- Alternative Character Interpretation: Did Zuko actually briefly get the upper hand against Ozai during their Agni Kai? Or did Ozai take a dive to test Zuko?
- And You Thought It Would Fail: Despite the initial negative-leaning, but still mixed reaction from the fanbase - a good chunk of it out of derision for it being a Live-Action adaptation of one of the most beloved animated series ever (the previous movie being universally derided helped), not to mention the creators of the original show walked out of the project, albeit not out of bad blood - the show did very well and remained in Netflix's Top 10 for both February and March 2024. The show made a lot of changes to characterization, scenes, and story beats, some that fans liked, some that have been more controversial, and it even did well enough to be greenlit for two more seasons not even a month after it had started streaming on the platform, suggesting that Netflix sees it as a success and is interested in adapting the full series.
- Awesome Music:
- The trailers play a glorious rendition of the original theme song.
- The end credits theme: it starts off as the classic Kecak chant from the original, then it's remixed with an epic orchestral rendition of the title theme. It's the perfect marriage of both songs.
- The orchestral arrangement of "Leaves from the Vine" that plays in "Masks", is simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking.
- Character Rerailment: One of the many things the 2010 film was criticized for was its lack of (intentional) humor, with Sokka being portrayed as a Straight Man who was occasionally subjected to slapstick, and Aang not showing moments of childlike energy, among other examples. Both characters have been returned to form in this adaptation.
- Common Knowledge:
- Several fans mention that Iroh is more of a stock mentor towards Zuko and has his funny moments downplayed when compared to the original animated series. That is flatly not true, as Iroh is still portrayed here as comedic, especially around Zuko, and all his scenes with them are just as fatherly as they were in the animated series, to the point where you'd struggle to find any differences. The few times Iroh is serious here, it's usually for a very good reason, and it's certainly not his default personality.
- The Agni Kai battle between Ozai and Zuko going ahead is often mentioned as if Zuko showed no resistance to the idea, which is completely counter to what's depicted here. The pre-battle context shows that Iroh tries to dissuade Ozai from doing this (which the original series never shows), Zuko really did not want to participate in it and was forced to, and everyone but Azula is pretty shocked at the end result. And at no point did Ozai's cool, controlled confidence in battle make it look like Zuko was winning at any point either (as the scene is often framed by fans), as the one opening Ozai had for Zuko to hit him, Zuko refuses, and Ozai chastises him for it and burns half his face off. The show even leaves it ambiguous if Ozai did this deliberately or not to test Zuko.
- Ensemble Dark Horse: Lieutenant Jee, who was a relatively minor character in the source material, is given an expanded role and is loved by fans for his Funny Moments and his Undying Loyalty to Zuko.
- Fan Nickname:
- Fans have nicknamed the series "NATLA", shorthand for Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender, though some have called it LATLA instead ("Live" Action instead of "Netflix's" since the "N" could also refer to Nickelodeon)
- Zuko's Fist for the 41st Division.
- Fire Daddy for Ozai.
- He Really Can Act: Even those who criticize the reboot praise Dallas Liu for his portrayal of Zuko. Many note the similar voice with Zuko's original voice actor Dante Basco (especially when firebending), and how Dallas channels Zuko's anger, snark and awkwardness to a T. Sure enough, his scenes with Uncle Iroh are noted to be one of the best things about the show.
- He's Just Hiding: Fans have always argued about the possibility that some of the other airbenders (or at least a few of their non-bender relatives and neighbors) survived in hiding, and seeing the fight they put up in the first episode due to the Adaptation Expansion only enhances that, even for characters who do seem to die on screen with a Gory Discretion Shot (like the first monk to fight the attackers and tornado-conjuring Sister Lio). Also, when Aang finds Gyatso's skeleton, the skeletons of the children Gyatso was protecting don't seem to be in the room with him.
- Improved Second Attempt: The show has made some alterations and inclusions some fans see as improvements over the original series:
- Having Zuko's crew be the division of soldiers that he spoke up for, a decision that led to Ozai exiling him, is almost unanimously agreed to be one of the best changes the show makes from the original, making the crew more personable and Zuko more sympathetic, not to mention playing into Ozai's Manipulative Bastard behaviour.
- In the cartoon, some felt the Mechanist was Unintentionally Unsympathetic because he desecrated the Northern Air Temple and caused Aang distress, even if he was merely trying to find shelter. With him and Teo being encountered in Omashu instead, this problem doesn't occur.
- One of the biggest missed opportunities of the original was how Iroh and Ozai never interacted on-screen despite the fact that they're meant to be brothers. Here, they actually speak to each other a few times, and we even see him call Ozai out for challenging Zuko to an Agni Kai battle and then exiling him afterward.
- Ozai's portrayal in general here has been praised by many fans for having better characterization, and more character nuances that humanizes him a little, while still being an irredeemable villain to the core. This was something that was lacking in the original Ozai due to him being portrayed as a Flat Character for most of the animated series, and they rarely showcased why he was the biggest threat until the final series. While some fans missed The Faceless nature of Ozai's character in the first two seasons, others felt that his actions on-screen more than makeup for it, showcasing his intelligence, firebending powers, and sheer ruthlessness that truly established the Fire Lord as Aang's ultimate enemy.
- When Iroh is captured by the Earth Kingdom, one of the soldiers expresses legitimate grievances against him for his siege of Ba Sing Se.
- Zhao doesn't merely beat Zuko to capture the Avatar; Zuko loses Aang to Zhao's forces! This gives Zuko an even stronger motivation to "rescue" Aang as the Blue Spirit.
- Yue's link to the Moon Spirit is made more pronounced beyond just her hair being white by having her both be a waterbender and capable of interacting with the Spirit World.
- The spirit oasis was expanded from a tiny park to a reasonably-sized forest.
- Several episodes that were important to the characters, but not the overall plot, were intertwined with more important plot beats to keep them relevant without deviating from the show's greater focus on the main story. For example, the Mechanist, Teo, and Jet have their storylines worked into the gang's visit to Omashu, which also includes new versions of the secret tunnels and Zuko saving Iroh from Earth Kingdom soldiers. All of these are addressed throughout two episodes, without any major part of it feeling rushed or overlooked.
- One original aspect that was added to this show was Zuko's notebook containing information about all the past Avatars before Avatar Aang. This particular addition gave a natural way of providing information to the main characters and by extension, the audience, without the need of other characters explaining it to them. It also suited well for Zuko's obsession of finding the Avatar and thus becoming like an Avatar historian, and it gave Aang a reason to like Zuko eventually developing their first amicable relationship between them in episode 6.
- The mere concept of a live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender was met with skepticism after the first attempt crashed and burned, both critically and financially. This one, while not without its faults, has been seen as a much better take on the idea.
- Most Wonderful Sound: In Episodes Three and Four, "Omashu"/"Into The Dark": "MY CABBAGES!"
- Love to Hate: Ken Leung's performance as Zhao was noted in some reviews as an unexpected highlight, giving him far more personality than the cardboard Smug Snake he was in the cartoon while still regularly showing the arrogance that makes you eager to see him humbled.
- Memetic Mutation: See here.
- Older Than They Think:
- Azula is often criticized for her characterization being changed, not being as stoic and reserved as she is in the animated series, and is shown being angrier and more hot-headed here. While the criticism is not completely unfounded, this does ignore the fact that Azula was also shown being angry in the animated series too (even before her Villainous Breakdown), and the few times she is hot-headed here are reasonable in context (Ozai having impossible standards which she complains about — a scene that was referencing the original series where Azula was angry for the same reasons). Even her relationship with Ozai is not all that different from her infamous Inferiority Superiority Complex concerning her being worthy of the throne; all the show did was bring this relationship to the forefront to make Ozai less of a Flat Character and even more of a Manipulative Bastard in advance.
- Suki and Yue often get complaints that their relationships with Sokka start too quickly in this version, neither sharing that many scenes with Sokka before falling for him. This however, is also a problem in the original animated series, and is arguably a worse case there than it is here, as those episodes were shorter in runtime and thus couldn't develop them properly. By contrast, this series has two hour-long episodes (technically three) that do give a decent amount of focus on Sokka's relationship with both of them. Even if fans still think it comes off as rushed, it's not a problem specific to this adaptation as many claim.
- One-Scene Wonder:
- The random shopkeep who intervenes in Zuko and Aang's fight in Omashu and briefly slaps Zuko around for trying to attack a child has proven to be very memorable during the five seconds she appears on screen.
- Avatar Kyoshi only has two scenes, but she makes them count: first with her stern talk to Aang that makes him take his responsibilities as the Avatar much more seriously, and then after she absolutely curb-stomps the Fire Nation soldiers, showing what exactly the Avatar is capable of when at full power and quickly becoming one of the show's most talked-about scenes.
- Realism-Induced Horror: While Ozai was already an example of this in the original, his parenting tactics are taken up a notch by adding psychological abuse into the mix, as he pits Zuko and Azula against each other to receive his attention and a position as heir, and makes it very clear that his love for them is conditional. This is all on top of the other abuse (physical, emotional, etc.) he heaps upon his kids. While he's a genocidal tyrant who wants the entire world for himself, his abusive behavior toward his children is easily his most horrifying trait. The fact Ozai is slightly more humanized compared to his completely monstrous animated counterpart makes it worse, as he doesn't take joy in what he does but has such a twisted worldview that he views burning off half his son's face as if it were a perfectly normal way of whipping a misbehaving teen into shape.
- Signature Scene: The Reveal that Zuko's crew was the platoon Ozai intended to sacrifice and the subsequent scene of them bowing to Zuko with respect upon finding out. These are considered the best scenes in the show even by people who hate it because it deepens Zuko's bond with his crew.
- So Okay, It's Average: The consensus is not that the show is average, but more that the quality is uneven. The biggest problem of the show is that it tries to condense a 20-episode season into 8 episodes, and is very heavy on exposition, with a problem of telling and not showing half the time, making the first half of the series feel a bit rushed with reception varying across the series. In general, the Fire Nation portion of the series has been well received with Zuko's crew being the battalion of soldiers that he saved, his partnership/rivalry with Zhao to capture Aang, and Ozai's sadistic manipulative personality being much more fleshed out. In contrast, the Gaang's storyline has been met with more criticism due to attempts to streamline their storylines and characters resulting in them having less compelling journeys or flatter characterizations; with Aang's adventurous streak being downplayed and Sokka's sexism being removed are particularly sore spots among fans. Overall, the show is considered better than the much-hated movie adaptation (not a high bar to clear, admittedly), and even good in its own right when freed of the expectations of being compared to the original series.
- Strangled by the Red String: Some feel this way about Sokka's relationship moments with both Suki and Yue in this version, particularly the latter, as they generally share all of two interactions with (not counting having briefly met her as a spiritual fox a few episodes prior) before they suddenly realize they're in love and share a kiss.
- Tainted by the Preview:
- The announcement that Sokka's sexism would be
Adapted Out caused many to complain. These fans point out Sokka's sexism was caused in part by having to take on the role of the Southern Water Tribe's only defender while all the adult men went off to war, and it was always treated by the show's narrative as a bad thing, with Sokka often suffering Laser-Guided Karma because of it as a result; they also note Sokka learning to recognize and let go of his misogynistic beliefs was a major part of his early Character Development. Some even joked that if it wasn't for Sokka's chauvinism, the entire story wouldn't have happened, since Katara's angered reaction to Sokka talking down to her is what led to them finding and freeing Aang and Appa from the iceberg. In the actual series, it's more clear that in this compressed timeline, there wasn't time for this mini-arc with Sokka, as the events in which he would have to get over his sexism happen too quickly for such a development to be meaningful. Sokka's actual emotional journey is more generally about his feelings of responsibility and inadequacy about being a warrior and defender, which continues throughout the season. - Being told that Aang would be less adventurous
and have visions to force him to move the plot along also was not accepted well, as it's seen as completely misunderstanding Aang as a character. Part of the reason why he had trouble sticking to his mission was a combination of being a kid with the world thrust upon him and trauma from what happened, and fans saw this change as trying to 'fix' something about him that wasn't broken, rather than a change solely to make the plot move faster for the compressed format. - The announcement that Toph will be "slightly more feminine" in Book 2
caused a similar outcry to Sokka's sexism being removed, with detractors pointing out that Toph is confident and content in her lack of traditional feminine traits, preferring to be a tomboy by choice,note so any change to this has been met with disapproval by fans, to put it mildly.
- The announcement that Sokka's sexism would be
- They Changed It, So It Sucks: While many changes had to be made to adapt twenty 22-minute episodes into eight 50-minute ones, several of the more dramatic changes taken with certain characters have been criticized:
- Aang's motives for leaving the Southern Air Temple, departing for a short time to clear his head and falling into the storm by accident, are widely seen as a downgrade to him running away from the Air Temple to escape his responsibilities and status as the Avatar.
- Related to this is the amount of blame and guilt laid at Aang's feet due to said disappearance being much more prevalent here than in the original cartoon. While some could see it as deserved, the disappearance happening due to completely accidental circumstances as opposed to Aang intentionally trying to dodge his duties as the Avatar can come off as very jarring.
- Bumi's character goes from a purely Cool Old Guy in the series to having his character fused with the fisherman from "The Storm", so he becomes a bitter and resentful old man that unfairly blames Aang for the last 100 years of pain he endured. Some even feel that this takes away nearly all his endearing charm, and/or turns up his angst to unreasonable degrees.
- Some fans were not too keen on Sokka's initial sexism being removed, feeling as though the writers missed the point about his initial character arc. Additionally, many found it odd that his sexism was removed, while at the same time, making Suki's attraction to him almost instantaneous when she peeks at him changing clothes and has an almost sexual-laden training session with him, which became a source of Narm for some rather than a natural progression of their very brief interactions.
- Some fans of Katara's OG personality dislike her Adaptational Personality Change. She lacks her animated counterpart's explosive temper (she only raises complaints infrequently, and only two outbursts happen across the whole of the series) and there are complaints that she's too passive and flat. It doesn't help that she only starts becoming proficient in waterbending after listening to Aang’s and (of all people) Jet’s advice.
- Some dislike the changes to the Agni Kai duel between Zuko and Ozai, in part because some fans think that his fighting back in any capacity (albeit unwillingly) is in betrayal of why Zuko didn't fight back to begin with.
- Aang not learning much waterbending in season 1, frequently being put off due to other events in each episode, with the waterbending being done by Katara instead. This was something fans of the original series saw as a detriment to the Netflix show's main story, and the reason that Aang went to the Northern Water Tribe and practiced waterbending throughout his adventures to begin with was to prepare for the comet's arrival in the coming months. Notably, this was something even the movie kept in mind, and Aang's lack of waterbending here is very noticeable.
- They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
- Due to their adaptational early appearance bringing them into the events of Book 1, when they don't appear until the events of Book 2, Mai and Ty Lee don't have very much to do and are just kind of there to be backup for Azula. Some even wonder why they weren't replaced with Lo and Li, Azula's elderly advisors, which would have allowed them to retain their original introductions and interactions with Azula from Book 2.
- Most likely due to budgetary constraints, Appa and Momo's roles are significantly reduced in the series. Momo in particular could be removed and aside from a moment in the finale where Yue saves him from a near-death experience, nothing would be lost.
- Roku's role is also greatly downgraded. Whereas in the cartoon Roku had a presence throughout Book 1 and served as Aang's mentor on the Avatar, here you don't even get to see his face until the fifth episode and Zuko's journal is instead Aang's guide to being the Avatar. Not only that, he isn't the Avatar seen in the opening credits, he isn't the first Avatar Aang meets with, and he doesn't even get his iconic scene of possessing Aang's body to drive off the Fire Nation, instead having been upstaged in all those areas by Kyoshi. It looks strange even to viewers who aren't familiar with the cartoon, as it makes little sense that Aang doesn't have a stronger connection with the Avatar who immediately preceded him.
- They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: The plotline at the end of "Masks" where Aang has to go back to the Spirit World with Koh's totem to rescue Katara, Sokka, and the kidnapped villagers would have been ripe for a story on its own, with the potential for Aang interacting more with the primordial spirit and having to possibly outwit him in order to save everyone, perhaps even incorporating the iconic "show no emotions" gimmick from the original show. At the very least, it would probably have been portrayed as an incredibly tense and perilous "Orpheus and Eurydice"-esque journey to the depths. Instead, this entire leg of Aang's rescue mission is relegated to the episode's epilogue as Iroh wistfully voices over it about friendship and loss, and all we get is a scene of Aang offering the totem at the mouth of Koh's cave, and Koh silently retreating.
- Unexpected Character:
- She never shows up in person (with only her likeness appearing on a totem), but Koh's mother, the Mother of Faces, is mentioned in "Masks". This is a character who appeared not in the cartoons, but in the comic books. The fact that even the comics are getting represented in the series is sure to surprise hardcore fans.
- The same episode also introduces the Fog of Lost Souls, a spirit who debuted in The Legend of Korra, surprising fans who weren’t expecting the sequel series to be acknowledged or adapted so ahead of schedule.
- Who would've expected Chong and the hippies to show up in the first season, considering they didn't originally appear until Book 2? They even sing "Secret Tunnel"!
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic:
- The live-action's version of King Bumi has him take on a more disapproving perspective on the unintentional consequences of Aang's disappearance and has undoubtedly suffered through many of those consequences himself. With that said, he unjustly blames Aang as much as the Fire Nation for the state of the world even while knowing what happened to Aang, and then forces Aang to either kill Bumi or himself as a way to "teach" him to make a Sadistic Choice as the Avatar.
- To a lesser extent, the Earth Kingdom soldier in charge of transporting an imprisoned Iroh. He serves as a bitter reminder of Iroh's heinous deeds as the dreaded Dragon of the West and has every right to hate Iroh for his brother's death, but he is also excessively cruel in dealing with his prisoner while knowing that he's going to be put away forever and throws a knife in Iroh's back after Iroh spares him and calls for a cease-fire (although, that last part is ever so slightly mitigated by how, as far as he knows, Iroh will remain a dangerous military threat to the Earth Kingdom if he does escape).
- While Paul Sun-Hyung Lee's performance as Iroh is generally well-liked, the ways that the show has him deflect on the Fire Nation's atrocities to Aang and the Earth Kingdom soldier can be off-putting to viewers, especially after having shown the horror of the Air Nomad Genocide onscreen. With Aang, one could argue that he's at least conflicted about the situation he's found himself in, but he seems undeservedly indignant towards the Earth Kingdom soldier whose brother died at Ba Sing Se.
- To a lesser extent, his testy attitude towards the resentful Fire Nation soldiers, despite them being saved from the front lines by Zuko in this adaptation, is unfavorably compared to his animated counterpart's patience, considering that Zuko was still wrong to berate them so harshly.
- WTH, Costuming Department?:
- While the costumes look fine for the most part, some have taken issue with Zuko's scar. Unless you look at it closely, it looks more like a port wine stain than a burn, and his left eyebrow is left intact. But at least it's not on the wrong side.
- Princess Yue's wig has been the subject of criticism, with some viewers comparing its quality to that of a cosplay piece. One site
even argues that the movie's Yue had more natural-looking hair, despite its unfortunate appearance from a certain angle. It also doesn't help that the wigs
that her actress Amber Midthunder wore during costume tests looked more natural.
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