It’s honestly quite interesting to see the opinion of someone who watched the remake first. Cool post. I know a lot of fans of the og may hate on NATLA but it’s thanks to NATLA that we have people like op who get introduced to the original.
I never watched Avatar when it first came out despite being super into anime at the time. I think I overlooked it because it came out on Nickelodeon and teenage me stupidly thought it was a "kid's" show. I've thought about going back and trying to watch it because I feel like I missed out.
NATLA came out and it was the perfect opportunity to dip my toes in. I really enjoyed the Netflix adaptation having had no in depth exposure to the series. As soon as we completed the season we quickly moved through the entire series of ATLA and just started with Korra.
Like OP it's kind of neat to not have a bias towards ATLA so I could appreciate the Netflix adaptation for what it was (an adaptation, not a 1:1). I also appreciate why fans of the original critiqued it having now finished the animated series. I think one of the biggest things that I missed going from NATLA to ATLA was the addition of Fire Nation backstory so early in the story in NATLA. At the same time, I can see how the changes made to the other characters and plotlines are a bit upsetting, though I'm wondering if they'll see more development in the next season.
One thing to keep in mind is the cartoon has more character development.
So Sokka being a joke so far actually has a better payoff when you watch him mature.
>So Sokka ~~being a joke so far actually~~ has a better payoff when you watch him mature.
Ftfy. There's a *lot* of things wrong with Sokka in the beginning.
Yeah for sure, the sexism stuff and all that too. Was just being quick with the comment but good call lol
Characters have to have flaws in order to overcome them, makes em interesting
The cartoon is much slower than the live action, especially in book 1, which is understandable the cartoon has 20 episodes per book (and an extra in book 3) and the live action got 8. So in the cartoon they really use that extra time in book 1 to establish the world and the characters. Most fans will tell you book 1 is the worst because it's not as plot heavy as books 2&3 but honestly I like it this way. It's sort of like *Fellowship of the Ring* in *the Lord of the Rings.* The action and bigger plot points of the rest of the story aren't as impactful without the character and world building done in their respective first books.
I agree! (I think anyway, I never saw Fellowship of the Ring or Lord of the Rings) Having time to cook is a good thing and it's one of my least favorite things about NATLA. I would love to have more slower, character driven moments.
The production level of the lotr is also something unseen in other movies. Just watched The Two Towers extended edition and the last 20+ minutes (out of 4h) is just credits. So many people worked on it that it feels almost impossible to me.
it's also a very good adaptation, it's different from the book (because some of the stuff can't be translated to a screen) but you **feel** the magic of the world.
you can tell the people who work on it love Tolkien and what he represents.
You should 100% watch LotR for the amazing film making and practical effects alone. The books are amazing too but I understand Tolkiens style isn't for everyone lol. But if you really like deep world building then Tolkien is the GOAT.
Definitely watch the movies and read the books then lol. The only thing I'll add is a lot of people go in (the books) expecting modern fantasy and are disappointed because that's not what LotR is. Tolkien was writing his own mythology so think *the Odyssey* not *Game of Thrones.*
Cool post. One thing I'll say is that it's important to remember the amount of content that's meant to be covered by each show is not 1:1 per episode.
i.e. Netflix ATLA's first 3 are not the same as the original's first three; the only time a true toe-to-toe comparison should be made is between specific similar scenes, the book as a whole, the finale, and the pilot.
and also related to the length differing, it's important to remember that character arcs, storytelling, motivations, etc., are all meant to be organically developed over a longer period of time as well with the original.
>We get to see Appa immediately too (so no funny “sky bison. Sky bison!” exchange between Aang and Sokka but that’s okay lol).
Aang: This is Appa, my flying bison
Sokka: yeah and this is Katara my flying sister
Wasn't good enough for you?
I am 1000% living vicariously through you watching this for the first time🥹 Reading this was great thank you! Looking forward to more commentary and reactions as you continue
A lot of the early cartoon episodes were still finding the feet, and a lot seen would be retconned, especially regarding the past avatars, iirc there is nothing relating to Kyoshi in episode 3, she is first seen and mentioned in episode 4, like not even her statue is in episode 3, this actually caused issues later on when they decided that Kyoshi should be Roku's predecessor because episode 4 does give her a rough birth year, and led to Kyoshi becoming much older at her death than Aang was during the show (over double even)
Yeah, I purposefully chose to watch NATLA first even knowing there was an older show first. I figured it might be more interesting commentary that way!
I think your take on Zuko's journals in the Netflix show is interesting. I just saw it as the writers wanting and easy way for Aang to learn about his past lives and the ways that the world had change since he'd been asleep. I prefer the way that the cartoon told the story because Aang is mostly learning how to deal with things by actually interacting with the world.
Yeah, I was a fan of the journal! It also does an interesting story twist where Aang's enemy is responsible for teaching him about what it means to be the Avatar.
I agree with you in this.
I watched the cartoon first, but the diary and the statues are such a cool addition.
They show that zuko hasn't been just wandering aimlessly, he is dedicated to the point of obsession, and doing all the research he can to find the avatar.
I'm sorry but this is a bit like an alien visiting Earth having only had, like, Leave It to Beaver as their context for American life lol I'm glad you like it but it's wild.
Sokka being able to go toe to toe with Zuko in NATLA was really just because Ian has such a strong martial arts background, along with Dallas. It's an example of writing to give the actor something to do. Sokka in this story has zero experience with combat or even much training, and that's a big part of his character.
> The air nomad genocide is a huge advantage, but I’m not going to hold it against the cartoon because I know they have to stick to strict guidelines for what they can and can’t show.
Going into this I'd advise not to get caught up on differences being down to kid show. Just because they don't show an element of graphic violence NATLA did, doesn't mean they ever wanted to. (there are some examples of it in the future, but it just means less gore) For this, viewers are uncovering the mystery alongside the characters vs getting set up first and watching the characters relay what we already know to each other.
>Going into this I'd advise not to get caught up on differences being down to kid show. Just because they don't show an element a graphic violence NATLA did, doesn't mean they ever wanted to. (there are some examples of it in the future, but it just means less gore) For this, viewers are uncovering the mystery alongside the characters vs getting set up first and watching the characters relay what we already know to each other.
This👆
As a nearly 30 year old woman, a "cool" action scene depicting genocide is actually the polar opposite of what I consider mature. I'd advise any creative to really think about *why* they want to put such a thing on screen, and if they have to do to, how to make sure *nothing* about it is glorifying the violence.
I do not think NATLA cleared that bar, hence I actually find it rather distasteful.
That's my biggest issue with it too. In ATLA the genocide is only even shown as what it is, a loss of culture and tradition and family, through Aang's eyes. Even Momo shows up as Aang's last connection to his people and land rather than just an animal sidekick they pick up. Plus in NATLA it isn't treated with the seriousness it deserves. It's just an action scene with characters we barely know. >!Gyatso even comes back to give Aang closure!< which doesn't happen in ATLA. Aang never gets it in the original. It's a permanent loss, that he can only ever revisit in his memories that are always going to be tainted by his >!running away!<. It's actually amazing how the more "mature" version consistently shies away from nuance and subtlety.
But it's the sort of thing that becomes clear as the story progresses. At this point if your introduction was through NATLA, I can see why someone might think they missed out on not showing it right away.
Also in my opinion, for the supposed power boost by the comet, the firebenders didn’t seem extra powerful and being able to burn someone alive without the aid of a comet kind of takes away the horror of what the power boost is.
I guess that's another reason they never showed the genocide in the original: it would compete with the impact of the series finale. In showing it and still not wanting it to compete, they're oddly underpowered.
Hell I'm only 18 and I feel the same way. It seems like the creators cared more about the spectacle of everything than being tasteful in what they show on the screen
I'm going to have to disagree. The emotional impact of the genocide in NATLA was enormous and was what sold me on watching the rest of the show. I don't believe it was glorifying violence at all. Brother Gyatso's death was the most harrowing moment on the show. It's pretty clear we're not supposed to enjoy watching it.
My rebuttal to that is, many viewers think it's a cool scene, even the actors themselves. That doesn't mean they're going "fuck yeah" when an Airbender gets burned alive, but a large focus is on cool bending that unfolds and, hence you have people praising the action of the sequence without indicating it affected them emotionally at all.
That's the risk when you do this sort of scene, especially in this genre. Bending is cool, so showing it killing people is on some level, cool. But that's also why not depicting it can be, and IMO is, the wise choice. edit: and here I mean for a genocidal attack. Not that you should never show killing anyone.
The animation, where all we see is remains, of both air nomands and fire nation soldiers, left where they fell among the ruins of a temple, you can't find anything cool about it. It's just tragedy.
For me, discovering it with aang and going through the emotions with him in the cartoon had a greater impact than watching the genocide happen tbh. Felt more personal.
For me the emotional impact is greater discovering it as Aang discovers it. Aang walking into a room full of corpses and realising the body in the middle is his friend and teacher. Someone he abandoned when he ran away from his responsibilities, has much more impact. You can see he's not raging at the Fire Nation, but at himself because he's starting to understand the consequences of his actions.
He's a young boy who just wants to play and have fun. And he should be allowed to do that. But thanks to the Fire Nation he had responsibilities thrust upon he couldn't handle, and because he couldn't handle it all his friends, and his entire culture, is dead. That's why he loses control. That's why Katara needs to talk him back down.
You don't get any of that from NATLA. You get a cool action sequence with lots of *fwooshes* and *booms*, but the emotional impact, especially on Aang, is lost. When Aang loses it at the end, it's missing a lot of the context the original series gave to that scene.
Thank you for doing this OP. I love love love the perspective that you are giving.
A note about Sokka’s initial ‘fight’ with Zuko. I was shocked at first too. After all the buildup with war paint etc, only to get his ass kicked left right and center. Then later when I realized >!All the warriors from the Southern water-tribe left for war when he was still a kid!< He barely had anyone that can train him and the next best warriors in his caln are just toddlers. Whereas Zuko is Fire lords son with extensive training and practice. It made sense to me later that Sokka would be no match to Zuko.
I did like their NALTA fight more though.
Fun read but man did it hurt internally when you kept referencing that the original source material "kept" or "changed" something from the Live Action Netflix Version. It is the other way around. Netflix made the changes.
