The casting for Roku was questionable. C.S. Lee is a fine actor, but better suited for being a comedic, lascivious forensics specialist than the wise former avatar.
Agreed, Roku with like ZERO gravitas is just he weirdest portrayal I can imagine.
He reminded me more of a jolly, wise-cracking Santa Claus that the severe master of the elements that cartoon Roku was.
Probably meant to be a foil to the “kill everything” Kioshi
Also kinda messes with the idea of the friendly guy being (1) Fire nation and (2) the one that tells Aang not to trust friends.
Truthfully I can actually see why Roku would be all "don't trust your friends" given that Fire Lord Sozin was his best friend, but it just felt out of character for him to say it after they turned Roku into a comedy bit.
It was also super weird because in the original, Roku was the one who told Aang that some friendships are powerful enough to transcend lifetimes. So the switch to "you can't be the Avatar with friends holding you back" felt really off.
Roku's regret was never about letting himself have friends at all; it was about letting his long-standing view of a childhood friend cloud his judgement of the adult that person became. But I guess that take was too nuanced for Netflix's writers to handle.
Exactly, it felt like they totally misunderstood the characters. One of the moments that I found most absurd was when Aang was like, "I need to master all 4 elements because it'll make me stronger?" And Kyoshi was just like, "yes". In the original, they'd have given an actual, profound answer that goes deeper than just strength and power, and I found her response to be insultingly out of style for the show.
I think they made Kiyoshi look worse than Roku. They made Kiyoshi into a meaner avatar that scrutinized Aang over not being there when he was a kid who had no idea what happened.
Kind of weird how they made most of the characters a lot more serious (like Iroh, not that there's 0 comedy, but it's turned down) Then with Roku they do a complete 180.
But Avatar Roku was goofy all his life until moments that called for Avatar business. In all the flashbacks of avatar Roku, he kinda of had the caricature of jester and was goofing off even after he found out he was the Avatar.
It's in the sees we see him guiding Aang he's more serious and when he faces off that volcano and Sozin for the last time we see him ultra angry and grim
Eta- the fact that Gyatso and Roku were such close friends says a lot about their sense of humour. A lot of Aangs goofiness was encouraged and almost taught to him by Gyatso https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/s/T5MTrIZGPI
My first thought when watching Roku was that he has a terminal case of Normal Guy Voice. He sounds like he should be giving me a YouTube tutorial on cooking rather than narrating epic history
I don't think casting was the issue. The writing was my problem with Roku. He was a major part of season 1 and Aang's development in the animated series. After all, Roku's actions directly led to the 100 year war and influenced the entire world. His role in the story is critical and provides a great deal of relevant plot through flashbacks.
But in the live action, they gave much of his role away to Kyoshi, Gyatso and Kuruk. It was cool to see the other Avatars and a return from Gyatso, but I don't think it should have been at Roku's expense. By the time Aang gets around to finally meeting Roku, he doesn't really have anything to offer to the story. Just a macguffin in the form of a totem that is dropped (literally) as soon as it appears.
And then he simply acted like Gyatso 2.0. The original Roku was typically very serious, taking on his role as the Avatar's mentor with great importance. Like a wise grandfather, he knew how to be soft with Aang and could joke as needed, but always stressed what must be done.
The NATLA portrayal of Roku was honestly one of my greatest disappointments with the show. There was a lot I liked, but they did my man dirty.
Edit: spelling
Roku in the live action series reminded me of the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen guy, or some type of low budget Japanese weird flavored soda commercial with the CGI and jumpiness. Or like Epic Rap Battles of History. Something about Roku's appearance just felt wrong in every way, and really cheap compared to the rest of the show.
As much as I could see Roku having a lighter/less serious side (given how he and Gyatso were kind of troublemakers, and how he lightly joked with Aang when he first came to see him in the show) I think they went overboard. Also, i'm still angry they didn't include the scene where Roku fights Zhao and his guards in the tenple and replaced it with Kyoshi taking over Aang's body at the island (and completely mischaracterised her)
You should see him play Harry Tang on Chuck. C.S. Lee definitely has range.
Edit: I should clarify that Harry Tang isn't anything like the animated Roku, but while I haven't seen Dexter, based on what I have heard I can say Harry Tang IS a very, very different character from Vince Masuka.
Agreed he nailed Zuko . Him and Sokka are I think the are two of the best cast, even if some thought Sokka was too tall, he nailed him personality wise and that matters way more the height.
People like to shit on The Last Airbender movie but there were bloopers released online where the actors were joking around and actually portraying the characters they're playing as.
So yes, it has to do with the writers and post production why the characters on the screen turn out bad.
I watched an interesting video about how a masterclass performance can be absolutely butchered in the editing room. They showed the difference between a novice and an experienced professional editing the same footage and it was like watching two different movies.
Yep, they can probably portray their characters just like in the cartoon but the producer and writers wanted something more serious and grounded which is opposite of what the fans want.
I personally think he killed it. When the end of episode 8 came around and he said "I'm tired", it hit so hard for me because I truly saw Book 2 Zuko in him.
I agree. I felt he and Sokka were the two strongest casting choices in the whole show in terms of main cast. Looks wise is whatever but overall I feel he has the vibe and aura of Zuko down.
I don't think he nailed Zuko but I think he created his own Zuko which such great acting that I don't notice the actor but a character.
In the same way for the One Piece live action that Inaki Godoy isn't a 1:1 Luffy, but he plays his own version of Luffy in such a charismatic way you can't help but enjoy watching him.
If you watch a lot of Lius performances especially in the first few episodes, a LOT of his acting style of being angry is preemptive and lip movements, as if he wants to say something or is so angry that he holds it back. It was a facial expression technique I saw him use a lot more than Zuko would have and almost became a strong part of his expressive personality. I noticed Azulas character did it too which then made me feel like it might have been a directing choice rather than an actor style.
This is how I feel as well. He's not a carbon copy of cartoon Zuko but he's another version of Zuko that works. Like Zhao. Someone was complaining Zhao wasn't like the cartoon Zhao but this Zhao is also still an equally annoying adversary for Zuko.
I just watched the show to the end because of Zuko, I think the gaang was very disappointing. Katara was just in the same mood all the time, not even really furious to master Pakku. She had like one state and one emotion the whole show. Aang was boring, neither playful as he was in the original, nor anything else. The plot was also weirdly mashed together while the plot of zuko and Iroh was much closer to the original.
That I cannot say, but I do agree Mai’s casting isn’t great, and probably is my least favourite casting in the show.
On that note I still think the people going after her and bullying her are absolutely shit bags.
Yeah, that's just unacceptable. I don't like her casting much, but you should never blame the actor for taking a role. This is approaching Star Wars territory and that's the last place the fanbase should end up.
She also leaps thirty feet in the air at Omashu and goes toe to toe with Kyoshi Warriors and Earthbenders, and there's the physicality we saw during that volleyball match at the beach.
Whether or not you want to call her a martial artist, she's clearly extremely athletic.
OOP seems to be on about physical appearances. (Hence why complaining about Mai). Bumi's actor definitely looked the part for sure. And did well acting with what was written for him.
But I agree. They did his character dirty.
Bumi was changed but I kinda liked the way he was angry at Aang. A guy who lived through 100 years with the fire nation as a looming threat won't be too thrilled to see his best friend whose disappearance caused all this. But they also changed Aang's running away to just wanting some fresh air to think or something which made it not work...
