Live-action adaptations of anime are on the rise on Netflix. Like the platform’s new success, “Avatar, the Last Airbender”, which is off to a better start than the “One Piece” phenomenon.
Subscribers responded. Netflix released the live action adaptation of Avatar the Last Airbender a week ago. A series aimed at fans of the 2000s cartoon but also at newbies who will discover a fabulous universe in which nations living to the rhythm of the elements evolve.
Every Wednesday, Netflix updates on this site its weekly top 10, in order to follow trends and know what is most buzzing internationally. And unsurprisingly, Avatar the Last Airbender takes first place, ahead of the very moving One Day. With 153 million hours viewed in one week, the series led by the young Gordon Cormier is off to a great start and a hit in 93 countries.
Stronger than One Piece!
It’s interesting to compare these figures to those achieved by One Piece – another live action adaptation which cost a fortune – at its launch. And it’s Aang who wins against Luffy who had “only” garnered 140 million hours viewed in 7 days. It now remains to be seen whether the success will continue over the weeks, which will allow Avatar to be renewed for a season 2.
But the question mark is more about the critical reception of the series. If One Piece had been praised by the press and spectators, the adventures of the airbender received mixed reviews. If the subscribers loved it, the American critics did not appreciate the proposal at all. On Metacriticthe series offers a fairly poor score of 56/100.
Despite this bad start, Netflix can count on a fairly loyal core of fans on social networks to spread the word about the series…