How Netflix's live action Avatar failed Katara (aka how to NOT write a female character)

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In this video essay, I point out the flaws in Netflix's live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, specifically with their depiction of Katara. It's not a matter of accuracy to the original Nickelodeon cartoon, but rather important writing choices that make a compelling character.
TIMESTAMPS
⌛ 0:00 - Intro
⌛ 01:45 - Rocket Money [ad]
⌛ 03:05 - Why Katara no longer feels like a main character
⌛ 06:35 - The hero's journey (or lack thereof)
⌛ 11:36 - Katara's anger (or lack thereof)
⌛ 14:51 - Katara's waterbending growth (or lack thereof)
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[@ZChantie]

Katara, Suki and even Yue's personalities changed so much for live action Sokka's benefit. Katara is no longer a multi-faceted character who has a lot of unresolved rage toward the fire nation. She's no longer shown to be jealous of Aang's immediate skills with 0 work ethic. She showed in the cartoon that you can become more skillful than a natural talent with a strong work ethic. She was a more unskilled bender than Aang originally but her passion and drive made it so she could become Aang's teacher. (why does Aang not bend water at all in this 😭) Suki no longer opens Sokka's eyes to the world - he opened hers? Whyyy. It completely takes away her relevance to the story. Why was Yue made a water bender? She connected originally to Sokka as a non-bender trying to contribute to the war efforts. Why does she break up her engagement with Hanh before the gang arrives? It just seems to remove her inner struggle and relevance so she can be an immediate Sokka fan girl. In the writers attempt to "fix" Sokka's flaws, they actually became sexist themselves by making all of the female characters one dimensional.

[@withcindy]

Very well said!! U could tell the biases the writers had with what they choose to center, like Sokka's development and how the other female characters either take a backseat next to him or are there to serve his story rather than their own

[@etienne8110]

This Yue felt like a very childish wishfulfillement adaptation. Like the writers didn t want sokka to be her sloppy second... Real great féminist message...

[@babayaga9805]

Simple because they don't want their characters to have any flaws i mean even ozai don't have any flaw in this show

[@jackieroberts2625]

@@babayaga9805 not Ozai!!!! 😭😭

[@babayaga9805]

@@jackieroberts2625 where did you see his flawed character? He even cries a little while burning zuko's face.

[@Sofianunes12]

People have to understand that there's only ONE really good adaptation of Avatar.... The play from ember island

[@meraki4054]

u deserve a pin

[@withcindy]

Ironically the katara in that ember island play had more emotion than this one

[@jokubasbalciunas6185]

Tbh the netflix Katara feels like the writers room had one Katara hater who ruined everything

[@samanthadiaz2318]

​@@withcindyshe had SO MUCH HOOOPEE

[@mori1bund]

Well... the effects where decent! ^^

[@nismamusthafa4547]

When a "kids" animated show is far more nuanced, mature and subtle than the Netflix adaptation for "adults" you know something went horribly wrong.

[@withcindy]

You can really tell that Netflix modernized the story but in a bad way

[@nailinthefashion]

The craziest part to me is that you learn more in 2 episode of the animation than 2 of the live action, despite there being more material. That’s how flat they made it to stack neatly in 8 episodes

[@thewolfandherbooks]

If I ever write a book, I wouldn't even take 1 million dollars for Netflix to adapt it.

[@wendella.4074]

People complaining that live adaption is too “mature”, but you’re complaining that the cartoon is more matured. These comments are wild

[@Tamaki742]

@@wendella.4074 But no one's complaining that the cartoon is mature, the op is praising the fact that the cartoon is more mature than the live action. Read it again.

[@VC-cx8gf]

its kind of ironic that the show would be less sexist if they made sokka more sexist

[@withcindy]

Male writers are probably so befuddled by this lol

[@ayoCC]

@@withcindy it HAS to be some sort of risk rating agency being like "yeah no this is too risky"

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

@@withcindy Aaaand now you're being sexist. Sexistception?

[@rosyguard]

@@TheStraightestWhitest ?

[@ericr3402]

@@rosyguardthe person you replied to is probably pointing at the video person’s assumption that the sexism from oversimplification of katara and Sakka was probably a male writers idea of how to do it. Part of the issue being that it’s a negative assumption based on the writers sex but also those same complaints have been common among people pointing to shows with female writers. It’s fueled a lot of the public “anti DEI” or anti “sjw” stances around movies video, games, comics, and shows. Those anti “sjw” or “woke” or “DEI” types are often told they are sexist against women for similar criticisms of female writers or characters. I think they may be pointing at the hypocrisy and the overly simplistic sex based stereotyping

[@h4tsuk0i]

Its so ironic that they try to down the sexism in Sokka by actively downing the complexity in one of their main female characters 😭

[@QuicklyLiquid]

not only that but a female character who is constantly grappling for control/power in her life. like all of that agency cindy was talking about with inciting incidents are given away to the plot or even to other characters

[@Ashbrash1998]

It really shows they didn't really care about Sokka being a sexist and what it meant for the story or the characters.

[@emiliapawny4746]

Also, a reminder that throughout the show, Sokka's sexism was never shown as a positive thing - it was depicted as stupid and immature, it was clearly a character flaw he had to outgrow

[@keythealien]

*All the female characters. Some of it would've been excusable because the adaptation squishes so much content into so little time, but literally ALL the female characters, just to make Sokka and Aang the golden boys. For some reason. Because all the people who loved Avatar are old men who love misogyny. Obviously.

[@babayaga9805]

The live action is more sexist than the original cartoon

[@Notnoot2]

The cartoon wasn’t even sexist. It never showed Sokka’s sexism in a positive light - rather it was a negative thing about his character that he gradually outgrew. Like wasn’t the whole point of their adventures that they’re seeing and experiencing the world and growing up while doing so? Sokka came from a very traditional culture and society, and over time by experiencing other peoples and cultures he was able to unlearn his narrow minded viewpoints.

[@FrumiousMing8]

Not to mention that it brings everything full circle at the end of the season. Sokka learning his view of women is wrong allows him to become a better leader and person all around. So when they're confronted with the sexism of the Northern Water Tribe at the end of the season, you understand how far Sokka has come. You can infer that sexism is lingering even in the Southern Water Tribe and that's where Sokka learned it from. So even something as seemly simple as removing Sokka's sexism can have ripple effects that strip away world-building as well as character development. It speaks to a lack of care and thought put into adapting this story.

[@mysteriousfaith1]

the fact that they took out sokka’s sexism bc they said it would make them misogynistic but then pulled this with katara’s character development is really ironic to me

[@withcindy]

whomp there it is

[@VeronicaSipe]

They didn’t want their favorite character to be portrayed as sexist (despite the fact that gave him a direction to grow in for the sake of dynamism), but they didn’t actually know what to do to make a story with strong female characters, even when they were just adapting a story that already had them. Sometimes men are sexist, even good men that we love. It’s part of life for them to get schooled, and therefore an important part of stories sometimes. No one worth listening to was going to cancel Sokka if they left that stuff in.

[@reddemon6668]

@@VeronicaSipedid you see the live action? They also stripped soka of his character. He tries to connect with Suki and at every turn she just tries to throw him to the ground and 1 up him. He’s like a piñata filled with disappointment. Everyone trashes him, or find disappointment in him. He’s so 1 dimensional. Literally the representation of “pity”

[@galaxychar]

@@reddemon6668 I mean in the animated show she kicks his ass infront of everyone, and he comes and kneels and asks for her to teach him. It was better but idk what your issue is with the change from your angle.

[@reddemon6668]

@@galaxychar my issue is that in the animation he deserved to get his but kicked due to him thinking that he was better or stronger than the kyoshi warriors, it taught him humility as well as respect (hence the kneeling). In the Netflix show he doesn’t have a need to be humbled, as he doesn’t have the flaw of being prideful. Instead, he tries to connect with Suki tying the fact they’re both warriors, to start up a conversation, and Suki has to throw it in his face “I’m not just a warrior, I’m a kyoshi warrior” or when Soka is minding his own business, training with the boomerang and she comes just show him how much he sucks with it, followed by a fight she initiates to show the difference in skill. That’s not the only part where the issue takes place, his dad being disappointed he isn’t warrior material is another example, he just exhumes pity, and that’s my issue. It’s a pity that his father doesn’t believe in him, a pity that he’s not a good warrior, that he didn’t truly pass the ceremonial mark of becoming a warrior,and by those standards of his tribe, a man (they could have gone in depth on tackling the issues this one but lost potential cuz they didn’t), and pity that he’s not as strategic, sarcastic, or funny. A pity that not many seems to take him seriously. It’s a pity fest all around which this character

[@DistinctlyMeFilms]

They took away her flaws. And when a character has no flaws they are never going to work.

[@withcindy]

A character without flaws isn't a real person

[@alamedaace8522]

They did this to other characters too, which was so disappointing. They were going for a "mature" take on the story but can't handle giving us nuanced characters that grow and change?

