The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender has finally hit Netflix, but I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. The original cartoon landed on Nickelodeon in 2005, and since then, it’s gained a huge following and love from people around North America and beyond.
Since the first series, there has been a follow-up called The Legend of Korra, which highlighted some of The Last Airbender‘s characters, and several graphic novels that reveal more about some of the characters we barely learned about in the TV series.
However, Netflix has now tackled a live-action series. At the time of writing, I haven’t seen the TV show, but I’m unsure if I’m looking forward to it. Live-action adaptations have failed before, and the horrendous live-action The Last Airbender movie came out in 2010. There have also been live-action adaptations of the likes of Death Note, Bleach, Cowboy Bebop, Lion King, Aladdin, and more that are, well, just not good.
But what stands as a light at the end of the tunnel is One Piece, a live-action adaptation created by Netflix that I really like — although, to be fair, I didn’t watch the TV show it’s based on. If the Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) series is anywhere nearly as good as the One Piece TV show, it could be a hit. However, unlike One Piece, I’ve watched and re-watched ATLA more than 20 times since its release, so I’ll probably be much more critical of this series.
Let us know in the comments below if you’ll give the new ATLA series a shot or if you’re vehemently against it like many of my friends. By the time this article is published, I will have probably seen the whole thing (I had a six-hour flight to Spain, so I needed something to do).
For those who are unaware, Avatar: The Last Airbender focuses on the journey of 12-year-old Aang, the current Avatar and the last survivor of his nation. The series takes place 100 years after this nation was destroyed by an enemy force, the Fire Nation, but little Aang made it through the purge as he was stuck in an iceberg. Now, Aang has to learn the four elements so he can put a stop to the war and save the world.
Image credit: Netflix
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
