Netflix plays with fire every time it chooses a beloved anime series for its next live-action adaptation.Avatar: The Last Airbenderremains one of the most iconic animated shows of the 2000s. It lives on in the hearts of endless adults, many of whom would give anything to watch it again for the first time. Netflix boldly took a shot at adaptingThe Last Airbenderinto a live-action show, and though it didn’t go great, there’s still room to learn a few lessons and do better next time.
Netflix’sAvatarcame on the heels of their take onOne Piece. Most agree that their attempt to adapt Eiichiro Oda’s opus is the high-point of their live-action anime shows. Bycelebrating the source material, the series feels like a worthwhile entry into one of the most enjoyable franchises of all time. It inspired many fans to hope for the best when they saw the trailers forAvatar. While the latest entry in Netflix’s long history of anime adaptations is far better than some of its predecessors, it’s still an unimpressive outing.
Albert Kim
Stars
Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
8
Release Date
June 14, 2025
Netflix’sAvatar: The Last Airbenderhas orders for two more seasons. The first season succeeded on viewership metrics, as it would have at any quality level. All it needed was the name. Countless people would invest billions of hours into any show with this name attached. Critics were not especially kind, branding it with a 59% positive score. Those excellent viewership numbers don’t give Netflix any real reason to change anything, especially because the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is considerably higher than the critics' score. Nevertheless, the studio decisions that pushed the original creatorsaway from the adaptationcould still change in future seasons.
The Pacing Doesn’t Work
Netflix’sAvatarcollapses theoriginal series' episodes intoa shorter package. While the overall runtime isn’t much different, the pacing varies massively. Netflix’s adaptation doesn’t make time for the many sidequests and enjoyable interludes that made the show great. While the original Aang was thrilled to try out every local activity on the long road to the Fire Nation, Netflix’s Aang is all about business. Sure, he talks about his desire to goof off, but he takes every opportunity to push the plot along rather than indulge his need for entertainment. This issue plagues the entire cast, forcing important plot points into tiny packages that fail to sell their impact. Netflix’sOne Piecehad a similar problem, but they found ways to compress their central story arcs into two-episode chunks. That strategy wouldn’t work forAvatar, but developing a consistent scheme could help. The show also struggles to allocate its time correctly, handing a considerable percentage of key moments to characters who don’t need them. Theshowrunners have to find a wayto make the important elements work within the schedule.
AGame of ThronesTone With Grade School Dialogue
One of the irritating elements ofNetflix’sAvataris their desireto push the source material in a more “mature” direction. As is often the case, they don’t mean that their version will tackle more adult-oriented topics or handle things with a bit more nuance. It just means that more characters will die on screen, and the violence will look more intense. They just want to give older audiences permission to watch without feeling silly. Unfortunately, the writing of Netflix’sAvataris frequently far less intelligent than that of the original show. It’s all so on-the-nose, laying out every element of the plot in long and uninteresting detail. They can’t hope to nettheGame of Thronesaudiencewhile also talking down to the audience as they might to a five-year-old.
Everyone Loves These Characters For Their Flaws
Netflix’sAvataris bizarrely terrified of giving its characters any negative traits. This issue became notable before the show came out. Fans learned that Sokka’s adolescent sexism would disappear from the adaptation. While that element of the character isn’t necessarily sacrosanct, it represents an element of the character that the original series depicted as a flaw. Sokka got those beliefs beaten out of him by strong women.Aang’s desire to shirkhis responsibilities and play around is another great example. This concept extends to Aang fleeing the Air Temple, a decision he made out of fear in the original show. Netflix’s take on the concept sees him leave to clear his head, leaving behind any negative traits. It’s unclear whether they made this decision because they believe fans won’t like a flawed character or just to save time, but it will kill any interest in the series long before they make it to season 3.
How could Netflix’sThe Last Airbenderimprove in its next two seasons?
It feels cheap to suggest thatThe Last Airbenderwould do better by emulating its source material. Adaptations have to make changes to fit the new format. Remaining chained to the original series would likely tank the show. It’s also reasonable to spend a ton of time on action scenes, since that’s probably where most of the budget went. It’s fair to say that they have the fight scenes down.The show’s visual designis generally very good. It’s easily the best aspect of the show, and it isn’t likely to decline in the following seasons. Since they figured out how to make one of the most beautiful animated series of all time still look great in live-action, they can move on and tackle the parts they fumbled. The characters need to retain their more complicated aspects. They need to have arcs, and the only way to grow is to start somewhere other than the top. The show needs to take its time and explore details beyond the central plotline. The showrunners need to pick a lane between amping up the dark tone and dumbing down the writing.
Netflix’sAvatar: The Last Airbenderis far from a lost cause. The cast is excellent, it all looks great, and the show has the certainty of two additional orders. It wouldn’t take too much effort to right the ship between the first and second season. The problems likely come from the top, as the creators demonstrate some respect for the material. Like Aang, the show has a lot to learn before it reaches the next leg of its journey.
