#Dallas did an amazing job as Zuko

[0wikipedia0]

Alright everyone, I NEED you to go watch the new live action avatar.

Because despite everything, and I never thought I’d say this, it was good.

Now, don’t expect it to be exactly like the cartoon, because unlike it’s source material it has a darker undertone (which makes sense given it’s a live action, and not a cartoon catered towards a younger audience) but other than that I think it’s a overall pretty great adaptation. It reorders and removes and changes things but nothing feels unnecessary for the shift in theme they made.

Needless to say, go into it with an open mind and not so cemented in the idea everything needs to stay the same. If everything was the same there would be no need for a live action. The only difference would be that you can see the actors and at that point just go watch the original again. The adaptation took the source material and molded it into something different, but definitely enjoyable, and with people set in hating it for frankly obstinate reasonings, it’s not going to get a season two. And that would be a travesty because I for one, am dying to see where they takes this.

[low-budget-korra]

Comments on Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender

*spoiler alert*

First of all I'm gonna start by saying it is one of the best adaptations I've seen so far. And that's the key word, adaptation. I've seen a lot of fans and others complain about some things that honestly, doesn't make sense because some things only work in a cartoon(just as much as some things only work in a book or a video game)

And before I start to talk about some topics that I judge important, I also wanna say that the production is fantastic, from the costumes to the CGI. It all looks amazing. (A part from Yue's wig)

1. The Script

It's not easy to pick 20+ episodes and make it fit in only 8 but damn they did a hell of a good job, especially when judging what was important to show and what they could let it go. Some fans commented that since there's no fillers, the Gaang and others miss some development but I think that for the universe of the live action what we got here it worked.

I can express how much I like to see Ozai and Azula's relationship and how it is now clear that he uses the siblings against each other, manipulating them to get what he wants. But I will admit I miss the fear Azula had, since it's implied in the show and some extras that she does fear Ozai, and fears becoming like Zuko.

I hope the 41. Is just fine after the battle in the north. See all of them bowing to Zuko after discovering that Zuko was the one that saved their asses and was heavily punished by that...it was beautiful. I loved the writers did that, give names and faces to Zuko's crew and a beautiful yet sad arc when Ozai banished his son and the men who he saved.

I also loved that they put weight into things that was treated as a joke, like Katara talking about her mother. She was a little kid who saw her mom get murdered in front of her and the live action made sure to let us know that it is not okay to make jokes about something so traumatic. All of the deaths here have tons of weight in it, it's not some random person, is someone we met, someone we liked, someone who helped. The costs of the war, something the cartoon manages to show us but know in live action, with real people, the massage gets stronger.

And they didn't forget Iroh's past like the fandom does, which is great. That actor, the earthbending soldier really let it all out, that's how you use the few screentime you have.

Sokka's isn't sexist and y'all were making a storm outta a cup of water, is not like Sokka sexist didn't go away after like the 4 or 5 episode in the original show. I think the live action was able to bring more depth to him in comparison to the first season of the cartoon. We see how he feels about his father's, the absence of him and his duty as warrior who kinda doesn't want to be a warrior.

I need a Gyatso in my life, I didn't know I needed to see more of him until the live action gave us more of him. Kyoshi was the Thor coming to Wakanda from this season, WHY THE FUCK BRYKE DONT WANNA GIVE US A KYOSHI SERIES? She is absolutely a jewel of a character. Roku and Kuruk, damn poor Kuruk man, so much pain in his words but again that's what it means to be the Avatar, it's not fun and games. Zhao saying to Aang what Korra villains said to Korra😭 that the world doesn't need the Avatar anymore, it hurt.

Guys I'm gonna say it, there's no way in hell for anyone to ship Kataang here. I'm saying this because some shippers complain that the secret tunnel part was different but c'mon, look at Kiawentiio and look at Gordon, it would be so s awkward and weird and just wrong. I know they don't have a big age difference, is only like 3 years but when they filmed Gordon looked so much younger than her, maybe in the next seasons the difference won't be that big.

The pace is good, once you start you don't wanna stop.

2. The Acting

Everyone is really good at capturing the essence of it's characters and somewhat making them their own. The highlights for me were Dallas and Ian, Its like they came straight from the show. Ken Leung's Zhao was also amazing as he was way more threatening here than he was in the show.

