Entertainment

Avatar: The Last Airbender producers talk VFX, connecting with fans

Interview with VFX supervisors Jabbar Raisani, Marion Spates

All production images c/o Netflix

Published

February 26, 2024

Manila Connoisseur

The Avatar: The Last Airbender fever is officially on. The Netflix live-action adaptation of the Nickelodeon classic can now be streamed on the platform. Gordon Cormier, who plays Aang, and Dallas Liu, who plays Prince Zuko, also visited Manila to grace the show’s premiere.

Gordon Cormier (Aang) and Dallas Liu (Zuko) during their Press Conference in the Philippines

Reception has been generally good so far. An aspect of the eight-episode series that stands out is its visual effects. Many critics noted how the series has transported them to a vast and different world.

It was as if traveling from one place to another across a stunning world. Each area offered a distinct feel — from Wolf Cove to Kyoshu Island to Omashu, Roku’s Temple, and more.

We had the opportunity to speak with the series’ VFX supervisors, Jabbar Raisani and Marion Spates. Raisani has been involved in films like Fantastic Four and Iron Man, as well as Game of Thrones. On the other hand, Spates worked in the production for WandaVision. Both were part of the team behind Stranger Things.

They told us a lot about the VFX side of things, as well as the entire process of crafting each episode that fans can now immerse themselves into.

Air, like water, is hard

In an interview with IGN, Raisani noted how complex it was to add water-bending effects to the live-action series. This was because of the physics of how water works.

Spates told us that air-bending was just as difficult to create, simply because we can’t see it. “One thing we wanted to do was to try and give it some substance, but we didn’t want to add like, a color to it,” he said. Apparently, the F-22 jet served as the main inspiration for the artists to create the air-bending effects.

“If you look at the back of it or in-flight, you see there’s a lot of heat distortion in the imagery,” Spates shared. “We stole that idea to actually mimic what the air would look like on top of the backgrounds.”

It’s always about the benders

From the start of the process, Raisani ensured that the visual effects looked realistic by having the cast “drive everything.”

“We really never wanted any of the bending have a mind of its own,” Raisani said of their team’s approach. In fact, is some instances, they would even retime the footage to make sure everything is in sync. This ultimately allowed them to “properly tell the story.”

“That way, the movement corresponded better with the performance we had to create with the VFX,” Raisani said. “We never wanted to deviate from performance driving bending.”

Spates furthered by saying the actors’ performance played a crucial part in what they wanted to execute. This includes the motions, hand movements, eye contact, and everything in between. For instance, when Katara (Kiawentiio) did a lot of gestures for her water-bending scenes, the VFX artists made sure to follow.

“Definitely, their actions drove all of the bending, whether it’s fire, air, earth, or water,” Spates pointed out. “Especially with the water, Katara’s moving her arm in a certain way, we wanted the water to flow a certain way. We wanted the bending to be a part of their motion, their character, they’re driving it.”

Live-action series ‘wouldn’t have been possible 5 years ago’

In 2010, Avatar got a movie adaptation produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan called The Last Airbender. It… was not taken well by critics, to say the least. Make no mistake, its VFX wasn’t the only reason why the film was deemed a disaster.

But it’s true that VFX technology has dramatically advanced over the years. Raisani said without the existing technology today, they wouldn’t have been able to pull the Netflix version off.

“I don’t think a series like this would have been possible five years ago,” he said. “The complexity, the quantity, the VFX characters that are really characters in the story … that type of work has to be done in such a large volume of shots.”

We wouldn’t have been able to make this show earlier than we did. It still was difficult, so we only just made it.

Connecting with fans, old and new

Netflix’s version of Avatar: The Last Airbender was conceptualized in 2018. The production started the following year. One of the major hurdles was the departure of the animated series’ original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Albert Kim eventually took over as writer, executive producer and showrunner in 2021, and the rest is history.

In terms of connecting with its fanbase, the producers consciously referenced the Netflix version to the original as much as possible so viewers can feel the link between the two series.

