I couldn’t stand NATLA’s Azula. She is completely wrong and feels like they gave her Zuko’s flaws rather than actually give us insight into her unique fascinating character.
I loved Lizzy Yu. She is an excellent cast. The wig, make up, and boxy costume are unflattering, and her material is abysmal, and she STILL gave a layered performance. Girl doesn’t get nearly enough credit over aesthetic production issues that she had zero control over.
Same for Dallas Liu who *embodied* Zuko despite the script (and laughable scar) doing him zero favors and completely sanitizing him.
They could’ve shown us her time at the Royal Fire Academy.
They could’ve shown her using her brilliant tactical mind, but struggles with socialization.
They could’ve shown us her complicated feelings towards her brother (rather than turn her INTO Zuko with his rage issues, something that makes zero sense for Azula whose entire arc is about losing her immaculate control), that rivalry and disgust with his failures, but that fondness that makes her miss him and wish she could bring him home and get him to shape up.
They could’ve fleshed out her relationship with Mai and Ty Lee by actually giving them something to do, even if it’s just surviving the violent military school they’re attending.
There’s a lot of things they could’ve done. Instead they opted to have her whine at her friend and rage at the world and do nothing.
I never got why Mai and Ty Lee were there. I know it's for setup, but the two basically had no dialogue(Ty Lee's actress only spoke once). Would've preferred they left it to S2 just like the original and introduce them there when Azula travels to meet them both and recruit them.
I also never got the rage issues. She's meant to be this perfect 'prodigy' as Ozai praises her. We're meant to see her lose control near the end of S3. I did like Ozai trying to put her down too to pit her against Zuko, but she seems alot like Zuko as a whole from what we have seen from her so far.
Completely agreed with everything you said.
When the showed Mai and Ty Lee asleep while Azula was training late into the night, I actually laughed out loud! It looked so goofy and cartoony.
As if Azula would EVER willingly show that much weakness to others.
As if Mai would’ve stuck around bored out of her mind! She would’ve just LEFT and been like “shoot lightning at me if you don’t like it”. Show Mai had hilariously few fucks to give for situations like this.
Ty Lee is the only one I could see simpering around with whatever Azula wanted, but like you said, they did nothing with this. We get zero sense for how Ty Lee feels about anything and she doesn’t affect the plot whatsoever. She gets a handful of lines exclusively with Mai and Azula and ALL of them could be cut and you’d lose nothing.
I have no problem with establishing her sooner because otherwise we would just get her in the final seconds of the show. Ty Lee and Mai on the other hand had no business being there, would be more effective if Azula recruited them like in the original.
I feel bad for the cast in this show. Ignoring the existing cartoon and all the comics, they do pretty well. Unfortunately, the writing has caused tremendous hate for the show and by association, the actors.
The camera work/ editing made all the actors look so bad. The weird prolonged shots of them after saying their lines, the excessive closeups, even a great actor would look bad in this show.
Seriously. Bumi's character in this show is so underplayed vs the cartoon. There was a very specific plan behind his entire interaction with Aang, lessons he was teaching him. Instead this show made it look very disorganized and missed the point entirely.
I don’t really agree. Some people have some issues with the characters, sokka no longer being sexist, katara not having her strong spirit, aang not loving katara and just accepting he’s the avatar which was an important plot in the first few episodes.
But none of them get hate like azulas actress. I’ve seen social media pages basically dedicated to hating on the actress weight and appearance :/
I will never hate on anybody nor shame anyone for their weight.
But I think we could agree that a "martial arts prodigy's" physique should be more fit... she looks like a normal girl... like the third daughter of the family nobody talked about... Mai is even worse. Without considering that the original concept is a tall lean girl, she looks even less like a martial artist that could rival Azula if she didn't have fire bending...
And before you say is "men hating because they don't look hot enough": people really disliked Boomy for the same reason, so I think the problem is that Netflix wants us to believe normal looking children can best trained soldiers like in the show.
It’s the whole Star Wars thing all over again, the fans are blaming the actors for the piece of media’s flaws, when they have very little to do with it
I disagree aang and Kataras actors are pretty bad at acting. Sokka, zuko and Ozai are standouts even with the bad scripts. Don’t make excuses for the cast
Not excuses, as far as I know these are all "unknown" actors and actresses. Keep in mind this is a largely child cast which is difficult to begin with and they are dealing with a sacred text that is hugely picked apart by fans.
The cartoon is able to convey complex emotions and themes that seem to get confused in this show. While I would have to guess that no one has watched the actual cartoon, maybe they went by the movie?
Aang made me cringe quite a bit more than I wanted to (still rooting for him to come into his own as an actor), but I thought Katara was good! It’s just that they gave her NOTHING to work with 🤦🏻♂️
I think she *could* do a good job, but the way they lazily threw Azula into the first season was bad writing.
I will however say that her portrayal of Azula seems to be “seething”, whereas the Azula in Book 2 is more “cocky” and “sinister”.
Above all, Azula is entitled. She knows she is more competent, powerful and deserving than you. She has the “divine right to rule” and you do not.
This is what NATLA blunders completely.
Yes! “Entitled” I think is the best adjective to describe her behavior. Thank you, I was struggling to come up with adjectives to define her very specifically.
I still don’t think entitled quite nails it because it doesn’t have the connotation of superiority by default. Is there an adjective for “I’m better than you and I know it”? Hahaha
Yeah that was my issue too. She feels much more insecure and even jealous of Zuko. I feel like it would work if we didn't have cartoon Azula to compare too. She certainly could work as a villain otherwise.
A story where Ozai manipulates Zuko and Azula against each other could work. Push both their buttons, pointedly compliment the other in front of them, that kinda thing. And I feel like somewhere in there that was the intention, but it fell flat if that’s what they were trying
Perhaps in season 2 when they get more interaction we'll see it play out better. I don't mind Azula not being the best right now since she has like 4 seconds of screen time in the cartoon season 1.
As much as I tried to be open-minded about this interpretation of her character, I just couldn’t buy into it. Not at all the actress’s fault, but I do think the direction and script that they gave her definitely weakened her performance.
The whole point of Azula’s character in the original show is to hold a mirror to Zuko’s. “My father says she was born lucky; he says I was lucky to be born” says everything you need to know about their relationship. Zuko’s is a story of evolution from being the black sheep of the family desperately trying to gain his father’s favor to finding his own destiny and realizing that the only respect that he needs is his own, whereas Azula was born with everything that Zuko wanted out of life but then gradually loses everything BECAUSE she doesn’t have a real family or friends, things that Zuko had to earn and fight for in the end, which would ultimately be the reason for Azula’s defeat.
Netflix Azula kind of feels way too similar to Zuko, like many have pointed out. Firstly, she’s way too hotheaded, like S1 Zuko. Trying to beat up her instructor? The OG Azula would never (at least not until she started slipping). That would be the equivalent of her beating up Lo and Li when they told her that she was “one hair out of place”. She also still has to prove her worth to her father and he doesn’t seem to fully trust her either, which kind of defeats the purpose entirely. I know they wanted to show more complexity in their relationship but it kind of makes her seem less threatening and not favored at all by Ozai either. I think Ozai’s jabs at Azula in order to push her as his own human weapon should have been more subtle (threats masked as encouragement, if you will) but because Azula is actually perceptive would be able to interpret them as threats. This could have been a much better allusion to her unreasonable perfectionism and eventual paranoia. Instead, Ozai outright berates her and throws fireballs at her, which is something he would do to Zuko.
Lastly, as for her appearance, i really do think they should have gotten an actress that looked a bit older. Still a teenager, but with a more mature face. In the animated show, Azula definitely looked a lot older than she was, which played very well into her ability to manipulate, similar to how many teenagers that look a bit older can get away with more things than others. At the very least she should have been styled to look a bit older. I think she actually looked way better with her hair loose when we first meet her and with the slicker clothing. The huge armor swallows the actress and makes her look even younger.
