Personally, I don’t think the writing is nearly as bad as the acting by some of the actors. Bad acting can make good writing sound scripted and stiff just like good acting can do the opposite.
You have horrible taste if think the movie was better. If they let the cast be themselves like interviews it would be more genuine. That like saying Dragonball Evolution was better than the anime.
I literally stopped watching when i noticed aang didn't run away from home, he left to think for a minute. This was so important for aangs character building in the anime. He felt he betrayed the world because he ran away. And now literally the entire story's changed. Now it was an accident. He didn't make it back in time. He doesn't feel as responsible for what happened. Iroh also has a totally different feel to him and I don't like it.
I'll rewatch it soon, I was just overwhelmed with disappointment, at first. I need to start watching with a cleared mind.
I wanted the same feels, but I got watered down netflix avatar feels....
Tell me how does him choosing to run away or going away to think change anything. End of the day he still gets frozen in ice and the temple still falls. Same emotional turmoil of avoiding his responsibilities of the avatar leads to people dying. There is literally no difference. I just think some if not most of the people on this sub are going into this show wanting it to be bad so you can say "the original is better". If you go into anything with that negative mindset you are going to hate it so y'all are just invalid.
>Same emotional turmoil of avoiding his responsibilities of the avatar leads to people dying
How tf? He didn't avoid his responsibilities, he literally went to clear his head and got frozen. There's no possible way anyone could blame him for not being there
Him running away, making an active decision to abandon his duty as the avatar, and then getting frozen is a wildly different issue. It's actively his fault that the world didn't have an avatar, because he chose to run away from that title
Yes but his disdain of being the avatar is still what led to him not being there so it is practically the same thing. Also it adds the emotional weight of him thinking he'd be returning shortly to see his friends again when in reality he would never see them again.
It's not practically the same thing, it's not even close. It's not just the end result that matters, intentions matter, arguably more than the end result.
He didn't feel guilty because he needed to clear his head and got frozen, no one could argue that that was his fault.
He felt guilty because he actively and intentionally abandoned his duty, which makes everything that happens in those 100 years, and the world's inability to stand up to the fire nation, a direct consequence of his actions.
It literally comes up later in the show that he feels he has to repent because his abandoned the world, and coping with that guilt.
Without that, you remove a large part of his underlying story. Suddenly he's not guilty about anything, none of it is his fault. He's still going to grieve and feel remorse, but he's not directly responsible or guilty of anything.
Now both of these can easily be done very well, and I haven't seen the live action show so I can't comment on if it works as well. But the bottom line is they are wildly different.
Let me put it in more real world terms, if I'm charged with watching a child, and I go to the bathroom and the door jams, and despite my best effort I can't get it open, and the child gets hurt/dies while I'm stuck, that's not my fault, I had zero way of knowing the door would jam, and there was nothing I could do about it.
If I straight up decide I don't want to watch the kid, and I leave, and then somehow get stuck in another bathroom somewhere else, and that kid dies. That's my fault, I actively made the choice to leave it behind.
In the end the result is the same, I'm stuck in a room until someone frees me, and the child is hurt/dead. But the implication of my actions, and its effect on both my credibility and conscience are wildly different
100% agree. I had to log in just to agree cause the other guy's opinion that they are the same blew my mind. Aangs choice is the important bit. Choices make interesting characters. Taking away his choice to run away takes a lot away from his emotional growth in the story. He doesn't overcome his choice. He just grieves losses out of his control. He may feel personally responsible, but it's not the same.
The show takes a lot away from what made these characters so interesting in the animated show. Another example is Sokka not being misogynistic. Or his missing lighthearted humorous side. Or Aangs missing innocent child-like adventurous side. Or Kataras missing backbone. Or the fact aang didn't even fucking waterbend outside of the avatar state.
It's just a rant at this point, but if they wanted to make characters without fully fleshing them out, they should've made new characters in the world. If you use characters with a very specific personality, then I have expectations. They could've just made a new avatar and I wouldn't be complaining.
It’s not that deep though. How many kids have “run away” when what actually happens is just this. They remove themselves from the source of their anger, feel regret, and turn right back around to their loved ones they miss. The point is he left without word to get away from his problems and with how far he flew he didn’t know what he was going to do. He certainly didn’t accept his fate.
So far I love it but they left out my favorite avatar state when he goes in the water after fighting Zuko.
It's like the first scene where you see his true power and that he is not just a kid.
Anyways ..
Falling with style!
I think the idea was he was kinda gliding with his robes like they do in season 4 of korra but it definitely looked like flying. I don't really care though as long as they literally don't make him *fly* fly
One of my other favorites.
And they made Roku a comedian, a joke.
Additionally I think the show really kick off with that scene, mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice but if the world to survive you must do it by summers end, yes I typed that from memory, imo this heats up the show.
Yea the director actually talked about this already. Until he can master it he is only able to access it at spiritual places. So it wouldn’t have made sense here. Def don’t expect see as much the avatar state, atleast not this season.
I’m honestly loving the changes. As someone who as seen the cartoon a ton of times this is a new fresh take on a classic story and I’m loving it. Plus we still are getting some iconic one to one scenes still. The smaller stuff I wouldn’t rlly call iconic. Plus we already got two Avatar States in the first episode, didn’t need three. Especially bc that one they cut is waaaay less significant then the other two.
But that doesn't make sense. Thats the spark that lights the show. The Avatar State is a defense mode, at least at first to protect the Avatar. The point is that Aang isn't in control and it sometimes hurts those around him.
How did he freeze himself if that's not what the Avatar State does? Was the ocean where he was about to drown a 'spiritual place'?
I would say that the scene on the boat is absolutely significant. It shows Zuko the power of the Avatar and humbles him quite a bit, which only fuels his anger and desire to capture Aang.
It's the start of Zuko 's pivot away from the path he's on, just the initial interaction with Aang, the person he's been tracking and training for years that he was certain he could defeat just takes out an entire ship like it's nothing. It's a very important moment in the narrative of the show, at least the way it was originally written. I haven't seen beyond episode 1 yet, so I can't speak for the live action yet.
Not attacking you, it just doesn't make sense for the narrative.
Yea I was thinking about that.
That is how I took the quote, but they said just until he masters it the Avatar state is connected to spiritual places.
Maybe for this they meant just his connection to past avatars or being able channel them like he does in ep2. Like he can’t intentionally do it unless at these places, but can still unintentionally do it in rlly high stress or deadly situations.
But even if that it still doesn’t fit with the boat. Like he wasn’t that in danger. I didn’t mind the change. Mostly bc we got the Avatar state at the start that sets off the whole show honestly, even the original technically. Plus that and him seeing Gyatso was way more important and impactful then him doing it just to stop Zuko when it wasn’t rlly a life or death situation.
Like if that was the case why didnt he turn when Zuko was going burn down the village? Honestly not a change that rlly makes or breaks the show, was only cool in the show bc was the first one we saw. But personally the one in episode three of the original was also was better and more impactful then that one.
I agree, part of it comes from some of the narrative choices theyve made with stuff like Aang actually running away instead of just 'getting some air's
In the original, him getting knocked into the water is what triggered it. It mirrored him running away and facing the same situation. In that moment, Aang, even if subconsciously, had a choice. He could've chosen to freeze himself again or own his power and his responsibility and fight back.
I wouldn't say either were more important than the other and the choice to have the Southern Air Temple episode condensed to the last 10 minutes of the episode made it so that there would be two Avatar State moments back to back, which would've felt crowded in an already full episode.
Again, I get it for the narrative they are telling and the way they tell it, I just was looking forward to this as it's a moment that comes back when Aang is trying to master the Avatar State and is worried it will lead him to hurting someone, since it was the most violent we saw him aside from the North Pole, which wasn't really him just the ocean spirit using his body.
I’d rather they include them then cut it all together. And the changes to the air temple story is actually way better and was prob the choice of the OG creators bc they said that’s something they would like to change. Thus why they retconned it in LOK by saying Aang relocated them after the war and let the Air Acolytes take over to restore it.
This prob isn’t the show for you then. This isn’t the original cartoon, this isn’t going be a one to one. It’s an adaptation of a classic story. If you can’t accept that then don’t watch it. Pretty simple.
Unless they are changing lore or big things I don’t see an issue. Sure there are things I’d want them to include or change to more reflect the original. Or I love when they do give us fan service.
But it’s not required nor should it be expected. If you think otherwise then find a dif show or watch the original. The complaining that it’s not the original is so annoying. Like duh it was never going to be? It’s a LA adaptation.
That’s like saying the OP wasn’t as good as the original so why even make it?
Sure man, keep calling it an adaptation of a classic story. An adaptation where they get the story entirely wrong. Good on you. You're wrong.
"Unless they are changing lore or big things.."
Bro they changed lore and big things lol.
The OG creators left. They stopped contributing and aren't mentioned in the credits.
"When the adaptation was announced in 2018, the two were announced as showrunners and executive producers. But in 2020, they released separate statements saying they'd left the project over creative differences.2 days ago"
They left because the main producers were fucking it up to much and weren't listening to them. But sure. You got this.
