Maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I thought the new One Piece hit all the emotional beats of the anime even if it didn't get all the details the same. I wasn't disappointed, although I was prepared to be.
Is Avatar even really anime though? That's kinda like calling Taco Bell Mexican food.
Is that unpopular? I thought One Piece got near-universally praised, but I didn’t pay attention to the discourse beyond the first week or so it was out so I missed the pivot if there was one.
Like you, I braced for the worst and actually liked it quite a bit. I think the changes they made were fairly well done.
I would say Avatar is a solid American homage to anime, but the average tv viewer would see the art style and assume that it’s anime so most outlets are just framing it that way.
Yes, Avatar is an American creation in the style of Japanese animation in much the same way that Taco Bell is an American fast food chain in the style of Mexican tacos, burritos, etc.