Netflix's Avatar Might Be Good. Maybe.

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Tim Hickson
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[@HelloFutureMe]

What definitely CANNOT be changed in Netflix's Avatar? Stay nerdy! ~ Tim

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

The emocional range, inject life and energy into the world. Plus the REAL amazing bending abilities

[@elbrew2223]

The cabbage man had better be there, or I shall riot.

[@dificulttocure]

The overall tone and style of the show. I think that's the biggest lesson to learn from One Piece. The One Piece adaptation still feels like you're watching an anime. It has the anime style of writting, of storytelling, the humor, the messages, the tone, the character archetypes, the goofy ridiculous scenes, etc. They didn't try to adapt any of it to "western audiencies" and I think that's the key to their success. For example, they didn't change or toned down the "Luffy, please help me" scene, that is arguably one of the most emotionally powerful scenes in the whole show (and anime/manga), just because it goes against of the modern idea of feminism that women should be independent and need no man.

[@scotmcpherson]

@@elbrew2223a riot of 1 is called a public nuisance :P

[@veganjotaro]

They CANNOT make fire bender UNable to create fire from their breath. ☄️😤🤜🔥

[@TruexNORSEMAN]

Zuko and Iroh's relationship can not be changed in anyway. I think that may be the most important thing in Avatar.

[@AegixDrakan]

I concur!

[@LuisSierra42]

Iroh is gay in the live action

[@minutemansam1214]

@@LuisSierra42 Obviously not, he has a son.

[@-Teague-]

Big agree

[@isabellaamarante404]

@@minutemansam1214 well, technically he still could be bisexual. Not to mention he was the firstborn, he was supposed to take over the throne as the firelord before Osai plotted against him, so he was possibly forced into an arranged marriage to secure the lineage

[@Miksarxe]

I want them to keep the pacifist ending, but I would like them to show Aang struggle more with his pacifism throughout the show instead of only really delving into it at the end

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I mean there were two or three instances in the series where Aang's pacifism was absolutely put to the test. He killed the Buzzard Wasp, he hurt the earthbending soldiers, he could have done more damage against the sandbenders if Katara hadn't stepped in. I'd honestly just like for the lion turtle not to be a deus ex machina and for there to be more setup for its emergence. or maybe have it as a bending principle that Aang learns about and has to train to manage but for whatever reason hasn't had the opportunity to truly focus on it.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@ThorsmeadowYou want Aang to murder the firelord against his own beliefs?

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@Thorsmeadow It would be, and it goes against Aang's entire character. The entire point is to be himself while also serving his role. He found the balance between himself and his duties to bring balance to the world.

[@emilia935]

@@Thorsmeadow He's a pacifist, so he sees all killing as wrong, which is clearly what these people mean when they say 'murder'. You don't know what he would have done if he hadn't met the lion turtle, he may have eventually made the tough choice. I don't think you can say he failed.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@Thorsmeadow Murder means killing someone. Call it what you want to make yourself feel better, but taking someones life is murder. I agree that the Lion Turtle is a deus ex machina and if the show is smart they'll give Aang's pacifist ending the proper setup that Bryke didn't. But if you think Aang should corrupt himself "because", then you don't understand character.

[@rayannerobison7569]

The thing I'm most afraid of is the creators trying soften Zuko's hard edges too soon because they doubt their own ability to follow his redemption arch😢

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I mean, I don't see why they would do that. They know who Zuko is this early on in the story.

[@dahat1992]

​@@dresdenwarlock7978They literally included the motivation in their comment.

[@ncard00]

Netflix, upload your trailers in 4K already!

[@himenyx153]

Seriously. If I get shots of Zuko looking conflicted or sad when he should be angry and obsessed….

[@NK-dt1kp]

💀 This didn't age well. Not only was Zuko not that bad, Ozai was damn near shedding a tear in some scenes

[@danielduff]

I hope the show doesn’t skip Jet, he becomes an important side character and shows a different side of the world. We start to see that things aren’t as black and white as they seem

[@user-ym1zs8sd2y]

hopefully give us a better death scene

[@danielduff]

Did Jet... die? It was kinda unclear@@user-ym1zs8sd2y

[@jakekayden4061]

They casted Jet so he’s in it. He looks perfect

[@ThompsonBrosStudios]

Jet and several of his freedom fighters have been cast, and let me tell you, they look perfect for the roles.

[@ahleenah]

I just looked over the cast and they got the perfect guy for Jet (at least in terms of looks idk what he’s like as an actor)

[@lunarcountdown]

Zuko and Aang parallels are a must for me; the two of them are the main characters of the show, and I think one of the many things that made the original so good was its ability to weave between the two storylines.

[@tobycurrie4499]

This, so much! The duality between the two of them in some episodes in particular is incredible. I think the best example of this is s1e12 "The Storm," when we learn more about both how they both got to where they are. That episode is structured so well in how it tells two very different yet interestingly similar stories about becoming outcast, without it feeling repetitive or like a lore dump.

[@20000dino]

⁠@@tobycurrie4499 honestly, besides a purely narrative duality between them in The Storm, I don’t really see a thematic duality between them. I love both characters, but their arcs just do not seem to mirror each other in a lot of ways - and it baffles me how everyone constantly says so. Is it that they’ve both been tremendously affected by the same war from opposite standpoints? Their journeys and their loss are pretty different, so I don’t really see a connection beyond mere superficiality. I’d moreso see a duality between Katara and Zuko, as their stories do align much more evidently (and this is explicitly explored in The Crossroads of Destiny and The Southern Raiders). If someone could give me their perspective on this, I’d genuinely really appreciate it.

[@lunarcountdown]

​@@20000dino I'm not the best at explaining, but essentially Zuko and Aang go on opposite journeys. Aang begins wanting to be an ordinary kid, but learns throughout the show that he has to take on the responsibility of being the Avatar for the sake of the world. He goes from an internal desire to an external need. Zuko, meanwhile, begins wanting the validation of his father, but learns that he must grow and find inner peace. He goes from an external want to an internal need. The Storm also isn't the only episode that directly contrasts them, though it's definitely the most obvious! Off the top of my head, in episode 1 of season 3, there's a pretty blatant shot comparing Aang, who feels he has lost his honor after Ba Sing Se was taken, to Zuko, who has regained his honor. In Bitter Work, both Aang and Zuko struggle to master techniques that contradict their innate natures (earthbending for Aang and lightning for Zuko). And those are just the immediate examples; there are many, many cases where their character arcs mirror each other practically beat by beat. They also have a lot of more "superficial" parallels in additional to those thematic ones. Zuko has a red mark on his face, Aang has a blue mark. One of Aang's leitmotif's is the intro main theme, and one of Zuko's is the credits ending theme (this is also reflected in their names; A begins the alphabet, Z ends it). Aang has a lightning scar on his back and Zuko has one on his chest, and both were caused by Azula and healed by Katara. Sorry for how long this got, I just find their parallels really fascinating haha.

[@20000dino]

@@lunarcountdown That first paragraph opened my eyes a lot, and I definitely agree with you. Funnily enough, the two exact moments of parallels you mentioned on your 2nd paragraph also came to my mind while I was writing my original comment - however, besides those two, I really cannot think of any others. In fact, Aang's "I have to regain my honor" moment seems to really be the only on-the-face parallel in the entire show (besides the Storm, that is). Regarding your final paragraph, Aang's blue tattoos vs Zuko's scar seems to be kind of a far-fetched comparison, at least if purely on the basis that both of them have marks on their faces. However, I can get behind the idea that both their body marks represent their duty/burden (which does strengthen their want vs. need parallels). When it comes to the leitmotifs, I cannot really identify Zuko's leitmotif there (that is if he even has one - which, off the top of my head, I don't think he does; I can really only think of the Fire Nation's 4-note leitmotif, which doesn't show up there). The outro theme really only seems to be the Sun Warrior's theme - which is, by all, means still symbolic, as it represents how fire, the elemental antagonist of the show, was still always as profound as the others, denouncing its misusage in the war and the prospect of peace and balance (even if this musical theme was most certainly not planned to be associated with the Sun Warriors from the start of the show). I also forgot about their names and scars. Those are definitely marked parallels. Thanks for your thorough reply!

[@lunarcountdown]

@@20000dino I'm not the best at explaining music, but for the ending theme/Sun Warrior theme, you can actually hear hints of it a few times in previous episodes when Zuko is fighting. Two of the instances where you can hear it most clearly are in his agni kai against Zhao and his fight against Aang in Bato of the Water Tribe, I believe. On the episodes, those are the most obvious parallels, but there's a lot of subtle ones throughout the entire show. Season 1 episode 3 is like the Storm before the Storm proper (it introduces both their backstories before the Storm fully delves into them and how both of them can't return home for different reasons, and their stories are shot in red and blue), the Avatar and the Firelord is another more obvious one with them learning the history of Roku and Sozin at the same time. In general though, I think one of the reasons I like the Zuko Aang parallels so much is because of how subtle/unexpected they are. Save for those few in your face moments, it's not really a parallel you go in expecting to find. Fire and Air aren't exactly the most commonly contrasted things, after all. Compare that to Zuko and Katara, who have a lot of familiar, obvious surface comparisons (fire vs water), but I think thematically don't have nearly as many parallels as Zuko and Aang do (I'd argue Katara has more parallels with Azula actually, but that's a whole other topic). I just think it's neat lol. Glad my rambling helped a little!

