This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)

#51 | Back to Top06-23-2012 06:00:08 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

OnlyInThisLight wrote:

Agree, I kind of wanted Korra to stay with airbending for awhile, but then again it felt perfectly in character for she was for that to not be an option.  As in, bending was such a big part of Korra's life and who she was, I don't think she could have risen above having it lost forever, especially since I think the connection to the elements is an even deeper one for the Avatar.  Plus, I just found the moment between her and Aang too moving.  To be on the verge of suicide, at your very lowest, and then there is someone there.   And it's so beautiful, because Aang is a part of her, so in a way, it was herself standing there to lend a hand. 

And it wasn't Mako thank God.  Man, I think I really could have gotten behind this pairing, since both of them are so epic, but I just don't see the chemistry.  I see them telling each other they love each other and getting upset at the losses of one another, but no reason why they do so.  It never developed, it was just there.  Time was spent having Mako confused over his feelings and Korra upset and backing off instead of having them spend more time together and interacting in ways that weren't copy and pasted from every hot/cold romance cliche in the book.  And this is important because they aren't implying this is two characters who have feelings for each other, the show is all, THEY CAN'T IMAGINE LIVING WITHOUT THE OTHER OMG. 


Omg don even curr cause I'm still crying over how, despite my few nitpicks (that mostly have to do with the overall story than anything else) this finale was so powerful and heartbreaking and uplifting and amazing and unexpected. 


And I'm shipping Bolin/Naga because it was developed better.

Oh yes, I am so happy that Aang was the one who helped Korra through that and not Mako. I love your idea that Aang helping Korra out is sort of like her giving herself a hand. I agree with you about how they should have just spend time having Mako and Korra develop feelings for one another and scrapped the whole love triangle. I still think that even without the love triangle, having a couple more episodes in the first season to flesh out the characters would have been nice. As much as I love my AU involving Korra's Polyamorous Love Square, I actually am sad that I didn't really like Mako or Makorra. Even though I wasn't a hardcore shipping of any of the canon pairings in A:TLA (Tyzula=OTP), I still ending up liking them and appreciating how they were developed in a subtle way over the course of the story, involving genuine affection between the people involved. I wish I could appreciate Makorra, but I just sucks so bad that I can't right now.

That being said, it is possible to write a good story in only twelve episodes that have the same run-time as LOK. For example, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is an amazing, dark deconstruction of the magical girl genre. It does have implied love between some of the magical girls, but it isn't forced and it's all done in a very subtle way. Plus, The Plot is way more important.

(Yes, this is an poorly disguised attempt to get you to go over to crunchyroll and watch it and then discuss it with me on my Madoka thread. But OnlyInThisLight, if you ever did watch it, I'd love to hear what you thought about it. You are good at analyzing stuff. The same goes for anyone else who might want to watch it.)


More hopes for season two of Korra: I want Bumi to troll the ever-living-Hell out of Tenzin and for Kya to show up and join in. I really liked the sibling dynamics in A:TLA and sadly Bolin and Mako haven't fullfilled that for me very much. Although I did like how they teamed up in episode 7 to take out that metalbender cop. I want more of that too.

And now I'm wondering if I like sibling dynamics in A:TLA because my relationship with my younger brother and only sibling usually ranges from neutral to non-existent. (Crap, I just made myself sad.)

EDIT: Bolin and Naga will be BFFs forever!

Last edited by CausalityStar (06-23-2012 06:08:30 PM)

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#52 | Back to Top06-23-2012 06:51:45 PM

KillerxXxQueen
Snowdrop Lover
From: North Augusta, SC
Registered: 04-22-2009
Posts: 1760

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I fullheartedly support Tarrlok's end and I feel that his own form of justice was carried out. It shows both his prevailing humanity, his dedication to the greater good, and that he really did care for the city. His task force may have been a skeevy political ploy, but that he was able to see their mission through with the murder of Amon rather than the Avatar or some other "good guy" shows us that he has truly overcome his fucked childhood and daddy issues.

I just wish we would have been able to see his and Amon's history without a horribly long-winded, not-the-time-nor-place-nor-company-to-get-emotional speech in his jail cell when everyone's supposed to be in a hurry trying to save the city. Showing, not telling, please. I would have liked to see the history get more involved with how Noatak coped (or didn't) with the training. I kinda "who cares"ed all over Tarrlok's childhood without even realizing until he stopped talking just because I was expecting to see more about where Amon was formed. It could've just been my impatience because WHY THE HELL ARE YOU BLATHERING ON ABOUT YOUR DICK FATHER WHEN THERE ARE MUCH MORE PRESSING MATTERS AT HAND. And speaking of father issues...