[@wendella.4074]

Other people complaining that the live action Katara is meek and considerably useless, but she’s got no flaws? Make up your collective minds

[@Unhappytimeaper]

@@wendella.4074are you playing dumb on purpose, they took away the collective actual flaws she has as a character because they chose to alter her personality into being meek and mild manner. Just some key flaws Katara actually had; she was quick tempered, easily jealous, made brash comments to hurt people when upset, and smothering, all of what are common flaws majority have and because they altered her personality there was no way to actually fit in the flaws Katara needed to over come

[@myouniverse0613]

What’s up with these modern adaptations downplaying female characters’ struggles? They did the same thing with Mulan. Instead of having to work hard to be a strong soldier from a sheltered girl, they gave her magic that made her already powerful, as if the only way a woman can have any advantage or compete with a man is by being given a head start. Similarly Katara was given everything she needs to excell and was “naturally” good at certain things.

[@jill9978]

Katara IS THE main character for the first season. It’s her perspective, her journey, her arc, and Aang is her manic pixie dream boy (lol). Bold claim, I know, but at least I’d say Katara is the deuteragonist sharing the spot with aang and zuko. She drives the story as much as they do and to act like she’s a side character is horrible

[@withcindy]

Exactly!! We saw the story through her eyes

[@authorindisguise5173]

Exactly. It also allowed Aang to be developed very slowly, almost like a side character, as he matured. Trying to make him the main character early breaks a lot of his future story beats.

[@kiliemorton2849]

Thank you, the amount of people that tell me “no zuko is” “no aang” YALL ARE SLOWWWW

[@Magibatproductions]

I dont like how you just forgot my boy sokka. They a trio

[@Makkaru112]

@@Magibatproductions it’s all wrong the moment they aren’t a full unit as main characters. Just as withcindy said about how it’d ruin the character development would be down the drain and then it’s no longer Avatar. Everyone’s motivations change. Then the things it leads to changes in one big domino effect

[@925263]

First they turn Katara all meek and submissive, THEN they render Azula a petulant child? Can't wait for Toph to be ruined, too.

[@AryaWinnenson]

This is a change i personally welcomed lol, just to mix it up. The original show crafted Azula to be the real villain and just had Ozai as a “final boss”, but they shifted the dynamic in the live action show to have Ozai be a real villain with Azula as a regular acolyte, teasing at a unique path to come for her about being a daughter vs a soldier

[@tarotsushima3332]

With Azula I can see it both ways. Her sheer level of intimidation and threat she had in the original being dulled is obviously a blow to her character but I think portraying her as the 14 year old she always was is actually a good choice bc the number of people who can understand Season 1 Zuko's behaviour as the horrible influence of a shitty father but write off Azula as nothing more than a moustache twirling villain who's evil for the sake of it is more than you'd think. It helps to sort of humanize her more. But that's only if they can nail her character across the board which I doubt

[@ZChantie]

Agreed, Azula was made way too sympathetic in this, she was honestly more like cartoon Zuko in this than Zuko was like himself lol. Her, Mai, and Ty Lee just standing around had some of the most boring shots in this show. They are some of the most interesting fighters and were regulated to 3 girls sitting around talking. Don't bring them in early at all if there's nothing for them to do. Azula has insane levels of control which results in her blue fire and her perfectionism is what leads to her mental breakdown. I thought with choosing between the 3 prisoners scene we were going to get her choosing to fight all three and display her blue fire and win. Instead we got an Azula who talked back to Ozai??? Whyyy, that's Zuko's role. That the Agni Kai was also changed to Zuko actually fighting Ozai and nearly punching him??? Whyyy x2. Edit: I was corrected, I forgot the fight with Zhao happens later so removed that portion from my critique. Thanks!

[@925263]

They can't. The whole point of Azula's character is that she's seemingly perfect and unstoppable, only for cracks to become more and more apparent, until she finally loses it. This Azula started with nothing but cracks. There's no perfection there, or intimidation, or anything. She just exists.@@tarotsushima3332

[@Ashbrash1998]

​@tarotsushima3332 But they also gave Azula in the og show several moments that humanized her. Like we saw her talk about their childhood, her mother thought she was a monster and she was even nice to Zuko. We even saw her dynamic with Ozai and her slow descent into a break down. I can understand wanting to show more but she never stayed just a thin villan.

[@07thfan35]

Something that *really* annoyed me about this adaptation was how, unlike her animated counterpart, Netflix Katara completely sucked at waterbending, unable to even form a water bubble, until Aang gave her some vague advice about balance and energy, and then suddenly she was able do it. It's like the narrative was twisted in such a way that Katara needs Aang, as opposed to the show where Katara was the one who taught Aang his first waterbending moves.

[@withcindy]

very true!!

[@Biancaleigh693]

THIS! This is what pissed me off the most about the show!

[@jakeryan2805]

Its been stated before in their quest to remove "sexism" they made the show ACTUALLY sexist by basically having every girl throw themselves at Sokka, and have Aang be the reason Katara can suddenly waterbend?!! God the writing is so bad. Portraying a sexist culture, and having Sokka, and Katara overcome it to become better is not the same thing as condoning actual sexism. Instead they removed all of the great moments, and character development from the cartoon. The dispute between OG Katara and Pakku was great!, OG Suki beating Sokka, and him humbling himself to learn from her was great. All that thrown out. for crap writing.

[@etienne8110]

It is also an issue with how the bending is seen. In the original they are martial arts. Sure, you need to be gifted, but otherwise it is training and forms. In the netflix it is magic. So mumbo jumbo about balance,move your arms However and boom, magic! No need to train or learn. Netflix katara became a master without any training and aang didn t need to train either, yet you can be sure he ll be a water master in book2. 😅

[@zephyrerazortail5478]

​@@etienne8110This is also why Korra began with a minus from me. How did she even know martial art styles of the other nations?

[@trinaq]

In the original show, Katara was outspoken and fiery, not letting anything get in her way. Suddenly, she becomes meek and submissive, especially where Sokka is concerned. Further proof that the show runners haven't seen the source material.

[@withcindy]

Right?! Every time Sokka told her to do something or stay out of something I was like she would never

[@jackofhearts5542]

OG Katara told Zuko to go drown himself in a river after he took her mother's necklace and she stole a water bending scroll to teach herself waterbending, not to mention, the whole reason Aang was out of the iceberg was because of Katara calling out her brother's sexist bs and losing her temper, LA Katara would never, they removed all her spice ✋🏻 it's weird how 2004 was able to write stronger female characters than today. I don't think it's the actresses fault, she's incredible in other media, the writers and director just seemed to give her absolutely nothing to work with.

[@mori1bund]

In the original show, Katara stepped up after her mother died and took over the motherly role, in the Netflix show Sokka told her to not act always so childish and immature. IMHO the Netflix Katara is a completely different (and actually flat) chracter.

[@alchemistofsteel8099]

It kinds feels like Katara and Sokka switched ​@@mori1bund

[@MewDenise]

Odd... since the creators of this are fans and don't they also have support of the original writers?

[@no-ep3se]

I honestly really liked how oh Katara was kind yet not a pushover she was allowed to be angry at things/be mean at times, without it 'taking away' her kindness and her desire to help people. She felt really real somehow

[@withcindy]

Yeah I appreciated how she had different facets of her character instead of just one quality!

[@samandsophia5632]

Yeah, I like how she was allowed to be a real person, with strengths AND flaws. Just seems like a lot of female characters don't get to do that.

[@etienne8110]

"A girl has her ways" I don t see this katara bullying the bullies back.

[@tsuki3752]

katara feels like a 14-year-old girl in the original. she's fiesty, hypocritical, prone to quips and stubborness, naive, but still very kind and caring. all of her flaws are part of her character, but also just part of her age. the quip at the beginning of this video towards toph is just something a 14-year-old would say to me lol as someone who once was one. she's a kid, even if she tries not to be.

[@dangernoodledee111]

I honestly appreciate moments like when Katara and Toph were arguing because Katara could be petty and not above mean comments. Yes, she was sometimes a bit of a team mom, but she was also a teenager and was just as childish as the others in terms of emotional maturity. I'm personally not a huge fan of female characters whose role is being the sweet, feminine one and nothing else. Katara being kind and affectionate but also short tempered was a breath of freah air.

[@Luiza_Cabral]

The lack of intensity of the katara was what bothered me most about the adaptation. she is a very passionate character, when she loves or hates it is always very extreme and true, she fights, and does everything according to what she believes is right, at the same time that even though she is considered the "mother of the group" she is still a child, so she will throw tantrums, irritate others, be annoying, etc.

[@withcindy]

Exactly! She was a very emotional and passionate character and that's what gave her so much life

[@henrietta9206]

"loves...or hate...very extreme?" gawd im babysitting teen nieces/nephews now cant help but to feel youre describing a brat. never knew. Gosh, brats are so entitled!

[@moisdawg]

not surprising they took away the episode "imprisoned" which shows how bold and powerful Katara really can be, even without much waterbending

[@yourshoulderdevil5229]

​@@henrietta9206 Feeling strong emotions doesn't make you a brat, especially when you're a teenager. Do you not have feelings?

