Longtime Avatar: The Last Airbender consultant shades new Netflix remake

Sifu Kisu is a fight instructor who served as a consultant on the original animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as its sequel series The Legend of Korra. In that series, many characters can bend one of the four elements: earth, water, air and fire. According to the Avatar wiki, Sifu had a hand in relating each bending technique to an actual martial art.

Sifu also has a Tumblr where he shares photos, memes and information on martial arts. Just the other day, he shared a meme about Netflix's new remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it doesn't sound like he's enjoying it very much:

Avatar: The Last Airbender originally aired on Nickelodeon in the mid-2000s, and has been consistently beloved ever since. It's got a vibrant cast of characters, a gripping narrative, and beautiful visions. What's not to love? The show has been adapted to live-action multiple times, first as a 2010 movie and now as a Netflix series. Apparently Sifu doesn't think much of either version. "Two terrible remakes!"

"Trash (great costumes) pathetic special effects," he added in the caption. "The bending f**king sucked."

The 2010 Last Airbender movie is an infamous failure that fans have been mocking for over a decade. The Netflix remake is better, but there's still a lot that's bothering longtime fans. The mood over at the The Last Airbender subreddit is pretty dire, with lots of posts bemoaning the show's shortcomings.

Will Avatar: The Last Airbender get a second season on Netflix?

We've watched the show here at WiC and have found it to be watchable, but not much more; the original series is in no danger of being eclipsed. Interestingly, the bending has looked pretty good to me, so I'm surprised that Sifu would single that out for criticism. (Then again, his speciality is martial arts so I'll assume he noticed problems I didn't.) I've been more put off by the iffy writing.

As for whether Netflix will go forward with a second season, they haven't made an official announcement yet. The show has been available for less than a week, so they're probably watching the returns and mulling over a decision. According to Forbes, the show debuted as the #1 most watched show in 73 countries — it's still #1 here in the U.S. — which is a pretty good metric if you want to argue for a second season.

Plus, the show has a clear roadmap. The original animated series had three seasons. The first season of this remake adapted the first season of the animated series, so it's pretty obvious where the show would go next if it does get renewed. We'll keep our eyes open.

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