Movies &; TV Avatar: The Last Airbender Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Is More ‘Ember Island Players’ Than It Is the Real Deal The live-action adaptation of Avatar needs to do something about those hamfisted scripts. By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on February 27‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed The biggest problem with creating unique stories that capture the imagination of a generation (or sometimes several of them) is that someone is always going to try to get you to rehash that story in the hopes of making more money off of it. The second biggest problem is that if said story was animated on in its initial telling‚ the first option is always going to be a live-action retelling. The third biggest problem is that if the people who created the story in the first place don’t agree with the people putting up all the money for the retelling‚ they’re probably going to get the boot. Which is exactly what happened to Avatar: The Last Airbender at Netflix. There is a separate conversation I would love to have here‚ being ‘Why do some people vehemently believe that live-action is superior to animation?” It’s sort of the same question as “Why will some people always watch the movie/tv show and never read the book?” when all is said and done. There’s a subset of audience that wants the art (and its form) to cater to their desires‚ rather than the other way around. And it’s unfortunate because—as everyone who has watched the original ATLA will tell you—Avatar is an excellent television series fullstop. The fact that it’s animated is‚ in fact‚ a feature not a bug. Fans of the show have been nervous ever since the early departure of ATLA’s creators from the Netflix live-action series. Though Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino were vague and diplomatic in their reasoning‚ it wasn’t a good look for the fledgling show‚ and it was only a matter of time before we could all see what the trouble was. It’s not hard to parse out‚ at literal first glance: The first half of the season is awful. In fact‚ the first episode itself might be one of the worst pilots on TV. It feels cruel to say it‚ but it’s hard to overstate how much the initial scripts destroy one of the hallmarks of the series—tackling complex ideas and emotions without over-explaining them. Instead‚ the live-action version of ATLA chooses to begin the show with Fire Lord Sozen’s invasion of the other kingdoms‚ with his genocide of the Air Nomads. Audiences are treated to a brutal Game of Thrones style battle sequence‚ complete with numerous murders by firebending—we essentially witness Aang’s people being burned alive. Which… who wanted that? Was there a genuine clamoring for more violence in a show that is already dealing with the subjects of mass murder‚ authoritarianism‚ and grief? There’s an awkward issue where many links to southeast Asian cultures seem much thinner on the ground in this version as well‚ particularly on the spiritual front: In the original story‚ one of the ways that Aang is tested and found to be the Avatar is through his toy selection as a child‚ where he chooses the toys of former Avatars—this is meant to be a clear connection to the Dalai Lama‚ who is similarly tested. This time around‚ Aang’s discovery as the Avatar is awkward and vague all the way around. The concept of reincarnation is soft-balled in this iteration as well: When Aang spiritually contacts previous Avatars‚ the idea of them all being the same soul is carefully avoided in those conversations‚ despite it being relevant. It’s also a known piece of trivia to fans that Momo the winged lemur might have initially been conceptualized as the reincarnated soul of Aang’s beloved friend and mentor Gyatso (Lim Kay Siu)‚ though the creators never confirmed it within the series. There is no possibility for this in the live-action series as we later encounter Gyatso’s spirit… in a place where he is only able to contact Aang for a short period of time with no explanation given for the limitation‚ his secrecy about it‚ or his sudden disappearance. And honestly‚ don’t get me started on what they did to Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar). No‚ do get me started‚ in fact‚ because I have a vested interest in how the original story very deliberately shored up their child heroes with adults who encouraged‚ mentored‚ and stood by them‚ and the way that King Bumi is changed within this version destroys one of those key connections. I’m incredibly unhappy about that‚ especially given that he was one of the originals’ stand-out characters (and my personal favorite). There are other small yet seismic tweaks that speak to a lack of understanding about the source material; for example‚ Aang (Gordon Cormier) isn’t there when his people are destroyed because he’s just learned that he’s the Avatar and has taken a little trip into the clouds on Appa so he can think about it. Rather than allowing Aang the ability to make mistakes—in the original‚ he