Ranking Every Episode of Netflix's Avatar

[@paoerfulone1089]

7 out of 8 episodes ranging from average to amazing w/ one stinker? Yeah, that sounds about right. I agree Ep. 5 was the weakest one. The more I think about it, the less sense it makes. But all the other episodes ranged from solid to absolutely incredible! Overall, I really enjoyed Season 1 and thought it was a pretty good start to the show, all things considered. There were certainly flaws and issues I had w/ it as you've documented, but it was still a pretty solid introduction to this adaptation. Iroh and Zuko - What more can be said, they're absolutely amazing and you can tell the writers *GET IT* w/ them! I also personally enjoyed what they did w/ Azula and Ozai! If, and by if, I mean when because let's face it, this show was a HUGE success, they do Season 2, hopefully Albert Kim and the team behind this show can take the criticism seriously - Add and refine what worked in Season 1 while fixing what didn't. If they can do that - I think we'll have an excellent Season 2 on our hands!

[@TheAvatarist]

Crazy how this is a considered glazing a show to all these comments hahah

[@paoerfulone1089]

@tarist Indeed it is! Also, I'm gonna borrow that "A legend is told differently by each who tells it" line for future arguments while referring them to this video! That last line was *MONEY!!!*

[@dwntime]

@@TheAvatarist Considering Netflix actually listens to your opinions I would personally like it if you gave more objective (and valid) criticisms. If you liked the show, power to you, I enjoyed a good bit of it, but there are objective aspects of film & media, especially when it comes to adapting source material, and there are a lot of valid criticisms to hand out w/ this series... All expressed for the HOPE that Netflix listen for S2!

[@iAmNothingness]

Thanks for giving me hope that people actually can appreciate things nowadays. It feels like the "woke left" that destroys a lot of stuff infected everyone with this vibe of "everything bad, is bad, very bad". So much negativity.

[@marijnverheggen6482]

@@iAmNothingnessfuck of dont bring politics in to this

[@aracelylopezpsyd5794]

I find it so odd that Hei Bai even made the trailers, they got everyone excited about Hei Bai but then completely sidelined his storyline. It was just odd.

[@caratsomnia8110]

Yesss i was so disappointed too how we never saw Hei Bai turn back into his original panda form🐼😭

[@TheRealHerbaSchmurba]

And they just threw in the face stealer. Its like Hei Bai wasnt even important.

[@joost3432]

One thing that bothered me is that we don't see Aang training any waterbending at all...

[@mrmarcus8772]

Holy f*** iv been saying this I thought I was the only one By the time they get to the northern water region katara is basically an expert ready for combat and Aang is still on Air bending And he’s always so uncertain about being the avatar also he keeps apologizing for leaving it kinda gets annoying

[@max2themax]

@@mrmarcus8772 Also the whole thing feels like they got there in a few days, Katara somehow mastered the element out of nowhere and they had no scenes showing us the relationship between the trio.

[@DripE11]

@@max2themax exactly and they rushed it too much no time for bonding and appa screen time was too less same with momo

[@CarlosEspinaH]

@@max2themaxin fairness the animates series felt too quick too, it just seemed a tad worst in the life action

[@MOTA-Vation30]

A lot of the story had to be changed, shortened, retelling a story taken from animation that has so much in short episodes. They did really well, everything is so much better than what we got over a decade ago.

[@emmamason5383]

Katara’s temper and passion is key to her character though, like Aang’s goofiness or Sokka’s sarcasm. I semi-agree her shyness is believable, but cartoon Katara is also a lot like my sister who is very responsible and mature for her age. But also passionate and fiery

[@initiate5497]

Live action Katara is lobotomized. Her fierceness and fire is gone. I’m sure the actress is a very nice person in real life. But OG Katara especially in book 1 drives the story. Messing up such a key character is an unforgivable sin and unwatchable for much of the series.

[@07Flash11MRC]

​@@initiate5497This isn't any of the actors fault, though. Actors have to stick to the written script they're given and the direction they are given during the filming itself, otherwise they would just be fired and replaced. She did what she was told to do by the higher ups. This is entirely on the team of writers, producers and directors.

[@babyduck22]

Yeah, I completely agree. Although I am amongst those who actually enjoyed the live action adaptation and liked it overall, there are some changes like this one that bug me a bit. I was waiting to see Katara's temper, her lashing out, anger, especially in the moments with master Pakku. Like I didn't get that "girl boss energy" from her yk?😅 ( she did have a few moments i liked like the final one with Jet and the one in episode 8 when she was fighting with Zuko and told him "you're looking at her" when Zuko said she found a teacher). I also miss her bossy side, the way she was kind of the leader of the gang, the mother figure. I do wish to see more from them, I believe they can improve, and I was actually impressed in many other aspects. I want to see book 2 and 3 as well and hope to see them bring out this side of Katara more since she feels too soft and shy to me.

[@iAmNothingness]

I don't think that would have written and translated well into live action. But what do i know. Just imagine the faces from the cartoon's version of azula in live action. It would look goofy. I am for once glad they changed things. I don't need to watch a live action version that is a 1to1 copy of the cartoon. Also, this is season 1. Their character have a lot of time to develop IF twitter brains do not make them cancel the show. It's like everyone has like "this was good, this was bad. So therefor it is bad. I said it" mentality.

[@pikapi6993]

her shyness is not believable. It's way too extreme and it doesn't make sense. A girl in that situation would have to grow up quickly and act like a mother as a young girl. Cultures like that don't let girls roam free. Sokka was the one who had more freedom as a child, for being a boy. That's realistic. Boys are allowed to stay childish for longer. Albert Kim said "there are gender issues in the original". That's what he meant by it and that's why they changed it-

[@schofrenzy]

We needed it 10-12 episodes that would have changed a lot ! We could have got a filler episode of just team avatar living it up and building that relationship!

[@icry9606]

12 episodes. The shit was too rushed and that’s what messed it up thus making the writing difficult.

[@SunGodNika-bi2jr]

Also the runtime should've been between 80-90 minutes

[@indoorplant2392]

@@icry9606cuz of the writerstrike

[@mackncheese1683]

@@SunGodNika-bi2jr A whole movie per episode is a little unrealistic.

[@darao.4907]

yeah they needed to feel tighter as a group

[@kmichelle-lr2bw]

notice how the most liked episode was episode 6, which is the episode that mostly followed the og with good changes like the 41st division backstory

[@_M....]

which was one of two episodes written by the original creators before they left the project. this is important.

[@dylansarko1882]

This was actually my least favorite episode. I think they absolutely butchered the storm and the blue spirit

[@Jaimyx77]

i did not expect to tear up on that episode 4 & 6 which is crazy. XD

[@LuisSierra42]

@@dylansarko1882 how? at least the blue spirit part was copied almost verbatim

[@san95958]

@@dylansarko1882 and Roku

[@lakernation26]

Watching the attack on the air nomads was heartbreaking, it felt like order 66 in Star Wars. You know it’s coming but seeing how it went down is still heart breaking.

[@wimpymcsteel4458]

I agree. The Airbenders seemed totally overmatched. The Fire nation soldiers fly in, and start incinerating people, and the defenders can only knock over a few soldiers. I do not think the Fire nation suffered a single casualty.

[@lakernation26]

@@wimpymcsteel4458 i think it’s the mentality, the air nomads are pew rule ppl. And air bending is a defensive fighting style, firebending is a heavily offensive fighting style. And the firebenders heavily powered by the comet just overwhelmed them. They could only defend for so long before the overwhelming offensive fighters trump them

[@Ninja_Tude]

I agree except for two points. I think they did Gyatso a bit dirty in favour of the woman in the courtyard, and also I think they didn't visually beef up the firebenders enough for the Comet. Visually their power appeared somewhat level with elsewhere And you can't really use Susan because he's supposed to be the strongest firebender in the entire world

[@uncleirohsteashop]

The biggest thing I hope to take away from this season is that Albert Kim and the others making the show can take any criticisms that the first season got and take them in stride for a potential 2nd season. I've been honest about this season through every step of the journey. It was an ok season that did stuff that I loved and liked but also some stuff that I wasn't a fan of but also I did get a lot of enjoyment through the entertainment value as well. I just enjoyed it for what it was and went from there. At the end of the day I am just glad to be talking about Avatar again. It has been way way too long and so again I am just happy to be in the moment.🍵

[@EnlightensuccessorV2]

That’s the right tea 😂 fingers crossed for a 2nd season!!!

[@jenniferf.6383]

I absolutely agree, but for the next season they need better writers.