Kiawentiio was the Katara we were looking for, she is kind yet strong, brave and caring. And Gordon was Aang, sure, he has to learn a few things since he slipped a few times in his acting but nothing that could ruin the experience, that kid is good and just needs some experience.

Elizabeth Yu was Azula. It was different but yet the same character, is like learning something new of her and I like how cleared she show emotions with her eyes. Maria Zhang had great chemistry with Ian and I can't wait to see more of Suki. Arden Cho and Yvonne Chapman as June and Avatar Kyoshi look like they came out straight from the cartoon. Daniel Dae Kim...man is Ozai, so cold, so sharp, so scary, already way better than the cartoon version. I wanna see more of Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Iroh since the character he really starts to shine in book 2.

3. The live action doesn't have the spirit of the OG?

Yes, it does have. The thing is now that we are seeing real people, things get dark one way or another but I don't think it ruined the spirit of the show. Aang is still a kid, Sokka still making sarcastic jokes, Zuko still annoying as hell, Katara still hopeful and strong... There's everything there really.

The thing is stuff like genocide, murder, war, death and suffering are, for some people, better to watch as pixels in a cartoon than real people.

I think it's a great adaptation and I would recommend it to every fan.

[kl125]

In an effort to be more optimistic and positive and not give into the hate train (as well as acknowledge that adaptations will never be exactly the same as the source material, and that’s okay), here are things I genuinely enjoyed in the ATLA adaptation. Spoilers ahead.

- The acting. I think all of the actors did the best with what they were given. In particular, Gordon and Dallas did a phenomenal job bringing Aang and Zuko to life, respectively.

- Yue. I know this is a more controversial take, but I liked what they added to her story. She has more agency and confidence, and I liked the deepened relationship between her and the Moon Spirit, as well as her connection to Sokka.

- Having the people on Zuko’s boat be the battalion that was set to be sacrificed in the war was an absolutely GENUIS change. A fantastic example of taking the source material and using the new medium to expand on the lore and worldbuilding.

- Episode Six. No notes. Amazing episode from start to finish. The show really shines here.

- Expanding the story of Lu Ten and Iroh was really cool. I liked seeing how Zuko reacted to Lu Ten’s death, and how it strengthened his bond with Iroh. That whole sequence made me cry, including the subtle orchestration of “Leaves from the Vine” in the background.

- Along those same lines, Iroh was amazing!! Paul Sun-Hyung Lee brought the spirit and cheekiness of Mako Iwamatsu no doubt!

- Seeing more of the past Avatars, like Kyoshi and Kuruk, was great. I think they could have been incorporated into the story a little better, but overall, they were a net positive. Kyoshi in particular really stands out.

- Gyatso. That’s it. Just Gyatso. Fantastic. No notes! Absolutely perfect!

- Putting the Mechanist and Teo in Omashu actually makes sense, in terms of streamlining some of the important storylines. Sokka and the Mechanist create the War Balloon, which eventually progresses into the air ships, so it was necessary to include that part, and we still get all of that with the change. Plus, Danny Pudi was perfect as the Mechanist. The only thing we miss with this change is Aang getting upset over the changes at the Northern Air Temple, but I think the overall story works without that element (at least for the live-action).

As I have time to digest the story, I might end up liking more of the changes than I think, but for now, those are the main points.

[eerna]

Just finished watching the fourth episode of the atla live action and why do they struggle so much with characterization when the source material did it so well? For a moment there Sokka and Katara switched personalities, and wtf did they do to Bumi?? And that's just this episode... Aang feels off at times too, much of his character arc is about him learning to confront his guilt and the war instead of avoiding them, so him being so focused on being the avatar doesn't feel like him at all. Then there's Suki, Gran Gran, Teo, I don't even know what they tried to do with Zhao... and Zuko hasn't talked about his honor once (I'm kinda joking with this one but also no, I'm not joking)

(Gordon Cormier and Dallas Liu are doing an amazing job though, that scene with them fighting in Omashu was great and I don't know why but I loved the little addition of Zuko having a journal)

YEAH they really reduced all characters to some basic stereotypes, but Bumi was flat out massacred into a whiny 100 year old manchild that Aang needs to placate. Wtf. Honor..... y e ah. They. I guess they forgot.