was frightened and angry that the monks were planning to send him away for his Avatar training and runs away from home—it’s simply a thoughtless mistake that leads to his absence. The result hollows out the pathos of Aang’s guilt when he emerges from his accidental slumber one-hundred years later. With the agency of stronger choices removed‚ it was simply a “whoops!” that leads to the new state of affairs for their world‚ and the whole narrative is poorer for it. It’s heartbreaking because the actors cast for the show are largely pitch-perfect in their roles. Cormier is practically a ball of sentient sunshine as Aang‚ and Ian Ousley understands Sokka’s need for comedic timing tempered by self-doubt. Once the story actually remembers to focus on Katara‚ Kiawentiio shows incredible strength and compassion. Dallas Liu is flawless in the tightrope walk of anguish and ridiculousness that is Prince Zuko (without once resorting to aping Dante Basco’s iconic performance)‚ and his love for Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s Iroh is more palpable with each frame. In addition‚ Ken Leung gets this paragraph all to himself because I have never watched an actor take a nothing-muffin character like Admiral Zhao and go so hard on the comedy and idiosyncratic delivery that I thought “The man should win an Emmy for this.” Give him awards. All the awards. Ken Leung has won‚ everyone else can truly go home. Much of the story is smashed together and reordered‚ which is both nonsensical and unnecessary—with hour-long episodes‚ there’s really no reason to cut so much or sandwich arcs into the wrong places. There are too many places where the show is clearly putting in fan favorite moments without working for them: The “Secret Tunnel” song makes an unearned appearance‚ as does our favorite cabbage merchant‚ whose first shout of the infamous line in no way warrants such an overwrought delivery. And the soundtrack is an unfortunate blend of other well-known orchestrations (you can hear Lord of the Rings and Batman Begins and The Prince of Egypt all over the place) when the original soundtrack provided all the template that was needed. The scripts suffer horribly from spelling out every important thought or piece of development that the characters endure‚ to a truly baffling degree. The original cartoon had a mastery of knowing when to let moments marinate without commentary‚ and when to hang a lantern on them with a goofy joke. (Remember Zuko’s forlorn cry of “Why am I so bad at being good!”) Conversely‚ the live-action version never met a heartfelt exchange it didn’t want to explain away in big THIS IS THE THEME marquis letters—often times through terrible voiceover monologues. It’s impossible to understand why anyone felt this was needed when the original show proved it wasn’t over and over again‚ and did so in a show aimed at small kids. But there are a few places in the latter half of the season where more attention is paid to underserved arcs—and those moments show us what the series has the potential to become if anyone is interested in giving them a real shot. The Blue Spirit storyline leads to more than one conversation between Aang and Zuko‚ further strengthening a connection that will be essential going forward. The sexism found in the Northern Water Tribe is given more realistic layers and nuance. Sokka’s crush on Princess Yue (Amber Midthunder) is better rendered and given a depth it never received on the first run. The ways in which Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim) is manipulating his children against one another‚ and how this starts us on the path to Azula’s (Elizabeth Yu) deterioration is excellent and precisely the place where this show has room to expand. It’s imperfect‚ but it’s enough for hope’s sake. After all‚ it would genuinely be a shame for this show to get canceled before they cast Toph for season two. [end-mark] The post Netflix’s <;i>;Avatar: The Last Airbender<;/i>; Is More ‘Ember Island Players’ Than It Is the Real Deal appeared first on Reactor.

The waves of enemies in the Arena of Champions get progressively harder‚ leading to players needing all the help they can get. The Arena Key of Memory in Last Epoch can make the challenge more manageable‚ and this guide explains how to get it and what it does. What is the Arena Key of Memory in Last Epoch? The Arena Key of Memory in Last Epoch can be used in the Arena of Champions‚ allowing players to start from the halfway point of when they died in the Endless Arena. For example‚ if you die at wave 800‚ you will begin your next run at wave 400 instead of 0. This is a great way to reduce the frustration of making it very far in the Arena and having to starting over. If you have never done an Endless Arena run in Last Epoch‚ then the Arena Key of Memory will instantly start you at wave 100. I recommend you don’t start at wave 100 if you have never experienced the challenge of the Endless Arena. Related: How to get Lightless Arbor Keys in Last Epoch How to get the A...