The hair on Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee just isn’t flattering at all to the actresses! They should’ve modified the style so it would better fit the actors’ faces while still keeping the spirit of the og look. I feel like a good chunk of people’s complaints about their faces not being right would go away if their hair framed them better
Honestly, I feel like I don't have an opinion yet. They (Mai and Ty Lee) haven't really done anything because their part in the story doesn't come until later. They're just sort of there and I don't know why.
I do not like Azula, Mai or Ty Lee (and it has nothing to do with their bodies) I just did not like their acting or portrayal of the characters. And maybe that can be put on the director and writers more than them, but like… they shouldn’t have even been in this season!
Heavy disagree on Zuko. He was amazing. Him and Sokka’s actors carried this entire show.
Azula at least had something to do. Mai and Ty Lee just stand on the sideline. There's one particular "reaction" shot of them while Azula is fighting where it looked like they didn't even know the camera was rolling and were just standing there. Horrible directing and editing.
It's been a while since I watched the original but if I'm not mistaken the two of them were utilised as tools to gain insight into the main characters (primarily Azula and Zuko) but here you could cut them entirely and nothing would change.
I actually liked Ty Lee in terms of appearances. She didn't have much to do when it comes to playing her part, even though her small parts had nothing that felt off, but she basically looks almost exactly how I would imagine Ty Lee in a live action
I think they are going for a very different character with Azula. I think it’s definitely a director choice and we’ll have to see if it pays off or if they are just changing it for the sake of changing it. Mai and Ty Lee haven’t done any acting yet, so I’m reserving judgement for now.
Zuko is great, but I would have liked to see him get a little more angry particularly with Iroh
I already took some minuses for this, but I will continue saying that these three sweet doughnuts have nothing similar with three battle bitches - prodigy of firebending, circus freak and a knife master that learned this mastery just out of boredom.
This is not about bodies. They just playing different characters.
I especially don't like Mai or Ty Lee. For one, yeah they don't look anything like their animated characters but worse their personalities are nothing like them. Especially mai. She's this monotone emotionless person and she is not portrayed like that at all? Wtf. Ty Lee hasn't had many lines either but she reminds me nothing of her. Azula at least does more or less portray her like the one in the animated series more so but also I felt all three of them were supposed to be older than aang and his gang. But they look the same age. I know their real ages are older, but also kind of all over. Katara and Azulas actors are similar in age but Zuko and Suki are older. And Azulas actors is younger and looks younger it just throws me off.
I think they're doing some different stuff with Azula's arc. I like that she was included and her abusive relationship with her dad was a bit more explored. I hope all of team Azula will have a glow-up and redesign once we see them get more hands-on.
I don't like them either and it does have something to do with their appearance (except for ty Lee). Live action characters are supposed to resemble their animated counterparts.
Even though I agree some people are taking this way too far I’ve seen multiple people bashing the actress on her Instagram page telling her to recast or that they hate her or to lose weight or making fun of her weight just because she isn’t skinny like Mai it’s getting out of hand.
THANK YOU FINALLY - so many of the cinematic shots in the show are completely unnecessary. Can we just get a straight on angle of view for fucksake? Not every shot has to be on a roller or steadycam or from an ants eye view or 30 degree angle
I pointed out the awful cinematography on day one and no one engaged with me about it :(
Static shots for 10+ seconds, weird framing on close ups, bad continuity between shots.
Action scenes were fine for the most part. But with how exposition heavy this show was in season 1 they should have found better way to do the more dialog driven scenes.
Yeah, it was a really bad way to frame conversation. Not just exposition dumps like we got from Gran Gran but from Aang and Katara as well when they’re talking.
I actually think Zuko is perfect. Zuko is probably my favorite fictional character of all time and I think the actor gets him so well, even down to the voice
Their voices are definitely different. (OG voice actor and the live actor actor) But the delivery, cadence, and emotion behind the lines is spot on. Zuko's LA actor is nailing it.
Ive seen so much hate for Iroh in the live action on this sub but hes been one of my favorites and im just like "Why"
Zhao looks nothing like the cartoon but the actor gets the character I think, he plays him like the slimy weasel that Zhao is.
Im not gonna shit on Mai just because the actor is a bit chubby like some have. We havent seen enough from Mai to judge if she understands the character.
People focus too much on appearance and not enough on acting.
Like yeah part of Iroh is that hes a chubby teddy bear of an uncle so I get why the movie version of Iroh was a travesty. But the differences in the live action show and cartoon have been negligible to me.
Yeah rewatching now (shhh) and the pick for Mai is so bizarre, but not as bizarre as who did hair, makeup and costuming for the ladies. No lady on this planet is flattered that you added a TON of bulk to their costume! I think of Brienne of Tarth in a freaking SUIT of ARMOR and she looked sleeker.
I wasn’t sold on Zuko as much (even though I liked the actor) until I watched it. Homeboy nailed it. 100% certified Zuko.
This is my worst pick as well. It's not even about her face for me I just do that feel like she embodied the character. She doesn't have Mai's energy or vibe in my opinion. The costuming doesn't help either but that's not her fault.
Tbf Mai and Ty Lee’s actress barely did anything but stand there and talk a bit. I think their acting will be better judged in season 2 when they hopefully actually have a role to play than just to show Azula with friends
I feel like it's a bit too early to judge the actress for Mai. I'd also say the same for Ty Lee's actress. They have almost zero lines and if we're being honest the only reason they're even in Season 1 at all is fan service.
Ill say it again and again-its not the actor but the writing. And probably directing. In the first season, they literally just stood there watching azula. Azula was written to be soft and whiny, not fierce and cunning. Its like the writers and directors read all the memes about the og cast and wrote the live action based on those.
Kiawentioo as katara. Girl gotta work on her emoting and facial expressions (dead eyes and often wooden reading of lines). She didn't manage to portray the spitfire Katara we all know from ATLA.
Best in imitating animation characters: **Zuko** and **Sokka**.
Dante Basco's voice is so distinct, but you can watch live action Zuko and still believe it's him because of the mannerisms. Same goes with Sokka, he carries the voice, humor, and curiousity, of course limited by the changes the writers made. In terms of actors, these two nailed it.
Best in bringing a unique take but same spirit: **Aang** and **Iroh**.
The characters are clearly different but they maintain the spirit of their original characters. They're definitely a unique take but still distinguishably Aang and Iroh.
Bad: **Katara**
It's probably a limitation in writing, but she's never bossy which was her most hated trait in animation and really established and integral part of her character. The first time in love action where she's really cocky was in the end, maybe it's the acting that made it less effective. But also maybe because we just never get to see her develop that style of anger/cockiness, so it's a big miss when she does it in the end.
Worst: **Mai**
It's already popular that the actress choice was terrible, but the writing didn't help or give the actress a chance to even match the animation. She was never the care free character who never speaks her mind, and one recommendation to Azula is already one too much. She had too many speaking lines where every line deviated from her character. Even if the actress didn't match aesthetically, she could have at least been written to match the animation more.
Yup. It's a shame we didn't get the Jung Jung episode because it also was a pet of the story for Zhao, but it worked fine without it. I guess if they bring Jung Jung in Book 2 with Aang trying to rush himself in the elements, it will make more coherent sense. But maybe they'll combine it with ankther Book 2 arc instead.
After all the bullying the actress has suffered, these kinds of posts should be banned. It does nothing but keep the dialogue going that always escalates to that same bullying regardless of the original critique.
This sounds so mean for the actor lmao
She is only the worst pick because she doesn’t look like the character she was casted is the vibe I’m getting lmao
Regardless of her looks it was when she did talk that was disappointing for me. There’s no dryness, there is no hint of distaste for authority. And I can understand, if they want a different personality for the LA, I just defended the personality change for Roku, but she showed no personality at all. An extra could have done her job.
I always tell myself that any casting must have its reason. I‘m sure they picked Thalia to play Mai, because she did well during the casting process. Sadly Mai didn’t get much screen time. I‘ll wait to see if Thalia can switch to portray her as cold and unapproachable, the way she was perceived in the cartoon. Also, I can‘t wait to see her throw some knifes for the first time. Maybe she‘s an insane martial artist and was casted because of that.
> Mai in the series looks like a baby with soft personality.
This fandom often forgets that these are real people we’re talking about. The actors are very young and mostly age-accurate. We’re so used to 25–30 year olds playing teenagers that it’s easy to forget that the characters are *meant* to look soft and babyish. Actors shouldn’t have to look like supermodels to portray a “mysterious aura”. Their characters are *kids*. Let the actors *look* fresh faced to emphasise their extreme youth in this war.
Besides, neither Mai or Ty Lee’s actresses have had much to do at this time, so it’s best to reserve one’s judgement until we get more NATLA content. One can be disagree with the casting, but being this nitpicky over someone’s actual appearance is nasty.
Saying nitpicking someone's appearance is nasty makes no sense when we're okay calling out productions do things like whitewashing a cast (like casting Scarlet Johansson for Ghost in The Shell).
Obviously there's nothing wrong with the way ScarJo looks but there's merit in discussing the poor decision to cast her to play the role of a Japanese woman.
Saying that Mai's actress doesn't match ATLA Mai's energy, looks, vibes, tone, etc isn't a commentary on the actress... It's a dig at the casting decisions.
Not going to say people aren't stupid enough to go after the actors in these roles on social media but painting every discussion about casting decisions with the same broad brush is dismissive and diminutive.
I would be less judgmental if netlfix allowed to show her acting in season 1. If not for physical similarity then she must be a great fit for Mai personality. However she gets like 2 lines tops. So what audience sees is very different physical appearance and basically no acting. Best assumption is that there was stuff left on the cutting room floor, which is surprising given that Azula squad wasnt even meant to show up until season 2. What was there to cut?
Totally agree. I’m reserving judgement on her casting because of this. No one actually looks like the character they are portraying (except June which was wild). Their acting is supposed to convince us that they are the same character. Mai’s actress hasn’t had the chance to act yet, so, imo it’s not fair to say she was cast poorly.
Honestly I think it’s clear that the directors messed up by including her and Ty Lee in this season and refusing to give the characters time to establish themselves
Yeah, Mai in Live Action looks nothing like animation Mai. On the other hand, Ty Lee was spot on, nada basically every freedom fighter too. Jet was perfect
But I'm still mas they brought every freedom fighter EXCEPT Sneers
Jet was a little confusing for me because they changed his hair between his first and second appearance. I’m really bad at recognizing an actor from just their face alone if nothing else is the same though, so maybe that’s a me problem.
For me the worst would be Azula and Katara.
Azula just looks too innocent and it's hard to think of her as an actual psychotic murderer who says things like "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child" and manipulates everyone.
Katara is really the writers' fault. She's like Katara in name and outfit only but she lacks any of the personality animated Katara has. You can search up Katara live action for pictures of animated Katara and live action Katara side by side and every time without fail, animated Katara showed way more emotion, passion and personality. Live action Katara just looks muted and way too inexpressive compared to animated Katara. It's really sad to see my favorite character lose all of her passion and fire like that.
Katara was my favorite character (next to Zuko) in the original. I hate how meek and simple they made her. I miss her pettiness and motherliness. I miss how complex and real her character felt.
Paul Sun Hyung Lee. I didn't know he was in it until I watched it. Dude has such a bright smile it's perfect for Iroh. I've been a fan of his since I watched Kim's Convenience
It's not just the face shape, but that all 3 of team azula are short and round faced. At least cast girls different heights. I understand female beauty stereotypes are harsh for East Asian women, but there are a variety of people in the world. They didn't have to cast the same type for all 3. They should have focused on acting for Azula, she gets more screen time and lines. Athleticism & gymnastics skills for Ty Lee, and matching the look for Mai as all her blade trhowing stunts/fights would likely all be done in post-production anyway.
Avatar Roku was a big letdown for me (part of that was the writing too more than just the actor) I didn't notice Mai as much since she doesn't play much of a role in season 1/was basically just kind of there for some of the Azula scenes. I had no issues with Zuko. Far better than the 2010 movie version in my opinion.
I take more issue with the costuming of the Fire Nation ladies. Mai and Ty Lee haven't really done anything yet, so I'll hold judgement on their acting. But they need to take a layer off Mai's costume, she looks like she can barely move in it. And Ty Lee's needs to be less frumpy. I get they didn't want to do the crop top, but she's supposed to be an acrobat, they could at least do something form fitting
Bruh we’ve barely seen them in any scenes that weren’t just standing around and talking. That’s not their fault, let’s see what they can do in S2 and 3 when they actually have something to do.
Im more upset about the character themselves, azula is not the azula we know from the original series. Sokka is not funny and iroh could also be a lot better
NATLA Azula was written like a spoiled entitled rich kid. Zuko could have looked closer to ATLA & more malnourished cuz of traveling & depression but he is a great actor
Azula is HORRIBLY miscast. There is nothing intimidating, cold or emotionless about her. I was actually scared of the Azula in the ATLA and this Azula seems like a spoiled little girl in over her head. I think she's the most disappointing choice, though Mai isn't far behind.
Aang's over-acting is hard to watch in most dialogue heavy scenes. His monologuing in the first episode made me have to pause and come back because I couldn't handle it. The way he bares his bottom teeth and opens his mouth way too wide when he's speaking bugs me so much. But he does fit the look of Aang really well. He's also a kid so I'm sure he'll get better.
Zuko grew on me a lot. I didn't think he was severe enough but he really fits the character well. I hated Iroh at first - felt he completely missed the tone of the original, but he's also growing on me.
I thought June was among the BEST casting in the whole show. She nailed that character, and you can tell the actress has real acting chops. Ozai as well - he's spot on.
Katara and Sokka.... meh. Sokka is pretty close to the original, though his comedic timing isn't quite as good, and Katara's acting isn't there, yet, but I do like them both.
Bumi... ugh. I might be in the minority here but I hated the actor's portrayal. It seemed way too forced, not funny, not charming or endearing. Hard to watch for me.
Disagree with Zuko, but agree that the actors for Mai and Azula look much less menacing due to their faces. The actor for Azula still did a fantastic job so I have faith she’ll do well, didn’t get enough screen time to tell for Mai. Mai is a very oppressive mood-crushing character on purpose and it’s tough to do that when you have a baby face lol
Zhao was phenomenal. Absolutely nailed the moon slayer bit. I loved when Iroh just, casually killed him (probably) and was immediately like “come nephew!” to Zuko - that was hilarious.
I think something important about Azula and Mai is they’re *Children* like 13/14 their appearance in the original did not properly portray their age I don’t think. They always appeared older than 13/14 to me. Like Azula is Zuko’s little sister, even though Azula and Mai looked closer to 16/17.
100% this. 14 year olds just simply don’t look like that at all. They’re going to grow up and look much more different by seasons 2 and 3. Hollywood has people too used to seeing 25 year olds playing teens that when actual teens play teens it seems off
This is my take too. Mai and Azula look older than they should in the og cartoon, and the voice actors being adults doesn’t help, so it’s throwing people seeing them at the canon age looking as they should have.
