like they had good ideas, just not the skills to make them come off as natural

[@gregowen2022]

Obviously I cut it there, but I do genuinely hope your next couple episodes get better

[@palkinator]

My biggest issue with the show is this: Since the original was so perfect and couldn't be topped coupled with the fact that this was doomed to fair whether they tried something new or stuck to the original, why not just do a 1:1 ratio? Why not copy perfection? Almost immediately I was discouraged when Aang emerged from the iceberg and a giant "sky beam" shot out, and I instantly knew they were cutting out penguin sledding-character development. I tried to keep going a bit more, and then the old lady started spewing prophecy-exposition bullshit. I knew right there it was going to be bad and I turned it off right then and there.

[@zeddmapiye]

i watched about 3 episodes realized what a colossal disaster it was had to rewatch the entire carton series just to deal with the traumatic experience of the live action

[@matinoes7191]

the original show was just to good the new one could never live up to it

[@gregowen2022]

Agreed, it was always going to look bad by comparison. Should have done Korra or a new original Avatar story

[@mar.s6516]

I allways thought they should just do story of one of past Avatars - same world and bending, which they did well, but you have freedom to create your own character WITHOUT direct comparison to great anim show. But hearing you here i am starting to like idea of live action Korra, i allways thought it was very interresting even if flawed story, they got lot of darker and heavier with that one too, which seems to be more preferred feel in live action and some mistakes made there could be corrected and improved in live action. Plus you get older actors for that series too, meaning more experience and no need to worry about children growing too fast for next seasons. @@gregowen2022

[@AndreyKrichevsky]

​@@gregowen2022oh, come on. Korra wasn't as good as the original but it was still good... Don't throw her under the live action bus...

[@jcmillzmusic8768]

They were allowed to copy the homework perfectly and they decided to wing it. If ever there was a sign not to trust their own intelligence, this was it.

[@logansgun]

I have no idea whats going on. I'm not really an anime fan or live-action-adaptation fan either. I'm just here to give you a view count and a like because I like what you're doing, Greg.

[@ygsatu]

I was done after I saw what they did to Bumi, who is one of my favorite characters

[@darkdudironaji]

I love your rant near the end about not finishing things that are boring to you. Because the One Piece anime is absurdly boring for a long time. They really had their run time all over the place. So even the fans will say things like, "It gets really good 300 episodes in." Like I don't have anything better to do than watch 300 episodes of One Piece just to hope I might enjoy the next arc.

[@lackofreason722]

Not for me pal, I've never been bored watching the anime so far. Just got past the alabasta arc.

[@alverdeo965]

I haven't watched the anime besides the first few episodes, but I unironically enjoyed the first few arcs of the manga way more than the latter half, so I don't really get the "it gets good after 300 chapters". If anything its more like "it starts to get boring after around 400 chapters".

[@darkdudironaji]

@@alverdeo965 Like I explained, they really draw things out in the anime. The pacing is much slower than the manga. The East Blue Saga TOOK 61 EPISODES! 61 episodes should be covering almost twice as much.

[@فنكجَلِيدٍ]

I have the exact same problem. I never was able to enjoy One Piece, even though I watched some episodes (I lost count), and then they were saying that in 100 or 200 episodes it got better. I then looked at how many episodes the anime has, and decided to abandon it on sheer horrour.

[@JoshuaHopkins-j9o]

"Toning down sexism"... is just code for... "feminists have no sense of humor". Sokka's character was genuinely funny... insightful... and based af. Calling out women on their nonsense isn't "sexism"... and he was always put in check at appropriate times during the original show. Feminism ruins everything it touches... including the shows most grounding influence

[@blueflare3848]

Tell me you’re an incel without telling me you’re an incel.

[@JoshuaHopkins-j9o]

@@blueflare3848... Sokka's original interaction with the Kyoshi warriors is how you teach young men to NOT be sexist. He shows up in town as a sexist... gets his ass handed to him by some girls... actually humbles himself and becomes a better person... and forms an organic lasting relationship based on respect that evolves into love. This is what actual character progression works... and how you teach young men to be men. How did this show handle it... the same way all feminist writers handle everything... with a complete failure to understand how reality works... creating a 1-dimensional boss babe and a cucked man Tell me you are a feminist by completely failing to understand the situation... not being able to refute a valid argument... thus ignorantly slandering someone with useless rhetoric ;-)

[@blueflare3848]

@@JoshuaHopkins-j9o Oh, I’m fully aware. The story never portrays Sokka’s views as being in the right and instead pushes the exact opposite viewpoint. It’s great character development for Sokka, as the strong women he meets challenges his own views and opinions. It’s handled in an overall mature way. But the argument in your original comment isn’t “Sokka’s sexism plays a crucial role in his character development and therefore shouldn’t have been removed” and instead is “sexism is funny, actually. The people who are the butt of the joke just don’t have a sense of humor”. Had your reply to me been your original comment instead, I would have agreed with you.

[@JoshuaHopkins-j9o]

@@blueflare3848... First and foremost... my argument wasn't that "sexism is funny"... though it absolutely can be... my argument was "feminists have no sense of humor"... and that Sokka's character is GENUINELY funny... insightful... and based... all of those characteristics were stripped from him in the new show because why... oh right... because feminists have no sense of humor ;-) Secondly... your response was quintessential of modern feminism... hear something you don't like... can't argue it logically... slander me with rhetoric like "incel" Then I get some diatribe about how I should have phrased my own argument simply because you didn't understand it properly... or let your emotional baggage get the better of you... like all feminists... instead of approaching it logically... yeah that checks out. The last part of my argument was also true... feminism ruins everything it touches... including the shows most grounding influence... which is supposed to be Sokka

[@blueflare3848]

@@JoshuaHopkins-j9o I don’t see how it wasn’t logical. You never once in your original comment talk about Sokka’s growth or development as a character. I just call it like I see it. You talked about about sexism being funny (which, for the record, I dislike sexist jokes towards both men and women, not just one or the other. In my experience they are usually in poor taste and are often just an excuse for people to hate on a particular group and disguise it as a joke. Same with racist jokes). You never once mentioned why Sokka’s sexism is crucial to his character development in your argument. Your comment is literally just, “Ha ha, sexism funny!” You gave no reasoning as to why it works for Sokka and why it’s important for his character. If anything your comment just comes off as someone complaining about “wokeness”. Feminism doesn’t ruin everything it touches by default, but it does need to be handled _correctly._ A good portion of modern writers don’t do this, and you end up with a very forced and on-the-nose message. I dislike these types of stories as much as the next person. However, a movie like Mulan, for example, is a great example of feminism in a movie done right. It does not sacrifice the story or writing for the sake of the message and the message isn’t shoved down your throat either (for clarification, I’m talking about the original animated movie, not the awful live action).

[@0giwan]

"It's better than the Shamalan movie! Great. Earlier today I beat a toddler in a footrace." Slayed me. Also, his point is spot on.

[@dansilvers8052]

I was literally just thinking about the old FFXIII arguments and then BAM you go ahead and bring it up. Like damn I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembered that.

[@gregowen2022]

And some people are still making them about that game!

[@williambillycraig1057]

I lost so much time on the show LOST; the first season was great, the second was good, and the rest were terrible. I wich I knew of DNF then.

[@EricHeidenAuthor]

You might like the graphic novel BAD ISLAND. It came out a year after LOST ended, and the premise is basically what LOST would have been like had the writers actually planned out everything from the beginning.

[@Maiasgameroom]

I made it to episode 5 and decided to quit it there. Completely agree with you that if something isn't working out, it's completely fine to let it go early. We have minimal time and it should be spent doing things that we genuinely enjoy.

[@joshuabaker67]

The original series brings joy to my heart and enlightens us to so many helpful life lessons that are timeless.