Food is one of the basic building blocks of life‚ and therefore of Infinite Craft as well. There are many useful recipes you can build off of Food. Here’s how to make Food in Infinite Craft. Food full recipe tree – Infinite Craft Food requires these elements to craft: Earth + Water = Plant Fire + Water = Steam Steam + Fire = Engine Earth + Engine = Tractor Tractor + Earth = Farm Farm + Plant = Food Overall‚ Food is a pretty simple recipe. But it’s Food‚ so of course‚ it can be combined with so many things‚ right? Here are some things you can do with Food: Food + Food = Meal Meal + Food = Dinner Dinner + Meal = Breakfast Breakfast + Food = Cereal Water + Food = Soup Food + Fire = Cooking Wind + Food = Fart (classy!) Food + Plant = Salad Food + Steam = Stew Farm + Food = Pizza Engine + Food = Fuel Fuel + Food = Energy Water + Water = Lake Lake + Food = Fish Fish + Food = Sushi Farm + Fire = Ba...

Perhaps you know how to make Adam and Eve or Human in Infinite Craft‚ but do you know how to make people in Infinite Craft? Here’s the full guide on how to get the People craft. How to make the People recipe in Infinite Craft – full recipe tree guide To make People‚ you have to do a lot of crafting and combining. Here’s the full recipe: Fire + Wind = Smoke Smoke + Water = Fog Earth + Water = Plant Fog + Plant = Mushroom Mushroom + Water = Soup Water + Water = Lake Fire + Fire = Volcano Lake + Volcano = Island Island + Island = Continent Continent + Lake = America America + Water = Freedom Lake + Lake = Ocean Island + Ocean = Atlantis Atlantis + Freedom = Utopia America + Utopia = Dystopia Dystopia + Soup = Soylent Green Plant + Water = Swamp Plant + Swamp = Venus Flytrap Plant + Smoke = Incense Incense + Incense = Perfume Perfume + Venus Flytrap = Poison Poison + Soylent Green = People Relate...

Class selection will not only determine how to play the game but also how easy it will get to dominate it. Here are the best classes in Last Epoch‚ ranked. Best Masteries in Last Epoch Image: Eleventh Hour Games Now‚ Classes and Masteries are two different things. The latter is contained into the other‚ and they act as builds that specialize in one aspect of the base Class Skill. For example‚ a Sentinel can either be a Paladin which focuses his attention on developing raw strength‚ or a Void Knight‚ utilizing power from the Void to passively damage enemies. Therefore‚ to talk about the best Classes in Last Epoch‚ we will have to first classify each of their Masteries into different tiers. Take a look at the table below to see how they rank in Last Epoch. TierMasteryClassDescriptionSLichAcolyteAn acolyte who has embraced the corruptive nature of her power and uses the magic of blood and death at the expense of her own health. Stealing life‚ consuming the essence of the dead ...

A few months ago‚ a high school teacher casually mentioned to me that at his school‚ students with diagnosed anxiety weren’t called on in class. What struck me as insanity is apparently mainstream in America’s schools now. In her gripping new book “Bad Therapy‚” journalist Abigail Shrier chronicles how young Americans are living a childhood radically dissimilar from past generations‚ a childhood characterized by therapy‚ medication‚ diagnoses‚ rampant accommodations‚ and classes where teachers talk about trauma and feelings. It’s no secret that the mental health of Gen Z is awful. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‚ suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Americans aged 10-24. In 2021‚ 9% of high school students attempted suicide. Nor is this just a matter of young people forever struggling more with emotions than their elders do. Teens decades ago didn’t struggle like this: The number of Americans aged 10-24 dying by suicide has increased by over 50% since 2000. Emergency room visits by young women who committed self-harm have doubled since 2001. In “Bad Therapy‚” Shrier looks at the dismal mental health numbers and the increase in mental health care and suggests a provocative theory:  What if our culture of therapy and drugs and feelings focus is harming‚ not helping‚ kids? What if the reason mental health continues to decline is because we have so much mental health focus and treatment? Ultimately‚ I’m skeptical about this theory. There have been plenty of disruptive factors in recent decades besides the increase in mental health treatment that plausibly could affect young adults’ mental health‚ ranging from the breakdown of the family to the decrease in religiosity to the advent of smartphones. Nor is correlation causation‚ as Shrier herself acknowledges‚ writing it “may just be that: coincidence.” She adds‚ “But it is peculiar. At the very least‚ it may provide a clue that many of the treatments and many of the helpers aren’t actually helping.” Today's the Day! BAD THERAPY: Why the Kids Aren't Growing UpMy two-year investigation into why the generation that received the most wide-ranging mental health interventions is doing so poorly.And most importantly: How we fix it.Available NOW: https://t.co/xrIJLiXCrW pic.twitter.com/qOuW5wnlEl— Abigail Shrier (@AbigailShrier) February 27‚ 2024 Here is where “Bad Therapy” raises a range of interesting questions. Should a child see a therapist