You're sooo right! I liked the little journal, it showed that Zuko is truly dedicated to this entire thing. It also helped with narration!

[emletish-fish]

My belated Netflix ATLA thoughts.

Things I loved

I think all the actors did a great job with what they were given. Dallas was especially great as Zuko. Perfect mix of smushable teenage petulance and trying-his-best. (Lol, it's always Zuko's actor, eh? Dev Patel was the only watchable and redeeming bit of the first live action. A bright spark of talent in an otherwise bleak cinematic experience).

All the kids were great too. Sokka was spot on and got to do some heavy character work. Daniel dae kim was living his best life as a villain and you can tell he had fun with the role. ABED!!! Sorry, Daniel Pudi - amazing choice for the mechanist. Shout-out to the lady who played Suki's mum.

(Love the Suki's mum plot and how Kyoshi's isolationism was explored).

Also Zhao's actor added a wonderfully Uriah Heap-esque obsequiousness layer. Very skin-crawling. Well done that guy.

low-key loved how careful the show was in casting POC. It's so great and refreshing to see so many wonderful actors get more work and recognition.

Loved the costuming and make-up and how it looked like at least some care and thought went into it. Details like the gold corners in the Kyoshi make-up were inspired choices. Shout out to whatever hair stylist did Jet's hair. They managed to achieve cartoon levels of foofiness.

Loved seeing Aang meditate with all the past avatars. Like that his relationship with each of them is being fleshed out early. Some very interesting theories and takes. It also does a great job of showing us all the past avatars were flawed people.

Loved some adjustments to Zuko and Irohs story, like the funeral scene and the division becoming Zuko's crew.

Loved how these changes affect the way we see the relationship. In the cartoon, Iroh is a goofy comic relief character for most of season 1. It's a front for his white lotus sneakery, but that is only obvious to viewers in hindsight. But Netflix ATLA knows who Iroh really is and where his story is going, so his guilt and grief and war crimes are all out in the open from the get go.

Because Iroh's grief is more obvious, Zuko's caretaking role is more obvious too. We are shown how he takes care of his uncle above other duties and it makes their relationship and more balanced one of mutual care. Zuko's moments with his uncle are elevated from occasional pet-the-dog instances to a fundamental part of his character.

Loved some of the fight choreography and scenes. The market place fight was especially entertaining, with the colour saturation of the scarfs and the random lady getting all up in Zuko's business for attacking a kid. She was great. Shout out to her.

In general there was a lot to love in this version, and I appreciate the work that went into it on a technical level. Whilst it maybe a cash-grab at a studio exec level, it's obvious the people working on this project really care about what they are making and it shows in their work.

[that-bajan-kid]

The live action atla series was... ok. It wasn't as bad as i thought it would be, but it could have been better. It could have been so much better.

The actors weren't the problem, it was the way the characters were written. If u look at these kids in interviews u see the vision. Like that is them. The chemistry is immaculate, the personalities are perfect, like its the gaang brought to life.

And then u watch the series and its like, where did that personality go? Like Katara? Bro Katara got done so dirty. They should have let Kiawenttio do her thing cause wtf was that.

And Aang was a little too serious for my liking. Gordon as Aang was perfect casting but the writers did not do my boy justice.

Sokka was kinda just there for the most part, he didnt really do much which is disappointing. Bro didnt have an arc or anything. Ian did a good job being sokka but the writing wasn't giving.

Zuko was amazing as always, Dallas really did him justice, but i feel like they paid more attention to him and his relationship with Iroh than they did with the rest of the cast.

They showed Ozai way too much. Most of the time he was just standing around being a troll and giving his kids trauma in a season he's not suppose to be in.

They made azula seem too insecure. Like where did her confidence go? Like we know she has insecurities but they're not supposed to be her main defining character trait.

Mai and Tylee didn't do anything. Like they literally added nothing to the plot. You could take them out and nothing would change.

Don't even get me started on that god awful spirit world plot omfg. The story itself felt kinda rushed too. The special effects, costumes, and casting were all phenomenal, the writing just wasn't giving as much as it could.

tldr; The actors did a great job with what they were given. Unfortunately, what they were given wasn't much.

