I think we’ve finally started to understand why Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino left Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Thus far, the reception to the upcoming live-action series has been very positive. The photos and casting were an exact mirror of what the animated characters looked like. However, the trailers did an excellent job of reminding audiences of the beloved classic.
The cast and crew has been on a promotional tour for the Netflix series recently and it’s starting to worry fans a bit. First, the decision to change an important character arc for Sokka. Now, the creators are hoping to appeal to the Game of Thrones audience. Showrunner Albert Kim stated as much in a recent interview with IGN:
“Seasons 2 and 3 are a lot more mature in theme than, say, season 1 was,” Kim stated during the interview. “So for us, it was about striking that right balance, of making sure you were true to the DNA of the original. But at the same time, we had to make it a serialized Netflix drama. “It had to also appeal to the people who are big fans of Game of Thrones so, it had to feel grounded and mature and adult in that way too. That’s the tightrope that we have to walk.”
There’s a fine line to cross when it comes to making adaptations and it appears Netflix is veering from the source material a little. It’s great that The Last Airbender isn’t simply a copy and past series, but the context of the new series showcases that the creators don’t seem to truly understand The Last Airbender.
The Positives Of Avatar: The Last Airbender Being An Adult Show
Once you get past the first season, The Last Airbender gets darker and more mature. However, it never gets to the levels of Games of Thrones or other adult shows. It was rumored that the reason Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino left the adaptation was because Netflix wanted the series to be aimed at adults. Despite the critically lambasted ending of Games of Thrones, that series was a hot adaptation that shaped the form of entertainment thanks to its complex themes and supernatural action.
In that respect, The Last Airbender is similar to GOT; the animated series was quite complex with its themes about trauma, genocide, relationships, and culture. Going back to Sokka’s character development, the young warrior wasn’t purposefully sexist. Sokka and Katara were raised in a world that was strict with gender roles. That all changed through the seasons, especially when he met the Kyoshi Warriors.
That arc was a masterful story that resonated with both kids and adults. It was a subtle journey for the supporting character, but one that helped him become a fully fleshed-out name. There are so many complex themes that the Netflix adaptation can expand on. Perhaps the series can go more into depth about what happened to Zuko’s mom, or the tyrannical reign of Lord Ozai. They can make the fights more exciting with no restrictions on the violence. Some elements allow The Last Airbender to be smoothly transitioned into an adult show, though the main issue is they’re trying to target the Game of Thrones audience.
The Last Airbender Is NOT Like Game of Thrones
Games of Thrones was a series that reveled in sex, drugs, and violence. That isn’t to say that the series didn’t have a deeper meaning beyond those themes, but that’s the overall culture in the world of Westeros. There’s nothing about The Last Airbender that represents the same culture. The show doesn’t need to add blood, sex, and drugs because the original anime focused on Asian culture that completely parallels what Game of Thrones was.
Adding unnecessary scenes that make The Last Airbender mature would feel forced and take away from the original series. Granted, there are plenty of episodes in the original run that were nothing more than filler, but those episodes helped add more dimension to the characters. Plus, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko are kids themselves.
They’re simply discovering the world for the first time. Aang is 110 years old, but he’s still a kid at heart too. Stripping the innocence and youth of the protagonists takes away the key parts of what made the series so special in the first place. As explained above, it’s okay to make the show more adult, but not in a way that rips away its identity. The series can expand on some of the darker themes without the need to rely on blood, sex, and drugs. It’s concerning that Netflix and Albert Kim are trying to target the GOT fans. Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender still has the potential to be great, though there’s more skepticism about the series now.
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