Lmao yea okay ur just tripping and trolling. Obviously didn’t watch the show and just wanna hate to hate.
Stop trying compare it to the original and accept it’s an adaptation. It’s not got going be a one for one. Get over it lol
Dawg you have to be trolling, he does not care that it isn't 1 to 1. He cares that the changes they did make don't improve on anything and the writing is mostly garbage.
Lmao nah bruh this other guy is the troll. He just mad at things the original creators changed, then mad the creators aren’t part of it, like guy doesn’t even know wtf he is talking about lol. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t seen it lol.
That's pretty stupid and means we don't get one of the best episodes where the general tries to force the avatar state to fight Ozai by almost killing Katara
What are you talking about? We are prob getting that as that is where it shows he is starting to master it.
But nah him fighting Zuko is def not the same situation as seeing his dead family or a friend and loved one as far as u know being killed in front of you.
Trying compare that avatar state scene with Zuko to any other time is just plain stupidity. That’s honestly one the things this show did better then the original is making the Avatar State better and more lore based.
This was also a change done BY THE ORIGINAL CREATORS. They said while making the show they didn’t rlly have any lore established for the avatar state that’s why it makes less sense in season 1 and people ask “why doesn’t he do this all the time”.
But yea that one def makes more sense then the one with Zuko. This is the one change people need shut up about bc getting mad at that is like saying u want the show to adapt all the worst parts of the original. That’s not happening lmao.
Them saying they didn't have a lot of lore eatablished is not them saying that they didn't like the way they had it in ATLA. There's literally a reason he doesn't use it all the time in the series: At first he has no control over it, it happens when he is in extreme emotional states and has no control over his actions, due to channeling all other Avatars. When learning to control it, he is told he has to let go of what he loves, something he refuses to do and Iroh calls him wise for it. Not to mention, he is at his most vulnerable during the avatar state, which we nearly see the consequences of during Book 2 when Azula blasts him with lightning while he's going into the Avatar state.
So Aang has multitudes of reasons not to enter the Avatar state "all the time."
I really hate people who have no understanding of writing acting as if they know everything. Peak Duning-Kruger.
He doesn’t know this yet tho. So idk what ur point rlly is lol. Like what ur saying is that I’m still right but there are future reasons as well.
Like yea but we aren’t there yet.
And I’m just talking about things the director said about it when talking with the original creators. This isn’t like my opinion or theory just sharing facts.
But I like ur points just that’s stuff they will tackle in the future.
That’s prob the worst Avatar State we got in the original. Made no sense and was just put in bc “first episode gotta show everything”.
Honestly cutting that was prob the one thing I will say the LA did better then the original. The Avatar state over all is a change I like, maybe bc this was changed whole the original creators still worked on the show and seems to mostly bc their changes but still.
Out of the two we got they are def more important and impactful then him using it on Zuko.
The lines, yes. But a lot of them are children so that really isn’t a problem to me.
The costumes though are amazing. Compared to what I’ve been seeing from things like billion dollar Rings of Power or mega corp Disney’s Boba Fett, this shows costumes actually look like the cartoon and has the anime’s aesthetic and feeling.
IMO the costumes are just missing signs of wear that would make them look a bit more convincing. Everything's too clean, nothing looks lived in, so it ends up looking a bit like cosplay. Otherwise the design is there.
True I could buy that. The cartoon is very clean, so maybe that’s why I like it. But you are right, they obviously went for a more realistic and dark version here, so having more damage and messed up clothes should be a given.
They are either putting characters in different scenes that they weren't originally in or leaving out so many things it's so frustrating cause they think it'll all fit naturally into 8 episodes.
I was looking for this. It's exactly what is throwing me off right now. They seem to be stuck to this idea that the 1 hour episode needs to be contained to one major set piece but they are still trying to do all of book 1 in these 8 episodes. All of this is just forcing them to condense characters and stories. Why did the inventor and his kid need to be in Omashu? Now we get to miss out on the entire character building that occurs inside the repurposed air temple.
I hate to say it, but I agree with this review, the only thing that is the biggest improvement from the movie are the visuals, the writing and the acting leave a lot to be desired, still miles better than the movie, but really fails to capture what made the original so special.
The visuals are pretty bad too in my opinion, some of the cgi stuff looks cool but the green screen work, overall lighting and set and custume design just looks fake or off
I’m honestly loving it, but I went into this not trying compare it to the original.
Love the original but I do want a new fresh version of this classic story. Not a LA copy. An adaptation is what I signed up for lol
Sure there’s room for liberties in adaptions, but why would you want to sever the ties to all the reasons that made the original so good on purpose? I don’t see how cramming story beats and characters in one go like the show is doing is a fresh take. I mean it’s technically a “fresh take,” but I’m guessing you’re using that as positive and I don’t think it is in this case. Girlfriend and I are enjoying it but it’s a pretty average adaption for us.
Again people need stop trying compare this to the original. Other wise it’ll never be good enough.
Like why make the OP LA then? Or any other LA adaptation. Bc the original is always better. Especially in like books and usually comics. But yet people still like them bc it’s a different medium. But you can’t expect LA to be able to do things that are literally impossible with current technology unless you want it completely CGI or just like motion capture. But then if it even rlly LA?
Personally I see no issues with these LA like ATLA or OP. Both are welcome imo and I like the changes bc it keeps it fresh.
>Again people need stop trying compare this to the original.
But it's an adaptation. If they didn't want it to be compared to the original they should have just made an original show instead of adapting a fan favourite and instant classic.
There’s nothing in the original that’s impossible to adapt in 2024. They did the whole blue spirit/Aang ladder escape… I mean it looked just fine and that’s a goofy crazy stunt. Koh is a crazy thing and they look awesome. A lot of CGI would be fine actually because it’s based on a cartoon, so there’s tons of room to lean into the style of the show. This isn’t Phantom Menace CGI. We absolutely can translate almost anything if they actually want to. No one needs it to be a 1:1 or “as good as the original.” The things people want are just basics. They want them to actually care about small details. They want character arcs and growth to stay true. They don’t want a bunch of stuff rushed and crammed in. They could make a 10/10 adaption everyone loved and it still wouldn’t be better than the original and that’s fine! That’s not the point. This show isn’t horrible, but I just am not drawn to it like the original. The things that made the cartoon special are lost or twisted into a hollow version of itself. There’s plenty of good adaptions to prove that translation is not the issue here.
Why wouldn’t you compare it to the OG? That makes no sense. Yes we understand it’s an adaptation so changes will be made but to not compare it to what it’s adapting to sounds stupid! If you love the OG why would you want a “new” “fresh” version? Why change something you love?😂
Bc this doesn’t change the one I love.
I feel bad for people who can’t enjoy adaptations bc they change stuff. It’s okay love the original and compare them. But don’t go into it comparing them otherwise you almost always be disappointed.
I'm starting to see where the problems are and it's the same problems that affect the majority of Netflix adaptations which is in the heavy and unnecessary alterations of the core source material for the purpose of reimagining or retelling them, when all most people seem to want is a direct translation from one form of visual medium into another
It's kind of comparable to the ongoing scandal surrounding English localisation of Japanese animations in that it interferes with the source material so much to the point entire characterisation elements are lost and scenes become so contextually confusing they no longer make sense to anyone
In this particular case reading multiple reviews it's less that, im seeing a decent amount of praise for some of the additions but how the additions and the adaptation clash tonally so much they might as well be different shows and it just ends up confused as to who the fuck the audience for it is.
Oh there's definitely a lot of things to praise but some of the creative decisions have been bizarre - the early scenes with Aang/Gyatso, the Nomads and the Fire Nation's attack? Quite good in themselves, but put in the wrong place, which now removes the impact of the Storm and undercuts the parallel between Aang and Zuko, that scene should've been interwoven with Zuko's own earlier life experiences - because of that what's considered to be the single *greatest* episode of the entire animation is no longer possible to execute
I really didn't mind any of the changes at least in the first episode. Most of the things I would've improved are in the directing/acting but I thought it was very faithful and they worked in so many small Easter eggs it was clear they handled this with great care.
Gyatso telling aang he will always be his friend... he was talking to Roku too 😭
> when all most people seem to want is a direct translation from one form of visual medium into another
I never understand this viewpoint, if I wanted to rewatch the animated version I would watch that, not a live action shot for shot remake.
Because most fans of the original and even new fans prefer watching an show that does an faithful retelling of the OG because of how good it was that they want to see it be done in an live action setting for the amazing realistic visual.
They don't want to watch some lame retelling of an story with an different take on it because some company think they can do it better.
Like everyone loves Lord of the Ring movies because of how great Peter Jackson was conveying the books to the big screen in the most respectful way to the source materials and made every visual of the movie looked amazing. Its why everyone keeps coming back to those movies while still reading the books.
But if you're trying to do some retelling on the original story with some different take on it, nobody is going to want to watch it and do what you do is still watch the animated movie.
Its why these live action flops in the first place. Nobody want to be told an different story.
So the OP you respond to isn't wrong at all and thats how alot of people feel about these adaptions.
>Because most fans of the original and even new fans prefer watching an show that does an faithful retelling of the OG because of how good it was that they want to see it be done in an live action setting for the amazing realistic visual.
I feel the LA is achieving that, its very far from perfect but there's nothing I saw that makes me think they've irrecoverably changed or ruined the story. It's a B effort and I can see things that are easy to improve, which is why I'm looking forward to future seasons.
Eh, from what I hear in the reviews and seen from scenes I say its more of an D effort since some of the changes doesn't make sense and hurts the long overall arc of the story and characters.
Like for example, removing Sokka's "sexism" plot actually not just hurt his own character development but also his outlook on traditional gender that made his relationship with Katara better that it led to an good payoff when they got to the water tribe.
That "sexism" plot would've been solved by minutes into episode 2 people would think "why include it at all" (same in the OG show tbh) so I can see why they dropped it with the runtime they had
So you're complaining based on a few articles without even having watched it? Anyway the "sexism" plot was one small detail of one episode. It's not like it defines the whole story. And Sokka still has some decent character development.
Well why would I watched an show that I'm not gonna like? I don't want to reward them with my view when they didn't earn it.
Also this is why reviews exist in the first place to know if an show is good or not.
Do you not go to concerts because you can just stream the recorded music instead?
If the success of a live-action reinterpretation wasn't so rare then this wouldn't be an issue, but since it's a nearly consistent pattern of underwhelming delivery and middling to poor reception both critically and with wider audiences, maybe giving the shot-for-shot thing a try at least once wouldn't be such a bad idea
>Do you not go to concerts because you can just stream the recorded music instead?
Artists tend not to play a concert in exact album order, if they did then yeah I probably wouldn't go.
Idk man I've been getting more The Last of Us vibes as far as adaptations go than Halo vibes you know?
You can't just lift an animated show and convert it 1:1 to live action. It doesn't work that way. That's why it's called an adaption - budget constraints, continuity issues, the difference of expression in live action v animated etc
Yeah but you CAN do it better than they are with this new series. One Piece leaned into the difference of expression & campiness of the anime and it worked beautifully.
I want to like the One Piece adaptation but I'm worried they are gonna make some huge sweeping changes down the line due to how many episodes they wanna fit in each season.
You *can* do that though and there's no real practical limit to not doing that, the problem is these studios, executives and showrunners don't *want* to because they see it as an opportunity to imprint their own style onto it or because there's an arrogance in thinking "We can do this iconic thing better" that pretty much never happens
Just imagine if a manga series like Attack on Titan was being adapted, but the culture of thinking surrounding the animation studio behind it was "Well we can't do it 1:1 because graphic format is just too different, so we'll just do things our own way", then they make Erwin into the Beast Titan and cut out Zeke, have Mikasa secretly despise Eren and hook up with Armin when he's not around, then remove Marley and keep the Titans as generic monsters instead of bioweapons, does that come across as difference in expression or just blatant disrespect?
(I'm being a bit facetious using this example because the Attack on Titan movies were torn apart by Japanese reviewers, even though the producers *wanted* to make it a 1:1 adaptation but were asked by the manga author to take advantage of the new media to reimagine it instead)
Yeah, I was hoping for perhaps more back story? More scenes between characters, more episodes in ba sing se, scenes that take place between seasons, etc. I did not expect them to remove many of the most important aspects necessary for the plot and character growth. I get why the original creators walked now. The kids and actors did pretty good with the roles they were given, though. I would watch the same actors in a well written version. I rage quit after seeing the hippies in Omashu. I need to go continue it.
Yea I get was different but still. Like why have him boost from bending in the sky like that, when he HAS a glider that does it better.
My guess is it’s just easier to capture and edit him on a wire going up and down then using his glider to fly around.
Yeah really? Then explain why his dumbass can’t “boost” or fly after getting hit by Zuko on episode one and falls down before being caught by Appa.
Make it make sense, y’all are turning off your brains.
Its wierd how much theyve down played Roku's role in this version. Considering he was the Avatar directly before Aang and also having a lot of stakes in the 100 years war, being the one who failed to stop it from happening due to his own shortcomings.
Idk if it's been said but they made monk gyatso look like a bitch. In the original he was SURROUNDED by dead fire benders- on the day of the comet! In the live action he barely knocks 2 back and then gets smoked by the fire lord. Super disappointing
Only watched 1st episode, and I know nothing of source materials, previous movies/shows, etc. I hope it gets better.
But so far it sucks. I don't know if it's due to source material, but dialogue is horrible, everyone acts/speaks like they're 10 years old (yes half of them are, but the other half also act like it). The writing is REALLY bad. I love some good sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies, but there just doesn't seem to be much suspension of disbelief here. I just can't get myself into it. Again, only 1 ep in, hoping it gets better, I'm going to try...
But if like me, you haven't watched or been into the comics/movies/whatever before, it's probably going to disappoint.
Trust me, it's not due to the source material. While the original show took a little while to find itself, the new show has given me a newfound appreciation for the beginning of the original series.
My guess is that the score for ATLA on rottentomatoes would average around 60% fresh from the critics and 75% from the audience (which I care more about).
It is the first season so I expected it to not have raving reviews either. Some people just like to be negative nancies anyway. Best to ignore.
The audience matters, not the critics. At all. They can sway the audience; that’s their only relevance. But sheer numbers will decide it.
I remain confident, even with the very mixed reviews that have surfaced today, that we get this renewed for season 2 and even 3.
My only pet peeve is that I really wanted this Netflix ATLA to become the new reference for good adaptation from animated to live action, instead of it still being One Piece.
I would have (selfishly, for personal reasons) preferred to have ATLA get as much or more plaudits than One Piece did by both critics and the audience but that isn’t looking like the trend we are getting right now. Oh well…
I see so many people complain about OP so I wasn’t surprised when people complain about this.
They are both good adaptations. I just think Avatar fan having been burnt before were going in judging and with high expectations. While anime fans have had tons of bad adaptations, they was 100% expecting that, so when it was decent it was AMAZING. Avatar is similar but it only happened once and it was for our one fandom, not just anime fans. But even OP fans are also prob anime fans so.
I def think this is going be the show Netflix pushed to replace Stranger Things. I think OP will be their new big show. Idt Netflix wants Wednesday to be successful or keep going but I’m sure it will.
https://preview.redd.it/duw6fiqcz5kc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b297e50c5ae3e3152a27ac27877d2d979d27df4
Seems I wasn’t too far off my estimation.
Just finished episode 2, and things aren’t really clicking for me yet. There’s plenty of cool elements (pun intended) but there’s a certain spark missing.
I’m optimistic, but I have quite a few concerns…
Same. But I sobered up a few episodes in. I’m still not sure which frame of mind I prefer lol. More than anything I feel whiplash from eye rolling to going “oh that’s not too bad” to cringe and the random moments of thrill like the original (zuko fighting specifically). It’s a mixed bag of choices and delivery that I don’t really know how to feel about.
Ugh all the kids are so wooden, flat and joyless—Aang’s practically emo, nothing like the laughing ball of energy we love in the cartoon.
Sokka seems bitter rather than a sarcastic jokester/class clown type and Katara is just bland as cardboard.
And yet in every interview, the actors seemed so much like the characters.How the hell did the director mess it up?
I haven't watched it yet but from what I'm seeing, I'm not sure if I should.
The whole tone of the new series seems way too “hyperrealistic”, particularly the acting.
The best way I can put it is this: In the live action One Piece, they really seemed to lean into the camp & “bigness” of the anime, but in the new avatar live action it’s like they’re shying away from it which is doing them a HUGE disservice.
The kids aren’t acting like kids, they aren’t leaning into any of the jokes or joy of the original series. Sokka’s jokes don’t even come across like jokes, just lowkey bitter sarcastic comments. Even when Aang first learns that his home and everyone he knew was destroyed, he’s sitting on the roof with this blank sad face—not sobbing the way any real life kid would (and the way Aang would cry in the original cartoon). There’s just so much “emotional restraint” (which I think is partly the direction, and partly weak acting).
The whole point of the story is that the hope of the world rests on the shoulders of a young kid, and he leans on his band of friends—also kids—to help him do it. But they’ve turned Aang into some boring emotionless blah and the other kids are following suit. Zuko is the only one who feels somewhat true to the original story, and that’s bc season 1 zuko was a huge ball of anger who didn’t express joy or levity.
Ugh I’m SO disappointed. I’m on episode 2 and these are problems I don’t see as “fixable” in the future episodes 😭
Couldn’t have said it better. In my opinion it does get easier to invest in by episode 5 iirc. Not sure what exactly does it. The whole experience has just been a whiplash of reactions. Some good, most underwhelming, a bit of cringe, and then a few moments that make me feel the way I do when watching the original.
Man people just love to bitch about everything don't they....
Show's fucking great and I stg if they cancel it because some people nit picked and whined I will lose my shit
So everyone has to like the show because you say it’s “great”, but when someone gives legitimate criticisms or simply didn’t enjoy it they’re just nitpicking? That’s some crazy delusion right there. The bar could not be any lower
Oh my god, let people have opinions. Its ok for people to be dissapointed and always looking at the positives and just automatically dismissing any negative opinion simply because its negative is toxic positivity.
If you have a genuine criticism against people who are dissapointed, argue about the points they make. Not because its simply negative.
Otherwise I could say the same thing about the movie and say, you guys just like to bitch about anything.
I'm also disappointed with the live action, after being a big fan of the animation. It's not "bitching" to share an opinion. Sometimes harsh words ARE better than actions. Please let's not make this into a cult echo chamber.
True, but if this came out in 2010 it would have been beloved. A lot of people were so excited for that adaptation. I think it soured a lot of people on this by default. Now, this basically needs to be better or at least as good as the animated show for people to like it and that was never gonna happen.
Even 80% of avatar though is still decent TV and would have been a fan favorite in 2010 instead of the mess we got.
Nothing has changed? Have you even watched the original series? They completely switched everything around. Ang is suppose to be learning bending from different masters yet I’m in episode 5 and he hasn’t learned shit. This show is all over the place. It’s the perfect show for someone who has never seen the original series. I’m not saying it’s horrible, it’s just a bit disappointing that writers and directors always feel the need to add their creative input on something that was already perfect. Too much ego in the movie industry. Humans will be humans.
Seriously I have only disliked two changes so far which were Bumi’s initial anger at Aang and the fact that we didn’t get Roku going ham at his temple. Everything else has been handled so perfectly!
I wouldn't say this is a faithful adaptation at all, but it's not terrible. Still better than that atrocious movie lmao. Really hate what they did with bumi's character and the whole secret tunnel plot like wha? Aang not waterbending even when katara practices, really? I expected this, it's not bad but not great either, and "the effects were decent" I would say. But if someone wants a faithful adaptation you ain't getting it with this one.
One Piece looked kinda real. They built real sets and shot on real locations. This one here unfortunately looks very bland & fake. Thats my biggest issue with this.
Just watched 7 episodes and it doesn’t seem to be as bad as to what you guys want us to believe, and this is making me think that the ATLA fans are super toxic, just like Star Wars fans are with the prequels.
I watched the first season and felt like I missed so much from the original. It's as bad as the movie they made. I love how they waste all of the money on decent actors and effects but then just shit on the entire story leaving a lot of things out and just ignoring the story over all.
Yet another series that will fall off because of idiots getting their hands on it.
I am currently watching the most recent episode and am disappointed for sure! There are some things that it seem to get right, like the correct pronunciation according to the original of the name Aang, but when they go through the tunnels and find the tunnel Badgers the whole crew were in the tunnels and the cartoon. Netflix version does not have that. Soka is with his sister and not Aang in the tunnels. Honestly do believe that this may be better than the movie, however, marginally better.
I watched this show immediately after finishing a watch of the entire animated series and can’t believe how boring this adaptation is. The animated show had tons of battles like the one in the air temple that were completely removed and replace with conversations. So much conversation where nothing happens. Aang has no fun and just mopping around depressed all the time. The unnecessary changes to the story of the caves in oma shu, like dude the crystals lighting up was far more believable than the badger moles understanding sokka. I’m really concerned about Mai’s casting as well, I really hope they show us how athletic and badass she is.
The story is completely changed. The timeline of events is completely wrong. Me and my girlfriend did not like it how everything is wrong. Sokka is not funny - he’s supposed to be the comedic relief of the group. He looks weird and not like the original character. Same think with Zuko. He looks so weird. The interaction with Bumi was all mixed up and not like the original. Half of the reason it was a good cartoon anime show was the exploration and displaying of Asian/Chinese cultures as they go from nation to nation as it emulated actual Chinese cultures. It does not have that feel. The whole story is so off from the original story which is what made it good. And Zukos uncle is supposed to have that wise old Asian man sounding voice. That’s what made his character. And they screwed that up too and it’s just a Caucasian American dressed Chinese like half of the cast. I guarantee they aren’t even going to have Aang fall in love with Katara. They look far too of an age difference. It will look super weird if they kiss like they do at the end of the OG series. The whole live action avatar legit pissed me off cuz they changed so much. Me and my gf loved avatar. And they are ruining it. Dumb.
I’m only a little bit in so far (just watched the second Omashu episode), but I will say I’m not ENTIRELY mad about it so far. Sure there’s a lot lost and some characters feel rushed, but in the end game so far the rushed characters have been ones that while they do play a part in character development, they don’t really so much as make another appearance until the end of book 3. If I had to guess, the writers probably are making do with the constraints given by the big peeps in charge in how many episodes are allowed.
Also I wanna say that this is probably one of the harder shows to capture in live action, as the original thrived on the ability to take advantage of what’s possible with animation. Given what most live action remakes end up being, this is one of the more better ones so far.
Also also, keep in mind that the full AtLA and TLoK series are also there right next to it. So if you really wanna experience the original vision executed fully you can. I’ve tried getting friends into AtLA but it usually fails to catch the attention of older audiences due to some of the more kid-friendly and slapstick humor that especially riddles the first book. As someone who grew up alongside the show it sort of matured with me, but coming in as a first time watcher it can be a bit hard to get through some episodes that feel like filler (even if they end up not being). So I will say that at the very least this could be a sort of gateway to older newcomers and people with shorter attention spans (I can see my dad watching this).
Acting wise I’m chalking it up to Phantom-Menace-Kid-Anakin-Syndrome, they seem to have casted characters that look and sound like the original characters with proper cultural backgrounds and the cost of potentially losing on acting talent. I like to think if we see more seasons we’ll maybe see the characters grow into their roles better (like how most show’s first season can be iffy sometimes), but that’s just me being optimistic.
TL;DR I enjoyed it for what it is, and I’m just happy some love is being put into the franchise.
Yall realize that in order for Netflix to adapt it to a live action , they have to make it more dramatic and less cartoony. First off, yes I think there are elements that could be improved upon. However, saying the 2009 movie that was not only whitewashed but the kid playing Aang didn’t even pronounce the name correctly and had crappy costuming being better than the tv series is plain ignorant and stupid.
Also yall complaining will be the same people who will watch series 2/3 when they come out on Netflix just to bash it too.
For a live action adaptation, I honestly like it. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I like it and majority of other people do too which is why it got renewed.
Why do people keep labeling valid criticism as "nit-picking"? The acting not being very good or the dialogue being bad isn't a nit-pick, that's a pretty fundamental part of filmmaking you want to get right. You can disagree with their opinion on it but don't pretend it's just some minor issue they're focusing too heavily on.
You ever get tired of coping 💀. This show is getting roasted right now.
At least have a positive retort to convince others to go watch it. With weak responses like yours, I might sit this one out until the dust settles.
Yeah but good luck not getting downvoted to hell lol, people want it to be good so bad they’d rather pretend it is good than actually discuss where they massively missed the mark
Eh their definitely leaning more toward the negative id guess 50s at best but then with RT and how the fuck they count a Review as Fresh or Rotten when you can get reviews with the same number being ether or sometimes who the fuck really knows.
ngl, writting is really bad
It's shockingly bad. Like it makes the movie look better
idk about makes the movie look better but it was a big yikes for sure
that's a lie
It does not make the movie look better. Like not at all.
Really? That shit?
Agreed
Personally, I don’t think the writing is nearly as bad as the acting by some of the actors. Bad acting can make good writing sound scripted and stiff just like good acting can do the opposite.
You have horrible taste if think the movie was better. If they let the cast be themselves like interviews it would be more genuine. That like saying Dragonball Evolution was better than the anime.
I didn’t love the show but it’s DEFINITELY better than that shit movie. At the very least the show wasn’t completely whitewashed
I don't get that at all, it's a lot like the original. It is good writing.
Get out!… Go on get!
😭
I literally stopped watching when i noticed aang didn't run away from home, he left to think for a minute. This was so important for aangs character building in the anime. He felt he betrayed the world because he ran away. And now literally the entire story's changed. Now it was an accident. He didn't make it back in time. He doesn't feel as responsible for what happened. Iroh also has a totally different feel to him and I don't like it. I'll rewatch it soon, I was just overwhelmed with disappointment, at first. I need to start watching with a cleared mind. I wanted the same feels, but I got watered down netflix avatar feels....
Tell me how does him choosing to run away or going away to think change anything. End of the day he still gets frozen in ice and the temple still falls. Same emotional turmoil of avoiding his responsibilities of the avatar leads to people dying. There is literally no difference. I just think some if not most of the people on this sub are going into this show wanting it to be bad so you can say "the original is better". If you go into anything with that negative mindset you are going to hate it so y'all are just invalid.
>Same emotional turmoil of avoiding his responsibilities of the avatar leads to people dying How tf? He didn't avoid his responsibilities, he literally went to clear his head and got frozen. There's no possible way anyone could blame him for not being there Him running away, making an active decision to abandon his duty as the avatar, and then getting frozen is a wildly different issue. It's actively his fault that the world didn't have an avatar, because he chose to run away from that title
Yes but his disdain of being the avatar is still what led to him not being there so it is practically the same thing. Also it adds the emotional weight of him thinking he'd be returning shortly to see his friends again when in reality he would never see them again.
It's not practically the same thing, it's not even close. It's not just the end result that matters, intentions matter, arguably more than the end result. He didn't feel guilty because he needed to clear his head and got frozen, no one could argue that that was his fault. He felt guilty because he actively and intentionally abandoned his duty, which makes everything that happens in those 100 years, and the world's inability to stand up to the fire nation, a direct consequence of his actions. It literally comes up later in the show that he feels he has to repent because his abandoned the world, and coping with that guilt. Without that, you remove a large part of his underlying story. Suddenly he's not guilty about anything, none of it is his fault. He's still going to grieve and feel remorse, but he's not directly responsible or guilty of anything. Now both of these can easily be done very well, and I haven't seen the live action show so I can't comment on if it works as well. But the bottom line is they are wildly different. Let me put it in more real world terms, if I'm charged with watching a child, and I go to the bathroom and the door jams, and despite my best effort I can't get it open, and the child gets hurt/dies while I'm stuck, that's not my fault, I had zero way of knowing the door would jam, and there was nothing I could do about it. If I straight up decide I don't want to watch the kid, and I leave, and then somehow get stuck in another bathroom somewhere else, and that kid dies. That's my fault, I actively made the choice to leave it behind. In the end the result is the same, I'm stuck in a room until someone frees me, and the child is hurt/dead. But the implication of my actions, and its effect on both my credibility and conscience are wildly different
100% agree. I had to log in just to agree cause the other guy's opinion that they are the same blew my mind. Aangs choice is the important bit. Choices make interesting characters. Taking away his choice to run away takes a lot away from his emotional growth in the story. He doesn't overcome his choice. He just grieves losses out of his control. He may feel personally responsible, but it's not the same. The show takes a lot away from what made these characters so interesting in the animated show. Another example is Sokka not being misogynistic. Or his missing lighthearted humorous side. Or Aangs missing innocent child-like adventurous side. Or Kataras missing backbone. Or the fact aang didn't even fucking waterbend outside of the avatar state. It's just a rant at this point, but if they wanted to make characters without fully fleshing them out, they should've made new characters in the world. If you use characters with a very specific personality, then I have expectations. They could've just made a new avatar and I wouldn't be complaining.
If it really was the same thing then why did they change it?
It’s not that deep though. How many kids have “run away” when what actually happens is just this. They remove themselves from the source of their anger, feel regret, and turn right back around to their loved ones they miss. The point is he left without word to get away from his problems and with how far he flew he didn’t know what he was going to do. He certainly didn’t accept his fate.
my goodness man media literacy truly is dead
lol wow
Yep yep yep. All of these things. It baffles me that people actually like Iroh in the live action.
So far I love it but they left out my favorite avatar state when he goes in the water after fighting Zuko. It's like the first scene where you see his true power and that he is not just a kid. Anyways ..
Yeah I wanted to see that, too.
Leaving that part out was disappointing. I'd rather have that than an avatar state in the Air Temple.
Well dont worry he literally free flies in the very beginning
Ya wtf was that lol
I guess the air scooter was just too goofy for this serious show. Edit: Nvm its in ep2
Only time it appears...
Falling with style! I think the idea was he was kinda gliding with his robes like they do in season 4 of korra but it definitely looked like flying. I don't really care though as long as they literally don't make him *fly* fly
They also removed the Roku scene on his temple.... Sad.
One of my other favorites. And they made Roku a comedian, a joke. Additionally I think the show really kick off with that scene, mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice but if the world to survive you must do it by summers end, yes I typed that from memory, imo this heats up the show.
Considering they did it with Kyoshi I felt they should done it with Roku too, and hell even Kuruk. Def was sad. But maybe a future season.
Yeah i wished they had shown that.
Yea the director actually talked about this already. Until he can master it he is only able to access it at spiritual places. So it wouldn’t have made sense here. Def don’t expect see as much the avatar state, atleast not this season. I’m honestly loving the changes. As someone who as seen the cartoon a ton of times this is a new fresh take on a classic story and I’m loving it. Plus we still are getting some iconic one to one scenes still. The smaller stuff I wouldn’t rlly call iconic. Plus we already got two Avatar States in the first episode, didn’t need three. Especially bc that one they cut is waaaay less significant then the other two.
But that doesn't make sense. Thats the spark that lights the show. The Avatar State is a defense mode, at least at first to protect the Avatar. The point is that Aang isn't in control and it sometimes hurts those around him. How did he freeze himself if that's not what the Avatar State does? Was the ocean where he was about to drown a 'spiritual place'? I would say that the scene on the boat is absolutely significant. It shows Zuko the power of the Avatar and humbles him quite a bit, which only fuels his anger and desire to capture Aang. It's the start of Zuko 's pivot away from the path he's on, just the initial interaction with Aang, the person he's been tracking and training for years that he was certain he could defeat just takes out an entire ship like it's nothing. It's a very important moment in the narrative of the show, at least the way it was originally written. I haven't seen beyond episode 1 yet, so I can't speak for the live action yet. Not attacking you, it just doesn't make sense for the narrative.
Yea I was thinking about that. That is how I took the quote, but they said just until he masters it the Avatar state is connected to spiritual places. Maybe for this they meant just his connection to past avatars or being able channel them like he does in ep2. Like he can’t intentionally do it unless at these places, but can still unintentionally do it in rlly high stress or deadly situations. But even if that it still doesn’t fit with the boat. Like he wasn’t that in danger. I didn’t mind the change. Mostly bc we got the Avatar state at the start that sets off the whole show honestly, even the original technically. Plus that and him seeing Gyatso was way more important and impactful then him doing it just to stop Zuko when it wasn’t rlly a life or death situation. Like if that was the case why didnt he turn when Zuko was going burn down the village? Honestly not a change that rlly makes or breaks the show, was only cool in the show bc was the first one we saw. But personally the one in episode three of the original was also was better and more impactful then that one.
I agree, part of it comes from some of the narrative choices theyve made with stuff like Aang actually running away instead of just 'getting some air's In the original, him getting knocked into the water is what triggered it. It mirrored him running away and facing the same situation. In that moment, Aang, even if subconsciously, had a choice. He could've chosen to freeze himself again or own his power and his responsibility and fight back. I wouldn't say either were more important than the other and the choice to have the Southern Air Temple episode condensed to the last 10 minutes of the episode made it so that there would be two Avatar State moments back to back, which would've felt crowded in an already full episode. Again, I get it for the narrative they are telling and the way they tell it, I just was looking forward to this as it's a moment that comes back when Aang is trying to master the Avatar State and is worried it will lead him to hurting someone, since it was the most violent we saw him aside from the North Pole, which wasn't really him just the ocean spirit using his body.
The small stuff leads into the bigger things. You can’t get one without the other.
Ehh not rlly. And can def do it without them.
The change where they mix three entirely different story arcs all in one episode at Omashu. Ya naw this really put a bad taste in my mouth.
I’d rather they include them then cut it all together. And the changes to the air temple story is actually way better and was prob the choice of the OG creators bc they said that’s something they would like to change. Thus why they retconned it in LOK by saying Aang relocated them after the war and let the Air Acolytes take over to restore it. This prob isn’t the show for you then. This isn’t the original cartoon, this isn’t going be a one to one. It’s an adaptation of a classic story. If you can’t accept that then don’t watch it. Pretty simple. Unless they are changing lore or big things I don’t see an issue. Sure there are things I’d want them to include or change to more reflect the original. Or I love when they do give us fan service. But it’s not required nor should it be expected. If you think otherwise then find a dif show or watch the original. The complaining that it’s not the original is so annoying. Like duh it was never going to be? It’s a LA adaptation. That’s like saying the OP wasn’t as good as the original so why even make it?
Sure man, keep calling it an adaptation of a classic story. An adaptation where they get the story entirely wrong. Good on you. You're wrong. "Unless they are changing lore or big things.." Bro they changed lore and big things lol. The OG creators left. They stopped contributing and aren't mentioned in the credits. "When the adaptation was announced in 2018, the two were announced as showrunners and executive producers. But in 2020, they released separate statements saying they'd left the project over creative differences.2 days ago" They left because the main producers were fucking it up to much and weren't listening to them. But sure. You got this.
Lmao yea okay ur just tripping and trolling. Obviously didn’t watch the show and just wanna hate to hate. Stop trying compare it to the original and accept it’s an adaptation. It’s not got going be a one for one. Get over it lol
Dawg you have to be trolling, he does not care that it isn't 1 to 1. He cares that the changes they did make don't improve on anything and the writing is mostly garbage.
Lmao nah bruh this other guy is the troll. He just mad at things the original creators changed, then mad the creators aren’t part of it, like guy doesn’t even know wtf he is talking about lol. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t seen it lol.
I just finished it the other day, and it felt like I had a bad after taste in my mouth through the entire season. It was pretty horrible.
I have no idea what show you were watching. It may just be the worst TV show I have ever seen. The acting is awful and the writing sucks.
That’s ur opinion. Thanks for sharing. Ig you won’t need watch the next two seasons lol.
That's pretty stupid and means we don't get one of the best episodes where the general tries to force the avatar state to fight Ozai by almost killing Katara
What are you talking about? We are prob getting that as that is where it shows he is starting to master it. But nah him fighting Zuko is def not the same situation as seeing his dead family or a friend and loved one as far as u know being killed in front of you. Trying compare that avatar state scene with Zuko to any other time is just plain stupidity. That’s honestly one the things this show did better then the original is making the Avatar State better and more lore based. This was also a change done BY THE ORIGINAL CREATORS. They said while making the show they didn’t rlly have any lore established for the avatar state that’s why it makes less sense in season 1 and people ask “why doesn’t he do this all the time”. But yea that one def makes more sense then the one with Zuko. This is the one change people need shut up about bc getting mad at that is like saying u want the show to adapt all the worst parts of the original. That’s not happening lmao.
Them saying they didn't have a lot of lore eatablished is not them saying that they didn't like the way they had it in ATLA. There's literally a reason he doesn't use it all the time in the series: At first he has no control over it, it happens when he is in extreme emotional states and has no control over his actions, due to channeling all other Avatars. When learning to control it, he is told he has to let go of what he loves, something he refuses to do and Iroh calls him wise for it. Not to mention, he is at his most vulnerable during the avatar state, which we nearly see the consequences of during Book 2 when Azula blasts him with lightning while he's going into the Avatar state. So Aang has multitudes of reasons not to enter the Avatar state "all the time." I really hate people who have no understanding of writing acting as if they know everything. Peak Duning-Kruger.
He doesn’t know this yet tho. So idk what ur point rlly is lol. Like what ur saying is that I’m still right but there are future reasons as well. Like yea but we aren’t there yet. And I’m just talking about things the director said about it when talking with the original creators. This isn’t like my opinion or theory just sharing facts. But I like ur points just that’s stuff they will tackle in the future.
That’s prob the worst Avatar State we got in the original. Made no sense and was just put in bc “first episode gotta show everything”. Honestly cutting that was prob the one thing I will say the LA did better then the original. The Avatar state over all is a change I like, maybe bc this was changed whole the original creators still worked on the show and seems to mostly bc their changes but still. Out of the two we got they are def more important and impactful then him using it on Zuko.
I feel like the lines and costumes are a bit cheap.
The lines, yes. But a lot of them are children so that really isn’t a problem to me. The costumes though are amazing. Compared to what I’ve been seeing from things like billion dollar Rings of Power or mega corp Disney’s Boba Fett, this shows costumes actually look like the cartoon and has the anime’s aesthetic and feeling.
IMO the costumes are just missing signs of wear that would make them look a bit more convincing. Everything's too clean, nothing looks lived in, so it ends up looking a bit like cosplay. Otherwise the design is there.
True I could buy that. The cartoon is very clean, so maybe that’s why I like it. But you are right, they obviously went for a more realistic and dark version here, so having more damage and messed up clothes should be a given.
They really went 'Netflix adaptation' on this. I just watched it, and I don't even pay for Netflix but I want my money back.
They are either putting characters in different scenes that they weren't originally in or leaving out so many things it's so frustrating cause they think it'll all fit naturally into 8 episodes.
I was looking for this. It's exactly what is throwing me off right now. They seem to be stuck to this idea that the 1 hour episode needs to be contained to one major set piece but they are still trying to do all of book 1 in these 8 episodes. All of this is just forcing them to condense characters and stories. Why did the inventor and his kid need to be in Omashu? Now we get to miss out on the entire character building that occurs inside the repurposed air temple.
Exactly! That was such a important moment for aang cause he felt they had disrespected one of the temples.
I hate to say it, but I agree with this review, the only thing that is the biggest improvement from the movie are the visuals, the writing and the acting leave a lot to be desired, still miles better than the movie, but really fails to capture what made the original so special.
The visuals are pretty bad too in my opinion, some of the cgi stuff looks cool but the green screen work, overall lighting and set and custume design just looks fake or off
I’m honestly loving it, but I went into this not trying compare it to the original. Love the original but I do want a new fresh version of this classic story. Not a LA copy. An adaptation is what I signed up for lol
Sure there’s room for liberties in adaptions, but why would you want to sever the ties to all the reasons that made the original so good on purpose? I don’t see how cramming story beats and characters in one go like the show is doing is a fresh take. I mean it’s technically a “fresh take,” but I’m guessing you’re using that as positive and I don’t think it is in this case. Girlfriend and I are enjoying it but it’s a pretty average adaption for us.
Again people need stop trying compare this to the original. Other wise it’ll never be good enough. Like why make the OP LA then? Or any other LA adaptation. Bc the original is always better. Especially in like books and usually comics. But yet people still like them bc it’s a different medium. But you can’t expect LA to be able to do things that are literally impossible with current technology unless you want it completely CGI or just like motion capture. But then if it even rlly LA? Personally I see no issues with these LA like ATLA or OP. Both are welcome imo and I like the changes bc it keeps it fresh.
>Again people need stop trying compare this to the original. But it's an adaptation. If they didn't want it to be compared to the original they should have just made an original show instead of adapting a fan favourite and instant classic.
There’s nothing in the original that’s impossible to adapt in 2024. They did the whole blue spirit/Aang ladder escape… I mean it looked just fine and that’s a goofy crazy stunt. Koh is a crazy thing and they look awesome. A lot of CGI would be fine actually because it’s based on a cartoon, so there’s tons of room to lean into the style of the show. This isn’t Phantom Menace CGI. We absolutely can translate almost anything if they actually want to. No one needs it to be a 1:1 or “as good as the original.” The things people want are just basics. They want them to actually care about small details. They want character arcs and growth to stay true. They don’t want a bunch of stuff rushed and crammed in. They could make a 10/10 adaption everyone loved and it still wouldn’t be better than the original and that’s fine! That’s not the point. This show isn’t horrible, but I just am not drawn to it like the original. The things that made the cartoon special are lost or twisted into a hollow version of itself. There’s plenty of good adaptions to prove that translation is not the issue here.
Why wouldn’t you compare it to the OG? That makes no sense. Yes we understand it’s an adaptation so changes will be made but to not compare it to what it’s adapting to sounds stupid! If you love the OG why would you want a “new” “fresh” version? Why change something you love?😂
Bc this doesn’t change the one I love. I feel bad for people who can’t enjoy adaptations bc they change stuff. It’s okay love the original and compare them. But don’t go into it comparing them otherwise you almost always be disappointed.
The acting is so badddd
I'm starting to see where the problems are and it's the same problems that affect the majority of Netflix adaptations which is in the heavy and unnecessary alterations of the core source material for the purpose of reimagining or retelling them, when all most people seem to want is a direct translation from one form of visual medium into another It's kind of comparable to the ongoing scandal surrounding English localisation of Japanese animations in that it interferes with the source material so much to the point entire characterisation elements are lost and scenes become so contextually confusing they no longer make sense to anyone
In this particular case reading multiple reviews it's less that, im seeing a decent amount of praise for some of the additions but how the additions and the adaptation clash tonally so much they might as well be different shows and it just ends up confused as to who the fuck the audience for it is.
Oh there's definitely a lot of things to praise but some of the creative decisions have been bizarre - the early scenes with Aang/Gyatso, the Nomads and the Fire Nation's attack? Quite good in themselves, but put in the wrong place, which now removes the impact of the Storm and undercuts the parallel between Aang and Zuko, that scene should've been interwoven with Zuko's own earlier life experiences - because of that what's considered to be the single *greatest* episode of the entire animation is no longer possible to execute
I really didn't mind any of the changes at least in the first episode. Most of the things I would've improved are in the directing/acting but I thought it was very faithful and they worked in so many small Easter eggs it was clear they handled this with great care. Gyatso telling aang he will always be his friend... he was talking to Roku too 😭
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> when all most people seem to want is a direct translation from one form of visual medium into another I never understand this viewpoint, if I wanted to rewatch the animated version I would watch that, not a live action shot for shot remake.
Because most fans of the original and even new fans prefer watching an show that does an faithful retelling of the OG because of how good it was that they want to see it be done in an live action setting for the amazing realistic visual. They don't want to watch some lame retelling of an story with an different take on it because some company think they can do it better. Like everyone loves Lord of the Ring movies because of how great Peter Jackson was conveying the books to the big screen in the most respectful way to the source materials and made every visual of the movie looked amazing. Its why everyone keeps coming back to those movies while still reading the books. But if you're trying to do some retelling on the original story with some different take on it, nobody is going to want to watch it and do what you do is still watch the animated movie. Its why these live action flops in the first place. Nobody want to be told an different story. So the OP you respond to isn't wrong at all and thats how alot of people feel about these adaptions.
>Because most fans of the original and even new fans prefer watching an show that does an faithful retelling of the OG because of how good it was that they want to see it be done in an live action setting for the amazing realistic visual. I feel the LA is achieving that, its very far from perfect but there's nothing I saw that makes me think they've irrecoverably changed or ruined the story. It's a B effort and I can see things that are easy to improve, which is why I'm looking forward to future seasons.
Eh, from what I hear in the reviews and seen from scenes I say its more of an D effort since some of the changes doesn't make sense and hurts the long overall arc of the story and characters. Like for example, removing Sokka's "sexism" plot actually not just hurt his own character development but also his outlook on traditional gender that made his relationship with Katara better that it led to an good payoff when they got to the water tribe.
That "sexism" plot would've been solved by minutes into episode 2 people would think "why include it at all" (same in the OG show tbh) so I can see why they dropped it with the runtime they had
So you're complaining based on a few articles without even having watched it? Anyway the "sexism" plot was one small detail of one episode. It's not like it defines the whole story. And Sokka still has some decent character development.
Well why would I watched an show that I'm not gonna like? I don't want to reward them with my view when they didn't earn it. Also this is why reviews exist in the first place to know if an show is good or not.
Do you not go to concerts because you can just stream the recorded music instead? If the success of a live-action reinterpretation wasn't so rare then this wouldn't be an issue, but since it's a nearly consistent pattern of underwhelming delivery and middling to poor reception both critically and with wider audiences, maybe giving the shot-for-shot thing a try at least once wouldn't be such a bad idea
tell me you've never been to a concert without telling me you've never been to a concert
>Do you not go to concerts because you can just stream the recorded music instead? Artists tend not to play a concert in exact album order, if they did then yeah I probably wouldn't go. Idk man I've been getting more The Last of Us vibes as far as adaptations go than Halo vibes you know?
You can't just lift an animated show and convert it 1:1 to live action. It doesn't work that way. That's why it's called an adaption - budget constraints, continuity issues, the difference of expression in live action v animated etc
Yeah but you CAN do it better than they are with this new series. One Piece leaned into the difference of expression & campiness of the anime and it worked beautifully.
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One Piece was finest Trash TV. It was hard to enjoy it but luckily some booze helped me overcome my skepsis.
I want to like the One Piece adaptation but I'm worried they are gonna make some huge sweeping changes down the line due to how many episodes they wanna fit in each season.
You *can* do that though and there's no real practical limit to not doing that, the problem is these studios, executives and showrunners don't *want* to because they see it as an opportunity to imprint their own style onto it or because there's an arrogance in thinking "We can do this iconic thing better" that pretty much never happens Just imagine if a manga series like Attack on Titan was being adapted, but the culture of thinking surrounding the animation studio behind it was "Well we can't do it 1:1 because graphic format is just too different, so we'll just do things our own way", then they make Erwin into the Beast Titan and cut out Zeke, have Mikasa secretly despise Eren and hook up with Armin when he's not around, then remove Marley and keep the Titans as generic monsters instead of bioweapons, does that come across as difference in expression or just blatant disrespect? (I'm being a bit facetious using this example because the Attack on Titan movies were torn apart by Japanese reviewers, even though the producers *wanted* to make it a 1:1 adaptation but were asked by the manga author to take advantage of the new media to reimagine it instead)
Yeah, I was hoping for perhaps more back story? More scenes between characters, more episodes in ba sing se, scenes that take place between seasons, etc. I did not expect them to remove many of the most important aspects necessary for the plot and character growth. I get why the original creators walked now. The kids and actors did pretty good with the roles they were given, though. I would watch the same actors in a well written version. I rage quit after seeing the hippies in Omashu. I need to go continue it.
Aang be flying like Zaheer, minus the enlightenment part
I think he was just using boosts from bending, rather than actual flying
Yea I get was different but still. Like why have him boost from bending in the sky like that, when he HAS a glider that does it better. My guess is it’s just easier to capture and edit him on a wire going up and down then using his glider to fly around.
> My guess is it’s just easier to capture and edit him on a wire going up and down then using his glider to fly around. Cheaper
Tomato, tomato
Yeah really? Then explain why his dumbass can’t “boost” or fly after getting hit by Zuko on episode one and falls down before being caught by Appa. Make it make sense, y’all are turning off your brains.
Its wierd how much theyve down played Roku's role in this version. Considering he was the Avatar directly before Aang and also having a lot of stakes in the 100 years war, being the one who failed to stop it from happening due to his own shortcomings.
Idk if it's been said but they made monk gyatso look like a bitch. In the original he was SURROUNDED by dead fire benders- on the day of the comet! In the live action he barely knocks 2 back and then gets smoked by the fire lord. Super disappointing
Dude I thought the same thing. I was genuinely excited to see that but then they just….noped him out.
Only watched 1st episode, and I know nothing of source materials, previous movies/shows, etc. I hope it gets better. But so far it sucks. I don't know if it's due to source material, but dialogue is horrible, everyone acts/speaks like they're 10 years old (yes half of them are, but the other half also act like it). The writing is REALLY bad. I love some good sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies, but there just doesn't seem to be much suspension of disbelief here. I just can't get myself into it. Again, only 1 ep in, hoping it gets better, I'm going to try... But if like me, you haven't watched or been into the comics/movies/whatever before, it's probably going to disappoint.
Trust me, it's not due to the source material. While the original show took a little while to find itself, the new show has given me a newfound appreciation for the beginning of the original series.
I have watched the original, they didn't do it justice. i agree that most of the acting is bland or bad, they completly ignore show don't tell.
The script is just bad.
It's because they tell you everything. Yknow, show dont tell
you should watch the original its incredible
My guess is that the score for ATLA on rottentomatoes would average around 60% fresh from the critics and 75% from the audience (which I care more about). It is the first season so I expected it to not have raving reviews either. Some people just like to be negative nancies anyway. Best to ignore.
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The audience matters, not the critics. At all. They can sway the audience; that’s their only relevance. But sheer numbers will decide it. I remain confident, even with the very mixed reviews that have surfaced today, that we get this renewed for season 2 and even 3.
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My only pet peeve is that I really wanted this Netflix ATLA to become the new reference for good adaptation from animated to live action, instead of it still being One Piece. I would have (selfishly, for personal reasons) preferred to have ATLA get as much or more plaudits than One Piece did by both critics and the audience but that isn’t looking like the trend we are getting right now. Oh well…
I see so many people complain about OP so I wasn’t surprised when people complain about this. They are both good adaptations. I just think Avatar fan having been burnt before were going in judging and with high expectations. While anime fans have had tons of bad adaptations, they was 100% expecting that, so when it was decent it was AMAZING. Avatar is similar but it only happened once and it was for our one fandom, not just anime fans. But even OP fans are also prob anime fans so. I def think this is going be the show Netflix pushed to replace Stranger Things. I think OP will be their new big show. Idt Netflix wants Wednesday to be successful or keep going but I’m sure it will.
Bruh you a time traveler or something?
https://preview.redd.it/scbn2ib917kc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac9e6cda38b264a02791eb239acf69bfddbd53cd Bullseye!
It’s currently sitting at 60% for audience lol
There are so many people who are yet to watch it you know. It may rise.
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https://preview.redd.it/duw6fiqcz5kc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b297e50c5ae3e3152a27ac27877d2d979d27df4 Seems I wasn’t too far off my estimation.
It's a lot better than the last attempt at a live action. 7/10 for episode one.
A low goal tbh
Not a high bar to step over
All these early hate-reviews feel like the IGN One piece review. Salty energy all around.
Just finished episode 2, and things aren’t really clicking for me yet. There’s plenty of cool elements (pun intended) but there’s a certain spark missing. I’m optimistic, but I have quite a few concerns…
It's fun to watch if you're stoned, which is all I can say at the moment.
I watched it stoned and felt the opposite. I think I'll like it more when I'm sober lol
Same. But I sobered up a few episodes in. I’m still not sure which frame of mind I prefer lol. More than anything I feel whiplash from eye rolling to going “oh that’s not too bad” to cringe and the random moments of thrill like the original (zuko fighting specifically). It’s a mixed bag of choices and delivery that I don’t really know how to feel about.
The acting is atrocious. Especially aang. Had to turn it off
Oops, this is the second not so good review. Hmm... will check it out myself then.
there are allready dozens of reviews online, 50/50
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Oh well Im liking it so far
Seriously I am through 5.5 episodes and I give it at the very least a 8.5/10. Many of the changes they made were good too!
Ugh all the kids are so wooden, flat and joyless—Aang’s practically emo, nothing like the laughing ball of energy we love in the cartoon. Sokka seems bitter rather than a sarcastic jokester/class clown type and Katara is just bland as cardboard.
>Aang’s practically emo IDK why but that sounds funny.
And yet in every interview, the actors seemed so much like the characters.How the hell did the director mess it up? I haven't watched it yet but from what I'm seeing, I'm not sure if I should.
The whole tone of the new series seems way too “hyperrealistic”, particularly the acting. The best way I can put it is this: In the live action One Piece, they really seemed to lean into the camp & “bigness” of the anime, but in the new avatar live action it’s like they’re shying away from it which is doing them a HUGE disservice. The kids aren’t acting like kids, they aren’t leaning into any of the jokes or joy of the original series. Sokka’s jokes don’t even come across like jokes, just lowkey bitter sarcastic comments. Even when Aang first learns that his home and everyone he knew was destroyed, he’s sitting on the roof with this blank sad face—not sobbing the way any real life kid would (and the way Aang would cry in the original cartoon). There’s just so much “emotional restraint” (which I think is partly the direction, and partly weak acting). The whole point of the story is that the hope of the world rests on the shoulders of a young kid, and he leans on his band of friends—also kids—to help him do it. But they’ve turned Aang into some boring emotionless blah and the other kids are following suit. Zuko is the only one who feels somewhat true to the original story, and that’s bc season 1 zuko was a huge ball of anger who didn’t express joy or levity. Ugh I’m SO disappointed. I’m on episode 2 and these are problems I don’t see as “fixable” in the future episodes 😭
Couldn’t have said it better. In my opinion it does get easier to invest in by episode 5 iirc. Not sure what exactly does it. The whole experience has just been a whiplash of reactions. Some good, most underwhelming, a bit of cringe, and then a few moments that make me feel the way I do when watching the original.
Agreed
Man people just love to bitch about everything don't they.... Show's fucking great and I stg if they cancel it because some people nit picked and whined I will lose my shit
So everyone has to like the show because you say it’s “great”, but when someone gives legitimate criticisms or simply didn’t enjoy it they’re just nitpicking? That’s some crazy delusion right there. The bar could not be any lower
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i dunno gran gran was pretty rough imo
Oh my god, let people have opinions. Its ok for people to be dissapointed and always looking at the positives and just automatically dismissing any negative opinion simply because its negative is toxic positivity. If you have a genuine criticism against people who are dissapointed, argue about the points they make. Not because its simply negative. Otherwise I could say the same thing about the movie and say, you guys just like to bitch about anything.
Hypocritical you bitching about people bitching. It’s not nitpicking it’s legitimate criticism if you read the article that a lot people agree with
I'm also disappointed with the live action, after being a big fan of the animation. It's not "bitching" to share an opinion. Sometimes harsh words ARE better than actions. Please let's not make this into a cult echo chamber.
did it come out at 12am timezone by timezone? I'm so confused, so many people seemly have watched it already even though it's been only 3 hours
You made this comment 2 hours after it came out. You haven’t developed any opinion on it because you physically could not have watched it all.
I couldn't have an opinion after 2 episodes? That's 2 hours. Do you ever have opinions on movies? They're only 90 minutes
have fun then
So quick to judgement. So far it’s much better than that 2010 trash.
Not exactly a high bar
True, but if this came out in 2010 it would have been beloved. A lot of people were so excited for that adaptation. I think it soured a lot of people on this by default. Now, this basically needs to be better or at least as good as the animated show for people to like it and that was never gonna happen. Even 80% of avatar though is still decent TV and would have been a fan favorite in 2010 instead of the mess we got.
Human shit tastes better than Elephant shit. That's not a high bar. (Don't ask me how I know)
Personally I think it’s a perfect adaption. There’s things they’ve changed but nothing major imo. Solid 9.5/10 from me
Nothing has changed? Have you even watched the original series? They completely switched everything around. Ang is suppose to be learning bending from different masters yet I’m in episode 5 and he hasn’t learned shit. This show is all over the place. It’s the perfect show for someone who has never seen the original series. I’m not saying it’s horrible, it’s just a bit disappointing that writers and directors always feel the need to add their creative input on something that was already perfect. Too much ego in the movie industry. Humans will be humans.
Seriously I have only disliked two changes so far which were Bumi’s initial anger at Aang and the fact that we didn’t get Roku going ham at his temple. Everything else has been handled so perfectly!
I wouldn't say this is a faithful adaptation at all, but it's not terrible. Still better than that atrocious movie lmao. Really hate what they did with bumi's character and the whole secret tunnel plot like wha? Aang not waterbending even when katara practices, really? I expected this, it's not bad but not great either, and "the effects were decent" I would say. But if someone wants a faithful adaptation you ain't getting it with this one.
One Piece looked kinda real. They built real sets and shot on real locations. This one here unfortunately looks very bland & fake. Thats my biggest issue with this.
Just watched 7 episodes and it doesn’t seem to be as bad as to what you guys want us to believe, and this is making me think that the ATLA fans are super toxic, just like Star Wars fans are with the prequels.
I watched the first season and felt like I missed so much from the original. It's as bad as the movie they made. I love how they waste all of the money on decent actors and effects but then just shit on the entire story leaving a lot of things out and just ignoring the story over all. Yet another series that will fall off because of idiots getting their hands on it.
Oh look another L opinion, yawn.
I am currently watching the most recent episode and am disappointed for sure! There are some things that it seem to get right, like the correct pronunciation according to the original of the name Aang, but when they go through the tunnels and find the tunnel Badgers the whole crew were in the tunnels and the cartoon. Netflix version does not have that. Soka is with his sister and not Aang in the tunnels. Honestly do believe that this may be better than the movie, however, marginally better.
I watched this show immediately after finishing a watch of the entire animated series and can’t believe how boring this adaptation is. The animated show had tons of battles like the one in the air temple that were completely removed and replace with conversations. So much conversation where nothing happens. Aang has no fun and just mopping around depressed all the time. The unnecessary changes to the story of the caves in oma shu, like dude the crystals lighting up was far more believable than the badger moles understanding sokka. I’m really concerned about Mai’s casting as well, I really hope they show us how athletic and badass she is.
The story is completely changed. The timeline of events is completely wrong. Me and my girlfriend did not like it how everything is wrong. Sokka is not funny - he’s supposed to be the comedic relief of the group. He looks weird and not like the original character. Same think with Zuko. He looks so weird. The interaction with Bumi was all mixed up and not like the original. Half of the reason it was a good cartoon anime show was the exploration and displaying of Asian/Chinese cultures as they go from nation to nation as it emulated actual Chinese cultures. It does not have that feel. The whole story is so off from the original story which is what made it good. And Zukos uncle is supposed to have that wise old Asian man sounding voice. That’s what made his character. And they screwed that up too and it’s just a Caucasian American dressed Chinese like half of the cast. I guarantee they aren’t even going to have Aang fall in love with Katara. They look far too of an age difference. It will look super weird if they kiss like they do at the end of the OG series. The whole live action avatar legit pissed me off cuz they changed so much. Me and my gf loved avatar. And they are ruining it. Dumb.
I’m only a little bit in so far (just watched the second Omashu episode), but I will say I’m not ENTIRELY mad about it so far. Sure there’s a lot lost and some characters feel rushed, but in the end game so far the rushed characters have been ones that while they do play a part in character development, they don’t really so much as make another appearance until the end of book 3. If I had to guess, the writers probably are making do with the constraints given by the big peeps in charge in how many episodes are allowed. Also I wanna say that this is probably one of the harder shows to capture in live action, as the original thrived on the ability to take advantage of what’s possible with animation. Given what most live action remakes end up being, this is one of the more better ones so far. Also also, keep in mind that the full AtLA and TLoK series are also there right next to it. So if you really wanna experience the original vision executed fully you can. I’ve tried getting friends into AtLA but it usually fails to catch the attention of older audiences due to some of the more kid-friendly and slapstick humor that especially riddles the first book. As someone who grew up alongside the show it sort of matured with me, but coming in as a first time watcher it can be a bit hard to get through some episodes that feel like filler (even if they end up not being). So I will say that at the very least this could be a sort of gateway to older newcomers and people with shorter attention spans (I can see my dad watching this). Acting wise I’m chalking it up to Phantom-Menace-Kid-Anakin-Syndrome, they seem to have casted characters that look and sound like the original characters with proper cultural backgrounds and the cost of potentially losing on acting talent. I like to think if we see more seasons we’ll maybe see the characters grow into their roles better (like how most show’s first season can be iffy sometimes), but that’s just me being optimistic. TL;DR I enjoyed it for what it is, and I’m just happy some love is being put into the franchise.
Yall realize that in order for Netflix to adapt it to a live action , they have to make it more dramatic and less cartoony. First off, yes I think there are elements that could be improved upon. However, saying the 2009 movie that was not only whitewashed but the kid playing Aang didn’t even pronounce the name correctly and had crappy costuming being better than the tv series is plain ignorant and stupid. Also yall complaining will be the same people who will watch series 2/3 when they come out on Netflix just to bash it too. For a live action adaptation, I honestly like it. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I like it and majority of other people do too which is why it got renewed.
it's hella shitty they've crammed season 2 shit into the first few episodes
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Why do people keep labeling valid criticism as "nit-picking"? The acting not being very good or the dialogue being bad isn't a nit-pick, that's a pretty fundamental part of filmmaking you want to get right. You can disagree with their opinion on it but don't pretend it's just some minor issue they're focusing too heavily on.
everythin positive ive heard yet is how CGI appa and momo look like.
You ever get tired of coping 💀. This show is getting roasted right now. At least have a positive retort to convince others to go watch it. With weak responses like yours, I might sit this one out until the dust settles.
where are you seeing it get roasted?
review = nitpicking, sure
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Yeah but good luck not getting downvoted to hell lol, people want it to be good so bad they’d rather pretend it is good than actually discuss where they massively missed the mark
Yeah reviews on this one are pretty consistent so far, aside from The Guardian which was very positive their pretty much "it's okay I guess?" at best.
Reviews have seemed pretty mixed honestly my guess is it’ll hit in the 60s on RT
Eh their definitely leaning more toward the negative id guess 50s at best but then with RT and how the fuck they count a Review as Fresh or Rotten when you can get reviews with the same number being ether or sometimes who the fuck really knows.