[highfantasy-soul]

NATLA Episode 6 - Masks (1/5)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

<previous/next>

This is a LONG one, so strap in for many parts. I have essays.

Opening with Zuko's side of The Storm animated episode was amazing. The way the camera starts from behind and Iroh's voice-over talking about masks and former excitement to show the world your true face - before that joy is beaten out of you - was such a strong way to introduce the themes explored in this episode. A new watcher wouldn't initially know that's Zuko, and the shock of seeing him without the scar was a great reveal that this is a flashback. Iroh already stepping into the mentor position with Zuko, helping him with his armor and giving him advice just fleshed out their connection even more. The way Dallas Liu played young Zuko was so great - from the way he walked, how easily he smiled, and even the different inflection of his voice, you immediately saw this was a younger, less tormented Zuko than we had seen before. Which then perfectly seeds in the dread of finding out what turned him from this tolerably happy kid into the surly, hurt boy we've seen in the other episodes.

Zhao's take-over of the Avatar hunt is so good. All the emotions racing across Zuko's face, the way Zhao clearly never respected Zuko and then the crew letting loose their frustration at the way Zuko treats them. Even though we've been primed to 'root' for Zuko (even in the animated series, we had that weird desire to see Zuko beat out Zhao), everyone's reactions to him make perfect sense. Of course Zhao isn't going to see Zuko as an equal - he's 16 years old! And Zuko HAS been treating his crew like shit, so their anger and lack of loyalty to him is justified. The show did such a great job at adding layers even within the ranks of the bad guys.

The Crescent Island looks PERFECT! All the sets are fantastic and I adore how Aang just assumes that even though the sages are fire nation, they'll respect him because he's the Avatar. After all, that's what they're supposed to do - but how Ozai has a tapestry of himself in the temple of the Avatar, we see the hints of how the Fire Nation has been led to treat the Avatar. I really like the addition/clarification in the live-action that the fire lords have placed themselves above the Avatar as the spiritual leader of the world - they've undermined the authority of the Avatar, no doubt due to Sozin's anger at Roku for standing against his bid to colonize the world. Even cultures where religion is seen as all-important, corrupt leaders have no problem co-opting that religious devotion and placing themselves in the position of power and adulation. Of course, as with all societies that try to do that, there will always be those who condemn mortal leader's attempts to usurp the power of the divine and hold to the 'old ways'. Love how we see that in the fire sages and the one who aids Aang - fulfilling the 'true' purpose of their order rather than the twisted one the leaders of the fire nation have turned it into.

Having a devout fire sage collect relics of past Avatars to keep in Roku's temple, I think was a great addition. It also makes a lot more sense to me that Zhao would have easy access to the info (and weapon) needed to kill the Moon Spirit rather than that shlub somehow finding the super hidden library that an archeologist spent YEARS exclusively searching for. While it was a cool foreshadowing of the library in season 2, having Zhao discover the moon and ocean spirit stuff in Avatar Roku's temple in the live-action I think makes more sense. I'll get to why I also think it was a good choice to have to attack them on a specific moon phase with a specific knife once those episodes come around.

The other fire sages truly believing that Ozai is the only one who can 'bring balance' is an interesting philosophical idea that the fire lords have implanted into the culture of the nation - and their ability to skew what 'balance' even means is really great work too. Not to bring Star Wars into this, but when one group tries to dominate the world (galaxy) fully so that they can control everything that happens, that's NOT 'balance' and forces will rise up to upend that system of control. Like Ozai said in episode 3, the way they've all been taught to 'create balance' is actually just an intense form of law and order where they control everything. It's an argument used liberally today that many fall for as well, so clarifying that here in season one instead of waiting all the way to season 3 like the animated show did really grounds the story in reality and lets viewers sit with the lessons and interrogate how they see it happening in their own lives for 3 seasons rather than just a few episodes.

It is a bit iffy world building from the animated show to have Aang only be able to talk with Roku on the solstice in his temple when later in the story, he can just connect to his past selves as long as he's meditating, in their clothes, or in a spiritual place - I think the animated show just really wanted to add in the temple and manufactured a reason for Aang to have to go there specifically on that date in the animated show. Not bad, but also makes the 'connecting to Avatars at their temple anytime' fit with the worldbuilding just fine. Like many first seasons (or books) of series that aren't all pre-written, the world building of early installments is usually a bit shaky and ironed out in later seasons, so I like that they've already started to do that here.