[@TheJadedJames]

There is literally a One Piece adaptation that people like. There is no reason this show couldn’t have been successful

[@shinkaiatsuya950]

Lol this comment might be all over the place. I think they relied too much on Flashbacks, and "Team Avatar" felt more like coworkers than friends. Felt needed more scenes of them together. Uncle Iroh, Zuko and half of Sokka was good. The combining of Jet and Mechanist was a fine change. I did enjoy Sokka and Suki, despite the change. Going to specific temples to speak to the previous Avatars I thought was interesting but hope this isn't a thing now and just needed it to unlock that part of himself. Parts of the finally was done fine. What didn't work for me was combining Koh, Hei Bai and Wan Shi Tong, 3 different spirits that represents different parts of the spirit world, they don't need a connection. Azula hard miss. Azula was always strong and had to wait to see her weakness while Zuko you could always tell his weakness and him overcoming it became truly strong. They were opposites, Azula didn't need to cry for attention she got it. I have my gripes with what they did with Bumi, but I think they wanted to show without Avatar no hope with Avatar hope, just think could have executed it better. How in the book of water does Aang not learn waterbending? A big strange line was Zuko saying to Katara you found a master and Katara saying she is the master. Like... what? I don't think its terrible but a lot of room for improvement. I felt like this suffered from the same thing as One PIece live action where they wanted every episode to have an a and b story. Could have saved somethings for later seasons so can get more comradery with main cast. Don't blame anyone that stopped watching it, I wanted to watch it through cause it was okay and did allow me to watch some of the animated series that I had not seen for some time, rare for me to revisit series since so much I want to see and do. Lol I'm probably one of the few that liked FF13 (just 13 didn't play any of the others) because I liked the characters in it. But been a little over a decade since I played it, maybe if I did today I could have a different reaction.

[@SValens]

I agree with all your statements on the show. Their camaraderie is mostly lost. Katara's and Aang's waterbending (or lack of it) was handled terribly. She doesn't even discovered she could heal until she got to the Tribe and she only practiced it like 5 minutes. Aang never trains... EVER. WHAT?! Not even in the Northern Tribe. And Katara recognizes herself as a master... Are you serious? The Suki-Sokka part was awful, forced. Why not innocent attraction instead of going full smooch, specially when the Tribe's princess storyline was coming. It made Sokka feel like a player, lol. And omg, don't get me started on Azula... She was awful, and trying to make her a victim of daddy's cruelty (even if it was to push her), was infuriating. Azula is evil, don't try to victimize her! And Mei... WTF?!

[@shinkaiatsuya950]

@@SValens It just felt weird that the first half they seem to be together but the second half almost seemed like they wanted to separate the characters to tell more episodes. With Katara you know whoever made her a "master" just wanted a "girls get it done moment". It was more believable in the animated series where the reason Pakku turns is because he recognizes Katara necklace showing him what he lost rather than people saying look at cool girl. Katara learning to heal quick was a bit of a misstep but can see why as in episode 16 or original show when she tried it for first time she did it. But a bigger one was saying oh look the healers should help support the walls. Um... no, they have no combat experience so in the middle of the fight them jumping into it would be more of a hindrance. If they were to have learned some things before the fight then maybe could say this but was clear they only know to heal and healing pretty sure different flow of water than combat.

[@ryanleatigaga7596]

I watched up to episode four with my family. It's just... OK. My sister said the same thing about how it's better than the 2010 Shaymalan movie, but the bar was already so low the Sinners in Hazbin Hotel are playing limbo under it. Whoever casted Zuko and Iroh did an excellent job. Zuko at some points sounds exactly like the voice actor, and Iroh's beard is just so fluffy. I want to use it as a pillow. Lu Ten's funeral was SAD. The leitmotif of Leaves From The Vine hurt me to hear. Bumi I really didn't like. He was a lot more chill in the original cartoon, but they made him jaded (haha) which I guess makes sense considering it's been 100 years, but at least the actor tried to have fun with the role. Sokka was a strange case too. He's more serious than he ought to be. Overall, you might as well just watch the cartoon.

[@kayleighackerman1532]

"The bar was already so low the Sinners in Hazbin Hotel are playing limbo under it" This cracked me up 😂😂

[@leviswranglers2813]

I highly dislike that when suggesting that people watch Avatar, I now have to now go "nope not the movie, ope not that show, the original one, yes it's animated, no the live action one isn't worth it. And definitely stay away from the movie." It's already draining.

[@josephbassey1501]

There's no greater difficulty than trying to turn an animated show into live action In the animated world, the freedom of expression is limitless and turning that into live action just going to be a diluted version

[@vl4581]

The review I gave it on Rotten Tomatoes was that it basically turned into a Netflix show. The first 2 eps were good. I didn't like a lot of the changes but I was like it's ok because it's the same journey. Then Eps 3 and 4 happened and I was already seeing what was about to happen. eps 7 and 8 are text book netflix shows (can't wait to be done with them). Female characters morphed into full girl bosses and the filler dialogue became more cringe.

[@gregowen2022]

Hahaha, saying that "they turned into a Netflix show" is so accurate and at the same time and great burn. You're funny comment is now Our funny comment, comrade. Netflix really has a type. They are the Crock Pot of television, it all starts to taste very similar.

[@angryferb1079]

I have to say your point of view surprised me, and also enlightened me a bit. I would like to see your review of the new Hunger Games movie, if you haven't reviewed it yet.

[@astrayblue1]

dude as a dad of three this msg resonated with me hard. i tend to stop watching shows or playing games that dont keep my interest. i value my time

[@tomspiegel5322]

If I'm halfway through a book or movie and I don't want to finish, I don't necessarily just stop. I stop, then skip to the end so I know how everything wraps up.

[@crakhaed]

Relatable

[@somethingsomethingsomethingdar]

Me acting like a hype man in the back "Tell them GREG TELL THEM!"

[@austinmills1652]

Fun fact, a lot of the groundwork for the show was actually set by the original creators before they even left, there’s an interview about it from the Director Kim

[@crakhaed]

Tragic

[@annienunyabiz6627]

I don't care if the writers claim they were fans of the original; they clearly didn't understand the original if they actually did watch it. They didn't understand the dominos they disrupted by removing or shuffling key points. Hell, they didn't even understand that Sokka's sexism not only helped Sokka grow into the reliable leader he became, didn't understand he was only sexist because he was insecure and didn't know how to behave so was overcompensating because his dad left, and they neutered Suki's moments. They made her feel insecure about who and what she is, hiding and holding herself back to make a boy like her. The real Suki stood proudly on who she was and made the boy acknowledge her. It never fails when people who want "strong female characters" have no idea what made the original characters strong and end up making their adaptations weak and significantly more sexist than they think the original was.

[@DragonGoddess18]

Maybe they really were fans but decided to rely on memory alone instead of actually rewatching the show to fully understand the characters

[@GrayskullPrime]

Eh... I'll finish it. I'm not hating it. But I'm not in any hurry to rush to the end. In fact it's really making me want to rewatch the original. Same as Cowboy Bebop did. I only gave Cowboy 3 episodes though.

[@Ragnadave]

3:18 Aang: I'm scared of my power Weren't you just showing off flying around just a few moments ago?

[@joeyobzut1448]

I've seen all 8 episodes, and I'm overall mixed on it. Credit where credit's due, the visuals and casting were good and there was one change made that I really like. It was making Zuko's crew the 41st regiment (the rookies that Zuko defended that led to his Agni Kai and scar), making them his crew was a good idea. But there is some stuff throughout the show that makes me hesitant on continuing with this adaptation.

[@Papamarmottin]

They really tried, but I guess some executive just told them : "Look, we need to cater to those Tiktokers. Keep it really simple!". Anyhow, thanks Greg, and nice seeing you again. And about this DNF... I only buy a book if I pass the 33% mark. How and why? I read books digitally, on tablet, only. I can always acquire them free through diverse channels, but I make it an ABSOLUTE POINT TO BUY A BOOK if I get to a third of its content and still feel invested. This decision came from years of spending an insane amount of money on novels for no reason at all, other than wasted time. A very common theme in the fantasy novel genre, from what I hear from other readers of such content. I must have saved thousands of € in just a few years.

[@LynzArts]

Super random but I have a book recommendation for you if you like fantasy:) Ascendance of a Bookworm. Literally my favorite thing right now Anyway that’s it. Just spreading the word on my favorite slept on series

[@PapaWolfDogZeus]

I was 21 before I DNF'd my first book. I used to read a new book every week. I haven't picked up a new book in 10 years...

[@zinv08]

I stopped at 2 episodes just after the Kiyoshi Warriors because I thought Suki would join the gang. This was the only change that might keep me interested. They didn't do that.

[@kmeyer7246]

Watched the first episode- thought the airbenders were silly old beans: we have information about the fire nation attacking- let’s gather all our kind and have a feast - during a comet and not make any plans to sae our kind… and let’s pretend we would send Aang away by himself to master all elements and fight the fire Lord by himself…

[@stevenschultz9637]

Netflix: "Dear fans, we hear you enjoy *thing*. What if we gave you live action *thing*, only without any of the things that made you love *thing* in the first place? And in their place what if we do identity politics?" Fans: "Probably not..?" Netflix: "I'm not hearing a no." Also Netflix: WHY DO MISOGYNISTS AND BIGOTS HATE OUR SHOWS??!?

[@gregowen2022]

Yep, make a product the fans didn't ask for, change it to appeal to non-fans, blame fans for not liking it. It's boringly predictable at this point

[@sydguitar99]

People saying "they didn't have enough time" they would have had plenty of time if they didn't spend so much time on the air nomad massacre and the random useless Azula arc.

[@dariusharris2539]

He has some really good points. The first, explaining why the show was doomed and uncessasary and the last DNF. Great video all around. Bravo

[@RagingDork]

There was no way even Netflix could afford to do a 1:1 adaptation

[@The9thDirector]

From the very start, I was never going to watch this. I've seen the original Avatar show twice. Once, by myself, then a second time with my son. Absolutely fantastic both times. My belief is, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

[@Alucard2091]

Only good changes are Fire Nation royal drama, Zuko saving scarifical unit during his time in throne room & Iroh and earthbender scene. But rest of it where just so shaky & especially S1 spoils the key components of S2 & 3 leaving itself unprecedented route.

[@TheGalacticWest]

Instead of making an animated movie that expands on the lore we're just gonna resurrect a beloved family member that deserves its rest.

[@ThePrincessCH]

People should see "The Untamed" and "Mo Dao Zu Shi."

[@Jose04537]

They made "small" changes that affect the plot. For example, soka didn't know the face of suki without makeup until season two. Showing her face without makeup killed the joke of sokka been surprise of suki been in ba sin se in season two (he didn't recognize her).

[@Leonardo-xz9xl]

I made it until episode 3 as well, and i think you weren't harsh enough. In most shows with bad writing, usually the writing it's not bad enough to eclipse whatever good aspects the show has, or the good aspects of it are SOOO good that you genuinely don't care for it's flaws no matter how big they are; Avatar LA has the WORST script i have seen in a looong time, it's the first tv show i stopped watching halfway throught it in a while as well; i don't know if i can even say it's a script, it's a first draft at best with toons of agonizing expositions, monologues, and absolutly zero subtext (no, idgaf that they changed the source material; i liked some of the changes they made, but of course the cringe exposition ruins every enjoyment i could get out of it). I've read tons of opinions defending this show, showing it's good qualities and such; and i agree that it has some good things going on; but the writting it's so unbelievable bad i can't justify myself saying it's worth watching, it completely negates any good things it has. I hope it doesn't get renewed, it would validate Netflix's producers that forced the writers to delete any kind of subtext from the script (i'm convinced of this because no writer that gets paid for it can't read this and say it's ok) because they think we have the media literacy of a baby that just poop it's pants; i know that audience this days has more trouble focusing for long periods of time and trying to digest the media they are watching, thanks to crap like TikTok, but if this is really the level of writing we are supposed to accept from media, then we are doom. I'm might being melodramatic over a Netflix tv show, and i don't care, i hate it, 0/10, i hope this garbage doesn't get a S2

[@rabiesbiter5681]

I just found your channel and you give great advice. I watched half of the first episode the other day and felt like I experienced the whole thing. It felt like a bad parody of the original at best, a flimsy knockoff at worst. As creatures of an entropic universe, we have a finite capacity for all things including the capacity to endure suffering. I chose to save my own pain tolerance for more meaningful sacrifices rather than squandering it on so much as the second half of that first episode. It's nice to see others validating my choice, but either way, I know in my heart that it was the second best choice I could have made other than just watching something else to begin with.

[@JustaGuy_Gaming]

It's getting real hard for any show to be good these days. The animated series had something like 22 episodes for the first season/book. This show has what 8 episodes? These "short session" we get these days had ruined many shows through pacing. They either have to rush every thing, dumping tons of exposition onto the audience or almost nothing gets done before you have a year or more to wait for a second season (if the show gets a second season as so many get canceled). Edit: and with live action it's even worse because the slow production pace characters "ages out" of their roles too easily. Or just move onto something else.

[@liljenborg2517]

DNF is actually good advice when it comes to Netflix. If people start watching a series and never finish it, Netflix algorithms recognize this watch pattern and tag the show as a failure. They consider it worse result than a series that doesn't get views or that people hit the "dislike" on without ever watching the show or after watching the full show. You didn't like it, but stuck through the whole thing is a result they can live with. You disliking a show you quit after the first episode or two shows them that you really did dislike the show, that it couldn't hold your interest or actually repulsed you. It shows them that they wasted money making it and are wasting money keeping it on their servers.

[@Will_Parker]

One Piece had a reason to get a live action remake, it's stupidly long and reducing it down that much is a valid reason. Taking an 8 hour season and changing it to... an 8 hour season is so stupid.

[@kaister901]

Another problem is the inconsistencies in the show. For example, Katara is struggling to make a water ball in episode 1. She then gets a pep talk from Aang and instantly masters it. Then by the end of the episode, she suddenly can pull up water from the ocean hundreds of feet in the air. However, in episode 3, she is back to struggling. She went from mastering water bending from way up in the air to struggling with a much simpler water whip. To top it off, in the final episode, she becomes a self-declared water-bending master. She doesn't go through any water-bending training at the northern tribe. She magically, just through her willpower, becomes a self-made water-bending master.

[@Gideon.Dowling]

Greg, what are your thoughts on the animated movie coming out next year from avatar studios

[@ketanight1]

Thank you for saying this. I thought I was crazy when I noticed it, but most people just aren't aware!

[@eireenelily2302]

Of course even the ones that liked the show knew there were flaws, but we still enjoyed it. Because it's just a show and some of us prefer to live our life with hey my glass is half-full attitude and not half-empty.

[@ellypaperclip7367]

I watched the animated show when I was a kid out of order, because I could only watch it on Wednesdays at my grandpa's. I was 10 years old when Korra came out and even back then I decided not to watch it, because I felt that ATLA didn't need more material. I have held on to this opinion to this day and it might be one of the best decisions I've ever made.

[@nachtlicht_0]

Ngl taken out of context the "we see its a genocide so we got that" part sounds wild

[@Burkuagh1]

I watched it because it was fun to see a train wreck and point out everywhere they went wrong and talk about how much better the original was with my friends. The show did do a great job at reminding me why I love the original so much and got me excited to watch it again.

[@Kizzy-qb9si]

This series seems to be directed as an angry mother hybrid animal behind the camera vs koh being behind the camera.

[@bricknfilms3132]

Probably only thing i liked that they changed was that zuko's ship crew turned out to actually be The division ozai was going to sacrifice and zuko opposed. It really show she connetion and that those guys were alive because of zuko

[@AIRLINE500]

I really wanted to enjoy this live action, but halfway through the first episode I knew that it wasn't going to happen, so I quit. Couldn't agree more with you on that. It's sad, but true... entertainment that is not entertaining it's not worth any of our time even if it is from our beloved franchise.

