After making a big mistake with Appa in season 1, Netflix’s live-actionAvatar: The Last Airbenderremake risks repeating the problem in season 2. When it comes to a franchise asbeloved as Avatar: The Last Airbender, there’s never going to be a perfect adaptation that will make everyone happy. The live-action Netflix show is actually enjoyable but flawed.
While they made somepositiveAvatar: The Last Airbenderchangeswhen interpreting the story, some of them harmed the plot and character development. The second season will have the opportunity to listen to the feedback and improve the show. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that the show will repeat one big Appa mistake from season 1.
Appa Doesn’t Play As Big A Role In Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action
Appa isn’t just a pet or a mode of transportation in the original show. From the start to the end of theAvatarcartoon, Appa and Aang’s friendship is constant. These two had a relationship before he went into the ice or met the other humancharacters inAvatar: The Last Airbender. It’s sweet that they find each other again.
Unfortunately, Netflix’s live-action Avatar gave both Appa and Momo less time and attention, though the sky bison suffered more than the flying lemur. The most likely explanation for this is that the CGI was too costly.
The more times Appa appears on the screen, the more it costs. When Appa is in the foreground, rather than just the background, they have to put even more into animating his face. That doesn’t change how disappointing the change is, though. Thenon-human Avatar characters don’t get enough credit, as it is.
Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Remake Might Skip Appa’s Kidnapping
One of the most emotional parts of Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 2 is the sandbenders' kidnapping of Appa. Besides “Zuko Alone,” it’s one of the absolute saddest stories. Unfortunately, I have an awful gut feeling that the Netflix remake is going to cut the story completely since they have to condense 18 episodes into eight episodes.
They already made Appa significantly less important to the story in season 1, so there’s no reason to think they’ll change that in season 2. Appa’s kidnapping impacts character development more than it does the central story, so it falls into the category of storylines Netflix cut from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Netflix’s Avatar Remake Has Already Cut Out Other Important “Filler” Storylines
Unfortunately, if they remove Appa’s kidnapping in the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action, it will continue one of theworst changes of theAvatarremake. The creative team eliminates storylines that would be dubbed filler. They’ve made the mistake of cutting out slower moments from book 1.
They just completelyskipped seven episodes of the Avatar cartoon, most of which focused on character development rather than advancing the conflict. Sadly, those making these decisions often fail to recognize that these moments help the audience invest in the story because they genuinely care about the characters. Hopefully, I’m wrong, and Netflix’s Avatar remake will include the Appa kidnapping.