Roku, like Bumi, was another character that they shifted the tone of for the live-action. I think they chose to introduce Roku as a more fun-loving Avatar to really contrast him with Kyoshi (and later Kuruk) as well as most of the adults who've interacted with Aang so far. I think Gyatzo took the role of the more serious mentor that Roku had in the animated show and the live-action Roku really needed to be a stark contrast from the adults in Aang's life who blamed him for what happened with the war. I think they may have overdid the jokey nature of Roku a bit but as we see in the flashbacks with him in season 3 Roku always had been a more fun-loving guy. He does get serious and gives Aang some good advice - even though part of that advice is like Kyoshi's and Kuruk's that Aang needs to be careful about his friends. Though, his advice is distinctly different from Kyoshi's or Kuruk's in that he doesn’t say Aang can't have friends or let them help him, but rather that they can become liabilities and Aang will need to make decisions that sometimes could harm his friends for the sake of the world - not letting the lives of the few outweigh the lives of the many. Including lore about the Mother of Faces (full disclosure, I've never read any of the comics or books, so I just heard about that stuff second-hand) was really cool - and also ties back into the theme about identity and masks this episode is going hard on.

I also love how each of the Avatars Aang talks with have different ways they fulfilled their duties: Kyoshi through force and combat, Roku though diplomacy, and Kuruk through protecting the veil between the spirit world and the material plane. While they each caution about needing to be more than a singular thing, we can see Aang identifying more with Roku and his mention of diplomacy - as evidenced by his plan to use the Mother of Faces statuette to bargain rather than to lure Koh out and use force to try to kill or restrain him as Kyoshi might or further anger him like Kuruk. Aang always leads with kindness and understanding, even to his enemies who've harmed him and his friends. There's no reason for him to immediately jump to giving Koh what he wants, but the fact that that's what he thought of first really says a lot about his character. Yes, he was warned about not being strong enough to 'defeat' Koh, but that he didn't initially think about tricking Koh or trapping him shows us who Aang is - and that same kindness and urge to talk it out with enemies is echoed at the end of the episode with him talking to Zuko.

Removing the comet deadline I think was a smart move for the live-action both for practical and storytelling purposes. It would add a whole lot more things the characters are needing to do prematurely - let's focus on getting to the north and figuring out the Avatar state first, then we can put a timeline on Aang's bending journey, plus irl kids age - it's just a fact of life and it's taken like, 3 years to cast, film, and get this season out onto Netflix and they haven't even started season 2 yet, so who knows how much older the kids will look once we get to season 3. Having Roku instead provide a different take on what the Avatar's personality can be, warning him about friends, and giving him the answer to the issues Aang is facing with the spirit world was justification enough to have him show up the way he did, even if he didn't give Aang the info on the comet.

Though I do miss Roku going apeshit on the fire sages who have forgotten what they're supposed to stand for, I understand through the storytelling aspect why they shifted that and didn't allow Aang to escape the temple unscathed. Again, due to the episodic nature of the animated show, every 20 minutes ends with the characters no longer in danger, having escaped certain doom. That structure doesn't flow when you only have 8 episodes, so continuing the danger from the fire temple right into June having caught up to Aang (like she did in Bato of the Water Tribe in the animated show) makes the story flow better. In the animated series, Aang gets caught as he's zipping around a mountain looking for frozen frogs to heal Sokka and Katara from a fever. Random guards see him, send a message to Zhao, and he sends in the Yuyan archers. For such a pivotal episode as The Blue Spirit is, the events that kick it off don't really connect to much - very episodic in nature. I think having it all connect with Zuko coming THIS CLOSE yet again to capturing the Avatar and regaining his place in the Fire Nation was a good choice.

Love that not only do we combine June into these episodes so it's her skill that once again finds and captures the Avatar, we also get more view points of people around the world through this time of war. In the animated series, much like Suki, June is just there to be hot, useful, and the muscle for the main male leads (plus she was there to be creeped on by Uncle Iroh in what I feel is one of the worst writing of his character of the whole show). The live-action, like with Suki, gave June an actual character - she had motivations and goals that had nothing to do with the male characters and more depth than just 'want money'. She's jaded and accepted the war, she's going to use it for her advantage.