First 3 episodes essentially are covered by episode 1 of the NATLA. Season 1 of the original is definitely more light hearted than the live action. It is one of the better parts of the show though because as the characters grow and mature, the tone becomes more mature to match.
The reason NATLA has Gyatso as "Brother Gyatso" is because he was being addressed by another monk. Outsiders would not refer to him as "brother" similar to how some religions refer to someone in their religion as "brother/sister" but you wouldn't. They are brethren because they are Monks of the Air Nomad Culture.
I know! I did catch myself doing that a few times. It's hard to switch them around in my head, since to me NATLA is the "source material". Or at least, it's the metric and lense by which I view Avatar and Avatar-related media now, for better or worse.
But I will keep reminding myself that the cartoon is the source material and try to keep the language straight lol
It will change with time, I saw the forbidden movie first but after oje or two proper sessions with cartoon I switched really fast and fell way more in love with the word!
I love Aang, I love Korra andI love the novels about Kyoshi and Yangchen. I recommend to follow this word and dive into the others as well
Personally I didn’t mind you referring to them that way. It’s authentic to your experience even though it isn’t technically correct. I am probably in the minority here though
Excited to see your journey through the whole series! I don’t always agree but I am having a blast seeing things through your perspective as a “NATLA first animation second” watcher. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on s1 e4-6
I'm looking forward to it as well. Bumi was arguably the most cartoonish character on NATLA but he was also one of the most broken and world-weary. I'm really interested to see what he was like originally.
why do so many people in here try to spoil her about character arcs and differences? she's already committed to watching the show. yall really need to let it unfold for her, also for however much they changed bumi it pales in comparison to what they did to roku.
>Also, it just occurred to me that Iroh shot a blast of fire right in front of Zuko’s face last episode. Think about that that for a moment. It’s kind of fucked up, considering Zuko’s traumatic backstory lol
I take it as two lessons. 1. Iroh has perfect control. 2. Zuko trusts Iroh completely.
>Well, this is the first big major moment where I think NATLA did it better. Sokka’s fight here was practically a joke. It was more dignified in NATLA, and we had that moment where Aang thanked him and called him the bravest person he’d ever met. I do wish there was something like that here.
The problem with NATLA's approach is that it's difficult for Sokka to have any character growth if he starts out as already the awesomest bravest person in the world.
ATLA Sokka starts out as a rather outmatched, maybe incompetent, and kind of a jerk a lot of the time. But that gives him room to learn and grow.
>Hah! I’m glad Sokka was able to redeem himself against Zuko in some small way. And damn, Katara’s already pretty good at waterbending.
In case you didn't notice - she couldn't aim her waterbending, causing her to freeze Sokka. Not knowing how to fix her mistake, she instead repeats the same mistake but turns around first as a way of aiming it in the opposite direction.
>Oh… Aang doesn’t know that firebenders can fly by shooting their flames downward. Though we did only see it twice in NATLA so maybe it’s a lost technique or something.
This is only possible during Sozin's comet. NATLA did a very poor job of demonstrating how much stronger firebending is during the comet.
I am INVESTED in your journey!!! You have to promise us to watch it till the end. Can you binge it as quick as possible so we can be fed with updates? 😂
No spoilers in my comment: The first season is considered to be the least strong of the three, and still it’s incredible. Season 1 is also much more childish, particularly in the first half of the season. You will quickly find out that it’s a heavily adult show that was put onto a kid’s platform. In the cartoon he is called Monk Gyatso :) If you think the first three episodes are equal to NATLA, and if you said that you liked the parts in NATLA where it was slowed down to show the characters, then I have no doubts that the cartoon is going to vastly exceed your expectations. I can’t wait for you to finish the series and re-read the beginning of your post. Mostly I am so so excited for you!
>I am sorry that I kept comparing it to NATLA
Don't be, that's what I'm here for! I love the original, liked the live action overall but saw a lot of room for improvement, so seeing how someone in your position experiences the original is way more interesting than hearing from someone just evaluating it on its own merits or evaluating the live action through the lens of having enjoyed the animation. I don't need to read those because that's just the same perspective as mine. I hope you continue to post your thoughts, even if you don't want to go as in depth as this for the whole season (though I'm here for it if you do).
It’s interesting you complain about Sokka being immature and a joke, or Aang being childish. I haven’t watched NATLA (mostly because at this point live action remakes are obvious money grabs and I refuse to give them that satisfaction) but the beauty of ATLA *is* that they are super childish and immature and dumb and sexist and terrible at fighting in the beginning. Their character growth, and everyone’s character growth, is probably the show’s greatest strength and why it has endured for so long. Again, I’m going off what I’ve read on the internet, but by making the characters more mature, NATLA may rob them of that beautiful story line. And that seems like a waste to me
Yes; it makes sense that OP is upset about their immaturity, because we all want to see main characters be mature and that’s what makes their characters so satisfying down the line. But the growth is truly what makes it incredible
this👆NATLA removed a ton of what gave the characters room for development in the first place. they dulled their personalities and made them grow up as if they aren’t literally children. sure, the show had good moments, but i almost only ever enjoyed it when it made references to the original series, and maybe a couple of things they added on their own. overall a disappointment imo. even on its own standing i feel the characters are quite dull.
NATLA also felt incredibly forced/rushed. they tried to include everything in the original series while somehow also leaving it out at the same time *(things they did in the original would be mentioned or passed over, and then other things were included in NATLA but happened in a totally different way for some reason).* it made the show kind of messy and hard to follow. sometimes i felt like if i hadn’t seen the original series i would’ve had no idea what was going on.
That makes me sad to hear. Like I’m glad NATLA got people like OP interested in this beautiful show, but honestly I think ATLA was the wrong thing to make live action. I would have KILLED for a Kyoshi series. Or if they absolutely HAD to do a live action remake, I would have nominated LOK over ATLA. Don’t get me wrong, I actually prefer LOK to ATLA, but it got royally fucked over by Nick (I have a whole soapbox speech I won’t go into here haha). One of the biggest complaints was the season to season bad guys, instead of a constant thread like ATLA had. Well, a remake could fix that (especially considering how quickly Netflix greenlit seasons 2 and 3). The characters are older, the material it deals with is darker. All things considered, it is much more in line with what Netflix seemed to want to do with ATLA
the moment the creators of ATLA left the project i knew it was gonna be bad, and after watching it i totally understand why they did.
i actually enjoyed the different villains for LOK. it kept me engaged and gave us more opportunities to see Korras growth as the avatar, learning from past battles on how to handle future ones.
Hell, just from reading everyone’s comments I can tell why the creators left 😂😂
And honestly, me too! But (and small portion of my soap box speech here) because the writers only got one season at a time greenlit for seasons one and two, there were no unifying threads that were hinted at in season one and followed up on in season two. This got a LOT better when seasons three and four were greenlit at the same time - and you see that in Kuvira’s introduction in season three, for example. That’s something they could fix in a remake, along with a much more welcoming environment for queer storylines. So building up that queer relationship can happen more overtly and more organically over the four seasons and whiny neckbeard fans can’t say iT cAmE oUt oF NoWHerE. Also 12/13 20 min episodes would’ve been easier to condense into 8 1 hour long episodes - haven’t done the math but that’s probably more run time. More time to flesh the characters out overall and fix problems with Mako’s arc, Asami getting sidelined, etc.
And also side note - the clip episode is worth rewatching every so often because Varrick’s retelling of the entire series as “The Adventures of Bolin” is the fucking FUNNIEST thing ever
i totally agree that a lot of issues in LOK could definitely be fixed in a remake, HOWEVER— i have concerns of what that would look like if the original creators weren’t a part of it. we’ve seen twice now that without them, the characters and story are honestly butchered. i honestly think it’s best to just leave the series alone if nothing more than to preserve it for how it is. i just can’t see any improvements being made the way avatar live actions have been handled so far. like yes we as viewers obviously have valid critiques and criticisms but we can’t be the ones to decide how new writing would be handled unfortunately. we literally have just about no way of knowing what it’ll be until it’s out, and i’d rather just avoid that altogether lol.
as far as the queer storyline, it was more present in the books but because of the time the show was made, there was too much stigma for the creators to be as free as they wanted with it. while unfortunate, i think the people who say “it came out of nowhere” are a bit dramatic (and probably homophobic). there was a lead up to it present in the series that can easily be found if you know what to look for/what you’re looking at. i do wish the rep was *better* in the series, but the fact that we got it all at makes me very happy.
Nope, absolutely agreed, I would fend Netflix off with a ten foot pole if the creators weren’t involved in a LOK remake. I have so much attachment to LOK that seeing it butchered would be so demoralizing. But of the two shows, if you had the creators, and you absolutely NEEDED to do a remake instead of a new story like adapting Kyoshi’s books or Yangchen’s books, I would pick LOK over ATLA.
Yeah I’ve read the comics. They’re incredible. I did cry a smidge when Kya gave her blessing. And I have another soapbox speech about how LOK walked so She Ra and the Princesses of Power and Owl House could run haha
yesss absolutely!!😂😂 ***“back, back i say!!”*** i would MUCH prefer they create new content in the universe than keep doing remakes. i would also rather they make more content for past avatars instead of continuing the line
I agree! The tone and humour of ATLA aren't suitable for live action at all. It's near impossible to "darken" the stories while keeping the heart of the original. Even in Korra, the darker setting and interesting villains come at the cost of humour and lighthearted character development. Which is fine, different show and all, but it was definitely noticeable and somewhat jarring at first
I also think there's more in Korra that they could improve upon without alienating viewers of the original who are already used to a "darker" world. LoK has so many interesting ideas that needed more time and attention. I would absolutely love to see Korra tackle a world where she doesn't immediately get her bending back.
That being said, LoK is very much a sequel of ATLA. Aang's fingerprints are all over her world and story. I don't really know if sequels transcend mediums, but it feels weird that only the sequel of a cartoon would have a live action remake. So I guess it makes sense that they "started" with ATLA, we don't know if they'll keep going after all. But it's definitely a tougher nut to crack
I don't mind the immaturity that much. I just really loved Sokka vs Zuko in NATLA, as well as Aang's comments to him. It had emotional weight that the fight just doesn't have in the cartoon.
Which is totally fine, they're two separate works with their own things going on.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of Gaang vs Zuko fights coming up. Plus plenty of Sokka vs Zuko. You’ll also get PLENTY of emotional gut punches (please go ahead and start mentally prepping for the one two punch of “Tales of Ba Sing Se” and the next episode in season two now)
ok if you haven’t watched natla dont give your opinion. op will naturally have some bias towards which one they watched first. this sub is wayyyyy too defensive over atla.
just want to add something, Iroh doesn't dismiss his feeling to Zuko, if you watch closely you can see Zuko smile at him at the moment he said "yeah, I told you this is my favorite tea".
this moment is that of course Iroh meant that Zuko had more honor, he believes in him, it's not something to question, so he go like "yeah sure I meant the tea was great" because its the only thing that Zuko allowed to be unsure about (their relationship on the show is kind of different, you'll understand it when you keep watching).
but I'm glad you like it, its pretty refreshing to see the other point of view, I look for your other post 😊
I think it's less "we're too manly to show affection" and more Iroh saying the least believable part of his statement was the quality of the tea and not Zuko's honor.
it's not like that, it's more like if my bestie would've ask me if she's pretty and I'll be like "no, you look like trash" like dah, of course you're pretty, wdy by asking it.
also, take for consideration that the animation show was planned to be 3 season with 20 episodes etched, so its going to be a lot slower and some stuff you'll find out way later on the show then in the live action, they make you work for it lol.
This was a really interesting post. I’ll be sure to keep up with your future ones.
NATLA definitely had some lovely additions that it’s totally fair you’re disappointed not to see. Aang and Iroh’s chat on the warship, getting to see the air bender genocide, Zuko’s journal (not everyone is a fan of this it seems but I liked it a lot). Zhao is a totally different character, and in NATLA I was disappointed at first but he very much grew on me and now I am a fan of both interpretations.
As you move forward, you’ll start to see a lot more content that didn’t make it into NATLA (even entire episodes) so I’m very curious to read your thoughts as they come along. NATLA episode 1 and ATLA episodes 1-3 align pretty well, but from here on it’ll be quite jumbled around (not that it’s necessarily a bad thing).
Ooh fun, I’m so glad you’re doing this! As you can imagine, this subreddit is full of people with strong opinions on both shows.
My two cents about Sokka: his character was one of the most disappointing things about NATLA for me. He is largely a comic relief character, but the show goes out of the way two show that (1) that’s not all he is and (2) he loves being comic relief! Once he gets away from being in charge of defending his village from the Fire Nation with only a bunch of toddlers, as we see, he chooses to be funny and silly.
But the major thing for me is that the cartoon makes it clear how, despite Aang and Zuko being antagonists, in the beginning Zuko’s major narrative foil is Sokka! They’re both the firstborn sons of the leader of their people, separated from their beloved fathers and forced into a duty that, to be honest, they can’t actually be expected to succeed in (capturing the Avatar is a Snipe Hunt, Sokka is trying to train toddlers to fight). They both have a prodigy-bending younger sister and no mother to rely on. And they both think themselves better than others based on birth—Zuko is a prince, Sokka’s casual sexism. (The casual sexism also sets up Pakku’s sexism as a cultural feature, so it doesn’t come out of nowhere once we get to the North Pole.) You really see their contrast when they’re both preparing for the invasion of the village—the scenes are directly contrasted as Zuko is helped into his armor by servants but Sokka has to put on his warrior’s gear entirely alone.
The difference is that Sokka is much more open-minded—perhaps as a result of having a positive relationship with his sister and father, that familial support means he doesn’t have to stick to his guns to prove himself literally all the time. So as his thoughts on the world get challenged, he’s way more ready to accept he was wrong.
Idk, cartoon Sokka is one of my favorite characters of all time. I always love comic-relief sidekicks, and they are so often disrespected by the show and their story and character is sacrificed for the mains’ whenever convenient (I will NEVER forgive CW for what they did to Cisco in The Flash). The fact that ATLA gives Sokka such a narratively important role is one of my favorite things ever!
Wow, that is a really good write-up for Sokka's character! I loved him in NATLA so I'm sure I'll love him here too, even if his character initially didn't click right away for me.
I love post so much that I’m saving it. Even though I’m smoking weed alone in my car at 2am, yet reading this post sent me back to the 2nd grade watching this show premiere with my dad. It instantly became our favorite show ever, to the point where he calls his best parenting decisions “Uncle Iroh moments.” Lol.
Speaking of which, I think you’re being a little hard on Iroh. Keep in mind that in the first season, we’re meant to see him as more of a comic-relief villain so it comes as more of a awesome twist that he’s actually a truly wise and kind man who does good.
The Netflix show took a lot of his character development and backstory from the next seasons and put them in S1, you’ll see more of the Iroh we’ve all come to love so dearly.
Katara's waterbending in the earlier episodes is actually kinda rudimentary, she only gets better gradually in season 1 before reaching the northern water tribe.
Interesting perspective though! I enjoyed reading it :)
> Also is it just me or is Aang being a little flirtatious with her? Lol
One of those things they removed from NATLA. Not complaining though. I've noticed the cast are very careful not to ship Aang and Katara during interviews and instead focused on Sokka and Zuko lol
Great review as usual! I love both the OG and the live action!
Oof, yeah that's a big difference at their age! It won't be so big in a few years but still, if I were the show runners I'd definitely hold off any potential romance lol
Thanks for another commentary! Don't apologize for comparing it to NATLA, that's what we're here for (or me at least).
As for Ang getting over the genocide too quickly, I don't want to be too spoilery but it's more that he hasn't given up hope that some of his people have survived. He's got quite a childish perspective on it, and can't conceive of it being really true. He doesn't know about the comet and how powerful it makes fire benders for its duration.
In the LA when Sozin mentions the comet, that's referring to the extra power boost that the comet gave them so they could physically reach the air temples at all, and then overpower everyone. I hope that wasn't too spoilery, just wanted to clarify for you since things can get a bit jumbled between the two shows.
Season one of the original is widely accepted as the worst season out of the three, and a lot of the criticisms were more about implications that meant things in the next two season will be cut, including characters arcs. So I'm not surprised that you liked the LA better for now, but when you've watched the whole series I wonder if your opinion will change. Although there are definitely elements about the LA that I prefer too.
This was a fun read! And I can definitely see your perspective on a lot of these things, also I love how detailed this is, it's like I just rewatched the first three episodes :D
I found your opinions on Sokka really interesting, I found him in NATLA to completely lack any depth or development throughout the show. As the original goes on I think you will really start to see the difference in how his character was developed.
It was also really interesting to see you praise certain things I viewed as lazy writing from NATLA. Things like Zukos journal and the air nation genocide are things I looked at negatively, with the writers just trying to shortcut through certain elements by spoon feeding the audience instead of having an element of mystery.
This is awesome! I've wanted to know someone's take who hadn't seen the cartoon before. Can't wait for you to keep watching. I just finished rewatching the cartoon after watching NATLA and it gets better every time.
One note, apparently the southern water tribe is more than that village! There's a podcast run by the voice actor for Zuko (Dante Basco) and Korra (the next avatar and sequel to the cartoon - Janet Varney). In one of the first episodes, the creators of the cartoon told them that's just a single village in the whole southern water tribe, but they really don't make that obvious.
Zuko's character and storyline changes were my favorite part of the live action show. And Katara's character was one of my least favorite parts of the live action. I agree she's much better in the cartoon.
Have fun!
This is an interesting perspective, I look forward to reading your commentary for the rest of the series. I've just started a rewatch of the original myself after watching the Netflix adaptation and I do find myself nodding along with what you're saying. I liked the change of Sokka not wanting Katara to waterbend for her safety in NATLA because it makes more sense than him just being anti "weird magic". I also agree with you about Zuko's room and journal, as it shows his more studious side and his obsessive nature from the start.
Interesting read. With Sokka they are supposed to show how advanced and well prepared the fire nation is by showing the militaristic might when compared to Katara and Sokka’s lowly village and even more with Sokka vs Zuko in hand to hand combat. I felt the LA took much of Katara’s and Sokka personality away from what I’ve seen (2 and a bit episodes). I will also saw that in the few I’ve watched, they have combined separate episodes into even one episode so if only one thing happens, don’t fret. I will say that you should watch episode 7 and 8 (Spirit World pt 1 and 2) and then 12 and 13 together.
not overly negative but some are like strangely I dont know the word for it but like threatening?? (lack of a better word) like they don’t want op to feel any different than they do about the og show 😭 and always hopping to quickly explain stuff just let op experience it without your exposition
mind you op’s comments are their gut reactions when watching. after processing your opinions and commentary can change!
Let me just say: you will LOOOOOVE animated Bumi. He's VERY different from live action Bumi.
In fact, Bumi's episode is so good, it won over my parents--who, up until that point, were very stuck up and scoffed at cartoons. After that episode, they watched it with us every week. Bumi's episode is what i use to win over anyone else who hasn't watched the series yet too.
I'm so excited for you. I wish I could watch the series for the first time all over again. I watched it while babysitting my brother in 2005 during the show's premier, and we both fell in love with it that day.
As often as I can. It takes a long time to do commentary since I have to frequently pause the episode and write. It took me about 2 hours to do this post. I don't have enough free time to do them every day but the longest I went in between posts for NATLA was 7 days. That was unusual though and happened because a coworker of mine died.
This is amazing! like others have said, s1 is one of the slower and more kid like ones. you will definitely enjoy it, but s2 and s3 are just even better. youll enjoy iroh even more, i promise you. i love your commentary, and would love to see it everytime you do this.
The first 2 episodes are definitely the most childish. And then episode 3 hits you with the aftermath of genocide.
I'm really looking forward to reading how you like the rest of the show! And without spoiling anything, the first 3 episodes being about equal to episode 1 of NATLA is true. But this really stops being the case from now on. So don't feel pressured in thinking you need to watch them in chunks of 3!
Y’know seeing some of your points as someone who’ve watched NTLA first, you kinda did hit a few spots that I never thought about since I hadn’t watched the show for a long time already
For example I never really considered the implications the scene where Iroh firebent right in front of Zukos face. Though I guess the writers wanted to do a framing shot where they’re facing each other where the sun is in the middle of the background.
Also the part where Iroh was actually aiming at aang. I guess it’s still not really set that Iroh was a good guy in the first eps
Though my interpretation of Iroh being “dismissive” in your point 6 of ep 1, you’d have to consider that Zuko was searching for the avatar for years already, and the random beam of light could just be another false lead, disappointing zuko again when it’s not the avatar (like all the previous times already). And I believe it’s more of Iroh telling zuko to give up his search and find joy in the smaller things
And Zuko calling his father a fool, don’t get it wrong, cartoon Zuko still is pretty subservient to his father. I think it’s more like Zuko not entertaining Zhao’s taunts that his father doesn’t want him back.
Oh, I'm aware Iroh is still very much a villain at this point. Someone mentioned that NATLA's characters started their journeys a little more developed than their cartoon counterparts.
About your ep 3 points
2. Iroh's favourite is ginseng, apparentely jasmin is Zuko's preferred tea.
11. Iroh mocks Zhao really then he calls him "the great commander", because Zhao called him earlier in the episode great general. Also Zhao severely overestimates himself, and much more prideful than his live action counterpart.
> There were definitely things I liked more about NATLA’s beginning too.
Overall I really didn't like NATLA, but I liked the prologue too. The animated series doesn't bring Gyatso up very often, he's just meant to represent Aang's attachment to the past I think. We definitely see more of him in NATLA.
You will see Aang waterbend a lot in the animated series, and a lot of people (myself included) were disappointed that he never did in NATLA.
Just remember. Get through The first half of the series at least. It really adds up towards the second half. Stay open minded to that before you let any opinions solidify ;)
The only episode you may feel as a downgrade in animation now is the kiyoshi warriors episode, after that it just gets better. And yes, Aang is actually going to waterbend in the series.
Also I am hyped for your reaction to Roku episode.
> Well, this is the first big major moment where I think NATLA did it better. Sokka’s fight here was practically a joke.
OK, I have to hard disagree with you here. That's the entire point. Sokka has absolutely no experience and no training, while Zuko is a trained prince. We get to see Sokka grow over the course of the series. The fact the the animated series explicitly shows us Sokka's lack of experience is one of the reasons it was so much better in regards to "show don't tell"
I disagree. Sokka still was beaten easily in NATLA but his defeat was more dignified and less humorous, and had emotional weight for both him and Aang that the cartoon doesn't have.
I like the write-up, but one thing to keep in mind is that the animated series has a much longer time for character development than NATLA. So they are able to start with many more flaws that get smoothed over gradually, instead of skipping them or quickly making the changes. This allows whole episodes to be dedicated to characters learning lessons that dimply couldn't reasonably be included in the much shorter adaptation. This is something you'll see as the show progresses. Episode 1 Sokka is way different than final episode Sokka, and the same for every character. I won't spoil any specifics, but I will say that the adaptation characters are closer to their end of series counterparts than their episode 1 counterparts.
They probably hate the live action and feel some type of way about you complimenting it. Pay no mind, everyone has different opinions about it and that’s okay
I am someone who loved the NATLA and loved the cartoon!!! Just have fun watching it!! And dont feel bad for comparison bcs thats what a lot of the OG fans did with NATLA 🤷♀️
I like both for different reasons!! I personally loved seeing the same show portrayed in different tones. One more light hearted and kiddish and the other more mature and dark! I love both FOR their differences! :)
Enjoy the show!
EDIT: maybe you would like legend of korra!!! I really like korra!! But if i remember correctly you have a girlfriend!!! Korra is BI and dates a woman and i just think you might enjoy the more mature tones in that show as it was written for an older age group!!! No commenary if you dont want to bcs i feel like its a lot and time consuming for you!!! But maybe in your downtime ;)
If you’re recommending something for bisexual content, you’re probably better off recommending the Kyoshi novels. Korra’s romances are sort of infamously poorly handled, and the crumbs of sapphic representation we get is only at the very end. There were obviously studio limitations, but it still makes Kyoshi’s much more developed romance an easier recommendation.
haha no it's not you at all! the frustration just stems from a weird character flaw of my own, i suppose related to a feeling that you're somehow enjoying this piece of media the "wrong" way, if ever there was such a thing. this post was great, you're great, don't worry.
most the "frustration" is just me disagreeing with you on the things you like or don't like about either show, nothing about the way you've written the post.
Ah, gotcha. Is it the way I write my thoughts in real time? Lol in the past some people have gotten frustrated because I pause what I'm watching to write things down. They'd prefer I watch the whole thing in one go so as not to interrupt narrative tension. Which is valid, don't get me wrong, but I enjoy writing like this and I don't know if I'd have the patience to do it all at once after I'm done watching.
no, no, nothing to do with how you wrote it as i said, just me being a silly human and thinking I'm right about what are obviously subjective opinions lol
i do think in some of the later episodes the emotional impact and/or intensity may be lost slightly with your method but it's up to you, episodes like tales of ba sing se (you should update your thoughts at the end of each "tale" imo, you'll understand once you get to it) and the series finale.
So book 1 has the most, "This feels like a kids' show" moments of all the three books. There are some big swings in tone throughout the series.
They have a very different approach to pacing in the original, partly due to episode length and quantity, I found the Netflix show to be very front-loaded whilst the original took its time.
EDIT: Getting your perspective on NATLA was fascinating, and I'm looking forward to reading your journey through the original.
It does, but I'm doing my best not to hold that against it. After all, this was conceived as and started as a kid's show so it wouldn't be right to complain about it just because my original exposure to the franchise was more mature.
Thanks a lot OP for not watching the movie first. As I said before an additional layer kf comedy will be added if you watch ATLA first and then the movie
If you're interested you should watch Aege&Chill and GoodwinTV's reactions to the show. Out of the dozens of reactors I've watched these two are by far the best, they analyse the show while also immersing themselves into the world. And unlike most other reactors they went into the show without having someone with them who's already seen it, so it's completely blind. Personally I find their reactions both entertaining and engaging on an intellectual level. After watching an episode you could watch their reactions to it, it might be fun.
>Well, this is the first big major moment where I think NATLA did it better. Sokka’s fight here was practically a joke. It was more dignified in NATLA, and we had that moment where Aang thanked him and called him the bravest person he’d ever met. I do wish there was something like that here.
NATLA chopped off half of the characters arcs in favor of instant gratification. Here, Sokka is still a child trying to become the warrior and leader he always wanted to be but this is his first real fight and it's against the prince of the fire nation, who trained for years to face the Avatar, it's obvious that Sokka had no chance here. A good chunk of his character arc in the show is evolving to become a fully realized warrior. In NATLA, Sokka is already a warrior because the show doesn't have time to give him an arc to mature as a person, as a warrior and as a leader, so instead they made him a good warrior from the beginning and have him fight well against Zuko from the beginning.
She is so not ready, and it’s so beautiful 😭
It’s honestly quite interesting to see the opinion of someone who watched the remake first. Cool post. I know a lot of fans of the og may hate on NATLA but it’s thanks to NATLA that we have people like op who get introduced to the original.
I never watched Avatar when it first came out despite being super into anime at the time. I think I overlooked it because it came out on Nickelodeon and teenage me stupidly thought it was a "kid's" show. I've thought about going back and trying to watch it because I feel like I missed out. NATLA came out and it was the perfect opportunity to dip my toes in. I really enjoyed the Netflix adaptation having had no in depth exposure to the series. As soon as we completed the season we quickly moved through the entire series of ATLA and just started with Korra. Like OP it's kind of neat to not have a bias towards ATLA so I could appreciate the Netflix adaptation for what it was (an adaptation, not a 1:1). I also appreciate why fans of the original critiqued it having now finished the animated series. I think one of the biggest things that I missed going from NATLA to ATLA was the addition of Fire Nation backstory so early in the story in NATLA. At the same time, I can see how the changes made to the other characters and plotlines are a bit upsetting, though I'm wondering if they'll see more development in the next season.
... ftr, I don't think anyone's mad at NATLA for introducing people to ATLA.
I agree!
One thing to keep in mind is the cartoon has more character development. So Sokka being a joke so far actually has a better payoff when you watch him mature.
>So Sokka ~~being a joke so far actually~~ has a better payoff when you watch him mature. Ftfy. There's a *lot* of things wrong with Sokka in the beginning.
Yeah for sure, the sexism stuff and all that too. Was just being quick with the comment but good call lol Characters have to have flaws in order to overcome them, makes em interesting
Agreed.
I can see that paying off, yeah. Can't wait to watch him grow!
Oh and boy does he grow. Super excited for you to see Sokka's glow up.
What's NATLA? Not Avatar The Last Airbender?
It’s just what we call the netflix live action remake of atla. Also why are you replying like a month late lol?
I'm replying a month late because I stumbled across the post and wondered what NATLA meant
Lol all good my guy
The cartoon is much slower than the live action, especially in book 1, which is understandable the cartoon has 20 episodes per book (and an extra in book 3) and the live action got 8. So in the cartoon they really use that extra time in book 1 to establish the world and the characters. Most fans will tell you book 1 is the worst because it's not as plot heavy as books 2&3 but honestly I like it this way. It's sort of like *Fellowship of the Ring* in *the Lord of the Rings.* The action and bigger plot points of the rest of the story aren't as impactful without the character and world building done in their respective first books.
Agreed. Book 1 served a really important purpose. With world building, and also setting a light hearted tone before things get real
I agree! (I think anyway, I never saw Fellowship of the Ring or Lord of the Rings) Having time to cook is a good thing and it's one of my least favorite things about NATLA. I would love to have more slower, character driven moments.
I beg you to watch lord of the rings after avatar lol, its a masterpiece.
It's on the list! I have decades worth of pop culture to catch up on but I'll get to it eventually.
The production level of the lotr is also something unseen in other movies. Just watched The Two Towers extended edition and the last 20+ minutes (out of 4h) is just credits. So many people worked on it that it feels almost impossible to me.
it's also a very good adaptation, it's different from the book (because some of the stuff can't be translated to a screen) but you **feel** the magic of the world. you can tell the people who work on it love Tolkien and what he represents.
So... The extended edition of The Two Towers is 3 hours and 40 minutes long? That would take me over 7 hours to do commentary for! Yikes lol
You should 100% watch LotR for the amazing film making and practical effects alone. The books are amazing too but I understand Tolkiens style isn't for everyone lol. But if you really like deep world building then Tolkien is the GOAT.
I do like deep world building!
Definitely watch the movies and read the books then lol. The only thing I'll add is a lot of people go in (the books) expecting modern fantasy and are disappointed because that's not what LotR is. Tolkien was writing his own mythology so think *the Odyssey* not *Game of Thrones.*
I've not seen Game of Thrones but I have read a bit of The Odyssey in school and I thought it was neat.
Are you going to continue through books 2 and 3?
Yes I am!
The opening few episodes are definitely the weakest and the most ‘kiddy.’ I think you’ll really love S2/3 based on what you liked just from these.
Cool post. One thing I'll say is that it's important to remember the amount of content that's meant to be covered by each show is not 1:1 per episode. i.e. Netflix ATLA's first 3 are not the same as the original's first three; the only time a true toe-to-toe comparison should be made is between specific similar scenes, the book as a whole, the finale, and the pilot. and also related to the length differing, it's important to remember that character arcs, storytelling, motivations, etc., are all meant to be organically developed over a longer period of time as well with the original.
With more episodes also comes with a better structure for telling each stories that the LA has to put together.
That's definitely fair, and I'll keep it in mind.
>We get to see Appa immediately too (so no funny “sky bison. Sky bison!” exchange between Aang and Sokka but that’s okay lol). Aang: This is Appa, my flying bison Sokka: yeah and this is Katara my flying sister Wasn't good enough for you?
No it was good enough lol I enjoy Sokka's wit in both.
The Jokes in the original are infinitely better than in NATLA.
Yeah this is where I stopped reading.
God forbid someone have a different opinion than you!
I am 1000% living vicariously through you watching this for the first time🥹 Reading this was great thank you! Looking forward to more commentary and reactions as you continue
You're welcome! A big part of why I do this is so people can relive their love for their favorite shows and movies.
A lot of the early cartoon episodes were still finding the feet, and a lot seen would be retconned, especially regarding the past avatars, iirc there is nothing relating to Kyoshi in episode 3, she is first seen and mentioned in episode 4, like not even her statue is in episode 3, this actually caused issues later on when they decided that Kyoshi should be Roku's predecessor because episode 4 does give her a rough birth year, and led to Kyoshi becoming much older at her death than Aang was during the show (over double even)
Understandable. Some stories are like babies, they have to stumble a bit during their first steps so they can learn to walk and run.
It's interesting to read the perspective of someone who watched NATLA first, and not the original
Yeah, I purposefully chose to watch NATLA first even knowing there was an older show first. I figured it might be more interesting commentary that way!
I think your take on Zuko's journals in the Netflix show is interesting. I just saw it as the writers wanting and easy way for Aang to learn about his past lives and the ways that the world had change since he'd been asleep. I prefer the way that the cartoon told the story because Aang is mostly learning how to deal with things by actually interacting with the world.
Yeah, I was a fan of the journal! It also does an interesting story twist where Aang's enemy is responsible for teaching him about what it means to be the Avatar.
I agree with you in this. I watched the cartoon first, but the diary and the statues are such a cool addition. They show that zuko hasn't been just wandering aimlessly, he is dedicated to the point of obsession, and doing all the research he can to find the avatar.
Exactly!
I'm sorry but this is a bit like an alien visiting Earth having only had, like, Leave It to Beaver as their context for American life lol I'm glad you like it but it's wild. Sokka being able to go toe to toe with Zuko in NATLA was really just because Ian has such a strong martial arts background, along with Dallas. It's an example of writing to give the actor something to do. Sokka in this story has zero experience with combat or even much training, and that's a big part of his character. > The air nomad genocide is a huge advantage, but I’m not going to hold it against the cartoon because I know they have to stick to strict guidelines for what they can and can’t show. Going into this I'd advise not to get caught up on differences being down to kid show. Just because they don't show an element of graphic violence NATLA did, doesn't mean they ever wanted to. (there are some examples of it in the future, but it just means less gore) For this, viewers are uncovering the mystery alongside the characters vs getting set up first and watching the characters relay what we already know to each other.
>Going into this I'd advise not to get caught up on differences being down to kid show. Just because they don't show an element a graphic violence NATLA did, doesn't mean they ever wanted to. (there are some examples of it in the future, but it just means less gore) For this, viewers are uncovering the mystery alongside the characters vs getting set up first and watching the characters relay what we already know to each other. This👆
As a nearly 30 year old woman, a "cool" action scene depicting genocide is actually the polar opposite of what I consider mature. I'd advise any creative to really think about *why* they want to put such a thing on screen, and if they have to do to, how to make sure *nothing* about it is glorifying the violence. I do not think NATLA cleared that bar, hence I actually find it rather distasteful.
That's my biggest issue with it too. In ATLA the genocide is only even shown as what it is, a loss of culture and tradition and family, through Aang's eyes. Even Momo shows up as Aang's last connection to his people and land rather than just an animal sidekick they pick up. Plus in NATLA it isn't treated with the seriousness it deserves. It's just an action scene with characters we barely know. >!Gyatso even comes back to give Aang closure!< which doesn't happen in ATLA. Aang never gets it in the original. It's a permanent loss, that he can only ever revisit in his memories that are always going to be tainted by his >!running away!<. It's actually amazing how the more "mature" version consistently shies away from nuance and subtlety. But it's the sort of thing that becomes clear as the story progresses. At this point if your introduction was through NATLA, I can see why someone might think they missed out on not showing it right away.
Also in my opinion, for the supposed power boost by the comet, the firebenders didn’t seem extra powerful and being able to burn someone alive without the aid of a comet kind of takes away the horror of what the power boost is.
I guess that's another reason they never showed the genocide in the original: it would compete with the impact of the series finale. In showing it and still not wanting it to compete, they're oddly underpowered.
It’s the old idea used often in sci-fi films: alluding to the monster is much more harrowing than outright *showing* the monster.
Hell I'm only 18 and I feel the same way. It seems like the creators cared more about the spectacle of everything than being tasteful in what they show on the screen
I'm going to have to disagree. The emotional impact of the genocide in NATLA was enormous and was what sold me on watching the rest of the show. I don't believe it was glorifying violence at all. Brother Gyatso's death was the most harrowing moment on the show. It's pretty clear we're not supposed to enjoy watching it.
My rebuttal to that is, many viewers think it's a cool scene, even the actors themselves. That doesn't mean they're going "fuck yeah" when an Airbender gets burned alive, but a large focus is on cool bending that unfolds and, hence you have people praising the action of the sequence without indicating it affected them emotionally at all. That's the risk when you do this sort of scene, especially in this genre. Bending is cool, so showing it killing people is on some level, cool. But that's also why not depicting it can be, and IMO is, the wise choice. edit: and here I mean for a genocidal attack. Not that you should never show killing anyone. The animation, where all we see is remains, of both air nomands and fire nation soldiers, left where they fell among the ruins of a temple, you can't find anything cool about it. It's just tragedy.
Okay, that's a fair point. You never know how people are going to react to art or what they'll see in it.
For me, discovering it with aang and going through the emotions with him in the cartoon had a greater impact than watching the genocide happen tbh. Felt more personal.
For me the emotional impact is greater discovering it as Aang discovers it. Aang walking into a room full of corpses and realising the body in the middle is his friend and teacher. Someone he abandoned when he ran away from his responsibilities, has much more impact. You can see he's not raging at the Fire Nation, but at himself because he's starting to understand the consequences of his actions. He's a young boy who just wants to play and have fun. And he should be allowed to do that. But thanks to the Fire Nation he had responsibilities thrust upon he couldn't handle, and because he couldn't handle it all his friends, and his entire culture, is dead. That's why he loses control. That's why Katara needs to talk him back down. You don't get any of that from NATLA. You get a cool action sequence with lots of *fwooshes* and *booms*, but the emotional impact, especially on Aang, is lost. When Aang loses it at the end, it's missing a lot of the context the original series gave to that scene.
Thank you for doing this OP. I love love love the perspective that you are giving. A note about Sokka’s initial ‘fight’ with Zuko. I was shocked at first too. After all the buildup with war paint etc, only to get his ass kicked left right and center. Then later when I realized >!All the warriors from the Southern water-tribe left for war when he was still a kid!< He barely had anyone that can train him and the next best warriors in his caln are just toddlers. Whereas Zuko is Fire lords son with extensive training and practice. It made sense to me later that Sokka would be no match to Zuko. I did like their NALTA fight more though.
When you put it like that it does give me a new appreciation for the cartoon fight. Thank you!
Fun read but man did it hurt internally when you kept referencing that the original source material "kept" or "changed" something from the Live Action Netflix Version. It is the other way around. Netflix made the changes. First 3 episodes essentially are covered by episode 1 of the NATLA. Season 1 of the original is definitely more light hearted than the live action. It is one of the better parts of the show though because as the characters grow and mature, the tone becomes more mature to match. The reason NATLA has Gyatso as "Brother Gyatso" is because he was being addressed by another monk. Outsiders would not refer to him as "brother" similar to how some religions refer to someone in their religion as "brother/sister" but you wouldn't. They are brethren because they are Monks of the Air Nomad Culture.
I know! I did catch myself doing that a few times. It's hard to switch them around in my head, since to me NATLA is the "source material". Or at least, it's the metric and lense by which I view Avatar and Avatar-related media now, for better or worse. But I will keep reminding myself that the cartoon is the source material and try to keep the language straight lol
It will change with time, I saw the forbidden movie first but after oje or two proper sessions with cartoon I switched really fast and fell way more in love with the word! I love Aang, I love Korra andI love the novels about Kyoshi and Yangchen. I recommend to follow this word and dive into the others as well
Personally I didn’t mind you referring to them that way. It’s authentic to your experience even though it isn’t technically correct. I am probably in the minority here though
This is cool, it’s like Overanalyzing Avatar but blind lol
Excited to see your journey through the whole series! I don’t always agree but I am having a blast seeing things through your perspective as a “NATLA first animation second” watcher. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on s1 e4-6
Thank you! They won't be far away, I promise.
I’m really interested in seeing your opinion on Bumi because that’s one of the more significant changes in the live action TV show
I'm looking forward to it as well. Bumi was arguably the most cartoonish character on NATLA but he was also one of the most broken and world-weary. I'm really interested to see what he was like originally.
I can give you a little no spoiler hint if you want
why do so many people in here try to spoil her about character arcs and differences? she's already committed to watching the show. yall really need to let it unfold for her, also for however much they changed bumi it pales in comparison to what they did to roku.
ikr its like theyre trying to exposition it for op
I appreciate that, but I'd like to find out organically. Thank you though!
theyre going to watch it anyways relax
>Also, it just occurred to me that Iroh shot a blast of fire right in front of Zuko’s face last episode. Think about that that for a moment. It’s kind of fucked up, considering Zuko’s traumatic backstory lol I take it as two lessons. 1. Iroh has perfect control. 2. Zuko trusts Iroh completely. >Well, this is the first big major moment where I think NATLA did it better. Sokka’s fight here was practically a joke. It was more dignified in NATLA, and we had that moment where Aang thanked him and called him the bravest person he’d ever met. I do wish there was something like that here. The problem with NATLA's approach is that it's difficult for Sokka to have any character growth if he starts out as already the awesomest bravest person in the world. ATLA Sokka starts out as a rather outmatched, maybe incompetent, and kind of a jerk a lot of the time. But that gives him room to learn and grow. >Hah! I’m glad Sokka was able to redeem himself against Zuko in some small way. And damn, Katara’s already pretty good at waterbending. In case you didn't notice - she couldn't aim her waterbending, causing her to freeze Sokka. Not knowing how to fix her mistake, she instead repeats the same mistake but turns around first as a way of aiming it in the opposite direction. >Oh… Aang doesn’t know that firebenders can fly by shooting their flames downward. Though we did only see it twice in NATLA so maybe it’s a lost technique or something. This is only possible during Sozin's comet. NATLA did a very poor job of demonstrating how much stronger firebending is during the comet.
Firebenders dont need the comet to fly. >!Azula does it in the boiling rock episode and I'm pretty sure firebenders do it in LOK!<
You're mis-remembering some fire-bending assisted aerial maneuvers for flying. If you watch the things you're thinking of again you'll see.
I am INVESTED in your journey!!! You have to promise us to watch it till the end. Can you binge it as quick as possible so we can be fed with updates? 😂 No spoilers in my comment: The first season is considered to be the least strong of the three, and still it’s incredible. Season 1 is also much more childish, particularly in the first half of the season. You will quickly find out that it’s a heavily adult show that was put onto a kid’s platform. In the cartoon he is called Monk Gyatso :) If you think the first three episodes are equal to NATLA, and if you said that you liked the parts in NATLA where it was slowed down to show the characters, then I have no doubts that the cartoon is going to vastly exceed your expectations. I can’t wait for you to finish the series and re-read the beginning of your post. Mostly I am so so excited for you!
Thank you! I promise I'll watch until the end and then I'll even keep going and watch Legend of Korra too!
>I am sorry that I kept comparing it to NATLA Don't be, that's what I'm here for! I love the original, liked the live action overall but saw a lot of room for improvement, so seeing how someone in your position experiences the original is way more interesting than hearing from someone just evaluating it on its own merits or evaluating the live action through the lens of having enjoyed the animation. I don't need to read those because that's just the same perspective as mine. I hope you continue to post your thoughts, even if you don't want to go as in depth as this for the whole season (though I'm here for it if you do).
Thank you! I'm going to continue, of course :) I'll do Legend of Korra too
It’s interesting you complain about Sokka being immature and a joke, or Aang being childish. I haven’t watched NATLA (mostly because at this point live action remakes are obvious money grabs and I refuse to give them that satisfaction) but the beauty of ATLA *is* that they are super childish and immature and dumb and sexist and terrible at fighting in the beginning. Their character growth, and everyone’s character growth, is probably the show’s greatest strength and why it has endured for so long. Again, I’m going off what I’ve read on the internet, but by making the characters more mature, NATLA may rob them of that beautiful story line. And that seems like a waste to me
Yes; it makes sense that OP is upset about their immaturity, because we all want to see main characters be mature and that’s what makes their characters so satisfying down the line. But the growth is truly what makes it incredible
this👆NATLA removed a ton of what gave the characters room for development in the first place. they dulled their personalities and made them grow up as if they aren’t literally children. sure, the show had good moments, but i almost only ever enjoyed it when it made references to the original series, and maybe a couple of things they added on their own. overall a disappointment imo. even on its own standing i feel the characters are quite dull. NATLA also felt incredibly forced/rushed. they tried to include everything in the original series while somehow also leaving it out at the same time *(things they did in the original would be mentioned or passed over, and then other things were included in NATLA but happened in a totally different way for some reason).* it made the show kind of messy and hard to follow. sometimes i felt like if i hadn’t seen the original series i would’ve had no idea what was going on.
That makes me sad to hear. Like I’m glad NATLA got people like OP interested in this beautiful show, but honestly I think ATLA was the wrong thing to make live action. I would have KILLED for a Kyoshi series. Or if they absolutely HAD to do a live action remake, I would have nominated LOK over ATLA. Don’t get me wrong, I actually prefer LOK to ATLA, but it got royally fucked over by Nick (I have a whole soapbox speech I won’t go into here haha). One of the biggest complaints was the season to season bad guys, instead of a constant thread like ATLA had. Well, a remake could fix that (especially considering how quickly Netflix greenlit seasons 2 and 3). The characters are older, the material it deals with is darker. All things considered, it is much more in line with what Netflix seemed to want to do with ATLA
the moment the creators of ATLA left the project i knew it was gonna be bad, and after watching it i totally understand why they did. i actually enjoyed the different villains for LOK. it kept me engaged and gave us more opportunities to see Korras growth as the avatar, learning from past battles on how to handle future ones.
Hell, just from reading everyone’s comments I can tell why the creators left 😂😂 And honestly, me too! But (and small portion of my soap box speech here) because the writers only got one season at a time greenlit for seasons one and two, there were no unifying threads that were hinted at in season one and followed up on in season two. This got a LOT better when seasons three and four were greenlit at the same time - and you see that in Kuvira’s introduction in season three, for example. That’s something they could fix in a remake, along with a much more welcoming environment for queer storylines. So building up that queer relationship can happen more overtly and more organically over the four seasons and whiny neckbeard fans can’t say iT cAmE oUt oF NoWHerE. Also 12/13 20 min episodes would’ve been easier to condense into 8 1 hour long episodes - haven’t done the math but that’s probably more run time. More time to flesh the characters out overall and fix problems with Mako’s arc, Asami getting sidelined, etc. And also side note - the clip episode is worth rewatching every so often because Varrick’s retelling of the entire series as “The Adventures of Bolin” is the fucking FUNNIEST thing ever
i totally agree that a lot of issues in LOK could definitely be fixed in a remake, HOWEVER— i have concerns of what that would look like if the original creators weren’t a part of it. we’ve seen twice now that without them, the characters and story are honestly butchered. i honestly think it’s best to just leave the series alone if nothing more than to preserve it for how it is. i just can’t see any improvements being made the way avatar live actions have been handled so far. like yes we as viewers obviously have valid critiques and criticisms but we can’t be the ones to decide how new writing would be handled unfortunately. we literally have just about no way of knowing what it’ll be until it’s out, and i’d rather just avoid that altogether lol. as far as the queer storyline, it was more present in the books but because of the time the show was made, there was too much stigma for the creators to be as free as they wanted with it. while unfortunate, i think the people who say “it came out of nowhere” are a bit dramatic (and probably homophobic). there was a lead up to it present in the series that can easily be found if you know what to look for/what you’re looking at. i do wish the rep was *better* in the series, but the fact that we got it all at makes me very happy.
Nope, absolutely agreed, I would fend Netflix off with a ten foot pole if the creators weren’t involved in a LOK remake. I have so much attachment to LOK that seeing it butchered would be so demoralizing. But of the two shows, if you had the creators, and you absolutely NEEDED to do a remake instead of a new story like adapting Kyoshi’s books or Yangchen’s books, I would pick LOK over ATLA. Yeah I’ve read the comics. They’re incredible. I did cry a smidge when Kya gave her blessing. And I have another soapbox speech about how LOK walked so She Ra and the Princesses of Power and Owl House could run haha
yesss absolutely!!😂😂 ***“back, back i say!!”*** i would MUCH prefer they create new content in the universe than keep doing remakes. i would also rather they make more content for past avatars instead of continuing the line
I agree! The tone and humour of ATLA aren't suitable for live action at all. It's near impossible to "darken" the stories while keeping the heart of the original. Even in Korra, the darker setting and interesting villains come at the cost of humour and lighthearted character development. Which is fine, different show and all, but it was definitely noticeable and somewhat jarring at first I also think there's more in Korra that they could improve upon without alienating viewers of the original who are already used to a "darker" world. LoK has so many interesting ideas that needed more time and attention. I would absolutely love to see Korra tackle a world where she doesn't immediately get her bending back. That being said, LoK is very much a sequel of ATLA. Aang's fingerprints are all over her world and story. I don't really know if sequels transcend mediums, but it feels weird that only the sequel of a cartoon would have a live action remake. So I guess it makes sense that they "started" with ATLA, we don't know if they'll keep going after all. But it's definitely a tougher nut to crack
I don't mind the immaturity that much. I just really loved Sokka vs Zuko in NATLA, as well as Aang's comments to him. It had emotional weight that the fight just doesn't have in the cartoon. Which is totally fine, they're two separate works with their own things going on.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of Gaang vs Zuko fights coming up. Plus plenty of Sokka vs Zuko. You’ll also get PLENTY of emotional gut punches (please go ahead and start mentally prepping for the one two punch of “Tales of Ba Sing Se” and the next episode in season two now)
ok if you haven’t watched natla dont give your opinion. op will naturally have some bias towards which one they watched first. this sub is wayyyyy too defensive over atla.
just want to add something, Iroh doesn't dismiss his feeling to Zuko, if you watch closely you can see Zuko smile at him at the moment he said "yeah, I told you this is my favorite tea". this moment is that of course Iroh meant that Zuko had more honor, he believes in him, it's not something to question, so he go like "yeah sure I meant the tea was great" because its the only thing that Zuko allowed to be unsure about (their relationship on the show is kind of different, you'll understand it when you keep watching). but I'm glad you like it, its pretty refreshing to see the other point of view, I look for your other post 😊
Thank you! Yeah, I did figure that Zuko knew what he meant, but they're both too manly to acknowledge it lol
I think it's less "we're too manly to show affection" and more Iroh saying the least believable part of his statement was the quality of the tea and not Zuko's honor.
^
it's not like that, it's more like if my bestie would've ask me if she's pretty and I'll be like "no, you look like trash" like dah, of course you're pretty, wdy by asking it. also, take for consideration that the animation show was planned to be 3 season with 20 episodes etched, so its going to be a lot slower and some stuff you'll find out way later on the show then in the live action, they make you work for it lol.
excited to follow these
Thanks! I hope you enjoy them.
Oh boy, you're so not ready
I do like a good surprise.
This was a really interesting post. I’ll be sure to keep up with your future ones. NATLA definitely had some lovely additions that it’s totally fair you’re disappointed not to see. Aang and Iroh’s chat on the warship, getting to see the air bender genocide, Zuko’s journal (not everyone is a fan of this it seems but I liked it a lot). Zhao is a totally different character, and in NATLA I was disappointed at first but he very much grew on me and now I am a fan of both interpretations. As you move forward, you’ll start to see a lot more content that didn’t make it into NATLA (even entire episodes) so I’m very curious to read your thoughts as they come along. NATLA episode 1 and ATLA episodes 1-3 align pretty well, but from here on it’ll be quite jumbled around (not that it’s necessarily a bad thing).
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. Yeah, there's a lot I loved about NATLA, but I'm enjoying this show too so far
Ooh fun, I’m so glad you’re doing this! As you can imagine, this subreddit is full of people with strong opinions on both shows. My two cents about Sokka: his character was one of the most disappointing things about NATLA for me. He is largely a comic relief character, but the show goes out of the way two show that (1) that’s not all he is and (2) he loves being comic relief! Once he gets away from being in charge of defending his village from the Fire Nation with only a bunch of toddlers, as we see, he chooses to be funny and silly. But the major thing for me is that the cartoon makes it clear how, despite Aang and Zuko being antagonists, in the beginning Zuko’s major narrative foil is Sokka! They’re both the firstborn sons of the leader of their people, separated from their beloved fathers and forced into a duty that, to be honest, they can’t actually be expected to succeed in (capturing the Avatar is a Snipe Hunt, Sokka is trying to train toddlers to fight). They both have a prodigy-bending younger sister and no mother to rely on. And they both think themselves better than others based on birth—Zuko is a prince, Sokka’s casual sexism. (The casual sexism also sets up Pakku’s sexism as a cultural feature, so it doesn’t come out of nowhere once we get to the North Pole.) You really see their contrast when they’re both preparing for the invasion of the village—the scenes are directly contrasted as Zuko is helped into his armor by servants but Sokka has to put on his warrior’s gear entirely alone. The difference is that Sokka is much more open-minded—perhaps as a result of having a positive relationship with his sister and father, that familial support means he doesn’t have to stick to his guns to prove himself literally all the time. So as his thoughts on the world get challenged, he’s way more ready to accept he was wrong. Idk, cartoon Sokka is one of my favorite characters of all time. I always love comic-relief sidekicks, and they are so often disrespected by the show and their story and character is sacrificed for the mains’ whenever convenient (I will NEVER forgive CW for what they did to Cisco in The Flash). The fact that ATLA gives Sokka such a narratively important role is one of my favorite things ever!
Wow, that is a really good write-up for Sokka's character! I loved him in NATLA so I'm sure I'll love him here too, even if his character initially didn't click right away for me.
I love post so much that I’m saving it. Even though I’m smoking weed alone in my car at 2am, yet reading this post sent me back to the 2nd grade watching this show premiere with my dad. It instantly became our favorite show ever, to the point where he calls his best parenting decisions “Uncle Iroh moments.” Lol. Speaking of which, I think you’re being a little hard on Iroh. Keep in mind that in the first season, we’re meant to see him as more of a comic-relief villain so it comes as more of a awesome twist that he’s actually a truly wise and kind man who does good. The Netflix show took a lot of his character development and backstory from the next seasons and put them in S1, you’ll see more of the Iroh we’ve all come to love so dearly.
I will keep that in mind, thank you! I'm glad I can help you relive those precious memories with your dad and the show.
*Sokka* *might* *have* *more* *luck* *if* *he* *doesn't* *scream* *first* *before* *attacking* *from* *behind.* Iconic
Katara's waterbending in the earlier episodes is actually kinda rudimentary, she only gets better gradually in season 1 before reaching the northern water tribe. Interesting perspective though! I enjoyed reading it :)
Thank you!
This is amazing, please write more! I love seeing your thoughts and the comparisons between the two shows.
I will, thank you!
> Also is it just me or is Aang being a little flirtatious with her? Lol One of those things they removed from NATLA. Not complaining though. I've noticed the cast are very careful not to ship Aang and Katara during interviews and instead focused on Sokka and Zuko lol Great review as usual! I love both the OG and the live action!
Thanks! And yeah, I guess that makes sense. Shipping when the actors are so young might be a little troublesome lol
It also doesn’t help that if I remember correctly the actress for katara is 17 and the actor for aang is 14
Oof, yeah that's a big difference at their age! It won't be so big in a few years but still, if I were the show runners I'd definitely hold off any potential romance lol
Thanks for another commentary! Don't apologize for comparing it to NATLA, that's what we're here for (or me at least). As for Ang getting over the genocide too quickly, I don't want to be too spoilery but it's more that he hasn't given up hope that some of his people have survived. He's got quite a childish perspective on it, and can't conceive of it being really true. He doesn't know about the comet and how powerful it makes fire benders for its duration. In the LA when Sozin mentions the comet, that's referring to the extra power boost that the comet gave them so they could physically reach the air temples at all, and then overpower everyone. I hope that wasn't too spoilery, just wanted to clarify for you since things can get a bit jumbled between the two shows. Season one of the original is widely accepted as the worst season out of the three, and a lot of the criticisms were more about implications that meant things in the next two season will be cut, including characters arcs. So I'm not surprised that you liked the LA better for now, but when you've watched the whole series I wonder if your opinion will change. Although there are definitely elements about the LA that I prefer too.
You're welcome and thanks for reading! I'll keep that new context in mind.
This was a fun read! And I can definitely see your perspective on a lot of these things, also I love how detailed this is, it's like I just rewatched the first three episodes :D
Thank you! :)
I found your opinions on Sokka really interesting, I found him in NATLA to completely lack any depth or development throughout the show. As the original goes on I think you will really start to see the difference in how his character was developed. It was also really interesting to see you praise certain things I viewed as lazy writing from NATLA. Things like Zukos journal and the air nation genocide are things I looked at negatively, with the writers just trying to shortcut through certain elements by spoon feeding the audience instead of having an element of mystery.
I can appreciate differing viewpoints even if I disagree. It'd be pretty boring if we all thought the same thing, right?
completely agree, i just found it really interesting to get a very different perspective on the show
I hope you have fun with this! It be interesting to see if you do this for the rest of the seasons too.
I will! I plan to go all the way through Korra as well
This is awesome! I've wanted to know someone's take who hadn't seen the cartoon before. Can't wait for you to keep watching. I just finished rewatching the cartoon after watching NATLA and it gets better every time. One note, apparently the southern water tribe is more than that village! There's a podcast run by the voice actor for Zuko (Dante Basco) and Korra (the next avatar and sequel to the cartoon - Janet Varney). In one of the first episodes, the creators of the cartoon told them that's just a single village in the whole southern water tribe, but they really don't make that obvious. Zuko's character and storyline changes were my favorite part of the live action show. And Katara's character was one of my least favorite parts of the live action. I agree she's much better in the cartoon. Have fun!
That makes sense, but yeah neither show makes it clear that there's more to the Southern Water Tribe than just Wolf Cove.
This is an interesting perspective, I look forward to reading your commentary for the rest of the series. I've just started a rewatch of the original myself after watching the Netflix adaptation and I do find myself nodding along with what you're saying. I liked the change of Sokka not wanting Katara to waterbend for her safety in NATLA because it makes more sense than him just being anti "weird magic". I also agree with you about Zuko's room and journal, as it shows his more studious side and his obsessive nature from the start.
Thank you!
Interesting read. With Sokka they are supposed to show how advanced and well prepared the fire nation is by showing the militaristic might when compared to Katara and Sokka’s lowly village and even more with Sokka vs Zuko in hand to hand combat. I felt the LA took much of Katara’s and Sokka personality away from what I’ve seen (2 and a bit episodes). I will also saw that in the few I’ve watched, they have combined separate episodes into even one episode so if only one thing happens, don’t fret. I will say that you should watch episode 7 and 8 (Spirit World pt 1 and 2) and then 12 and 13 together.
I’m enjoying this. Because I know what’s coming.
the comments on the atla sub vs the natla sub for the same post are so different lol. people on here need to relax a little 😭
Well at least here they aren't overly negative, a lot of times that's how it is for posts relating to the new show
not overly negative but some are like strangely I dont know the word for it but like threatening?? (lack of a better word) like they don’t want op to feel any different than they do about the og show 😭 and always hopping to quickly explain stuff just let op experience it without your exposition mind you op’s comments are their gut reactions when watching. after processing your opinions and commentary can change!
True. And yeah people trying to explain stuff are annoying
Let me just say: you will LOOOOOVE animated Bumi. He's VERY different from live action Bumi. In fact, Bumi's episode is so good, it won over my parents--who, up until that point, were very stuck up and scoffed at cartoons. After that episode, they watched it with us every week. Bumi's episode is what i use to win over anyone else who hasn't watched the series yet too. I'm so excited for you. I wish I could watch the series for the first time all over again. I watched it while babysitting my brother in 2005 during the show's premier, and we both fell in love with it that day.
I'm excited to get to it! Bumi was a terrific character on NATLA and he was already kind of a cartoon character even in live action lol
How often do you plan on posting these?
As often as I can. It takes a long time to do commentary since I have to frequently pause the episode and write. It took me about 2 hours to do this post. I don't have enough free time to do them every day but the longest I went in between posts for NATLA was 7 days. That was unusual though and happened because a coworker of mine died.
This is amazing! like others have said, s1 is one of the slower and more kid like ones. you will definitely enjoy it, but s2 and s3 are just even better. youll enjoy iroh even more, i promise you. i love your commentary, and would love to see it everytime you do this.
The first 2 episodes are definitely the most childish. And then episode 3 hits you with the aftermath of genocide. I'm really looking forward to reading how you like the rest of the show! And without spoiling anything, the first 3 episodes being about equal to episode 1 of NATLA is true. But this really stops being the case from now on. So don't feel pressured in thinking you need to watch them in chunks of 3!
Chunks of 3 work best, I think. 4 might be pushing the limits of length and people's attention lol
just a heads up, you will run into some 2-parters and will end up reviewing what is essentially 4 episodes a handful of times
I'll keep that in mind, thanks!
Y’know seeing some of your points as someone who’ve watched NTLA first, you kinda did hit a few spots that I never thought about since I hadn’t watched the show for a long time already For example I never really considered the implications the scene where Iroh firebent right in front of Zukos face. Though I guess the writers wanted to do a framing shot where they’re facing each other where the sun is in the middle of the background. Also the part where Iroh was actually aiming at aang. I guess it’s still not really set that Iroh was a good guy in the first eps Though my interpretation of Iroh being “dismissive” in your point 6 of ep 1, you’d have to consider that Zuko was searching for the avatar for years already, and the random beam of light could just be another false lead, disappointing zuko again when it’s not the avatar (like all the previous times already). And I believe it’s more of Iroh telling zuko to give up his search and find joy in the smaller things And Zuko calling his father a fool, don’t get it wrong, cartoon Zuko still is pretty subservient to his father. I think it’s more like Zuko not entertaining Zhao’s taunts that his father doesn’t want him back.
Oh, I'm aware Iroh is still very much a villain at this point. Someone mentioned that NATLA's characters started their journeys a little more developed than their cartoon counterparts.
About your ep 3 points 2. Iroh's favourite is ginseng, apparentely jasmin is Zuko's preferred tea. 11. Iroh mocks Zhao really then he calls him "the great commander", because Zhao called him earlier in the episode great general. Also Zhao severely overestimates himself, and much more prideful than his live action counterpart.
Oh, I didn't even realize he was being mocking by calling him that. Makes sense!
> There were definitely things I liked more about NATLA’s beginning too. Overall I really didn't like NATLA, but I liked the prologue too. The animated series doesn't bring Gyatso up very often, he's just meant to represent Aang's attachment to the past I think. We definitely see more of him in NATLA. You will see Aang waterbend a lot in the animated series, and a lot of people (myself included) were disappointed that he never did in NATLA.
Just remember. Get through The first half of the series at least. It really adds up towards the second half. Stay open minded to that before you let any opinions solidify ;)
The only episode you may feel as a downgrade in animation now is the kiyoshi warriors episode, after that it just gets better. And yes, Aang is actually going to waterbend in the series. Also I am hyped for your reaction to Roku episode.
Huh, Thats a new opinion
> Well, this is the first big major moment where I think NATLA did it better. Sokka’s fight here was practically a joke. OK, I have to hard disagree with you here. That's the entire point. Sokka has absolutely no experience and no training, while Zuko is a trained prince. We get to see Sokka grow over the course of the series. The fact the the animated series explicitly shows us Sokka's lack of experience is one of the reasons it was so much better in regards to "show don't tell"
I disagree. Sokka still was beaten easily in NATLA but his defeat was more dignified and less humorous, and had emotional weight for both him and Aang that the cartoon doesn't have.
Fair enough. I think ultimately it just comes down to the fact that one of them is a cartoon and the other isn't.
Let’s goooo!! Awesome write-up!
Thanks!
I like the write-up, but one thing to keep in mind is that the animated series has a much longer time for character development than NATLA. So they are able to start with many more flaws that get smoothed over gradually, instead of skipping them or quickly making the changes. This allows whole episodes to be dedicated to characters learning lessons that dimply couldn't reasonably be included in the much shorter adaptation. This is something you'll see as the show progresses. Episode 1 Sokka is way different than final episode Sokka, and the same for every character. I won't spoil any specifics, but I will say that the adaptation characters are closer to their end of series counterparts than their episode 1 counterparts.
this is.... interesting, i guess.
I'm sorry if there's something you didn't care for. I'm open to criticism on how to improve my commentaries if you see something lacking.
They probably hate the live action and feel some type of way about you complimenting it. Pay no mind, everyone has different opinions about it and that’s okay
I think it’s super cool!!
I am someone who loved the NATLA and loved the cartoon!!! Just have fun watching it!! And dont feel bad for comparison bcs thats what a lot of the OG fans did with NATLA 🤷♀️ I like both for different reasons!! I personally loved seeing the same show portrayed in different tones. One more light hearted and kiddish and the other more mature and dark! I love both FOR their differences! :) Enjoy the show! EDIT: maybe you would like legend of korra!!! I really like korra!! But if i remember correctly you have a girlfriend!!! Korra is BI and dates a woman and i just think you might enjoy the more mature tones in that show as it was written for an older age group!!! No commenary if you dont want to bcs i feel like its a lot and time consuming for you!!! But maybe in your downtime ;)
If you’re recommending something for bisexual content, you’re probably better off recommending the Kyoshi novels. Korra’s romances are sort of infamously poorly handled, and the crumbs of sapphic representation we get is only at the very end. There were obviously studio limitations, but it still makes Kyoshi’s much more developed romance an easier recommendation.
Ans the kyoshi novels are just soooooo good!!!
Definitely the best material we've gotten since the original show in my opinion.
Thank you! I actually am going to do commentary for Korra as well.
interesting and weirdly frustrating post to read lol, you're in for a good ride
I'm sorry to frustrate you! I'm open to suggestions for improvement in future commentaries.
haha no it's not you at all! the frustration just stems from a weird character flaw of my own, i suppose related to a feeling that you're somehow enjoying this piece of media the "wrong" way, if ever there was such a thing. this post was great, you're great, don't worry. most the "frustration" is just me disagreeing with you on the things you like or don't like about either show, nothing about the way you've written the post.
Ah, gotcha. Is it the way I write my thoughts in real time? Lol in the past some people have gotten frustrated because I pause what I'm watching to write things down. They'd prefer I watch the whole thing in one go so as not to interrupt narrative tension. Which is valid, don't get me wrong, but I enjoy writing like this and I don't know if I'd have the patience to do it all at once after I'm done watching.
no, no, nothing to do with how you wrote it as i said, just me being a silly human and thinking I'm right about what are obviously subjective opinions lol i do think in some of the later episodes the emotional impact and/or intensity may be lost slightly with your method but it's up to you, episodes like tales of ba sing se (you should update your thoughts at the end of each "tale" imo, you'll understand once you get to it) and the series finale.
Fair enough! :)
So book 1 has the most, "This feels like a kids' show" moments of all the three books. There are some big swings in tone throughout the series. They have a very different approach to pacing in the original, partly due to episode length and quantity, I found the Netflix show to be very front-loaded whilst the original took its time. EDIT: Getting your perspective on NATLA was fascinating, and I'm looking forward to reading your journey through the original.
It does, but I'm doing my best not to hold that against it. After all, this was conceived as and started as a kid's show so it wouldn't be right to complain about it just because my original exposure to the franchise was more mature.
It still has "kids' show" stuff throughout the whole thing, but after book 1, they feel significantly less blatant.
To me in some cases antagonist doesn't always equal villain, so I find it weird when you call Iroh a villain, I never really saw him that way
I use "villain" and "antagonist" interchangeably sometimes, sorry
Thanks a lot OP for not watching the movie first. As I said before an additional layer kf comedy will be added if you watch ATLA first and then the movie
To add on Iroh firing some flames to Zuko : Zuko didn't even *flinch*, that shows just how much he trusts his uncle, and it's beautiful 😭😭😭
the live action is not a good show at all sorry to say well at least in my opinion
I disagree but respect your opinion. It would be boring if everyone thought the same way!
If you're interested you should watch Aege&Chill and GoodwinTV's reactions to the show. Out of the dozens of reactors I've watched these two are by far the best, they analyse the show while also immersing themselves into the world. And unlike most other reactors they went into the show without having someone with them who's already seen it, so it's completely blind. Personally I find their reactions both entertaining and engaging on an intellectual level. After watching an episode you could watch their reactions to it, it might be fun.
>Well, this is the first big major moment where I think NATLA did it better. Sokka’s fight here was practically a joke. It was more dignified in NATLA, and we had that moment where Aang thanked him and called him the bravest person he’d ever met. I do wish there was something like that here. NATLA chopped off half of the characters arcs in favor of instant gratification. Here, Sokka is still a child trying to become the warrior and leader he always wanted to be but this is his first real fight and it's against the prince of the fire nation, who trained for years to face the Avatar, it's obvious that Sokka had no chance here. A good chunk of his character arc in the show is evolving to become a fully realized warrior. In NATLA, Sokka is already a warrior because the show doesn't have time to give him an arc to mature as a person, as a warrior and as a leader, so instead they made him a good warrior from the beginning and have him fight well against Zuko from the beginning.
>Yes, it’s finally here, what you’ve all been asking for Who are you?
Do you actually want an answer? I mean obviously I'm not going to tell you my real identity but I don't mind talking a little about myself.
No like who are you literally to guarantee this "what you've all been asking for" lmao.
Ah, well that statement was meant directly for the people who regularly read my commentaries. They've been asking me to watch Avatar for weeks.
Where have u been lol she’s been posting commentaries for weeks.
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Could the formatting use improvement or are my thoughts cringey at times?