“We hope it has a little bit of its own feeling but it relates pretty much to the animated series,” Spates said. “We tried to mimic the animated series as much as possible, but it obviously has a little bit of its own flavor.”

All eight episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Netflix.

Entertainment

Crunchyroll: Sports anime to watch during the FIFA World Cup

Get pumped up even during World Cup downtime

Published

July 9, 2026

GadgetMatch

The FIFA World Cup has officially taken over the planet, causing chronic sleep deprivation, spontaneous living-room screaming matches, and an sudden urge to wear jerseys to formal events.

But what are you supposed to do during those agonizing hours between match kick-offs? Stare at a blank TV screen? Absolutely not.

While the world’s best footballers battle it out on the pitch, Crunchyroll has a bench full of elite sports anime ready to keep your adrenaline levels dangerously high.

From ego-driven strikers to lightning-fast running backs, grab your snacks and settle in for a marathon of victories, setbacks, and comebacks worthy of the world stage.

Who knows, it might inspire you to begin your sports journey too.

BLUE LOCK

Following a disappointing World Cup exit, the Japanese Football Association decides they’ve had enough of “teamwork” and launches a brutal, hyper-isolated training camp called Blue Lock.

The goal? Throw 300 of the country’s best high school forwards into a cutthroat battle royale to breed the ultimate, entirely selfish, world-class striker.

Only one will survive to lead Japan to glory.

Haikyu!!

Shoyo Hinata is pint-sized but possesses an insane vertical leap. After his middle school team gets absolutely demolished by the genius “King of the Court” Tobio Kageyama, Hinata vows revenge.

He enrolls at Karasuno High School to finally crush his rival, only to walk into the gym and find out Kageyama just enrolled there, too.

Now, the sworn enemies have to weaponize their freakish chemistry to bring a fallen powerhouse school back to the national stage.

Shoot! Goal to the Future

Kakegawa High School used to be a legendary name in high school soccer. But these days, the team is a shell of its former self.

Enter Atsushi Kamiya, a former Kakegawa captain turned international soccer star, who returns to coach the struggling squad.

His biggest hurdle? Hideto Tsuji, a profoundly talented player who has completely given up on the sport.

It’s a race against the clock to spark the team’s passion before the whistle blows on their season.

Kuroko’s Basketball

Seirin High just recruited Taiga Kagami, a powerhouse player fresh out of America, alongside Tetsuya Kuroko, a boy so aggressively ordinary he practically blends into the background.

Kagami is horrified to find out Kuroko is terrible at shooting and dribbling until he sees him play. Kuroko’s utter lack of presence allows him to act as an invisible passing ghost, revealing himself as the secret “Sixth Man” of the legendary Middle School Generation of Miracles.

Together, they aim to take down Kuroko’s former teammates one by one.

Eyeshield 21

Sena Kobayakawa is a timid kid who has spent his entire life running away from bullies. Decades of acting as an errand boy have accidentally gifted him with superhuman speed and an uncanny ability to navigate tight spaces.

When the terrifying, submachine-gun-toting captain of the school’s American football team spots Sena’s agility, he forcefully drafts him into the squad.

To hide his identity from rival schools, Sena is forced to don a tinted visor and take the gridiron under the legendary alias: “Eyeshield 21.”

Yuri!!! on ICE

After a crushing, rock-bottom defeat at the Grand Prix Final, Japan’s top figure skater, Yuri Katsuki, heads home with zero confidence and every intention of retiring.

His career seems entirely iced over until a video of him mimicking a routine goes viral, catching the eye of five-time reigning world champion Victor Nikiforov.

In a shocking move, Victor flies to Japan and offers to become Yuri’s coach, sparking a beautiful, high-stakes journey back to the world stage.

MF GHOST

It’s the 202X decade, and Japan has fully embraced self-driving electric vehicles. Traditional cars are all but extinct.

However, internal combustion gets a roaring second life thanks to MFG, a dangerous street-racing circuit held on public motorways.