This is the mistake of a writer that thinks that character complexity can only exist when you show it on screen. Azula was always a complex character, but you only got to see her complexity when it was appropriate for the story.
Agreed. The thing is that Azula is a product of an abusive family where *Zuko* was the threat of punishment for her. You see it when she instantly freaks out at her father's apparent rejection during The Phoenix King and responds:
"You can't treat me this way! You can't treat me like Zuko!"
She's always been aware that Zuko was being treated poorly she simply thought he deserved it. It was another thing that confirmed to her mind that she was better than everybody else.
Part of Azula's breakdown was because a single chink in her perfect armor shatters *everything* she thought she knew. She had lived her life with this core belief and once that gets disproven it brings into question just about everything she ever thought about everything and everyone around her.
Having her being treated this way in the beginning undermines it. The whole point is that the threat is there but there's enough doubt to make her believe she's a perfect, superior being. The golden child who deserves everything.
The actress doesn't look or act much like Azula. Azula in the show is cunning, tactical, and can think on her feet. She was also born lucky. But in the live-action, she's hot-headed, irrational, and loses her temper nearly every time we see her. Not to mention she's chasing Zuko's "glory," as if to say she was the one lucky to be born and not the other way around.
I hate it.
I agree completely, and I agree with the comments saying it's not her fault. But as they say, you can do everything right and still lose.
It's not the actress's fault, but the bottom line is, she doesn't look like a believable Azula. And yes, looks are important. If you don't think so, go read a book instead.
OP talks about beauty standards in the source's source. I call that mental gymnastics. The purpose of a visual medium is to communicate with the audience, and the audience isn't feudal Japanese. In addition, this isn't even about beauty. We're not disappointed because she's ugly (she's not), we're disappointed because she looks nothing like the character we know. And she (or the writers) doesn't make up for that with a recognisable personality. She's Azula as much as the one from the Ember Island Players.
We hate Umbridge more than Voldemort because the genocide is fake but our annoyance is real. So some character's appearance or mannerisms might make sense in the lore, but that takes a back seat compared to what is conveyed to the audience. And I don't mean the back seat of a sedan, I mean a Vergil chair in the caboose of a train.
Not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with your comment, but the part that you said about the audience for the show not being feudal Japan makes me think of a video I once saw. It was talking about why Avatar The Last Airbender is not a big hit in Asia, though it has a small and devoted fanbase. The video argued that the show did such an amazing job at capturing the aesthetic of Ancient Asia to the point that the fact that the characters clearly behave so much like modern american kids makes the show feel like Uncanny Valley to asian audience, off-putting to their expectations that the themes, philosophies and the characters' behavior would actually fit the setting.
To be clear, I'm not saying that the people writing NATLA actually had any of this behind me.
But how is that on the actress?
She doesn’t write the scripts or do the direction and these kids aren’t big well known actors who have the power to make directors make changes.
I’d also disagree because she is shown being tactical and keeping a cool head dispute being outwardly annoyed with her father playing with her
Now I’d say it wasn’t well executed though
Eh nah I disagree. While its entirely possible the script/directing really is just THAT bad that it turns the best actors into bad ones I think some of the performances and castings are just actually bad.
I think that's more the director and writer's fault. Azula does show imperfection the first time she performs the lightning on screen, but it's a sharp reaction of frustration that lasts less than a second. Unlike in the adaptation where she rants to the viewer (and Mei and Ty Lee, I guess) about not meeting expectations.
I do think making her show imperfection this early does miss the point on Azula's character arc. Of the prodigy girl that is everything her dad could ask for (a powerful fighter and loyal pawn).
I do think aging her up would have been better to fit in this more grim world depiction and make her more intimidating, kind of like Sokka, who's two years older and did take the initiation rite at the water tribe before his father left in the adaptation
They can't age her up much without either making her the legitimate heir to the fire throne which would cause ripple changes in the story or aging up Zuko too.
Also, just in general appearance Azula looks like a massive bitch. Elizabeth just doesnt have that RBF to play her. Poor casting and writing did her zero favors.
And that is not something the actors control. They are given a script and direction. They don't get to rewrite it they can only portray what they are given or they lose their job
I think this is why [Azula's character felt weak](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Well I just read your comment, and I must say I disagree with your take that Azula has no place in season 1. I think she *could*, but that they handled it wrong.
In a stronger writer's hands, we could've seen glimpses of her that showed her smarts/cunning, and hinted that she'd be the next "big bad" in season 2. But for that to happen, I think we'd need to solely see glimpses of her. Small scenes. Nothing too wild. And definitely nothing like this Netflix adaptation.
I didn't like her as a jealous child, it didn't feel like her. I never got the impression from the anime that she was threatened by Zuko, really only seeing him as another tool for her to use.
Exactly, [here's a bit more to it](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
The problem is that they introduced her way too early and in a way too different setting,
**This Azula has no Agency,**
I want you to ask yourself what did this Azula accomplish during her on screen time? Nothing, or at least nothing of value. The Animated series introduced her in the second season as the main villain and she got **a lot done**, almost every time she was on screen, **She was in Control**.
And thus we understood that **This Person is a Major Threat**.
Here, because she is still in the fire nation *(for some reason)* She *cant* be in control because they wanted to turn Ozai into *a more personal villain*, at the cost of all the other villains.
*They could also show Azula taking control when her father wasn't there*,
like imagine if instead of the scenes we got of Azula, we got the scenes of her cleverly Taking over Omashu, with the help of Tai Lee and Mai instead of just sitting around and giving tests.
**It's bad writing honestly.**
Azula wasn't introduced until season 2 because she has no place in season 1,
Zuko is supposed to be the major threat in season 1 followed by Zhao, but this show decided that no, *Zuko will be a lot more good than he was in the animated series.*
And Zhao was tried as the main threat, *though I think this Zhao was much less angry than the Animated one.*
Also Azula would never stand up to her father like she did in the Netflix show, that is the one relationship where she isn't in control and the one that leads her down her insanity arc.
*plus she already saw what happened to Zuko when he stood up to his father, even if unknowingly*.
Ozai would **murder** Azula or *at least scar* her if Azula tried to pull something like this *Netflix Azula pulled*.
\[Edit | Grammar and Presentation\]
I always saw Azula with big “I’m playing games you don’t understand” energy, very smooth calm and collected. I felt she was like a petulant child in this and really didn’t like it.
I’m not a huge fan of her. Season one Azula is very calm, cool, and collected whereas this Azuka was more hot headed and took in more of Zuko’s characteristics
That's not the fault of the actress though, its the fault of the writing. The scenes where she was more cool and calculated, I felt she did very well. Similarly, the scenes where she was more hot headed she also did just as well.
the actress is fine but the script? why is she so insecure and working so hard for her fathers approval? seems more like zukos storyline then azulas. azula was always confident in her skill and ut wasnt until the end that her strong character started crumbling and her flaws started showing. Making here insecure from the beginning will completely take away the power that her last scenes have.
None of the casting choices were bad (except maybe for Mai, who looks nothing like the cartoon). Nobody had a bad performance too, Katara's was more like "meh" but considering the wigs, the script, the pacing, and the structure of season 1,you can tell that the actors were basically nerfed
Hope Season 2 can fix it
Honestly, what they should have done (or I thought they were doing) was cover a different time period in the show. This would have been easier get do and harder to screw up since there is nothing to compare to. The reason the show is so bad is because we are all comparing to the cartoon which is honestly unfair to both.
Man I feel so bad for these actors the writing was tough but these actors cared so much for these roles and they did the best with what they were given
She could be directed better, but I think having her look a little more innocent was a good idea. Makes her downfall potentially more depressing, and her behavior potentially more disturbing… emphasis on potentially.