[@recoveringintrovert717]

​@@henrietta9206 I'm a teacher. I teach teenagers. They are all zero to one hundred, angry, hormonal, and full of righteousness because they are learning that the world is cruel. They all act like Katara, male and female, loud or quiet. You must not be around kids much. Katara is a normal girl

[@Layla-dd9pg]

You can't have Aang's hero's journey without Katara. She is the heart of Gaang. The driving force. A huge part of Aang's own character development. They grow together, not apart. They've made her passive and useless, but Aang hollow and too mature at the same time.

[@withcindy]

yes! katara is integral to the gaang and for that reason cant be relegated to a supporting role

[@jackieroberts2625]

Oh my God yes, Aang is such a nothing character, lacks agency and just goes wherever the plot flows it's so freaking sad

[@samiai8905]

Katara was one of the most important characters for me, she not just set a standard for how female characters should be written, but showed me how dark skinned girls could be loving and fiery and compassionate and determined! That was so important for me when I was a kid figuring myself out. "I'll never turn my back on people who need me!" has stayed with me for a decade and it's become part of my own moral code. So glad I never watched this garbage to see what they did to her.

[@withcindy]

ughh so true she was such a great character for girls!!

[@donkeykong3628]

She is my favorite character in the show, so this makes me sad lol

[@Jeshiae]

Yeah, I saw the casting for this and noped out immediately lol. Katara was such a formative character for me as a young brown girl, so I knew that I would hate this rendition on principle. Also, add me to the list of people who have internalized "I'll never turn my back on people who need me"... I can't say I've fully lived by this, but it has played in the back of my head for a very long time. The Painted Lady is probably my favorite episode.

[@07Flash11MRC]

@@Jeshiae " I saw the casting for this and noped out immediately lol.": Okay, but who should have been casted as Katara then? And remember, it would have had to have been a Native American girl around the age of 14 when they started filming.

[@ptheorist4670]

So they tried to remove Sokka's misogyny because it was "iffy" (fully ignoring the fact that he grew out of it, giving the message that people CAN grow out of their toxic views) so it was "progressive" or something... and then they removed Katara's agency, characterization, and importance in the story. Because that's not misogynistic.

[@emiliapawny4746]

But that would actually require them to give her flaws which the audience could find annoying. So what if those flaws were something that she had to confront and reflect on during the challenges she was met with and something that allowed her to grow throughout the show. Yes, she was naive, stubborn, hot-headed, and sometimes too kind-hearted for her own good, but she was also a 14-year-old raised in an isolated culture where a certain behavior was expected of her

[@ella0630]

and it made so much sense for sokka to be misogynist because of the way he grew. in the water tribes the men were fighting while the women stayed back, so him growing out of that way of thinking was so important for his character

[@IdirisHasan-hf1ol]

​@@ella0630That is how life is men fight and women stay back

[@Sina-dv1eg]

​@@IdirisHasan-hf1olWatch how much I "stay back" when I slap your ass

[@Glory_To_Ukraine135]

@@IdirisHasan-hf1ol Go tell that to the Ukrainian women who fight in the wаr on an equal footing with men

[@fusetunes]

limiting good female characters who were considered ‘annoying’ by the fanbase and turning perfectly fine animated shows/movies live action for the sake of being ‘adult and realistic’ are like my two biggest pet peeves in media right now… and i just finished atla for the first time so this is a perfect storm of a video for me

[@withcindy]

Omg u watched atla for the first time?! What are your overall thoughts?

[@ky-passley4769]

and the thing is, nobody found Katara annoying, She was naive but in an endearing way. My pet peeve is making female main characters flawless, just to try and push some agenda, its like they forget women can still be weak but have strong characters (katara early on) and be strong while having flaws (katara later on).

[@ladieslovecj]

​@@ky-passley4769 idk if youve ever been involved in the atla fandom but soooo many people found her annoying pre natla for some bizarre reason, they constantly ragged on her for all the things we're now appreciating her for, saying she was whiny, talked about her mum too much, over motherly, rude etc. (but naturally that was mostly incel men saying that, but it quickly became the common opinion which really sucked)

[@Rita-kx3yr]

I'm going to be honest and explain why I felt Katara was annoying as a kid. I was around 9 or 10 when ATLA came out and the youngest girl in my family. I also happened to have a bossy older sister. At the time, Katara embodied alot of the parentification and traits I hated dealing with my own sister. It didn't help that I later had a bit of a pickme /femme things suck stage. Funny enough I think Toph and Katara really demonstrated our relationship at the time, maybe that also played into my love of Toph. Either way, I only started to really appreciate her as I was forced into caretaking role by my family, and had to confront the societal and familial pressures that I managed to avoid as a child. Katara still isn't my favorite character, but I think she's a character that's much easier to appreciate once you've matured a bit? Like it's very easy to love Toph, Sokka, or Aang when you've never been a position of responsibility. And it's easy to position Katara as the teacher pet/fun sucker, but its obvious how important the role she played in group cohesion and geneal health of the party. Like otherwise, team Avatar would've shown up to the Bei Fong's malnourished with holes in their pants. Due to the way the Northern Water tribe is structured, it would've taken at least 2 people to replace her: a waterbending warrior and healer (and cook/sewing/avatar therapist/etc). So yeah, Katara is pretty neat. It totally makes sense that adult fans can see it. Don't know what the Netflix production team was on honestly.

[@luluzin5022]

The reason why Katara can go from hopeful and motherly to angry is because she values trust above everything. Katara will trust anyone once, but if you betray her, then she is out for blood. When she ran into Jet in Ba Sing Se, the guy merely talked to her and she attacked him on sight. Same thing when Zuko joined the Gaang; Katara was the last one to forgive him because he already betrayed her trust once. Just because a character has two personality traits that seemingly contradict each other, it doesn't mean they are inconsistent.

[@bsommervold]

To add on to your criticism of the opening, the world doesn’t know that Roku died until Aang is found. That’s why the original intro says vanished. It’s small but Netflix misunderstood the set up out the gate. Katara literally saved the world by finding him

[@withcindy]

Ooo very good point!!

[@small_and_dangerous2068]

Sozin knew, he left Roku to die. That’s what incited the Airbender genocide. So unless word of Roku’s death didn’t reach the rest of the world, then yeah what you said makes sense. But you’d think that someone like Roku’s wife would probably realize/ surmise that he died during the volcanic eruption. So she would likely spread the word that the avatar has died. Not to mention the air nomads knew Aang was the Avatar. So I feel like it gets a little confusing. Wouldn’t word be passed down that the Airbender avatar was never seen? That HE was the one who vanished? Because he technically did.

[@small_and_dangerous2068]

I mean she still saved the world by finding him. But yeah I find it hard to believe they wouldn’t know that the next incarnation went missing

[@bsommervold]

The fire nation royal family knew but not the world. Did some probably figure it out? Sure, but the avatar cycle was stalled and only continued because of Katara Imo vanished was specifically chosen to indicate the mystical nature of the avatar to most of the population. They could have used plenty of other words (gone for example as with Kya) Gone brings to mind done/finished/over Vanished, while almost similar, creates a feeling of mystery/unresolved nature It’s probably more my interpretation than fact but I still think the word choice indicates how active Katara was as a character. He vanished she found him

[@small_and_dangerous2068]

@@bsommervold oh I agree, she definitely saved the world by freeing him. Whether he was Roku or Aang. My only point was that I think it makes sense that the population would know that Roku died. There was a 12 year span before Sozin did anything to start the war, so in that time the world was still in peace. So I would think Roku’s wife would spread the word and it would pass to other nations. And you’re not wrong, Aang did vanish.

[@Nachtmusiks]

Netflix forgot to watch Cindy's ACOTAR vs Avatar production video. This whole catastrophe could have been avoided if they animated Rhysand big shlong instead of Appa

[@withcindy]

Exactly

[@La-PetitMort]

Well, yes!

[@A2daM2daZ]

My theory is that whoever produced this show wanted to hit certain social media talking points, and they were all based off the ATLA resurgence in 2020 where all the discourse online was about how tragic Azula is, how great Zuko and Iroh were, and how underrated/funny Sokka was. And you can tell, because those are the characters that I felt got the most focus on the show (whether or not you like their portrayal, they certainly got more highlight moments). It's how they justified introducing Azula so early. Giving Iroh Leaves From the Vine so early. Making Zuko sympathetic earlier. Giving Sokka scenes he simply never had before. I like the idea of developing certain characters more, who didn't get as much development in the original series, but not at the expense of your MAIN characters. The driving force of the show. And especially when it comes to comedy, this is just my particular gripe: most comedy works bc someone is playing the straight man to your funny. In Sokka's case, or Aang's, it was always Katara, who was more serious, and even at times, impatient, and easy to rile up, that made they're antics hilarious. So without having to tell a joke herself, Katara was also a key part in the comedy of the original. They removed the significance of her role in so many ways she doesn't even get to be part of simple jokes other than standing in the background and laughing like an NPC. It's been talked to death at this point but I will never get over how they ruined her, and honestly, most of the characters in this show. Another disappointing Netflix cash grab for the garbage.

[@withcindy]

thats a really good point!

[@galaxychar]

And it’s sad that Azula who was my favourite character comes across as someone completely different now. She used to be someone menacing and has this wall up around everyone that’s as high as the expectations on her.. and in this show, she comes off as Zuko’s pathetic kid sister. It’s such a weird angle to take and my family didn’t understand what we were meant to get from her.

