Avatar the Animated Series: What might have been

[spritl]

I found this link from TV tropes, and it talked about how the whole series was originally imagined. Some things we knew already: Azula and Toph were guys; Mai and Ty Lee did not exist. But what we had no clue of:

Comments

[yukinoomoni]

So many similarities, and yet the differences would have made the show so different as well.

I wonder what made them change their minds? I mean, granted, I like how they changed the show; I like how the show is now much better. But I still wonder why they changed it. Hmm...

[gentlemansamson]

presumably, when they brought on the writing team, the staff collectively reworked this outline. we already know from the art book and other sources that aaron ehasz (head writer) suggested changing things like toph's gender and deepened iroh's character arc.

[blueserenity22]

I think they definitely made some really good changes. I can't imagine Toph as a guy! But that makes the theater episode of Book 3 all the more amusing :D

I also really liked that Azula was a girl, dunno why.

[gruver26]

Its so crazy how much everything changed!
I'm not gonna lie though, I lol'd at the bit where Iroh taught Zuko incorrect firebending.;)

[yukinoomoni]

I was sad about that! It's so unlike the Iroh we all know and love!

[dungeonwriter]

Wow, Iroh was evil. That's just...wrong. That's like...Santa being evil.

[yukinoomoni]

I know what you mean. I'm starting to really feel relieved that they went with the changes. I don't know if I'd feel as engaged in the show if it were like this.

[madlori]

Unsurprisingly it gets more and more different as the seasons go on. One big thing missing is the whole part about Ba Sing Se and the Dai Li being a sort of subversive police state, which I think is one of the most sophisticated and successful arcs of the show. I'm so glad Toph was a girl in the end, though. I think that worked a lot better for the group dynamics. And Aang's near-death experience and Katara's healing of him is entirely gone. That seems hugely important now.

[blueserenity22]

I'm so glad Toph was a girl in the end, though. I think that worked a lot better for the group dynamics.

I agree. I liked the Katara/Toph tension. Toph/Aang tension over Katara seems like it would have been just another distraction for Aang or something.

[madlori]

And it's...such a cliche. Love triangle, yawn. As much of a Kataanger as I am I loved that when she was interested in guys like Jet, it wasn't played like that. I rather liked that Aang seemed pretty oblivious that she was crushing on Jet (although he did steal the hat she made for Jet, ha ha).

[blueserenity22]

Yeah no kidding. I liked having Jet, a brief "love interest" without it being overt or overdone throughout the season. Same, really, with Katara/Aang. When Toph joined up I was afraid that there would be like a Katara/Aang, Toph/Sokka/Suri drama after the Kyoshi Warriors stuff. Thankfully, though, the show stayed away from blatant cliches like that which was refreshing.

[avocado_love]

I've read this somewhere before... the ASN forms, I think. But anyway, yeah, those are some major changes.

I sorta wish that they'd followed the outline in where Zuko joins the Gaang a bit earlier. *sigh* Otherwise, I'm glad they went the way that they did. Toph as a man. Geez.