Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender... Why It's Mediocre

[@jordangerardpotier]

My thought after watching the show: “I’m just gonna rewatch the original for the 20th time.”

[@MissingScrew27]

yup and i loved it so much

[@cameronmcgurk9302]

Same

[@Milther2]

*1000th time

[@DKWReshana14]

I thought I was the only crazy one, watching the original series for that number! Nah, I'm totally wrong on that 😂. I'm glad I'm not alone 😅. Currently watching the original series again (for the 26th time I guess or maybe more but very sure it's not less) with my wife (for her it's the 1st time).🎉

[@CrispyyFella]

20th? I’m literally (no exaggeration) on my 50th💀💀💀

[@dwatz98]

Bro you are mixing up self seriousness with maturity, they are not the same thing . The live action version is not more mature it’s more self serious which is actually a lot more childish . You can be mature and playful they aren’t mutually exclusive

[@Eva-wo1um]

Thank you. I didn’t like this review that much cuz he missed many points. Also didn’t like his take on Azula at all, cuz her og breakdown wasn’t rushed, it was expected because the perfect image she built of herself shattered. In this one I can’t see an image of perfection being built. Her breakdown won’t be significant because she already shows signs of it. Also Aang playfulness was just added in as a reason to show off the animation of the hairball, came out of nowhere and wasn’t consistent. It is not a less mature show because you have a child being child. It makes the og more mature because the role was placed on a child. Here the child is taking responsibility so the weight of his role weakens

[@francissoria3035]

@@Eva-wo1umexactly! No hate on the dude who made the video but seriously sounds like its trying to excuse the adaptation. Is an Adaptation” for a reason, not a remake or reboot. Such a let down on this review

[@joachimikuenobe599]

I agree 1000%. As soon as I hear "made for a more mature audience", the red to flags start appearing in my mind. Some of the most mature things I've seen are made for kids and young adults.

[@twocents7509]

Here’s the thing about Bumi. Yes, an old man who’s resentful of aang because he has seen the entirety of the war and has had to make hard decisions is an interesting character, but it’s not Bumi. Bumi is the type of character to see the classic trolley problem, and find a 3rd, “mad genius” solution. He also told Aang he’d have to rely on his friends. The Bumi we get in this show is a man that presents aang with trolley-like problems, and doesn’t expect aang to find a 3rd, “mad genius” solution because he himself can’t see it, and he calls aang a “cheater” when his friends help him. I agree that this character is interesting to pit against aang, but this character is not Bumi. Other things I disliked was them taking away sokka’s sexist flaws and aangs flaw of being undisciplined. I disliked this because it ended up tearing down other characters. Take sokka, for instance. Originally, he has a conflict with suki because of his sexist attitude. They took away sokka’s sexism, but they still wanted a conflict so what did they do? They gave suki’s character more flaws (which I hated, don’t pull down other characters because you want to lift another up). With aang, taking away his flaws meant that he really didn’t learn anything useful from any of his experiences or mentors because 1) he didn’t have the same flaws (or any noticeable flaws really) so there were no consequences for him to learn and grow from, and 2) almost everyone gave him bad advice, so aang literally regresses because he was actually pretty far along with the right mindset to begin with and listening to others gave him flaws. This makes the past avatars and people like Bumi look antagonistic, when they are supposed to be an aid to aang. Again, other characters are getting torn down because they took significant character flaws away from aang. I really disliked this, and they should have kept aang as the kid that ran away (like you mentioned) and kept him as the kid that was also undisciplined and trying to have fun rather than focus on his responsibilities, then we could have seen him actually grow rather than regress in the show.

[@DragonGoddess18]

Yeah, they turned Suki into a creep Why did they do that?

[@superleipoman]

Exactly, and it's kinda sus that the narrator of this channel doesn't understand Bumi's lesson. Hell, it's essentially directly applied to the final battle where Aang makes up a third solution that nobody thought was an option.

[@NerdyGamerReacts]

​@@superleipomanSo true, Sang had to think outside the box, and was able too, thanks to Bumi all the way back in season 1 telling him that he's going to have to think outside the box if he wants any chance at stopping the fire nation, and that he did. 💯

[@michaelahurt]

Yeah Gold Man saying Aang didn't really learn anything of value from Bumi is *WILD* As you said, the entire point of those trials -- beyond displaying Bumi's character -- is to teach Aang to look beyond the obvious for those "mad genius" solutions and that is *exactly* how he ends up defeating Ozai in the end. He finds a third way, the mad genius way Bumi taught him. Perfect storytelling.

[@JamesHigh-ji8wf]

Also Bumi in the original wasn't mad at aang "running away" because he assumed Aang died like everyone else. Ppl thought the cycle was broken not the avatar just ran away. Bumi being mad would've made sense that been the episode aang confessed to running away because he didn't want to be the avatar. Which is y I don't get the writers changing that character flaw but having the reactions as if that was what happened

[@Ironclad123]

Maturity doesn’t mean how many bodies you burn, its how many heads you open ~ someone from TikTok

[@randallbrittain]

My gripe with Katara’s waterbending at the north pole is not that she seemingly learnt super quickly per se, but that all of it was self-taught and she obtained status of “master” by the Master Pakku without having learned anything from him. At least in the original it’s believable that she learned so quickly because Master Pakku trained her.

[@identitysmiles]

I’m sorry, but the fact that Katara became a master ON HER OWN is the thing that I have a huge problem with. Yes, she did become a master with extreme speed in the OG AFTER she trained with a master, and it was established heavily in the first season that Katara had skill. In the Netflix she just…. Wills it into existence? Sure, she’s got the scroll but her fight with Zuko at the end was so disappointing. It felt like they were throwing the teaching aspect of bending out the window just for Katara. It made her even more badly written for me. Not that I didn’t like some aspects, but yeah. I hope it goes better for her and the other characters in season two.

[@Kisarez]

Yup. Katara is excellent, because. Aang is excellent, because. They focus much more on the world and warfare in this show. So we perceive it from a critical POV to Team Avatar. Aang seems to have to redeem himself, more than save the world. Because he owes the world, and should do so without growing from his own character. Hell we open the show with literally burning people to death. On screen, in detail. We should all feel angry at Aang, and Aang is not humanized at all, when he can do anything immediately, or the Avatar State will do that for him. His choices and wisdom also triumph over others, like Bumi. I feel this version of Aang is sort of a supersoldier.

[@jonoxes8662]

Last point about Katara learning too fast in the original is not true at all. You have her barely catch a fish in a ball of water. Then she steals the scroll and trains with Aang, gets frustrated that he's learning faster than her. Then she gets to the north where she's rejected, so Aang teaches her what he learns. Pakku catches them and get's angry, demands an apology, so Katara challenges him, and get's her ass handed to her, but he notices her necklace and feels bad. Then he decides to train her and there's a time jump to her beating all his other students. Contrast that to the show? She can't bend, then Aang tells her "it's about the energies" and she bends a 50 meter tower to block a fireball in the first episode...

[@ChildishGambeaner]

Exactly. This video had quite a few bad takes

[@donotlike4anonymus594]

Wait she became a master in 1 episode?! That's way too slow! We're talking about netflix after all... Cuz everything most've been adapted for "modern audiances" And unless the girlboss overshadows everyone at the first half hour of the movie then what are we even doing here... (Oh and if they can't do that don't worry about it... Undermining good charcters such as zhou to promp them up works too)

[@Problemsolver434]

Yeah. Apparently, all it takes is one scroll and a few days to master water bending now. No need for an actual master. I hated that plot line

[@basilofgoodwishes4138]

And in the original, we have her learning super fast ice bending and in the same episode where she initially failed at waterbending with the scroll, comes to immiedately surpass Aang and Pakku had already called her better than his pupils even before her defeat. While the old show did ultimately have many more setbacks for her abilities, let us not pretend that the pace was fast enough to be considered too fast for many, in fact that was the original complaint with her dating back to the beginning of the show. The Netflix adaptation also has her now be as skilled as you make it out to be. She nearly died to Zuko in Episode 2, struggles still with waterbending until Jet helped her overcome her trauma via good memories and she ultimately lost the fight him here and never managed to convince him to change his attitude, until he saw his people nearly being destroyed. She is a fast learner.

[@ChildishGambeaner]

@@basilofgoodwishes4138 The animated version made it a point to show Katara sneaking off to practice her waterbending, meaning she was doing it often. So you're completely wrong. It went from her finding a master to "I'm my own master" out of nowhere! The Netflix version is really bad

[@elicrodriguez]

Removing sokkas sexism arc only to ironically make suki a creep towards him (when he has no shirt) taking away kataras emotions, jealousy, motherly qualities and her bossiness, Aang not being playful enough and too determined to fulfill his responsibilities when that’s supposed to be the whole arc of his throughout the show. Zuko not being as hotheaded and self loathing as he should’ve been. The worst part is the unbelievable amount of EXPOSITION. This show is all tell and no show. Although episode 6 is what I can call a genuinely good episode. Yes there were some “good” changes, but they weren’t as impactful, you’re spot on about that. The most impactful was the additions. But Sokkas removal of his attitude is the worst about his character. The original show constantly shows it to be something sokka needs to grow out of, and it keeps challenging him to do so. His assumptions of there being “natural” assignment of mens and womens roles ultimately gets him humbled, and it’s his misguided result of him having to step up when his father left him in charge when the men left. His assumptions of the kyoshi warriors having to have been men, calling their practice “dance lessons” only for them to beat him every time. Even though he’s emasculated by putting on the “dress” and makeup, it’s something he consciously chooses to still do in order to learn to fight from them. This completely underscores his jaded concept of there being masculine and feminine roles and changes his worldview by showing that they’re not opposing or paradoxical. You can be both. Which is why suki says “I’m a warrior, but I’m a girl too” after she kisses him. The fact that he gets on his knees and asks suki to teach him, and suki says “even if im a girl?” just shows the importance of his arc. If someone doesn’t think that’s great story telling and an interesting story, I don’t know what is.

[@Milther2]

Glad you mention the creepy Suki side of it! I'm no prude, but I don't care to see 13 year olds perving on each other. They should have aged Sokka up, not down, if thats the vibe they wanted to go for

[@ningmushii]

And they did the same to June! They made her edgy and weirdly flirty to Iroh. This baffled me because June wasn’t edgy in the og, she was just doing what she did to get by. I don’t think she would tell Aang to give up, but she would have told him that this is the sad state of the world. Or to be more accurate to og June, when Aang asks her to free him she probably would say sorry little guy but I’m just doing what I’m paid to do and that’s it. Back to the fact that June flirts with Iroh is so weird to me because she HATED how Iroh was flirty with her. They take that part out of Iroh (good choice honestly) but then switch the roles?? Why did they feel the need to include that at all when they could’ve even talked about how Iroh was being very creepy towards her and have June expressed she hated that, and have Iroh feel terrible for being a creep.

[@elicrodriguez]

@@ningmushii exactly. It’s ok for her to be flirty to iroh, but not the other way around? This show really wanted to remove sexism but just flipped it around and made suki and june creeps. Such a double standard

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

@@Milther2 Wait, they aged Sokka down? He was 16 in the original, same age as Zuko.

[@leftenantthunder]

I really don't understand what people are so upset about gis "sexism arc "when it's literally like a two episode thing. It wasn't and never has been an important part of his character to be a sexist lol. He was an immature teenager who said a couple of rude things to his little sister, and eventually got humbled by a capable warrior and changed his tune. Sokka's arc is about learning to be a leader and step out of his father's shadow, not being nicer to women lol

[@calebmurphy9406]

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender 0 Years Later

[@calebmurphy9406]

I'm sure I'm the first person to make this joke

[@thegoldman25]

Hahaha. Or “1 week later”

[@suezcontours6653]

​​@@thegoldman25The Marvel movies since 2008 have lowered the writing quality

[@ChildishGambeaner]

​@@suezcontours6653 what are you talking about lmao

[@kdusel1991]

​@@thegoldman25 it's fine but overall sooo much better than that abomination of a live action movie. And it does have some stuff in it that works for me. I love the opening showing the genocide of the air temple.

[@saucyca1821]

That would be such a big mistake in my opinion to make Iroh go through his arc in the actual show because it was canon that iroh was a white lotus spy for the latter years of his fire nation time and was there to make sure things didn’t get worse

[@thegoldman25]

We’ll see!

[@sydguitar99]

I think i disagree with 90% of what you said. Azula should be someone who strikes fear not someone who looks like a scared child. Showing the genocide of the air nomads took away all suspense from the discovery

[@tishaunagreen8325]

Exactly

[@SossboyOG]

Yea most of his points are kinda dumb. In the original it made sense how azula became broken it wasn’t “rushed” at all so idk why he said that. Azula has been ruthless from the start till book 3

[@sydguitar99]

@SossboyOG it sounded like a fan coping for a bad show just bc it's attached to their favorite IP. Like as a kid I didn't need to see the genocide of the air benders to understand they were all wiped out lol

[@CaulkMongler]

That’s what bugged me too. When Aang talks about how some air nomads are super secluded and cut off from the rest of the world I was like “maybe there ARE some that managed to stay safe” and then being faced with Gyatso himself, after he fended off so many fire benders, you really feel his pain. Not to mention the build up of how Aang comes to depend on his friends bc Katara is there to comfort him when he’s grieving. I know they set it up to take away the romance between Kataang, but if they wanted to do that they could’ve made Katara AND Sokka be there to support him.

[@davismorgan99]

Yeah they really messed up Azula. We get almost two full seasons before we even start to see vulnerability in her. The end of her character is great because you spend the entire show hating her and then you realize she’s gone completely insane and you feel kinda bad for her.

[@lasercraft32]

It still REALLY bothers me that they removed Katara's motherly aspects because its too "misogynistic." Why is being motherly a bad thing? Women aren't allowed to show one of the best traits any human being can have???

[@surette2012]

I know 😢 I feel like female empowerment doesn’t really hit if it literally dunks on anything deemed as ‘traditionally feminine.’ I believe traits shouldn’t be gendered to the extent that they are culturally and any gender can have any of these aspects, but it seems everyone else seems to still demonize characters that are nurturing, wise and sensitive. They see them as ‘weak.’ Being Masculine, stoic, questionably strong/overpowered and self reliant is the only trappings of powerful woman in a lot of media I see. It’s misogyny to show a character being shy, or to struggle and fail. To work for their goals. They have to already be perfect. I like katara’s passion and her mistakes and impulses. Being so nurturing and having motherly protectiveness that leads to emotional connection and passionate outbursts. I remember as a kid people were very misogynistic towards her, saying she was annoying and all the typical rude things. They think they can enhance and fix her and avoid it this time around by watering her down and just having her be competent and agreeable. I’m just…confused why they switched her to being a girl frustrated with being babied by her brother vs how she was basically a parentified child. How’s that gonna play out?

[@kareemelrefaay5300]

I really hate to say it but it's all an act where the superficial Appearances is more important than the reality as true feminism was concerned about freedom and making women equal by removing any disadvantages and giving everyone true freedom while modern feminism is concerned with Appearances more than the actual subject so any signs of womanhood like motherhood should be rejected and instead of teaching women that choosing to be a mother or a stereotypical girly girl is ok and as valid as any other choice they're trying to convince women that having successful career is a better more valid decision than being a mother which is the same societal pressure true feminism were created to fight against and hopefully end

[@leftenantthunder]

It's part of the feminist angle. For example I believe Kyoshi is going to have a bigger role than Roku cuz she's a strong female avatar

[@kairostimeYT]

Sokka says "Girls are better at fixing pants than guys and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things.” in the show. Feminist moment says "Guy go grind and hunt for bitches in a superficial way and girls too hunt for dudes in a superficial way. It's the natural order of things". How is the second one any different from the first qualitatively?

[@Bluey-yq1nv]

I feel like they completely missed the point for most of the characters. A big issue I have with it is that Aang never waterbends at all. It really kinda just nerfs a lot of the characters and makes Katara almost a nothing character.

[@DylanMadd]

Just commented I only just started the cartoon to prepare. Unsure where it’s going and don’t know anything about Korra (sp?). So it’s all new. I loved Katara. She fought hard to practice in her own time and when that Nortern Tribe kid calls her, “Master”, I actually felt it. Thought they did well. So but if it actually wasn’t good, I’m thrilled to have more cartoon to watch!!

[@derekhowe672]

I completely disagree with that I think they did the characters justice.

[@gabrielp9646]

Bro... In episode 1, Katara is already stopping powerful attacks from Zuko. In episode 2, she JUST MAGICALLY HAS a water scroll... Gran Gran gave it to her. Later that episode, we see her practicing ONCE.. And Aang already comes to her, like "You´re a great waterbender, Katara =)" I was like... What on earth are you doing, show? :S

[@derekhowe672]

@@gabrielp9646 bro they had 8 episodes to put the first book and a little bit of the second in a tv show do it in a timely manner and make sure it’s still pretty close to the animation. It’s fine. If you’re looking for a 1-1 go watch the animation bro. Y’all are being too strict. It’s a live action adaptation. There’s gonna be something that just get glossed over because for one everyone that’s watching this show either seen the cartoon or knows about it enough and there’s just not enough time to do all that. This show could’ve been way worse than what it is. People are so nostalgia hungry they can’t enjoy things for what it is.

[@derekhowe672]

@@gabrielp9646 none of the things that people are complaining about is taking anything away from the story.