[@geezlouise420]

agree, at this point, it can only get better

[@austine1425]

Wise words from uncle Iroh as usual. This was an adaptation of the OG show so I also adapted my expectations. Book 2 and 3 progressively got better, so I am hoping for the show runners to take the feedback from the viewers - both positive and negative feedback - and build upon a good (not great) first season.

[@burneraccount2024]

Who said that they’ll take it in stride?😂😂

[@everlastingdino]

Netflix really shafted the director and this show heavily by giving it only 8 episodes. Avatar is like the one story where they could add so much more story and it still wouldn't drag out, but instead they chose to remove story. Next season needs more episodes or longer ones.

[@ZolaniGuyo]

Many shows have a first season with a few episodes to test if it's worth the investment. I'm sure if they decide to make the other seasons, there will be way more episodes

[@eloyvv]

@@ZolaniGuyoi dont thinks so man these episodes where expensive as hell like an insane budget season 2 will prob also have 8 maybe 10 episodes

[@ZolaniGuyo]

@eloyvv I hope they find a way to have more episodes, because having a whole Book squashed into 8 eps isn't ideal

[@eloyvv]

@@ZolaniGuyo thats just the way it is man its an anime made into irl all animas has a ton of episodes thats just not possible

[@indoorplant2392]

Less episodes means less writers means less money spend. These type shows will probably never have more than 8 to 12 episodes ever in the coming future

[@geezlouise420]

I love how that Iroh and Earth Kingdom soldier scene was hated a lot during the teaser and ends up being one of the most emotional and heavy scenes throughout the series

[@TheAzarak]

That Earth soldier was waaaay too good of an actor to be some random side character. Phenomenal portrayal of emotion.

[@goldenduck3931]

​@@TheAzarak he's not a random side character. We will name him Patrick.

[@NenMagem9106]

​@@goldenduck3931 I prefer Rocky Rocky the earth bender.

[@geezlouise420]

@@TheAzarak I hope he will reprise his role for next season

[@mvijar]

@@geezlouise420 There's a chance that he will be Dai Li maybe, i hope so

[@yane2478]

I think it would be cool if Katara says the original intro in season 2 because canonically she knows the story now because of gran gran

[@jakesonkaze]

I AGREEE!!!!

[@Creative_Spirit_ab]

Katara's outburst that broke the iceberg communicated that bending is deeply connected to emotions. It was world-building as well as giving us character. Aang already knowing that Gyatso was dead before seeing his skeleton diminished the devastation and shock of that moment. (Like in Mulan singing "A Girl We're Fighting For" was an immense high right before they see the ruins of the village. Going from such a high to such a low amplifies the impact because it's emotional contrast) Gran Gran revealing Aang as the avatar instead of Aang revealing it himself when Zuko threatens their village completely deflated the impact of that scene. I hope Netflix takes some notes from all of us for seasons 2 & 3. I can clearly see they're trying and I'm excited to see more. UPDATE: I want to clarify that there are changes I did like. I am all for changes as long as they add more than they take away. I love the new scene we get with Aang talking to Gyatso in the spirit world; I always felt like that was a scene that SHOULD have been in the original. I love that Aang is talking to the past Avatars more. I like that Sozin is the one to personally kill Gyatso. My OP was just about changes that I felt were plainly just poor choices that added nothing and, worse, even took away. I wouldn't mind so much but these were REALLY pivotal scenes.

[@SSJRadioBluth]

All the things you mentioned are the changes in the first episode. You want the original completely remade. You shouldn't have expected that.

[@reysolo3672]

like how does she magically know he is the Avatar? Zuko was the one who revealed it.

[@ronnies732]

Why y'all complaining on a constant note? Ew

[@legendarymemer1095]

@@SSJRadioBluth it doesn’t mean we want original completely remade and this point is getting annoying to look at. changes are good when they work, when they don’t they ruin what already has been good with the og show. Either implement changes that work, or don’t do them at all and stick to what works best. Changes just for the sake of changing something is a very bad idea.

[@legendarymemer1095]

@@ronnies732 if you can’t accept the criticism the show clearly deserves and think its perfect, you are delusional

[@henryhumes4399]

How she acts in the original cartoon is exactly how a teenage girl would act- the sweet docile katara is not an good character arc - love the actress but - show runners totally gave no demotion to her character her rage and vengeful character to grow into a compassionate woman was a staple of amazing writing

[@Neraxleigh]

Honestly... Thank you. The watered down Katara is a very bad change. Made the show hard to watch for me.

[@rana-lq4om]

totally agree with you guys! they ruined Katara for me @@Neraxleigh

[@Steve-xo5pq]

That's fine if you liked the cartoons take on katara better, but in general (not just with avatar) people getting way too worked up and stating their opinions like they are fact is a big problem. Personally I really think there is no "right" answer here, I liked both, but I think the show was at its best when it did it's own thing. A lot of the creative changes they made felt good without changing the over all feel/theme. To me, the worst episode was the one where they tried to pack like 5 different cartoon episodes into one (the one with jet). It felt like they were just throwing things in there to appease fans without giving it enough time. As far as Katara goes, I am someone who has studied psychology and mental health for 10+ years. Your idea that Katara should be a certain way because of her age is objectively wrong. Personality differences aside, people deal with grief, loss, and stress all very different. Trauma at a young age is a bit like being thrown into the deep end. Most people do end up drowning or at least struggling, but you would be surprised how many people also rise to the occasion. Either way it hurts and leaves scars. It also requires work/healing regardless, but ya, if there is one thing I've learned about mental health is, regardless of age, gender, or trauma, there is no one size fits all. The only way to be objectively wrong, is to generalize.

[@henryhumes4399]

@@Steve-xo5pq The thing is we loved flawed characters so they can change and grow Me personally and what im hearing others say is that we saw and identified ourselves wirh katara women and queer men and even cis men alike and to see a character so strong and hotheaded and then become so powerful and helpful and sweet was a staple in our lives I do agree with some disagree with you on others ! Thank you for your dialog - it was the fact of do the show runners know their audience or do they makes changes to save face for the idea they have In their own head - do you stay loyal with your original audience or change for people that may not enjoy the craft either way

[@derg6222]

kataras actress is unbelievably bad. and thats not an opinion, thats a fact. anyone who has a bit of a professional knowledge about acting would agree.

[@VjRj84]

Season 2 should be divided in 2 seasons, there is more than enough material. Specially since they will probably integrate parts of season 3 into it aswell. It would give time for them to breathe and just talk, build the relationship and practice bending.

[@cross-eyedliszt5183]

This. They really need to find a way to let the characters breathe.

[@Hiverstone]

If they do this, Aang will be 40 years old by the third season.

[@Jaimyx77]

We have a live casts that grows up what r u talking about. just add some episode that's it. Side quest doesn't need to be included.

[@VjRj84]

@tone They´ll already have to make changes to that. So better be a full, complete story than a "good enough because the age of the actors is more important" one. If thats REALLY a problem they can always film the two parts at the same time, then dedicate full editing time for the first one. Several studios did this successfully. And i disagree about just making a longer one, 2 or 3 more eps wouldnt be enough for season 2 if this one already felt a bit rushed. Also the editing takes a lot of time, so you´d see a later release and might get worse VFX. Edit: Longer episodes could be a solution too, then more eps on season two would be fine. It would just take more time to make, obviously.

[@LuisSierra42]

They are going to end it when Appa is stolen at the library

[@appyritionz1930]

I feel like you're fanboying a little. I feel like sokka and kataras characters were completely botched. The writers knowing irohs arc, and then pointing at the fact that we all know it, should not be something that you praise. Sokka being not shit at fighting in the beginning just means the writers are either ignoring or completely forgot his arc where he learns the art of swordfighting LATER. Hes literally SUPPOSED to be ass at first, not to mention his childish jokes in the original are way funnier than anything in the Netflix version. And katara feels lifeless compared to the original. Zuko doesn't really come off as intimidating. Among a million other things the whole season just kinda seems like they're leaning on the original series without actually being faithful to it.

[@MrStanFungi]

People say not to compare the remake to the original series, or to think of it as it's own thing, despite the fact that the remake is heavily carried by the original show, and would be incredibly hard to understand or appreciate without seeing the original show

[@mrmperial]

The way they handled zuko's season 1 arc and backstory was emotionally wonderful. I teared up till the end 😢

[@difaabdulrafi1303]

For me the best changes, is is the expanded zuko iroh ozai dynamic, especially the 41st division scene, they got my blessing for season 2.