It's also another view we get to see of how people in the world have adjusted to the lack of the Avatar for 100 years. They've had to make do without him, so the fire nation has placed the Fire Lord on that pedestal, and people like June have decided the Avatar isn't really necessary - after all, why would you think they would be if you've lived your entire life without one and have never seen a world where the Avatar does keep balance. It's hard to imagine a fundamentally different world that you've never seen.

[writersmorgue]

Okay atla opinions! Here we go!

Casting - immaculate. No complaints. There were a couple I wasn't sure about at first but they QUICKLY grew on me and they all embodied their characters really well and I love them.

Pacing - oof. 8 episodes (even hour long episodes) was NOT enough. Everything felt rushed. Someone mentions at one point that it's been months and it's like... show your work?

Wish they hadn't completely scrapped all "filler" because if I wasn't familiar with this story and these characters already I don't think this would have been enough to really bring them to life for me? They needed more down time. They needed to develop their relationships. Don't just tell us they're a family. Show your work!!

Also they really missed every possible opportunity to show how close and important Appa is to Aang and that's gonna bite them in the ass if they stick to the bison-napping plot point later on.

The visuals for the spirit world were stunning, Koh looked amazing, the creep factor was on point, but I didn't love how they reworked his part in the story. He wasn't so much a trickster as a lonely predator? Aang didn't have to control his face? He didn't get frustrated that he couldn't steal his face? They didn't cleverly dance around each other? Idk it fell a little flat for me tbh

Avatar training - where was it???? He wasn't looking for teachers at all! He had a couple brief conversations with past avatars and that's it! They told him how powerful the avatar state is but NOT that he MUST NOT die in it which feels like a pretty important bit to gloss over. Also Aang didn't do one teeny tiny attempt at water bending that whole time. He didn't even try. Katara didn't get to try to help him. She didn't get to be frustrated at how quickly he picked up what she struggled to improve.

Speaking of Katara struggling to improve... wtf was that shit at the northern tribe? She had one (1) singular 5 minute lesson in healing, PROMPTLY stormed out before even really practicing it?? confronted the master, suddenly could water bend a LOT better while she fought him, got exactly zero instruction from him after earning his respect (neither her nor Aang got a single bit of instruction actually, fuck them kids) and then suddenly people are referring to her as a master??? Okay :/

Overall - great casting, great costuming, great effects, shitty pacing and weird story changes, didn't LOVE it but I have hope for the next season.

These are such great points!!! I agree the casting is on point but the characterization that the writers did?? SHIT. have you seen videos of the cast members interacting with each other? they have SUCH potential to actually embody the original dynamics but the writing is ASS. I know we already had the "where is sokka's sexism" thing but seriously!! that was an integral part of his character! He learns better! Katara, Suki, and Toph show him better! And that's all gone! The best characterization in the whole show was Zuko to me. Dallas did an incredible job.

Also also also if you're interested Drew Gooden did an awesome video talking about a lot of the issues that a lot of people have with the show. He put into words a lot of things I felt were off but couldn't explain, but that's like his whole job lol.

[kimwarris]

Some thoughts on the Netflix ATLA (contains spoilers)

Just some loose thoughts of mine after having finished watching the live action series. As I am sick, I don't feel like writing a whole text, so there's just some points I want to mention. Might add more later.

What I liked:

Gordon is soooo Aang, it's unbelievable

Sokka <3 They portrayed him amazingly and focused on his backstory, his trauma, his self-esteem issues, etc...

We got Sokka with his hair down.

The Sokka/Suki romance was so incredibly cute. I just LOVED it.

Zhao. He's an awesome villain.

They made Hahn be a decent guy. Unexpectedly, I liked that.

Zuko (Dallas did an amazing job, really impressed) <3 Just everything about how they portrayed him. They got his character spot-on.

The relationship between Iroh and Zuko almost brought me to tears at one point or the other.