[@jaydeeao]

Your Dad advise is spot on. I am not obligated to finish something because I started it when it's unenjoyable. I don't care that I contribute to low ratings and maybe people losing their job. It they didn't want to lose their job they should have made a more entertaining product. Entertainment should be entertaining from the beginning and give you a reason to continue with it.

[@shanepatrick6836]

I will say that I do agree that it missed the mark in the first three episodes. But the two episodes where we learn about Zuko’s and Iroh’s backstory. In the latter’s case, they created an entirely new scene, that I dare any fan of the original to watch and not cry… the set up is perfectly timed and the scene right before it gives any fan the immediate foresight that the subject is about to get dropped and you are still not prepared for it. The only bad thing I can say about the actor who played Iroh is that it was impossible for him to step out of Mako’s shadow as the OG Iroh… but he still gave you the best attempt anyone could ever attempt… Zuko gives a bit of extra weight to his story by adding a twist on Zuko’s backstory as depicted… and gives an extra reason for Zuko to care for his ship’s crew.

[@rmglover3191]

Thought the "dad" advice was gonna be a 'pro tip.' 🎉

[@Garryl367]

I watched the first two episodes and stopped there. The writing was constantly telling instead of showing. It felt like the show was trying to speed run through the original's plot, which is just strange given that it has a longer run-time than the original and cut out certain elements, which should have made it feel slower and more drawn out. Instead, that time got wasted on the emotionally meaningless Sozin-era espionage and genocide. The changes to the Fire Nation characters were some of the more irksome things for me and showed that the writers didn't understand the source material. Zuko's line about "there's no glory in that" missed the mark for his character, since he's all about honor, not glory. Zhao was a big offender, being transformed from an arrogant representation of the Fire Nation's superiority complex into a schemer. I just can't see him pulling off the swagger for bragging about how he'll be called "Zhao the moon slayer". And then they just completely wrote out the Agni Kai between Zuko and Zhao, which was probably the best scene in the original's third episode; not only was it a brilliant fight to watch, it said so much about the characters in only a few lines of dialogue, provided the first proof of Iroh's true martial competence, and (if you read enough into it) provided an (unintended but no less appreciable) example of Zuko's future battle for the soul of the Fire Nation (honor vs. power). The costumes were good, though. I agree that those worked well, particularly the Kyoshi warriors' face paint. Zuko's scar makeup should have made him look angry on that side of his face, but I'm not going to begrudge them that.

[@philingrouille7198]

Yeah I don't know why this was the big return to the series; a remake. They could've just carried on the series after Korra, or made a series that takes place a few decades after the original series, but the producers thought the fans really wanted to see a rehash. But a friend recommended it and I've been watching it the past few days. The acting is kinda stiff, and some episodes cram 2-3 different episodes from the animated series together that don't work off each other very well. But there are some changes I do like, plot wise.

[@simoncrews9280]

I saw the first fifteen minutes. Saw that they were showing the “airbender genocide” and immediately knew they missed the point of the original.

[@SharpAsRavenClaws]

8:26 I can understand you, but I'm glad that I finished it because the 6th episode is my favorite because of Zuko, Iroh and the crew they have to catch the avatar

[@AndreyKrichevsky]

To be honest, after watching episode 4, i was seriously considering not watching the rest. But my curiousity was stronger so i finished it. I actually liked some of the stuff they did in the later episodes, as well as in the earlier ones. And i didn't regret watching the whole thing. But having watched the whole thing i can confidently agree with every word of this review. This show should have never been made. If they had made an original story it would have been so much easier to like it. Thought that still wouldn't have fixed the writing...

[@frea2191]

I think my biggest problem with the show, besides the wonky acting and expositiondumping, is that the writer/directors seemingly couldnt decide if they wanted to make it a kids-show or one for adults...

