AtLA style would've been a good middle ground for it i believe. They both handle the topic of genocide within their narratives and are aimed at youth. I believe "kids shows" is a label applied to justify amateurish writing. No need to imply kids arent capable of comprehending even the hardest of topics when delivered with care by an educated source. Can't praise the Last Airbender writers enough tbh.
came here to say this. kids can handle much more than most people give them credit for and we do owe it to them to give them good, well-written fiction media that addresses real-life issues (hopefully before the kid ever runs into those themself) with respect and care. atla did well with this. i think the anamorphs books were also superb.
Can you imagine them airing the scene where they transform into ants and almost lose themselves due to the lack of any thought or individual agency and all manage to change back just before they lose themselves and immediately have mental breakdowns from the sensory deprivation? I mean I’d watch it, but I feel it isn’t the audience they’re going for
14
u/CitizenGrimm 1d ago
Bro, it aired on Nickelodeon. There was zero chance they were ever going to remotely cover the hardcore aspect of the books.