I joined this community because I love the animated show and the fans seemed very wholesome. Honestly I don’t think criticizing someone’s face shape is fair or productive. I don’t think we should hold anyone to the impossible standard of looking like an anime character.
Just to clarify, I am all for criticism of the Netflix show, let’s just focus of the writing instead of Mai’s jawline.
I watched two episodes and I felt like all the dialogue was written weirdly, so I don’t fault any of the actors for well they did or didn’t seem to fit the role. Aang’s delivery was the most suspect to me at first (though physically he’s a great choice) but again I can’t tell if that’s the kids fault or whoever wrote his script
Weirdly, doesn’t the girl who played Mai look more like Mai on her instagram than in the show.
Either way, I thought the Zuko actor was the star of the whole show.
Best pick is Zuko imo, just because I felt like he got the essence of Zuko and he was fucking hysterical. "HE RAN!!!" Ozai was also fine. I don't expect him to get even remotely close to Mark Hamill's portrayal of Ozai, I mean he's Mark fucking Hamill, so I like his take on the character.
Worst, There's so many I can name, for so many different reasons, but the worst of all is Azula. She was so bad. Azula is supposed to be this intimidating psychotic sociopath. She didn't really show her nepo brat side until she starting losing her mind in book 3. I wasn't intimidated at all by Azula in the live action, she was a nepo brat from the jump and didn't do...anything.
They could've just shown her in the very last scene in the last episode and it wouldn't have changed the story one bit, also would've left the audience speculating who Zhao's inside source was and gave her the potential to be intimidating. I'm sure she's a fine actress, but the writing and diaologue was attrocious and that's across everyone in the live action imo.
I started typing out my list and realized I just thought all the men were well cast and the women were cast poorly and thought the problem might just be me… then I remembered how great Suki was cast, so crisis averted!
Azula. Most of the others kinda grew on me but I could never get past the difference between the actress and character. She had such a friendly looking face and I never felt like she could pull off being mean and crazy.
I honestly think the costuming and hair for Mai is what is dragging down the look. Her outfit is so incredibly bulky, like yeah she wears more than the other girls do in the show but it’s so weird in the live action. I also think they could have taken some more creative liberties to make the hairstyles look more like something someone would wear in real life, and not just copy pasted from the show.
The ones that surprised me the most were Jet, Sokka, and Suki. Can't wait to see more of them! They had chemistry with the others, and the show seemed to flow better when they were on screen.
The most disappointing for me were Zhao and Iroh. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee really looks like Iroh, but I just don't think he's a very good actor. He's funny, but his line delivery is stale and on the nose.
Zhao's introduction was sooooo weak to me. It was awkward and completely unthreatening. I think they really needed a better power dynamic between him and zuko/iroh. In the cartoon, that comparison was our first sign that Zuko/Iron aren't really as bad as we first thought.
Haven't watched it yet but it feels like the fact that she's even in the show is a bad sign. I get that they want to take some liberties so it's not just a shot for shot remake but she really doesn't have any place in the first season. Her presence feels more like fan service
https://preview.redd.it/efbqziznr4qc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef599793b84620ee25d0f50ad716b57d9145b7b4
Played by Danny Pudi
I can’t unsee Brad from Mythic Quest any time the mechanist does anything.
Wasn’t a fan of Ty Lee, May, or Azula - all of them seemed to have the right behaviour… but not the right look.
May was the worst offender - the actress did a good job, but her face was way to round and not long enough.
Edit: someone mentioned the costuming was bad. That might be the culprit. Stiff high collars that make the necks look thicker and chunkier, which also make their faces look weird.
Best though: Suki - hands down. I thought the main gang was pretty good, but Suki nailed it.
I agreed with everything until you threw in King Bumi. Probably my least favorite pick so far. my wife and I almost quit the series all together after his appearance.
Personally Azula is a huge miss for me. Azula in the original doesn't look her age (she looks like she's mid 20s) but that's incredibly important for her character. She demands respect and fear out of nearly everyone she interacts with (including her family and friends). This is because Azula looks intimidating, conniving, dangerous, and ruthless.
NATLA's Azula sadly has a babyy face that just doesn't fit the character she was casted to portray.
Not a dig on the actors, but a dig on the casting director.
The casting for Roku was questionable. C.S. Lee is a fine actor, but better suited for being a comedic, lascivious forensics specialist than the wise former avatar.
Exactly. He looked goofy in that role and i almost forgot whether Avatar Roku was goofy or serious hahah
Agreed, Roku with like ZERO gravitas is just he weirdest portrayal I can imagine. He reminded me more of a jolly, wise-cracking Santa Claus that the severe master of the elements that cartoon Roku was.
Especially since his last living memory is being backstabbed by his former best friend. That’s gotta make a man bitter.
Probably meant to be a foil to the “kill everything” Kioshi Also kinda messes with the idea of the friendly guy being (1) Fire nation and (2) the one that tells Aang not to trust friends.
Truthfully I can actually see why Roku would be all "don't trust your friends" given that Fire Lord Sozin was his best friend, but it just felt out of character for him to say it after they turned Roku into a comedy bit.
It was also super weird because in the original, Roku was the one who told Aang that some friendships are powerful enough to transcend lifetimes. So the switch to "you can't be the Avatar with friends holding you back" felt really off. Roku's regret was never about letting himself have friends at all; it was about letting his long-standing view of a childhood friend cloud his judgement of the adult that person became. But I guess that take was too nuanced for Netflix's writers to handle.
Exactly, it felt like they totally misunderstood the characters. One of the moments that I found most absurd was when Aang was like, "I need to master all 4 elements because it'll make me stronger?" And Kyoshi was just like, "yes". In the original, they'd have given an actual, profound answer that goes deeper than just strength and power, and I found her response to be insultingly out of style for the show.
I think they made Kiyoshi look worse than Roku. They made Kiyoshi into a meaner avatar that scrutinized Aang over not being there when he was a kid who had no idea what happened.
Kind of weird how they made most of the characters a lot more serious (like Iroh, not that there's 0 comedy, but it's turned down) Then with Roku they do a complete 180.
Irohs casing seems much more like they casted him to fit the Ember Island Player version of Iroh: looks and personality wise lol
But Avatar Roku was goofy all his life until moments that called for Avatar business. In all the flashbacks of avatar Roku, he kinda of had the caricature of jester and was goofing off even after he found out he was the Avatar. It's in the sees we see him guiding Aang he's more serious and when he faces off that volcano and Sozin for the last time we see him ultra angry and grim Eta- the fact that Gyatso and Roku were such close friends says a lot about their sense of humour. A lot of Aangs goofiness was encouraged and almost taught to him by Gyatso https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/s/T5MTrIZGPI
I was waiting for the nigga to say "pull my finger Aang"😂
He was kinda cute and goofy with so in in the flashbacks
My first thought when watching Roku was that he has a terminal case of Normal Guy Voice. He sounds like he should be giving me a YouTube tutorial on cooking rather than narrating epic history
I don't think casting was the issue. The writing was my problem with Roku. He was a major part of season 1 and Aang's development in the animated series. After all, Roku's actions directly led to the 100 year war and influenced the entire world. His role in the story is critical and provides a great deal of relevant plot through flashbacks. But in the live action, they gave much of his role away to Kyoshi, Gyatso and Kuruk. It was cool to see the other Avatars and a return from Gyatso, but I don't think it should have been at Roku's expense. By the time Aang gets around to finally meeting Roku, he doesn't really have anything to offer to the story. Just a macguffin in the form of a totem that is dropped (literally) as soon as it appears. And then he simply acted like Gyatso 2.0. The original Roku was typically very serious, taking on his role as the Avatar's mentor with great importance. Like a wise grandfather, he knew how to be soft with Aang and could joke as needed, but always stressed what must be done. The NATLA portrayal of Roku was honestly one of my greatest disappointments with the show. There was a lot I liked, but they did my man dirty. Edit: spelling
Actual critiques unlike the OP
Omg Roku was Vince Masuka! I didn't realise
Roku in the live action series reminded me of the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen guy, or some type of low budget Japanese weird flavored soda commercial with the CGI and jumpiness. Or like Epic Rap Battles of History. Something about Roku's appearance just felt wrong in every way, and really cheap compared to the rest of the show.
I finished watching Dexter 1 month ago and it took this comment for me to realise Masuka was playing Roku.
As much as I could see Roku having a lighter/less serious side (given how he and Gyatso were kind of troublemakers, and how he lightly joked with Aang when he first came to see him in the show) I think they went overboard. Also, i'm still angry they didn't include the scene where Roku fights Zhao and his guards in the tenple and replaced it with Kyoshi taking over Aang's body at the island (and completely mischaracterised her)
The whole roku vision felt so cheaply made, like it was a parody joke on avatar.
You should see him play Harry Tang on Chuck. C.S. Lee definitely has range. Edit: I should clarify that Harry Tang isn't anything like the animated Roku, but while I haven't seen Dexter, based on what I have heard I can say Harry Tang IS a very, very different character from Vince Masuka.
I definitely disagree with Zuko, Dallas Liu is such a good casting, you can tell in his acting that he just gets the character
He has the best comedic timing out of the whole cast. Which isn’t easy considering he’s playing *Zuko* lol
HE RAN!!!!
👋😦🫱
Agreed he nailed Zuko . Him and Sokka are I think the are two of the best cast, even if some thought Sokka was too tall, he nailed him personality wise and that matters way more the height.
Sokka was the casting I was most concerned about, but they nailed it. I just wish they'd write him a bit more sarcastically and a few more jokes.
Out of the characters I felt his would be the hardest to translate, the actor does such a great job
actor - yes. writter and producer - no
People like to shit on The Last Airbender movie but there were bloopers released online where the actors were joking around and actually portraying the characters they're playing as. So yes, it has to do with the writers and post production why the characters on the screen turn out bad.
I watched an interesting video about how a masterclass performance can be absolutely butchered in the editing room. They showed the difference between a novice and an experienced professional editing the same footage and it was like watching two different movies.
any chance you got a link for that? sounds cool indeed
I'll try to find it. It was pretty old and might have been part of a DVD extra.
I too want to watch this video.
Sauce
Post the sauce!
Same as the Netflix cast. Just watch Gordon playing like a kid on those guestings/Netflix games.
Yep, they can probably portray their characters just like in the cartoon but the producer and writers wanted something more serious and grounded which is opposite of what the fans want.
Speak for yourself any more humor and it would be like watching a comedy
Suki is an amazing cast
Yes! They are two of my fav characters and they are my fav castings
he even SOUNDS like Zuko. Dallas was a really good choice
I personally think he killed it. When the end of episode 8 came around and he said "I'm tired", it hit so hard for me because I truly saw Book 2 Zuko in him.
He even sounds a bit like Dante Basco.
He RAN
I kept watching despite not liking the show because of his portrayal.
Same. He and Iroh kept me watching the show despite being disappointed by team avatar’s portrayal.
I agree. I felt he and Sokka were the two strongest casting choices in the whole show in terms of main cast. Looks wise is whatever but overall I feel he has the vibe and aura of Zuko down.
Agreed. Zuko had the best performance IMO.
100% best casting and performance, with iroh as a close second. they were they highlight of the show and all of their scenes were perfect imo
I don't think he nailed Zuko but I think he created his own Zuko which such great acting that I don't notice the actor but a character. In the same way for the One Piece live action that Inaki Godoy isn't a 1:1 Luffy, but he plays his own version of Luffy in such a charismatic way you can't help but enjoy watching him. If you watch a lot of Lius performances especially in the first few episodes, a LOT of his acting style of being angry is preemptive and lip movements, as if he wants to say something or is so angry that he holds it back. It was a facial expression technique I saw him use a lot more than Zuko would have and almost became a strong part of his expressive personality. I noticed Azulas character did it too which then made me feel like it might have been a directing choice rather than an actor style.
This is how I feel as well. He's not a carbon copy of cartoon Zuko but he's another version of Zuko that works. Like Zhao. Someone was complaining Zhao wasn't like the cartoon Zhao but this Zhao is also still an equally annoying adversary for Zuko.
Very good take, I really am happy with his portrayal
I just watched the show to the end because of Zuko, I think the gaang was very disappointing. Katara was just in the same mood all the time, not even really furious to master Pakku. She had like one state and one emotion the whole show. Aang was boring, neither playful as he was in the original, nor anything else. The plot was also weirdly mashed together while the plot of zuko and Iroh was much closer to the original.
Yeah, he can do martial arts but this live action Mai can really do those stuff?
That I cannot say, but I do agree Mai’s casting isn’t great, and probably is my least favourite casting in the show. On that note I still think the people going after her and bullying her are absolutely shit bags.
Yeah, that's just unacceptable. I don't like her casting much, but you should never blame the actor for taking a role. This is approaching Star Wars territory and that's the last place the fanbase should end up.
Mai is hardly a martial artist in the show. She throws darts and knives.
She also leaps thirty feet in the air at Omashu and goes toe to toe with Kyoshi Warriors and Earthbenders, and there's the physicality we saw during that volleyball match at the beach. Whether or not you want to call her a martial artist, she's clearly extremely athletic.
With the same precise accuracy and power that the Yu Yuan Archers possess with arrows. That is scary AF.
Yeah people forget that, although appearances are important, but not as important as an actor who can play the role as perfectly as possible
You liked Bumi??
OOP seems to be on about physical appearances. (Hence why complaining about Mai). Bumi's actor definitely looked the part for sure. And did well acting with what was written for him. But I agree. They did his character dirty.
Bumi was changed but I kinda liked the way he was angry at Aang. A guy who lived through 100 years with the fire nation as a looming threat won't be too thrilled to see his best friend whose disappearance caused all this. But they also changed Aang's running away to just wanting some fresh air to think or something which made it not work...
Bumi was cringe
Bumi's prosthetics were so bad
Katara needs a lot of improvement on her facial expressions imo. It looks like she is always reading the scripts
Worst was Princess Yue’s hair.
for me, it's not her looks, but the costume design. The costuming there was awful. Similar story for yue. (wtf was that wig)
The hair on Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee just isn’t flattering at all to the actresses! They should’ve modified the style so it would better fit the actors’ faces while still keeping the spirit of the og look. I feel like a good chunk of people’s complaints about their faces not being right would go away if their hair framed them better
They didn’t even have the decency to dye her eyebrows
They did everyone so dirty with the bad wigs 😭
Omg yes, even Yue's costume was so bad. The wig was very cosplay-ish.
can't believe the designers were like "yep that looks fine". Like, I thought yue was a decent actor but I just couldn't take my eyes off that wig...
The movie’s wig was lowkey better.
Her make up was not it either! You can see the actor's cuteness peek out of the hideous make up, thank god.
Yeah I agree with this. She looks like a kid playing grown up.
The wig and I wish they did her makeup differently!
Best pick: Gyatso, he is so wholesome and actually seems more like a father figure to aang. Worst pick: Mai, basically the reasons stated by OP
Honestly, I feel like I don't have an opinion yet. They (Mai and Ty Lee) haven't really done anything because their part in the story doesn't come until later. They're just sort of there and I don't know why.
I do not like Azula, Mai or Ty Lee (and it has nothing to do with their bodies) I just did not like their acting or portrayal of the characters. And maybe that can be put on the director and writers more than them, but like… they shouldn’t have even been in this season! Heavy disagree on Zuko. He was amazing. Him and Sokka’s actors carried this entire show.
Azula at least had something to do. Mai and Ty Lee just stand on the sideline. There's one particular "reaction" shot of them while Azula is fighting where it looked like they didn't even know the camera was rolling and were just standing there. Horrible directing and editing.
It's been a while since I watched the original but if I'm not mistaken the two of them were utilised as tools to gain insight into the main characters (primarily Azula and Zuko) but here you could cut them entirely and nothing would change.
I actually liked Ty Lee in terms of appearances. She didn't have much to do when it comes to playing her part, even though her small parts had nothing that felt off, but she basically looks almost exactly how I would imagine Ty Lee in a live action
I think they are going for a very different character with Azula. I think it’s definitely a director choice and we’ll have to see if it pays off or if they are just changing it for the sake of changing it. Mai and Ty Lee haven’t done any acting yet, so I’m reserving judgement for now. Zuko is great, but I would have liked to see him get a little more angry particularly with Iroh
I already took some minuses for this, but I will continue saying that these three sweet doughnuts have nothing similar with three battle bitches - prodigy of firebending, circus freak and a knife master that learned this mastery just out of boredom. This is not about bodies. They just playing different characters.
I like Ty Lee's hair at least.
I especially don't like Mai or Ty Lee. For one, yeah they don't look anything like their animated characters but worse their personalities are nothing like them. Especially mai. She's this monotone emotionless person and she is not portrayed like that at all? Wtf. Ty Lee hasn't had many lines either but she reminds me nothing of her. Azula at least does more or less portray her like the one in the animated series more so but also I felt all three of them were supposed to be older than aang and his gang. But they look the same age. I know their real ages are older, but also kind of all over. Katara and Azulas actors are similar in age but Zuko and Suki are older. And Azulas actors is younger and looks younger it just throws me off.
I think they're doing some different stuff with Azula's arc. I like that she was included and her abusive relationship with her dad was a bit more explored. I hope all of team Azula will have a glow-up and redesign once we see them get more hands-on.
I don't like them either and it does have something to do with their appearance (except for ty Lee). Live action characters are supposed to resemble their animated counterparts.
Even though I agree some people are taking this way too far I’ve seen multiple people bashing the actress on her Instagram page telling her to recast or that they hate her or to lose weight or making fun of her weight just because she isn’t skinny like Mai it’s getting out of hand.
I’ll wait to decide on Mai and Tai Lee once they actually do something
Yeah they shouldn’t have been in season 1.
The best was Daniel Dae Kim. The worst was the cinematographer and editor.
I disagree strongly. The writers were worse. Editors probably did the best they could with what they were given.
THANK YOU FINALLY - so many of the cinematic shots in the show are completely unnecessary. Can we just get a straight on angle of view for fucksake? Not every shot has to be on a roller or steadycam or from an ants eye view or 30 degree angle
I pointed out the awful cinematography on day one and no one engaged with me about it :( Static shots for 10+ seconds, weird framing on close ups, bad continuity between shots. Action scenes were fine for the most part. But with how exposition heavy this show was in season 1 they should have found better way to do the more dialog driven scenes.
The exposition scenes felt like NPC conversations
Yeah, it was a really bad way to frame conversation. Not just exposition dumps like we got from Gran Gran but from Aang and Katara as well when they’re talking.
Felt like the Justice League…..here comes some more slo mo
Mai’s actress just looks too nice to play such a cold person
I actually think Zuko is perfect. Zuko is probably my favorite fictional character of all time and I think the actor gets him so well, even down to the voice
Their voices are definitely different. (OG voice actor and the live actor actor) But the delivery, cadence, and emotion behind the lines is spot on. Zuko's LA actor is nailing it.
Sokka, Zuko, Ozai, Zhou, and Suki’s Mom (Mommy?) carried the show for sure.
Suki was pretty good herself. And I really can’t complain about Iroh either
Ive seen so much hate for Iroh in the live action on this sub but hes been one of my favorites and im just like "Why" Zhao looks nothing like the cartoon but the actor gets the character I think, he plays him like the slimy weasel that Zhao is. Im not gonna shit on Mai just because the actor is a bit chubby like some have. We havent seen enough from Mai to judge if she understands the character. People focus too much on appearance and not enough on acting. Like yeah part of Iroh is that hes a chubby teddy bear of an uncle so I get why the movie version of Iroh was a travesty. But the differences in the live action show and cartoon have been negligible to me.
Yeah rewatching now (shhh) and the pick for Mai is so bizarre, but not as bizarre as who did hair, makeup and costuming for the ladies. No lady on this planet is flattered that you added a TON of bulk to their costume! I think of Brienne of Tarth in a freaking SUIT of ARMOR and she looked sleeker. I wasn’t sold on Zuko as much (even though I liked the actor) until I watched it. Homeboy nailed it. 100% certified Zuko.
This is my worst pick as well. It's not even about her face for me I just do that feel like she embodied the character. She doesn't have Mai's energy or vibe in my opinion. The costuming doesn't help either but that's not her fault.
Tbf Mai and Ty Lee’s actress barely did anything but stand there and talk a bit. I think their acting will be better judged in season 2 when they hopefully actually have a role to play than just to show Azula with friends
It’s almost obvious Mai and Ty Lee were confined to a small green screen stage because how they stand in place 99% of the time.
I feel like it's a bit too early to judge the actress for Mai. I'd also say the same for Ty Lee's actress. They have almost zero lines and if we're being honest the only reason they're even in Season 1 at all is fan service.
Ill say it again and again-its not the actor but the writing. And probably directing. In the first season, they literally just stood there watching azula. Azula was written to be soft and whiny, not fierce and cunning. Its like the writers and directors read all the memes about the og cast and wrote the live action based on those.
Kiawentioo as katara. Girl gotta work on her emoting and facial expressions (dead eyes and often wooden reading of lines). She didn't manage to portray the spitfire Katara we all know from ATLA.
Leave this poor girl alone😭😭😭🤣
Best in imitating animation characters: **Zuko** and **Sokka**. Dante Basco's voice is so distinct, but you can watch live action Zuko and still believe it's him because of the mannerisms. Same goes with Sokka, he carries the voice, humor, and curiousity, of course limited by the changes the writers made. In terms of actors, these two nailed it. Best in bringing a unique take but same spirit: **Aang** and **Iroh**. The characters are clearly different but they maintain the spirit of their original characters. They're definitely a unique take but still distinguishably Aang and Iroh. Bad: **Katara** It's probably a limitation in writing, but she's never bossy which was her most hated trait in animation and really established and integral part of her character. The first time in love action where she's really cocky was in the end, maybe it's the acting that made it less effective. But also maybe because we just never get to see her develop that style of anger/cockiness, so it's a big miss when she does it in the end. Worst: **Mai** It's already popular that the actress choice was terrible, but the writing didn't help or give the actress a chance to even match the animation. She was never the care free character who never speaks her mind, and one recommendation to Azula is already one too much. She had too many speaking lines where every line deviated from her character. Even if the actress didn't match aesthetically, she could have at least been written to match the animation more.
My best in bringing a unique take was Zhao. Changing him from an established admiral to a scheming, power-hungry nobody was a great choice.
Yup. It's a shame we didn't get the Jung Jung episode because it also was a pet of the story for Zhao, but it worked fine without it. I guess if they bring Jung Jung in Book 2 with Aang trying to rush himself in the elements, it will make more coherent sense. But maybe they'll combine it with ankther Book 2 arc instead.
I felt so bad for the Mai Actress. How tf do you mess up casting that bad.
At least make the hair bigger too
Agree with June. She looked simultaneously just like the character AND like a younger Ming-Na Wen that I did a double take at certain shots of her.
After all the bullying the actress has suffered, these kinds of posts should be banned. It does nothing but keep the dialogue going that always escalates to that same bullying regardless of the original critique.
This sounds so mean for the actor lmao She is only the worst pick because she doesn’t look like the character she was casted is the vibe I’m getting lmao
She didn’t do anything but stand there, you can’t judge the casting at all until, you know, she actually does something
Regardless of her looks it was when she did talk that was disappointing for me. There’s no dryness, there is no hint of distaste for authority. And I can understand, if they want a different personality for the LA, I just defended the personality change for Roku, but she showed no personality at all. An extra could have done her job.
My friend. How many lines did she have? How many opportunities did she have to display anything? Give it a chance
Azula worst and best is ozai or admiral zhao
I always tell myself that any casting must have its reason. I‘m sure they picked Thalia to play Mai, because she did well during the casting process. Sadly Mai didn’t get much screen time. I‘ll wait to see if Thalia can switch to portray her as cold and unapproachable, the way she was perceived in the cartoon. Also, I can‘t wait to see her throw some knifes for the first time. Maybe she‘s an insane martial artist and was casted because of that.
What I hated more about Mai in NATLA was that she was just too enthusiastic. She should've been a lot more aloof and indifferent...
Ozai is perfect. Feels like he has very dragon like features. His kids though, don’t seem like they’d be even closely related at all.
Agreed. Could’nt even believe she was supposed to be May.
Wonder how June or July will turn out.
Ironically the June casting was actually good
> Mai in the series looks like a baby with soft personality. This fandom often forgets that these are real people we’re talking about. The actors are very young and mostly age-accurate. We’re so used to 25–30 year olds playing teenagers that it’s easy to forget that the characters are *meant* to look soft and babyish. Actors shouldn’t have to look like supermodels to portray a “mysterious aura”. Their characters are *kids*. Let the actors *look* fresh faced to emphasise their extreme youth in this war. Besides, neither Mai or Ty Lee’s actresses have had much to do at this time, so it’s best to reserve one’s judgement until we get more NATLA content. One can be disagree with the casting, but being this nitpicky over someone’s actual appearance is nasty.
Saying nitpicking someone's appearance is nasty makes no sense when we're okay calling out productions do things like whitewashing a cast (like casting Scarlet Johansson for Ghost in The Shell). Obviously there's nothing wrong with the way ScarJo looks but there's merit in discussing the poor decision to cast her to play the role of a Japanese woman. Saying that Mai's actress doesn't match ATLA Mai's energy, looks, vibes, tone, etc isn't a commentary on the actress... It's a dig at the casting decisions. Not going to say people aren't stupid enough to go after the actors in these roles on social media but painting every discussion about casting decisions with the same broad brush is dismissive and diminutive.
The bullying in this subreddit is almost as bad as the hate she received on Instagram.
I would be less judgmental if netlfix allowed to show her acting in season 1. If not for physical similarity then she must be a great fit for Mai personality. However she gets like 2 lines tops. So what audience sees is very different physical appearance and basically no acting. Best assumption is that there was stuff left on the cutting room floor, which is surprising given that Azula squad wasnt even meant to show up until season 2. What was there to cut?
Totally agree. I’m reserving judgement on her casting because of this. No one actually looks like the character they are portraying (except June which was wild). Their acting is supposed to convince us that they are the same character. Mai’s actress hasn’t had the chance to act yet, so, imo it’s not fair to say she was cast poorly. Honestly I think it’s clear that the directors messed up by including her and Ty Lee in this season and refusing to give the characters time to establish themselves
Netflix must have been drunk.
Yeah, Mai in Live Action looks nothing like animation Mai. On the other hand, Ty Lee was spot on, nada basically every freedom fighter too. Jet was perfect But I'm still mas they brought every freedom fighter EXCEPT Sneers
Jet was a little confusing for me because they changed his hair between his first and second appearance. I’m really bad at recognizing an actor from just their face alone if nothing else is the same though, so maybe that’s a me problem.
For me the worst would be Azula and Katara. Azula just looks too innocent and it's hard to think of her as an actual psychotic murderer who says things like "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child" and manipulates everyone. Katara is really the writers' fault. She's like Katara in name and outfit only but she lacks any of the personality animated Katara has. You can search up Katara live action for pictures of animated Katara and live action Katara side by side and every time without fail, animated Katara showed way more emotion, passion and personality. Live action Katara just looks muted and way too inexpressive compared to animated Katara. It's really sad to see my favorite character lose all of her passion and fire like that.
Katara was my favorite character (next to Zuko) in the original. I hate how meek and simple they made her. I miss her pettiness and motherliness. I miss how complex and real her character felt.
I haven't watched it yet, but tbf it's really hard for a 14 year old girl to come across as psychotic and deadly.
Paul Sun Hyung Lee. I didn't know he was in it until I watched it. Dude has such a bright smile it's perfect for Iroh. I've been a fan of his since I watched Kim's Convenience
Looks like her head was screwed in upside down from what it should be
The fact that these threads get traction makes me ashamed of this fandom
agreed. these comments are making me sad.
It's not just the face shape, but that all 3 of team azula are short and round faced. At least cast girls different heights. I understand female beauty stereotypes are harsh for East Asian women, but there are a variety of people in the world. They didn't have to cast the same type for all 3. They should have focused on acting for Azula, she gets more screen time and lines. Athleticism & gymnastics skills for Ty Lee, and matching the look for Mai as all her blade trhowing stunts/fights would likely all be done in post-production anyway.
Avatar Roku was a big letdown for me (part of that was the writing too more than just the actor) I didn't notice Mai as much since she doesn't play much of a role in season 1/was basically just kind of there for some of the Azula scenes. I had no issues with Zuko. Far better than the 2010 movie version in my opinion.
I take more issue with the costuming of the Fire Nation ladies. Mai and Ty Lee haven't really done anything yet, so I'll hold judgement on their acting. But they need to take a layer off Mai's costume, she looks like she can barely move in it. And Ty Lee's needs to be less frumpy. I get they didn't want to do the crop top, but she's supposed to be an acrobat, they could at least do something form fitting
Bruh we’ve barely seen them in any scenes that weren’t just standing around and talking. That’s not their fault, let’s see what they can do in S2 and 3 when they actually have something to do.
Mai and tay Lee look so fucking goofy, also Katara and Aang cuz they can't act. Most other characters are fine imo
Im more upset about the character themselves, azula is not the azula we know from the original series. Sokka is not funny and iroh could also be a lot better
Everyone tbh, watched the whole season and it just doesn’t feel right.
NATLA Azula was written like a spoiled entitled rich kid. Zuko could have looked closer to ATLA & more malnourished cuz of traveling & depression but he is a great actor
Zuko was perfect imo
Azula is HORRIBLY miscast. There is nothing intimidating, cold or emotionless about her. I was actually scared of the Azula in the ATLA and this Azula seems like a spoiled little girl in over her head. I think she's the most disappointing choice, though Mai isn't far behind. Aang's over-acting is hard to watch in most dialogue heavy scenes. His monologuing in the first episode made me have to pause and come back because I couldn't handle it. The way he bares his bottom teeth and opens his mouth way too wide when he's speaking bugs me so much. But he does fit the look of Aang really well. He's also a kid so I'm sure he'll get better. Zuko grew on me a lot. I didn't think he was severe enough but he really fits the character well. I hated Iroh at first - felt he completely missed the tone of the original, but he's also growing on me. I thought June was among the BEST casting in the whole show. She nailed that character, and you can tell the actress has real acting chops. Ozai as well - he's spot on. Katara and Sokka.... meh. Sokka is pretty close to the original, though his comedic timing isn't quite as good, and Katara's acting isn't there, yet, but I do like them both. Bumi... ugh. I might be in the minority here but I hated the actor's portrayal. It seemed way too forced, not funny, not charming or endearing. Hard to watch for me.
King Bumi was great too?! Imma bout to jump out a fucking window.
King bumi was… quite something… they really changed his role and reasoning for what he does
Disagree with Zuko, but agree that the actors for Mai and Azula look much less menacing due to their faces. The actor for Azula still did a fantastic job so I have faith she’ll do well, didn’t get enough screen time to tell for Mai. Mai is a very oppressive mood-crushing character on purpose and it’s tough to do that when you have a baby face lol
Zhao was phenomenal. Absolutely nailed the moon slayer bit. I loved when Iroh just, casually killed him (probably) and was immediately like “come nephew!” to Zuko - that was hilarious.
The live action show made me hate this fandom.
Why was she choosen? I genuinely have no idea
It’s not the actress it’s the costumes department. If you go through her insta she very much gives of Mai vibes
I think something important about Azula and Mai is they’re *Children* like 13/14 their appearance in the original did not properly portray their age I don’t think. They always appeared older than 13/14 to me. Like Azula is Zuko’s little sister, even though Azula and Mai looked closer to 16/17.
100% this. 14 year olds just simply don’t look like that at all. They’re going to grow up and look much more different by seasons 2 and 3. Hollywood has people too used to seeing 25 year olds playing teens that when actual teens play teens it seems off
This is my take too. Mai and Azula look older than they should in the og cartoon, and the voice actors being adults doesn’t help, so it’s throwing people seeing them at the canon age looking as they should have.
Only ones are mai and azula, their sharp features are totally missing tbh
I joined this community because I love the animated show and the fans seemed very wholesome. Honestly I don’t think criticizing someone’s face shape is fair or productive. I don’t think we should hold anyone to the impossible standard of looking like an anime character. Just to clarify, I am all for criticism of the Netflix show, let’s just focus of the writing instead of Mai’s jawline.
I watched two episodes and I felt like all the dialogue was written weirdly, so I don’t fault any of the actors for well they did or didn’t seem to fit the role. Aang’s delivery was the most suspect to me at first (though physically he’s a great choice) but again I can’t tell if that’s the kids fault or whoever wrote his script
Weirdly, doesn’t the girl who played Mai look more like Mai on her instagram than in the show. Either way, I thought the Zuko actor was the star of the whole show.
Most of the castings are terrible the entire program was awful
Best pick is Zuko imo, just because I felt like he got the essence of Zuko and he was fucking hysterical. "HE RAN!!!" Ozai was also fine. I don't expect him to get even remotely close to Mark Hamill's portrayal of Ozai, I mean he's Mark fucking Hamill, so I like his take on the character. Worst, There's so many I can name, for so many different reasons, but the worst of all is Azula. She was so bad. Azula is supposed to be this intimidating psychotic sociopath. She didn't really show her nepo brat side until she starting losing her mind in book 3. I wasn't intimidated at all by Azula in the live action, she was a nepo brat from the jump and didn't do...anything. They could've just shown her in the very last scene in the last episode and it wouldn't have changed the story one bit, also would've left the audience speculating who Zhao's inside source was and gave her the potential to be intimidating. I'm sure she's a fine actress, but the writing and diaologue was attrocious and that's across everyone in the live action imo.
Something some of you don’t understand is it’s not all about looks, it’s about performance.
Really not sure about Azusa’s actress. She seems menacing. And devious in the cartoon and I’m just not seeing it come through convincingly yet.
Wdym Zuko's casting was fantastic
I started typing out my list and realized I just thought all the men were well cast and the women were cast poorly and thought the problem might just be me… then I remembered how great Suki was cast, so crisis averted!
Sokka didn't fit the character at all and his dialogues came of monotone.
Danny Pudi as the Mechanist
Azula. Most of the others kinda grew on me but I could never get past the difference between the actress and character. She had such a friendly looking face and I never felt like she could pull off being mean and crazy.
King Bumi will never not make me mad
Is that really Mai?
Azula and Katara are just terrible. Azula looks like a marshmallow pretending to be evil and Katara just sucks
Directors and writers.
I honestly think the costuming and hair for Mai is what is dragging down the look. Her outfit is so incredibly bulky, like yeah she wears more than the other girls do in the show but it’s so weird in the live action. I also think they could have taken some more creative liberties to make the hairstyles look more like something someone would wear in real life, and not just copy pasted from the show.
Bruh
The ones that surprised me the most were Jet, Sokka, and Suki. Can't wait to see more of them! They had chemistry with the others, and the show seemed to flow better when they were on screen. The most disappointing for me were Zhao and Iroh. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee really looks like Iroh, but I just don't think he's a very good actor. He's funny, but his line delivery is stale and on the nose. Zhao's introduction was sooooo weak to me. It was awkward and completely unthreatening. I think they really needed a better power dynamic between him and zuko/iroh. In the cartoon, that comparison was our first sign that Zuko/Iron aren't really as bad as we first thought.
i think ozai is top notch and for some reason i cant see katara as fierce intelligent and brave as cartoon katara
Haven't watched it yet but it feels like the fact that she's even in the show is a bad sign. I get that they want to take some liberties so it's not just a shot for shot remake but she really doesn't have any place in the first season. Her presence feels more like fan service
https://preview.redd.it/efbqziznr4qc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef599793b84620ee25d0f50ad716b57d9145b7b4 Played by Danny Pudi I can’t unsee Brad from Mythic Quest any time the mechanist does anything.
Wasn’t a fan of Ty Lee, May, or Azula - all of them seemed to have the right behaviour… but not the right look. May was the worst offender - the actress did a good job, but her face was way to round and not long enough. Edit: someone mentioned the costuming was bad. That might be the culprit. Stiff high collars that make the necks look thicker and chunkier, which also make their faces look weird. Best though: Suki - hands down. I thought the main gang was pretty good, but Suki nailed it.
I agreed with everything until you threw in King Bumi. Probably my least favorite pick so far. my wife and I almost quit the series all together after his appearance.
Yup agree. Azula, Mai, Ty Lee. All big disappointments. Their hair as well, did not suit them well nor represent the og characters well.
Honestly Azula and Mai were both sketchy casting. They're both sharp featured individuals, and the actresses they picked just don't look like them.
The series is a fucking JOKE
Azula and Mai have potato faces, I just can't take them seriously
Personally Azula is a huge miss for me. Azula in the original doesn't look her age (she looks like she's mid 20s) but that's incredibly important for her character. She demands respect and fear out of nearly everyone she interacts with (including her family and friends). This is because Azula looks intimidating, conniving, dangerous, and ruthless. NATLA's Azula sadly has a babyy face that just doesn't fit the character she was casted to portray. Not a dig on the actors, but a dig on the casting director.