[@twocents7509]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the change with koh. One of aang’s defining moments from just being a kid to being seen as “the avatar” I feel is with his confrontation with koh. This is because koh takes the face of anyone that shows emotion, and aang is a very emotional character. Because of that, him being able to face koh without showing any emotion is an absolutely astonishing moment that makes you impressed with aang, and it makes you think “this is AVATAR Aang”. It is a great moment, and I am so disappointed that they changed it to simply returning some totem that Roku stole. It’s never explained why this totem is stolen btw, and Roku just lets it go so you get the feeling the totem is unimportant. But then again, why in the world would Roku steal something from a super dangerous spirit if it wasn’t important? It just doesn’t make sense, and it’s no where near as impactful as the original confrontation with koh.

[@koldonn1111]

They did Monk Gyatso SO DIRTY with his death

[@thegoldman25]

How?

[@koldonn1111]

@@thegoldman25 If you noticed in the show, it looks like he wenr down fighring, more powerful in that moment than rhe typical Firebender even with the commet. He goes out with a wimper in the new one.

[@0hReactions]

if you watch it back the screaming shots that cut back and forth is actually pretty comical

[@alaynadoon2554]

@@thegoldman25it’s speculated that because the amount of fire nation soldiers in that semi enclosed space he sucked the air out of the room killing everyone including possibly himself or was already injured before the last move.

[@Leta409]

@@thegoldman25 He killed alot of firebenders before he died at his age with the comet active but in the netflix he just knocks down a few.

[@ryanbaldy8828]

In the original, Katara gets really good at waterbending because she trains with Paku. In the live action, she doesn't train with Paku but is still an amazing water bender.

[@dengmandang]

I disagree, Haru was a good episode. Imprisoned was one of my favorites because it showed just how ruthless and racist the Fire nation was. They had these earthbenders in a prison labor concentration camp and they made earthbending illegal, punishable by forced labor. The warden literally said “there won’t be any of the brutal savagery you guys try to pass off as bending”.

[@xxcyte]

I hate everything you liked about the Netflix version except rhe 41st division being Zuko's crew..... watching this video was hard because you are agreeable with so many reasons the show is bad.

[@0hReactions]

suki’s mom is the most power character in the show, that throw is crazy

[@marcust-kq4cv]

This may not be a popular opinion, but the only character I thought they did a good job showcasing was Zuko, but they did it in a way that takes away from the overall story. If you are a Zuko fan then you had a lot to love about how he was portrayed in the live action series. He was featured a lot, got a lot of backstory, and a lot of flashbacks. You even got a random, out of nowhere Zutara nod. My problem is that they made him too sympathetic of a character too soon. The original series did a good job leaving bread crumbs to Zuko being a sympathetic character but this show was too ham fisted with it. Alot of his rougher edges such as how he treats Uncle is sanded down and his kindness is focused on His eventual transition is too obvious now. My wife who's never saw the series called it after like the second or third episode. They also hurt other characters to prop him up. Look at iroh telling the 41st fleet that they are only alive because of Zuko, as a way to pretty much say, it doesn't matter how bad Zuko treats y'all, you owe him forever. Uncle would never justify Zuko being a jerk. He would apologize for him and explain why but never excuse it.

[@derg6222]

your observation of Zuko is spot on. he was the villain in the OG season 1. it's also gonna be hard for Netflix to sell his choice for the dark side at the finale of season 2, when he's portrayed this sympathetic so soon. his actor was probably the most capable out of the young leads, but he definetely lacked the anger and obsession and he kind of has a friendly face, doesn't look like an evil dude. Back in the OG it was definetely a well done twist, when Zuko switches sides for good in season 3, I never found that too obvious beforehand. funny that your wife called it.

[@joushua4428]

As a Zuko fan myself, I 100% agree with that take. The reason why I loved his character arc so much was that it was long and hard. There was potential for him in season 1 but it was very VERY deeply hidden. Also I can’t believe how many people liked the change with the 41st being his crew. It just felt like pointless fanservice/connection and Iroh’s revelation was just so much worse than in the show. The animated series did it so much better by showing that Zuko cares for his people with how he risked his life to save the crew and decided to not pursue Aang during the storm.

[@marcust-kq4cv]

@@derg6222 it's like Zuko is the writers' favorite character and they really wanted us to like him, which, ok, it worked but now it seems like there isn't much room for growth. They expanded on everything related to his story.

[@marcust-kq4cv]

@@joushua4428 yeah the live action lacks subtlety. They really wanted us to know that Zuko is a good guy underneath by repeatedly hitting us over the head with how good he is. Uncle's revelation is the best example. undermined Uncle as a character.

[@davismorgan99]

One of the best moments in the theater episode is Zuko reliving the way he treated his uncle. They make him too sympathetic starting out to the point that I don’t see a reason why he wouldn’t just join Aang right away.

[@drewpatterson7917]

Katara absolutely progresses in her training throughout the first season of the original show and it happens across the course of the entire season. The water bending scroll episode, when she frst bends water out of Ang's lungs in the kioshi warrior's episode, the way she learns to bend water she can't see in the jet episode, the way she innovates her freezing water in a number of episodes (on Zuko's boat in the first two episodes, against Jet, etc.). She is seen to gradually improve across the course of the series. We even see her apply techniques from other bending styles, primarily earth bending. When she fights Paku in the original series, we see her do a move where she roots her feet in the ice and says "you can't knock me down" which is not only nearly identical to a move we have seen earth benders perform (but with rooting feet in the earth), but is also in line with the ideology of earth bending as later explained by Toph in tough work. We see her clearly demonstrate gradual improvement in her abilities both through improvisation and active study/practice, and it is a core part of her development in season one. The lessons she learns at the north pole are glossed over because they amount to nothing more than formalized training, which is useful but not character relevant to see. It is her development of technique and consistent effort to improve that she demonstrates throughout season one that marks her as having the potential to become a master, and the formalized training under Paku is merely the final step needed to realize that potential.

[@VeggiePun]

I definitely think the nuance of Zuko's fight with his father is lost in this adaptation. In the original he speaks out of turn, yes. But he didn't know he'd be fighting Ozai until he showed up. Zuko was 100% ready to toss hands with what ever General showed up to the fight. Once he realizes its his father, he drops to his knees in shock and begs for forgiveness. Only to have his Father to inflict not only the worst physical pains imaginable by burning his face, but emotional pain by basically disowning his first born. He wants nothing to do with his own son after having his Authority challenge, once, by his like 10/12 year old son. The Grip on his throne is so tight he cant have his son talking back to him. Imagine if it was just a random General who spoke out. They'd probably be killed at the war table.

[@dengmandang]

You watched it twice? I could only do it once and that was it. Their voices and dialogue, I just couldn’t do it. And I send the animation at least 17 times.

[@thegoldman25]

yep, i watched the entire season the first time the day it came out. then i watched it again over the span of 3 days

[@Unelephant]

3:55 Sozin has been on his conquest ever since Roku was alive, colonizing some Earth territory already. And he continued again after Roku's death.

[@alexandrefrauches132]

The decision to skip Aang's waterbend training might have to do with the fact that he didn't go through a emotional arc during this process, unlike his earthbending and firebending training. It's very possible that Aang's training will play bigger role in season 2, specially when he find out about the Sozin's cometh, which the series could easly use to adapt Aang meeting with Jeong Jeong, since that information will justify Aang being so desperate to learn faster, resulting in him making some mistakes.

[@athanasioskosmas3915]

Also dont forget that because the actors are aging there are gonna be a time jump. Maybe thats why we didnt see Aang waterbend once. Its not a great change but a necassary one

[@grimmjow13]

The biggest drawback for me is that it skips one of my favorite episode from S1, "The Waterbending Scroll", where it shows Katara teaching Aang waterbending and being frustrated at his innate ability to master what she spent months struggling to learn. It showed a lot of Katara's character and further deepened her bond with Aang.

[@Anouar1403]

The problem with removing this in s1 is the character building, so much good character building is thrown away for later seasons and replaced by fanservice that kinda ruins what the og build up. furthermore, I would've accepted this if they didn't try to force down my throat that at the end of this first season, katara sokka and Aang are friends. they almost spend no time actually building any friendship because of the fact that 1 the waterbending scroll episode was removed and also so many other relationship-building moments. It's a meh idea with even worse execution

[@teleportingpotatoe]

i mean he didnt even get to try firebending

[@robchuk4136]

If the monks were anticipating some sort of Fire Nation attack, then it was pretty stupid of them to decide it would be a good idea to all be in one place at one time. Not all changes are bad, but this change actively makes the backstory dumber. I know they show wanted more of Avatar Kyoshi, but the reason the cartoon was more focused on Avatar Roku, was he's literally the last Avatar before Aang, so would naturally be his most direct connection, and also because Roku at least in part, blames himself as being *responsible for the war* Katara's motherliness was removed for the same reason Sokka's sexism was removed. They don't look upon it favorably. As they showed at the end, with all the healers that are now an army ready to fight (ridiculous), this show has a problem with any sort of femininity that they feel isn't "strong." All in all, because it has the hindsight of knowing what happens, one of the Netflix show's biggest problems is it's constantly showing things without letting the mystery play out (they really don't let the audience wonder or ask questions) and it is constantly setting up things that feel more like telegraphing the obvious, rather than feeling organic. (Which is basically what you brought up with Zuko's redemption being made easier.)