alone‚ or with a parent? Do some therapeutic approaches have better evidence supporting their effectiveness than others? How does medication affect a young adult’s early experiences of more mature emotions? As someone who has benefited from both therapy and medication for mental health (albeit as an adult)‚ these questions sound reasonable to me. No parent should just blindly trust a therapist or a doctor about how to treat his or her child; parents should ask informed questions and seek second opinions. There are potentially significant benefits to both therapy and medication‚ but also serious drawbacks. Just consider how the mental health community can be apt to err on the side of “affirming” a child’s new gender rather than seeking to help that child accept and appreciate the body she is in. And of course‚ there’s a range of conditions that get children placed in therapy. Being anxious about being called on in class is wildly different than extreme suicidal ideation. Shrier acknowledges that she believes in medical treatment for those who couldn’t lead a normal‚ productive life without it; she cautions about its use for “the worriers; the fearful; the lonely‚ lost‚ and sad.” But what if therapy and/or medication can help “the worriers; the fearful” never become people who can’t lead normal lives? “Bad Therapy” offers a particularly important revelation by showcasing how schools and medicine have been affected by the mental health focus. Just because your child isn’t seeing a therapist doesn’t mean he isn’t being exposed to a therapeutic approach—albeit one doled out by a teacher or other professional not trained to be a therapist. For instance‚ a fifth grade teacher in Salt Lake City whose school adopted “social and emotional learning” practices often began the school day by asking her students to sit in a circle and discuss their feelings. One day‚ Shrier reports‚ this teacher asked the students to name something making them really sad. One boy started talking about his dad’s new girlfriend—and then started crying. “‘He was like‚ ‘I think that my dad hates me. And he yells at me all the time‚’” the mother of another student in the class told Shrier. Other students followed suit: A girl cried about her parents’ divorce and another expressed concern over her mom’s boyfriend. “Within minutes‚ half of the kids were sobbing‚” Shrier writes. “It was time for the math lesson; no one wanted to do it.” What a shocker. Why was a teacher facilitating this conversation? Was there any reason to believe this teacher was trained to help the children deal with these difficult emotions in a healthy way? Nor is that the only example of an adult authority figure having that kind of conversation with children with parents not present. Shrier recounts taking her own son to a pediatric urgent care center because he had a stomach ache. After the doctor examined her son and said it was probably just dehydration‚ he told them to wait for the nurse. The nurse came in and asked Shrier to leave so he could do a “mental health screening.” When Shrier asked to look at the questions‚ she saw that the nurse intended to ask her son‚ without her present‚ questions including “In the past few weeks‚ have you wished you were dead?” and “In the past few weeks‚ have you ever felt that you or your family would be better off if you were dead?” Remember: Shrier didn’t take her son to the clinic for a mental health evaluation‚ but for a stomach ache. Yet these were the questions the clinic thought it necessary to ask him‚ without his parent present. School counselors are another way minors may get mental health treatment from an adult—and there’s no guarantee their parents would know. Chillingly‚ in six states‚ including California and Florida‚ “minors twelve or thirteen and up are statutorily entitled to access mental health care without parental permission‚” Shrier writes. “Schools are not only under no obligation to inform parents that their kids are regularly meeting with a school counselor‚ [but] they may even be barred from doing so.” The current focus on prioritizing mental health also may be harming kids academically.  A Wisconsin high school English teacher tells Shrier that she isn’t allowed to lower a grade because an assignment was turned in after the deadline. A gay teacher‚ who thinks his music students would be better served by practicing and achieving excellence rather than taking time off because of their mental health‚ says to Shrier that he gets excuses like “‘I was having a rough day and dealing with my gender identity’—this happens all the time.” Make no mistake: Today’s kids are not OK‚ as the statistics about suicide clearly show. But “Bad Therapy” offers a welcome examination of the status quo treatment of and approach to struggling minors‚ and whether it’s the optimal way to get our young adults on a pathway to genuine mental health. This is too important to mess up. And it’s parents‚ who genuinely care for and love their children‚ who should be in the driver’s seat in fixing it. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post Are We Treating Gen Z’s Mental Health Crisis All Wrong? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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