Sophie Allen | The Chronicle
Series Review
2.5 stars
As a devout fan of the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” I eagerly anticipated the release of the next installment in the franchise. However, I am disappointed to say that “Seven Havens” fell short by every measure. It is clear that “Seven Havens” aims to diverge from the identity of the original show, though often to its own detriment.
The art style is much more anime-esque than “The Last Airbender’s” distinct blend of Eastern and Western cartoons. The animation is even more disappointing, with choppy movements and static faces replacing the fluid composition and expressions fans are accustomed to. Unbelievably, the animation of the original 2005 show is far superior to that of the 2026 release.
The world-building depicts a distant, futuristic dystopia, with the confusing introduction of sci-fi aesthetics replacing the thoughtfully crafted fantasy setting of the original show. Furthermore, “Seven Havens” lacks much of the mixed Asian cultural influences present in “The Last Airbender” that made the franchise unique.
The show’s writing was also looser than that of its two predecessors. While the concept of the two Avatars, Pavi and Nisha, was an interesting idea, the execution left much to be desired. The Avatars, along with most of the other characters, suffer from awkward dialogue, worsened by stilted voice acting and a lack of thoughtful character development. Much of the characterization relies on cliché tropes and telling rather than showing — a far cry from the original series, which, although also made for kids, never underestimated the intelligence of its audience.
If the show had been completely unrelated to the original, I may have enjoyed it more. The show began to improve toward the end of the season but failed to capture the magic of the original, leaving me wondering if it might have just been better to leave the franchise where it stood.