Kanata Rivington, a brilliant 19-year-old trained by a legendary racer in the UK, arrives in Japan to compete in the MFG with a humble Toyota 86. In the process, he tracks down clues about his missing father.

Entertainment

Crunchyroll Anime Expo announcements: Solo Leveling, Ghost of Tsushima, more

Roundup of major reveals, surprise announcements, more

Published

July 6, 2026

GadgetMatch

Crunchyroll took the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for Anime Expo 2026, dropping a massive slate of theatrical films, new series adaptations, and world premiere trailers.

Headlining the blockbuster showcase were the surprise announcements of a brand-new Solo Leveling theatrical feature and an early glimpse into the animated world of Ghost of Tsushima.

Solo Leveling: Beyond the System

In one of the biggest reactions of the night, English voice actor Aleks Le took the stage to announce that the story of Sung Jinwoo is far from over.

Fans at the event were the first to learn that an all-new anime theatrical feature film, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, is officially in production.

The movie will serve as a direct continuation of the series. It picks up immediately following the events of Season 2.

Animated by the acclaimed studio A-1 Pictures, the film is a joint production involving Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C MEDIA, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll.

Attendees were also treated to an exclusive teaser key visual and a promotional concept video:

‘Ghost of Tsushima Legends’ character designs

Following last year’s announcement of an anime adaptation of PlayStation’s beloved action-adventure game, Crunchyroll debuted an exclusive first look at the character designs for Ghost of Tsushima Legends.

The upcoming series, which follows one of the last remaining samurai defending his homeland against the Mongol Empire, is being produced by KAMIKAZE DOUGA under the direction of Takanobu Mizuno.

Legendary creators Gen Urobuchi and Satoshi Maejima of NITRO PLUS are handling the script, with Urobuchi overseeing story composition.

Finally, Takashi Okazaki providing the character designs to translate the game’s iconic samurai aesthetic into animation.

Other major reveals, more announcements

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy At All: In a shocking surprise video message, rock icon Dave Grohl revealed that Nirvana’s track “Breed” will serve as the official opening theme song for the anime.
Kagurabachi: Following news that the highly anticipated adaptation is coming to Crunchyroll next year, the panel showcased an exclusive Q&A with Japanese voice actor Taihi Kimura alongside a first look at the provisional character design sheet for protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira.

Crunchyroll rounded out the Anime Expo showcase by locking down release windows and trailers for several highly anticipated fantasy and sci-fi adaptations:

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5: Naofumi’s perilous journey against the waves of danger will officially return to the platform next year.
Dengeki Daisy: A world premiere trailer was unveiled for this romance-espionage comedy, which is officially heading to Crunchyroll in 2027.
Magical Buffs – The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized!: This new guild-focused fantasy series is locked in for a January 2027 premiere.
The Vermilion Mask: Fans got another look at the dark, mask-destroying journey of Peru, which is set to premiere in October 2026.
Overgeared: The virtual reality gaming anime following the S-Rank blacksmith quest of “Grid” will officially debut on the platform later this year.

Entertainment

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I coming to Crunchyroll

Record-breaking anime film available to stream on July 28

Published

July 6, 2026

GadgetMatch

Anime sensation Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I is coming to Crunchyroll later this month.

The record-breaking blockbuster will be available on the streaming platform on July 28, excluding Japan and mainland China.

And for fans looking to permanently add the film to their digital collections, it will simultaneously drop for purchase on major storefronts on the same day. Digital pre-orders are already live across select platforms.

Infinity Castle I marks the first entry in an ambitious, anticipated feature-film trilogy that chronicles the final battle of the critically acclaimed dark fantasy franchise.

The narrative picks up with protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, who dedicated his life to the Demon Slayer Corps after a tragic attack that left his younger sister Nezuko transformed into a demon.

The announcement follows an extraordinary theatrical run that solidified the film’s status as a global entertainment juggernaut.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I became the highest grossing anime film of all time last year.

Meanwhile, all episodes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train are available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Moreover, these special performances are likewise available on the platform: