I don't think there's any live-action that has carried more pressure than Avatar: The Last Airbender. When Netflix first announced it was making a live-action version of one of the greatest animated shows ever created, fans had only two reactions. Some were excited, Most were nervous, I immediately understood both sides. The original Avatar: The Last Airbender isn't just another cartoon. It's one of those rare shows that children and adults both love for the same reason. It has funny moments that make you laugh, emotional moments that make you cry, and action scenes that still look amazing years later. So when season one came out, people watched it with high expectations while others felt something was missing. Now Season 2 is finally here, and once again, the internet can't seem to agree. Some people think it's a huge improvement. Others believe Netflix still doesn't fully understand what made the original special.

Season 2 picks up after Aang, Katara, and Sokka continue their journey to stop the Fire Nation before the world falls completely under its control. The biggest goal this time is helping Aang become a stronger Avatar. As the journey continues, the group visits new places, meets powerful allies, and faces even greater dangers than before.

Even when I disagree with the creative decisions, I can actually see how much work the cast put in bringing their characters to life. Some of the actors you'll see are Gordon Cormier who plays Aang, Kiawentiio who plays Katara, Ian Ousley who plays Sokka, Dallas Liu who plays Prince Zuko, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee who plays Uncle Iroh, Daniel Dae Kim plays Fire Lord, and Elizabeth Yu returns as Princess Azula.

Now this is where things get really interesting. If you ask like twenty avatar fans about the season 2, you'll probably get like a seriously huge different response. Some are frustrated, some just feel confused with the series, some love it, some people just feel numb. The problem, at least from my point of view, is that looking like Avatar isn't the same as feeling like Avatar. The animated series had a very special balance. It could make you laugh one minute and make you emotional the next.The characters constantly joked with each other even during serious moments, there was warmth and friendship. Sometimes I feel the live-action version takes itself so seriously that it forgets to let the characters simply be kids. Aang should make you smile, Sokka should make you laugh, Katara should feel like the emotional heart of the team. Those little moments matter just as much as the action scenes.

There has also been statements from fans saying that the story line looked really different from the original and that a major scene was removed. I believe that live-action should not follow the exact pattern as the original, it'll make more predictable. A live-action show doesn't have the same amount of time as an animated series that spans dozens of episodes. Some stories have to be trimmed, and some characters can't get as much screen time. But what they did with Avatar by constantly removing important moments like when the Fire Nation wanted to drill through Ba Sing Se, was really a let down including the making the whole series a seven episode event. Well I heard it was actually supposed to be eight episodes. But some scenes were removed and I think there were budget cuts.

Personally, I don't think the problem is that the actors are bad, I actually think many of them are talented. The bigger issue is that they sometimes don't feel completely comfortable inside these famous roles yet. When I watch Gordon Cormier, I can clearly see Aang's kindness. When I watch Dallas Liu, I can see Zuko's anger and inner conflict. But every now and then, I find myself remembering the animated versions because those personalities felt a little more natural and expressive. That's not entirely the actors' fault. Animation gives characters endless freedom with facial expressions, body language, and exaggerated emotions. Live-action is much harder. You have real people trying to recreate characters millions of fans have already imagined in their minds. That's one of the hardest jobs an actor can have.

This might surprise some people. I don't actually think the biggest change is the plot, I think it's the mood. The animated Avatar always knew when to breathe. One minute you'd be laughing at Sokka saying something silly. The next minute you'd be watching one of the saddest scenes in the entire series. That balance made the show magical. Season 2 of the live-action series is much more serious. Almost everyone feels worried or everyone speaks dramatically. Now let's still give Netflix some praise though. They really improved with the effects. The fire feels hotter even the water moves more realistically and the earth bending has more weight in it.

Was season two as successful as season one? No. Some said it flopped. But that might not be the case. You see season one was still new and fresh and people were still looking at it with curious minds but season two didn't have that. Many fans just wanted to hear what people had to say before watching it as a result, its opening numbers were lower than the first season. Does that automatically mean the series is failing? Not at all. A second season often performs differently from the first. The first season benefits from curiosity. The second season depends much more on how many viewers enjoyed the first one enough to come back.

The live-action still had something the original animated one didn't have though. Real people. Seeing how real people communicate these characters is very personal. That's why I don't believe Netflix should try to copy every single frame of the cartoon. The actors deserve the chance to make these characters their own. The challenge is finding the right balance between respecting the original and creating something fresh. Whether people love it or criticize it, they're talking about it. And in today's entertainment world, that's a big deal. A series that creates conversations usually has a much longer life than one people forget a week after watching it.

To me, I don't think the series is a masterpiece or a failure to me, I can see the ambition, I can also see the mistakes, more importantly, I can see potential. Studios need to remember that fans don't fall in love with a franchise just because it looks good. They fall in love with the people inside it. Beautiful visual effects can impress us. A memorable character stays with us for years. That's why Avatar: The Last Airbender became such a classic in the first place.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER IS NOW STREAMING ONLY ON NETFLIX.