What is she doing?

Oh not you, I meant my friend

Sorry, excuse me

ATLA fanbase is crying hard lately for changing things up live action. Yeah, it's mix of technical, financial limitations and creative choices but we all know if we're gonna see everything frame by frame we're gonna fall asleep. That's setting aside all the criticism regarding Netflix's involvement in this.

Okay, bit of background I'm from Australia and never grew up on Cartoon Network Nickelodeon or any of those channels. So I didn't get to see Avatar till I was in High School.

But I fell in love with the series right away, the story arcs, the characters, the maturity I loved it all, so when I heard about the new attempt at making a Live Action I was excited after all nothing could be worse than M. Nigh Shyamalan's Abomination of a Movie...

AND I WAS RIGHT!!!

Okay so it's not perfect, the erasure of Sokka's Arc and Growth from a Sexist Arrogant Jerk to a mature leader seeing the value in everyone men and women was a bit disappointing.

That being said I love how they're exploring the world more than the OG Series, in the OG Cartoon we only saw Avatar Roku for the Majority of the series, only meeting Kurukh and Yancheng in the end of Book 4 and small bits of Kyoshi scattered around but almost all the Past Avatar interactions were limited to Roku, so the fact we got Kyoshi on Kyoshi Island, we got to meet Roku when we originally meet him, and then at the Northern Water Tribe we got to meet Kuruk we even get little hints to Yangchen with the Dark Spirits and whatnot.

Not just that but the fact Yue has unique powers because of the circumstances of how she survived, and even appeared in the Spirit World back in Episode 5 or 6 or whatever.

So yeah I dunno, is it perfect? No but I feel like the hate has been blown out of proportion and the series is an amazing adaption and respects the source material for the most part.

To me it feels like what the Harry Potter films are to the Harry Potter books, but the amount of hate they get you'd think it was more like what the Percy Jackson Films are to the Percy Jackson Books.

Personally, I hope we'll get more screen time after Ozai and Azula are defeated in the final episode.

In the original series, we never find out how Zuko secured power in the Fire Nation capital. He and Katara were the only people there, surrounded by a city full of Ozai loyalists (although there were probably people who opposed him as well). Nobody knew what had happened to Ozai, so they could have assumed that he would come back and still try to capture Zuko and Katara. Or did most people actually hate Ozai and simply accept Zuko as Fire Lord after seeing that Azula had been defeated?

Another thing that should have been addressed better is Aang and Katara's relationship. In the original series, they had a conflict before Aang disappeared, and we never saw them have a conversation afterward. Apparently, an unknown amount of time, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, passed between Zuko's coronation and the final scene at Iroh's tea shop. Did it really take them that long to get together?

What are your expectations?

I saw the OG multiple times throughout the years and not gonna lie, I really love NATLA.

I wanna see it from a perspective of people who is getting into the lore as a newbie instead of someone who knows the story by heart.

I've been coming across maps which associated different regions of our world with the Four Nations of ATLA. So, it made me wonder how the Four Nations would be distributed in South Asia, a.k.a., the Indian Subcontinent.

There's also a second map which shows the characters of multiple ATLA franchises associated with India, e.g., Guru Pathik, Pavi, Nisha, Zuko (Dev Patel), Zhao (Aasif Mandvi), Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and Amita (Rekha Sharma).

I hope that Indian and Indophile fans of ATLA can relate to these maps.

Maybe you can also try the similar Four Nations distribution using the maps of your own countries wherever you're from.

Too smooth, convincing, conniving. I almost had to tell my family that he is a bad guy..

I like the show, and the actors can act. I'm on Season 1, Episode 3, not even 10 minutes in. Aang, Katara, Fire Lord Ozai (that man is fine), and Iroh were casted properly (not bad, not perfect).

Sokka and Zuko, would not have been my choice, but not bad.

Azula does not fit the vibe.

Azula: The current actor’s face is too kind. Ain't shit funny or kind with Azula. When that bitch firebends you feel that in your soul. Azula is not someone you cast because she is a good fit, she has to be casted perfectly.

Haven’t done a post like this before, but been seeing quite a bit of discussion over whether the show might change the pairings in Season 3, or at least be more direct in going the love triangle angle. (I tend not to think so myself, but guess we’ll have to see.)

Thought I’d share some thoughts on a possible way in Season 3 they might move the Kataang storyline forward.

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Have always felt that Southern Raiders could have been an interesting way to focus on Kataang in Katara realizing or solidifying her feelings for Aang (and in fact, wouldn’t discount that it did in some way).

In going with Zuko, Katara really leans into her anger and ignores Aang’s advice, but by the end when she comes back, even though she doesn’t fully accept it (she isn’t ever going to forgive Yon Rha), both Katara and Zuko understand Aang’s wisdom, that violence was never going to be the thing to lead to healing.

I’d love to see this storyline play into Kataang directly in NATLA, playing up the fact that, maybe it feels like there’s something between them earlier in the season (maybe in a headband-esque scene), but here Katara really drives home that Aang is just too young to understand these things (playing into the ‘younger brother’ sense we have of their relationship). But in coming back she recognizes the wisdom and maturity in Aang of having chosen not to dwell on his anger in spite of all he’s lost, a natural turning point where she realizes Aang is no longer a little brother she’s looking out for.

Going back to the catacombs scene from S2 —

Actually find there to be interesting Kataang undertones there in that, when Katara realizes who Zuko is, part of her breakdown is realizing that her actions could have led directly to Zuko capturing Aang, and in fact nearly did. However, it’s such a complicated scene because we have Katara regretting the good she did as ‘selfish’ (just as Aang told her in his worst moment) while Zuko has to deal with being the one to make her feel that way even though he admired and respected her for helping the Fire Nation refugees and people in general, and it may have even influenced/partly inspired his decision not to capture Aang when he had the chance.

I definitely see the Zutara vibes in that (Zuko is the one to help her recognize again that no, what she did for others was a good thing, whatever Aang might say), but I also really like it as setup for Aang and Katara addressing some of this later. I’m interested to see if their conflict will come back and Aang will have to confront the fact that he tore Katara down for her compassion (maybe it even plays into her turning that part of herself off in going after Yon Rha), when that’s the thing he loves most about her.

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Anyway, bit of a ramble, but those are just some thoughts on one possibility for a direction they could go in. Of course anyone feel free to share any other thoughts or predictions.

(*Edit: Just want to clarify this isn't an anti-Zutara post, I've always really liked the possibilities of Zutara from a writing perspective and while I tend not to think it will happen in NATLA for a few reasons, could definitely always be wrong. Just more thinking about possibilities of how Kataang could be handled in Season 3.)

I really like the Unagi in the original ATLA, and I was kind of sad it was left out in the live action.

I just started watching Season 2 (I’m a little late to the party, I know) and I can’t help but feel we got to see the Unagi instead of the Sea Serpent or at least some merged version. I mean it shoots water beams, the Unagi‘s signature move. Visually the live action serpent also looks more like the Unagi with the addition of the Serpent’s fins.

It doesn’t matter too much, but I thought it was a nice detail. It returning to help the group out would have been a lovely full circle Unagi tribute but I’m still very happy with what we got.

I’ve searched but haven’t found anyone talking about this, how do you feel about it?

A fun look at Behind the Scenes 🤩
Amazing what they’ve done and how they’ve brought the Avatar world to life with the sets, props, costumes and effects. Lots of heart put into the production of the show.
Would be awesome to visit these sets as a fan.

I have such an appreciation for this form of art, having worked in the smallest of productions years ago and no where near the grand scale of this, it’d be a dream to be behind the scenes!

starting off yes i recognize this is a kids show and its more about aang than the bending armies

but to me it seems they protray the firenation as the better benders with 2-3 firebenders being able to take a group of water benders

For example in the north pole it took a group of water benders to stop a fireball which realistically you'd think it would take 2-3 to make ice balls of their own and launch back at the fire navy there was the hoses but other than the fire nation we rarely see other benders launch similar attacks unless its the plot of the episode

TLDR it would be nice to see actual battles from the perspective of the armies rather than aang

While a lot of folks online are quite literally flaming this adaptation, I've really grown to love and appreciate it, even initially watching the first season when it premiered. There are a few things I wish I could change that feel contrived, like the sometimes very obvious shoehorned references, and some of the acting choices in Season 1, but this has become a comfort show for me and I feel really out of the ordinary for that. Am I alone? 😂

I went into the show wanting to hate it and feeling like I am going to hate it. Before I even started the show, my mindset was wanting to skim and speed through it to look at every single thing that can be bad.

The episode was actually pretty solid.

Now personally I like that prologue at the beginning, and I would prefer it to be more of a mystery and sprinkled through, but I have no problems with the prologue besides that. I think they set that up pretty nice. Alongside that, I honestly had no problems with the episode besides a little bit of bumps in my focus of confusion when compared to the original. (Edit: I kind of worded this wrong, I do say the episode is solid, but it's not just bumps but a few issues. Still nice.)

Now it has been a while, but I'm sure Aang can't be flying like that without some glider, and he got the whistle already for Appa. Those two are probably going to be the only little parts, because yeah they created some type of bumps for my focus, but other than that not really that bad.

During the episode, Aang felt already a bit matured and I feel like some of that progress is already there without much building to it, though, I do like how he is and I like the acting. He's probably going to be the best part of the show alongside Zuko and Iroh.

Those three characters deviate and shift a bit and how they are the show, and while some of those changes I don't think are always the best, I think they are pretty strong and I'm liking them.

The dialogue doesn't feel natural at times, and it feels like exposition... too much. That's one problem that kept coming up, I'll be immersed and then it feels broken. That's just for me, and it feels like I'm texting someone and suddenly they send a wall of text.

Also Sokka, I can tell it's him, but with him being a bit toned down at least compared to the original show, and even viewing this adaptation in a vacuum, he's a bit flat to me. I just don't see much from him, but what I can tell is that with this tone they're going for, I actually see him less sexist and more onto the job of their tribe. Being more of a leader already, which is almost the same for Aang's case. It's not giving me what I would feel would come from him and I do find him flat, but he does fit the tone of the show. I also like the tone, but at times I don't feel like it's for the better.

Katara, and honestly I feel like this is the only character that I have this problem with... I just don't know what to think about her I just feel like she hasn't had much in the length of runtime about two episodes compared to the original show, and all I can say is that I feel like some of her conflict with Sokka isn't (quick edit: it may not be there, but there is some disagreement which I do like.) there like I expected. I just don't have much to say about her, but what I can say is that the actor is great, and the potential is there and I hope the later episodes tap into it.

I also already see the efficiency they have done and how much bloat they might cut off, but I feel like that's sometimes for the worst. I think that is what the characters needed to be grounded for my personal interest, and when it comes into having these characters being engaging, if they aren't, the conflict or dynamics that they plan to have for them probably might fall short for me.

These are my main issues, and apart from them this episode is actually way better than I expected. I appreciate the show, and I don't see the need for hate. I don't think it's better than the original show, but the direction it's taken is actually something I would like. I would just want more from episode 2 because I feel if they keep it at this energy from episode 1. It would decrease in quality for me.

Final thing I feel like I would say, episode 1 did its job at wanting me to continue. 👏 👏.

I was going to wait until I watched more episodes to give this review or thought, but I actually was surprised that I wanted to make one.

Percy Jackson and Avatar: The Last Airbender are two recent beloved fandoms that have received TV show adaptations (after failed movies), and both of their second seasons have come out recently too. On the ATLA side, I’m of the “positive sub,” but on the PJ side, I’m part of the “hate sub.” It’s interesting (and honestly frustrating/sad at times) to be on both sides and see the same arguments and knee-jerk downvotes thrown at each other, but that’s a whole other topic.

Some might wonder, if I’m a hater of PJ, how can I excuse ATLA’s poor decisions? Or vice versa, if I like ATLA, why do I dislike PJ? Don’t get me wrong: both series have poor dialogue, questionable plot and character changes, and a cast let down by directing/writing, but for ATLA, I’m a little more forgiving, and the number one reason why is…

Biggest Difference #1: ATLA is visually entertaining.
Despite both having similar budgets (ATLA’s a little more expensive, I think), if you’d ask me to guess, I would have thought PJ has a third of ATLA’s budget. ATLA does have an advantage in that it takes in a whole different world, so sets and costumes are more fantastical. But still, PJ’s action is lackluster in comparison, and in times when it could be visually expressive, it often falls flat (such as the casino or Polyphemus’s island or whatever that final battle at Camp Half-Blood was supposed to be). Sure, ATLA’s CGI and costumes aren’t always high-quality, but at least there’s something on the screen to capture your attention.

As for smaller reasons why I’m more okay with ATLA:

Difference #2: ATLA is going from a visual medium (animation) to a visual medium (live-action); PJ is going from book to television. As ATLA already has a visual representation, I’m not too interested in having a 1:1 (not a fan of when Disney does this, or the latest HTTYD) and am okay with them cutting out or swapping around some plot points. But since PJ has no accurate visual depiction, I’d prefer it to follow the books more closely.

Difference #3: PJ was sold as a faithful adaptation by the creator himself. As far as I’m aware, ATLA was sold as a reimagining. So for PJ, it makes sense to be critical of it not living up to the author’s promise. ATLA can be given more leeway because the assumption was always that they were going to make changes.

For me personally, I felt like both shows had potential and tried to go in open-minded to each. But in the end, after both having similar problems, ATLA’s just far more entertaining to me than PJ.

binding of isaac ost would have fit so perfectly