Aang trying so hard to befriend Zuko (and it almost working, imo)

What was meh...:

The casting for Mai was not ideal, to say the least…

The whole Yue-thing. What the hell?! She can transcend into the spirit world, when she dreams? In the form of a fox? She's a waterbender? What's going on with her hair?! For real, we've seen great jobs being done in TV shows (looking at the Targaryen's)…

I didn't buy the love story between Yue and Sokka at all. There was more chemistry between Sokka and Hahn than between Sokka and her.

Some scenes seemed a bit too much like stage play than like TV acting.

All in all I very much enjoyed watching the show. It's not perfect, but it was good and entertaining and I hope there will be season 2 and 3.

[timtimtara]

Finished my first watch of the live action Avatar The Last Airbender series. I'm definitely going to be watching this a few times.

Initial thoughts after the season 1 finale is that I'm impressed by the level of love shown to the original series. The changes they made to the story for it to translate to 8 live action episodes weren't that bad. I tried to stay away from all the fan grumblings about this series so I wouldn't be looking for faults and I'm glad I did. I was able to see it without someone else's opinions clouding my judgment.

I liked that we got to see more of Azula's descent into madness. Ozai really was a horrible parent on top of being a garbage human being. I think the live action really highlighted just how horribly Azula was treated by Ozai and just how young she really is to have to deal with his mindgames. She really had absolutely zero positive support under Ozai's influence.

I enjoyed the additional focus on the past Avatars outside of Roku in this one. Kyoshi and Kuruk are such fascinating characters on their own. I look forward to seeing more of them in future seasons.

The casting on this series was really well done. The younger cast especially was delightful in their joy. They really hammered home just how overwhelmed they felt becoming child soldiers in a madman's war.

Gordon Cormier as Aang did really well depicting Aang's heartbreak and loneliness as the last of the Airbenders. Aang as a character has always been about the tragedy of being the last and how one learns to be hopeful on the face of that tragedy. His Aang really made me think about how much he struggles being the sole source of Air Nomad culture and he's 12, so there's so much he just doesnt know or experienced. I look forward to seeing how his Aang grows into his role as the Avatar.

Kiawentiio Tarbell as Katara just made me love her so much. Katara has always been one of my favorites because she's so determined and hopeful about life. I loved seeing a Katara who was just learning how to be herself, learning her powers, and just being a badass by holding her own against the forces that wanted her to be less than herself. She's gonna be amazing when she comes into her own. I can't wait to see it.

Sokka, my beloved. What can I say that isn't just me gushing about how much I love him and relate to his struggles as the elder sibling with so much responsibility on his shoulders. Sokka is the character that makes the world of Avatar so relatable. So thank you Ian Ousley for being a Sokka that showed him at his most loveable and hard headed and self doubting and annoying and absolutely the bravest warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. Ousley's Sokka is a gift, imo. He understood where Sokka's determination comes from and he did a great job depicting everything that makes Sokka who he is. Even when he's being an annoying little shit, he's just so...Sokka. I need more Sokka in my life, is all I'm saying.

Zuko. My goodness, Zuko. Dallas Liu is a phenomenal Zuko. He embodied the determination and internal conflict that is Zuko so well. And he remembered to be funny! Zuko is such a moody little teenager trying to be a strong leader and Liu did such a good job at showing all aspects of Zuko's character. And his relationship with Iroh!

Omg, Iroh, you break my heart. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was the perfect Uncle Iroh. He was the elder statesman who'd seen too much war and had lost too much in it. I felt like you could see how much he regretted his lack of empathy for the people his nation warred against until it was too late. He's a man who has many regrets in his life and trying to guide his nephew towards being the Fire Lord the world needs is the one small thing he can do to make up for his mistakes. Also, I didn't realize hearing "Leaves from the Vine" would have me legit crying each time they played it. Well played Netflix, well played.

Which brings me to the music. Thank you for keeping the iconic background music because this series wouldn't have been what it is without those audio beats. The music of Avatar is what makes so many of the dramatic moments what they are. The Avatar theme song has always given me chills and they used it really well here.

There were only a few points that I didn't think were well dome, but in the overall story that we got told, they weren't that distracting. I'm sure I'll have some grumblings I'll share as I do rewatches.

[eponastory]

Well, it is an adaptation. If you were looking for a shot for shot live action, then that's not what this is.