[@Makkaru112]

​@@galaxycharshows how hollyweird views women and to push a narrative and I'd we say anything against it like against ROP we're suddenly racist pigs

[@curlzOdoom]

I disagree a little bit, especially with first season Katara! Her and Aamg always got Sokka riled up with their antics. There were many moments where Katara and Aang wanted to do something stupid (like go into fire Nation territory for a festival if i remember correctly) and Sokka TRIES to be a leader and say "no, that's dangerous" with both Katara and Aang completely ignoring him, stressing Sokka tf out lol.

[@A2daM2daZ]

@curlzOdoom no I agree with that. I guess I'm just thinking overall in the series thats the role she settled into. Being the more responsible series. But of course I can see how she was multifaceted from the beginning. She's immature. Sassy. Sarcastic. She gets in on the pranks sometimes too. But I was just pointing out that even when she's NOT actively being funny she's still passively a part of the humor.

[@killercutie]

The bar was in hell and somehow they missed it when it came to the character writing, no wonder the original creators left. I would too smh.

[@withcindy]

The creators leaving was a huge red flag

[@killercutie]

@@withcindyDefinitely, we should have seen the writing on the wall then.

[@ayceinquisitor190]

While I think the creators did a good job with atla and should've taken more mentor mantles for a new group of writers for korra, them leaving the netflix adaptation for "creative differences" that's basically game over. It feels like everyone forgot how The Witcher went and made Henry Cavill leave for the same reasons, because One Piece actually pulled off its adaptation. But One Piece actually had the creator still working with them. And One Piece actually had interesting changes. Why can't money be spent on good stuff?

[@etienne8110]

​@@ayceinquisitor190only half the original writing team followed on korra. The ehasz couple wasn t there. They were in charge of some of the most iconic episodes of atla. My take is that dimartino and koniestzky were the idea guys and the ehasz were the builders, the ones who mastered the writing techniques. Their episodes are those with the most sow and ripe and symbolic symetries. When all four are together there is balance in the world😅

[@ohood1788]

@@etienne8110 I think people put ehasz on too high a pedestal. Don't get me wrong he did incredible work on atla. Although, my personal favorite atla episode is "the beach" which was written by katie matilla, who also wrote some of my favorite korra episodes as well. Mike also has some pretty great episodes under his belt. The point is so many people contributed to the writing of atla so its success can't be attributed to just one or two people. Hell Aaron's own show the dragon prince, while I love it, is nowhere near as good as atla and in my opinion not really better than korra. Atla was a group effort and I don't think we as fans can make assumptions about who was responsible for what because we weren't in that writers room. The combination of all those people is what made the show so great and I think singling out one writer over the others is unfair and kind of disrespectful to the other writers.

[@Cexxiii]

No cause why did they girlbossify Katara even though she was already a badass??

[@nectarinn3]

Even worse, they tried to girlbossify her after taking away any anger and sass from her. She's a wet napkin in the live action and yet they still try to make a girlboss moment for her xDD

[@Sofianunes12]

Marketable girlboss disguise as feminism honestly

[@Cexxiii]

@@nectarinn3 you could deadass replace her with a wet towel that could waterbend and that wouldn't change Netflix Katara at all

[@withcindy]

Imo she didn't even feel like a girl boss. She felt like a girl that was just there

[@Cexxiii]

@@withcindy that sounds like a better way to describe it tbh

[@seraphiccandy21]

Bumi was also done dirty, his whole character motivation was completly 180. Like in the cartoon he was literally motivated by wanting to play a game with Aang

[@nvlm1858]

I'm so mad about Sokka's sexism. Because young audiences that would watch this version wouldn't have the chance to see their biases and unlearn their harmful behavior and in general see how a person can grow and change their opinions

[@Unhappytimeaper]

What is so ironic to me is they removed the sexism but don’t understand… it came up like twice in the original. Episode one Sokka makes a sexist comment to Katara and in episode 4 which is when he got his ass handed to him before genuinely being a better person. The way the creators talk about it make it seem like Sokka had all of these issues until like the end of the show when it was such a small aspect that did so much for his character and characterization of the water tribes. I love the fact that the nations are given rooted cultural flaws that impacted the characters and that the characters worked to change those mindsets without having to reject everything else in their culture. It just gives off lazy and not understanding how to properly pace out a show if they didn’t even care to understand why he was like that, how he changed, and how to tackle that type of story

[@laiatezenas3300]

This is what bothers me the most! 😩

[@javierlopez9789]

You are all giving it far more importance than what it actually has, nowdays people can get cancelled for the anything contrary to the 2000s so that message is really redundant nowdays.

[@Dekedence]

and the thing about Sokka's sexism was it was so entitled and pompous. Even if you don't see it's ugliness yourself as you witnesss it inside the bubble of the southern water tribe, you're soon presented it as an objective negative trait / character flaw once the gang explore the wider world ... especially when he gets his ass kicked by Suki. It's removal from N-ATLA robs Sokka his first character arc. He might be a goofball, but it's the audience's first glimpse into him maturing. Without it, it kinda makes his whole warrior/leader arch in the last book seem less plausible.

[@atinybruh]

​@@Dekedencepompous is such a funny word, never heard of it, what does it mean?

[@intensivepurpose]

Me having the lightbulb moment that Katara is the main fucking character in ATLA. How did I miss this?

[@withcindy]

I missed it too since aang is also a main character and literally what the show is named after, but when I thought about the differences, I realized that from the very beginning, we saw the whole story through katara's eyes with the voiceover for the monologue, the intro, the inciting incident, etc

[@sandraa9117]

I’m late, but to add a little bit on to this the story doesn’t begin without her. If her mighty but unrefined bending ability hadn’t cracked the iceberg we would have the avatar.

[@javierlopez9789]

Uh no thats not how it works just because we see her pov doesnt mean she is THE main character, the story doesn't revolve around her it revolves around Aang, she is there for the ride but she doesn't move the story, Aang does.

[@bobowon5450]

shes a deuteragonist

[@shirbar7858]

​@javierlopez9789 don't get me wrong, Aang is the main character, is the one who needs to save the world But the story very much also revolves around her, about how she also wants to come to the north pole, learn new things, go outside of her village, yes, the main story in Aang getting to the north pole, but she have a journey of her own, one that revolves around her, and one that goes alongside Aang

[@averagejoereads7271]

Well, if there’s one thing the live action did right, it’s highlight how integral and amazing a character Katara was in the original show 😅

[@withcindy]

truuuu i miss my girl

[@Isabelle-hv6ny]

Maybe they made this so they can show it to the Katara haters how important OG Katara actually is. I miss her. Why do we get this horrible written female characters. I just want flawed girls and women

[@AryaWinnenson]

Rewatching the cartoon recently it was so impressive how you could tell she was “mature” because she had to be because of her village’s expectations but she allowed herself to express anger on the journey with her peers because there was no real sexist “caretaking” expectation of her, especially after receiving immediate respect from Aang as a fellow bender. It was every bit her journey and Sokka could come too i guess lol

[@withcindy]

Yesss exactly!

[@etienne8110]

First episode, literally. Aang and katara are sledging on penguins. Katara "ahaha, i haven t done this since i was a kid" Aang " but you are still a kid." 10sec. 10sec and all is said. Katara had to step up and stopped playing and doesn t see herself as a kid anylonger. One line... And this adaptation couldn t even find the time for this... Edit typos

[@imbon3958]

@@etienne8110This. I can express enough how excellent the first episode was. So quickly with one line they could establish so much.

[@angieng6091]

hollywood stop ruining beloved childhood franchises with bad live-action remakes challenge: impossible

[@mori1bund]

Sokka about Katara in the animated show: Katara acts motherly because she stepped up and took so much responsibility. Sokka to Katara in the Netflix show: Katara, don't act always so childish!

[@jacobd1984]

With most of the characters I can understand the writers had a tough balance of toning them down to work in live action and trying to get the core of the character. But Katara is barely recognizable. Where’s her passion? Where’s her stubbornness? Temper?

[@withcindy]

She felt like a totally different character

[@katiehicks3535]

I was really trying to give the show a chance, so I didn't start to get really unsure about this new Katara until the waterbending scroll. In the animated show, her stealing that scroll from the pirates was selfish and short-sided, and when she was called out for potentially endangering the whole mission, she was unapologetic. In the live-action, the scroll is just given to her, and its revealed that her family had it all along? Not only does it not make much sense, but it eliminates all the depth from that character. Cindy also mentions Sokka's flaws being erased, but for me the even more glaring one was Aang. His immaturity and refusal to step up and be the Avatar is pretty much the ENTIRE plot of the first season. Its the reason they do just about everything! In the LA, they go to Kyoshi Island deliberately to talk to Kyoshi and get information, and they go to Omashu to investigate the fire nation. In the animated series, both of those episodes (and many more) were predicated with Aang goofing off and avoiding going to the North. His journey from a kind of annoying and immature kid in season 1 to someone who is willing to sacrifice everything to save the world despite only being, like, 12 years old is amazing. Many, many people have already said this, but character growth is what made the animated show so great. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko are directly contrasted with characters like Ozai and Azula, who never grow or change. I understand that the reason behind this was 100% because they were not sure if the would get more seasons from Netflix, and were even less sure that people would continue watching past season 1, and so they didn't want to rely on people sticking around and watching that growth, but it still sucks. Streaming has so fundamentally altering the way we consume stories (and not always in a good way).

[@withcindy]

yup so many of the characters were watered down!

[@chelsiemcnatt335]

I never thought much about her character literally being the Narrator of the story. It really does center her as a main character. Hers are the eyes we are seeing this adventure through. This is a story about a girl and her brother finding the savior of their world and their journey to save the world with him.

[@withcindy]

Exactly! The story is told from her point of view

[@AveryKatumba-Nakabaale]

I hope they give her back her brattiness, ambition, anger & motherly nature because this portrayal is not going to land in the next season. That Katara will not be able to get the gang through the desert, abet Aang out of anger when he loses appa, have regular fights with Toph, trick the gang to stay in a poor village because she wants to help the people there, etc. the fight with paku didn't land because the husk they created was bland at best.

[@withcindy]

Exactly!!

[@palomaaguilera7694]

They are removing Toph blindness apparently

[@AveryKatumba-Nakabaale]

@@palomaaguilera7694 I wouldn't be shocked.

[@etienne8110]

There s only so much you can fix now. Some things have already been settled (sokka stepping up after their mother s death instead of her for ex) and Can t be backtracked... It doesn t bode well for the rest. Especially when you consider afew things: they ll have more things to cover but with not more time... And the "writing" team hasn t changed...

[@chihirospirit]

@@palomaaguilera7694wtf that’s an integral part of her character and backstory they can’t just take that away 😭😭

[@mrswhiddleberry]

katara being both maternal and cruel was such a great parallel to how water can give and it can take. shes as gentle and protective as a pond but also aggressive and angry as waves in a storm. her flaws gave her room to grow and not just be aangs hype girl. how are you gonna look at such a great character and take all the interesting parts away?? now im worried how theyll execute her scenes with zuko or the blood bending moment :\

[@MysteryDisc]

I tried to get through it. Thought I was going to drop it when Suki was all, "I've never seen the outside world 👁👄👁" but what they did with Bumi was the nail in the coffin for me

[@Dzaeli]

"we're going to tone down Sokka's sexism by putting it into the structure of the narrative itself so we never have to unpack that"

[@miryoku7]

I was saddened to see my strong, bold girl turned into a passive background character. The show runners really needed to watch the source material.

[@sans-ii1yc]

That first clip, katara was really the most, she deserved the best

[@AwqCutie]

They took the sexism out of sokka's character and put it in the writer's room

[@user-vx3ll2cb5n]

This video puts my thoughts into words!! The female characters were written so terribly in the show and ironically the show runners thought that the cartoon was "iffy." Completely agree about Yue seeming like a manic pixie dream girl 😭 it was so hard to watch what they did to my girls in this show.

[@withcindy]

they took out sokka's sexism while following sexist biases themselves LOL

[@salmaterserah5137]

The show runners thought the cartoon was iffy? Aw hell nah. Everyone knows the rules of adaptation is to respect the source material. Even if you disagree with some direction or choices made in the original, it's very important to still respect the source material. Especially if your target is the source material fans!

[@samsaraatkis6098]

I know that this video is about something different, but I just want to mention how horrible it is that people are fatshaming the child actors (particularly Azula and Mai), and making up horrible rumours about them online, when it's not their fault but the productions. (AND THEY LITERALLY JUST HAVE ROUND FACES????)

[@withcindy]

Yeah I hate that azula is dealing with so much BS :(

[@jackieroberts2625]

Exactly, I'm worried this amount of hate could affect the girls mental health bcos it's getting real absurd and I wish they would just stop body shaming them like it's fucking messed up

[@lulukulu5489]

Not being a devil's advocate but Elizabeth Yu isn't a child, same with Zuko, the others like Mai and Tylee will turn 18 and 19 soon, the Aang actor is the few that you can call child actors

[@withcindy]

@@lulukulu5489 its still a shitty thing to go thru regardless of how old u are though!

[@lulukulu5489]

@@withcindy yea absolutely true, im just saying so people dont correlate the actors age to the characters

[@badaboop2035]

i loved katara's anger because it showed how the things in her life affected her. like it felt like frustration building up constantly and coming out in bursts

[@withcindy]

And it was tied to her bending!!

[@gauriganesh1070]

I stopped after the first episode, but it makes no sense for why she was done so dirty. The original source material wrote her perfectly, there was NOTHING to reinterpret or rewrite, and this is how they fucked up???

[@withcindy]

I get that they had to condense some things to make it eight episodes, but there were a lot of changes that clearly were not because of time restraints. And the ones that were because of time constraints, shows that the story wasn't meant to be a short series

[@sopranoshelley]

@@withcindy Except each of the 8 episodes is longer than the episodes in the original series. The live action avatar's first season is 480 minutes long. The original avatar's first season is 460 minutes long.....they had plenty of time!

[@annajung1234]

@@sopranoshelley The live action is actually about 20 minutes shorter than the original. But 20 minutes is nothing for such a series. They are of approximately the same length.

[@sanjomaz]

No but- what really bothers me about this version of Katara is that her bending ability doesn’t seem to be at all associated with this girl’s inherent sense of *passion*. She is enraged, and she breaks an iceberg. She is betrayed and scorned by Jet, she freezes him to a tree. She is determined to protect Aang, she makes a tidal wave and freezes Zuko on a cliff. She faces a waterbending master (while still being a novice bender) just to make a point that women can fight. She learns from her mistakes (and develops discipline). She never needed validation from anyone, nor did she need to be a master bender before she could show the world that she was a confident, brave woman. NATLA seems to tell us that it was only after she gets these abilities that Katara finds her bravery and ferocity, and it should’ve been regardless of that. Here, Katara’s waterbending doesn’t seem to be a deep part of her identity as much as it is something that she’s picked up like a hobby overnight after flip-switching a bit of trauma in her psyche.

[@remy2718]

I get the impression that the industry as a whole seems to think "good female characters = unrelatable people without flaws who immediately excell at a given skill". It's so shallow, I hate it

[@sasukesbussy7101]

People are too scared of making their female characters “unlikeable”. Cowards

[@waffle_fries9322]

Tbh I'd love to hear what Katara's actress acc thinks about the script bc in interviews she seems like Katara's number 1 fan, citing both the cartoon and the comics! If the live action script was a spice it would be flour

[@Dekedence]

the cynic in me would put her upbeat interviews down to media training. There's been plenty of recent situations - Snow White, The Marvels, Madame Web - where they've bashed either the source material or their final product in interviews and later been wound back to something more "hollywood palatable".

[@calamitysangfroid2407]

I watched Avatar a long time ago and never rewatched the series start to finish, but when you talked about Katara's hero's journey, it made me realise that she and Sokka were in the same position as Aang. They were the last of their kind. The last Southern water bender and the last warrior. So it made even more sense for them to go with Aang. And Katara's rage made the journey to stop the Fire Nation so much more personal. It feels like the writers decided that Aang was the Hero and that made Katara the Love Interest, his maiden, who has to be pretty and agree to whatever Aang needs. In truth Aang was the pacifist and Katara was the fighter.

[@KrisMF]

thank you !!!!! katara's writing feels so much flatter in this adaptation. you lose her anger and ambition! her water bending went from 0 to 100 lol... my other big issue with this show isn't that they wanted to make narrative/structure changes (that's inevitable, given the change in medium) but that the writers do nawttt trust the audience at all. every scene is telling > showing so somehow the live action ended up feeling *more* childish than the cartoon. i think the team hasn't nailed down a consistent tone or vision yet which is a shame bc the CG and even the choreography is pretty good! they've said "we want to make it more mature" but that doesn't just meaning showing the airbender gen0cide on screen?? that also means the writing should be utilizing subtext, thematic throughlines, etc. though since this has been renewed for future season(s), i really hope the writers can give these actors better material to work with 😭 Kiawentiio is great. if her script was better i think she could really bring something to this role

[@withcindy]

I definitely think the overtelling instead of showing is due to them having to constrain everything into eight episodes, which really goes to show how the story was not meant to be adapted this way. This results in mostly every piece of dialogue having to be exposition

[@KrisMF]

@@withcindy 1000% the moment the original showrunners walked away, i knew we were about to get a MESS lol !! at the same time, i think ep 6 (masks) showed flashes of how this show could have worked if they were capable of creating small narrative changes that *don't* compromise character writing. (i think the small details with zuko and his crew is an example of how you can do exposition through showing > telling. even if it's minor) then again, ep 6 is only one of 2 episodes where the original showrunners were involved in the teleplay so 🥲

[@Sinewmire]

​@@withcindyfrustratingly, 8 hours isn't actually that much less than the animated 1st season.

[@theonegoldengryphon]

One of my favorite moments in the original show is when Sokka and Toph are talking after Toph and Katara had a huge blow-up argument about Katara mothering Toph too hard, and Sokka admits to Toph that since their mother died, Katara had to step into her role, and now whenever he thinks of his mom, the only face he can picture is Katara’s. With Netflix basically removing those aspects her character, I really don’t think they could pull that moment off if they attempt to. They’ve done absolutely none of the character work necessary for it to land.

