Discussing Sokka Sue in Netflix's Avatar

[Winter]

Yeah, you read that right.

While Sokka's sexism being toned down had caught a lot of flack from fans, justifiably I might add, that turns out to not be the biggest issue of the character's portrayal in the show as Sokka being a butt monkey was also toned down, he's already a competent fighter and his arc seems to be just him excepting how amazing he already is. Everyone in the show already likes him, he's more of a jerkass but the show tries to paint him as if he has a point even when he doesn't and the show just cannot shut up about how great he is.

This honestly feels like a self-insert fan fic written by season 1 episode 1 Sokka before his character development.

It doesn't help that the show also did Suki, Yue and Katara dirty in order to better prompt up Sokka with Suki's original role in the story of helping to improve Sokka's character now being the one who is changed for the better just by Sokka existing which is the same thing that happens with Yue. But worst of all they seemed to have toned down Katara's more badass moments just so her brother and Aang could be shown to be more awesome.

And while we're on that subject there's the fact that Katara's role in the series has been notably reduced. She's no longer teaching Aang how to waterbend, her relationship with Aang has now gone from "surrogate family, best friend and love interest" to "person who travels around with Sokka and Aang". So much of what made character either a well loved or sometimes a divisive character isn't in this show she's now just kinda here making many of the moments they have kept from the show like calming Aang down when he learns about fate of the Airbenders have less impact.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg as to what this show gets wrong about the original and the cast just doesn't feel like the original and I think Sokka is the worst because they removed so much of what made him an engaging character and replaced with a Mary Sue with Sokka's name.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Everything I hear about the live action Avatar adaptation makes me feel justified in not watching it.

[Winter]

Everything I hear about the live action Avatar adaptation makes me feel justified in not watching it.

Yeah, I really see why Bryke left the show. As a standalone product it's not bad but as an adaptation it's really not great. It feels like a Live-Action Disney Remake TBH, it has most of the major beats of the animated product but none of the heart or soul and often changes things that do not need to be changed.

It does make some improvements but those are few and far between and it has a similar feeling to a lot of live-action remakes of animated properties, that being as it's now live-action it's now a superior product simply by being live-action.

[CharlesPhipps]

Sokka's sexism lasted until they met Suki.

So...episode 4.

People pretend it is a massive part of his character but it was gone almost immediately and not even that big of an issue until Episode 4.

[Winter]

Sokka's sexism lasted until they met Suki.

So...episode 4.

People pretend it is a massive part of his character but it was gone almost immediately and not even that big of an issue until Episode 4.

That is a problem I have with the series, something not being an issue until it is. Aang loses his entire culture being the Last Airbender isn't really that big of a focus in the show proper. Most characters are mostly only slightly surprised at who Aang is and the one who isn't leads a rather minor idiot plot because she refuses to believe Aang is the Avatar even though he could prove it in 2 seconds but doesn't.

But back to the whole sexism thing, Sokka having a low opinion of women and him being humbled by one to show him that he was wrong and him ADMITTING to that and literally bowing to Suki and asking her to train him is a major part of his arc and the live-action show just cut this out and it pisses me off.

[stryke]

Everything I hear about the live action Avatar adaptation makes me feel justified in not watching it.

What Fuzzy said.

Good adaptations are doable, even seemingly impossible asks, and done by a company like Netflix who have done so many dires ones before. One Piece showed that, but man when the original creators bail out then I'm gone.

[phantom000]

Everything I hear about the live action Avatar adaptation makes me feel justified in not watching it.

Yeah, I really see why Bryke left the show. As a standalone product it's not bad but as an adaptation it's really not great. It feels like a Live-Action Disney Remake TBH, it has most of the major beats of the animated product but none of the heart or soul and often changes things that do not need to be changed.

It does make some improvements but those are few and far between and it has a similar feeling to a lot of live-action remakes of animated properties, that being as it's now live-action it's now a superior product simply by being live-action.

So it's basically the 2010 film with a much longer running time?

[Winter]

Everything I hear about the live action Avatar adaptation makes me feel justified in not watching it.

Yeah, I really see why Bryke left the show. As a standalone product it's not bad but as an adaptation it's really not great. It feels like a Live-Action Disney Remake TBH, it has most of the major beats of the animated product but none of the heart or soul and often changes things that do not need to be changed.

It does make some improvements but those are few and far between and it has a similar feeling to a lot of live-action remakes of animated properties, that being as it's now live-action it's now a superior product simply by being live-action.

So it's basically the 2010 film with a much longer running time?

Basically and interestingly it shares a lot of the same problems with the film.

Wooden acting from a lot of the cast (most notably the main trio with Sokka and Katara being the standouts) most of the best acting comes from the villains, (with Ozai being the main standout in this version). Azula is... off despite her limited screen time, the effects are decent but misses what made the story of the original so engaging.

I will say that on a technical level it's better then the film. The action scenes are good, it is a bit more loyal to some parts of the lore better then the film and it's easier to see what's going on. And again it does do a few things better then even the original I personally like the idea that Zuko's crew is the battalion he stood up for that resulted in him getting exiled.

But for every good idea there are like 10 bad ones that follow it soon after. And unlike One Piece it feels this show has little respect for the series' it's based on. Like they felt they could make a better show then what many see to be as one of the greatest series of all time.

[CharlesPhipps]

To understand the "Sokka's Sexism vs. Sokka as Gary Stu" problem, the issue is best analogous to the movie, THE LOST BOYS.

Bear with me.

The Frog Brothers are hilarious. They are some of the funniest characters in all of vampire fiction and that is because they are a pair of fourteen to fifteen year olds that believe themselves to be absolute badass vampire hunters. As Corey Feldman explained, Joel Schumacher achieved this by actually not telling Corey and Jamison Newlander that they were meant to be a joke but assuming (correctly) the two teenage actors being told to be ultimate badasses would achieve the affect directly as they didn't have the self-awareness that such a thing would be ridiculous at their age.

Sokka's humor, far beyond whether he's sexist for 1-3 episodes before getting over it, is derived from the fact he's a guy who desperately wants to be The Hero and the big protector of his village when:

A. He's the only Muggle in the group and everyone can kick ass much better using actual frigging magic.
B. He was left behind when the men left the village because, yes, he's a child who can't fight.

If you take Sokka at face value as a great warrior, well, that kind of removes a lot more than whether he thinks girls should fight.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Sokka's sexism may have lasted only a few episodes, but the way he grew past it revealed volumes about his character. It showed us his humility, his adaptability, his willingness to learn, and his ability to grow beyond the things he was taught.