[@someguy2189]

Starting the series in the past and showing the Air Nomads getting wiped out in the 1st episode does not work because it destroys a lot of the mystery on why Aang is the Last Airbender, terrible decision by the Netflix writers. The show is a 5/10 at best.

[@derg6222]

yeah that was a horrible decision. "The Storm" is arguably the most emotional episode in all of the Original season 1 and Netflix prevented that from happening right from the get go. that stupid opening also takes away some weight of "The Avatar and the Firelord" all the way back in OG season 3.

[@chickenporkadob0]

i hate when it's accepted that tv shows have only 8 episodes and some viewers makes excuses/coping that story is cramped because it's only 8 episodes and say it's better than the movie. of course it's better than the movie. the lu ten's scene is not really effective for me and for my normie friend because the relationship between zuko and uncle iroh isn't that developed.that's why the backstory isn't in book 1. i think it's heartfelt for fans because they know already the story. Avatar Roku became a mcguffin Ozai is weaker than Zuko Azula is no where near the same character as the original. she's no where confident, bully or anything like crazy. is she a secret child? because those rebels didn't know her. Avatar Kyoshi is a fan service Sokka sexism is removed but Northern water tribe is sexist. I'm somehow confused on why the female water benders immediately went to fight in the frontline. they're medic, what are they going to do if the medics are dead? there's a reason why medics don't fight. overall it's amazing visually but it failed because of poor script, dialogue, plot and basically no character development. at the end i asked my normie friends which episodes they like, they picked 1,2 and 8. so just the action. 5/10 ⭐

[@ningmushii]

I agree! I'm so glad to see someone else not think the scenes were really that emotional, and it has to do with the fact that the characters don't feel as close as the show says they are.

[@gabrielp9646]

@The Gold Man - I can´t believe you "liked" what they did with Suki... She was my most disliked character in the live action. No: She´s not one-note in the animated show. I always thought it was great how they made her character so complex (in the anime) with just a few lines. She´s one note HERE... She´s a simp who´s making loving eyes to Soka after having ZERO LINES OF DIALOGUE.. They even kiss at the end of the episode (I LITERALLY had to stop watching the LA after episode 2, for a few days... THEY MADE THEM KISS, AND FALL IN LOVE. IN THE FIRST EPISODE... In the anime, they don´t kiss, or even know each other that much, until much later... THAT is one note, my friend). Ive literally seen Steven Seagal movies with a better written (and acted.. tvh) romance than this garbage.

[@taeganpardue9804]

THANK YOU

[@ningmushii]

I agree, but she technically kisses him (on the cheek) and shows some attraction to him in the animated series. The way they get together in the animated series could be done better but the live-action was distasteful, especially when they shafted Suki and the other female characters in the show. I find it crazy how they wanted each girl to be a girl boss but removed the defining character traits that make them girl bosses in the animated series. I ESPECIALLY hate what they did to June, like they wanted her to be edgy so bad I literally rolled my eyes when she was on screen.

[@christophercharles1937]

Big issue with the fire nation attack in the beginning is the fact that the fire enhanced by the comet looks no different from regular fire bending

[@ShaunFish]

The show isn’t completely awful, but the dialogue sure as hell does NOT capture “the heart of Avatar.” It’s so bad and mutilates any sense of nuance and depth the series brought

[@grmgt]

00:05 "After watching the entire season twice"... You are such a brave soul lol. I couldn't even finish it once, i hated it :)

[@av618]

Sorry but ATLA Netflix was disappointing.. There are multiple cepisodes that it was painful to watch .. The Spirited something was like scratching ur fingernails to chalkboard

[@marshezungu5838]

My issues: 1. Sokka’s insecurities are absent (he’s season 3 Sokka) 2. Katara’s agency 3. One scene of Aang “playing” isn’t proof of Aang being playful 4. Lovers Cave… why are the siblings there? 5. ExPeRdItIoN 6. HOW can Katara and Sokka enter the spirit world? I didn’t buy the LA explanation 7. We didn’t need Azula yet. I don’t need to sympathise with her. 8. FACE STEALER NOT STEALING FACES? That show emotion? 9. What was the point of having Hai Bai there if they never address why he’s angry? Now I’m LA he’s just a monster 6. I’ll just go watch the animated version 😢 this list is long 😂

[@nikolaslam-gullett8655]

zuko not having his eyesight on honor is a massive change it completely disregards the character growth that builds to the point throughout the show, zuko battles with his honor with whats right the honor he lost when he spoke outta place taken by his father when it’s literally scorched into his face that moment but he grows to not let it shape his life - -he learns through struggles that it’s up to him to deside his own destiny and by being true to himself his honor can never be fully taken from him. i think not including this obsession is a MASSIVE oversight on Zukos overall story.

[@nikolaslam-gullett8655]

also Ozai crying as he burns his son is ridiculous ozai is a abusive father who shows no care for his children. He’s a true villian and i think it works better if he’s depicted as such.

[@AB-zl4nh]

Aang didn't run away in the Netflix show he went to clear his head. Taking away a major character arc from Aang later in the show. From his perspective, he accepted he was the Avatar in 72hrs, and I find ridiculous. Also robs Korra, the next Avatar, of what made her stand out compared to Aang.

[@cameronsunken844]

I disagree hard with the Suki points. In the original, she was a strong warrior before anything else. In the Netflix show, she’s just a girl slobbering over Sokka for no reason.

[@alexandrefrauches132]

Personally I didn't mind Aang empathizing with Zuko in the Blue Spirit episode since Zuko redemption didn't involve just him bonding with Aang but the whole team. Just because Aang sees something good in Zuko, doesn't mean his friends will do the same. I could easly see this version having the team being split about accepting Zuko, with some like Toph willing to risk while others like Katara refuse to belive in him, with Aang in the middle having to make the big decision. Plus, if the series adapt Crossroads of Destiny, Zuko's betrayal will make things difficult, since the heroes gave him and chance and he betrayed them.

[@swedums1483]

I feel like you should rewatch the show, for example in the original the monks didn't rush him at all, all they did was tell him he was the avatar.

[@thegoldman25]

They were going to rush him, that's why he ran away

[@Leta409]

They did rush him avatars are usually not told they're the avatar until they're 16, with the exception of korra but its only cause she could bend 3 elements at a young age.

[@ningmushii]

they told him because they wantedto start his avatar training early so yes, they did rush him. However, in the live action, it's more in your face.

[@Drumkid0]

I have a few issues with your statements on the King Bumi section. First of all the challenges were not a game to have Aang guess his name, he literally explains why he gave him these challenges. When asked by Sokka why he did it he says “But I do have a reason. Aang you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years you’ve been gone. It’s the duty of the avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating fire lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the 4 elements and confront the fire lord and when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius.” This arguably leads to one of Aang's most important choices in taking Ozia's bending instead of taking him out. I also don't think Bumi being mad at Aang makes sense either. They were childhood friends and IDK about you but if my people suffered because my FRIEND got TRAPPED in ice I wouldn't really blame him, it doesn't make sense. Especially in this adaptation where Aang didn't run away from his responsibilities but was coincidentally caught up in a storm on a nightly stroll. It would make sense if Bumi knew that Aang ran away from his duties but he didn't. I think you need to re-watch the original, especially "The King of Omashu" episode because you clearly didn't understand it.

[@ningmushii]

I hate what they did to Bumi in the live-action version, but it does make sense that he acts the way he does for the story they created for it. I wish they kept his quirky behavior and wisdom, even if he was not friendly to Aang at first.

[@wlyhowie]

Mopped him 😂 cause that’s what made me mad the most

[@dcnelson]

The challenges Bumi had Aang face in the original show were to help him face the Fire Lord. He wanted Aang to have the experience he would need to defeat Ozai.

[@LadWithNoDad]

Biggest disappointments for me were the spirited away episode and Roku, Roku is probably one of my top five favorite characters in the original series and in this show I didn't like him at all, and I really enjoyed the original Hei Bei arc about Aang and the spirit of the forest coming to terms with this new world

[@thegoldman25]

Yeah they made Roku wierd

[@stellasc04]

It got me so weird that people thought yeah its fine to blame a kid for causing a war bc he ran way from his responsibility. Maybe it could work in the OG series. But in the netflix one its different. Aang didnt ran way, he didnt even intended too. Hes just a victim of a bad weather. It also morally confused too, especially with Bumi which is Aang's childhoold friend. Out all of people, Bumi is supposed to be the one that could understand Aang's situation (not even angry to him), hes the only man alive who knows Aang from the past and shared a good relationship. The reason why in OG series when they meet again, he play fun trick with Aang try guessing his name bc Bumi just miss his buddy so much that he thought died in the air nomad genocide.

