#love Daniel Dae Kim as Ozai

[angee1011]

The thing is , ATLA live action is like…an approximation of what the story is actually supposed to be.

There are elements that good, even really good, but it leaves you feeling hollow because it’s missing the heart of what ATLA is about. It’s a delicate balancing act between tragedy and comedy, underscored with hope.

The live action is sort of reminiscent of Ember Island players because it’s trying to be as -real- as it can be but doesn’t delve into deeper meaning.

To me, it felt like they wrote the story with thinking about the end too much. They were too wrapped up in how these characters end up, how the story ends. They overlooked how raw, how unpolished it was at the beginning.

[winnie-the-monster]

Renewed for seasons 2 and 3!!

[reineyday]

finished watching netflix atla! i think the hate is unjustified lol like all that hate seems a little too intense for what i think the show missed. it didn't hit all the same notes as the original show, yeah, so i'm not sure it quite succeeds as an adaptation, but as a standalone show it's pretty good. and i might have some gripes with the characterization, but there was love in the casting and in the costumes and the world, and that goes a long way for me.

[marsconer]

the very long draft of the atla prequel fic i’ll never write

- title idea: oh, brother were art thou ?

- focuses on : iroh and ozai’s dynamic from childhood to the day he marries ursa. includes extras and dives into the fire nation royal family dynamic but it’s mostly about those two.

- inspirations: cain and abel’s story, the ballad of songbirds and snakes.

- characters included: iroh, ozai, azulon, the firelady ilah, ursa, iroh’s wife, ozai’s mistress. ( they will be named )

- characterizations :

iroh — sometimes we forget that iroh was the general. the warrior. the brother most familiar with blood and violent. iroh’s characterization should not shy away from that but also keep a core of goodness and questioning. he’s the one who should have a more reflexive internal monologue. it should be a growing difference between what he believes is right and what he actually does to the point where it breaks. the breaking point will not be part of the fic but it should be seeds planted yk? inspirations : regulus black, jaime lannister / faceclaim ideas : remy hii

ozai — the make or break character and the easiest to screw up ( i think ), too evil and the heart of the story is gone and iroh just looks stupid for loving his evil brother, not evil enough and it’s not ozai. his arc is not a corruption arc but the story of a man realizing he can get away with any atrocious act he decides to commit, his internal monologue lacks the reflexive nature of iroh’s, ozai never pounders on the right and wrong of an act only on how that could benefit him. as the brother who stayed home, ozai’s battle is mostly weeding out plots and schemes, of court drama and seizing power. inspirations: coriolanus snow, tom riddle, fc ideas: sebastian amoruso ( i know he played jet stfu ), dylan wang

firelord azulon — an absent father, i don’t care how his reign was, he is the definition of trying to rule with only force and falling ( being disliked by both high rankings and the people ), hard power ! he’s more of representation of a fire nation that looks down on weakness ( non-benders, women, children ) inspiration: tywin lannister

firelady ilah — a cruel mother who loves power but can possess none because she’s a woman so she tries to teach her sons her form of strength, manipulations, secrets, blackmail, iroh had more aptitude but he was azulon’s general so she had to make do with ozai ( who refuses to learn but will eventually ), she’s the bitterness of a fascist woman in a fascist man’s world. she’s frustrated in all ways possible and that bitterness turns to wickedness. inspirations: alicent hightower if she was like her haters think she is, morgana, walburga black. fc ideas: michelle yeoh

lady ursa — poor lady ursa, i haven’t read to comics and i don’t buy they are cannon so here’s my characterization of the pookiest of pookies. lady ursa was the daughter of important people, think courtiers, who never really wanted a child, ursa was also raised in palace along with many other high borns. she was also younger than ozai and a talented herbalist. she wanted to marry him and do her duty, he was good looking and a prince and she was barely sixteen. and she wanted out of her parent’s grasp. probably one of the most unlucky people in the story. at first ignored and humiliated before their marriage and after abused and controlled. inspirations: katherine howard / fc claim ideas : ashley liao, lola tung

aliya ( ozai’s mistress ) — this is a very self indulgent character bc i like parallels and the hope that some air nomads survived in secret and had children. aliya is this concept with the addition that she’s a performer on ember island who would really like a bridge to her ancestor’s culture and past but also probably is acutely aware of how she’s not the airbender she should be. she’s a dancer, she’s an acrobat, she’s artist, she’s vain and attached to material desires and smarter than she looks but also still just a girl trying to keep herself alive and her secrets secret. ( yes, ozai lowkey kinda kills her or at least thinks he and erased her and her family from history. snowbaird coded but also worse ) inspirations: lucy gray baird, satine / fc claim ideas : simone ashley

saori ( iroh’s wife ) — very minor character but all that can be said is that she’s no easy woman. she’s demanding of him after they are arranged together because she believes and sees that he can be better. she also grew up in the palace as a courtier and is known for being incredibly opinionated and sharp on her wit. inspirations: beatrice ( much ado about nothing ) / fc claim : jamie chung

[old-people-like-avatar]

Netflix Avatar the Last Airbender S1 - Overall Thoughts [SPOILERS]

I am a longtime fan of Avatar the Last Airbender. I did not watch it in its original 2005 run, but I discovered it in around 2010 after my good friend R.S. recommended it to me. It's been my #1 favorite TV show ever since and I have rewatched it more times than I can count. I was cautiously optimistic about NATLA.

Now, having watched the whole first season of NATLA, and looking at the season as a whole, I think the best word to describe it is uneven. I can't say that I loved it, and I can't say that I hated it. But there were things I really liked about it and things that really did not work for me. Overall, I enjoyed watching it -- if only to dissect what did and did not work about the adaptation -- and would want to watch more.