[@silvernight7971]

Intertwining Zuko and Iroh’s story with Lu Ten’s funeral?! Genius!

[@babyduck22]

Yess, I loved it so much! They did great.

[@paoerfulone1089]

@@silvernight7971 When "Leaves from the Vine" started playing in that scene... That got me! I was a freaking wreck!

[@glenstortroen1286]

Best element of the adaptation i think. If the whole show had the quality of the Iroh & Zuko relationship it would be entirely S tier for me.

[@tcoby]

I think my biggest gripe is that by the end of the season it still feels like Katara, Sokka, and Aang are still practically strangers. I fully understand why they needed to condense season 1 compared to the animated version, but it just felt like it was at the cost of building relationships and character development.

[@InternetRabbitHole]

That's what happens when all the side quests are removed. That's where you build character dynamics and relationships. Not to mention they spent episode 4, 5, and 6 separated from each other.

[@odinez7010]

I totally missed Yue bending after everyone lost their powers. Great detail.

[@ragingraichu219]

It makes sense if you think about it- she has part of the moon spirit within her.

[@EdgarDiaz-pt4qx]

@@ragingraichu219 facts

[@tastyparts]

​@@ragingraichu219 I totally didn't think of that and was like... wait what?

[@j4m3sii]

@@ragingraichu219exactly my thought process

[@mrericdash]

Because she had a piece of the moon spirit in her....

[@deansagliano2683]

I’ve watched the original animated show over 20 times by now I’m a hardcore fan. I watched this Netflix series twice, yes there were changes. Some good some bad but at the end of the day, it had heart, the actors are perfect for the roles with only more room to grow. And it has the essence of the show. They did a stellar job for the minimal time they had with just 8 episodes. I can’t wait for season 2. I loved it

[@Ninja_Tude]

I wouldn't call it minimal time when the screen time is very similar but less episodically flexible. I just couldn't shake how different the charactizations were

[@sisterd8975]

100% agree I believe this was great actors and fighting scenes

[@Stoney.ajvy22]

@@Ninja_Tudethey have similar runtimes yes but again Netflix only gave them 8 episode seasons and the cartoon had episodes of 15-20 min run times they couldn’t get as much info into the live action as hard as they tried with the time they are given, personally i dont think the filler “silly” stuff everyone is complaining about missing did as much for the story as everyone is saying it did at least imo

[@J.REDD06]

@@Ninja_Tudeexactly, the characterization is horrible

[@rebel2191]

The legend of Aang line at the end made me see this whole thing differently. Well done.

[@richardzheng2805]

wait what exactly was that line lol

[@spacebreak8032]

sooo the movie is.................

[@rebel2191]

@@richardzheng2805 ”This is the Legend of Aang, and a legend is told differently by each who tells it”

[@enzosanjose5767]

there is no movie in ba sing se@@spacebreak8032

[@paoerfulone1089]

@@spacebreak8032 Told by someone skipped class the day the legend was told and just borrowed their notes from their friend who slept through it. XD

[@jianpanglam570]

I asked my friend Chris why Zuko was so angry he lost his notebook. Chris watched and was a fan of the cartoons. He said "cuz Zuko's an Emo". Zuko is my favourite character

[@unomiguel017]

The mayor of Kyoshi island being 'disrepectful' to the Avatar is like aligned to the theme of the show, that there is this lingering or bottled-up anger amongst the people who felt abandoned, those relying and expecting that the avatar shd have helped them and fought with them

[@LuisSierra42]

It's dumb af. When they realize the avatar is just a kid, they are not going to keep acting so resentful, especially if the mayor is a woman who are naturally more inclined to feel compassion for children

[@cinderbelle22]

The theme doesn't translate well though. The people that were around at the time of Aang's disappearance are pretty much all dead, and more importantly, they don't know why he disappeared or how he came back. For a couple of decades, they probably thought he was killed in the ambush and was reborn as an obscure waterbender somewhere in the boonies of the swamp. When no Avatar turned up after another decade, they probably assumed it was another Spirit World mystery. If anything, the general population would have accepted the Avatar's absence and the ongoing war as a way of life and adapted to it. When he returned, they might have questioned why he disappeared, but they'd probably also hope more than anything that he'd change the tide of the war.

[@13zomi]

Yeah I think it also made sense in the context of the war and Aang being gone for so long. Most of the people have not only lived their entire lives without the Avatar but they've experienced the terrible effects of the war. To them, the Avatar was nothing but a legend that they heard through stories, not someone they were expecting to help or save them. Why should they feel any reverence toward the Avatar when he's been irrelevant for 100 years?

[@unomiguel017]

@@cinderbelle22 well let's be honest too, humans hold on to grudges for as long as we can even passed on to generations especially in war situations, thats reality. And the show being a live-action already has the 'human' element. It's NOT an animated show anymore where any loophole can be ignored coz it's cartoon, anything is possible. Now as audience we can relate as much coz we see real people on screen, acting. unlike in the OG that it's just the human voice on a 2d drawing.

[@cinderbelle22]

@@unomiguel017 You're right, humans can hold grudges for generations, but it's just weird that they'd be all bitter when they literally have no idea how he vanished. To your second point, I don't see how a cartoon is any less realistic than live-action when in both mediums, the entire world is fictional and the live-action includes a heavy use of CGI. Yes, you see real actors, but voice actors can be just as compelling, if not more so.

[@awsome182]

My issue with episode 6, as much as I liked the focus on Zuko, was the urgency paradox with Aang trying to save his friends from death. I mean, he has time to travel to Avatar Rokus temple, talk with him, being kidnapped by June/Zuko, being kidnapped by Zhao, fighting with Zuko, staying with Zuko for presumably hours to talk with him... I thought he had to save his friends? From a certain point in this episode, he doesn't appear to be urgent enough for me. He "pushes" Giatso aside because he "has no time", but is calm and nom urgent at all when sitting and waiting with Zuko. It felt so weird to me and bothered me a lot. In the cartoon, there isn't this urgency since Sokka and Katara only have a cold and need medicine, it isn't a life or death situation like it is in the LA. The pacing and storytelling was so off in this one...

[@Omen_Rocks123]

I agree that’s what made me question the episode aswell and I honestly think they should’ve just left the blue spirit episode out and saved Koh for the end it felt very weird placing them there considering the stakes off the episode with Katara and Sokka almost about to die

[@DAMfoxygrampa]

A handful of changes in the storyline and better writing and this show would be a 10/10 banger

[@sidsrivastava6987]

I fully agree. They're right on the cusp of greatness

[@rana-lq4om]

yes it is mostly the writing for me that ruined it

[@derg6222]

it's a bad piece of film in pretty much every department. the directing is so, so, so terrible, the young actors are unfortunately not fit for the job, the script doesn't understand the greatness and the finesse of the original story, editing is lame af and its timing shows it knows about the horrible acting, the costumes look way to clean and are missing any kind of patina, the camerawork is super digital and unsuitable for a historic setting with super obvious green screens, the sets are mostly very shallow and done in front of 'The Volume', the only real location is the same forest over and over again. This is objectivels very bad filmmaking, haven't watched a Netflix show in ages, but if the broad audience really accepts this as passable it is a worrying sign for peoples media competence and the overall direction in which Netflix is developing. Anyone who praises this lacks the fundamental analytical knowledge about what makes good films.

[@s_semo]

Omg agreed, i wouldn't call super bad, some moments surprised me and very few were intriguing but overall the show is barely a mid that plays on nostalgia for the og show​@@derg6222

[@_M....]

and a few better casting choices.

[@moniquepretorius4926]

I do miss hot headed Katara

[@abots]

Despite this show having more run time than the original, everything still felt rushed. We never got those moments of characters just talking so we can get a feel of their relationship. I feel like they tried to expand on a lot of things which lead to them not having time for other things. Maybe they shouldn't have tried to adapt the whole of season one but rather like half of the season. (maybe stop at like blue spirit or something). That way, there is a lot of time to expand and keep all the good stuff as well Edit: Some of u have pointed out that the show actually has a shorter run time than the original. But that kinda validates my point. There just wasn't enough time for all the things they wanted to do. I honestly would've preferred if they removed all the azula stuff. Maybe make it 10 episodes even, instead of 8

[@almas4663]

We have A LOT of moments of characters talking and bonding. Far more that there ever was in book one.

[@NotHawaiian]

i thought it was shorter than the first season by twenty minutes or something?

[@ConnorLonergan]

Actually the Netflix Show run time is shorter. Yes one hour is more then 30 Minutes but when adding the Runtime across the whole season (and one should as Netflix is a binge show.) the Netflix show has roughly 480 minutes while the original is roughly 600 minutes long. Funny enough adding three more episodes would improve the shows pacing.

[@curtiszyr]

@@almas4663lol

[@mikalero]

More runtime than the original? Did you fail elementary math? The original season 1 of ATLA was comprised of 20 episodes that were just under 30 minutes each. That's almost TEN HOURS. This was an eight episode series that were just under an hour a piece. That's just over 2 hours, or FOUR EPISODES less than the original series.

[@LaneNicholds1]

My biggest issue with the whole season is how dirty they did Bumi.. for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

[@AddictOfLearning]

This! As soon as we put up with this show long enough to watch how they absolutely destroy the character of Bumi. We stopped watching after this.

[@Aut0KAD]

or what about making Azula fat? *face palm*

[@AddictOfLearning]

@@Aut0KAD I feel like they could have cast way better. Heck Ty Lee and May are supposed to be elite assassins. Not sure either girl they casted could do more than a couple pull-ups.

[@Karunadasa-ef6ky]

​@@AddictOfLearningactress of ty lee is an competitive ballerina in real life.btw I'm not sure about mai's performance in the future.

[@nanntuckett8963]

Eh, I hated it at first but didn’t mind it at the end. It’s much more realistic than the animated series. He’s mad Aang abandoned the world and he did live through 100 years of war.

[@Nanoxenium]

Katara was kinda expressionless

[@landofrootsandflowers8140]

People keep saying that, however I have watched through season 1 twice now and I disagree… she definitely expresses herself and has emotional moments. BUT she is not as passionate as in the cartoon as well as the amount of irritation and even anger that is she expressed in the original.

[@Quran_Heals_]

no. she is not.

[@babyduck22]

​@landofrootsandflowers8140 I liked the actor, I agree she has emotional moments, but I was waiting to see Katara's temper, her lashing out, anger, especially in the moments with master Pakku. Like I didn't get that "girl boss energy" from her yk?😅 ( she did have a few moments i liked like the final one with Jet and the one in episode 8 when she was fighting with Zuko and told him "you're looking at her" when Zuko said she found a teacher). I also miss her bossy side, the way she was kind of the leader of the gang, the mother figure. I do wish to see more from them, I believe they can improve, and I was actually impressed in many other aspects. I want to see book 2 and 3 as well and hope to see them bring out this side of Katara more since she feels too soft and shy to me.

[@santospaul8103]

@@babyduck22we could’ve had master pakku or haru over them putting azula in this season tbh, I wouldn’t mind seeing Ozai either but they have Ozai and Azula too many scenes just to cut other more important season 1 characters

[@derg6222]

she managed to express clearly, that acting is the wrong field of work for her. every other expression was absent though.

[@unpaidastronot]

I kind of hate the whole "they only had 8 episodes, so of course they will have to rush through some things." excuse. The live action is 430 minutes spread across 8 episodes. The animated series is 440 minutes spread across 20 episodes. There is only a 10 minute difference between the live action and animated series. I think we can all agree that the animated series used their time way more efficiently in their story telling. And I know they took out Sokka's sexism because they felt it wouldn't land properly in 2024 (Even though in the show his sexism is always challenged and he is proven wrong), but in the live action, they portray Katara as being unable to get a handle on her waterbending until a man (with no experience in waterbending) gives her the advice needed for her to get a handle on it. which feels inherently more sexist.

[@Agentcproductionss]

Yea but more episodes makes it easier to control the pacing. You can't bounce around from village to village 2-3 times in one episode, while starting a new mini plot with a biggining middle and ending every 20 minutes of runtime. They had to have a singular story with a plot b plot for each episode which led to them needing to rush. I'm not making an excuse for them. They should've known better than to limit themselves to 8 episodes. But that was the primary problem with the season, and they absolutely have to have more than that for season 2 or it will flop.

[@wyfuuu4259]

How are you comparing animations and irl

[@initiate5497]

Many positive reviews mention fans of the animation series having unrealistic shot for shot expectations as if that’s the reason for so many poor reviews. This misses the mark entirely. The biggest issue holding the live action back is the frenetic pacing and exposition, combined with weak main character performances, specifically the Aang and Katara actors. The animation was able to bring to life multifaceted and flawed characters who grow in various ways throughout the series. The live action completely fell flat here. Aang is solemn and melodramatic, completely lacking the joy and fun he strove to have in the midst of coming to terms with his giant responsibilities. Katara is meek and feeble without ANY emotion. Her face was expressionless across all scenes. The writing is much to blame. The relentless plot advancement and tendency to “tell” instead of “show” doesn’t help. There was no time for the group to bond. Rather, they had to announce how much they were a family instead of it naturally being felt. But even so, the Aang and Katara actors don’t seem able to able to hit the required range anyways. Og fans love the animated series because of the incredible character development. With that missing, it’s simply impossible to get emotionally invested in what’s portrayed. Visuals and CGI are great for the most part. If you are a fan of spectacle than I can see you enjoying this show. However, if you’re looking for more than beautiful sets and fight scenes you will be left disappointed. It’s clear everyone involved deeply loved the source material and their effort is commendable. I do hope the series is renewed for another couple seasons. That said, Season 2 would benefit from slowing down the plot advancement pace by only tackling half the animated series book 2 with focus on giving longer dialogue scenes where we can become more emotionally invested in the characters.

[@initiate5497]

More thoughts.. It’s clear the child actors understandably had trouble portraying emotion on green screen sets. Hopefully season 2 has more outdoor on site scenes. This should help their acting. The biggest concern with the writers is that they did not understand the main characters. Seemingly small changes completely alter their development arc and are somewhat unrealistic to boot (e.g., Aang going up on Appa to calmly collect his thoughts like a cool headed adult instead of choosing to process the avatar news by understandably running away. Aang learning to face his responsibilities and not run away in future scenes is not as impactful now. Or Katara announcing she’s a warrior in episode 1. We know she becomes a bada$$ incredible warrior and we love her for that along with her other courageous, caring, and positivity traits. But she was forced to fight and improve her bending by the reality of the war as they journeyed to the north. She wasn’t a warrior when we first met her). Sokka actor was the most solid of the Gaang. He shows great humor in the behind the scenes interviews but it sadly wasn’t very prevalent in the live action. This is more confidently attributable to poor writing than on him. Zuko was solid. He was able to emote the best of all the main characters. The change to have the 41st division bow to him as their prince was incredible. Absolutely no reason Azula, let alone Mai and Ty Lee should have been introduced in this season. Their scenes were empty and non intimidating. It’s almost like the writers thought they wouldn’t get renewed for a second season, so they shoved everything they could into this season even needlessly drawing from book 2 (e.g., wan shi tong). If any show writers are reading this. For season 2, please have longer dialogue scenes without music and moving camera. Identify the most important scenes in the animated series where a character learns and grows, or a audience reveal happens, expand on it, and cut the rest. For example, when Aang’s friends cut him out from air scooters he realized everything was changing and he was feeling heavy emotion. That could’ve been a way longer scene with more buildup where we can feel the weight of his emotions. Same with him arriving at the southern air temple with the Gaang. Let us marinate in these types of scenes. In translating the animation to live action, the dialogue will probably have to be creatively expanded to make the scene more realistic and last longer but this is what we want! It will lead to much greater character depth. If the characters feel realer but it means less homage to the animated series in terms of fun but ultimately worthless cameos, I believe the fan base will happily choose the former.

[@annenonymousse]

Katara's face mostly looks worried even in the secret tunnel when she shouldve been scared to death

[@dengmandang]

They really shouldn’t have cut out the Agni Kai between Zhao and Zuko

[@zacharypotvin6579]

NO WAY

[@whole_wheat_soup9321]

Reason number 7000 I am not watching this excuse for a remake. The game of thrones thing netflix said made me mad asf

[@ericvandruten]

@@whole_wheat_soup9321 would you have preferred an EXACT copy of the cartoon then? Then what would have been the point of making this in the first place? I like how there's enough change to keep me interested, while the overall spirit of the cartoon series is maintained.

[@papatrudell7731]

I haven’t finished it yet but man… I have feelings.

[@alpha_jasperflair1097]

Yeah i kinda felt empty afterwards or i just felt like something is missing but dont get me wrong i enjoyed it, its perfectly balanced tho.

[@Suo_kongque]

@@alpha_jasperflair1097 Hopefully the next seasons pull it together. i do like season 1, but I feel like it has a lot of potential to build off of for the second season

[@lovelylife3012]

@@Suo_kongque I feel the same as you

[@LuisSierra42]

@@alpha_jasperflair1097 It's not perfectly balanced, that's why you feel empty

[@sebastianoviedo253]

Nah that scene with MoMo damn near died got me I was not expecting that.

[@Kaylamity_slays]

Literally! The way i scream cried! 😭

[@daniel_prophet9]

23:13 FACTS man!!! Episode 6 tho was DEFINITELY THE BEST ONE!!!

[@gmetals]

I went in with an open mind. Being a HUGE fan of the original series I took the show expecting it would be different. I absolutely loved it! Kept me engaged and I’m cool with the changes. Loved the throwbacks and loved every episode some more than others of course. I think it was amazing and I can’t wait to see season 2!

[@williama.slocum2641]

I absolutely agree with all your rankings and your take on the show, just hope there is enough interest in season two for us to see Toph

[@Kaylamity_slays]

Did you see the Wire interview where Gordan says he watched your video? How cool its that! Your videos helped influence his portayal of Aang!!♡

[@judeberri]

It's definately rough on some parts but I liked the original choices for some episodes, like Zuko's ship crew and Omashu!

[@aznSeddie]

I was able to enjoy _nearly_ everything in the live-action cuz I went into this with the goal of having fun and not being too picky.....even after having finished an OG Book 1 rewatch just before binge-ing this. The only instant head-scratch I had was those 2-ish glimpses of Hei Bai since his hostaged villagers arc was given to Koh...and he just felt useless after being featured in the teasers. Getting to re-experience the Avatarverse and these characters like it was the first time has been a blast and I think Book 2 would would be no different for me.

[@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma]

I like how Omashu is more of a Arab middle eastern influenced city and it shows the vastness and multicultural empire that the Earth kingdom is, I hope they do this more for other cities. Edit: More like Persian to Indian

[@celestinahuang3483]

It’s actually more south Asian-Indian as all the actors are Indian

[@ordinary_deepfake]

Obviously why you trying to put the Arabs in there

[@_M....]

more south Asian/Indian inspired actually.

[@Chocolatecakeicecream]

Indian not arab and not middle eastern

[@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma]

@@celestinahuang3483 I commmented midde eastern due to the type of uniform the soldiers have either way I love the theme

[@inamuri6006]

I love how reasonable you are, your level headed and insightful takes helped me enjoy this show without being unnecessarily critical

[@gessnscott]

I do agree with everything but episode 3 and 4. I feel that the plots don’t aline well with omashu, especially the mechanist. I don’t get why the son was flying through the air like an airbender even if their not at the temple, so it doesn’t support well and feels forced. What really doesn’t seem right is the secret tunnels, not only because its random and doesn’t make sense there, but the fact that aang wasn’t there to be with katara alone. This was used to build the romantic plot between them, and without it, later the romance will seem forced later. Also, the freedom fighters point was to rebel against the fire nation, but they werent even in the fire nation to fight? All of these different plot lines in one were hard to follow, but were ok. Still love characters tho.

[@DjBaz101]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 nicely said at the end "this is the legend of Aang, and a legend is told differently by each who tell it" ❤ Great way to help change the perspective and support this version of the story. It's like you mentioned the live action has the advantage of having a fairly complete story to work while the animated series were working as they went.

[@gabrielpinheiro4065]

I dont like at all the writing of the show. I missed so much the characters growth during the season Katara becoming a master out of nothing was so bad. Felt like bending was not like a martial art anymore , just felt it was magic. Especially the part that Jet, a non bender helps her Aang doesnt even trying to waterbend was also bad, but if Katara mastered so easily, makes sense he's lack of urgency Also dislike a lot that, unlike the cartoon, Aang doest run away this time. But everybody keep saying he ran away. I understood Kyoshi talking like that was the case , but then , it became annoying And that's all kinda sad , because cast was good , effects and visuals look great. Just the writing was bad. My tiers: 1. C 2. B 3. F 4. D 5. F 6. S 7. C 8. B Final grade I gave it a 6/10

[@goldenduck3931]

I might be the only one who loves the Omashu mix more than any of the other mixed episodes. Also has the least exposition out of all the eps. It still has them ofc but Sai, Teo, and Jet actors were great at handling them that they came out naturally. Got the most entertaining fight scene too. My worst is gonna be ep 5 and ep 7

[@GaianEntertainment]

"Also dislike a lot that, unlike the cartoon, Aang doest run away this time. But everybody keep saying he ran away. I understood Kyoshi talking like that was the case , but then , it became annoying" But he did run away. Just before the fire nation attacked, Aang left the temple on Appa, got caught in a storm, and ended up frozen under water. He couldn't handle the responsibility of being told he's the Avatar so he ran away. Granted, he likely intended to go back and would have eventually had to leave to train soon after anyway. "Katara becoming a master out of nothing was so bad." Agreed. Aang, Katara, Azula, and eventually Toph are all geniuses that barely need to train to become powerful. My favorite part of any show, or game, is the build up. I want to see the progression from barely capable to highly skilled, without reaching master level until late in a series/game. The overall pacing of the show was a mess, in my opinion, as well. They tried to cram too much into each episode and still managed to have seemingly long periods of low-energy. Highs and lows with little in between.

[@Aarika101]

​@@goldenduck3931​ It's bad. The 3 plots that were combined already very packed each and now being combined together and even adding another plot about Jet assassinating Bumi and the mechanist, and also the spies bs. 1. Aang said that Omashu was famous for it's delivery system (100 years ago) then suddenly Teo said that his father is responsible for the delivery system. Maybe it still make sense cause he just supervising or developing it but they just leave at it, idk. 2. Teo flying around Omashu is just not a good story. If you go deeper there will be a lot of questions and no answers about this. I am to lazy to write, but a few of them would be: why is nobody seems to care about him flying around? Why are no other people who just also flying around after watched how cool someone flying is? Etc. 3. A lot of fire nations people (spies) has already infiltrated Omashu, and even they have weapons made in there. Why is Omashu hasn't fallen yet? Are they that incapable? Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee just 3 of them (well with the help of Dai Li) could conquer Ba Sing Se in just a matter of weeks or even days. 4. Like said in the video, Zuko was angry over his book was stolen by Aang is very funny. Zuko uses the book to write about the avatars and how he will capture Aang, but when he met Aang in person he still angry over the book 😂 So the book was more important than the contents of it, I just can't help to laugh at it. Still many more. I already forget a lot about the episode cause it's too boring and very bad.

[@dixonrae]

⁠@@goldenduck3931i’m with you 100%. i’m really surprised to learn that so many people didn’t like e3.

[@athanasioskosmas3915]

You know that Katara in the cartoon became a master after one day with Paku, right?

[@roeidayan699]

I too am a real fan of the original but I wont lie to myself and say that Aang wasnt flying in the first episode, he literally was, when gliding he can jump high and slowly fall down but in episode 1 he goes up and down and moves around like Goku would and not like a gliding airbender would

[@thedarkknight727]

With the Azula Arc, I believe we are looking at a timeline of a WHAT IF, Zuko actually fight back against Ozai in their Agni Kai, and due to this Ozai actually acknowledged Zuko’s determination causing Azula to view Zuko as a actual threat instead of a puppet, and starts to see Ozai for the asshiole he really is. We might be looking at a Zuko early defection and Azula might actually come along for the ride as well.

[@paoerfulone1089]

If this somehow leads to the Azula Redemption arc I have wanted since the OG show ended, GOD I'd be SO FREAKING HAPPY!!!

[@sloesty]

They can't have azula join up. Azula contrasting zuko is what defines a big part of his arc. Him fighting azula is the last piece of his puzzle. The climax to him carving his own path.

[@crybbyrosa420]

Yes!! When watching the nextflix show, I was like, "omg it's like a What if season." lmaoo

[@HonorableBacon]

The writers on this aren't as smart as this. I literally feel they messed her character up

[@WildWing44]

I really enjoyed the season. Watched it with my wife over 2-3 days and we were both entertained the whole time. The only minor complaint I had was that I wasn’t crazy about the casting for Azula, but I think the actress can make it work after getting feedback. I really hope they don’t end up cancelling it, I want to see how it plays out!

[@daniel_prophet9]

Honestly I see where they were goinggggg but I’ll stick with the animated!! But trying to stick SOOO many plot lines within a single episode…it was honestly overwhelming how many little things that altered that leads to the bigger picture!!