[@SmallFaerie]

The thing is, though, that neither in the original nor in the Netflix adaptation does anyone but Aang (and eventually the few he chooses to tell) know why he disappeared. The reason people all over the world blame him isn't because they know his motivations, it's because they simply choose to blame him for the result. They choose to assume that the avatar is simply so powerful that he couldn't be held back if he hadn't wanted to stay away of his own accord. That is of course not true - which we, the viewers, know - but they don't know or want to know that.

[@grimmjow13]

I'm guessing I enjoyed the show a bit more than the majority of fans, as I would personally qualify it as "good" (though not "great") rather than "mediocre". The biggest flaw for me was the dialogs and heavy exposition (Gran Gran reciting the intro in the first episode felt really awkward and unnatural). I didn't have too much issue with most of the changes from the source material and could understand the reasoning between most of them. For example, a lot of people complain about Ozai being less of a straight evil antagonist (for example, showing emotions when burning Zuko's face), but I feel like this will make Aang's final decision about him more understandable for newcomers (staying vague to not spoil elements from the cartoon). The fact that most additions from the source material worked (the 41st link, Lu Ten's funeral...) means that there is more potential for improvements in further seasons. Now the biggest issue for me was almost everything surrounding Katara. They really washed down her personality and she just comes out as a shy, quiet girl, where the Katara from the cartoon was the motherly figure of the group and showed a wide array of emotions throughout all episodes. The change about her and Pakku was not good either imo.

[@Oceanatornowk]

My main issue with making Ozai "more complicated" is that I think that he worked great as a straight evil antagonist. He is the embodiment of a century of imperialist rule and ideals. The final fight scene preceded by what would be a literally ethnic cleansing of his fire onto the Earth Kingdom is very on the nose. So my concern is that they are going to try to eat their cake and have it too. The imperialist emperor who values might above all feeling bad about hurting his son feels off. Zuko is everything he hates: a weak older brother who isn't worthy to be the Fire Lord. This gets even worse during the Agni Kai as Zuko refuses to fight his father, further lowering Zuko in Ozai's eyes. I get that it's become more popular to have "fleshed out" or "realistic" villains, but complexity does not equal depth. ATLA accomplishes what NATLA seems to be doing when the Gaang are poking fun at what they think is Zuko's baby picture but is actually Ozai's. I think that single scene lays out clearly that Ozai is a person, but he is also hell bent on conquering the world under the subjugation of the Fire Lord. It's very effective. Daniel Dae Kim gave what was probably the best performance, which makes sense as he's a great actor and one of the most experienced on the show. I also cannot get enough of the "I AM THE AVATAR" and "LIVE FIRE LORD OZAI" reaction memes. I just don't necessarily agree with the direction they seem to be taking with him.

[@gabrielp9646]

This show was like a 4 out of 10 for me, bro... And I think the casting, music, action scenes, sets and costumes, all were a 10/10.. So that tells you how incredibly bad I personally found the writing to be :S

[@rimuru2343]

Bumi wasn't even a king when aang disappeared. And no your missing the point of the animated show. Bumi is aang only connection to his past and bumi just wants to have fun with his old friend and when aang realize it's bumi his friend and realize him and his friends are not in danger is great they hug and it's nice. They butchered bumi in the live action. The azula would work better if they were doing this before zuko left. But it's to much of a contradiction from her character. Her father is the only authoritative figure she listens to and acknowledge. She would never dare to speak back to him. In the show when she did ozai was quick to remind her of her place and she realized that. It just doesn't work. I do like Elizabeth yu as azula the script needs work

[@davismorgan99]

I have a hard time with creepy Bumi. I know this show seems to exist in its own canon, but Aang literally names his son after Bumi. Their relationship was so sweet in the original. I could never see Aang naming his song after the creepy weirdo that blamed him for accidentally getting caught in a storm while trying to clear his head.

[@HonestlyCho]

They can’t do a time jump because they already mentioned Sozins comet which is the end of summer. I don’t know how they will explain this being in one summer when aang looks 2 years older but i digress

[@invinciblepikachu1727]

46:33 At that point I think the implication was that now that Aang had completely surrendered himself to the ocean spirit he was completely lost. Even if the moon came back and the ocean spirit detached itself from Aang he wouldn't return, and be in the avatar state forever. Thats something he would never want if it meant hurting people. So the Ocean spirit returned because of the Moon's return, Aang came out of the Avatar State because of Katara telling him that she(and the world) needed him which was a doubt that Zhao had put in his mind earlier (which only amplified his doubt that the world needed "The Avatar" or "The Avatar State" and not him, which was something he felt after he met Kyoshi)

[@angietrif]

Original show is my fav of all time. I enjoyed the Netflix version but nothing could hold a candle to the cartoon! One of the main reasons I love it so much is the relationships between characters which is inadequately explored here.

[@dantheman_cunningham]

I feel like this shows heart is in the right place, but there are ...ahem... "elements" that just don't work. I think generally Aang, Sokka, and Katara's story isn't as strong. It's not necessarily bad, and some changes I actually do like, such as getting more of Aang's relationship with Gyatso, but certain changes just leave me scratching my head. Bumi in particular I really didn't like, though that's a personal thing. Also the relationship between Aang and Katara is a little bit more muddled. Maybe they want to go with an idea of having both characters go down a slowburn romance, as opposed to Aang having a blatant crush on Katara, but it does leave me worried that they might try to rush it all in S3. That said, I absolutely love a lot of what we get with Zuko, Iroh, and a lot of the stuff with the Fire Nation in general. The scene with the 41st Division in Ep 6, and the medal scene in Ep 4 feel like something that would be in the original show. In general I feel this show suffers from 1st Season syndrome. It definitely needs to find its footing, and I'm hopeful that the showrunner is able to take some of the feedback in mind and iron out some of the flaws, while still giving this show its own distinct identity.

[@gabrielp9646]

I felt this show had ZERO heart... Especially after watching the first interviews with the cast and crew. I just feel the people making this show didn´t love the original that much.. I legitimately think that most of the changes weren´t made because this was an adaptation, or because they were necessary... I felt the people making this LA show didn´t like many things from the original, and thought "I would´ve done it like this" or "I think this character should actually act like that..." I legitimately think they didn´t get it.

[@missAlice1990]

The medal scene was too cheesy even for the cartoon. And the original Zuko was a completely different person in the flashbacks. He had a good heart, he wasn't okay with people being sacrificed in the war, but he was still very much a short-tempered, arrogant and spoiled prince, not a sweet, kind, emotionally supportive boy. So no, that would never happen in the cartoon. Also, the 41st division twist could happen in the original show but not like that. Uncle Iroh could justify Zuko's behaviour to the crew, as he did in the original. But he would never tell the abused crew: "Yeah, the prince treats you like shit but he has the right to do it because he saved your live. So suck it up and take it, you ungrateful pigs." Of course the Netflix show didn't use those words but this message basically.

[@darthJ9]

Eliminating the Aang-Katara romance probably has more to do with Netflix standards and the social/legal complication of having actual child actors making out on screen. I think its a clear indicator that we're not going to see anything more than a platonic romance over the course of the show and honestly im fine with that.

[@wlyhowie]

Netflix is not so innocent with having kids and adult make out on screen even do more at that I’ve seen a couple of shows with a young actor and and adult be more or even have an idea of placing a young in a relationship with a adult.

[@victormirandakoepke8352]

Quick note: The Airbenders probably wanted to accelerate Aangs training because of the fire nation. It's shown during Rokku's flashbacks that the fire nation had already started their expansion during his time and we're only stopped when he personally confronted the fire lord. After his death it's no surprise the other nations would worry about the fire nation reigniting their expansionist ideas since there'd be no Rokku to stop them this time.

[@losjay940]

Katara didn’t train with the master she just learned more randomly. It was weird af

[@theteacher6012]

Atleast we saw Katara training before getting the title of master in the animated series. In the netflix series, i didn't see her training at all.

[@Glados589]

I'm calling it now. Aang and Katara won't become a couple in the life action. Thats why there's no hints of it in this season.

[@waayneinteressierts9704]

They took everything from Suki, what are you talking about

[@thegoldman25]

Like what?