[@TamilaSushkova]

Katara was angry as a result of her upbringing too - her anger being a catalyst to finding the Avatar also adds to the fact that Aang calms that anger. If she wasn't angry and didn't break the ice, how is Aang also going to help her develop? She's always been forced to be the healer, the mom friend and here comes Aang who is goofy and childish and they balance each other out. She can help him but he also helps her by giving her moments to have fun and be a child. Also you saying that they're showing Aang as the sole main character makes zero sense (it makes zero sense to have it at all) because Katara was such an important character and her development helps Sokka, Aang and even Toph later on! Also, the entire cast have so much chemistry off-screen than they do on-screen so it definitely is on the writers absolutely. She is such a beloved character for so many especially the eldest daughters that are pushed into the mom friend role and have to be on guard all the time and yet, we have seen that Katara is kind, and she's protective. She's flawed and that is what makes her relatable! All in all, agree with all your points lol

[@gays4wumbology396]

Netflix treated the female characters how shonen anime treat their female characters, I’m so disappointed 😭😭

[@areeba7045]

This is a perfect description imo. Live action Katara has the same lack of depth and surface level badassery I've seen a lot of female characters have in shounen anime

[@TheDemonCurupira]

You pointed it out a little with Kyoshi doing the intro and Sokka but I personally think it's much more than that. Katara's lines/scenes/motivations have been taken and given to many different characters if they're not left out completely! Kyoshi, Gran-Gran, Suki's mother, even Sokka and those are just the instances that I noticed directly. Other instances might be obscured by the storylines being mashed together. Arguably Bumi, the most "Chill" character, has the anger that Katara should have. It's like they just sucked out all her scenes, personality and character motivations and distributed them elsewhere, which is why she's such a nothing character.

[@withcindy]

Great points!

[@leviscozyworld]

Katara is also the only water bender in the tribe. Sokka may be the only man because the others have left for war, but katara feels the weight of protecting her entire tribe if fire benders attack again. It’s part of her reason for wanting to become better. Erasing that and giving all of that pressure to sokka is so evil!! Also the creators im pretty sure knew how many seasons they had going in and mapped the timeline of the show for it, so katara being strong enough in her anger to break a 100 year old iceberg was a sign of her latent power, and how her growth would eventually match that energy. To see her so washed out and one dimensional like oouuuuuu Netflix u will pay !!

[@withcindy]

I didn't get to include this in the video but there are parts where Sokka tells katara to stop being so childish, stop acting like a little girl, etc and katara just backs off?? OUR GIRL WOULD NEVER

[@mysticwater9056]

Katara was one of my childhood heroes and to see how dirty they did her just made me feel so disappointed and mad. They took a character with so much life, passion, love and vigor who was the heart of team avatar and the show as a whole and made her this meek, timid girl who barely even matters anymore like hello!? What the f#%* were the writers smoking when they wrote her lines like my god it’s almost a skill to misconstrue a character this poorly.

[@withcindy]

when sokka told katara to stop being a little girl and she just took it i was like SHE WOULD NEVERRRR

[@mb7626]

And they were handed a great character on a platter, like most of their work was already done for them! I get that a lot of writers don’t get more complex female characters, or find it harder or less worthwhile to occupy a more feminine perspective. It sucks but you just come to expect it, and then are surprised when you actually get something thoughtful and good. But here all they had to do was follow most of the beats that were already laid out for them and they were still just too timid or disinterested to even approach it. It’s so baffling.

[@komos3719]

Right, taking Katara away from being a central role made it feel really weird. I missed the back and forth snark between the siblings and her being so headstrong. Also her lack of effort towards her waterbending is actually insane. In the animation, she values her bending *so* much as a connection to her culture. She's actually similar to Aang in that being the last bender from her tribe is something that her people fought to protect and something she looks to preserve.

[@hanabiramochi]

THE TOPH REMARK!!! To TLDR my brain's reaction of Netflix turning Katara into a piece of cardboard was literally one of my first thoughts, within the first 2 episodes: "This `Katara` would never antagonize a blind person" 💀💀💀

[@charliecarrot]

Totally agree. They ruined Katara's character, and for what? To focus on Aang? Aang in the live action isn't relatable or interesting at all - he has all these visions and he magically knows so much about the spirit world, but where's his growth and motivations? He has flaws, but they're not explored enough. I think they handled the Zuko and fire nation scenes very well - but anything with the Gaang just falls flat for me.

[@maniyataisipku]

When you mentioned live-action Katara’s monologues about hope, it reminded me of ember island katara

[@kendra1597]

Yeah this live action reminds me of that episode a lot lol

[@Sandreline]

Zuko's character arc is so good that it often overshadows the other arcs in the show. But Katara's is fantastic, and fairly unique. She starts out mad. And she stays mad. Her arc is about learning to use her anger as a precision instrument instead of a blunt weapon. (Her and Korra are pretty similar, tbh) Without anger, there is no Katara. It is a core part of her character.

[@Sandreline]

No shade on Katara's actor. She's a kid and she was doing the best with what she had. That said, it's a bummer Amber Midthunder (who played Yue) was too old to play Katara, because I think she would have been perfect. She does rage really well.

[@withcindy]

I miss the rage!!

[@javierlopez9789]

Korra wasnt angry or mad she was just cocky

[@Sandreline]

​@@javierlopez9789, she wasn't angry, but she was a blunt instrument that needed to learn finesse.

[@Scipio0404]

All of your points are so prominent when it comes to episode 6 where she is supposed to go against Pakku. In the show it's such an iconic feminist scene, full of emotion and fire, but in the live action it's so freaking diluted like yeah they are fighting the CGI is half decent, but it's missing that fire, that passion. So it becomes so boring and lifeless. Like it's another point in their daily check-list.

[@EatHoneyBeeHappy]

Thanks to the writing, here are some things will change in Season 2 now: 1. Aang has to master BOTH waterbending and earthbending, meaning both will be rushed. 2. Iroh and Zuko together should easily be able to defeat Azula because we know Zuko can already beat Ozai. 3. They can't go to the Cave of Two Lovers for character development, been there done that. 4. Skip the return to Omashu and go to the Swamp for the visions, or combine the two episodes. 5. Skip the Kiyoshi Avatar Day and have the gang meet Toph, we need Aang to start learning earthbending a.s.a.p. 6. "Zuko Alone", "The Chase", and "Bitter Work" will be skipped, rushed or incorporated into other storylines. 7. Wan Shi Tong's library in the desert episode is still necessary to lose Appa and learn about the eclipse, but it's going to be so much more boring and unrecognizable from the original because only Aang can talk to spirits. 8. Aang being unable to enter the Avatar State with the Guru will not make sense because there is no development of Katara tethering Aang to the world.

[@mysteriousfaith1]

i was more excited for this video than for the ENTIRE ATLA netflix live action, and i’ve known about it for years

[@withcindy]

That speaks so much 😭

[@nrsyzygy]

Why did they take out so much of the anger?? This is a world that was effectively subjected to extreme imperialism and multiple instances of mass genocide. They should be angry and traumatized! And as you mentioned, each of these characters teaches Aang WHY he should take up the mantle of Avatar and correct the world balance when what he actually wanted to do was grieve and cling to his lost way of life (which was pacifist and peaceful!!!)

[@calvinmcdaniel4299]

Oh my gosh I literally just noticed you reached 500K subs Cindy! I remember when you had like 300K subs and you were reacting to ACTOR, I joined after the initial but I remember when the later installments happened. Basically, I'm so proud of you!

[@withcindy]

Thank u!!

[@TheBeastCH]

There were several scenes with Katara I felt like it wasn't Katara talking to whoever she shared the screen with, but Netflix, the company, talking to me, the audience. I didn't like that. But if we were to cut all of those scenes, all Katara would be is Sokkas little sister, an unimportant background character who randomly tags along for some reason.

[@alexandria470]

Basically they robbed the fuck outta Katara

[@withcindy]

What happened to my girl!!!

[@alexandria470]

@@withcindy Everything under the sun apparently 😭

[@moisdawg]

Oh my goodness Cindy, you just ate those writers DOWN. 14:55 in other words, one of the changes is that Katara no longer works to earn what she IS. She is a true water bending master and a leader (all the main characters in this show are masters and leaders in some way), which we gradually realize in the cartoon. But in the live action we don't get to see her earn her stripes anymore, because it's just given to her this time for the sake of sticking to the original show's timeline. Love that you mentioned Katara being able to suddenly bend a whole tidal wave in the first episode. Totally erroneous leap, which immediately showed me the writers were not going to develop this character appropriately to show us that she has her own amazing story. And finally, we don't get to see Katara teach the avatar waterbending, which is yet another shot at Katara's role in this story. I'm sad that this live action took away the opportunity to see an amazing female character from women and girls. Guess the cartoon is always there, though. It's so ironic that the live action, which actually features humans, felt less human. Thanks for the video! I subscribed

[@studio96films65]

I can only imagine what Netflix will do with Toph

[@monnie_monika]

They "toned down Sokka's sexism" to the detriment of the arcs of the female characters he encounters, but also to his own character development too! Sokka grew so much as a person because of the badass women he encountered on his journey with Team Avatar, including witnessing his sister's path to mastering waterbending. So you took away Katara's anger and selfishness and struggle with waterbending, Suki's agency and independence (in the animated show Sokka thanked her for teaching him a valuable lesson about underestimating women, but in the live action show SHE thanked HIM for?? bringing her the world?? or something???), Yue's personal struggles in having feelings for Sokka while being betrothed to someone else (as a metaphor for her personal desires vs her duties to her people), and Sokka's own enormous character arc, all in one fell swoop. Great job, writers. This show sucked lmao.