[@Rhaenarys]

The thing about Aang wanting to immediately ride the elephant koi is that it actually plays into his character arc for the first season...in the cartoon. Hes a kid...that ran away from his responsibility over 100 yrs ago...and wakes up to find out all his people are gone...and feels guilty for it. Its probably why he entered the avatar state to begin with at the southern air temple, because the weight of everything built up and exploded at that point. Being a kid, though, means he doesnt have an adult to help guide him through his feelings, and even worse...he suppresses them until over halfway through the first season. He doesnt jump to ride the elephant koi because hes a kid who wants to have fun. Its because his coping skill, as we soon learn in the cartoon, is avoidance. He runs away. So thats what hes doing by going to these places...to have fun...avoiding his responsibility, as well as guilt. On the surface, it just looks like a 12 yr old kid who just wants to have fun. But we know the show is deeper than that, even if the creators didnt fully flesh out their own characters right away.

[@GaianEntertainment]

My biggest complaint is the pacing. The show would have been better if they stretched everything out a bit more with a better mix of high and low stakes obstacles, as well as relaxed character building scenes. Instead it felt like a weird mix of slow and rushed. I ended up scrolling reddit on my phone multiple times but don't remember getting distracted while watching the original (the first time through). Had they broken up the episodes a little more, using some middle-ground low-stakes conflict, it would have made it feel less like waiting for the next energy surge. Not to mention, it would make binging the show last longer..

[@tobbyman3d]

Leaves from the vine nearly killed me. I almost cried during that flashback. It was episode 4's highlight for me

[@Gabrielclarke15]

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS

[@OctoRon]

It bugged me that the attack on the air nomads FIRE BENDING JUST LOOKED NORMAL!

[@Hippydaze35]

Episode 6 was the highlight of season. Look up who had a hand in it and you’ll understand why. And it will explain to u why other episodes were lacking.

[@goldenduck3931]

Nah Iroh's narration is too cringe. Why he explaining the mask analogy so much. Sokka Katara sidelined. Why continue Agni Kai, they justified Zuko's flaw and passed the character arc to the background characters instead, Koh and relic plot was lame, Roku is lame. The mixing of episodes doesn't make sense just like the former episodes.

[@Nocturtle117]

"A legend is told differently by each who tells it" that is a really good point. I've only watched the live action once and didn't really enjoy most of the changes (except for ep 6, the avatar kyoshi scene and a few more) but now I kinda want to rewatch it with an open mind. Great review :)

[@thirdsonofadam8301]

Aang literally looked like he was flying tho... Both in the air temple and in the sokka's and Katara's village The way Katara broke the ice ball (cause it really wasn't an iceberg like in the cartoon) Aang was in was just absolutely stupid and unrealistic unlike the cartoon Aang and Katara BARELY ever even trained together because he never tried bending water or any other element once! What adrenaline dump?... Aang's first avatar state is a vital part of the episode and holds so much importance in the hearts of ATLA fans

[@TheRealHerbaSchmurba]

Yea some of his points were not good. The adrenaline dump point I also questioned. If it has purpose then who cares if we get an adrenaline dump? Felt like an extremely lazy criticism. Aang flying also rubbed me the wrong way. Flying is supposed to be a rare feat but hes just in the air moving side to side using his whistle and floating up and down so casually. The scene at the temple I could tolerate because he was descending, but not at the southern water tribe. Its pretty stupid and breaks some rules. Aang has only stayed submerged in air when he is in an air sphere or on top of one.

[@thirdsonofadam8301]

@@TheRealHerbaSchmurba yes exactly, there's a lot other things he said that didn't sit well with me but I was just too pissed off to write about them

[@puppyyuki7077]

Genuinely refreshing to hear more of the positive comments on this show. I was incredibly excited for it but the more comments I read, the worse the show got for me. Your thoughts brought me a different view on it and now I can settle on quite a lot of things.

[@Irohstoe]

I almost cried hearing the leaves from the vine theme playing in the background during the Lu Ten moment.

[@jkrunch2166]

Eh.. you were a bit too kind on the show, mostly. I would have rather they just cut certain storylines instead of chopping them up to fit where they originally werent intended. Plus the tell, dont show dialogue was aggrivating. I'd say the episodes ranged from C to D across the board.. except for Episode 6. That was a flawless episode and by itself justified the existence of the entire show. I cried like a baby when Zuko returned to his crew, and the added depth they gave Ozai was terrific.

[@annamariabalov8987]

Honestly thank you for such a respectful review.

[@danielclv97]

I would do 2 changes to this whole series: split the story of the first episode into 2 episodes thus making the series 1 episode longer while also showing the first fight between Aang, Zuko, and the first time Aang used the avatar state, and, showing more how Katara learned to be a water bender. I mean, it kinda felt like Katara was a noob for 7 episodes straight, and then magically become a water bender master and teacher. Also I don't really see why they didn't show Aang even trying to master any water?

[@DragunnitumGaming]

20:15 i cried when "Leaves from the vine" started playing. i DID NOT expect my self to shed tears when i started watching the series. a great way to include cut content from the original, loved it

[@letsgobrandon1906]

I don’t have beef with the show I love the passion. It’s just not good television to me. Fun creative project tho

[@michaellynes3540]

I hope the live action series wins an Emmy Award this September.

[@evanperel3254]

the acting was painful at times and I feel like my fav avatar youtubers haven't rlly addressed it and idk why

[@Seabasstard22]

Well seeing as how they were literal children when they started the project versus 2d cartoon on a screen where you can’t see the GROWN A**ADULTS, who’ve had YEARS of acting, voicing the characters. So idk maybe that’s why the acting is “painful”, “wooden”….

[@Ohhhthatsnot-]

⁠@@Seabasstard22 still doesn’t excuse the terrible acting. There are plenty of child actors who actually know how to act. The terrible dialogue also doesn’t help either.

[@schofrenzy]

I didn’t see bad acting I saw some bad writing that’s it

[@babyduck22]

I didn't see any bad acting , I thought they did good. We also have to remember they are still kids and they will probably have improved in season 2 and 3. Even so, I still enjoyed their performances especially Zukos, Sokkas, Ozai's and uncle Iroh's. I know Azulas performance is controversial and most hate it but I actually think the actor did a great job. The only one I must say I didn't really like was princess Yue's. That one I can agree was not the best, quite bad actually but It didn't ruin my overall experience with this show.

[@babyduck22]

​@@schofrenzyexactly

[@cjlovasco6977]

I’ve been watching Avatar for 19 years since I was 5 years old, I’m 24 now. As a fan, Avatar being my favorite form of entertainment of all time impacting my life in more ways than I can count, seeing in a real life form (live action) is incredible. Seeing these characters, these scenes, bending, THE PLACES (which look phenomenal) all again naturally gives my heart joy. I think the actors are the perfect CHOSEN actors for the characters, with an extreme shoutout to the actors for: Zuko, Iroh, Ozai, Zhao, almost whole firenation, and Sokka. And I love Aang and Katara: they just need alot more acting practice and to act/say their lines SLOWER. Everything-and I mean EVERYTHING-in this show looks amazing. The PLACES/SETTINGS look PHENOMENAL: Air temple, Omashu, water tribes-I mean wow. If that’s not beautiful I don’t know what is. PLEASE CREATORS HEAR THIS CRITICISM Most simple way I can put this: ~Episode 1 and 6 (BY FAR 6) were the best episodes of the entire thing- And Bryan and Mike helped write those episodes… ~This show’s story and writing have nothing going for it except for the episodes Bryan and Mike wrote •Yes some of the acting is really good •The actors are perfect for their characters •Visually everything looks amazing BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A GREAT SHOW (ESPECIALLY AVATAR) ~NOT trying to stuff ALL the plot lines from the original into this version, collaborating with Bryan and Mike to bring them back to writing the material again, changing the pacing-something has to change. Episode 1 was fantastic, ~Episode 6 was perfect and JUST AS GOOD AS ORIGINAL AVATAR (story, writing, pacing, visuals, NEW MATERIAL/STORYLINE) and I haven’t said that about anything (even Korra) since Avatar. I pray that the creators see mine and other fans criticism and input for (Season 2) especially for a show like Avatar, which is so important to us and changed our lives. Thanks for listening to a random and insane Avatar fan like me’s opinion🙏

[@thisisnoelle09]

I watched the show not expecting it to be the same as the animated series. But I thought it was pretty good. I'm not shocked it felt rushed cuz idk how you're gonna condense 20 episodes into 8.