[@waayneinteressierts9704]

​@@thegoldman25 Even though Suki is one of the many loveable side characters of the show. She is the side character closest to being part of the main gang, you could even argue that she is part of the main cast of book 3 after the escape from the boiling rock What I'm saying is that Suki is one of the more fleshed out side characters the show has to offer. The only thing they added to her character is the whole: "I want to see the world situation" But watching the Live Action version of Suki and the original scenes side by side, Suki is lacking a lot of her original trademarks, which made her great to begin with Original Suki is a strong willed character, that challenges sokkas view of women in general. Although being poorly treated by Sokka and acting cocky towards him(justified). She is still willing to overlook their differences and help train him. The whole point of Sokkas sexism not being portrayed in the live action show, makes their interactions way less interesting and Suki starting to get interested in Sokka after seeing him getting undressed is way more sexist than Sokka ever was in the original show up to that point and we know that it is his clash with Suki that lead to him accepting that his view of women was wrong to begin with. While their kiss felt very much forced in the live action show, the kiss on the cheek of the original show is one of it's cutest moments and the message is strong. Suki didn't fell in love with Sokka because of his looks what the live action show is trying to portray. She fell for him because he is mature enough to admit his mistakes, develop his character and change his beliefs. Sokka: I'm sorry. I treated you like a girl when I should have treated you like a warrior. Suki: [kisses Sokka on the cheek] I am a warrior, but I'm a girl, too. It doesn't matter whether you like Live Action Suki or not, she is definitely not the same character that was portrayed in the original

[@M0J0-RL236]

live action: falls for a competent, shirtless Sokka in a single episode. Condensed or not, that is far too rushed and makes Suki an awkward nervous mess. ATLA: Suki is highly trained and made an inexperienced and sexist Sokka WORK for it. But not before she challenged him and checked him when she could. live action: Sokka is already mostly put together, so his character in the show can cheaply rescue a damsel in distress. The polar opposite of Suki In ATLA: Suki is THE prize, she's sweet and badass. So we all wanted Sokka to shape up so he could actually earn her respect

[@wlyhowie]

@@thegoldman25making Suki’s only goal is to be crazy about sokka and praising him just for existing is not Suki nor a warrior you clearly need to catch up on your watch on the original series and actually watch it and take it in my guy cause some the things you said throughout the video made us cocked our head like your dumb no offense

[@marcelinovazquez5128]

Since Netflix has given the greenlight for a second and third season if the writing has imporved one thing I'm hooing for is that they adapt the comics into live action for a potential fourth. I love Avatar the Last Airbender but at the end of the day I'm not a comic reader so the comics don't interest me on the same level as the show does. I mean I know what happens in them I just wish they were animated for animated watchers only like myself. And I want to be clear I don't even have a problem with the comics existing my main problem is when it explains important stuff that aren't in the show but show should like Zuko's mother for instance.

[@tinyjammer]

I wish they would have made a new animated show and not waste money on a live action adaptation

[@thegoldman25]

They’re still making a new animated show

[@tinyjammer]

@@thegoldman25 when?

[@thegoldman25]

Won’t come out for a while

[@tinyjammer]

@@thegoldman25 oh :(

[@sanaianang1723]

For people who don't think a live action adaptation can live up to the hype, go watch Dune Part 2. We could have had that if we stop accepting ok as good enough. Stop justifying and demand good writing and acting.

[@ningmushii]

I agree. We don't need ridiculously high standards, but we need standards that are high enough to want better. It's fine to be okay with new changes or even the new show, and some people should stop being negative and learn to accept new changes. However, we should also not settle for mediocrity when it can improve.

[@malicex1842]

I found the spirit episode the worst because it feels like they start with hei bei and just forget about it. Meeting Roku also felt somewhat pointless in this cuz he already met kyoshi. The only thing I liked was that yue was a fox because it laid a foundation for sokka and hers relationship which I think they needed.

[@steveowens5815]

No its trash

[@brokeeboii7879]

Best part about the live action is honestly the actors for zuko and iroh they felt the most like the original characters and they had the best chemistry in the show

[@jaydenknight5368]

The way I look at it is that there’s no way the good parts of season one go on to season two because the good parts of the first are probably a direct result of the original creators working on it to begin with. Netflix has shown that they don’t respect source materials so I don’t see this carry on into the next season

[@DKWReshana14]

They made Aang so vulnerable, weak and nerfed in the entire series. Apart from the final battle (which he gave himself to ocean spirit and no control over anything), he never did anything heroic in the whole Netflix series or did something to show he's one capable Avatar who can save the world and not a single waterbending lesson for him in the whole series; he was never decisive, and couldn't even win a battle. All he was doing depends on the team entirely, past Avatars and keep moaning about his grief and guilt!! The whole Kyoshi part was unnecessary and her advice to Aang was more like threats than wisdom. When she was the one who saved the village instead of Aang, the show took a massive downhill already!! They also shifted the purpose of visiting the Northern Water Tribe!!😅 They really did a good job in the portrayals of Zuko and Iroh throughout the series and I hoped for the same for Aang, Katara and Sokka but their chemistry and relationship lacks the build-up. Katara became a master waterbender at the end of the series without a single lesson from an actual master was laughable😅

[@anthonycook5238]

It’s like you made this before watching the hole video 😂

[@ningmushii]

Aang was fine in terms of ability. He doesn't come off as nerfed because it feels realistic. He was also vulnerable in the animated show, but we see him become capable each season. Also, in animation and fiction, it's easier to make a character do something unrealistic and make it believable enough. Also, with the Kiyoshi scene (I am probably wrong here), to the audience, we see that Kiyoshi took over Aang's body, but to the characters, I think they see Aang doing all the work. It's like the Avatar Day episode where something similar happens(when Aang dresses in Kiyoshi's garments) to call forth her spirit to prove the avatar's innocence. However, I'm still not sure if the characters actually saw Kiyoshi or if they just heard Kiyoshi talking through Aang. What I mean is that I think what the characters see is, you know, the glowing eyes and hearing the unison of all the avatar voices, or in this case, Kiyoshi and Aang's voices in unison (or just Kiyoshi's), but to those who can see spiritually (and the audience obviously) we see Kiyoshi taking over. TLDR: I think Aang doesn't come off as weak in the live action and I believe that us seeing Kiyoshi is just an artistic choice to show us that she took over as something similar happens in the animated episode, "Avatar Day" but I might be wrong.

[@M0J0-RL236]

The only thing I truly liked about the series other than the 41st division was the old school Jackie Chan style fight in the outdoor market between Aang and Zuko.

[@jonathanzodhiates8840]

I’ve been waiting for this for so long!!!!!! I would check and see if you had posted it everyday. I love your contents!!! ❤

[@thegoldman25]

You're the best!

[@FishPeels]

the cartoon did actually cover how the war started/how the air nomads were wiped out they just attacked everywhere all at once so no one nation could help another but it's not hard to see why that's not the easiest explanation to believe same as all air nomads being in the same place at one time

[@SmallFaerie]

Nomads means nomads, though. Not just living in a few different, but still limited, locations. The air nomads weren't all staying at one of the air temples all the time.

[@TheNicMMc]

What does say when the show's writers/directors are also made of executive producers? Maybe it's not a big deal but it feels like there no oversight in the script dialogue. No actor, unless they're multi-million dollar star, is going to be brave enough to tell the writers that their script sucks when the writers themselves are the ones that paying for everything that a studio needs.

[@EatHoneyBeeHappy]

This is why I don't like Sokka being able to hold his own against Zuko in the Netflix show; Zuko was able to defeat his father in the Netflix Agni Kai, and only got burned because he showed his father mercy. If Sokka can hold his own against Zuko, then Sokka's fighting skill would be about on par with the Fire Lord before he even sets out on his adventures with Aang. Where are the narrative stakes there? Where is the risk? Where is the danger? The Netflix Fire Lord should lose so easily to any one member of Team Avatar by season 3.

[@FallenKnight2244]

Finally someone being neutral and fair and not blindly obsessed with the idea of a carbon copy of the animated show.

[@Mas3452001]

The characters and the scenery lack depth. The characters because of the bad writing and the scenery because of the volume stage. What we are left with is a live action the feels flatter & more cartoonish than the 2D animation from nearly 2 decades ago.

[@TailsxNobody]

Does anyone else feel like Suki's representation was a huge insult?

[@WinterRabbit1]

You are not alone. They slaughtered her character. She was turned into a sheltered dissatisfied little girl only good as a love interest for a bland foreign boy. The impression I got from this Suki was that she felt like she Had to be a proud Kiyoshi Warrior Or Else. Like her armor was a cage and she was chained to her life on the island.

[@YoSora1313]

Yes. They skipped Sokkas' but made Suki a Simp. Why does Hollywood feel like changing stories to fit what happens in the real world? Same thing with Oma and Shu being two women

[@Claego]

Aang's characeter arc in the Netflix adaption was coming to terms with his place in the world, not only as the Avatar, but as someone outside of their own time. He had to accept that he must replace his old friends with his new friends. That he is meant to exist over 100 years after he was born. It took actually saving the northern water tribe and Kataras words to convince him of that. I love your videos, btw they're excellent.