[@jarkomo]

I learned a while ago, that these shows are not for fans of the original content. If you are a big fan of an existing franchise, your expectations will never be met. These adaptations are only to get new consumers, that wouldn‘t interact with the original medium (e.g Games, Comics, Cartoons and Anime)

[@hey_mickey1981]

This is probably a true statement. I’m watching this show with my husband right now and for the most part we’re enjoying it. My sons, who are now in their early 20s used to watch the og series. I remember the main plot points and characters but I never got a chance to watch the full series beginning to end. I talked to my younger son last night and he is adamant that if we like this we should check out the original.

[@DKWReshana14]

They made Aang so weak, vulnerable and nerfed in the entire series apart from this final battle, which he gave himself to ocean spirit and no control over anything!! He never did anything heroic in the whole Netflix series; he never decisive, couldn't even win a battle. All he was doing depends on the team entirely, past Avatars and keep moaning about his grief and guilt!! Katara became a master waterbender at the end of the series without a single lesson from an actual master was laughable😅

[@TimothyMorigeau]

When my best friend and I are having a bad time playing a video game, we stop immediately. We don’t care if it seems like we’re being poor sports. We play video games to have fun! We spent money on it. It’s our time and our lives. We don’t play online games just in case you wondered.

[@Blacksmith679]

Invasion of the air nomads? 6:10

[@adaptivegamer9905]

Also can you review the original ATLA! I’d live to hear your thoughts your very well spoken and your dad jokes are hilarious😂

[@gregowen2022]

I'm working on it and I have my kids(who are enormous fans) helping. It's taking a while because once we've started scripting, we realized there is just SO MUCH to say about the original. But I can't wait to get that video out

[@613harbinger316]

Lol, all those clips of elaborate spinning and kicking and I'm thinking... "Just stand still, back up then punch center-mass (add some bending for an extra kick)." Reminds me of that Corridor Crew Lightsaber School video.

[@ThePersephoneDiggen]

The only good change in the show is the reason Zuko has his crew for his mission in episode 6, I wish the creators of the original show has thought of that.

[@areeba7045]

thank you for pointing out the absurdity behind the notion of seeing this adaptation of 'its own thing' and comparing it to the movie lmfao i'm so sick of people shoving their positivity down my throat and getting riled up over people not enjoying it as much as they did

[@Yojack872]

Another reminder One Piece is Peak

[@zeroth88]

I do think some shows and books have slow starts and take off once they get going. Some of my favorite shows or games or books were that way. I dropped Parks and Rec in season 2, then years later picked it up again where I left off and really loved the rest of it and have rewatched it, which is rare for me to do. Season 2 is pretty rough, but everything else makes that show great. Borderlands 2 was the same way. I dropped it after about 10 hours. Then picked up where I left off years later (picked up right before Sanctuary started flying) and finished it out and replayed it multiple times over. I still think the beginning is pretty rough and boring, but once Sanctuary takes off, that game is incredible. Handsome Jack is a phenomenal villain once he gets rolling. All of that said, I absolutely agree with dropping stuff if it's uninteresting to you. I hate doing it, but I just don't have time for bad or mediocre stuff anymore

[@davidjuby7392]

I was out when they started girl bossing Katara when they just suddenly stole Ang's move and gave it to Katara to make her an instant water bending master. That was when I knew all the changes would be to insert the message and make all the women girl bosses even though they were all shown to be phenomenal in the original series the only difference is this series has to diminish the male characters to make the women look even better.

[@scotthenderson3519]

Hollywood is insane. They take a1 in a million stories which are beloved for 20+ years and say....."I think I can do better." NO, You CAN NOT do better. Just leave it alone the story has already been market researched and tested by millions of people for you. Unless you have written a literary masterpiece yourself you have no chance on making an iconic story better.

[@thanaaabdullah3452]

When I say I love your energy and reaction😂😂😂😂 Your dad advice was much appreciated

[@reyarthur2792]

I did the same. 3 episodes, and I was so upset that I had to get a drink. It was that bad to me.

[@austinmills1652]

And when I bring up the fact that the original show had 20 episodes, I should rephrase to it had 20 stories and Netflix only let them tell eight. They got clever in places by mashing a couple episodes into one episode, but that seems to be what everybody still complaining about anyways