[@ebonysoldier]

My biggest worry is that they won't be able to capture the tone changes. Atla is a comedy as much as its a drama. The comedy is important to help not only lighten the tone but contrast the horror of children surviving a war. Live actions tend to lean more towards drama and seriousness. Idk the cartoon is fine the way it is, making it live action does nothing to enhance the story because the story doesn't need to be enhanced

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I recall Paul Sun-Hyung Lee talking about how funny Sokka's actor (Ian Ousley) is and that he had Paul in stitches. I think there's going to be plenty of humor as well as drama.

[@The17Peacekeeper]

Completely agree! Avatar does an excellent job of finding the good in difficult moments, which allows it to go to those hard places while still being so fun. I think they have to NAIL the humor in the characters for it to be an adaptation that is true to the original. This was something Shyamalan's film absolutely failed to do

[@daltonsturrock9358]

I absolutely hate the fact that it's gonna be a live action. I have never liked a cartoon to live action remake they are always not as good. Dont understand why they change so much

[@himenyx153]

I saw Omashu in the teaser so I’m hoping we get the roller coaster and rock candy and all the fun stuff. I HAVE HOPE because they got the original voice actor for cabbage guy to reprise his role in the live action. Why else would they have him if not for the comedy???

[@happyschniblie7459]

Honestly, the way the bending will be done is pretty important to me. Not just because "wow cool SFX" but because the bending and the movement in the original do a lot of story telling to me. Like how the characters bending styles change when they use new techniques that look obviously enspired by other bending styles for example after learning from new characters, cultures, etc. At the moment I am quite cautiously optimistic about the show.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

Hey, if you google Kendo482 and Toph, you'll see something that the actual choreography/stunt crew through together to showcase earthbending. They did the VFX themselves, too. It was like a little fanfilm passion project. The style looks great!

[@elyanguerin2317]

Im definitely most worried about Katara. She gets quite a lot of (undeserved) hate and i am a little bit scared they wil change some aspects of her character to make her "less annoying" but her story is so incredibly important. She has been my favourite character since i first watched avatar when i was 7 and she has inspired me so so much and raised my standard for what an actual complex female character should be. If they mess with her story in any way to make her more palpable to general audiences it will ruin the whole thing for me

[@honey3762]

I’m hoping they don’t make a love triangle between zuko, aang and her

[@RHKang-hl3ps]

Agreed. I don’t want her to be this overly perfect mother figure, she’s a flawed kid trying to act grown up.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@honey3762They won't. There's no point to it, the people making the show love the original, they know what the story is, they aren't going to make a love triangle (especially with introducing Mai as early as they are). There's no Zutara, it's Kataang.

[@ltfamily8577]

​@@dresdenwarlock7978I doubt maiko and kataang would look very appropriate early on anyways the actors age gaps a very noticeable. From what I've seen Zuko's actor is a grown man in his 20s and most of the other actors are still in their teens.

[@sugartoothYT]

@@dresdenwarlock7978 didn't the original creators literally walk out of the production? Obviously that's not GUARANTEED failure, but that is a blood-red flag even if the creators commented softly on the matter.

[@myniko]

Sokka getting his metorite sword. Him learning he doesn't have to have powers but still is valued as a person in the team is really importent to his story

[@EmethMatthew]

Yes! Absolutely!

[@sawkchalk6966]

I feel like that should happen a lot earlier in the story

[@Icameron259]

Actually, I'm going to disagree with you on this one. Sokka's main contribution to the team up until that point is his inventiveness and planning, it would be perfectly fine for that to remain his valued contribution. With or without the sword, he never fights as well as the benders, and that's okay - he could have simply learned this fact as part of his growth, rather than getting a weapon which ultimately changes very little about the dynamic anyway.

[@mickdipiano8768]

​@@Icameron259i love the sword and the getting trained by a master arc but you speak the truth. His plans were his main contribution.

[@ZeallustImmortal]

​@@Icameron259Sokka fighting with a sword isnt even close to the point of the sword

[@Mr.IndoorPants]

Zuko and iroh’s relationship and the found family of the gang are kinda the spirit of the original show in my eyes. If they make that believable that’s all that really matters

[@happilyevernever4289]

Yup

[@packman2321]

I think honestly the lighter side of the series is a must for me. The humour may not translate the same way in live action, but I think one of the biggest failings of many adaptations has been their tendency to try and make things more adult, or else to abstract the big, important themes out as the primary selling point, and forget the sense of fun that made those themes meaningful and the world feel valuable. I think it's kind of vital that Aang start out as a kid with moments of seriousness and grow into the thoughtful, resolute Avatar he becomes at the end, rather than starting right away with the darker side. Because without that a lot of the arcs that relate the characters to each other won't work. I often struggle watching live action shows generally, so I'm not sure whether it will grab me when I get there (ironically the greater realism makes everything in live action look artificial to me, especially dialogue whereas with cartoons i can just slip into the world), but I hope it's good just because more good Avatar content means more people who can engage with ideas and genres that they might not otherwise, and hopefully that can get more people and more voices into the genres Avatar pulls inspiration from. Even if I end up bouncing off the show for silly reasons, a good adaptation can only be good for the future and reach of a really great story.

[@ThompsonBrosStudios]

Well it's a good thing they cast the cabbage merchant then! and it's the same guy who voices him in the cartoon!

[@aenguswright7336]

You know its funny, I continue to put it down as a sense of Anti-Jar Jar Binksism that continues to this day. Instead of taking the risk that we might accidentally make the humour over the top, we make everything oppressive and sullen as possible. Or alternatively, we lean into it and say, "well if we just make a joke every couple of seconds, some of them will be funny"

[@ignorant1126]

I hope they visually change the jokes but tonally keep them there. Physical comedy like Sokka worming around on the floor after drinking cactus juice, or the soldiers believing Momo is airbending, definitely won't translate as well into real life. The humorous running gags and jokes in the dialogue will hopefully be explored. But istg if this becomes a comedically lifeless drama I'll be so sad 😭

[@t.l.4652]

I really hope they do Toph justice, she's such an important character for me. I often see tough girls in media written very poorly, I just hope they capture her essence

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

That would be season 2 if they get to do it

[@persianking44]

Honestly, the Fire Nation cast looks pretty stellar. Say what you will about the Gaang, but the actors they got for Iroh, Ozai, Zuko, and Azula got me pretty excited for the series

[@robinthestate6548]

I only dislike the Azula.

[@katieb9428]

I know a lot of people dislike Azula, but I think the fact they chose a younger-looking actress to portray her is interesting. In the show I tend to forget that Azula is meant to be a young teen. Her lines are cold and cruel which often makes me forget her age. I’ll be interested to see how her actress does those lines

[@Ulriquinho]

@@robinthestate6548I think I am willing to reserve judgment on Azula. A lot will come down to the acting. While she may look more sweet and innocent than the anime, a good actor could turn that to her advantage to make a much more disturbing, yet faithful to the original, Azula than the original show. I think we should give the actor a chance.

[@LuisSierra42]

@@Ulriquinho Agree. So far, the pictures look pretty good, hope the writing doesn't suck

[@Ulriquinho]

@@LuisSierra42 oh yeah the writing will matter too. We will have to wait and see. The costuming does look great!

[@dekuisagreatmaincharacter]

Netflix’s One Piece got me to read the manga (I’m currently on chapter 940). It gave my father patience to watch the anime, and my non-anime fan mother is now invested in the LA story. A good adaptation can bring a story to people who would probably never experience it. A bad one can kill the interest of those who might have otherwise loved it. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of the original show, my heart is with you, Avatar fans.❤ I hope your adaptation is every bit as good as you deserve after that… first try.

[@AegixDrakan]

What... first try are you talking about? There is no Live Action Avatar Movie in Ba Sing Se. **Deranged grin** You got that? There IS NO Live Action Avatar Movie in Ba Sing Se!!

[@-Teague-]

So glad your family is enjoying One Piece!

[@panther-nk2hn]

@@AegixDrakan What movie? They made a movie?

[@dekuisagreatmaincharacter]

@@-Teague- Next step is to get my sister to watch it

[@-Teague-]

@@dekuisagreatmaincharacter what does she like? Maybe I can help

[@AhsimNreiziev]

It is worth mentioning that, while Mike and Bryan did indeed leave the Netflix project in 2020, to later go on to found Avatar Studios; in more recent years there has actually been quite a lot of cooperation between Avatar Studios and Netflix. No one at Avatar Studios is actually on Netflix|A:TLA's payroll, but the relations in the past year - 18 months or so, do seem to be a lot more amiacable than they were 3 years ago. I just thought I'd mention that, just in case it can give some people more hope than they otherwise would have. Hope is never a bad thing, at least in my book.

[@soaringaegis]

I had mostly gotten the impression that Mike and Bryan had left the show because they maybe wanted to do different stories in the avatar universe rather than a remake. Not that I have any evidence to back that up, so take that with a grain of salt.

[@closeben]

What makes you say that they are cooperating? What has happened?

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@closeben Mike and Bryan giving their blessing to the showrunner, sending the musical score to the new composer, including new pieces of lore from the Avatar Studios canon, using the new four elements symbols from avatar studios as the symbols in the show, allowing Netflix the option of adapting other properties into live action such as the comics, Korra, future avatars, etc.

[@domesticdragonwaffle]

​@dresdenwarlock7978 except that's all lies, as they left in 2020 because Netflix never wanted to do a faithful adaptation and only wanted them on payroll so that they wouldn't have a repeat of the nuclear fallout that became The Witcher for doing the same things as destroying its source material.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@domesticdragonwaffleok. 1. none of that is lies, please do some baseline research. 2. Netflix wanted extra producers on board to make sure first time live action showrunners got the project done on time and on budget (and if rumors are to be believed, Mike and Bryan wanted to deviate a lot from the original series). 3. The live action adaptation was announced in 2018 (which means they'd been talking about it for at least a year before the announcement) and Mike and Bryan left the production in 2020. The Witcher didn't come out until 2019 and it's backlash didn't start until a year or so ago, so your reasoning is entirely inaccurate with the timeline. I BEG you to look into something before commenting on it.

[@Kwauhn.]

I hope they don't botch Zuko's redemption arc. I think that Zuko slowly coming around to Aang 'n the gang was handled really well in the original cartoon.

[@IfEnjoinder]

I have to be honest. Not seeing leaves of the vine would hurt. In general the whole feeling of Iroh as someone who is deeply "in the know" about what is really going on matters a lot to me. And as I deeply agree with your Assesment about what the Avatar *is* as their function between spiritual and material world, I hope they do diverge from the Lore of Kora regarding the whole good vs. evil idea.

[@egoalter1276]

They need not touch on the retcons in Korra. They dont matter within the context of the original.

[@-Teague-]

They desperately need to avoid Korra it'll make such a mess to try to implement

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

That would be season 2 anyway.

[@kitnal4143]

​@@-Teague-if the show does well it would be great for a "fixed" Korra though, even if it has to be Live Action.

[@surrealfantasy1554]

korra doesn't need to be "fixed" get over it@@kitnal4143

[@RolandTechnicalDesigner]

I'm most scared about Zuko's scar. In the original it covers Zuko's ear and removes an eyebrow, it is a huge part of his character arc and it has so much symbolism, in the photo it looks way too small

[@TukaihaHithlec]

I don’t like how in the show it’s very clearly melted and tightened skin, but live action always just looks painted on with no difference underlying.

[@blondymonk1535]

It looks like a black eye. It's just awful... They made the same mistake of not realizing how important the scar is.

[@FrumiousMing8]

Agreed, I am always underwhelmed when any adaptation down-plays a character with a serious scar. I'm willing to bet though that the size of the scar in the Netflix show is due to like labor laws or something in the actor's contract. We need to remember that these are child actors and may not be able to have the time to sit for long makeup/prosthetics in addition to long shooting hours.

[@desdejonge9222]

I have a feeling they might try to change it in post production after all the negative comment about it.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

A real scar wouldn't be that dark even after a year. I AGREE that it should be bigger, but we still haven't seen it close enough imo.

[@jessical4866]

I put a lot of stock in the spirituality of ATLA. It’s a belief system different from what western audiences are used to, and will need to be explained and handled very well no matter what format it’s in. Aang is literally a messiah, and his growth is founded in his spiritual beliefs. If the Netflix series doesn’t manage to hit that, it will only ever read as a flashy martial arts flick to me.

[@roguebarbarian9133]

What? Messianic figures are a staple of western literature, from Luke Skywalker to Neo, to Emmet, to Jesus. That is no joke one of the most obvious bits of world building ever. If you introduce a system, magical, political, or otherwise, there's going to be someone extraordinarily special.

[@_de_reve]

the original poster misspoke i think, because 'avatar' (as the title suggests) comes from the old sources of belief intertwinements like the vedic scriptures + buddhism. this sort of spirituality has to do more with yogic traditions and not at all with abrahamic religions aka some messiah. @@roguebarbarian9133

[@H.P.93]

I want to see the parallels between Zuko and Aang. The original series does such a good job of creating this connection between the two of them from the beginning. When i watch the original series, to me they feel like equal main characters, and equally core to the story in different ways. And i really want to see that in the live action.

[@smartsmartie7142]

Equally sad childhoods

[@WanderingMiqo]

One of the biggest sorrows is that we'll likely never see an Iroh as good as the animated version. Mako, and then later, Greg Baldwin's interpretation is so iconic, I don't think any live action actor could match it.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

if anyone can, it's Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. That man can run the gamut on emotions. Should check out his work on Kim's Convenience if you haven't yet.

[@chamberlain8242]

You must have never seen Kim’s Convenience, that man is Uncle Iroh and will be another great addition to the already stellar lineup. Rip Mako, the OG 👏🏾.

[@aaronparry2636]

My only reservation with Sun-Hyung Lee is whether he can pull off the iconic Iroh voice (or a close enough facsimile). I don't expect a perfect imitation, but if he doesn't have that gravel, it will be a sad moment for me 😢

[@absinthespoons]

@@aaronparry2636 he's said that he's not doing an accent (which I took to mean that he'll just have his usual canadian accent). so he will likely sound pretty different. I am fine with this, as an imitation that doesn't quite match up would piss me off.

[@aaronparry2636]

@absinthespoons I mean, he could do an Iroh voice with a Canadian accent. The accent wouldn't be my concern, but more the timber, etc.

[@TheUnsainted]

I really hope they keep the Southern Air Temple in there cause the episode added a lot in the beginning of the show. Aang discovering for himself what happened to the Air Nomads the world is shown the avatar is back when the eyes in the sage temples light up. And of course the introduction of Momo

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I mean. They'd have to, it's one of the touchstone moments of the series. Aang seeing that his people were slaughtered and that he really is The Last Airbender is a major character and story beat. I think the first episode will encapsulate the first three episodes of the animated series. Finding Aang, introducing Zuko, the reveal that Aang's the avatar, the escape from Zuko's ship, the arrival at the southern air temple, the learning that his people were wiped out and he's the last of his kind. Sounds like a HELL of a first episode titled "The Last Airbender"

[@RainingPouringSnoring]

I feel like Netflix is terrified to mess this up. Its been what? 15+ years? And M Night Shyamalan still hasn't lived it down.

[@chamberlain8242]

I truly believe the OG creators took the “creative differences” exit so they could take Paramount’s offer and launch Avatar Studios and I don’t blame them. The show runner that replaced them has stated repeatedly he is a huge fan of the source material and wants to stay loyal and expand the series. He’s also Asian American and constructed a team full of talented diverse women and men to get this project going. Plus Mike and Bryan are still credited as writers for the first two episodes, so whatever they worked on it was enough for them to be credited first, I have faith it’ll be good!

[@blondymonk1535]

Yeah... And that worked out so great for other series, having a "diverse" team... Get the best people for the job and stop with this cringe diverse bs.

[@chamberlain8242]

@@blondymonk1535 “Piece of entertainment has non-white man, IT WOKE” 💀 dude, shut the fuck up with your “anti-woke” toxic conservative talking point rhetoric. Some projects NEED a diverse hand when the topic at hand is a DIVERSE topic. Also lots of times non-diverse white men make basic shitty entertainment and we keep it moving without degradation of their culture or families because it’s vanilla. But whenever is a POC or female director they either have to make a 100% perfect feature or they get scrutinized tyrannically by racist, misogynistic trolls on the internet like you. I’m with holding full judgment until the show officially airs but I haven’t see one piece of promo or read any production news that has me worried. I feel so bad for this generation’s y’all are growing up full of hatred and disgust over bullshit entertainment and fall for the stupidest propaganda. “

[@chamberlain8242]

@@blondymonk1535 same racist pieces of shit that we’re going after the live action One Piece showrunner, a black man, were the same ppl praising the series once it dropped. I do not take y’all serious.

[@sheascomet]

@@blondymonk1535wdym? all of the characters in the cartoon show r based off of asian ppl/culture? so ofc the live action cast is gonna be diverse? i don’t understand what ur point is

[@blondymonk1535]

@@sheascomet Idc if it is diverse or not that's my point. And neither should you. You should care about a good product. And that all the best people were used. I couldn't care less about the actual ethinicties of the actors, as long as they can look and act like the original characters. And if the best people turned out to be all asian, great idc. But don't act like "diversity" is the most important thing. That's why other shows flopped.

[@pyrosianheir]

The Kyoshi warriors getting more time, and therefore Suki (hopefully) getting more recognition as part of the Gaang is a desperate hope of mine for this. She's always left out....

[@FrumiousMing8]

She is so left out, you don't see her anywhere or mentioned in Korra at all. It sucks :/

[@hyunipixies2764]

I think what I am most worried about for this adaptation is the tone of the show. We have seen a lot of instances in the past of "kids" animated shows getting a live action adaptation that really changed the tone of the show to make it more "serious" and "adult-like". Even though Avatar touches on serious subjects, it always had a kind of lighthearted tone and a lot of comedy and I don't want that aspect to dissapear in the live action

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

They aren't going full bore more mature or anything, but I recall Paul Sun-Hyung Lee stating that it feels more like Book 3 in tone instead of really kiddy like Book 1 could get.

[@hyunipixies2764]

@@dresdenwarlock7978honestly i wouldnt mind if the tone was more book 3-like since book 3 is my fav of the series! as long as they dont end up like fate the winx saga im good lol also since they aged up the characters a bit apparently it makes sense it would be less child-like compared to book 1 in the og series

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@hyunipixies2764 They only slightly aged one character, and it wasn't for anything in particular other than looks. Zuko is 17 in the netflix show but was 16 in the animated series, but everyone else is their appropriate ages. Aang is 12, Katara/Azula are 14, Sokka is 16.

[@chiellazona5624]

Same. I'm still hoping that this will not happen.

[@davidpiper667]

I agree with your take about the soundtrack. TV schedules don't (didn't) really give composers time to thematically develop soundtracks in the same way that film composers can. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with so much more lead time and planning. I see Jeremy Zuckerman isn't going to be part of the show :( - but I hope they stay faithful to at least: - The main theme - The Zuko/Azula Agni Kai theme - Leaves from the Vine - SECRET TUNNEL

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

From what I understand Jeremy bequeathed the notes to the composer of the Netflix show. I think we'll get the music, but with the new composers take and inspiration. The music is a must. HOWEVER. Most of the music you mentioned is from season 2 and 3. Perhaps you meant Zuko/Zhao Agni Kai theme? Iroh does sing "four seasons" in book 1, so perhaps that?

[@davidpiper667]

@@dresdenwarlock7978 Ah no I just meant in general, music from the whole series. Other than the main theme, I don't remember a lot from Season 1 - oh except the Fire Nation motif, surely that's gotta stay the same. I can see them expanding on that in lots of different ways.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@davidpiper667 For sure. I think we're going to get a really cool riff on all of the music with maybe some new melodies thrown in.

[@razoak7284]

The dynamic between Zuko, Azula, and Ozai is so important to the way Zuko's arc plays out. They can expand on it but dont change it

[@honey3762]

Azula’s actress doesnt… seem to fit the role to me. I don’t have faith in her character but I’m sure the other two will be great

[@DeeDeeDeeeee]

@@honey3762we haven’t even heard her talk yet… just because she doesn’t look like her doesn’t mean she won’t mail her personality.

[@DegenGambaAddict]

Even though it’s too late now the one good thing I wish they’d taken some inspiration from the-movie-that-shall-not-be-named for was Aangs tattoos (maybe not copied exactly but at least gone in a similar direction with the design)

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

If you look closely at Aang's arrows there ARE some hidden designs in there

[@donaghb7307]

Hands down it was Artemis Fowl for me. Kenneth Brannah claimed to love it in an interview before getting signed on as director and considering how much was changed and butchered I simply don't believe him.

[@-Teague-]

Is the Artemis Fowl movie the actual worst adaptation of all time? I literally can't think of one that comes close.

[@roadrollerdio565]

As one who'd been a massive fan of Artemis Fowl, Eragon and Percy Jackson as a child, yes, the AF adaptation is the worst BY FAR. It would be like if they took Percy and made him Not a demigod son of Poseidon. I don't even know if I blame Brannagh for it because the years of development hell suggests to me that no studio really *got* the appeal of the original and kept trying to put the script in a happy Hollywood formula. NandovMovies has a great video where he dissects the movie to try to figure out what the reshoots were and it gives you an idea of how much the story was changed by studio interference in the production stage, let alone whatever Disney must have stipulated at the script stage.

[@mray4784]

@@-Teague- Dragon ball evolution.

[@necrosunderground]

Honestly, if they tried for a 1 to 1 adaptation, I'd be very disappointed, as some things really wouldn't translate well across mediums. I'd like to see some expansion on the secondary characters like Suki, Bumi, etc. As long as they stay faithful to the relationships that define the Gaang's growth, and Zuko and Iroh's relationship, as well, I'll be happy with that. I have heard complaints about the cotuming looking too costume-y, like it doesn't look lived in or worn, but it's important to remember that promo photos are always going to be cleaned up, neat shots, so I'm holding judgement on that until it comes out. I wouldn't mind if they expanded a bit on past Avatars and how their actions have had lasting effects through each reincarnation and on the world around them, leading up to the Fire Nation invasion and Aang's disappearance. I mean, it's easy to say that "Sozin chose to spread the glory of the Fire Nation to the rest of the world, so he started the war; Roku opposed his actions, Sozin betrayed him and left him to die, then we get Aang," but it takes more factors than just "Sozin attack, Fire Nation go brrrrr" to flesh out how this happens and the effects it's had. It doesn't have to have a devoted episode or anything, it can be built on in stages as the show progresses. Also, you keep mentioning Shyamalan. Why? Did he have something to do with Avatar? As far as I know, there is no Shyamalan in Ba Sing Se.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

Yep, been saying it for a while myself. So long as the spirit / tone / lore / and martial arts are nailed, I'm happy. 1:1 would be near impossible, and kind of boring.

[@raedusoleil6375]

He keeps mentioning Shyamalan bc he did the live action movie that was absolutely atrocious 😂😂

[@matthewmorrissette72]

​@@raedusoleil6375wooosh

[@squishy-melonpan3290]

The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai. 😃

[@Hoodie_HD]

I hope the adaptation does some more foreshadowing of the lion turtles and energybending. And it would be great if Aang’s struggle between his duty as the Avatar and his values as an Air Nomad was explored a bit more deeply over more time.

[@TukaihaHithlec]

The interactions between Katara and Zuko were some of my favourite in the series, and I would have liked to see more of that, but I really don’t want them to go down a romantic route.

[@mathi179]

yeah i feel like they have such an interesting dynamic like idk how to say it but they feel like two halves of a coin sometimes? but i also dont want them together as love interests, since i think their connection is more meaningful outside of a romantic context

[@downsjmmyjones101]

Zutara shippers in shambles.

[@spectre9340]

@@downsjmmyjones101 I was a Zutara shipper even before Book 2 ended. It's nice how the show developed their relationship even if it never went down a romantic route. I want them to keep the whole "The Fire Nation took everything from me" angle since that's what made them bond.

[@skylark7921]

@@spectre9340agreed. I love the whole, Katara: “The fire nation took everything from me!” Zuko: “Same” Katara: “wait what”

[@ltfamily8577]

The actor for Zuko is an adult while the actress for Katara is still a teenager. I doubt zutara is going to happen anyways.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I've also heard it said that Mike and Bryan were frustrated that Netflix wanted more producers on board to make sure the show got done on time and on budget from first time live action showrunners and once Paramount offered them Avatar Studios that was the deciding factor. Bryke are great creators, but they arent required for an adaptation, they've also given their blessing to Albert Kim (the showrunner for the Netflix show). Another important note is that the folks working on the adaptation are also pulling from the comics and graphic novels to be even more faithful. Such as calling the Southern Water Tribes home "Wolf Cove" as it is in the comics instead of just "southern water tribe"

[@mrCabbages_]

Maybe this is Avatar heresy, but I think it's for the best that Mike and Bryant aren't involved in the live action. The original Avatar was created by a really unique team of people who all contributed to that vision. Even if Mike and Bryan were at the front of that train, in reality it was the entire team's synergy that made it so good. In Korra, Mike and Bryan had way more control and dominance, yet that didn't lead to a "more inspired" series. Instead they actually kind of lost the plot and undermined the work of the original series. The live action remake needs to be faithful to the spirit of the original series, and if Korra is anything to go by, that may be an easier task without Mike and Bryant there.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@mrCabbages_ I actually quite enjoy Korra's story, even with some hiccups, but I agree with everything else you stated.

[@mrCabbages_]

@@dresdenwarlock7978 I wouldn't have so much of an issue with it had it not turned the avatar into an issue of good vs evil rather than balance. I also think they completely missed the mark on spirits in general, which was disappointing.

[@ComeWatchWithJay-cd8ps]

@@mrCabbages_ yea for example the entirety of korra book 2, its consistantly said that light and darkness cant overpower or be without the other but then basically goes on to show that light had to defeat dark to maintain balance. it got turned into an evil vs good situtation when in atla the spirits we never shown as inherently evil or good. They helped aang in need but also tried to harm him.

[@attemptedunkindness3632]

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as my favorite Avatar character General Iroh seems like a promising matchup. He strikes me as a goofy man with a nice beard who can throw on a fake serious face which is kinda Iroh's secret sauce.

[@TheB0sss]

You asked us what cant be missed in the live action. I remember vividly thinking "how tf did you mess that up", while watching the movie that shall not be named in theatres when i was 15. At the moment after Aang rescues zuko while he's wearing the blue spirit outfit they missed one of fo the most important lines in the show about how Aang thought they couldve been friends. They tried shoving the line in at the end but it did not work

[@NowThatsAShot]

I have a personal say when it comes to adaptations to help simplify my feelings, I have no idea if someone has said this quote before but it's pretty much: "It's not about looking faithful, it's about feeling faithful"

[@ThompsonBrosStudios]

please tell this to all those "fans" who wanna boycott the show over zuko not missing his eyebrow.

[@NowThatsAShot]

@@ThompsonBrosStudios That's actually a thing???

[@jenniferhanses]

I think they've picked out the important beats to hit in terms of story based on the episode titles you've shown. I do wonder if we'll get Aang's failed attempt to bend fire in season 1. I think that's very important. If they were going to change anything specific, I think I'd like to see them give Katara a clearer character arc for the whole series. In the original, it always felt to me that Katara was a finished product at the end of season 1, while Aang and Sokka continued growing. So I'd like alonger, clearer arc for her.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I think Jeong Jeong will be present in season 1, despite his casting not being revealed. There's backstory on Zhao, the Aang becoming afraid of Firebending because of hurting Katara, Katara learning she can heal. There's a lot of setup in that episode.. which episode it would be a part of is a good question. Maybe part of "The North" which I speculate will include Northern Air Temple and the Waterbending Master, but they could retrofit The Deserter into the beginning of that before heading in to Siege of the North.

[@jenniferhanses]

@@dresdenwarlock7978 I agree the Northern Air Temple is also pretty important. It's a key piece of Sokka's arc, and explains how the fire nation invaded the Air temples.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@jenniferhansesNorthern Air Temple IS happening since Teo and Mechanist were cast. I can't wait to see Sokka get more scientific, it's one of the few moments in season 1 where he gets to nerd out.

[@maxcarter265]

one scene i wanna see added in is a scene of zuko directly after Ozai burns him, it would really drive home how horrible Ozai is, and help recapture his threatning aura since they likely are going to show his face early on

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

So, since they did film a scene between Ozai and Iroh, I'm curious if instead of Iroh looking away, he jumps in, appalled, and faces down his Brother and that's what gets Iroh banished as well.

[@maxwellmolleran5943]

I need to be sold on Sokka's capability to learn and adapt despite his role as comic relief.

[@yule8008]

Honestly, the idea of finally being able to share the ATLA story with my parents, who are not into animated shows no matter how hard I try, excites me a lot! I hope they don’t “age it up” too much as live action, though. Fingers crossed!

[@bunningssnags6104]

My mum loved the original series (she also cried in the story of Iroh) my dad on the other hand he didn't care cos it's a "kids show" and what not. Not that he disliked it, he just didn't care So it'll be interesting to see it they'll watch the live action, they already watched OP and thought it was good

[@jyjaeskz]

I'm grateful that my mom is willing to watch animated kids shows with me, they're so good, I just wanna share them

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I don't have this issue, but this is a DAMNED sweet take.

[@TukaihaHithlec]

The best adaptation in my opinion is Violet Evergarden. The show changed as much as possible from the books to the point of being fundamentally different, almost always for the better. They changed the genre, setting, structure, pacing, goal, characters, motivations, traits, arcs, interests, tone, backgrounds, and more. They revised it when they brought on an illustrator, and again when they brought on a composer. It sounds like it should have been a disaster, and I know many fans of the books were disappointed by the show, but I still can’t believe how much I love it.

[@violetembers330]

I’ve only seen the anime, but now I feel like I need to read it!

[@Kagomai15]

Gooood that show made me cry every episode. I read chapter one and it was so strange I didn't read more lol

[@Ferytowa]

My example of an amazing adaptation that changed the original book is Stardust by Nell Gaiman. The book itself is very short and could actually be easily turned 1:1 into the movie. However, there are many changes in the film that worked perfectly in the medium of cinema. The best change the creators made was changing the ending. This is a very rare case where the adaptation resolved some threads better than the author of the book himself.

[@AegixDrakan]

As long as they nail Zuko and Iroh's relationship, Aang's cheerfulness, Sokka's humor, and the bending, I think it has a shot at being good. As someone who only watched the first arc of One Piece (I checked out at Loguetown), I REALLY like what they did with the netflix adaptation. They kept the core of the show, while condensing it and removing the fluff, and making a few tweaks that I appreciated. I genuinely prefer their take on Nami being quiet and sassy. Just about every line out of her is golden. XD

[@nizarhadeli9104]

The Azula photo doesn’t really evoke the anger and malice she usually has on a character design level. That said, it could be conveyed through the acting which we have not seen. Likewise, they may be leaning into a “sweeter” version of the character initially before progressing into the character we know in later seasons.

[@hollymccombs7316]

My best guess is that they may have softened her up so that they can try to include a redemption arc later on.

[@FrumiousMing8]

I have faith and am tentatively excited. Stephanie Hsu has one of those very wholesome and sweet-looking faces and her acting as this complicated villain in Everything Everywhere All At Once is incredible. I think they could very go for a similar thing here. Sometimes, if done right, it can be so effective to juxtapose innocent-looking and incredibly dangerous.

[@shutterchick79]

A soft face doesn't mean a soft personality - I've seen the cutest, sweetest-looking children be the nastiest, meanist people. And I've seen some of the most physically attractive people I know have the worse personalities...

[@teagan_p_999]

@@hollymccombs7316 I hope not. Azula is not supposed to be redeemed. But I agree it would be fun if she looks soft and still plays Azula to a T.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@teagan_p_999 i mean. she was just redeemed via comics. Also, she was a daughter that was manipulated to the fullest degree by her father, she's just a kid. She absolutely can have redemption.

[@paultowl1963]

Thanks for the perspective on it. “Curious” definitely captures my feeling about it as well. It’s hard to imagine they could improve or even match the original, but if they produce something watchable that may be enough. I am just going to keep an open mind until I see it.

[@notlurking2128]

My favourite character is Sokka, but the One Thing that Cannot Change for me is Aang's character arc- specifically him trying to find the balance between standing by his moral convictions, and fully embracing his avatar responsibility at the cost of what he thinks is right. Yes this includes the controversial ending, though I definitely think the LionTurtles and Energy Bending should be forshadowed better than they did in the original show. Aang havig everyone tell him he needs to kill, even righteously, only for him to come up with an out-of-the-box idea, I think Parallels the way that Airbenders use their bending- they are flexible and able to do creative and innovative things. And for me, it shows that The Last Airbender is continuing to honor and practice his heratige. And thats what makes it un-changeable for me, because its kind of The Main Thing about The Main Character

[@blondymonk1535]

Controversial ending? Who the fuck has ever called ATLA's ending controversial. Nobody.

[@notlurking2128]

@@blondymonk1535 the ending was at least previously known as controversial in that it was very polarising. In fact alot of people absolutely despised it, some for valid reasons (like the energy bending and the lion turtles coming out of nowhere and saving the day), some for not so valid reasons (like people thinking that Ozai 'deserved to die', and so Aang 'should have' murked him.) This was all pretty standard Avatar discussion a couple of years ago at the height of the avatar discussion, and I'm fairly certain Hello Future Me even chipped in on the discourse. It left alot of people feeling unsatisfied with the ending, or confused at what the overarching message was when it seemed like the climax of the story revolved around powers and plot devices that were introduced IN THE SAME EPISODE THEY WERE USED IN. Obviously, I disagree with the take that the finale was bad because I think it serves as a perfect conclusion to Aang's character arc through the show, but the general vibe of the fandom did not agree with me, and only in hindsight did people generally start agreeing that the finale was good actually. Also maybe tone down the hostility lol.

[@ZedAmadeus]

For me, I kind of hope they expand on some of the more obscure... vibes this show has. The nostalgia and yearning that comes with his grief. There's this scene at the end of an episode in season 1 I think, where the Gaang is up on Appa, flying through the clouds, this sort of... warm, almost sepia colour scheme... and this kalimba starts playing. Been seared into my mind ever since I first saw the series as a kid. We see a lot of Aang grieving the past, being confused or angered by changes in the world... we don't see very much nostalgia from him, and I'm kind of curious if they'll expand on that. Once he knows how much the world HAS changed, the things that have stayed the same I imagine, would be very meaningful to him. Idk, I guess, I hope some of the yearning that's left more... implied, is written into the script a bit, especially now that episodes have more breathing room, I hope we see a sadder side of him, even though his whole thing is sort of... being this boisterous kid-I think that's an interesting side to his character. The boisterous child shouldering unbelievable responsibility, ya know, the fate of the world or whatever... but also kind of living between worlds in some sense. it's a testament to his character that the weight of his grief doesn't completely crush him, but I have to imagine, in quieter moments, when he's alone and has time to reminisce, it would weigh heavy.

[@rileylovebucket6080]

I hope they expand on this, too. I feel like the complexity of Aang's character is often overshadowed by Zuko's and therefore very underrated.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@rileylovebucket6080On my recent rewatch of the series I started feeling the same way. I think expanding on Aang's character would do everyone some good.

[@capslockpenguin7518]

As a One Piece fan from earliest childhood, for most of my life, really, I was sceptical. But having watched the LA, I was pleasantly surprised. A friend of mine, who doesn't watch animes, watched it and loved it, which made me happy. In terms of loyalty, I think One Piece managed to do that. They changed some of the most important moments, but they still managed to stay loyal to the source material. A perfect example is maybe Sanji leaving the Baratie. In the manga and the anime, he falls to his knees and his face is dripping with tears and snot. The dogeza is common in Japan, and the tears and snot are typical for anime, but the LA didn't do that. But what Taz did do, was capture the emotion of the moment perfectly. The falling to his knees and snot would have likely felt overexaggerated in the LA, so changes like that are perfectly fine, and maybe even necessary for a faithful adaption, so as to not pull an emotional scene into the ridiculous. What do I want from the Avatar LA? I'm mostly also just curious. But if, just like with One Piece, I get that feeling of experiencing the story for the first time, a second time, if it can manage that, I'll be happy. I definitely want to see some of the ideas in the original story a little more fleshed out though. Also it will be interesting to see all those fantastical creatures from the show in a life action. Either way, I'm looking forward to the LA, with careful optimism and not too many expectations. Although, since the curse is broken, perhaps we are allowed to expect a little more now.

[@Narutonarutonaruto85]

The live-action adaptation I most hated was the attempt at the book Eragon. I hadn't bothered with Shyamalan's version of Avatar, so that's not in the running. Several things diverged from the original book, such as the dragon Saphira, who in the book Eragon had raised since she hatched and became his intellectual equal. The two would often talk to each other and she would frequently give her opinion. The movie had her struck by lightning on her first flight and magically become an adult, naming herself. While I understand the movie doesn't have the run time needed to show such a development, they could of at least given us a montage of her growing up or something else to show the passage of time. Worst of all they didn't give her any lines that were her own, just her parroting what others said. Then there was the villain's goal. In the books, we never saw his face until the final book and his goal was to capture Eragon alive because he needed Saphira alive because she was the last female dragon and he wanted to breed more. This limited his ability to fight him. The movie on the other hand has him trying to kill him from the start to kill Saphira. Character designs were lacking, as they seemed to lack any idea what the different races looked like, not even something as basic as giving the elves pointy ears. The Urgal, this world's version of orcs, looked like balded men, lacking even horns, and were stated off the bat to be servants of the empire by Brom. In the book, Brom was surprised they were working for someone at all and this comes into play later when the person mind controlling them died the massive Urgal army the heroes were facing broke apart as the different tribes turned on each other mid-battle. Then the remaining Urgals came back later, mad about the mind control, and joined the heroes. General world-building was also ignored. There were too many things to list.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I didn't even read Eragon (didn't feel like my thing) and when I saw the trailer I felt like it was all wrong. My poor buddies who did read the book and saw the movie were LIVID.

[@jasonsouth1652]

Honestly with the discussion of loyalty being good for story, I think it would be interesting to talk about fma 2003 vs fmab.

[@buttercupghost]

I'm most worried about what they'll do with Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula. Especially Mai and Ty Lee, who I feel were really interesting characters with subtle, tiny moments of characterization that are easy to miss/would be most likely to get the axe (like the whole "The Beach" episode is technically filler but is also my favorite episode in the show for how it characterizes the three of them). At the same time, I also feel like they could really, really expand upon what is there for the three of them, and do it really well... but I'm afraid they'll misunderstand them and ruin the whole thing with mischaracterization. My biggest fear is that they'll either cut what I really love in regards to these characters, or mischaracterize them in an attempt to expand upon them. But if they do expand upon them in interesting ways... I would watch the adaptation for just that.

[@callmecat1572]

My first disappointment was always Percy Jackson, but disney seems to be handling that pretty well as far as we can tell.

[@travisguzman5603]

I was gonna say the same. Comparing the 2 actually made me realize how good the original is.

[@sprigganpanda]

The movies or the upcoming series? Idk if it's out yet

[@hollymccombs7316]

I am very excited, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

[@callmecat1572]

@@sprigganpanda the movies were the disappointment. I'm excited for the show

[@typo1345]

​@@hollymccombs7316oh get your hopes up, I saw the clips Disney presented during the New York comic con, and it looks freaking fanTASTIC. Not only does it look amazing, the score is amazing, and the characters are already great and accurate (Grover is gonna be amazing btw), but we even get an Easter egg of both Mythomagic, AND Blackjack

[@garethpearce8699]

It's interesting that you put LoTR up as an example of a very faithful adaptation because, in my mind, it really isn't! :) Tom Bombadil was taken out, Glorfindel sidelined, Aragon heavily re-interpreted, Arwen expanded and the entire scouring of the shire cut. The film was great because it wasn't afraid to change what needed to be changed. All of these were great changes (fight me in the replies ;) ). Where changes were made it was in the spirit of the book, and understanding what makes the book great. Jackson's trilogy is a prime example of why good adaptations aren't totally faithful - They need to treat the source material with love and respect, but not as the gospel :)

[@alexm-e4910]

I will be ABSOLUTELY GUTTED if they don’t do Leaves From The Vine at all and even worse if they butcher it. Though I’d love it if they foreshadow it just a little bit more ahead of time. Like maybe a subtle musical cue for when Iroh watches Zuko leave to find Aang at the North Pole

[@FrumiousMing8]

I can't think of a specific thing that I would die if they left out, mostly just stuff like the depth of character arcs. I do have something I would love for them to add. If they're going for Kataang as endgame, I NEED them to add more development on Katara's side because one of my main issues with that relationship as it exists in the original show is that it is so one-sided. We go from Aang surprise-kissing Katara in the Ember Island Players episode, and her explicitly not being receptive to that, to the final episode where she and Aang are together. Like??? We're just supposed to assume she's not unsure about her feelings anymore, that confusion and hesitation magically disappeared? That's one the main reasons I couldn't get onboard with Kataang. It genuinely felt like Aang was the hero and his reward for saving the world was "getting the girl" as if Katara was his prize and not a character in her own right that deserves to have her own feelings explored. I'm not accusing the creators and writers of doing that intentionally, that's just how it comes across to me. So yeah, if they are going with the canon romance I want it to be shown more clearly that Katara is catching feelings as well.

[@reaperman111]

i completely agree i have never really liked the couple because of this reason, but if they gave it depth and explored Katara's feelings and thoughts i would enjoy it

[@EgoLikol]

Honestly, I doubt they're gonna adapt Kataang since Katara's actress 17 years old and Aang's only 14. And if you look at the photos of the actors together, their age gap becomes very apparent

[@bthugny]

@@EgoLikol by the time they cover the events in season 3, they're gonna be years older. i'm sure this season they'll stick to just a one-sided kid crush

[@UmbraKrameri]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they end up cutting this. The whole romance felt forced.

[@Wtrgrl-kk4py]

The romantic hinting between them doesn't start with the play, it starts way in book 1 in "The Fortuneteller", where in the end Katara realised Aang is also a very powerfull bender, like the lady said, and is shown with this dramatic slow mode as she is watching him. And the next bigger hint is ofc in "The cave of 2 lovers", where Katara was the one suggesting kissing while blushing. After these there are couple of moments where she kisses him on the cheek, hugging each other a lot tenderly, specific complimenting each other while bluahing too. Before the battle of the day of the black sun she specially stayed to say to him alone how much she is proud of him and blushed after he kissed her, their dance in the fire nation school episode, where both look extremely happy and excited to dance together like that, her speech when Zuko joins them in private where she specifically said that she'll end him if he dares hurt Aang again, no one else, but Aang.. At the play she doesn't push him away solely because of uncertainty in her feelings but because they were literally at the most important stage of the war and should be focused on that, again he just chose the wrong time for this.. At the end he "got the girl" not because its his price but cause only now they're free to express their feelings and to just be kids in love.. I can talk so much more about this topic since its my childhood and Katara is my favourite character ever but is already long enough xDd

[@skroopy4414]

Gonna indulge you for that engagement Tim, I bet you'd really like One Piece once you get into it. It has some of the best worldbuilding out there, no joke, and I really would love to see a video of you analyzing it. If you do decide to check it out though, definitely go with the manga and only check the anime for certain highlights. Its way faster and the pacing is a lot better. Take this from a guy who watched ~700 episodes before switching to the manga and enjoying it far better that way. Plus, you could collab about it with Merphy Napier

[@Art_Beat]

In addition to writing some of the very best episodes of Avatar, Aaron Ehasz was also head writer and Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (yes they are married) was a staff writer. I don't want to understate the impact of Mike and Bryan as directors, since they clearly did a fantastic job with the visual presentation of the show, but I credit many of the things I love most about Avatar to Aaron and Elizabeth. If the show had a been a well directed but shallow affair, it would not have stuck with me all these years, and certainly wouldn't have the same kind of cultural presence it does today. The richness and depth of the story can be attributed fairly directly to the shows writers imo. It's a shame they weren't involved in the making of Korra, which didn't have anywhere near the kind of depth atla has. Tbh I don't really care that much that Mike and Bryan aren't involved in the live action version after they butchered Avatar's worldbuilding in Korra. Though I still expect the live action to be kinda bad regardless.

[@nicoleciampa8804]

i've been waiting for someone to say this- tlok was bad because Ehasz was not there

[@jameswhatsit]

It's interesting that you mentioned LOTR as a faithful adaptation, as they actually took some quite major liberties with the story which ultimately made for a better telling in the movie format. Ie, the ommision of Tom Bombadil and the shortening of the initial journey through the shire made for much better movie pacing than had they remained 100% faithful. As you said earlier in the video, because they had such good understanding of the story and underlying themes, the changes made were good ones.

[@aurilanise]

My Cabbages! One aspect that makes ATLA so special is the background is the background characters. Was the cabbage man silly? Yes. Did people love it and it became iconic? Yes. The Fire Nation guards. They weren’t Evil bad guys, they were real people with personalities and everyday conversations. So I hope they give the background characters a bit of time to shine. And it’s not just rushing and running to to get to the next place.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

Cabbage Merchant WAS cast for the live action show. AND it is indeed the original voice actor playing him!

[@jessiejesjessica]

@@dresdenwarlock7978omg yes thank god 😂

[@nancyjay790]

I want Aang to have the sessions about achieving the Avatar state where he says, "Can I have some more banana onion soup?" And the cabbage vendor.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

Onion Banana Juice with the Guru? That's book 2. The cabbage merchant has been cast, and it's the voice actor from the show!

[@memeschool7732]

Regarding the Wheel of Time, season one was only that expensive because the pandemic hit in the middle of shooting. The entire production had to be shut down and then restarted, the last two episodes had to be completely rewritten because they lost cast members, locations, extras stuntmen, etcetera. It looks cheap because it actually was, and a huge amount of money went toward dealing with COVID restrictions.

[@NerdyGamerReacts]

The relationship between Zuko & Uncle Iroh, Sokka's arc where he learned how to fight for himself, becoming a warrior in his own right, Toph's orgin, her strength,even through her blindness,being able to hold her own in a fight and stand up for herself, and my personal favorite, Azula's storyline, She's great at being bad, and the fact that she's not just bad because she has to be, she has TONS of trauma, abuse, and neglect from her father, who though praising her power and nothing else, emotionally and psychologically manipulated and abused her, took away her innocence, and implanted the seeds of anger, rage, doubt, and ignoring her emotional needs, so that when he needed her to go against her own flesh and blood, (Zuko and Irohown), she did it with no hesitation, the OG creators aren't attached to this project for a reason, I guess we'll see how it all plays out and what the show will change that made them drop off of it. 💯

[@kateflanagan9355]

I really hope the nail the bending styles. You can tell when fight choreography is bad and when it's good it just looks amazing

[@felixnordberg8939]

The fact that he is primarily a World Building guy and hasn't checked out One Piece is criminal

[@LuisSierra42]

It's too long. The only reason I have not watched it myself is that I only found out about One Piece when it had like 700 episodes. It's a big ask

[@TheVonWeasel]

I've tried 3 times to watch OP. Dropped it for the same reason I couldn't get into Naruto. Freaking 30 minutes of the same episode repeating itself 5 times just to extend the runtime. It was an absolute slog and waste of my time

[@justintsui2522]

I agree. The OP anime has atrocious pacing and wastes your time more than anything Ive ever experienced in storytelling. Just read the manga, its still a slog since its a over 1000 chapters but its much better paced and the quality of the story makes it easier to get through.

[@tisme9420]

I honestly prefer people recommending the manga instead of the anime

[@piput8533]

​@@TheVonWeaselread the manga,no sane man would want to watch an anime that the pacing just got worse every passing year

[@mirchiamemeina1524]

How they handle Zuko and Iroh is definitely the most important thing to me, but I’m also curious as to how they’ll handle Toph. Whether they’ll portray her well. I’m cautiously excited~ having the Kyoshi Warriors get extra love is a big draw for me.

[@GiulianaBruna]

I hope they can manage the humor and lighthearted moments, instead of treat it as filler. Those are important for convince us the characters are kids in the middle of war, and that they carefkr eachother as close friends

[@handmetheparachute]

I agree 100% with the soundtrack idea. I'd love to hear them come up with something new, beautiful, epic, and culturally expressive.

[@ezraclark7904]

Eragon! The books were right up my alley when I was a kid but the movie is awful, it doesn't even make sense on it's own.

[@mathi179]

okay i know that a lot of ppl kinda want to see it but i would hate for zutara to happen...like i get why ppl want them together, but i think her and aang being endgame makes so much sense and i just hope that they dont make it super dark, the original had a lot of fun and carefree moments

[@jennydorrance1884]

I think one of the strongest things they have going for them is they know what character moments people love and they have the time to grow that and make it more impactful (if that's possible)

[@katelynhalt5192]

I'll riot if Zutara is made true in the Netflix series. I loved Aang and Katara's awkward slow burn from friends to being in love. A lot of people wanna say that they don't see it but it's literally from the very first episode to the final scene we see the signs.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

It won't be. That isn't the story.

[@BoxOKittens]

As much as I love this series, I feel like too many people put it up on a pedestal, to the point where they'll accept nothing less than "perfection", and there lies the issue, because the og series is already perfect in their eyes. This will cause many to close their hearts to any changes, I mean just look at what happened with Korra. I still see people who refuse to even watch it because they've clutched atla too close to their heart that they've closed their eyes to anything else. And yes I say that as someone who used to be exactly like that. Glad I grew out of it and learned to love or at least accept adaptations and sequels to things I love.

[@muireannmc1056]

ATLA had a lot of problems I'd love to see fixed imo. Aang and Kataras last solo conversations were all big fights. You have ember Island players with him forcing a kiss on her and then the finale. Then the solution to his entire emotional arc was a rock to the back. It was completely unsatisfying. I think there's lots the adaption could improve that probably would anger the og creators, who seemed very attached to Aang and Katara ending up together at the end of the series. I don't think it's necessary for Aang, he's only 12 when it ends

[@FrumiousMing8]

​@@muireannmc1056 YES I have being saying this for years about Kataang. I said in my own comment that if they are going to do Kataang in live action they MUST make it less one-sided. It's so infuriating how undercooked that romance is in book 3. I'm not saying this is what they intended but Katara is treated like Aang's prize for saving the world. They don't explore her feelings at all it's just boom they're a couple now. That's why I just don't care about Kataang. The Netflix show has a great opportunity to change that.

[@muireannmc1056]

@FrumiousMing8 it's all about how he feels and never confirms until the last episode that she actually likes him. I found Ember Island players so disturbing as a kid and as an adult I feel even weirder watching it. The way she deflects from giving him an answer and he gets progressively angrier really reminds me of politely trying to reject men in my life that couldn't handle it. All of that is made horrifying when you consider her reason is that they're in the middle of a war. Really Aang is the only thing standing between Ozai and the genocide of her people, it must be a huge pressure to try and keep him on an emotional even keel. If she had rejected him in that episode he would have been spiralling in the final fight. It was so unfair of him to pressure her to reciprocate because he got jealous of Zuko while watching the play. The order of events being Katara and Aang fight over the death of her mother, Katara and Aang fight over the forced confession, Zuko picks Katara to fight Azula, Zuko jumps in front of lightning for Katara, finale kiss.... gave me massive whiplash. I say this as someone who really enjoyed Kataang early moments (penguin sledding and the dancing mostly). I seriously think the romantic relationships of the show may have been the cause of the rift. The actress playing katara looks much much older than the actor playing Aang (to be fair they are still the same age as the characters) and I think the differences between them will be even more jarring. I hope that Netflix either keep it platonic or completely rewrite the romance. Show more interest from Katara early on that isn't externally prompted (the fortune teller). Show moments like the penguin sledding. Cut the multiple times that Aang kisses her without asking. We'll just have to see how it goes. I wouldn't be mad in the slightest if they went the complete opposite direction and made Zutara canon. It would be a big departure from the show but would allow Aang to have a decent conclusion to his arc while adding to Katara and Zuko's arc themes (moving on from parental death trauma, learning to forgive/seek forgiveness, separating fire nation military power from the citizenship etc). I think some fans would crucify me for saying that but I'm going to speak my truth 😅

[@The_dandy_zombie]

For someone that talks about worldbuilding so often and has squeezed out soooooo much from the little the Avatar franchise has given us, its probably a good thing for your own health that you haven't read One Piece. I'm pretty sure you'd go insane delving into the massive and complex world of One Piece, its one of the most intricately made worlds in fiction.... A man could get lost trying to explore it all.

[@roadrollerdio565]

The most important thing to preserve is the heart of the primary characters Aang, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Iroh, Toph, Suki, Azula and Ozai and all their dynamics as well as the World of Avatar. After that, the rough shape of the story and the major plot beats. That's what I learnt from the Netflix Cowboy Bebop adaptation which had potential but ultimately didnt work because they put more effort into preserving the shape of some of the storylines instead of the characters we love in a show that should have done the latter, given that the original is an anthology series. Beyond that, it's ok for an adaptation to take some chances because if I wanted an exact rehash of the original story, I already have the original animation. ATLA isn't an anthology ofc but generally adaptations can get away more with plot changes than character changes. I adore ATLA, but I watched it as an adult with my college friends during the pandemic after years of watching anime and there were certain areas where the show pulled its punches in ways it wouldn't have if it was an anime, and the storytelling has some flaws... - some obvious ones being the rocky pacing of S3 - the somewhat unresolved nature of Aang's arc based on what was set up in S2 and how the back half of S3 played out - the timescale of the show being a little silly and the training arcs playing out way too fast especially Katara's and even Sokka's sword arc - Azula's sidekicks being underdeveloped as characters to the point that it was confusing when the show assumed you would care about them at all - the show sometimes bringing up interesting ideas like sacrificing doing good in the moment for the greater cause and then brushing it off completely for the sake of a lighter resolution (e.g. Painted Lady ep and S3 finale) - the very forced relationship between Aang and Katara when their dynamic played out more like mother/son or big sis/little bro for most of the series until the show remembered to shoehorn some onesided Moments which felt deeply uncomfortable just so it could adhere to the "lead boy gets his girl" trope even when lead boy is literally 12 - the Air Nomad backstory not being given enough of the weight it deserves - Southern Water Tribe felt too small.. in general, this adaptation could use this chance to flesh out the world even more! :) - Aang in general not allowed by the writing to grieve the death of everyone he knew (ex bumi) and his whole culture as much as he should have been allowes - Zuko monologuing too much that it feels like tell don't show sometimes (Beach episode for example)... felt like clunky writing sometimes and while animation can pull off these dramatic moments, live action can't! - the unforeshadowed lion turtle at the end - the spirit world aspect of the story feeling forgotten or neglected at times, - and so on and on and on. It might be interesting if the live action addressed some of these flaws, especially some of the flaws that keep the show feeling like it's toned down for kids instead of being an all-ages family show, especially since the adaptation will attract older fans (not grimdark netflix nonsense, just with the fallout of fire nation imperialism more realistically).

[@teradul2480]

I feel like Katara has to have that rally at an earthbender's prision. That episode does feel a bit weaker on season one, and in the movie they swap the line to aang, and that doesn't really work. It is also important to set up the earthbending/metalbending stuff and that episode does do it well without you even noticing I don't really see where it would fit on the episode titles.

[@chilliicecream5456]

Please do more videos on One Piece please 🙏

[@AtrumFalx]

They need to maintain the feel and substance of the relationships and interactions between each of the characters. That is essentially what *made* the show.

[@grantlauzon5237]

More fleshing out of the Kyoshi Warriors or the spirit world would be nice. I’ve watched all of Korra and read the 4 novels and I still don’t think I fully understand the spirit world. Maybe that’s the point but I don’t think the spirit world stuff was necessarily the peak of season 1 especially with haebai or whatever it was called.

[@charlottewilkinson4156]

I think one of the most important things for me, for them to get right, is the philosophies. each characters personal beliefs, and the wider beliefs though out the series. I'm Buddhist, and Aang is one of the only character I can think of in media who's essentially Buddhist. the Air Nomads follow beliefs that I myself follow. this is one of the reason why Aang is one of my favourite characters ever, it's so comfiting for me to have a character that reacts the way I would in certain situations. And all the other Asian philosophies are important to, to making the series what it is.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

The cultural element is one of the most important things to the showrunner, in fact it's one of the few reasons he opted to do it. "Authenticity to the cultures it represents"

[@Scuzzlebutt142]

Things they need to make sure are in there, and they don't screw up: "Leaves from the vine, falling so slow....." They cannot screw that up. Staying loyal is mostly about keeping to the themes and "feel" of something, which can be pretty nebulous. LotR for example, I think generally think is a very good adaption, But I have issues with how it interpreted Denethor, I have a friend who doesn't like what they did with Faramir. Dune, the original Lynch version, is in many ways kinda terrible, but it kinda captures much of the feel of the universe of the book. The new one, really captures a much closer look, but some of the nebulous "feel" of Dune is lost. And yeah, money in production doesn't mean anything to how things may look on screen, look at Rings of Power, all that money, and so much looks bad. The armour is especially yuck.

[@Fiirow1]

I can pretty much guarantee you that scene will be 1 to 1 with the animated one ^^ It's a scene that has been shared and loved ever since it was released, so I'm willing to bet that they kept that as similar as possible, it already kicks you in the guts when you know the story.

[@mokarokas-1727]

@@Fiirow1 - I have a feeling that scene might not be in there at all, precisely because of how beloved it is.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

Ok, but reminder, that is book 2. Leaves from the vine is in the Tales of Ba Sing Se anthology, and is not something you need or should expect from this first season.

[@Alkeeros]

Loyalty to me means capturing the message and tone. If the Live action were a grim dark tale where everyone is swearing at each other it would have been awful. And hey, maybe something can be elevated by having a different "why" in a remake, but in that case it's not loyal.

[@galaxydeathskrill5607]

I'm not only worried for ATLA, but for Eragon as well - it stands in a similar case in its movie and now upcoming production. If they succeed, It would be the happiest day ever. and if they do the Temeraire books after seeing the success of Eragon, that will need a miracle but i'm crossing fingers

[@davidpaez1311]

I think it’s SUPER important to me that they don’t do away with the light hearted funny and overall comedic aspect of the show. I Can see them taking it too serious and part of the originals charm is the humor.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

I have some good news for you. The original voice actor for the cabbage merchant is playing him in live action! Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (whose favorite character is Sokka in the animation) has said that Ian Ousley has left him in stitches on set and will steal every scene he's in. Plus a lot of the writers and actors have done drama and comedy. I think we're good.

[@bobthepervyuncle]

There are some books that I love and think they would be great to see in live-action, but the fear that they might turn it into abomination is too strong.

[@morgoth_edits]

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ok with it turning out just ok and not amazing, however I am insanely excited to see the costumes and sets and the actors portrayal

[@95rossc]

Even though I wouldn’t mind seeing more intensity and darkness, I hope they keep the uplifting positive energy of the original at the center. For me personally, when I think of the show I think of how love and kindness ultimately can make you stronger than hatred and violence. Its adaptation of martial arts put a lot more emphasis on the ‘arts’ than the ‘martial’, in a beautiful way.

[@PolandSphere]

I'd like to mention that the Netflix One Piece only covered up to about 45 episodes of the anime or about 90 chapters of the manga. It still did skip some character development and other things, but it was overall a really good adaptation. I can't imagine how they would condense 1075 episodes into one season of a Netflix TV show.

[@blondymonk1535]

Don't compare it to the anime. The anime has terrible pacing. Use the manga as a reference point. If they keep the about a 100 chapters per season (and in some places they could even fit more) then it'll be alright. And it's possible.

[@charr420]

ah yes, the cat

[@oomflem]

Percy Jackson is the most fury-inducing to me. Largely because Rick Riordan already structures his books like screenplays, so they didn't even have the excuse of the challenges of adapting to a different medium. They basically just had to cut a few of the more minor monster episodes and they could have nailed it.

[@jonathanweir7672]

The pictures of the fire nation characters has me sooo excited!!! But I guess the CG for the bending shall be wha important on how much they spent on the look of it!

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

The VFX company in charge of this is the company that did DUNE

[@diegogonzalezvazq]

tbh i might be in the minority but i genuinely think they nailed all the costumes. understandably theyre not matching perfectly to the original but they encapsulate the feel or vibe of that character very effectively. especially iroh they actually nailed him I dont think you could have got a better actor to look like iroh at least

[@FrumiousMing8]

I do like the costumes as well but I agree I wish they looked more lived-in. Like just add a little stain here, a little fraying there, etc. I think it would help them feel more real. But the colors and designs are wonderful imo.😊

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

@@FrumiousMing8 Well when you think about the locations? Ozai and Azula are at the fire nation capitol, so their clothes wouldn't be worn out. Iroh and Zuko are on Zuko's ship and haven't seen much action, so their clothes wouldn't be worn out and frayed either. Zhao is the only one that comes close, but it looks like he's at the military base from the Blue Spirit and it's reasonable that he'd have plenty of backup clothes. Think of it like Star Wars. The imperials at their bases always look clean, but they get scuffed out in the elements and in battle. Not everyone wanders around in the same outfit for days at a time, especially when they're in their element (no pun intended).

[@Law-gnome]

In comparing two different Netflix adaptations (Cowboy Bebop and One Piece), one of the reasons CB was a failure for me was that it tried so hard to say "remember the anime? You liked that, right? Have some references and tell me you love me too!" One Piece told a story. If you have read the manga or seen the anime, you can recognize the story beats and figure out where things are going (even with changes such as having Arlong at the Baratie instead of Don Krieg). If you haven't read the mange or seen the anime, you can follow the story perfectly well and enjoy it for what it is. My daughter watched it with me, having never seen anything One Piece before, and loved it just as much as I did. Cowboy Bebop had so many references that only made sense had you seen the original show. Those things (like the afro guy that appeared as one of the holograms in an early episode) didn't really serve the story, they just were meaningless references. It didn't focus on telling the story it wanted to tell. For me, Cowboy Bebop did not succeed because it did not focus on telling the story. The cast was great, the effects were fine, the story sucked. They made changes that didn't help the flow of the story, they changed the identity of characters in ways that didn't help tell the story. One Piece did everything really well. The characters were accurate even in places that the story was different. I want the Netflix Avatar to be accurate to the characters and focus on telling the story they are looking to tell. If they make story changes and cuts to help improve the flow of the story, that is totally fine so long as the characters are the same.

[@roadrollerdio565]

They also did callbacks to the show with all the wrong things, that is with background details and plot moments straight out of the anime, but didn't do the same for the characters. Other than maybe Jet, Spike and Faye are written quite differently, Vicious and Julia are not even remotely the same people, so it becomes jarring to watch because their dynamics are so removed from the original. (I do still feel like Netflix should've given them a s2 to recalibrate after receiving all that fan feedback because it did have potential and the anime references showed that the writers did try to do their homework and show they cared... it was just in the wrong ways. Lots of tv shows prestreaming have messy first seasons and then grow into themselves... it's sad that that was lost :/)

[@naruske97]

I think being loyal to me is understanding : 1-Themes of the story as a whole and each character's,and being loyal to that 2-The characters,their personalities and their story arcs 3- The worldbuilding and following its rules

[@ramadhanbenny6640]

Did anyone told this man yet that One Piece allegedly is the *WORLDBUILDING KING* ?

[@story_appreciator6666]

For me I think it'd be interesting to see Azula and Zuko's sibling relationship before everything went sideways and with possibly bringing Azula in earlier that could happen. I at least would hope that they did at one time care for each other and were happy. That just might be me not liking the idea of siblings hating each other and possibly fighting to the death as a result.

[@Jopsyduck]

Percy Jackson and Eragon (even more movies the fandom refuses to acknowledge exist) taught me to be skeptical. Ready Player One taught me to be understanding that some changes need to happen for the adaptation to work.

[@rmsgrey]

My personal low point for adaptations is The Seeker (aka The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising) which took the second book of a series steeped in British folklore and Arthurian legends, following a local lad in the Thames Valley as he turns 11 and learns that as the seventh son of a seventh son, he's heir to ancient magic, and has a quest to gather six macguffins, and turned it into the story of an American teenager recently moved (with his family) to the area, who as the seventh son of a seventh son is heir to ancient magic, and has a quest to gather six macguffins, only to discover that he is the seventh horc- I mean, that he is the sixth sign. And then Will's missing brother (who in the book simply died young) is rescued from having been imprisoned in a glass sphere since infancy (presumably the Dark Rider has trouble counting to seven) and is completely fine (and fluent in English) because magical happy ending.

[@Sanya6496]

There's a lot of things I could probably list that "need", or rather I think are integral elements of the story but I guess I'll only name a few. 1. Iroh and Zuko's relationship and the it being rooted in Iroh's past needs to be mostly the same alongside Zuko learning to be a regular kid in Ba Sing Sae. I do not think Zuko grows as a character or becomes as well liked without this part of his story in book 2. 2. That final fight in the catacombs of Ba Sing Sae in book 2 and the build up to that needs to be there due to how important it is to the stakes of the story. 3. The connection between martial arts and bending. This likely doesn't need much explanation but a lot of the philosophies mentally feed into bending as well as the more spiritual side of the show, and a lot of the depth of the system is just subtext. It's going to be interesting to see if Netflix can manage to capture a lot of the feelings and nuances within the live action version of the show.

[@dresdenwarlock7978]

If you haven't yet I recommend looking into the fight choreography and stunt crew for the show. They made a short film starring a young actress as Toph (not canon) in their dojo. They edited it and did the FX themselves. It really shows off how they are approaching the fighting and bending. If you google kendo482 and Toph it will come up (I can't get the link to paste here)