Eduardo Pedreiro

As an Avatar universe fan, it was nice to watch the show and I could see that there was a lot of attention to detail, from the cabbage vendor to the representation of spirits, characters, visuals, the great soundtrack and the overall lore. Some compromises were made to compress the original storyline into 8 episodes. Even though I might have had stretched it another episode or two to explore some more depth in Aang’s journey with air and his mentors, I found it overall well balanced. What I liked the most about this remake was the attention and insight into Aang’s and the air nomads’ past which is something that the original show doesn’t showcase a lot. On the other hand, I preferred the formula of the animated show with Aang having a spiritual mentor - avatar Roku in the original series - and the connection to his previous life being it the closest to him. I found his interactions with multiple avatars interesting in concept, but also a bit distant and impersonal, with little insight or development to bring to the character, which differs from his bond with Roku which was so important for his journey in the animated show. I was happy to see Gyatso more present and even speculated for a bit that he could be that mentor figure. Sadly, that did not really came to be either and was a connection of Aang to his self and identity which in my opinion wasn’t very developed either. This could’ve been another kind of mentorship that could’ve had potential as well and would be a new take on the animated show. Overall, I felt that both these mentorships could’ve had more development and impact. Something I love about the Avatar series, both in Aang and Korra’s shows, is that there is a depth to the storylines and the message that is conveyed to us. In Aang’s case, on the big picture, it’s a coming of age and all that is entailed in that hard path. I think the cast overall is to be congratulated in capturing the essence of the original characters, which kept most of the show with a sense of naiveté which is part of Aang’s journey. However, the huge stand out was Dallas James Liu - I felt that Zuko’s part was played beautifully and the actor deserves a big shout for the depth and emotional complexity that he managed to bring to the character. Even though he is at his earlier stages in the story, Zuko shows anger, grief, pain and loss, while struggling with his own human side…I would give Dallas James Liu an Emmy just for this performance which was beautifully executed and I am very happy that the series allowed this to be explored and shown to us. Iroh, probably my favourite character from the original show, was also very well played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. The take on his character was certainly closer to his emotional and personal journey which very much highlights his sense of wisdom. I love Iroh’s character and I feel that it represents one of the most important messages of the show - his and Zuko’s journey and interaction really complement each other on screen and show, at different stages in life, the ultimate truth that wisdom and growth are the light that we craft from our own pain, which makes us better humans.