So, as a Creative Writing Major (with half a BA in Fine Arts) it is tricky to adapt something from one media to another. With animation, everything is exaggerated when it comes to motion, emotions, and depending on the target audience, humor. The Live Action adaptation is going to have to remove some of the elements simply because it will not work in live action... unless you are going for a comedy style.

With AtLA, especially the movie, a lot was removed for time. Time is going to be the most difficult to portray. You have to fit 21 - 25 minute episodes of an animation into maybe an hour and a half motion picture. That is why the Movie failed. That and the writing was all over the place. Don't get me started on the cinematography either.

As for the way Netflix portrayed it? They had eight hours give or take to make the first season work. Did they pull it off? Time wise, yes. They merged some episodes together and made a cohesive plot and story. It follows the same beats as the animated show, but a lot of things were purposely left out (thank goodness only the Great Divide was mentioned in the background because I do not like that episode at all) because they were not part of the main story. It would have been like... the latest show I watched (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) where we had to go on a few side quests that were somewhat important, but not really.

We don't get side quests with this adaptation, which is great.

Is the show really that bad? No. It has some flaws, but it also has some great moments of nostalgia and some deep moments. I think if this was a show just on Zuko, we'd have a lot to talk about because Dallas Liu must have a broken back from carrying the show (remind me to blog about that later) and I also think Gordon Cormier did an amazing job of portraying a kid with a hell of a lot on his shoulders. That is hard for a kid to do. It's enough to cause severe anxiety and depression for normal teenagers and young adults. Which is why I'm paying for therapy.

Anyway, your feelings are valid and I'm not going to invalidate them by saying BOO YOUR WRONG!!!

Because you aren't wrong. All of this is subjective and that's the beauty of it.

I hope I'm not the only one who hates the new atla adaptation. Like I actually find the old movie more enjoyable then this 😭

It's trying too hard to be accurate but tones it down almost everytime. Also certain things in cartoon just don't work in live-action, like for example the costumes are wayyy to bright and look unrealistic. idk if I'm off on this but I think it sometimes looks like someone uneducated and ignorant was showing quite disorded versions of different (mostly East Asian) cultures. I know that is not the case but it still bothers me.

Also why did they give Zuko his horrible ponytail-haircut but couldn't give him a proper scar. It does not look like a scar at all, it looks like someone punched him in the face or a birth mark 💀 Like there was not a single scar tissue in sight smh.. (this is actually very personal to me) Also it undermines the severity of such an injury and therefore Zuko's whole backstory itself and I am not here for it. Stop down playing it!!

AND I swear if they make Zutara canon I will actually disintegrate

All in all, I believe there is just no need for all these re-adaptations/remakes/live-actions these days. The people don't want it. Go be creative and invent sth new for a change.

Honestly the only way I genuinely enjoy these kind of things is when they like add more atmosphere, music, backgrounds/stories, scenes, perspectives(!) or even characters in a way that doesn't change canon(!) but adds more depths to the characters/story/worldbuilding.

Else it just feels like a watered down version of the events.

(There are also other issues that I have with it (and even things I liked) but that was just my first reaction to it)

[aangarchy]

the cast for the live action avatar looks pretty good, particularly zuko. but the casting i think will break the atla fandom will be the casting of mai, ty lee, and ESPECIALLY AZULA. they gotta get a child prodigy actress for azula. they confirm to be cast teenage girls for azula but i can see ty lee being played a teenager as well. if they go maiko romantic route mai would be portrayed by a young 20 something due to dallas' age.

I don't know if they had already confirmed the age bracket in which they wanted to cast Azula. If they did I never saw it.

I'm just hoping they'll stick to Kiawentiio's age group, because I feel like it would really drive home the tragedy in Azula's story. I'm already kinda bummed that they cast two young adults to play a teenage Sokka and Zuko (don't get me wrong here, I think both Ian and Dallas will do an amazing job, I truly think their casting is near perfection, I'm just bummed about their age), so I'm really hoping they won't do that for the characters that are supposed to be children.

Knowing Netflix there will most definitely be romance in the story, and I'm sure the age of the actress they choose to cast as Mai will define whether or not Maiko will be a thing. I'm just hoping they'll leave romance for the younger ones (ie Katara, Aang, Toph, potentially Azula) out of the question.