gold-steps

I just watched episode 2 and I loved it. Kyoshi Island looked so amazing and the big fight scene with Zhao on the island was great. Whoever is choreographic those scenes needs a raise.

I really liked getting to see Aang channel Kyoshi, it was so cool to see her in action. It was also interesting to hear her perspective on being the avatar....Aang really only had Roku for that in the cartoon. It's not surprising she spoke so much about the fighting part.

Sokka and Suki were so sweet. They did a good job keeping some of the tension between them by having the Kyoshi warriors naturally distrusting outsiders. The chemistry between them when she was teaching him how to fight was great. And in shocking news they were able to include it without him being sexist /s Also love love love that we got a real kiss.

I haven't watched all of it yet, but I'm going to respond to some of the stuff you said in your review since I already have thoughts
I'm definitely enjoying it a lot, but not like the cartoon where I was hooked and totally obsessed with it right away. But yeah some of the reviewers are brutal, I think they're really just saying mean things for "fun" (i.e. because they like getting a rise out of people on the internet)

Yeah I'm a little worried because I've mostly seen people who have watched the cartoon reacting to it. I wonder how many new viewers are watching.

Though I am only two episodes in yeah I would say the conversations are the weak point. I also think the pacing is a little odd...sometimes it seems like a lot happens and other times it seems like nothing. I definitely see what the initial reviewers from the first screening were saying.

Agree about this completely, the visuals and acting are really good which are whats most important to me. The cast are all really great-even if the lines themselves are a little awkward, their delivery of them is good. The writing is (unfortunately) probably the biggest area for improvement I'd say.

ETA: Okay I'm back because I watched episode 3.

Arrakis

Well I was not fully hooked on season 1 of the cartoon tbh, nor am I with this live action series. I guess I will never be fully sold on the general season 1 storyline.

One change I did not particularly like is giving kyoshi roku's storyline, or will roku still have his talk with aang later on this season?

madness

I just have to say Kyoshi Warriors, 10/10. Kyoshi herself, 10/10. No notes.

I don't give a crap about people complaining but I'm also the kind of reader/viewer that if your characters are done well - I won't actually care if your plot has holes. Also seen enough adaptations that you need to see it as a separate being. The amount of comments I've seen about certain lines not making it into the show.... Yeah ok. Seems a weird hill to die on.



Currently started 1x03 and I kind of wish

pink velvet

I rewatched the first episode. My parents watched it too! They have no prior experience with this story aside from knowing that I really love the animated show. So I'm very interested in learning how they'll like. They were definitely into the first episode. They were making really good observations and my mom loves the Water Tribe outfits

-There was so much unease with all the Air Nomad scenes because we knew darn well what was coming Fly away sky bisons!!
-Yeeeah that was an evil genius sort of moment. I like that he gave credit where credit was due because he said that had it not been for the comet the airbenders may have very well won. I think sometimes airbenders don't get enough credit. They're peaceful, but they can fight.

That comet gives one heck of a power boost!

The cut back and forth between two very stressful scenarios

Same! It would have been cool to see. I was like "oh he's off the ship already"

But, watching it all again made me appreciate the episode more for what it did give. As I was hoping would happen

Those are things that could have used a polishing for sure And, hopefully, those involved in the show can sift through the muck of nasty comments to find the ones that are offering helpful criticism.



A vision! All of them

I like to go in with an open mind Though it's hard not to be thrown off by things. Which is why, unless something is a dumpster fire, I go back and watch again! That way I see the new version simply for what it is.

gold-steps

Yeah I've been saying I mostly care about the effects and the actors. I thing as long as the "big things" are done well it doesn't really matter. It's really weird to complain about little things like the costumes (a big one I've seen) or singular lines not making it into the show.

Peeking ahead at episode descriptions I think this does happen but I'm not there yet

Okay onto episode 4!



ETA: Okay I'm back I just watched episode 5.

DigificWriter

Despite already being smack-dab in the middle of a Division Adventure 2020 watch-through, I decided to watch the first episode of the show so that I could watch some reaction videos (and to kill time before the WWE aired their Elimination Chamber event from Perth, Australia early this morning), and while I still have issues with the age-to-characterization ratio of the kid characters, I did like the writing, design, and overall narrative structure of the story.

Immediately delving into Aang's history and disappearance was an important decision in terms of hooking in general audiences who aren't/weren't already fans of the franchise and for immediately endearing viewers to him as a character (although I personally would've used captions to indicate that we'd skipped ahead 100 years after Aang crashed into the water and went all Avatar State instead of leaving that revelation for expository dialogue).

I don't remember if the Avatar State was this uncontrollable in the animated series, but if it wasn't, I like the change because it adds tension and a real sense of danger to things instead of the Avatar State just being this ultra-power mode that Aang ought to just be dipping into constantly.

As I said at the start, I still don't think they cast actors who match the ages of the kid characters that they're playing, but there were still things that I liked about what said actors gave us, namely Dallas Liu's interpretation of Zuko's obsession, Gordon's conveyance of Aang's quick shift from selfishness to selflessness, and Kiawentiio's conveyance of Katara wanting to step up and be a warrior. I still hate Sokka, though, so the actor playing him at least got that right.

I don't know how quickly I'll get through the show since I want to watch reaction videos about each episode, but I did overall like the premiere and most of the adaptational choices that have been made thus far.

gold-steps

Yes I think this was a very good change they made! I know some of the cartoon purists don't like it, but its important for exposition.

I think the actors are doing a great job so far. The casting team found some really talented actors

Aw this is so cute! I'm trying to get a few of my friends to watch it and I'll report back with how they like it if I can convince them.

Yeah I hope they're all treading carefully on social media these days

Also I just have to say I love how on our little board we can have a peaceful discussion about how the show is good and enjoyable but also nicely point out some of the issues with it. Thank you all for being normal

Arrakis

Just watching episode 3, I'm a little slower. Good one so far,

gold-steps

Okay episode 6



I think this was my favorite episode so far. So much good backstory and all of the actors were so good

Re: episode 3



Okay I'm back for episode 7.

DigificWriter

Thoughts on Episode 2, bullet-point-style:
* I liked that the episode started where the premiere ended because it would've been very easy, in the interest of narrative compression, to skip ahead and have the group just arriving at Kyoshi Island

* Aang and Katara's actors have the best chemistry together, which makes it fortunate that the story requires pairing them up

* I love Zuko; his obsession with the Avatar, while currently unexplained, is still absolutely believable without being 'extra', which makes Iroh's attempts to be diplomatic hilarious

* I don't remember much about Zhao from the animation, but comments from one of the ATLA fan reaction videos I watched had me expecting his interactions with Zuko to play out differently, and so I liked what we got; I also liked that he predictably outed Zuko and news of the Avatar s return to Ozai, because you can't cast somebody like Daniel Dae Kim and keep him offscreen for very long

* Because I hate Sokka, I didn't really care all that much about his romance with Suki, which makes the fact that pretty much all of her story here was centered around said romance suck because I know that she was an important character in the animation and you need to care about her as,an individual, which didn't happen here

* I would've personally had there be visual clues preceding the reveal that Kyoshi had taken over Aang's body physically, but that's just me being nitpicky

madness

Episode 6

gold-steps

Okay last episode here we go!



This episode was sooo good. I felt like I was watching a movie with the music and the effects. I was surprised when I looked at my clock when it was over and less than an hour had gone by.

Overall, it was not perfect I will admit but I really enjoyed it. I really loved a lot of the changes that were made. I am planning on rewatching and will be seated for the next season.

Arrakis

On episode 4 now.

gold-steps

I love this episode so much.



I thought episode 4 was great too. There was sooo much good Zuko and Iroh backstory there.

Arrakis

Ep 6