[@HeMan9494]

Well, to be fair, the animated series was ~20 minute longs for each episode, and the live action is 45-50 minutes long for each episode.

[@incognitospider330]

Do the math its about the same so not an argument

[@infi3521]

There's a whole hour difference from live action to animation that's counting the filers that can be cut out. So much stuff could have been cut out but they decided to added irrelevant stuff to make it fit. That's why it's rushed.

[@bumbabees]

its rushed because they didnt use the time they had properly. they wasted their own time focusing on shit that didnt matter for the sake of looking cool instead of telling an actual story. for example, they couldve cut all the air nomad genocide scenes because they werent necessary, but they didnt, because they wanted cool action scenes. grown ass adults made this, they knew what they were doing.

[@famimame]

I watch this along with Koroto TV and he mentioned there's more novel lore in the live action adaptation and it was a pleasant surprise. So far I'm liking this adaptation, especially how they cook several events andd intertwined it together.

[@rhonnelmichaelalonzo4529]

I feel like having Wa Shin Tong there, considering he was nice and all to the Gaang, will make their betrayal during the library episode next book more impactful

[@zablade]

Who's to say the library will even be in the next season? The point of Wan Shi Tong's knowledge seekers was so he didn't have to leave his library, but that's kind of butchered here

[@awsome182]

I don't think the library will be portrayed in the next season. They even made sure that Zhao didn't learn about the Moon and the Water Spirit from the library but Fire Sages.

[@TJKash]

My biggest pet peeve was when Zuko was saving Iro and the earth nation's soldiers were just standing there while he was doing his fire aerobics. they are transporting a powerful fire nation bender so they should be more competent than to be so easily bested by a teenager no matter his powerful bloodline. None of them really did anything, like five against one and they were quickly defeated.

[@Man_iCR8]

Who noticed that Ozai could shoot fire from his mouth in the live action

[@reinescape]

I love this review. You tackled the problematic changes without making me infuriated. I agree with everything you said especially on Episode 5. That episode’s a mess.

[@Zan_JM]

I watched the show as soon as it premiered and it took me 3 days to finish. I watched it with my mom who kinda remembered the animated show but was largely like a blank slate litmus test as a foil to me being a fan since 2005. And both of us thought this was a huge mixed bag. The first two episodes, while not perfect, were the most entertaining for us. The pacing was better and the action was really engaging. And the emotional beats hit better, particularly anything to do with Aang and Gyatso. Episodes 3, 4, and 5 were a slog to get through. And it’s not because I’m too attached to the original version of events. The pacing was more disjointed and slow because too many storylines were crammed together. And while I see how the combination of said storylines could work, the execution was clunky. And trying to interweave those arcs just fell flat. I didn’t care for Bumi’s new characterization for several reasons. In this new version of the timeline, Aang finds out he’s the Avatar the same day as the genocide and the iceberg freezing. So how does Bumi know Aang is the Avatar? And Bumi’s anger isn’t handled well. Yes, he’s jaded by a century of war. So he takes it out on Aang. Aang who didn’t run away in this version and isn’t goofing off. And then the anger gets immediately resolved because of the bison whistle carving and a few words about hope from Aang? It’s too convenient, and you can tell his anger dissipated because the story needed it to in order to move on to the next plot point. I know everyone is loving the Iroh backstory where they already reveal the loss of Lu Ten and his funeral. But looking at this show as if the original doesn’t exist, I don’t know enough about this Iroh to be emotionally invested in his loss yet. It’s been 4 episodes. We don’t learn he even had a son until the finale of book 1, and then toward the end of book 2 is when we get Leaves From the Vine. By pulling this story beat so far ahead, it lost impact for me. For this iteration of Iroh, I didn’t know why I should care. All we know up to this point is he’s Zuko’s supportive uncle who loves tea, food, Pai Sho, and doesn’t necessarily agree with the destruction of the war. It was too rushed in my opinion. The spirit world was oddly handled as well. It was a weak explanation for why Katara and Sokka end up in the spirit world with Aang. They could’ve still given that moment to the grossly underutilized Hei Bai and had him abduct both siblings so they could have their trauma adventures as they played out in the episode. And using Wan Shi Tong so early in the show was weird too. Literally any other spirit could’ve given Aang the same info and it would’ve served the same purpose. It’s like they were afraid they wouldn’t get a season 2, so they added in Wan Shi Tong because 1) he looks cool and he’s a character fans like, and 2) does this mean we skip The Library if there’s season 2? Episodes 6, 7, and 8 are better than the middle ones. But I still had issues with certain story elements. I didn’t care for how harsh Kyoshi and Kuruk were towards Aang. It was very jarring that they were so aggressive with a literally untrained 12-year-old Avatar who really needs their guidance. I get that the point is supposed to be that Aang needs to forge his own path as the Avatar, but I was real tired of Aang getting crapped on. I don’t understand why Aang never waterbends in this season. I also am baffled by Katara’s arc where she’s self-taught from a single waterbending scroll and then is just declared a master because……. I have no idea why. It’s like they wanted to give her a girl boss moment when Zuko says she found a master and she says “me.” No, the gender of your teacher doesn’t matter. You do need a teacher, though. It’s most likely a flaw if the reduced 8-episode season where we don’t have enough time to show that Katara has trained with Pakku. So she just all of a sudden can hold her own against Zuko, who’s been training hard for 3 years. I know this largely looks like a rant because I didn’t include what I liked, but I was entertained by this show to various degrees. And it’s definitely not trash. There’s so much potential here. I wanna see if they take any of the valid criticism (about pacing, writing, the dialogue, some of the acting) and use that to improve in seasons 2 and 3 if they’re greenlit. I’m still curious about what they can do. Because this could be spectacular. And for me right now it’s just not.

[@crazyloverofcats]

I really like that line you said at the end about legends changing depending on who tells it.

[@TheLastAatroxMain]

bruh he's flying

[@fxarts9755]

while taking away Sokka's sexism it felt weirdly sexist to me how the watered-down sukis and Sokka's relationship by just showing her to fall for his hots of her creeping on him. In the original, she came to respect him after he showed a willingness to change.

[@fairyfellermasterstroke]

"It all comes along a little bit weird" Please, don't hold back, it comes along very weird 👍

[@skiphalfmouw5273]

I think one of the best changes from this new adaptation is the new depth they've shown us when it comes to the bond between Iroh and Zuko. Multiple scenes that show their connection and what they've been through together. It always warmed my heart. One thing that I also loved that hasn't been mentioned in this video is Sokka's complex. We learn in the Spirit episode that his most painful memory is that of hearing his father say Sokka will never be a warrior. This is something that has never been mentioned in the original and I think it's a great change to give more insight in Sokka's character. Besides, whereas in the original, Sokka wanted to be a warrior and a leader so bad, this live adaptation showed (I believe) twice where Sokka found compensation. Once in the Omashu episode, where he learns his passion for engineering, and once in the Legends episode, where the leader of the North tells him he doesn't have to be a warrior to be a hero. A beautiful moment and a great compensation for the absence of the sexism arc.

[@BananaHammocks]

im happy it exists and am excited for more. you can tell the writers love and respect the original maybe to their detriment with how things are overexplained at times. all of my criticisms of it can be improved on in coming seasons, they definitely have the foundations of a show i could really love.

[@babyduck22]

I really want to see book 2 and 3 as well !

[@N8ive49er]

Great video and really well thought out takes. Honestly, I'm personally not a fan of how the writers reimagined Sokka & Katara, but can see why they made some shifts from the original the way they did. Sokka was a top 3 character for me because of his wit, grit and comic relief...they've made him so stale and without his overconfident arrogance, they've nerfed his ability to develop as a character. On to Katara: I miss the mother/auntie aspect of her, and being a little more hot-headed/frustrated at times. Both of them seem to lack real flaws, but in doing so they feel watered down (no pun intended there) Aang's character is fantastic. He feels very much like he did in the cartoon, but being more open about his fears and avoidance of things is refreshing. I really enjoyed how they gave us the Fire Nation attack/siege of the Air Temple, and I think it really helped set the tone of the series overall as being more mature and less lighthearted. I have to agree that there were a lot of sections that felt rushed and muddy. Definitely thought it was weird that the Kyoshi islanders weren't as welcoming to the Avatar as they were in the original, though I thought it was cool putting the spin of Aang communicating with Kyoshi to gain some knowledge about the Avatar state and his responsibilities to the world. Definitely missed the misogynist Sokka specifically as it pertained to him ultimately being humbled by Suki. Instead it was more about her instilling more confidence in him because he was insecure, which I honestly just don't feel works for Sokka's character because it just feels not like Sokka. I was hoping to see Flopsy, so that was a bit of a disappoinment, but I also understand that not every creature was gonna make it. I agree that they should've left the Heibai spirit and Ko spirit world trips separate, and yeah there was definitely a missed opportunity for Roku to warn Aang not to show emotion when speaking with Ko. I also wished they would've shown the monkey (or another creature/human) without its face to really instill that fear factor with Ko. Though I will say they did an excellent job with the CGI on him. I didn't mind them inserting Jet and the freedom fighters the way they did, as saving Bumi and his council made enough sense as opposed to a random village. I wished they would've waited with the Mechanic and his son...it definitely would've been cooler if they went to the Northern Air Temple and found it colonized/occupied like they did in the original show. Overall the show is awesome and I'd give it an 8.5/10. Just as you said, it's a remix, not a cover. I definitely think they would've benefited from having another 2-3 episodes to really flesh some stuff out, but oh well. Can't wait for season 2!

