Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender remake of the Nickelodeon original has become a Netflix hit and a controversy. The Nickelodeon original animation was one of the greatest TV shows released, which made the build-up of even higher expectations for the live version remake of the show.
Avatar is a show about a world where people can control water, fire, earth, and air through the power of “bending.” In both versions, the world of Avatar is divided into four nations: the Air Nomads, the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom. Everything was normal until the Fire Nation initiated a century-long war for the purpose of tyranny. The Avatar was the only one who could put an end to all the destruction because he was the only one who could control all four elements; however, he disappeared.
After the mass killing of the airbenders and several other nation populations, Aang, a 12-year-old airbender, was the last airbender to survive because he was frozen in an iceberg for 100 years. Aang was awakened by two siblings, Katara and Sokka. To save the world from more destruction from the Fire Nation, Aang, Katara, and Sokka set off on a journey to learn all four elements and aid in saving the world. They are faced with complications when Zuko, the Fire Nation’s prince, hunts down Aang and tries to capture him so he can return home. Zuko’s father banned him from home until he caught the Avatar, so he made it his life’s mission to capture Aang to make his father proud and to inherit his heir to the throne.
Netflix did a great job enrapturing all the crucial elements and details of the avatar world, making each nation distinct and unique while also showing cultural influences. Each nation had its own story and personality shown just through the details of the graphics in the show. Netflix also did a fantastic job with the choreographed combat fighting scenes with the intensity and step-by-step moves shown on screen. The discipline and training the actors must have had to go through to perfect those scenes is hard work that should be respected. Many fans have also considered the job well done that Netflix showed through the casting. In the Netflix show, all the actors were of Asian and Indigenous descent, like the animation portrayed, which fans appreciated after the harsh criticism that the film Avatar received for casting white actors instead of casting actors how they were depicted in the animation.
Netflix’s Avatar definitely dives deeper into the darker and more intense parts of the story of Avatar, which leaves little room for liveliness in the characters portrayed on screen. For example, there were times when Katara’s character was shown to be too monotone with her facial expressions or reactions, and Aang’s character was more focused on the darker side of things and was more dire. In contrast, the characters’ personalities were slightly different in the animation. Katara was more emotional in tragic moments or light-hearted moments, while the intensity in some scenes in the show was more emotional than in her. In the animation, Aang was slightly more spunky and childish. However, he had to take on a huge responsibility, and the show focused more on the burdens Aang would have to face rather than show a little more personality.
Overall, the show was very well made, especially with the small details that went into this project. Was it perfect? No, but it relit the spark of excitement and curiosity for the Avatar fans. For only releasing eight episodes, especially on a budget, Netflix did a fantastic job. The comments that the show receives from Avatar fans should be considered for the upcoming seasons if that is what the future holds.