WHAT WORKED

Everything to do with Zuko and Iroh. I found myself going back through just to rewatch all of the Zuko and Iroh-related scenes. I thought Dallas Liu really nailed Zuko -- from tantrums about his journal being stolen to incredible action sequences to the boyish vulnerability of worrying about the laces on his gauntlets. He took an iconic character and made him his own. NATLA added some incredible scenes and lines to my favorite duo: Lu Ten's funeral (coupled with orchestral version of "Leaves from the Vine"); Zuko's first war council; Iroh choosing to go with Zuko on the boat; the 41st Division; Iroh putting a blanket on Zuko. And I liked that NATLA emphasized that Iroh needed Zuko in the wake of Lu Ten's death as much as Zuko needed Iroh after his mother left.

Daniel Dae Kim's interpretation of Ozai. Ozai in ATLA is kind of one-dimensional. Daniel Dae Kim's Ozai adds a deeper layer to him in that he genuinely seems to think he's doing legitimate parenting -- even going so far as to visit Zuko after burning his face and remarking, glibly, that he'll recover ("but he'll never heal," says Iroh). It adds an even more monstrous angle to his cruelty because Kim's Ozai seems to think he's doing it for his children's own good. This post perfectly encapsulates my feelings about why I thought the agni kai between Ozai and Zuko was an excellent addition to NATLA.

Zuko/Aang. These two bonding over goat hair brushes was the scene I never knew I needed. The way Aang managed to wrest a little smile out of Zuko in that scene before Zuko blew up at him for criticizing the Fire Lord? And the way that tied into the "Compassion is a sign of weakness" scene from the agni kai? Great character work.

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Dialogue. I already observed at length my dissatisfaction with the clunky, exposition-dumping dialogue in my episode-by-episode writeups. It certainly wasn't as bad as the Movie-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but . . . there was no art or subtlety to it, and no trust in the audience. A disappointment.

The GAang did not feel like family. The lack of breathing room in the 8-episode season meant that all of the "filler" episodes that fleshed out the relationships between Aang, Katara, and Sokka were sacrificed. I am not saying NATLA needed to recapture each of the filler episodes. But they needed to build the foundational bonds between the main trio with showing not telling and they really didn't. They separated them for big chunks of 2 episodes. And, really, they just felt like traveling companions. That took all of the emotional heft out of, well, everything related to Aang, Katara, and Sokka. I mean, frankly, the kid actors did a better job establishing the "family" dynamic just by being themselves in their press interviews than the show did with the characters.

Aang did not run away from responsibility. I am not one of those people that's just mad that the show wasn't exactly like the cartoon. No. What I mean is, even putting aside the cartoon, even if you just look at NATLA itself: their own themes were undercut by never showing Aang actually running away from responsibility. Each avatar seemed to be berating Aang for doing something he was never actually shown to be doing.

Katara. I really don't think this one is on the actress. Katara felt like a fundamentally different character from ATLA's Katara. It's not to say an adaption is not allowed to have their own interpretation of a character, but... I just did not understand NATLA Katara. There was no passion, no rage, no overbearing nurturing. She was... I don't know what she was. Traumatized, yes, but nothing grew out of that trauma? Meek, until the plot demanded that she suddenly become a waterbending master without any guidance other than a waterbending scroll? The "younger sister"? More than any of the main characters, I'm not sure what NATLA was trying to say about Katara at all. And, as a result, I'm afraid the word to describe it might be uninteresting. And given that she is the heart and soul of Team Avatar, this one was really tough.

Despite the fact that a lot of NATLA did not work for me, I still enjoyed it because the things that did work for me, well, really worked. So. I'm here for all of the Zuko/Iroh scenes!

[crystal-lillies]

I'm genuinely so glad that NATLA got announced a second and third season. The first season has its flaws, but I truly think the cast is a great fit and they love the characters and the story and the world and I so badly want to see them grow into these characters.

And we have to remember that they wrote and filmed the first season a while ago (and it had a ton of development hell time too). The creators have the opportunity now to learn from the mistakes and build on the high points. Hopefully, but not holding my breath on it, Netflix will increase the episode count AT LEAST to 10 for seasons 2 and 3. That short run really killed a Lot of potential to iron out issues and improve the pacing, as it does for A TON of other streaming shows.

Daniel Dae Kim is showing he really is a good Ozai by making all the kids almost cry before revealing the news lol.

Now, we wait for Toph...

[natlacentral]

Forget The Haters, Avatar Live-Action Star Elizabeth Yu Is Our Princess Azula

When Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbenderannounced that newcomer Elizabeth Yu was cast as Princess Azula, some fans of the original Nickelodeon cartoon immediately took to social media to complain. Some thought she looked too innocent to play the Fire Nation princess, an antagonist in the Nickelodeon series that takes place in an imagined world with people who can master and manipulate the different elemental energies of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Others lamented that her face wasn’t angular like Azula’s is in the cartoon, or that she looked too young for the part. (An especially odd critique considering, though never specified, Azula’s age is believed to be 14. Yu herself is now 21; she was 19 during filming.) But when it comes to the fan reaction, the young actor is completely unphased. “I’m a hit with the kids,” she jokes to Refinery29, adding that she doesn’t take it personally. “I think anybody playing this part would’ve gotten some kind of backlash.”

Yu is confident that when the show premieres February 22, fans will see the live-action show is doing more than recreating the cartoon. In the original, Princess Azula, the ambitious daughter of the Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), doesn’t appear until Season 2 when she emerges as a new threat to the Avatar, the boy with the power to control all four elements and unite the nations against Ozai’s dictatorial rule. In this iteration, Azula is a recurring character, allowing fans to see her in a brand new light. “It’s an origin story for her,” Yu says. “It’s this foundation being laid out for a lot of things to make sense when we eventually pick up where we first met her in the original series.” So if you were worried Yu’s Azula had lost her villainous edge, don’t be. Yu describes her as “a girl boss,” but “evil.” Still, she says, “Azula is my baby girl, she’s my boo thing. I love her.”

Not only is she unbothered by the early reactions, she’s not at all nervous when thinking about how the show might be received by hardcore fans. Instead, the actor is more concerned with what her two younger sisters will think. The actor has seen Asian American representation grow from Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody — “All I had growing up was London Tipton,” she says, giving a shoutout to star Brenda Song — to recent Oscar-nominated films, like her 2023 favorite Past Lives starring Greta Lee. As half-Korean, Yu is proud to be a part of this current shift. “The idea that my little sisters are going to be able to watch TV and movies, and the likelihood of them getting to see someone that looks like them is so much higher, is such a win. It’s so healing to know that we’re creating an industry where little girls — little anyones — can feel like that.” 

The fact that Avatar: The Last Airbender stars Asian actors is arguably the new show’s biggest break from the original series. When the cartoon first premiered in 2005, it only featured a few Asian and Asian American voice actors, despite the fact that it took place in a world inhabited by mostly Asian and Indigenous peoples. When the beloved series was adapted into a widely panned live-action film, The Last Airbender (2010), the cast also remained mostly whitewashed, save for members of the Fire Nation, who were depicted as South Asian. Now, two decades after the original’s debut, Asians are finally getting a seat at the table. “It’s monumental,” Yu says.. “It’s so important to be able to see yourself in stories. That’s what storytelling is about.” 

Yu’s confidence is impressive, especially considering Avatar: The Last Airbender is only her third credit on IMDB. She gives off the air of an old pro. And in some ways, she is. Born and raised in New Jersey, she’s been auditioning for acting roles since she was 16. She’s also been dating Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo since they were 15. They currently live together in New York City with their three cats, and she’s had a front row seat to his rise to global celebrity. Though she insists she has always tried to keep their careers separate from their relationship, she admits, “Getting to see someone with such a huge heart navigate this industry is the best advice that I could be given.” She adds, “We’re both still trying to figure it out, and it’s really cool to be able to do it together.” 

She continued to audition throughout her last years of high school, though “it was a struggle,” she says. During her senior year, she debated whether or not to go to college or commit to acting full time. In the end, she stuck with her passion. Then, in December 2021, just months after her high school graduation, she booked Avatar. “‘Oh, thank God,’” she recalls thinking. “I’m doing what I should be doing.” She has since gone on to appear in the Oscar-nominated May December, opposite Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton.

It wasn’t until her fourth and final audition came around that Yu finally learned what role she was fighting for. “It was insane. I cried on the phone with my mom.” Months later, she was standing on the Fire Nation set next to the legendary Daniel Dae Kim in full armor and regalia, acting between bursts of flames. (“Before they’d call action, they’d be like, ‘Pyro!’ and the flames would ignite from these sconces on the walls. It was insane.”) And though she admits acting opposite Kim was intimidating at first, it was also pretty damn cool. “Who wouldn’t feel like the baddest bitch in the room sitting next to Daniel Dae Kim as Ozai?” 

It sounds lucky, but her road to Azula had more than a few bumps. First, there was the fact that she didn’t know what project she was actually auditioning for. “They sent this completely fake, made-up storyline for this fake TV show. I was auditioning for a character named April,” she explains. After getting a callback, she hit the internet to do some sleuthing. “I became an FBI agent trying to figure out what I was actually auditioning for, because I was like, ‘Something about this does not feel real,’” she says. When she realized that it might be an adaptation of Avatar, a show she watched growing up, she couldn’t believe it. (“I was like, ‘No way. That is definitely not what I’m auditioning for.’”) Then there was the “minor car accident” that she got into right before her first callback. (She made it safe and sound and “did the damn thing!”). 

As for what big names she hopes to work with next, Yu is open for whatever comes her way. For now, she’s got her eyes set on a not-yet-confirmed Season 2 of Avatar, which she hopes will include Azula’s time on Ember Island with her brother Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) as well as some of her character’s famous lines. “I’m really excited to go into a second season and finally do these iconic line reads that Azula has,” she teases, adding, “I quote them all the time to myself. There’s this one scene in the original where she says, ‘Do the tides command this ship?’ And she’s basically threatening this soldier that she’ll throw him overboard if he doesn’t do what she says. It’s just so badass.”

Live action or not, Princess Azula will always be badass.

[atla-genderbender]

ATLA Gender Bender: "Urson" and Ozai

As I started drawing this, I realized that I have no idea what the robes of a Fire Lord's husband look like. So I drew him wearing the cloak that Ursa wears when she is banished. 

I intended for his hairstyle to look plain. Without his guan, it looks like a hairstyle that a commoner would wear. This is meant to symbolize how every aspect of his life is controlled within the palace walls, under the thumb of his domineering wife. I think that, if the genders were reversed, Ozai would still be very controlling and oppressive toward her husband to make sure that he does not outshine her in any way.

These are just my headcanons, but I think female Ozai would not enjoy being a mother, and would be devoid of maternal love towards her children. When her firstborn child "Zuka" is born, she is totally negligent. "Ilah" takes on a maternal role instead, and "Urson" is the source of warm parental love. But when her second child "Azulon" is born, she dotes on him more. This is not out of a genuine love for her child, but to inspire jealousy in her firstborn child, who she holds contempt for. Moreover, I think she might favor "Azulon" from a young age as a means of separating a son from his father. She would be a terrible wife and mother who controls every aspect of her family's lives.

I have been imagining Daniel Dae Kim as the voice of "Urson".

Like what I'm doing? Consider leaving me a donation via Ko-Fi.

[m00nchildwrites]

I agree I can see where love was put into the Netflix atla adaptation (the actors alone all so great), but I’m sorry, the writing was NOT one of them.

The writing was not perfect. But considering the episode constraints and the fact that future seasons were uncertain, they did well. Future seasons allows for them to show us more, and of course, there are some things I am hoping to see in each of the characters coming up. But the absolute bashing of the Netflix live action across this platform just does not fit the reality of what the natla adaptation was. People treating it on equal footing in the "disaster" category as the M. Night Shyamalan hot mess is laughable and ridiculous.

The fact is that this adaptation did the show justice. The CGI was beautiful. The scenery was breathtaking. The costumes gorgeous. The fleshed out backstory of the air nomads the day of the comet? Lovely and appreciated. The removal of filler plots and condensing of others? To be expected with any screen adaptation. See LOTR. The actors? So well casted. The writing? Perfect? No, but again, the love and respect for the original is clear and the changes do not make or break the thing.

People act like everyone is so different from the show when they really are not that dang different. Katara still gets to show her anger- not as much- but again time constraints. Sokka still feels like Sokka, even if his misogyny was tuned way way down; it is still there, but in a realistic and subtle way. Aang is shown as the innocent kid he is and his struggle to accept his role is replaced more heavily with guilt for not being there, which is completely still our Aang, and that "kidness" the writing chose to focus on just exacerbates the tragedy that is the fact that he has to face the Fire Lord and end a war to save lives. Uncle Iroh was well done; he felt believable. I like the fact that they didn't make him flirt with June; it was creepy in the OG. Ozai is still evil and twisted, and the fact that he shows emotion during the Agni Kai with Zuko just makes him seem MORE twisted; my father was a sick, twisted psycho that enjoyed psychologically screwing with me. The thing is that he thought he was doing the father thing well, even with the mental, emotional, and physical abuse. Let me tell you, Daniel Dae Kim is killing it as Ozai. He was so believable it was borderline triggering. And Zuko is still the broody, angry, lost son wanting to just go home that he should be season 1.

Everyone has their own taste. Some will not like it and that's fine, but it is often so extreme on here that it seems perfomative in my opinion. But again, to each their own if that's how you really feel.

[thebluemallet]

My Immediate Thoughts on the Latest Avatar: The Last Airbender Trailer

THE SHIP DESIGN FOR THE FIRE NAVY SHIPS! THAT MAST!

This must be the North Pole and leading up to the Siege of the North.

Appa soaring through the skies.

Yeah, they're really going to go and show us the attacks on the Air Temples. On the one hand, I'm excited about the new material. On the other hand, I feel like I shouldn't be excited about witnessing a genocide even if it's fiction.

IS THAT FIRE LORD SOZIN? OR IS THAT JUST A RANDOM FIRE NATION GENERAL?? I THINK IT'S SOZIN??

Aang breaking out from the iceberg seems a lot more violent than the cartoon but it also looks awesome! And if I were Sokka and Katara, I'd be scared shitless seeing that.

I think that's Monk Gyatso voice in the beginning? And he specifically says that the Fire Nation is embarking on a dark path instead of the super vague "storm clouds are gathering" like in the original cartoon. So Aang goes into that iceberg with more knowledge in this adaptation than in the cartoon.

Daniel Dae Kim looks great as Fire Lord Ozai!

Azula with a bow and arrow? Guess she's expanding her skill set.

Blink and you'll miss it, but that is JET that Katara, Sokka, and Aang are talking to before there's a big ass explosion behind them.

WE'VE GOT THE MOTHER EFFIN OSTRICH HORSES, BABY!

IT'S ZUKO COMING TO RESCUE UNCLE IROH WHEN HE GETS CAPTURED BY EARTH KINGDOM SOLDIERS!

Aang, Katara, and Sokka checking out the ruins of one of the Air Temples. Southern Air Temple, maybe, probably?

Water Tribe! Don't know if it's Northern or Southern but it could be the aftermath of Zuko coming to the Southern tribe to find Aang.

Katara coming in with her belief that Aang can save the world.

I'm in love with every shot of Appa flying!

THE AIR SCOOTER!

AND HE CRASHES INTO A STATUE LIKE HE DOES IN THE ORIGINAL OPENING CREDITS!!!!

There you go! You whiny little complainers finally got your sarcastic Sokka. And he definitely has more emotional range than the Sokka in the other project that shall not be named so I approve!

THAT'S ZUKO'S TINY LITTLE WARSHIP CRUISING AROUND THE SOUTH POLE LOOKING FOR THE AVATAR!!!

UNCLE!

That's not Zuko pinning up that picture of Aang. Maybe it's Zhao?

I fucking love the masks on the Fire Nation soldiers!!!!!!!

Zuko, you moody, angsty, traumatized teenager! I love you!

(This better get renewed so we can get awkward Zuko. I want to hear him say, "That's rough, buddy." I want to know how many takes they ruined when they eventualy film that scene.)

ZUKO AND IROH TEAM UP AGAINST THOSE EARTH KINGDOM SOLDIERS!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you know guys, maybe we should hear out what the fire nation has to say?

Nope, sorry, I was distracted by the abs. They should have had him silhouetted because I'm pretty sure this is the AGNI KAI WHERE HE BURNS HIS KID'S FACE!

Avatar "I don't want the responsibility!" Aang.

It's giving "Because I never wanted to be" and "I'm just one kid" energy.

THE FACT THAT I WILL NEVER GET TO CUDDLE APPA IN REAL LIFE IS A CRIME!

Sokka coming in and reminding Aang that he's not alone in this.

Reminds me of early on in the show when he says "Katara and I aren't going to let anything happen to you."

Momo's excellent comedic timing, there.

IT'S JUN! AND NYLA! IT LOOKS SO FREAKING GOOD!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT! IF THAT'S HEI BAI, THEN I'M GOING TO SHIT MYSELF WHEN THEY SHOW KOH!

Oh, Zuko isn't showing up to Kyoshi this time, it's ZHAO!

SOKKA AND SUKI LOOKING AMAZING FIGHTING TOGETHER!

THAT'S TEO AND AANG FLYING AROUND! THAT'S TEO AND AAANG!

I guess one of the big changes from the cartoon is that we'll see Teo and his dad in Omashu instead of the Northern Air Temple because that's DEFINITELY Omashu they're flying around.

AANG! YOU'RE SO PINT-SIZED COMPARED TO SOKKA AND KATARA! AND THE RUNNING HUG! I CAN'T HANDLE THE RUNNING HUGS! THEY'RE MY KRYPTONITE!

BLUE SPIRT! WE'RE GETTING THE BLUE SPIRIT AND AANG FIGHTING TOGETHER!

Aang ready to kick some Fire Nation butt.

I wonder if that's part of the Siege of the North? It looks like Sokka flies him in on Appa and Aang drops in.

I think the next shot is the South Pole when Zuko attacks trying to find Aang?

Aang pulling out the Matrix moves when Sokka lets his boomerang fly!

KING BUMI! They were really accurate with the costumes here.

KATARA FIGHTING OFF ZUKO AT THE NORTH POLE!!!!

Jet looking like a badass and fighting off some fire benders.

I know I've guessed this several times, but THAT WAS DEFINITELY AANG AND ZUKO AT THE SOUTH POLE!

I like we see the glow slowly going over the tattoos as Aang goes into the Avatar state instead of it just going straight to glowing.

AND THE CHANTING! I LOVE THIS MUSIC SO MUCH!!!

I think Aang's last transition to the Avatar State is definitely him at the Southern Air Temple when he finally has to face what happened to the Air Nomads, but I could be wrong.

Anyway. February 22 isn't that far away and there are not enough words to describe how excited I am for this.

[azure-firecracker]

ATLA Live Action Stream of Consciousness (Episode 3, Part 1).

This rebel leader sounds like somebody but I don’t know who.

This very small plot twist has been ruined for me because I know what Lizzy Yu looks like.

Daniel Dae Kim as Ozai is awesome! He has a menacing presence that’s much more refined than just “RAAAAAH POWER!” One of the few things I think may have improved from the cartoon. And also what does he know about loss? Could be interesting.

AZULA I WAS ON THE FREAKING FLOOR SCREAMING I absolutely loved this intro. They’ve given her more emotional depth in this short clip than she got in like…all of book 2. And DAMN Lizzy Yu can act! She went through so many emotions so fast and barely said anything. The trolls who are criticizing her for not looking like a cartoon are not welcome on this blog. I hope the actual emotional depth keeps up.

Aang needs to stop teaching Katara waterbending let the girl be good at something.

“I never listened” FINALLY THIS KID GETS TO BE FUNNY

Gordon Cormier is adorable.

Dallas Liu continues to embody Zuko.

Zhao you devious asshole I’m glad he continues to suck. He does not need redeemable qualities.

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s lovingly disapproving looks are everything to me.

Omashu looks great!

Istg Katara may crush on this guy but OG Katara would never be this bashful. But who was he? He was hot!

CABBAGE MERCHANT

Wow Teo looks YOUNG!

Teo being desensitized to violence hits hard. I hope that kids being desensitized to violence becomes a theme (it happened in Azula’s scene too).

Gordon continues to do as well as he can with clunky dialogue.

Extended stay in Omashu could be an interesting change.

Sassy Azula we love!

I have already seen this clip so no surprises but I’ll share my thoughts anyway.

I knew this from interviews but Momona Tamada IS Ty Lee. She’s absolutely perfect.

I continue to love Lizzy Yu. She’s striking a balance of snarky but also clever and also you know she could kill you. I like that we get to see her be a little less guarded around her friends, and her feelings around Zuko/the throne make sense. Not sure if they’re going to make her all power motivated (wouldn’t love that) but regardless feeling like your work means nothing to those whose opinions you value is something I can definitely relate to, and it works for her character. Also her line about knowing which pieces to play? Chills!

More coming soon!

[aanglican]

ok here’s my initial review of natla, no spoilers

began roughly with the pilot episode (“aang”) thanks to the excessive exposition and choppy pacing - i’m guessing this was done for new viewers unfamiliar with the story already - though it quickly finds its feet with the next episode (“warriors”)

there were a lot of changes - some baffling, some pleasant. the more baffling parts pertain to certain spirits whereas the more pleasant ones pertain to characters. there is a lot of cutting and pasting of characters and plotlines from different episodes into one in episodes 3 (“omashu”) and 4 (“into the dark”) but i think they were done quite seamlessly for the most part. there are also reveals/expansions that i absolutely loved.

the series suffers from what i’ll call the netflix syndrome: not having enough episodes. please, i beg we return to the older model of american television a bit. the need becomes most obvious towards the last two episodes (“the north” & “legends”) and i would have enjoyed to see some more time pass on screen, with a bit of breathing room in between events. let things simmer!

i wish the storytelling and dialogue were more often subtle than not. i enjoy the bubbling-beneath-the-surface energy that daniel dae kim and the writers gave to ozai and his relationship with his children and i wish they would have done the same for most of the series, especially with katara. the constant flashbacks to her past experiences started to feel overexposed really fast and seeing those events play out for the first time in real time instead would have packed a bigger, heavier punch.

this is a very hit-or-miss show; this applies to most aspects of it from acting to CGI to choreography to dialogue. kiawentiio is the weakest out of the big four and may come off as slightly stiff compared to dallas and ian. gordon is great though he does have some expected childishness in his acting here and there but it’s all very tolerable. some green screens were very obvious especially in episode five (“spirited away”) and some bending effects are better than others, i.e., air and fire > water and earth. some of the choreo for the latter two could be better and the consequences more explosive. the dialogue balances humor and seriousness fairly well but the preachy quality of a few lines are meh.

the aesthetic of the series does itself well though it is very recognizably a netflix show and my own personal tastes would have liked it filmed a different way. i’ve said this before: avatar would have looked wonderful and most at home if it looked like a wuxia film à la house of flying daggers (2004), hero (2004), or crouching tiger hidden dragon (2000). i’m not the biggest fan of the lighting, camera angles, and color grading but they’re not terrible.

stand out performances for me (outside of aang) are zuko, sokka, suki, azula, ozai, kyoshi, and zhao in the finale.

all in all, i’m giving it a 6.8 or 7 out of 10. i really think the low episode count hindered it though there are a lot of things i enjoyed & plenty of potential for a next season. i am not so sure if we are getting a next season or two but if we will, i want more than 10 episodes at the very least. i was prepared for a number of changes but i didn’t expect that much, so maybe once the jarring feeling goes away then i’d be able to appreciate the series more.

[quietmonologues]

I haven't finished the show yet (just need to watch the last episode) but so far, I'll give the live action adaptation of ATLA a 7/10.

Long post.

To start with what I like about it...

I think the VFX is spectacular. Omashu, the Water Tribes, the Fire Nation palace, all the bending effects and fights are stunning.

Seeing all the characters come to life. The Gaang, but also the past avatars, the mechanist and Teo, the freedom fighters, Bumi, Zuko and the family, even Mai and Ty Lee. Aesthetically, everyone fit really well.

I enjoy (most) of the acting, but especially Zuko. I feel like Dallas captures the character incredibly well and his scenes with Paul as Iroh have been very fun to watch. I enjoy seeing more of Azula and getting into her psyche early on, and seeing more of Ozai has been enjoyable as well. Daniel Dae Kim is great. Ian and Gordan also do a great job of playing Sokka and Aang, respectively.

Merging the Jet stuff with the Mechanist stuff is an interesting way to cram as much of the story as possible without being too convoluted. The re-interpretation of The Cave of Two Lovers episode was a change I was iffy about but I grew to appreciate it. Instead of focusing on a romantic love, I liked that it was about familial love (between Sokka and Katara). I wouldn't be surprised if people didn't like that change, and I understand, but I didn't mind it. It didn't feel like the live action was hinting at Aang's crush on Katara anyways (correct me if I'm wrong).

Love the emotional aspects. Iroh and Zuko, Aang and Gyatso...it can definitely get the waterworks going.

In terms of what I don't like....

Something feels missing in this adaptation, and I think it's the tone. There's still funny moments but it's definitely a bit more somber than the cartoon. On the one hand, the original show does deal with heavy themes and it makes sense for the live action to emphasize that seriousness. Like, it made sense for a cartoon geared towards children to have a "lightness" to it, to have moments of goofiness and sillyness. But on the other hand, that lightness being interspersed between all the serious moments made the story of ATLA what it was, and I do feel that that is missing in the live action. I guess that's the downside to limiting a 20+ episode season into just....8 episodes. But the live action did the best it could.

I feel the same about the characters. The Gaang seem a bit more serious. But it's not completely bad, Aang still feels like Aang and Sokka still feels like Sokka. Katara is the one who sticks out to me like a sore thumb because she just...doesn't feel like Katara. No idea if it's Kiawentiio's acting or how she's written, but whenever I watch her, she just feels really flat and demure. Katara is a kind and compassionate character, but I do remember her being a bit more fierce. We do get that fierceness near the end but...I don't know, it comes off as stiff. And that's why I think Dallas as Zuko is my favourite, because Zuko was always a serious and somber character in the cartoon, so his performance in the more serious live action adaptation fits really well (it still would've fit perfectly if the adaptation was more goofy of course).

The pacing at times is bumpy. I felt this especially in episode 4. There was just...way too many things going on and they decided to throw in a couple flashbacks too. Like I said before, I liked that we got more Azula, but I felt like some of her scenes didn't flow well with the rest of the episode (episode 6 i think). We were following a straightforward plot, and then we just have a scene or two of Azula doing her trials and shooting lightning. It just made the overall episode feel choppy and disconnected.

I don't remember how the whole Suki/Sokka/Yue thing went in the cartoon, but yes I do think it's very weird that Sokka and Suki kissed in episode 2, and then he's kissing Yue in episode 7. Maybe in the cartoon it wouldn't be "that deep" but in a live action, it's kinda strange to me lol. I don't know, that's a bit of a minor nitpick I guess.

To me, Book 1 of the original show is the weakest season and my least favourite (it's still good). But if Netflix renews this, then I'm hoping Book 2 (and Book 3) will be much better!

Okay that's it, off to watch the last episode.

(also I do think you're lying if you say the movie was better)

[talkingperfectly-loud]

Okay! So, I’ve finally watched the Netflix Live Action ATLA and gathered my thoughts! Spoilers under the cut…

Overall score: 7/10

Overall thoughts: I was actually pleased! I wasn’t going in expecting it to be like the original series, and I was really excited to see how they would tell the story, what they would keep, and what they would change. I think that they did a great creative job melding a bunch of story lines together in a way that made sense, but, on a negative note, they did miss some key character beats that ranged from baffling to unforgivable. I loved this cast, and I think they all embodied their characters so well (Dallas Lui as Zuko?!? Hello?! *Chef’s kiss*). Deliveries were a bit stilted (to be expected with young actors just starting out), but I actually found it endearing, and they’ll only get better with practice. The bending wasn’t nearly as punchy or fun to watch in live action (especially the water bending. Oof), but it was leaps and bounds better than the Movie That Must Not Be Named. Below are the major takeaways:

Things I disliked

- Making the discovery and freeing of Aang completely passive. In the animated show, this was brought about BY Katara and Sokka. Their characters and their bickering, which caused Kataras rage, which caused her to waterbend, which caused her to free Aang. In the live action, it just… happens? Randomly? Nothing caused it, and it was a much weaker moment because of it.

- They took away Zuko’s crucial moments of mercy. Yes, they have him save the 41st, and yes, they have him hesitate during his Agni Kai with Ozai… BUT he was about to burn Katara on Kyoshi island? When she was down and unarmed?? At the North Pole, he was about to burn Zhao, who was also down and unarmed?? Absolutely not. No. No way. He wouldn’t even burn Zhao in the original show, because he knows what it’s like to be burned and despite his rage, he is a good person. There is absolutely no way he would be willing to harm someone who is unarmed.

- Sokka not explicitly asking Suki to train him. We NEEDED to see that humility where he asks for their help, not just him staring wistfully through the door and her taking pity. Humble him!!!!

- Sokka not being involved in the Jet storyline. I know that Katara is more obviously the choice to get involved here (love interest, etc), but Sokka and Jet are foils! They are both young men tasked with protecting people they love. Not having Sokka’s moment where his skepticism and independence saves the day is such a loss for his character. This could have even been kept in the Omashu storyline, with Sokka evacuating a building before a bomb goes off, etc.

- Why the literal heck did Bumi himself come to the front of the palace to receive the inventions from Sai?? What the hell even was that scene??

- Cutting the Haru storyline. This episode is crucial for Katara, who has WAY too little to do in this show, tbh. Her rallying the earth kingdom prisoners, and encouraging them to fight back is so so so important. I think they tried to move this to the Northern Water tribe storyline (when she rallies the women) but we don’t SEE it!! It happens offscreen!!!!

- Minor, but the blue spirit mask looked kinda dumb. I wish they had taken inspiration from real kabuki masks and made it more scary.

- I personally feel that Ozai is TOO personable in this adaptation. I’m guessing Daniel Dae Kim probably had a lot of say over the portrayal of this character, but I don’t think they made him dark enough. Ozai is cruel and that is CRUCIAL. He is abusive and manipulative, and hateful. Framing Zuko’s banishment and mutilation as if these were deliberate “learning moments,” rather than cruel, unjustifiable abuse is character assassination.

- Azula isn’t Azula. No shade to the actress, but the script has her written as a hot-headed, temperamental teenager desperate to prove herself. That’s ZUKO! Azula should be able to make grown men per their pants. Do her bidding. She can command armies. She never lets you see her weaknesses or her walls. She is cold, calculating, and terrifying. She is 13 steps ahead of you. Live action Azula loses her temper during a fight, talks back to Ozai (?!?!), and whines to Mai and Ty Lee about her frustrations. That’s not Azula.

- The “ice moon” thing at the North Pole? Why? Why aren’t there any spirits in this world? There’s no need to change that.

- Zhao’s death!?! What the hell was that!?!? No no no no no. Absolutely awful in every possible way. Where was his karmic justice?!? Why introduce the Fog of Lost Souls if you weren’t going to show Zhao getting pulled down into it?!? Where was Zuko, offering him mercy, despite everything? Where was Zhao’s pride, refusing his hand?? Furthermore, you make Iroh of all people a murderer?!? Fine, you could have him intervene and push Zhao into the water like he pushed him down after the Agni Kai in the original series. But to kill him?? Unprompted?! In cold blood?! Zhao wasn’t even his opponent!! Horrifying and disturbing. Unforgivable.

Things I loved

- The order of events. I actually love starting 100 years in the past and not making it clear what is about to happen. I also love that it isn’t clear just how long Aang has been asleep for! I love love love that dramatic irony if you know, and the reveal if you don’t.

- Aang stealing Zuko’s notebook. Finally, it’s explained how the gaang knew Zuko’s name lol

- Aang & Iroh meeting and chatting on the ship when he’s captured! It’s such a small scene, but felt so reminiscent of their conversation from Book 2 that it made me happy.

- Suki being so awkward!! Yes girl!! You have clearly never flirted before and it is obvious! I also loved having her mother be the matriarch of the village. Makes total sense tbh.

- Fleshing out Omashu! I love that they combined Jet & the Mechanist here. It makes Omashu feel more real, and it’s a natural place to put these storylines. I think this was really well done. Also bringing Iroh & Zuko into the story here was seamless, and worked to further both their characters (Zuko choosing Iroh over Aang, Iroh sacrificing himself to save Zuko)

- Having Bumi be an angry old man. This is controversial, but if we put aside Legend of Korra for a second where canon says Aang and him stay bffs, this actually makes a lot of sense. It’s not fair that Aang got to be asleep for 100 years. Bumi, as he said, had to struggle and suffer during that entire time. I’m glad that not everyone is like “it’s okay, it’s not your fault” because it kind of is!! I’m glad they had someone to actually hold him accountable a bit!

- Aang and Zuko connecting during the Blue Spirit episode. Aang making Zuko smile! Them joking! Them feeling pity for each other! The star-crossed friendship of it all! Gorgeous, gorgeous scene.

- Expanding on the theme of friendship vs. isolation. It’s such a key theme in the animated series that flies under the radar, and I really like how they took it and seemed to run with it.

- Azula collaborating with Zhao. It makes so much sense, since Zhao is just some rando tbh?It sets up both the Dai Li storyline and sibling rivalry nicely in season 2.

- Having Zuko’s crew be the division he saved?!?! A stroke of absolute genius.

- No Kataang!! I’m so sorry, but I honestly always felt that any romance in the original series was gratuitous, odd, and oh so Western. This is a story about children at war. I’m glad the romance is taking a back seat.

- Having Pakku see Katara for HER, rather than for her grandmother!! I always hated that in the original show! She fights her damn heart out and he still won’t train her UNTIL he sees her grandmother’s necklace. It always felt like the age-old blight of men not being able to care about a woman unless they have, or can image having, a personal connection to them (What if that was your mother, daughter, etc). I LOVE this change.

- Katara rallying the other women!! Pulling up everyone!! This is such an obvious change I can’t believe they didn’t have this in the original show. As I said, though, I do wish we saw her speech to them. That’s such an important character moment.

[weird-fangrrl]

Avatar The Last Airbender Netflix.

It's good enough that I think it deserves to continue. There are changes I liked some I didn't but that's to be expected.

Zuko and iroh remain my faves and even with the changes I thought they fit the characters the best. I understand the changes. Lot to cover in 8 episodes. It also had some moments I've always waited to see and had to resort to fanfiction. Example zuko right after getting his burn. On that note ozai felt the most out of character.

Nothing is perfect, but again good enough for it to continue. In fact I want it to continue. I'd love to see Dallas Liu and Daniel Dae Kim continue with their characters and see their growth, esp zuko.

And I thought the fire bending looked great. Def the best bending in the series. I also liked seeing the death and violence. Seeing people actually burn was great.

[duckiedaledeservedbetter]

finished a:tla netflix

here are some thoughts (idk, they might be controversial)

Things I liked:

Avatar itself is so good that even a bad adaptation is enjoyable, and i really enjoyed seeing the avatar world in live-action style, especially Omashu !!!

Ian Ousley was born to play Sokka idc what anybody else says, idc about the butchered character arc, or the personality changes or any of that, Ian Ousley is the live-action Sokka we deserve and he ate every scene (except one, which i WILL be mentioning later)

Like seriously Sokka has never given such big bro energy before and i'm living for it, Ian looks like Sokka, sounds like Sokka, and imo carried the show a bit.

I love a good long episode, none of this percy jackson 30 minute nonsense.

Fire Nation costumes HIT - like some of the other costumes were lacking but the fire nation uniforms and armor ? amazing.

They kept so much of the original music !!!

Honestly the bending was pretty good. i fully expected it to suck and be super cringey but there were really only a few moments of cringe for me.

Lieutenant Jee!!! best character!!! best casting!!! amazing, 10/10.

Like seriously though Omashu looked amazing, Agna Q'ela looked amazing, the southern air temple looked AMAZING.

Hahn was cute, i liked Hahn.

Blue Spirit accuracy omg i am so glad they stuck so closely to the original blue spirit storyline.

Gran gran was giving, ngl.

Again, Ian Ousley as Sokka. Show stopping.

Things I didn't like (sorry, the list is long):

sorry, gordon cormier did not do Aang justice. maybe it was the writing? idk, either way, Aang was not Aang-ing and he was honestly boring ? also i'm pretty sure Gordon is age-accurate (?) but if i had to guess his age with no prior knowledge i would guess 9. maybe 10. idk. i get that Aang is a kid but idkkkkkk I was just disappointed ig.

KATARA. ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. DON'T EVEN ASK, WE ALL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. Like, i never even liked Katara that much in the og show but dang, they ruined her.

besides katara, Iroh seemed the least character accurate to me. like, in the very first scene in the og show when Zuko is practicing his firebending iroh gets on his case for doing it wrong or whatever and he def has some attitude about it. like, Iroh isn't all chill all the time, let him have some attitude. also where was the wisdom? I felt a bit like i was watching endgame Thor - like iroh was kind of a joke? idk, i couldn't take his character seriously. the actor fell flat for me. bland. didn't sound like iroh, didn't really look like him. writing was weird.

THE PART WHERE THEY HEAL MOMO IN THE POND AND AND AND SOKKA - HUGS HIM ???? LIKE THAT ???? WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS ???? IM CRYING IT WAS SO CRINGE LIKE WHY DID I HAVE TO WATCH THAT WHAT WAS THE POINT

Maybe it was just me but Zhao's actor delivered all his lines like jokes with no punchlines. and he also was not remotely intimidating.

SORRY DANIEL DAE KIM I LOVE YOU BUT no. he didn't do Ozai justice (but really, who could possibly stand up to the performance of mark hamil?)

it wasn't funny. straight up. the whole show. just. not funny.

idk maybe i'm just a nitpicky bitch but none of the performances really hit except Ian's. that's my biggest complaint. they can change what they want (it is an "adaptation" after all) but none of the actors felt right. ig dallas liu wasn't bad ? ian ousley was great, but that's about it.

butchered bumi storyline. no thank you. i will be pretending that didn't happen.

i really just wanted to see live action sokka in kyoshi warrior makeup tbh.

ALSO STRAIGHT UP WHY DID EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW SOKKA WASN'T A WARRIOR ??? LIKE YEAH VALIDATE HIS ENGINEERING PASSION AND WHATNOT BUT HE IS A WARRIOR? THAT IS PART OF HIS CHARACTER ? AN IMPORTANT PART ? THAT CARRIES HIS ARC TO THE VERY END OF THE SHOW ? LIKE HE IS A WARRIOR? A NON-BENDING WARRIOR ? idk man don't @ me i stan warrior sokka, it's literally a big part of the show, his growth from child to warrior, his training with piandao, his training with the kyoshi warriors, etc etc. like, it's important.

i feel like they took the wisdom and hard-hitting lines right out of the show. "youre just a child." "well, youre just a teenager." etc etc.

idk. it was fine overall. i watched it. i enjoyed it. i wish it could've been better-acted and more faithful to the original but you win some you lose some.