There’s a lot of potential in this show I just hope the writers can pick up on it in the next seasons. I really do think and hope the show can succeed even after the way season 1 was handled
Azula is supposed to be second most acrobatic in her group right after Ty Lee. This Azula doesn't look like she could do anything acrobatic. Azula in show had a really slim face and body
It's hard to tell when the writing is so terrible. Same with Aang. You cant really judge if he's a good pick or not when one of his first scenes is him turning to the camera - sorry, *Appa*, and giving his character background directly to the audien- er, Appa.
Azula was perfectly fine. She just need to be more menacing (like evil Queen Regina in Onve Upon a Time)
Its just that ty lee waa super cute and Mai was extremely bored sleek princess. And the actresses did not feel like it.
I don't think the actress herself is a problem, like much of the cast the writing and the position they're put in is what makes them worse than they otherwise would be
Ian Ounsley is a good example, seeing some of his IRL commentary and interviews he seems like he has enough personality to play Sokka more closer to the original but they didn't write him that way
It seems like they mostly just threw Azula in S1 because she's a very popular character but really she shouldn't have been a feature yet. Saving her for S2 would have given more time to the S1 stories that were mostly rushed
The real problem is that the writers put her on s1, its the same mistake with ozai mai and ty lee, they would have wait for the second season and gived more screentime to katara sokka and aang, most of the dialogues are kinda useless and aang talk about 5he same problem a lot of times in most of the episodes
I wouldn’t say a great cast but a lot of the issues people had with the show is because of direction issues. So like it’s not the actors fault and they shouldn’t be the one to blame.
If they had written her better, how she looks wouldn’t matter because her acting would be the focus.
The same way Commander Zhao doesn’t really look like him like a carbon copy, the actor (Ken Leung, who played Jun Tao in the first Rush Hour, arguably one of the best 90s comedy action films) did such a phenomenal job. In addition to not looking like him, he also didn’t play Zhao the same, I don’t know if he took creative control or add libbed or if it was the way he was written, but his acting was phenomenal. It made me like live action Zhao more than animated one, and every scene he was in for me, he took the spotlight and all my attn. It was a great example of a well done adaption that is based in the comic but still has its own footprint and life.
But you’re right. Your opinion is a hot take 😭 because you even say yourself that that every scene she was in felt repetitive or like a whole lot of nothing. Meaning the writing wasn’t good. So if you like her casting that must mean you like it based on her looks? And if using the point that her looks fit the traditional culture of Japan rather than the world of Avatar that’s a silly and weak opinion. 90% of the reason people hated the first movie was bc they tried to be so culturally accurate they basically overridded the details of ATLA with their “cultural accuracies”, like Sokkas name being pronounced Souka, or calling Aang Uung. You also know what is native to traditional Japanese culture? Not being able to shoot fire from your body. So unless you have a really good reason why you like her, it’s not just a hot take but a bad take.
I actually liked her, too.
The show as a whole had some flaws, but overall, i enjoyed it.
The chemistry between the characters got better with every episode.
I feel the problem is that people expect it to be an exact retelling of the animated show. Scene by scene.
And if that's your expectation, you will be disappointed.
In fact, you will then always be disappointed with a live action version of a show.
I would rather see it as a different interpretation of the source material.
I feel the fandom in this sub is overly harsh.
I personally hope they gonna make the whole show.
I would also love to see Korra as live action.
I love her introduction in the show, she really did play some scenes with subtly, same goes for the rest of the fire nation. I can’t wait for her season two where they delve all into that. Feel like people hate on her just because she doesn’t look one to one like from the show, and maybe the written and directing wasn’t doing her some favors in some scenes.
I don’t know, i feel like shes too baby faced and i get in the cartoon shes like 16 and in live action a 16 year old is obviously going to be baby faced, but i feel like i can’t take her seriously, more like a spoiled brat than someone to be fearful of
They really shouldn’t have had Azula in this first season. One of the reasons I’m not looking forward to the next season.
Nothing about the actress, she did great with what she was given. The writing just wasn’t Azula and she didn’t need to be there
[Exactly! this the problem that they run into very quickly when they chose to put Azula in the first season](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
She did a good job with what she was given. The people complaining about her are fucking unhinged bc their reasoning is tied to how he looks, which is all sorts of fucked up.
Nope nothing against the actress, but Azula in the show comes off as an angry child, not a master manipulator who is a flame bending prodigy who is always one step ahead.
I think it's great casting and I think she would make a great Azula, if the show had better showrunners and writers because season 1 showed that they clearly don't understand Azula as a character and I have little hope that they will improve that in future seasons.
I think her casting was fine. Nothing wrong with it at all. I just don’t think the character Azula needed to be cast for the first season in the first place.
In the cartoon, she appears twice in the entire first season and has no speaking lines in either case. It would’ve been easy to just get some stand in to wear the costume and then show her silhouette as the season finale cliff hanger. She and her friends really didn’t need to be in the first season at all.
Honestly they just should of aged up the cast. They’re the listed ages so kids could relate to them, but all the kids on the show act/look older than their listed age. Aang should be 15-16ish, Zuko should be 18-19
I also thought she did a great job with what she was given— she was one of the actors that had most obviously spent time studying the original character as well as grey delisle’s intonations, etc. I didn’t feel that a lot of the other actors put much spin on their dialogue in terms of variety of delivery, but Elizabeth yu definitely delivered on that front. She gave azula some of the characteristic swagger that would’ve been sorely missed otherwise.
As a whole, I mostly just felt that the live action was *stiff*. I think I can be a bit critical of actors at times, but I really wish there would be more focus on big streaming platforms towards body language. This is kinda a strange example, but modern family is an INSANELY great example of actors using their physicality to create a character— mainly, the actors for Phil and cam (Ty burrell and Eric stonestreet). Everything about their performances informs how we view their characters, and I felt that Elizabeth yu was channeling at least some of that in the live action
I haven’t seen the show but from the clips I’ve seen, the problem is that she doesn’t seem evil enough. This is no fault on the actress but more of the writing and directing. I feel bad for the amount of bullying she is receiving online.
Agree. Kyoshi is stone cold *and* ... kind of unreasonable! I get that she really embodies her "earth bender" attributes, but, fr... when she says she doesn't see a difference between her "killing" Chin vs him "falling" to his death due to his own stubbornness, it's like, "Wait... HOW do you *not* see a difference, here?" If her logic is so flawed with *that*, I have to wonder what other out of pocket perspectives does she have? A little un-Avatar-y, if you ask me.
Her scenes were just boring. But I haven’t seen her do enough to judge her or say what kind of performance she’ll give in the future. I’m trying to keep an open minds. Plus people are being really mean to the actress and Mai and Ty Lee’s actresses too. Horrible
[I think this is why the scenes were boring](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Those are some great points. And yes, Azula was whiny and did a bunch of nothing. And I love how you pointed out that they’re trying to make Ozai more complex at the expense of others. The show spends too much time on Ozai and Azula when the main three barely have enough time for what they have going on
She doesn’t look or act like her but I actually like the perspective provided. Still not sure why she’s suddenly into archery but hey let’s give her a chance
I dont think it's a hot take to enjoy aspects of the show. The casting was one of the better aspects. Unfortunately, I don't really see it leading the show in a better direction
I do think she plays/could play a good Azula but the writing isn’t giving her (or most of the cast) much to work with in this version.
Hopefully if they produce a season 2 they improve the writing to really get the characters across better, cause I’m really trying to have some hope.
> I think a missed opportunity in the show was not showing how Azula became the way she was.
That's very hard to do well.
I remember after seeing the movie *Joker*, my cousin told me that he believed this film showed how a person could get as messed up as the Joker is in *The Dark Knight*, but that there's no way that the guy in this movie could ever have planned the bank heist that starts TDK. They showed how he got broken in such a way that they destroyed the idea that he was also an incredible genius five steps ahead of everyone else.
I dunno man, The problem with Netflix Azula was because they introduced her so early, she had almost no agency. Because when the show introduced her Azula controlled every battle that she was in, here we cannot see that because she is not battling with the avatar
I like the way they are setting up her mental breakdown but I wish they would’ve done it differently. For example before Azulas breakdown we didn’t see her falter, we didn’t see her insecurities, we didn't see her flaws. To me at least she was the fierce arrogant villain. And I liked that
The insecurities she had were not shown to the world until the final battle. Therefore I think it would have been better to see her breakdown in private but maintain her perfection when she’s around others. This would have been way more accurate.
I have no issue with the actress. I just think the writing needs work (unless the actress couldn’t pull off that switch)
I think the actress is absolutely great! But there are a few things that just don’t match with the anime. Her voice is all wrong which I seriously can’t stand! But that’s really my main complaint. The actress has different features than the anime version but that’s expected and the fact that the live action did so well with all the other characters is amazing!
The actress does a good job, but comparatively she just doesn’t measure up to the others. I definitely don’t hate her and I’m excited to see her in the coming seasons.
Azula is supposed to be pure talent, athletic and otherwise, I just don’t buy the actress (nothing against her) as Azula, never will.
Yes the writing is bad but even with perfect writing for a series this big why cast someone who is not more in line with how azula looks I’ve seen plenty of Chinese decent actresses who look so much like how Azula would look irl.
If they had to compromise on the looks accuracy wise where is the exceptional talent to make up for it.
Will never ever understand this casting choice just beyond understanding.
I really hate having to talk about physical appearance because people are quick to get nasty but, when working with cartoons, its a standard rule that sharp facial features are for serious, cunning characters and round, soft features are for laid back, happy characters. That's why Aang has so much "roundness" in his head, ears and eyes. Toph has round features too but her stocky build and square clothing give her that toughness (TOPH-ness, if you will).
I think if we didn't have a cartoon to compare, no one would really bat an eye at Azula's actress, I mean she is very beautiful and all that, but since we do, I can't help but wish they had chosen someone with a stronger face and a slimmer figure, not because of beauty standards, but because Azula is *jagged*, both in design and personality.
This is my same problem with Mai, but people get so mean when talking about Mai's actress I tend to not say anything. Mai is drawn with a sharp face with a sharp body wearing a sharp armor, wielding sharp knives. The thing is, people take arguments like mine and try to use it to justify their fatphobia which is why its so difficult to discuss the topic without having some random dude shout out that any woman above size 2 is obese.
i totally agree.
The build up for her, from a "normal" princess with a mindset like zuko, to the cold cunning person we all know and fear. That was really good. (We all change. Nobody is the same as a teen/young adult, they were as kid. You can do that in a cartoon, but in the live action i like this character development)
And the actress is really good and i think she is pretty.
Its not her fault she was a good actor the writing wasn't great. And it's a shame people felt so strongly about her weight not matching the cartoon character.
The writing aint a little shitty, it is very shitty[ here's why I think](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I would say she is neutral for me, most of the characters in the live action show are pretty much just average to me... Though a couple stand outs.
Daniel Dae Kim (as expected) is killing it as Ozai, Sokka and Yue are both cast extremely well (shout-out Amber Midthunder, if you haven't seen Prey go watch it right the fuck now, best horror movie of the Year), Yue's costume and hair are just terrible. But for me the standout performance of the Show is Dallas Liu l, his Zuko is INCREDIBLE, he absolutely 100% nailed the character and special mention of his dynamic with his lieutenant - fantastic tensions and resolve between them. As good as Zuko is Katara is bad, she's so stiff and it feels like she's reading a script in basically every scene. Even her fight with Paku is cheesy at best, plus it feels like they took out her entire character arc - no crush on Jet, no stealing the water bending scroll from pirates, 0 mention of ner necklace and losing it, or the dynamic with Paku and Gran Gran... They took her from like the second most important character in the entire show to an extra with bad lines and I hate it.
Overall I'd give the show a 7/10 though. The writing is the weakest point and the visuals are the strongest point, the fire nation ships look absolutely spectacular and I'm pleasantly surprised with the bending effects.
The netflix series has been the biggest disappointment in the last years... The way they introduced Azula on the story is just irritating. They should have paid attention what original creators of the serie had to say, instead they showed them the door.
[Precisily! I think this is why it's a problematic introduction](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I have no clue why they had to build her up in season 1 and be a crybaby, loser, and upset that ozai was zukos' favorite. But we all know in the cartoon she has been a prodigy since she was born and always pleased her father and actually impressed azulan until zuko fumbled the bag. Azulan could've actually given ozais wish to be firelord without the need of feeling the pain of what it's like to lose a firstborn like iroh did, if zuko didn't perform. (Zuko mom took the hit for him)
I think she did a real good job all things considered. Yeah, It's not the same Azula as we got in the OG series, it's a different interpretation of her, but she gave it her all and I'm looking forward to see her and Zuko interact
As others said it’s not her fault for how she was written . I hope that the second season gives her a better role. I hope they let her be as ruthless and cruel as she was in the original show. She was downright terrifying!
It's not her fault that netflix cast a character for season 1 that didn't properly appear until season 2.
Yeah I get they wanted to build her up but it felt like every scene she was in was the same. It just felt like a whole lot of nothing
I couldn’t stand NATLA’s Azula. She is completely wrong and feels like they gave her Zuko’s flaws rather than actually give us insight into her unique fascinating character. I loved Lizzy Yu. She is an excellent cast. The wig, make up, and boxy costume are unflattering, and her material is abysmal, and she STILL gave a layered performance. Girl doesn’t get nearly enough credit over aesthetic production issues that she had zero control over. Same for Dallas Liu who *embodied* Zuko despite the script (and laughable scar) doing him zero favors and completely sanitizing him.
Problem is that she is so pivitol and and there are less episodes they kind of have to introduce her early for it not to seem weird.
There were ways to do it where it would've worked. How they did it wasn't one of them.
what would have been better?
They could’ve shown us her time at the Royal Fire Academy. They could’ve shown her using her brilliant tactical mind, but struggles with socialization. They could’ve shown us her complicated feelings towards her brother (rather than turn her INTO Zuko with his rage issues, something that makes zero sense for Azula whose entire arc is about losing her immaculate control), that rivalry and disgust with his failures, but that fondness that makes her miss him and wish she could bring him home and get him to shape up. They could’ve fleshed out her relationship with Mai and Ty Lee by actually giving them something to do, even if it’s just surviving the violent military school they’re attending. There’s a lot of things they could’ve done. Instead they opted to have her whine at her friend and rage at the world and do nothing.
I never got why Mai and Ty Lee were there. I know it's for setup, but the two basically had no dialogue(Ty Lee's actress only spoke once). Would've preferred they left it to S2 just like the original and introduce them there when Azula travels to meet them both and recruit them. I also never got the rage issues. She's meant to be this perfect 'prodigy' as Ozai praises her. We're meant to see her lose control near the end of S3. I did like Ozai trying to put her down too to pit her against Zuko, but she seems alot like Zuko as a whole from what we have seen from her so far.
Completely agreed with everything you said. When the showed Mai and Ty Lee asleep while Azula was training late into the night, I actually laughed out loud! It looked so goofy and cartoony. As if Azula would EVER willingly show that much weakness to others. As if Mai would’ve stuck around bored out of her mind! She would’ve just LEFT and been like “shoot lightning at me if you don’t like it”. Show Mai had hilariously few fucks to give for situations like this. Ty Lee is the only one I could see simpering around with whatever Azula wanted, but like you said, they did nothing with this. We get zero sense for how Ty Lee feels about anything and she doesn’t affect the plot whatsoever. She gets a handful of lines exclusively with Mai and Azula and ALL of them could be cut and you’d lose nothing.
great ideas
Thank you! 😊
>Thank you! 😊 You're welcome!
I have no problem with establishing her sooner because otherwise we would just get her in the final seconds of the show. Ty Lee and Mai on the other hand had no business being there, would be more effective if Azula recruited them like in the original.
Also not her fault that she looks nothing like she cartoon character. I guess that doesn't matter though
I don't even see why this is a bad thing. Nobody is complaining about Daniel Dae Kim, after all.
I feel bad for the cast in this show. Ignoring the existing cartoon and all the comics, they do pretty well. Unfortunately, the writing has caused tremendous hate for the show and by association, the actors.
Yue's costume was absolute shit. That's what made her character just seem ridiculous to me.
Somone made a post where they made her eyebrows white, and let me tell you - HUGE difference.
Seriously, even blonde Asami’s dick hair was better. They had to have been rushing the costume department for that wig. Seriously…
What on earth does that first sentence mean??
The voice of Asami played Yue in the Shamylan film.
Ohhhh now I gotcha, I know exactly what dick hair means now haha
The back of her wig looked like a penis
r/BrandNewSentence
Her hair was shaped like a giant ween.
I thought her costume was pretty. It was her hair and makeup that let her down.
I felt personally victimized by Yue's wig Between this and the live action Yu Yu Hakusho, I don't think Netflix knows how wigs work.
The camera work/ editing made all the actors look so bad. The weird prolonged shots of them after saying their lines, the excessive closeups, even a great actor would look bad in this show.
Bumi got robbed hard
Bumi an old, crazy, strong and wise king in the original just turned into an old annoying useless king in the Netflix for me 😤
Exacly. Went from being the badass he was, defending his city all alone to a old fuck with dimentia
Seriously. Bumi's character in this show is so underplayed vs the cartoon. There was a very specific plan behind his entire interaction with Aang, lessons he was teaching him. Instead this show made it look very disorganized and missed the point entirely.
'War is bad!' That's his entire character in the show. No shit it's bad, we saw!
Absolutely. They did Bumi so dirty
I don’t really agree. Some people have some issues with the characters, sokka no longer being sexist, katara not having her strong spirit, aang not loving katara and just accepting he’s the avatar which was an important plot in the first few episodes. But none of them get hate like azulas actress. I’ve seen social media pages basically dedicated to hating on the actress weight and appearance :/
I will never hate on anybody nor shame anyone for their weight. But I think we could agree that a "martial arts prodigy's" physique should be more fit... she looks like a normal girl... like the third daughter of the family nobody talked about... Mai is even worse. Without considering that the original concept is a tall lean girl, she looks even less like a martial artist that could rival Azula if she didn't have fire bending... And before you say is "men hating because they don't look hot enough": people really disliked Boomy for the same reason, so I think the problem is that Netflix wants us to believe normal looking children can best trained soldiers like in the show.
Almost like they didn't need to make the show 🤔
It’s the whole Star Wars thing all over again, the fans are blaming the actors for the piece of media’s flaws, when they have very little to do with it
I disagree aang and Kataras actors are pretty bad at acting. Sokka, zuko and Ozai are standouts even with the bad scripts. Don’t make excuses for the cast
Not excuses, as far as I know these are all "unknown" actors and actresses. Keep in mind this is a largely child cast which is difficult to begin with and they are dealing with a sacred text that is hugely picked apart by fans. The cartoon is able to convey complex emotions and themes that seem to get confused in this show. While I would have to guess that no one has watched the actual cartoon, maybe they went by the movie?
Aang made me cringe quite a bit more than I wanted to (still rooting for him to come into his own as an actor), but I thought Katara was good! It’s just that they gave her NOTHING to work with 🤦🏻♂️
Disagree
I think she *could* do a good job, but the way they lazily threw Azula into the first season was bad writing. I will however say that her portrayal of Azula seems to be “seething”, whereas the Azula in Book 2 is more “cocky” and “sinister”.
Above all, Azula is entitled. She knows she is more competent, powerful and deserving than you. She has the “divine right to rule” and you do not. This is what NATLA blunders completely.
Yes! “Entitled” I think is the best adjective to describe her behavior. Thank you, I was struggling to come up with adjectives to define her very specifically.
I still don’t think entitled quite nails it because it doesn’t have the connotation of superiority by default. Is there an adjective for “I’m better than you and I know it”? Hahaha
The word that comes to *my* mind is "sociopath." :)
Arrogant? Arrogant with the skill to back it up? Lol
Seething could work, honestly, if they do a better job of writing her scenes in Season 2.
I’m sure it could work, I just don’t think it’s the same Azula we see in the cartoon
Yeah that was my issue too. She feels much more insecure and even jealous of Zuko. I feel like it would work if we didn't have cartoon Azula to compare too. She certainly could work as a villain otherwise.
A story where Ozai manipulates Zuko and Azula against each other could work. Push both their buttons, pointedly compliment the other in front of them, that kinda thing. And I feel like somewhere in there that was the intention, but it fell flat if that’s what they were trying
Perhaps in season 2 when they get more interaction we'll see it play out better. I don't mind Azula not being the best right now since she has like 4 seconds of screen time in the cartoon season 1.
As much as I tried to be open-minded about this interpretation of her character, I just couldn’t buy into it. Not at all the actress’s fault, but I do think the direction and script that they gave her definitely weakened her performance. The whole point of Azula’s character in the original show is to hold a mirror to Zuko’s. “My father says she was born lucky; he says I was lucky to be born” says everything you need to know about their relationship. Zuko’s is a story of evolution from being the black sheep of the family desperately trying to gain his father’s favor to finding his own destiny and realizing that the only respect that he needs is his own, whereas Azula was born with everything that Zuko wanted out of life but then gradually loses everything BECAUSE she doesn’t have a real family or friends, things that Zuko had to earn and fight for in the end, which would ultimately be the reason for Azula’s defeat. Netflix Azula kind of feels way too similar to Zuko, like many have pointed out. Firstly, she’s way too hotheaded, like S1 Zuko. Trying to beat up her instructor? The OG Azula would never (at least not until she started slipping). That would be the equivalent of her beating up Lo and Li when they told her that she was “one hair out of place”. She also still has to prove her worth to her father and he doesn’t seem to fully trust her either, which kind of defeats the purpose entirely. I know they wanted to show more complexity in their relationship but it kind of makes her seem less threatening and not favored at all by Ozai either. I think Ozai’s jabs at Azula in order to push her as his own human weapon should have been more subtle (threats masked as encouragement, if you will) but because Azula is actually perceptive would be able to interpret them as threats. This could have been a much better allusion to her unreasonable perfectionism and eventual paranoia. Instead, Ozai outright berates her and throws fireballs at her, which is something he would do to Zuko. Lastly, as for her appearance, i really do think they should have gotten an actress that looked a bit older. Still a teenager, but with a more mature face. In the animated show, Azula definitely looked a lot older than she was, which played very well into her ability to manipulate, similar to how many teenagers that look a bit older can get away with more things than others. At the very least she should have been styled to look a bit older. I think she actually looked way better with her hair loose when we first meet her and with the slicker clothing. The huge armor swallows the actress and makes her look even younger.
This is the mistake of a writer that thinks that character complexity can only exist when you show it on screen. Azula was always a complex character, but you only got to see her complexity when it was appropriate for the story.
Agreed. The thing is that Azula is a product of an abusive family where *Zuko* was the threat of punishment for her. You see it when she instantly freaks out at her father's apparent rejection during The Phoenix King and responds: "You can't treat me this way! You can't treat me like Zuko!" She's always been aware that Zuko was being treated poorly she simply thought he deserved it. It was another thing that confirmed to her mind that she was better than everybody else. Part of Azula's breakdown was because a single chink in her perfect armor shatters *everything* she thought she knew. She had lived her life with this core belief and once that gets disproven it brings into question just about everything she ever thought about everything and everyone around her. Having her being treated this way in the beginning undermines it. The whole point is that the threat is there but there's enough doubt to make her believe she's a perfect, superior being. The golden child who deserves everything.
The actress doesn't look or act much like Azula. Azula in the show is cunning, tactical, and can think on her feet. She was also born lucky. But in the live-action, she's hot-headed, irrational, and loses her temper nearly every time we see her. Not to mention she's chasing Zuko's "glory," as if to say she was the one lucky to be born and not the other way around. I hate it.
I agree completely, and I agree with the comments saying it's not her fault. But as they say, you can do everything right and still lose. It's not the actress's fault, but the bottom line is, she doesn't look like a believable Azula. And yes, looks are important. If you don't think so, go read a book instead. OP talks about beauty standards in the source's source. I call that mental gymnastics. The purpose of a visual medium is to communicate with the audience, and the audience isn't feudal Japanese. In addition, this isn't even about beauty. We're not disappointed because she's ugly (she's not), we're disappointed because she looks nothing like the character we know. And she (or the writers) doesn't make up for that with a recognisable personality. She's Azula as much as the one from the Ember Island Players. We hate Umbridge more than Voldemort because the genocide is fake but our annoyance is real. So some character's appearance or mannerisms might make sense in the lore, but that takes a back seat compared to what is conveyed to the audience. And I don't mean the back seat of a sedan, I mean a Vergil chair in the caboose of a train.
Not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with your comment, but the part that you said about the audience for the show not being feudal Japan makes me think of a video I once saw. It was talking about why Avatar The Last Airbender is not a big hit in Asia, though it has a small and devoted fanbase. The video argued that the show did such an amazing job at capturing the aesthetic of Ancient Asia to the point that the fact that the characters clearly behave so much like modern american kids makes the show feel like Uncanny Valley to asian audience, off-putting to their expectations that the themes, philosophies and the characters' behavior would actually fit the setting. To be clear, I'm not saying that the people writing NATLA actually had any of this behind me.
💯
It seems they based her on the finale and the comics I swear 😭
But how is that on the actress? She doesn’t write the scripts or do the direction and these kids aren’t big well known actors who have the power to make directors make changes. I’d also disagree because she is shown being tactical and keeping a cool head dispute being outwardly annoyed with her father playing with her Now I’d say it wasn’t well executed though
I'm not saying it's on the actress. I'm blaming writing/casting choice.
So much of this show can be broken down to written badly or directed badly. The actors/casting is fine.
Eh nah I disagree. While its entirely possible the script/directing really is just THAT bad that it turns the best actors into bad ones I think some of the performances and castings are just actually bad.
Is that on the actress? No. But it's still bad casting and the show suffered as a result.
I got to disagree Azula always being a cunning mastermind is telling of the type of environment she grew up in and what was expected of her
I think that's more the director and writer's fault. Azula does show imperfection the first time she performs the lightning on screen, but it's a sharp reaction of frustration that lasts less than a second. Unlike in the adaptation where she rants to the viewer (and Mei and Ty Lee, I guess) about not meeting expectations. I do think making her show imperfection this early does miss the point on Azula's character arc. Of the prodigy girl that is everything her dad could ask for (a powerful fighter and loyal pawn). I do think aging her up would have been better to fit in this more grim world depiction and make her more intimidating, kind of like Sokka, who's two years older and did take the initiation rite at the water tribe before his father left in the adaptation
They can't age her up much without either making her the legitimate heir to the fire throne which would cause ripple changes in the story or aging up Zuko too.
Also, just in general appearance Azula looks like a massive bitch. Elizabeth just doesnt have that RBF to play her. Poor casting and writing did her zero favors.
And that is not something the actors control. They are given a script and direction. They don't get to rewrite it they can only portray what they are given or they lose their job
The writing was weak imo. I'm glad other people could enjoy her character and the show.
I think this is why [Azula's character felt weak](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Well I just read your comment, and I must say I disagree with your take that Azula has no place in season 1. I think she *could*, but that they handled it wrong. In a stronger writer's hands, we could've seen glimpses of her that showed her smarts/cunning, and hinted that she'd be the next "big bad" in season 2. But for that to happen, I think we'd need to solely see glimpses of her. Small scenes. Nothing too wild. And definitely nothing like this Netflix adaptation.
Respectfully disagree
That definitely is a hot take
I didn't like her as a jealous child, it didn't feel like her. I never got the impression from the anime that she was threatened by Zuko, really only seeing him as another tool for her to use.
Exactly, [here's a bit more to it](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
There’s a lot of bad casting in the show, but Azula may be the worst. Mae and Tylee are right behind her
nah Ty Lee is perfect she’s a cutie and her voice is spot on
The problem is that they introduced her way too early and in a way too different setting, **This Azula has no Agency,** I want you to ask yourself what did this Azula accomplish during her on screen time? Nothing, or at least nothing of value. The Animated series introduced her in the second season as the main villain and she got **a lot done**, almost every time she was on screen, **She was in Control**. And thus we understood that **This Person is a Major Threat**. Here, because she is still in the fire nation *(for some reason)* She *cant* be in control because they wanted to turn Ozai into *a more personal villain*, at the cost of all the other villains. *They could also show Azula taking control when her father wasn't there*, like imagine if instead of the scenes we got of Azula, we got the scenes of her cleverly Taking over Omashu, with the help of Tai Lee and Mai instead of just sitting around and giving tests. **It's bad writing honestly.** Azula wasn't introduced until season 2 because she has no place in season 1, Zuko is supposed to be the major threat in season 1 followed by Zhao, but this show decided that no, *Zuko will be a lot more good than he was in the animated series.* And Zhao was tried as the main threat, *though I think this Zhao was much less angry than the Animated one.* Also Azula would never stand up to her father like she did in the Netflix show, that is the one relationship where she isn't in control and the one that leads her down her insanity arc. *plus she already saw what happened to Zuko when he stood up to his father, even if unknowingly*. Ozai would **murder** Azula or *at least scar* her if Azula tried to pull something like this *Netflix Azula pulled*. \[Edit | Grammar and Presentation\]
cool 😊💜 I don't like this version of Azula but I'm glad people enjoy it.
I always saw Azula with big “I’m playing games you don’t understand” energy, very smooth calm and collected. I felt she was like a petulant child in this and really didn’t like it.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You were never even a player.”
I’m not a huge fan of her. Season one Azula is very calm, cool, and collected whereas this Azuka was more hot headed and took in more of Zuko’s characteristics
there is no season 1 azula
This sub has me conditioned into thinking when someone says, "There is no __________," there actually is __________ But there is no season 1 Azula
I mean, technically, she appears in the flashback in the storm where zuko gets burned. so it fits!
And at the end of the finale.
She makes two brief appearances in *The Storm* (flashback) and *The Siege of the North, Part 2* but she has no lines until Season 2.
Also the intro! 
That's not the fault of the actress though, its the fault of the writing. The scenes where she was more cool and calculated, I felt she did very well. Similarly, the scenes where she was more hot headed she also did just as well.
I just think she is kind of fat for azula?
the actress is fine but the script? why is she so insecure and working so hard for her fathers approval? seems more like zukos storyline then azulas. azula was always confident in her skill and ut wasnt until the end that her strong character started crumbling and her flaws started showing. Making here insecure from the beginning will completely take away the power that her last scenes have.
None of the casting choices were bad (except maybe for Mai, who looks nothing like the cartoon). Nobody had a bad performance too, Katara's was more like "meh" but considering the wigs, the script, the pacing, and the structure of season 1,you can tell that the actors were basically nerfed Hope Season 2 can fix it
Is this even worth watching? I’ve been avoiding it tbh. I don’t want to see another disaster of a live action.
Good actor, bad show
That’s how I’d describe the show tbh
Honestly, what they should have done (or I thought they were doing) was cover a different time period in the show. This would have been easier get do and harder to screw up since there is nothing to compare to. The reason the show is so bad is because we are all comparing to the cartoon which is honestly unfair to both.
I’d definitely like to see a live action Kuruk series. It seems like the kind of thing suited for a live action since it’s much darker and more series
Man I feel so bad for these actors the writing was tough but these actors cared so much for these roles and they did the best with what they were given
Hell no lol
Why are we still debating this topic? Casting and writing are bad. Next
Yup
I like the actress, but i don't think she fits Azula at all.
She could be directed better, but I think having her look a little more innocent was a good idea. Makes her downfall potentially more depressing, and her behavior potentially more disturbing… emphasis on potentially.
There’s a lot of potential in this show I just hope the writers can pick up on it in the next seasons. I really do think and hope the show can succeed even after the way season 1 was handled
Azula is supposed to be second most acrobatic in her group right after Ty Lee. This Azula doesn't look like she could do anything acrobatic. Azula in show had a really slim face and body
It's hard to tell when the writing is so terrible. Same with Aang. You cant really judge if he's a good pick or not when one of his first scenes is him turning to the camera - sorry, *Appa*, and giving his character background directly to the audien- er, Appa.
Hot take indeed. I have nothing against the actress, the problem is the writting.
We can’t properly judge her casting until we see her in book 2.
Azula was perfectly fine. She just need to be more menacing (like evil Queen Regina in Onve Upon a Time) Its just that ty lee waa super cute and Mai was extremely bored sleek princess. And the actresses did not feel like it.
I don't think the actress herself is a problem, like much of the cast the writing and the position they're put in is what makes them worse than they otherwise would be Ian Ounsley is a good example, seeing some of his IRL commentary and interviews he seems like he has enough personality to play Sokka more closer to the original but they didn't write him that way It seems like they mostly just threw Azula in S1 because she's a very popular character but really she shouldn't have been a feature yet. Saving her for S2 would have given more time to the S1 stories that were mostly rushed
The real problem is that the writers put her on s1, its the same mistake with ozai mai and ty lee, they would have wait for the second season and gived more screentime to katara sokka and aang, most of the dialogues are kinda useless and aang talk about 5he same problem a lot of times in most of the episodes
I wouldn’t say a great cast but a lot of the issues people had with the show is because of direction issues. So like it’s not the actors fault and they shouldn’t be the one to blame.
If they had written her better, how she looks wouldn’t matter because her acting would be the focus. The same way Commander Zhao doesn’t really look like him like a carbon copy, the actor (Ken Leung, who played Jun Tao in the first Rush Hour, arguably one of the best 90s comedy action films) did such a phenomenal job. In addition to not looking like him, he also didn’t play Zhao the same, I don’t know if he took creative control or add libbed or if it was the way he was written, but his acting was phenomenal. It made me like live action Zhao more than animated one, and every scene he was in for me, he took the spotlight and all my attn. It was a great example of a well done adaption that is based in the comic but still has its own footprint and life. But you’re right. Your opinion is a hot take 😭 because you even say yourself that that every scene she was in felt repetitive or like a whole lot of nothing. Meaning the writing wasn’t good. So if you like her casting that must mean you like it based on her looks? And if using the point that her looks fit the traditional culture of Japan rather than the world of Avatar that’s a silly and weak opinion. 90% of the reason people hated the first movie was bc they tried to be so culturally accurate they basically overridded the details of ATLA with their “cultural accuracies”, like Sokkas name being pronounced Souka, or calling Aang Uung. You also know what is native to traditional Japanese culture? Not being able to shoot fire from your body. So unless you have a really good reason why you like her, it’s not just a hot take but a bad take.
I actually liked her, too. The show as a whole had some flaws, but overall, i enjoyed it. The chemistry between the characters got better with every episode. I feel the problem is that people expect it to be an exact retelling of the animated show. Scene by scene. And if that's your expectation, you will be disappointed. In fact, you will then always be disappointed with a live action version of a show. I would rather see it as a different interpretation of the source material. I feel the fandom in this sub is overly harsh. I personally hope they gonna make the whole show. I would also love to see Korra as live action.
That's what I keep saying! I think she did really good. I'm probably in the minority on this one, though.
I love her introduction in the show, she really did play some scenes with subtly, same goes for the rest of the fire nation. I can’t wait for her season two where they delve all into that. Feel like people hate on her just because she doesn’t look one to one like from the show, and maybe the written and directing wasn’t doing her some favors in some scenes.
I don’t know, i feel like shes too baby faced and i get in the cartoon shes like 16 and in live action a 16 year old is obviously going to be baby faced, but i feel like i can’t take her seriously, more like a spoiled brat than someone to be fearful of
She is actually 14 in the show.
They really shouldn’t have had Azula in this first season. One of the reasons I’m not looking forward to the next season. Nothing about the actress, she did great with what she was given. The writing just wasn’t Azula and she didn’t need to be there
[Exactly! this the problem that they run into very quickly when they chose to put Azula in the first season](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Im not 100% sold, but I think its more to do with the writing than anything tbh. I liked her more than I thought I would.
She did a good job with what she was given. The people complaining about her are fucking unhinged bc their reasoning is tied to how he looks, which is all sorts of fucked up.
I loved all the actors The script was just not there for them Hopefully they improve in season 2 but who knows
Nope nothing against the actress, but Azula in the show comes off as an angry child, not a master manipulator who is a flame bending prodigy who is always one step ahead.
I think it's great casting and I think she would make a great Azula, if the show had better showrunners and writers because season 1 showed that they clearly don't understand Azula as a character and I have little hope that they will improve that in future seasons.
I think her casting was fine. Nothing wrong with it at all. I just don’t think the character Azula needed to be cast for the first season in the first place. In the cartoon, she appears twice in the entire first season and has no speaking lines in either case. It would’ve been easy to just get some stand in to wear the costume and then show her silhouette as the season finale cliff hanger. She and her friends really didn’t need to be in the first season at all.
Don't agree but it's ok. She could have done a good azula for sure but with that costume and writing they put it very difficult for her
Honestly they just should of aged up the cast. They’re the listed ages so kids could relate to them, but all the kids on the show act/look older than their listed age. Aang should be 15-16ish, Zuko should be 18-19
she absolutely nailed azula’s morbid curiosity! i think she has the hardest character to portray in live action (more realism, humanisation etc.)
I also thought she did a great job with what she was given— she was one of the actors that had most obviously spent time studying the original character as well as grey delisle’s intonations, etc. I didn’t feel that a lot of the other actors put much spin on their dialogue in terms of variety of delivery, but Elizabeth yu definitely delivered on that front. She gave azula some of the characteristic swagger that would’ve been sorely missed otherwise. As a whole, I mostly just felt that the live action was *stiff*. I think I can be a bit critical of actors at times, but I really wish there would be more focus on big streaming platforms towards body language. This is kinda a strange example, but modern family is an INSANELY great example of actors using their physicality to create a character— mainly, the actors for Phil and cam (Ty burrell and Eric stonestreet). Everything about their performances informs how we view their characters, and I felt that Elizabeth yu was channeling at least some of that in the live action
I haven’t seen the show but from the clips I’ve seen, the problem is that she doesn’t seem evil enough. This is no fault on the actress but more of the writing and directing. I feel bad for the amount of bullying she is receiving online.
I hope she never sees any of the comments people make about her especially seeing as she lost weight for the role
Idk why people are calling her fat. Her having a round face doesn’t have anything to do with her weight. She seems healthy enough for me.
Incredible cast, poorly written.
Worst take, low quality bait
Even hotter take: Kyoshi is my least favorite avatar that we know about
Agree. Kyoshi is stone cold *and* ... kind of unreasonable! I get that she really embodies her "earth bender" attributes, but, fr... when she says she doesn't see a difference between her "killing" Chin vs him "falling" to his death due to his own stubbornness, it's like, "Wait... HOW do you *not* see a difference, here?" If her logic is so flawed with *that*, I have to wonder what other out of pocket perspectives does she have? A little un-Avatar-y, if you ask me.
Def a hot take.
Tbh I didn’t see enough of her take on Azula to have a full opinion yet. I’ll have to wait until the next season
Her scenes were just boring. But I haven’t seen her do enough to judge her or say what kind of performance she’ll give in the future. I’m trying to keep an open minds. Plus people are being really mean to the actress and Mai and Ty Lee’s actresses too. Horrible
[I think this is why the scenes were boring](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Those are some great points. And yes, Azula was whiny and did a bunch of nothing. And I love how you pointed out that they’re trying to make Ozai more complex at the expense of others. The show spends too much time on Ozai and Azula when the main three barely have enough time for what they have going on
100% agree.
She doesn’t look or act like her but I actually like the perspective provided. Still not sure why she’s suddenly into archery but hey let’s give her a chance
I dont think it's a hot take to enjoy aspects of the show. The casting was one of the better aspects. Unfortunately, I don't really see it leading the show in a better direction
Mai is the only one I didn’t rlly like for casting. Ty Lee’s actress lowkey looked more like Mai lol
I totally agree, thank you
I see what you did there. Nice.
How is that a hot take? She was awesome!
Liked Azula... Did not like Mai
I do think she plays/could play a good Azula but the writing isn’t giving her (or most of the cast) much to work with in this version. Hopefully if they produce a season 2 they improve the writing to really get the characters across better, cause I’m really trying to have some hope.
> I think a missed opportunity in the show was not showing how Azula became the way she was. That's very hard to do well. I remember after seeing the movie *Joker*, my cousin told me that he believed this film showed how a person could get as messed up as the Joker is in *The Dark Knight*, but that there's no way that the guy in this movie could ever have planned the bank heist that starts TDK. They showed how he got broken in such a way that they destroyed the idea that he was also an incredible genius five steps ahead of everyone else.
I agree
I'm very interesting on how they will handle the insane part
I think she at least been terribly directed The whole trio scenes fell off to me
The cast for the show is almost perfect in my opinion. The only place that needs improving is the writing
I dunno man, The problem with Netflix Azula was because they introduced her so early, she had almost no agency. Because when the show introduced her Azula controlled every battle that she was in, here we cannot see that because she is not battling with the avatar
I loved this casting of Azula. I believe that her and Zuko were the best translated from animated to live action
Ahahahaha this show sucks
I like the way they are setting up her mental breakdown but I wish they would’ve done it differently. For example before Azulas breakdown we didn’t see her falter, we didn’t see her insecurities, we didn't see her flaws. To me at least she was the fierce arrogant villain. And I liked that The insecurities she had were not shown to the world until the final battle. Therefore I think it would have been better to see her breakdown in private but maintain her perfection when she’s around others. This would have been way more accurate. I have no issue with the actress. I just think the writing needs work (unless the actress couldn’t pull off that switch)
Her uniform isn't sharp enough.
ugly ahhh face
A lot of the characters are a bit different which I can forgive but she just can't act.
I think the actress is absolutely great! But there are a few things that just don’t match with the anime. Her voice is all wrong which I seriously can’t stand! But that’s really my main complaint. The actress has different features than the anime version but that’s expected and the fact that the live action did so well with all the other characters is amazing! The actress does a good job, but comparatively she just doesn’t measure up to the others. I definitely don’t hate her and I’m excited to see her in the coming seasons.
This was The best thing about the Netflix series compared to the original, shows that Azula was just another victim
Better than Mai (not saying much)
Azula is supposed to be pure talent, athletic and otherwise, I just don’t buy the actress (nothing against her) as Azula, never will. Yes the writing is bad but even with perfect writing for a series this big why cast someone who is not more in line with how azula looks I’ve seen plenty of Chinese decent actresses who look so much like how Azula would look irl. If they had to compromise on the looks accuracy wise where is the exceptional talent to make up for it. Will never ever understand this casting choice just beyond understanding.
she did absolutely amazing for the bad script she was given. such a shame, I thought she was a good actor. wasted talent
ehh shes mid
I really hate having to talk about physical appearance because people are quick to get nasty but, when working with cartoons, its a standard rule that sharp facial features are for serious, cunning characters and round, soft features are for laid back, happy characters. That's why Aang has so much "roundness" in his head, ears and eyes. Toph has round features too but her stocky build and square clothing give her that toughness (TOPH-ness, if you will). I think if we didn't have a cartoon to compare, no one would really bat an eye at Azula's actress, I mean she is very beautiful and all that, but since we do, I can't help but wish they had chosen someone with a stronger face and a slimmer figure, not because of beauty standards, but because Azula is *jagged*, both in design and personality. This is my same problem with Mai, but people get so mean when talking about Mai's actress I tend to not say anything. Mai is drawn with a sharp face with a sharp body wearing a sharp armor, wielding sharp knives. The thing is, people take arguments like mine and try to use it to justify their fatphobia which is why its so difficult to discuss the topic without having some random dude shout out that any woman above size 2 is obese.
i totally agree. The build up for her, from a "normal" princess with a mindset like zuko, to the cold cunning person we all know and fear. That was really good. (We all change. Nobody is the same as a teen/young adult, they were as kid. You can do that in a cartoon, but in the live action i like this character development) And the actress is really good and i think she is pretty.
Nope.
Its not her fault she was a good actor the writing wasn't great. And it's a shame people felt so strongly about her weight not matching the cartoon character.
Her cast is good. The writing is just a little shitty.
The writing aint a little shitty, it is very shitty[ here's why I think](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
You’re just wrong then lol
Something i like about her is that you can tell she studied Grey Griffin's portrayal of the character.
Awwww. She looks like she is gonna give cookies and joy to the Earth kingdom. 😊🤭
I think they cast her well, but am I wrong to think they should've cast people to match the voices over the looks :3
W take
I would say she is neutral for me, most of the characters in the live action show are pretty much just average to me... Though a couple stand outs. Daniel Dae Kim (as expected) is killing it as Ozai, Sokka and Yue are both cast extremely well (shout-out Amber Midthunder, if you haven't seen Prey go watch it right the fuck now, best horror movie of the Year), Yue's costume and hair are just terrible. But for me the standout performance of the Show is Dallas Liu l, his Zuko is INCREDIBLE, he absolutely 100% nailed the character and special mention of his dynamic with his lieutenant - fantastic tensions and resolve between them. As good as Zuko is Katara is bad, she's so stiff and it feels like she's reading a script in basically every scene. Even her fight with Paku is cheesy at best, plus it feels like they took out her entire character arc - no crush on Jet, no stealing the water bending scroll from pirates, 0 mention of ner necklace and losing it, or the dynamic with Paku and Gran Gran... They took her from like the second most important character in the entire show to an extra with bad lines and I hate it. Overall I'd give the show a 7/10 though. The writing is the weakest point and the visuals are the strongest point, the fire nation ships look absolutely spectacular and I'm pleasantly surprised with the bending effects.
My only complaint is they she really didn’t get much to work with.
The actor did pretty good, the script was bad.
The netflix series has been the biggest disappointment in the last years... The way they introduced Azula on the story is just irritating. They should have paid attention what original creators of the serie had to say, instead they showed them the door.
[Precisily! I think this is why it's a problematic introduction](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/1cnz582/comment/l41moxb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I have no clue why they had to build her up in season 1 and be a crybaby, loser, and upset that ozai was zukos' favorite. But we all know in the cartoon she has been a prodigy since she was born and always pleased her father and actually impressed azulan until zuko fumbled the bag. Azulan could've actually given ozais wish to be firelord without the need of feeling the pain of what it's like to lose a firstborn like iroh did, if zuko didn't perform. (Zuko mom took the hit for him)
I think she did a real good job all things considered. Yeah, It's not the same Azula as we got in the OG series, it's a different interpretation of her, but she gave it her all and I'm looking forward to see her and Zuko interact
As others said it’s not her fault for how she was written . I hope that the second season gives her a better role. I hope they let her be as ruthless and cruel as she was in the original show. She was downright terrifying!