[@SchreibenMitOnisha]

I've read that Katara was stripped of her motherly nature, cause the Netflix writers thought it was sexist to have the girl of the group be the parent. And that they stripped her of the anger to step away from the angry woman of colour trope. So, in order to be feminist and not racist, Netflix made a feminist icon into the literal definition of a price for the main character!!!! If Aang gets to be with this Katara at the end of season 3, she really is just gonna be a prize for him. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. I know we still have OG Katara, but I really wanted to love the Netflix adaptation. The cast seems so great!

[@jackieroberts2625]

The writing and direction is the real problem, they really did the actors a disservice

[@younggriff6026]

Tbflh, Kataang was written like a "price"-arc in the animated version as well.

[@SchreibenMitOnisha]

@@younggriff6026 In many ways, yes, but at least Katara was a more rounded character, not a fantasy, or a perfect pretty girl. She has dark sides to herself as well, and Aang still wants to be with her (even though he does not really understand her dark sides). But when a female character is just the bland nice, pretty girl who is always on the sidelines and cheering the male lead on for no reason other than he's the chosen one and in the end, they get together? This literally downgrades Katara to a prize only. Nothing else. I meant that Aang getting the girl feeling like a prize would be worse, not that it's not like that in the cartoon. At least, in the cartoon, you can argue that Katara is a great written character with a personality🤷🏽‍♀️

[@javierlopez9789]

Don't insult Katara by calling her a feminist icon

[@younggriff6026]

@@javierlopez9789 maybe don't be so sensitive

[@svetanguyen4378]

I feel like ruining Katara's character lead to ruining Sokka's character too. The whole point of Sokka's character in the og series was that emotionally and mentally he's still a child, but he grows up and changes during their journey. And by stripping Katara from her motherly role and giving these traits to Sokka, making him all that mature, they ruined him too, cause now there's no growth for him anymore. So both their arcs are now boring. (Also, I don't understand why they thought that making him not sexist was a good idea. The whole point of it in the og series was to show that being sexist is a bad thing and that Sokka is capable of change)

[@katsucandy]

One video I've seen mentioned that by framing Sokka's insecurities as being a "just become stronger" lesson instead of a "don't be sexist/an asshole" one (plus all those... Extremely cliche het scenes like the spar with Suki) the show actually managed to somehow be *even more sexist* by pushing the "strong, dominant, manly man" stereotype and honestly? Still thinking about that.

[@applesauce8315]

EVERY SECOND IN THIS VIDEO ATEEE. YOU HAD ME SNAPPING LINE AFTER LINE. I didn’t watch the live action for many reasons but watching the animation as a little girl who had younger brothers like sokka, like her complexity was revolutionary for us to watch. Sad that they just take soul out of characters we fell in love with.

[@spicekai4486]

Trading the Katara intro for an Aang backstory ruins all the intrigue the show had and the mystery around who and what he is.

[@07Flash11MRC]

True nd the series wasting precious time be retelling the same intro in slightly different ways 4 times in just the first season doesn't help either.

[@spicekai4486]

@@07Flash11MRC yeah that's not doing them any favors

[@dianevierra781]

you brought up an interesting point about the focus switching from katara's arc to sokka's. I hadn't thought about it that way before.

[@chungleandthebims167]

I also just remembered that part where Katara seemed to know about protecting Aang once he goes to the spirit world, and then Sokka asked her how she knew to do that. Katara fr just said "i dont know" and we moved on. Considering Katara narrates the opening in the cartoon, that would imply that she knows something about Avatars and the Avatar state

[@droupscoup3541]

Yeah I noticed by the end of the series that Katara practically did nothing and was just kind of a nothing character. Which really sucked because I think animated her has so much character and depth But also i feel like the exact same thing happened to Aang, i found myself being unable to connect to him in this version unfortunately because they do too much telling about his personality rather than showing us his personally which made him a very dull character. Netflix has this thing with their big budget stuff where they are afraid to make their main characters flawed which is annoying because thats what makes them interesting.

[@Destinnies]

Netflix removing or dabbing down on Sokka's sexism because it was a bit "eyebrow-raising" but then only focuses on the arc and personality of the male characters and paying the female characters dust?👀🤔

[@dan.dandan]

you know how in interviews they were saying they were big fans of the show? it kinda feels like the writers were a bunch of fanboys that only watched atla because of the powers rather than actual fans that loved the story. (putting the opla as an example where you can see and FEEL that everyone involved had deep understanding, love and care for the story (even including the changes made(?). but it did not feel like that with atla, while i did like the effects and was entertained while watching, i didn't really connect much the characters aside of zuko and maybe aang, which is crazy.

[@Primalintent]

Jessie Gender did a great analysis of Sokka's misogyny and how the new show is way more sexist than the animated one based on how it structures and frames it all.

[@samiai8905]

And the thing about the sexism is, the show could've genuinely fixed it. Inuit fans have said that it was really racist to have the Water tribes be sexist because Inuit tribes hold women in high regard and that this comes from the racist stereotype of Indigenous people being uncivilized women haters. If the show had been built with Indigenous (specifically Inuit) creators from the start, they could've found a way to thread the needle between Sokka looking down on Katara and the Northern Water Tribe's attitude and not being sexist that would be harmful towards Indigenous communities. And like, Sokka's actor is a white guy who lied about being Indigenous. So....

[@withcindy]

Ooo very good point!!

[@coffeemug3009]

I think the sexism part in the water tribe has more nuance. They still place women in high regard but they have a strong division of labour: women as healers and men as worriors. That doesn't mean the women are placed as secondary role, it just means that their society have a rigid view about gender roles. So I do think having the water tribe sexist is important because it creates obstacles to katara and sokka & make their personalities more interesting as they try to break those rigidity. Also, each tribe have their own flaws and characteristics. By removing sexism in the water tribe, it reduces them as just another generic tribe. Eg, fire tribe is very hierarchical & power driven. Much like Japan in WW2. Earth tribe is very rich & have large bloated kingdoms, thanks to their rich deposits of crystals, just like many of the middle east countries are rich due to oil. Air nomads are very isolated and keep their affairs to themselves, like many of the Buddhist centric communities like tibetians and Bhutan. They raise children by the community of monks instead of having a nuclear family of mom & dad. While water tribes are more communal & family oriented, but have clear gender roles for labour, and that is partly due to war. It makes it easier for the tribe to survive for the next generation, by relegating the role of childcare & healers to solely the women, while the men go out to fight in the war. But that's not always the case, We learned in the later season from the blood bending grandma that water tribe used to have female water benders who are also warriors.

[@Unhappytimeaper]

I also think it misses in understand why Sokka was likely angry and held sexist ideas. When all the men left and their father did too, Sokka was a kid but he was also the oldest boy left. We see all the other boys are like 8 and younger. Sokka’s ideas come from the fact he was left behind and deserves to be a warrior like the other men- he wants so desperately to be perceived that way because he was older and feels as if it’s his responsibility to fill in that role left. The inclusion to me comes from understanding that Sokka is just as much of a product of this war’s mentality (not just culture), and how it contributed to Sokka’s self image throughout the show. It’s apart of coming to terms with understand what a warrior is- not limited by gender or even skill but it’s the mindset.