[@kwebvin9939]

Where's the annoying caring side of Katara? Where's the annoying sexism that literally didn't even last a whole book side of Sokka? Why does Roku have Bumi's humor? Why isn't Roku just a very gentle-sage-like Avatar Mentor for Aang? Why the hell did Bumi go from Mad Genius to just Mad? Why keep the Secret Tunnel backstory about two LOVERS but replace Kataraang for Sibling Love? All these changes, and the "defenders" excuse is "You can't 1:1 animation to reality" That ain't a valid excuse anymore, what are these changes? They did a great job with the Bending Visuals, and that the world looks like it was stripped out of the cartoon But ONLY the world seems to be stripped out of the cartoon, what about the story?

[@cameronmcgurk9302]

Why didn't you talk about how they put Koh in the spirited away episode? I think it was weird they put him in early not saying it was a bad thing but they also took away the fact that Aang found out about the comet in season 1. Katara was just bleh to the point where I'd rather have Yue, Sokka was pretty good, and Aang was just okay i feel like he wasn't driven in the right direction and i believe it's because they changed when he's supposed to learn waterbending. I really want this show to be good, but the first words to come out of my mouth after i finished with the season was " WOW That was incredibly mid" which is something i never would've thought I'd say.

[@redt8311]

I’m not even mad at the Netflix adaptation I enjoyed it. I put it at a 7 out of 10 it definitely could use some improvement. But nowhere near bad enough to the point where I feel that Netflix shouldn’t even bother with a season 2.

[@thegoldman25]

I think I’d go maybe a 6/10, no where near a disaster and I enjoyed watching it. Also the cast is so lovable

[@CT-7567_Captain_Rex]

I would like to see a season 2 cause I enjoyed The first one and I just want to see Toph.

[@TheNicMMc]

I strongly feel that there is potential for this but they really have deal the exposition problem within the script otherwise people are not going to come back for a third season.

[@gabrielp9646]

I think the 2010 movie may be a better written product than this show... And the 2010 movie is terrible :S

[@rina37789]

@@gabrielp9646there is no 2010 movie. Don’t acknowledge its existence so future generations will not need to suffer out of curiosity.

[@qwefg3]

I say two main issues are Kitara... As she fell victim to the live action female curse. Her personality traits are taken away so she is left with annoying, not showing any emotion... And her character progression feeling like her getting a power up rather than character development. Really bad considering the actress can actually show a good wide range of emotions so she was specifically told not to show at emotions. Especially since that seems to be the current trend... Women not allowed to have emotions because it might act as a character flaw. A very common live action curse making a lot of female characters seem the exact same. The second being that while they did a good job with a couple of other parts... They may have stripped too Much hitting more bone than fat. So it feels a bit more bare then say... The live action One Piece adaptation. Third issue as bonus round... Cave of two lovers. Seriously... Two female lovers forced to flee due to a forbidden love (LGBT shove in) made FAR MORE WORSE by having the two siblings go through the cave... Implying more as Incest like Game of Thrones... Rather than sibling love. Especially since it would have been an easy moment to have the end romance couples being able to go through the tunnel. So yes... It feels a lot more uneasy. It does have a couple of good moments... It just needs more refinement.

[@johnsii8200]

Love this breakdown, my issue with episode 4 is i felt like they should have combined bumi with the general that tries to force aang into the avatar state to show that even as strong as he is now he has to get better as a bender. As of now the show aang hasnt even really lost a fight yet

[@Megafreakx3]

My complaints about the show atm is they shove everything together so there's people where they shouldn't be and places they end up not going to 🤦‍♂️ and then they never show Aang waterbending 😡 and this is supposed to be the Book of Water, where he actually learns waterbending. (avatar state doesn't count)

[@ignaciogarcia2517]

Show is a hot mess. 4/10

[@FilmerNation22]

Honestly, I totally disagree with you when it comes to this show having the heart of avatar. It’s seems adamant on not adding more mature themes but more cynical ones which I don’t understand. Why is it bad for him to rely on his friends? Why does bumi hate a 12 year old boy and get so mad when he uses his friends to help him? Why does aang have to be so damn sad all the time? With bumi in particular, I agree the OG episode could’ve been a little better. But honestly? What would have made it better is if the tests were a little more relevant to being the avatar and after bumi reveals himself at the end and they hug, a wave of sadness comes over Bumi as he tells Aang that he missed him, but that his absence has caused so much harm in the world. Bumi should be CONFLICTED in seeing one of his best friends again but then also realizing what that means. And Azula? Giving her insecurities this early on sure setups her eventual downfall but COMPLETELY changes her status as a villain in the series. The whole point of her character is were introduced to this perfect child, everything zuko isn’t. And we can tell she’s evil as hell, even on her own she’s evil. It’s not like Ozai alone made her this way. She was raised evil and embraced it whole heartedly from the beginning. Then we slowly start to see the cracks in her armor. I agree that the originals development is a little rushed, but swinging the pendulum all the way to the other end and introducing her as an insecure character completely ruins what Azula is, she’s EVIL!

[@theteacher6012]

Show, not tell. The characters spelt out everything for us. Literally talking down to the audience. sigh. I tried not to compare it to the original but even as a stand alone movie it had some major flaws.

[@ChloeBourgeois-vu1ht]

I hate that this rendition focuses so much on actions, I mean I love seeing them kicking ass but it leaves no room for more important stuff and I also am not very fond of azula's portrayal, In the animated series whenever I see Azula and her gang I always feel so terrified and felt like something bad is gonna happen every time, but in here it doesn't give me that intimidating presence not do I feel those sense of urgency

[@captainluma7991]

Great Analysis Gold Man! I found myself agreeing with almost everything you had to say about this show. I liked the changes to Suki, Bumi, and Azula, and I was somewhat surprised that most people didn't like those things, so it was cool to see you shared the same thoughts as I.

[@kairostimeYT]

While the netflix series is nothing compared to the original one, I feel like this community is trying to actively remove "compared to the original one" from the first clause. This is based on what I've seen YT comments primarily lol. Azula MUST be a certain way because -I see her as- she is this vulnerable girl who never got a chance to express herself. -I see Aang being plagued- Aang IS plagued by his own guilt (so on and so forth). Some changes netflix made are acceptable; I am not even saying that they are good but they are just not bad or miserable like people are making them out to be. It's funny that the same people talk about things are gray and not black and white in some other community.

[@merivial8661]

I DESPISED the way the whole "women can't fight" thing got solved. It felt so, so cheap and plastic. We're talking about women that haven't had a culture of fighting themselves, and (as seen when Katara talks to the chief healer, I can't remember her name) they're pretty chill about it. Maybe they could've hinted some women-only secret society that trains them to be fighters, but sending untrained soldiers to a battle front is stupid to say the least.

[@Zan_JM]