[@Christiansstillstruggle]

"He displays soooo much emotion" brother, THE ACTING IS SOOOO BAD!!! 💀

[@c-waylilyay3602]

Bruh what?

[@Eruptor1000]

I teared up when Aang and Monk Gyatso spoke, very powerful to me and we missed that in the original show. Although the spirit world wasn't that accurate and some things were really off, I really enjoyed it. 6/10.

[@annenonymousse]

❤❤❤

[@Jay-fw6jo]

Please let this show get all three seasons please?

[@hotplasma]

Thank you for this awesome honest review. All reviews I have seen so far were rants about the differences from the original series. 🙄 Perhaps these folks only want is the original series with just new graphics and CGI. Fact: ALL new adaptations imply tweaks from the original material. So, while it’s impossible to be an unbiased blank slate when watching a remake, one must keep open-minded about that. As remakes go, I think this one was pretty good. Good enough to: 1) get its own set of fans out of folks experiencing the Avatar Airbender universe first the first time; and 2) satisfy fans of the original. Really hope Netflix will do the other seasons.🤞🏾

[@electricwassabi]

I honestly thing they gave justice to it. If we continue to watch the live action comparing it to the animation story wise we will easily hate the entire series. (and thats the other half of the fanbase) BUT you have to understand theyre given 8 episodes to build a world and story on the first season. I honestly thing they needed like 8 more to flesh out character dynamics and etc. just like a KDrama series. They mixed and matched and added stories to the plot line to accommodate what was lacking in BOOK 1, Trajectory. Dont get me wrong BOOK 1 only got amazing in its second half. BOOK 1 was good in the animated series but to translate it into a Live Series, it will be sooooo boring. But to make sure that the realism of a live action be interpreted well into a big screen they needed to change stuff. If you look at Netflix Live Action's take in a macro-perspective, the world, the characters, the story is beautiful. THE HEART OF THE SERIES IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. As a fan who watched the series a million times I was so intrigued by not knowing where the story would go yet the characters and the themes FELT SO NOSTALGIC. Like some parts felt like I innately know what they are but to keep me on my seat and wonder what would happen next was an adventure. I for one, cannot WAIT to see BOOK 2. While the series has its strong flaws, it cannot take away the amount of respect that was put into this series by everyone who worked on it. Again, I say this, the heart of the series is in the right place. PS: Having the Lu Ten reveal this early broke me. That scene was so beautiful. RIP Mako Iwamatsu.

[@babyduck22]

I agree with you. I think they did a great job, and I really want to see book 2 and 3 in this live action adaptation.

[@KarlKarsnark]

.....Right, you CAN'T do the story justice in such little time, so they shouldn't do it at all, that's the point entirely. Making excuses is just COPE.

[@Youngmacho]

This was my favorite review so far, he criticized yes but he didn’t hate on it. People act like is a replacement when no, this version of Avatar is one that a *fan* envisioned. Cuz yeah! The directors are dedicated fans who wanted to tell the story in the way they would’ve liked the story to go. That’s if they grabbed one of us, the fans, and made us make our own fan- art of the show. And there’s a lot of those, this one was made into a bad ass show that might not be as good as the og but is still a great show and really fun to watch.

[@franknsubuga8470]

4 minutes into this review and I already feel like @TheAvatarist is not being genuine with his views towards the show right from the start. Almost like his is tempering his criticism because some actors from the show said they watch his channel. Not a good look if u ask me.

[@Dmots4lyfe]

Great review!!! Putting the lens on the animal characters: I'm so attached to Appa and Momo, they're some of my favorite characters from the cartoon. I wish Appa used airbending more to protect Aang, there were definitely opportunities for it. Momo was pretty spot on and him almost dying after saving that kid had me shook..even if it was used to move the plot along, they didn't need to do that to me.

[@winjy2k]

How did you not mention that the 41st division would have been sent in the war as frontlines to die and they are alive basically because of Zuko.

[@roberttrevino62800]

Yeah avatarist tripping. That was the best and most important change in the whole series.

[@EASY4V1]

Kyoshi mastering the avatar state to a whole nother lever. She lived for 220 years. That's why it was important. And it wasn't until HER DEATH did the fire nation think they could succeed

[@kiekeyz]

This version of Katara is hard to watch. Shes probably my least favorite in this right now

[@Onticly]

The acting is just not good. Very unwatchable to me personally. I just hold acting nowadays pretty highly especially on big projects that should have high expectations.

[@LiamDaLemon]

I thought it was pretty awful. Many of the actors were terrible, especially poor Aang who seemed to be emotionally stuck in an equivalent to that scene from the Philosophers stone where Harry says "I can't be a a a wizard?!" In part the writer's doing, but he had none of his hyperactivity or longing for the freedom of childhood, instead focusing all of his energy on "the main quest" - and this is... Kind of Aang's entire character arc. 🤔 In fact the re writing had much of the character development left out, with no sincere exploration of any relationships that I noticed. Katara's actor seemed like she might have potential but was let down by the shoddy characterisation - where is her bossiness, her hot headedness, her motherly compassion? The dialogue itself was so incredibly ham and heavy handed in exposition that I almost couldn't finish the series (stomached my way to the end out of my love for the animated one, but it really did feel like it was a screenplay written by a school child). Granted, the action sequences were decent at times, some of the actors were excellent (Zuko and Sokka), and the world design was very true to the original. Though overall, a massive no from me. NB: as a minor personal point, I noticed that a number of the benders used incorrect form, which you'd think would be easy to fix given that the bending styles are based off real martial arts. They do get it right mostly, but it seems silly to intermittently fall down on this aspect in what is primarily a world-building show - this and the poor acting takes you out of the escapism imo. Overall, some good bits, many poor bits, with the main let down being Aang's acting coming off a little bit like a GCSE drama piece. 😕

[@LiamDaLemon]

Not that anyone asked for my opinion but hey ho there you go 😂 I wanted to say my bit

[@GelilaBekele]

I absolutely agree just on one point, I think the Sokka acting and lines written for him were all botched honestly. But overall you got it right.

[@evindgard]

"It's a remix, not a cover" is honestly the best descriptor for the series. The most pronounced critisisms about it I've heard is about the fact that they slapped episodes together or that they changed certain plot points, but I'm gonna steal this quote to use whenever I hear someone knock the series down purely because their nostalgia is hurt because of it. Thanks for the great video!

[@electricwassabi]

I agree with your Tier list. Spirited Away was a MESS!

[@khaliannholmes1288]

I'm glad you like Bumi too. The sound of his voice and line deliveries were so close to the original, the wild look in his eyes and the delirious smile, and the way he's testing Aang ... I think the actor did amazing and I want to go watch his scenes again and again. But the secret tunnels should've been reserved for Aang and Katara in season 2!!

[@mel-uy2lw]

ITS HEREEE

[@faizibrahim3692]

Yessss

[@marly8784]

“A Legend is told differently by each who tells it” No! Don’t make me cry 😭

[@iamai_iggs]

that ep 3 - 6 stretch was amazing

[@initiate5497]

Really? 3&4 were a giant mess.

[@iamai_iggs]

@@initiate5497for me 3 and 4 really justify why they would even make an adaptation in the first place. great leveraging of hindsights to expand on or explore a different side of characters and weaving together separate one-off stories to convey the themes

[@queendsheena1]

I really liked your review. I wondered how critical you could be as a big ATLA fan. But your analysis and review were great and fair/concise.