Natla Positivity - Tumblr Posts

Going to say this now even though I barely post here::::: Adaptations are never meant to be a 1:1 recreation of the original source material. The goal is never to recreate the exact same experience in a different format, the whole point of remaking something in a different format is to make something new.

I don’t understand why people are out here acting like the new Netflix ATLA walked onscreen, shot the original with a 44 and declared itself the new ATLA. I’m not saying you can’t criticise anything about it or any other adaptation, I just think a lot of people need to remember that an adaptation that gives you the same experience and explores the exact same themes and doesn’t elaborate on or look at things in different angles would be utterly pointless.

( SPOILERS AHEAD) Things that will haunt me about the new live-action Avatar, the Last Airbender show:

Iroh being confronted by his past as a fire nation general and war criminal. Of course, Iroh is a cog in the machine of war that he’s part of and he’s changed his ways since, but that doesn’t change what happened in Ba Sing Se under his leadership.

Sokka overhearing Hakoda being disappointed in him. Y’all were worried that Sokka wouldn’t get as much characterisation in this version. Well, we got this and it broke my heart.

Katara witnessing her mother being executed in front of her. She immediately covers her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Her mother died so she could live, and so even as she cries, Katara quiets herself so her mother didn’t die for nothing. What a terrible responsibility to place on yourself.

Zuko sitting with Iroh next to Lu Ten’s casket. Cue that goddamn instrumental of Leaves From The Vine. This version really understands and cares about Zuko and Iroh’s bond.

Gyatso telling Aang that even if he had come back that night, he wouldn’t have been able to make a difference. It wasn’t his fault. This broke me. We hear from Katara in TLOK how much the Air Nomad genocide affected him through his entire life, despite everything he achieved. He never recovered from the guilt of wondering “what if”. He carried it his entire life…and Gyatso waited as long as he could in the spirit realm so he could free him of it.

Ozai’s face as he burns Zuko. Iroh looking away, Azula watching as a mixture of emotions go over her face as she witnesses her brother be mutilated, Zuko’s cries…girl I was struggling. Then we cut to Ozai’s expression and my heart plunged into my stomach. To me at least, and several others, it looked like he was trying not to cry. Ozai has done more terrible things than you can count…but he’s still a person and you have to sit there and watch in horror as some tiny, humane part of him revolts at the monstrous act he’s committing and his son screams in agony.

I know this show is getting a lot of criticism and that’s fair. It’s not perfect. But there are definitely parts of it that will stick with me for a while.

Respect for this. I think a lot of fans could benefit from understanding that adaptations really are pretty much an au of the original.

i think the way i’m approaching this live action is like it’s an au of the original. there are going to be some parts that i’ll love and probably some that i hate - that’s the nature of adapting something - and im just gonna have fun with it 🥰 im choosing to be positive since there’s enough ager out there already!

People aren't complaining it's not a one to one adaptation, they're frustrated that it's a badly written mess.

You either run in completely different circles than tumblr (in which case why are you complaining about it here, nobody you're refering to will read it and consider changing their mind) or didn't even read what those complaining are saying.

I hope this doesn't come off too rude but I'm getting sick of everyone accusing people with genuine concerns and criticisms (who more often than not desperately try to find positives in natla) of just hating

I have seen a lot of fundamental misunderstandings of what an adaptation is on tumblr which is why I posted it here and people complaining it wasn’t exactly the same is the reason why I felt a need to try clarify that, (even to like the 3 people who would end up seeing it) was so more criticisms of the show would criticise it as it is and not as if it’s trying to be exactly the same as the original

It is entirely possible that you and I have just been seeing different things, tumblr is a big platform with a lot of people and you don’t need to defend yourself against something that doesn’t apply to you