I also fall into the group of fans who don’t think this is trash but also can see the many flaws present. This is absolutely a mixed bag even with no expectations going into the first viewing. And for the most part I agree with the points you made. And the things I disagree with are subjective, so that’s not me telling you you’re wrong. It sucks that a lot of discourse surrounding this show has devolved into some fans fighting each other. I respect that you had the confidence to put your perspective out there. Some points I wanted to touch on: I personally didn’t like Bumi’s portrayal, but not necessarily because he’s not the goofball we got in the animated show. I couldn’t accept his characterization because I thought his writing was inconsistent. In this version of the show, as you stated, Aang never ran away from his duties. So every single adult berating him for that was a bizarre writing choice as if the creative team forgot what they established in episode 1. Unless they’re showing how Aang’s an easy scapegoat for their anger, but then Kyoshi being pissed was weird since she apparently can see the past, present, and future now. Also, Aang found out he was the Avatar the same day as the genocide and iceberg freezing. So Bumi should’ve assumed Aang had died along with his people. No one knew Aang was the Avatar unlike in the cartoon where time has obviously passed between Aang being told and him taking off. Sure, Bumi can infer Aang must be the Avatar since he’s still 12. I can accept that. So we have a bitter old man who’s been marinating in his misery for literally decades and…….. his rage goes away because of a bison whistle carving and a few words about friendship and hope? I don’t buy it. And I also thought the challenges in the live action were ridiculous. In the cartoon, the challenges were used to mess with Aang, yes, but they actually did have a purpose. The lessons they taught Aang were to think outside the box. Not everything is as it seems upon first glance and the direct solution isn’t necessarily the right one. That directly reflects in Aang energy bending Ozai’s firebending away instead of killing him. Yes, the lionturtle taught it to him, but it was a different solution not guaranteed to work. The challenges in the live action served no purpose. Aang choosing a dish to eat meant nothing. The genomite crystals meant nothing. Aang gets stuck and tries to airbend out. They grow bigger, Aang uses the same method, and it now works? And the duel between them had the “you have to learn to make the hard choices” thing, but it was just oddly executed to me. Now, at first glance, I also liked the change for Zuko’s crew to be the 41st. It seemed like a nice moment for him to feel respected after so many years in exile. But upon further examination and watching other analysis videos, I no longer think it was a good change. I think it had the unintended effect of making Ozai less menacing. (I felt like the live action Ozai in general is less menacing than his animated counterpart.) To me, it would’ve been so much more impactful for Zuko’s compassion and sacrifice, as live action Iroh put it, to mean absolutely nothing. Ozai should’ve sent the 41st to die anyway as further proof of his despicable character. And why would he risk Zuko’s crew ever showing his son respect should they learn of him saving them? Though it means losing the development of the crew, it makes more sense to me to stick Zuko with a crew he has no connection to, who clearly have no respect for him and his tantrums, and cannot be used to capture the Avatar so Zuko can return home. Ozai never wanted Zuko back and would never give Zuko anything to be potentially successful at completing this impossible mission. It’s part of the point you made about Zuko fighting back in this version of the Agni Kai. It diminishes the reasoning behind the banishment and softens Ozai. And I liked animated Yue better. I felt that live action Yue is a product of this modern writing going on these days. She has no flaws. She’s less interesting to me. In the cartoon, we really feel how she and Sokka are 15 or 16 years old. The childishness you mentioned is literally them just being kids. And I disliked the change where the engagement was broken off and Hahn is this generic nice guy. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t need to be the ass he was in the cartoon, but he didn’t need to have a complete personality overhaul. And removing the arranged marriage watered down the idea that the Northern Water Tribe has these staunch traditions unlike the south. They don’t paint the arranged marriage as a great thing in the cartoon either. We’re supposed to understand how unfair it is that Yue be tied to someone she doesn’t love the second she’s legally able to be. Her struggle in the cartoon is between duty and heart. Something Aang struggles with trying to open the final chakra versus his love for Katara. And although I despise love triangles, it works in the cartoon for a couple reasons. One, it’s not a real love triangle because two thirds of the people involved like each other while the third is there purely for a political alliance. Two, it shows that Yue and Sokka have flaws if you view their behavior as cheating. It’s understandable why they act as they do. The live action Yue has agency, sure, but she’s been turned into the priestess who is much more capable to help her people. Not necessarily a bad thing to have a badass priestess during the fight, but I understood cartoon Yue’s helplessness at not knowing how to protect her tribe. All she felt she could do was her duty to go through with the marriage at the sacrifice of her own happiness. Is that a strong characterization? It’s up for debate. But I at least understood cartoon Yue a lot more than the live action one. In the end even with her increased spirituality and spirit world walking abilities, she does the exact same thing in both shows. She just saves Momo in live action, which I didn’t even understand why Momo was injured in the first place except to show Yue could heal. But that’s a completely different gripe I have about inexplicable creative decisions that amount to basically nothing. I also thought Katara’s bending skills increased too quickly in live action. But that’s more to do with the unfortunate constraints of the season being 8 episodes long. We didn’t get to see her bend nearly as often as she does in the animated version. And there was clearly a time lapse offscreen between The Waterbending Master and The Siege of the North Part 1 in the cartoon. Zhao’s fleet still needed to sail from whichever harbor they were moored in all the way to the North Pole. That still takes time. If not weeks, then several days. And in that time, Katara trained under Pakku’s tutelage. And she’s not called a master until the first episode of season 2 where even more time has passed since it’s now springtime. It’s much more believable for her skills to have grown because of Pakku, not because she had one scroll to learn a handful of techniques from. Sorry, this became so much longer than I intended. Once I start, this stuff just spills out of me. I have even more to say, but these are some of the bigger issues I had that make the show mediocre and more shallow than the source material.

[@MamboCat84]

The biggest change is gonna be season 2 where Aang is suddenly like, 6ft tall xD

[@gf1006]

The live action show is obviously building up to Aang forming his own path in the finale. Everyone is telling him his own story Nah, he’s gonna do his own thing

[@Dr_Tune]

Thank you so much for this! I was getting so annoyed that people weren’t talking about the problem with the storytelling differences and the characters

[@thegoldman25]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@grmgt]

Some other great analysis on the show are from the channels: Jessie Gender, Johnny 2 Cellos and 24 Frames Of Nick. Highly recommend after watching this one.

[@zApple769]

Thank you for making such a nuanced and well thought out review! I really enjoyed your perspective and the way you made your points :)

[@an683ok9]

The Bumi change would've made a slight fraction of sense if Aang had actually ran away instead of just, taking a walk....or in his case a flight or whatever. Idk, Bumi in Netflix just feels extremely off and unjustified

[@SmallFaerie]

But how would others know why Aang disappeared. We, the audience, know because we get to see what happened. Other people in the story don't. And they've had a hundred years of war to nurture their resentment towards Aang. I find it perfectly believable that they would assume he's chosen to stay away. Especially considering how powerful the avatar is understood to be.

[@ponchopalmera4917]

I literally couldn't wait for this video. The quality of you reviews has no pair in the whole internet ❤❤❤

[@thegoldman25]

Wow, thank you!

[@teamaang7915]

Tbh I really liked how katara seeing her mum die was a constant source of PTSD for her. Unlike a lot of the changes they did to her which I didn't like this actually made so much more sense. How she always spoke about her mum in the OG show and how her bending was a mental block in the netflix tied in nicely. I really hope they build her character more in the second season. Also every single scene with iroh and zuko had me in tears after episode 4. Like when his crew honour his return and luten's funeral. How both time's zuko picked iroh over aang. They really nailed that relationship and those 2 actors have a great chemistry. Even when iroh talks about food and the expression with Dallas's face is just really well done.

[@starwarsvet3209]

I hate the bumi arc and zhao. Both are adapted poorly at best

[@peachymin1404]

Thanks for the insightful video as I am not an original fan but quite interested in the adaptation for its own strength - which you already summed up very neatly here. I think the show did a decent job enough in intriguing new fans, especially those who do not favour anime. After the season, I can now generally get why the anime show is so loved by almost everyone I know. I am not sure if this is a change or original move but I especially love how the Avatar team travels through different lands and villages presumably mostly to highlight the consequences of the old war which creates much impacts on Aang's own recognition to his Avatar role. Also, I agree that there is something off with Katara and Aang, perhaps mostly comes from the acting considering them being pretty young actors - and that shows when contrasting with other actors such as Zuko and Sokka. I would really love if Katara acts more with her eyes showing more passion, regardless still really love the actress.

[@Gli1tchYT]

#1 problem with Zuko's arc in the Netflix series: He didn't say "My Honor!" once

[@samarthnagar3856]

It's not good

[@thegoldman25]

*mediocre

[@Durvington]

I keep seeing this series is the most expensive ad to rewatch the og show and I couldn’t be more right😂

[@kairostimeYT]

1. I partially agree with your take on Suki. I like the change they made to Suki but I don't think that ATLA made Suki have no definite characteristic: she was a female warrior and had to find a balance between the two (now that I think about it, the arc was far more minute in ATLA and it was more of a development for Sokka and not really Suki). Unlike with Sokka, Suki gets some sort of a replacement arc though which is pretty good. 2. Yea, the comet was better as a motivator than needing to help Water Tribe. However, I think that they wanted to club all the fire nation related activities in a single episode in Book 2. For example, Aang goes to that fire nation festival and might happen to notice some comet allegory through some play and Jeong Jeong then later gets to him and explains to him much more about it. (I heavily doubt that they'll just scrap that character) 3. I agree with your take on Azula. Aang could have been much goofier imo. 4. I am not a fan of removing sexism from the show. It is not because of my attachment to the show; it is more because of the reasoning behind the change. I don't like how the sociopolitical climate affects the show in any way. Again, I don't mind that being changed though. 5. Ozai shouldn't have come close to losing at all, in my honest opinion. Bad parenting and stuff come after how powerful and tactical he is. In the original ATLA, we cared about Ozai because he was powerful; not because he was a bad parent (though it doesn't come off as a big surprise). On the other hand, here, he see Ozai being attributed to his bad parenting more as opposed to how strong he is (here, we see him losing to his child even though one could argue that he is going easy on him) and the evil plans he has with the comet. 6. I found the new scenes for Zuko and Iroh pretty incredible! 7. I agree with your extrinsic motivation take on Zuko and Katara. 8. With Sokka clearly into Suki, why would they make him go for Yuei? In the original show, it was not completely clear at that point. All Suki did was kiss him in his cheek in Season 1. -THEY COULD HAVE SPENT THIS PRECIOUS TIME ON ZUKKA INSTEAD!- 9. I agree with your take on Zhao. 10. I disagree with your take on Katara's skill. Her skills improved quite gradually in ATLA. She starts off bad there, slowly tries improving her bending, gets the scroll, becomes better and then gets trained by Paku. It is still faster than expected but not so fast compared to this show. I don't mind it though.