Spoilers for a 19 year old show and a 50 hour year old show.'
Things I like:
- Having Azula in the first season was seen as a contentious move by many, but I like it. People are annoyed that she loses her temper and wants to go out and do things, but that is a completely normal reaction for a talented, competent person trapped in a gilded cage.
- I feel a little less positively about seeing Ozai so early; I wish they had kept him in shadow, still pitting his children against each other, until the Agni Kai. That way, he still has some menace and we still hear and see Daniel Dae Kim. Like half the promo shots of him were him shirtless, you couldn't just deny us that.
- Zhao being a slimy middle manager is funny.
- Putting some storylines together in the same episode - Mainly, Omashu, is a smart idea. I don't know if I would have chosen Cave of Two Lovers, but it's not a huge issue.
- Gordon Comier as Aang is adorable. One thing this show understands is that Aang had a tendency to be funny in the original show, which is something people kind of ignore.
- Dallas Liu as Zuko is the best casting out of the young cast. This young man understands the assignment!
- Showing the Air Nomad Genocide is endearing. I also like Gyatso!
Some of the changes they make can work, they're just so beholden to the source material and hamfist references in, especially when they rely on Kanna to basically say OG Katara's opening monologue while looking at the symbols of all the Nations - which, the show says, have been isolated and fearful of each other, so why does she have this.
Things I don't Like:
- The previous Avatars are treated as save states in a video game, where Aang can call upon them to basically do his job for him if he is near their statue. To their credit, the one Avatar who shows up to thrown down is Kyoshi.
For the second LA adaptation in a row, Katara and Sokka are the weakest aspects, truthfully, Katara gets the worst of it. Moving on.
It's easy to say "Oh I don't know Yue's characterization" but A) She didn't get much in the cartoon, but I do miss the fact that she was a shy girl who took some time to open up to Sokka. Also that wig is terrible.
I think they took out a lot of the conflict out from people on the same side, but they added it in bombastic fashion - I like how Bumi is angry that Aang basically abandoned his duty. Hahn (who is cute!!) and Sokka don't have animosity.
Overall, I'd watch a second season just to see the GOAT Toph and how they do The Drill.