[@summergirl4567]

If they kept Katara's anger and frustration at gender roles - wanting and being capable of fighting but not being allowed to because of well meaning but sexist ideals - it could've been a nuanced example of "benevolent" sexism. Instead of Sokka being dismissive of Katara because of her gender, it could've been that her puts her on a pedestal; precious and therefore to be protected and not put in harm's way. We could've gotten a "less" sexist Sokka and a character that still felt like Katara, but the key is to keep her anger, for her to push back and forge her own path

[@nattoralikk]

​@@withcindy Inuit here and I have to disagree. Traditionally our culture is not sexist in the modern Western sense (seeing women as inferior) but it is extremely gendered with strong gender roles despite both men and women being seen as equally important. Sewing clothes and hunting were the two most important jobs for a community due to the extreme climate and were both respected however these were strictly gendered. Women sewed and prepared food and men fought and hunted. Women did not fight or hunt as they were seen as not really capable of it (same as men didn't cook or sew as they were seen as not really capable of it). The entire process of sex determination at birth was spiritually believed to be based on which tools the fetus choose before leaving the womb (an ulu (knife for preparing skins and food) and needle for a female baby and a harpoon for hunting for a male baby). Any woman who chose to take on a male role fighting/hunting like Katara would 100% have faced ridicule and disbelief by people like Sokka not taking her seriously. Life was gendered to the point a person would basically have to become something equivalent to the western concept of transgender to take up a role that did not align with their sex (i.e a woman who wanted to hunt like a man would have to dress and live life as a man). So I don't think the portrayals of Sokka and the water tribe are racist or colonialist or anything at all. If anything I'd say it's more colonialist to lean into the noble savage trope and act like we were some perfect equal utopian society rather than a human society with all its complexities just like any other

[@danielmunoz1275]

Remember in Season 3 when Katara was going out for vengeance and when Sokka and Aang tried to talk her out of it she snapped and told Sokka that he didn't love their mother like she did?! Yeah, that was such a big moment that it caused and causes many discussions about Katara's character and whether she crossed a line or she had a point, or just sharing interpretations of the scene. I can't picture the Netflix Katara saying that to Sokka AT ALL. Her character in the Netflix LA is so mellow and watered down that it makes it clear as water to see that any adaptation they make of her iconic moments is going to fall flat. Why do I day this with such confidence, well because it already is like that: 1-Katara beating Jet. In the original Aang is the one who fights Jet, but Jet manages to get the upper hand. Katara then steps up and stops Jet easily. We also see how much she has improved when she freezes Jet on a tree (when the last time we saw her make ice, it was by accident and she froze Sokka's feet). In the Live Action we don't see her train, she feeling betrayed by Jet feel flatter because they spend a less time together than they did in the original, and when Katara beats Jet she claims her power is a merit of her not Jet's, but it fall flat because we barely see her train and the fact is that in a previous scene Jet DID help her improve. You tell me what feels more earned and powerful? The scene of Katara steping up to save the male protagonist and showcasing clear improvement in her abilities, or the scene of a random guy who she met a few hours ago telling Katara that her abilities have improved because of her and she just saying "no, they're not."? 2-Katara and Toph bumping heads all the time. The facts that Katara and Toph have contrasting personalities, very different priorities, and contrasting complexes (Katara mother complex, and Toph rebel child complex), these are what makes them collide and fight between them. Seeing how mellow Netflix Katara is, I don't see her naturally being rude or demanding to Toph AT ALL. And I know this, because we see how this Netflix Katara dealt with Paku. She doesn't show spice, or passion, she just goes with the motion with no thought. There's no rage, no feeling of injustice. Netflix Katara is definitively someone who would end up crying in a trash-talk with Toph, and if she does shows rage it will look forced, because it would come out of nowhere by how the characters has been acting up to that point.

[@janesohn4216]

Katara was such a mix of rage, softness, and headstrong self-determination, while having genuine flaws to her, like no one gets the group into more danger than Katara being rash or selfish sometimes 😅. I hate seeing online opinions about her because they so often only focus on her being "group mom" or "badass" when shes so much more. Ty for acknowledging her complexity. Her comments to Toph when they're on bad terms is SO FUNNY, she's funny! People say Sokka is the funny guy, but im convinced its genetic.

[@lunamita]

Yes it piss me off soooooo much that they give katara’s arc to sokka!!! And they portray sokka to this tragic, talented, gifted leader who grew up so fast AND love to say poor jokes??? It’s like sokka has DID or something. Also can you imagine cartoon sokka say ‘stop being a little girl !’ to katara? She’ll beat the shit out of him!!!

[@withcindy]

Omg I hated when Sokka told katara to stop being a little girl and she just TOOK IT ??

[@lunamita]

@@withcindy exactly!!! I couldn’t last for 3 episodes, people say at least the tv adap is better than the movie but i say at least the movie is so bad it made me laugh, this just made me furious

[@justynakorzeniowska9558]

I'm glad that you said that there is nothing wrong when character is calm and shy type of person and you concentrated more on how netflix storytelling didn't let this calm and shy new Katara be imortant part of the story and have impactful moments Because i think that we often treat calm and gentle characters bad, think that are "boring", "whithout personality" and "can't be strong female characters"

[@Yoyoyoman35]

Love the video and completely agree! Just wanted to mention (mostly because the script is so well written) that at the beginning of the video you mention Katara being “regulated” to a more minor role, and I think you meant to say she was “relegated”. Easy mistake to make! Great job!

[@manicpixie7024]

Sokka is still sexist, but now it's the quiet kind, the kind that makes him the older brother Katara HAS to defer to, because she's so naive and weak. They removed the loud comments sure, but the writing is still sexist, and it ofc show with they handled the female characters. . It's laughable

[@JAAAY62]

I hated this adaptation. They just watered everything down. You are right that they made Aang abd Sokka the main characters instead. And I am terrified if what they are going to do to Toph.

[@withcindy]

Id be curious how many female writers were on the show bc there seemed to be more stuff going on with the male characters here

[@rebeccawalilko960]

I was surprised to see you make a video about this! Thank you. I feel like people gloss over Katara's character arc in favor of just talking about how the live-action is just bad in general

[@withcindy]

There are too many things to discuss with why the live action is bad so I wanted to focus on just one aspect lol

[@josephjr7375]

writers: Yeah, we dont want sokka to have to work through his misogyny, so instead we'll give him katara's character ark fans: then what is katara going to do? writers: ... nothing

[@tinabalducci]

Katara unleashing her inner beast on a misogynistic Sokka, scaring the crap out of him, and causing a giant block of ice to emerge which led to the world being saved from the firebenders, was one of the most inspirational, iconic, girl power tv show moments EVER. I was gagged. Like how dare they take this scene away from us?? I wanna channel my inner Katara and scream at whichever executive responsible for this

[@javierlopez9789]

Sadly you wont becuase thats impossible and you will have accept that you live in a world where that will never happen.

[@Yssakai-art]

love love love all your points and how you worded why things were lacking, and why they worked in the original series. i understand now how everyone is more excited to explore book 2 and 3 because of their stronger plot points and different characters (toph, azula and the gang, etc.), but the reason books 2 and 3 are so good is because they were built on the foundation book 1 had. katara's anger towards zuko + fire nation has no standing if she's just a shell, as you said, in the first initial season! anyway love watching your stuff per usual :) i'm looking forward to your next vid!

[@withcindy]

Thank u!! Yes, even though the live action could theoretically improve things in s2-3, I feel like getting that foundation right was important and they dropped the ball there trying to condense and water down everything

[@austinthurman2157]

Great video! I just kept noticing you were saying regulated instead of relegated.

[@kelshakes]

You really put into words amazingly why the live action Katara was so off and I had been having a hard time trying to explain it. Especially about how they took away her element of growing up to fast and being the sort of mom of the group, but giving that angle to Sokka.

[@x_MirariM_x]

I feel like a lot of us old fans who already know the series inside out don't really feel the full impact of changing the opening scene. In the original, the scene with Katara and Sokka fishing and arguing on the boat sets up 1) Katara and Sokka's relationship dynamic as siblings who care about each other, but bicker constantly, as well as both their personalities 2) Katara and Sokka's main character flaws that they have to overcome and grow out of- (Sokka's arrogance and sexist attitude, and Katara's hot-headedness and immature bending) 3) a bit of their backstory, with Katara being frustruated over taking over the role of a surrogate mother after their mom passed, and Sokka wanting to be a soldier, which also hints at the effects of the war on their village 4) the rules/logic of bending as heavily attuned with emotion- Katara struggles to focus her bending on catching a single fish, but when she gets angry, her bending becomes much rougher and more powerful, which also clearly shows Katara's inexperience. We intuitively 'get' how bending works from this scene even though it isn't fully explained until later on and 5) Aang's character. By deliberately avoiding showing Aang too much and building up suspense, we get the iconic 'wiLL YOU GO PENGUIN-SLEDDING WITH ME' punchline, a SINGLE LINE which sets up both Aang's oblivious childishness, and the disconnect between his role as the powerful, almighty Avatar and his innocent, fun-loving personality. This escapism is his main character flaw that he spends most of the series overcoming, which Netflix also scrapped because people love it when characters have no personality :) Like, it's nice to see the airbenders and some of Aang's backstory, but... the Netflix opening just does SO much less to establish the world and the characters that I can't imagine it being accessible to new viewers. Netflix One Piece was clearly meant to be a shorter, more digestible gateway for people who might be intimidated by the anime's 1000+ episodes. Who is this new show for? Original fans who just want to watch Avatar again, but worse? WE ALREADY HAVE THE ORIGINAL SHOW WHY WAS THIS EVEN MADE??

[@darylayertey6925]

Great video. Definitely agree with how they watered down her character and many others. Though i think you meant to say relegated instead of regulated.

[@franciscojosedasilvaneto4032]

I found and stayed with your channel because of the excellent deconstructions an analysis of stories. But that format worked so well with characters!! I'd love to see more of this concept with other stories (better ones if possible, you look happier saying nice things than harsh criticisms)!!

[@withcindy]

Thank you!!

[@atlantisundiscovered]

honestly, your point about katana being an equal parts main character in the ATLA series is something i never thought about but it’s so true!

[@DancingKitkat13]

Yes all the KATARA STANS RISE UP LETS FUCKING GO CINDY QUEEEN

[@withcindy]

KATARA U WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS