While a lot of folks online are quite literally flaming this adaptation, I've really grown to love and appreciate it, even initially watching the first season when it premiered. There are a few things I wish I could change that feel contrived, like the sometimes very obvious shoehorned references, and some of the acting choices in Season 1, but this has become a comfort show for me and I feel really out of the ordinary for that. Am I alone? 😂
I went into the show wanting to hate it and feeling like I am going to hate it. Before I even started the show, my mindset was wanting to skim and speed through it to look at every single thing that can be bad.
The episode was actually pretty solid.
Now personally I like that prologue at the beginning, and I would prefer it to be more of a mystery and sprinkled through, but I have no problems with the prologue besides that. I think they set that up pretty nice. Alongside that, I honestly had no problems with the episode besides a little bit of bumps in my focus of confusion when compared to the original. (Edit: I kind of worded this wrong, I do say the episode is solid, but it's not just bumps but a few issues. Still nice.)
Now it has been a while, but I'm sure Aang can't be flying like that without some glider, and he got the whistle already for Appa. Those two are probably going to be the only little parts, because yeah they created some type of bumps for my focus, but other than that not really that bad.
During the episode, Aang felt already a bit matured and I feel like some of that progress is already there without much building to it, though, I do like how he is and I like the acting. He's probably going to be the best part of the show alongside Zuko and Iroh.
Those three characters deviate and shift a bit and how they are the show, and while some of those changes I don't think are always the best, I think they are pretty strong and I'm liking them.
The dialogue doesn't feel natural at times, and it feels like exposition... too much. That's one problem that kept coming up, I'll be immersed and then it feels broken. That's just for me, and it feels like I'm texting someone and suddenly they send a wall of text.
Also Sokka, I can tell it's him, but with him being a bit toned down at least compared to the original show, and even viewing this adaptation in a vacuum, he's a bit flat to me. I just don't see much from him, but what I can tell is that with this tone they're going for, I actually see him less sexist and more onto the job of their tribe. Being more of a leader already, which is almost the same for Aang's case. It's not giving me what I would feel would come from him and I do find him flat, but he does fit the tone of the show. I also like the tone, but at times I don't feel like it's for the better.
Katara, and honestly I feel like this is the only character that I have this problem with... I just don't know what to think about her I just feel like she hasn't had much in the length of runtime about two episodes compared to the original show, and all I can say is that I feel like some of her conflict with Sokka isn't (quick edit: it may not be there, but there is some disagreement which I do like.) there like I expected. I just don't have much to say about her, but what I can say is that the actor is great, and the potential is there and I hope the later episodes tap into it.
I also already see the efficiency they have done and how much bloat they might cut off, but I feel like that's sometimes for the worst. I think that is what the characters needed to be grounded for my personal interest, and when it comes into having these characters being engaging, if they aren't, the conflict or dynamics that they plan to have for them probably might fall short for me.
These are my main issues, and apart from them this episode is actually way better than I expected. I appreciate the show, and I don't see the need for hate. I don't think it's better than the original show, but the direction it's taken is actually something I would like. I would just want more from episode 2 because I feel if they keep it at this energy from episode 1. It would decrease in quality for me.
Final thing I feel like I would say, episode 1 did its job at wanting me to continue. 👏 👏.
I was going to wait until I watched more episodes to give this review or thought, but I actually was surprised that I wanted to make one.
