Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 gets story update from EP, may mean bad news for anime fans

With its release on February 22, 2024, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender quickly gained great acclaim and soon went onto the top viewers list. Just within the first 11 days, it gained over 41 million views on the streaming platform.

Based on the 2005 Nickelodeon animated series, the live-action adaptation gained a separate fanbase. Netflix recently confirmed that it will continue to follow the animated show's story for its second season and will finally conclude the epic story in season 3.

The series Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender is a live-action adaptation of the original animated show and has condensed the 20 original episodes into just eight episodes. But this may be bad news for anime fans, as it had to leave out certain parts from the original animation, to satiate the live-action audiences on Netflix, who are more interested in the storylines of Azula and Ozai.

---

Season 2 update of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender

The show's executive producer Jabbar Raisani, spoke to the Direct at Playfest 2024 and revealed that just like season 1, the second season too will not be adapting everything from the animated show completely.

The original show, Avatar: The Last Airbender also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang series was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Produced by Nickelodeon Animated Studio, the show ran for three seasons, with 61 episodes from 2005 to 2008.

With so much content to filter through, Raisani wants to trim some of the original storylines, and also appeal to the Netflix audiences.

"I think it's a lot like season 1. There's a lot of content in the animated series. And we will be looking at all that content. But we don't have the number of episodes that we have in the animated series. So, certainly, there will be some condensing that has to take place," Raisani said.

---

Differences between the Anime and Netflix adaptation

In the first season of the Netflix adaptation, Haru's story and Aang's progress, which shared a major role in the animated series were shortened.

In the Netflix adaptation, the eight episodes are approximately 60 minutes long, while the animated show's episodes are 22 minutes long. If the entire period of the first season 1 is added, the animated season 1 is around 440 minutes long, while the life adaptation is approximately 480 minutes long.

This becomes the primary reason for complaint among fans, that despite having more time span in the life action adaptation, the creators still missed a lot of storylines from the original series. Additionally, this time span provided new room to include new scenes, and Netflix used it to show their concepts, the Air genocide and Fire Lord's scheming.

(Image via Tudum)

While adapting from the animated series, the nature of a lot of characters was changed to match the show's more serious tone, which gained a hard reaction from the audiences who share a nostalgia for the original show.

---

What is the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender

Still from the show (Image via Netflix)

Avatar: The Last Airbender is centered around the adventures of 12-year-old Aang, the last surviving Avatar of his nation, the Air Nomads, who is only capable of mastering all four elements (air, water, fire, and earth). In the first season, Aang wakes up after a 100-year slumber and discovers that he is only the last survivor.

The world is being threatened by the imperialistic Fire Nation, who have eliminated every last Airbender and are on the way to conquer the Earth and Water Nations. With the help of his newfound friends Katara (Kiawentiio), a waterbender, her brother Sokka (Ian Ousley), and Toph, sets off on a journey to restore the fractured balance of the world.

---

The cast and crew are back again on the shoot, and there's a high chance that we will soon receive new updates about season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.