Asami's showdown with her dad was inevitable. What really ground my gears about it (oh the puns) was that horrible Bolin line "You are a horrible father." Yes. Yes he is. But that's not why he needs his ass kicked. He is an Equalist and a douche, but that's not why he needs his ass kicked. He needs his ass kicked because he is the inventor of the machinery that the Equalists use. He is easily their greatest asset in the war, and this is hardly addressed. Instead, we go back to the whole defying daddy dilemma that seems to crop up too often in the show. It was Zuko's greatest and most definitive feat to defy the "Fatherlord" but what kind of issues do the writers have with their dads that makes that concept more important than the war raging LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT TO THEM? I understand that it isn't possible for Asami to take standing against her father in stride and of course it's going to be personally devastating, but I dunno guys. Their objective in splitting up was to take out the planes, which they did, but I feel like capturing the chief engineer and best inventor in the known world should get more attention than it did. Nope. We'll stick with "horrible father" and leave it at that.

Pabu/Naga is the only pairing I'll ever believe in this show. Moar plz. They are even more adorable than Momo/Appa.


"Reason I know is only a drug and, as such, its effects are never permanent."
                                                         --Hope Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist

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#53 | Back to Top06-23-2012 07:29:56 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

@KillerxXxQueen

I also would have liked to know more about how Amon became Amon too. But other than that, I wasn't that unhappy with Tarrlok's flashback. It is understandably biased since it's only told from his point of view and Tarrlok didn't even realize that Amon was actually Noatok until episode eight when he took his bending away.

Now I'm wondering if the creators actually do have daddy issues because there are a lot of bad fathers in this series and the one before it. I guess they could've put more emphasis on Hiroshi Sato supplying the Equalists with weapons, but overall I was satisfied with Asami's confrontation with him.


I get the feeling that Korra will start giving people their bending back now. I was wondering if you think there will be some moral dilemmas, with say restoring Lightning Bolt Zolt's bending? There is an excellent prompt on the Korra fic meme about that: http://ficbending.livejournal.com/1766. … 8#t1460198

(And to warn everyone again. This is a gen prompt, but if you go exploring this meme, there is a lot of prompts and they range from gen to smut and some might be disturbing to some people. So, viewer discretion advised and all that stuff.)

And Naga/Pabu is super cute.

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#54 | Back to Top06-24-2012 08:37:47 AM

Hiraku
Easter Elf #40
From: Singapore
Registered: 02-21-2007
Posts: 6342
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Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I don't think the directors necessarily had daddy issues. I think one of the main concept in Avatar series is how people pass down legacy to the next generation, so that they, in a sense, would live on. Those who succeed the title of the "Avatar" do not pass down their legacy through bloodline, but through reincarnation. I think to parallel that, we see a lot of characters and how each of them pass down or inherit their own legacy.

Ozai and Yakone, on the other hand, passed down not only their powers, but also their personal philosophy. And, you ended up with people like Azula and Noatok. In a sense, they're similar to the Avatar. And, then you have people like Uncle Iroh, Katara, and Tenzin. Zuko and Korra were really fortunate to have been able to spent time with people who believed in supporting and caring for your loved ones.

How children were raised as they were growing up, this is why parents played a big role in the series. I think by far, Avatar is one of the few cartoons that invested in that.

I remembered yesterday coming across a forum where ppl wondered what Amon's purpose was in starting this Equalist movement. Tarrlok believed that it's because Noatok considered bending as evil. But, based on the flashback, it seemed that Noatok had no problem bloodbending and submitting the wolves to his will. Before he left, he said to Yakone that, "Bloodbending isn't the best bending. Avatar took your bending away."

I get the feeling that he's trying to defeat the Avatar to spite his father, playing a game where he can prove to himself that he can surpass his father. If he can take down the Avatar, then he would have done what his father couldn't, thereby getting back at Yakone for all the harsh trainings he did. When his secret was out, and no longer has his support.

In that sense, it's quite unfortunate that he had no desire to try again. He spent his life doing things because of his father, he never had the time to consider what he wanted for himself. And, with the Equalist movement gone, he somewhat became an empty shell of a human being. [/end rant]

I'm really basing this interpretation on a couple of people I've met in real life, whose ambition were largely fueled by their resentment toward their parents for pressuring them to do great things. They did not quit. Instead, they work even harder. I didn't really understand why they do that back then, but looking at Amon and Tarrlok made me started thinking...

Last edited by Hiraku (06-24-2012 08:40:38 AM)

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#55 | Back to Top06-24-2012 02:29:44 PM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I really wished they had left the murder suicide out.  It's so incredibly dark -Naotok crying and happy to hear his old name (maybe he knew what Tarrlok was going to do, maybe he wanted it that way, or maybe he really did want to start a new life with Tarrlok) knowing Tarrlok is doing it because he doesn't believe that his brother can truly escape the darkness inside of him that he witnessed when Noatokk was younger or that regardless they are both fugitives who deserve to die for their crimes.  It's very ambiguous and a sad ending to a story that started sad.  It makes it hard for me to feel anything other than depressed when I think of the finale, despite its happy ending for most everyone else.

I think that they could have shown Tarrlok putting on the glove while staring at his brother's back and left it at that. 

Seriously it's kinda been haunting me and I'm having a hard time squeeing and enjoying the fandom side of LOK (which I have warmed up to) because it seems inappropriate to do so.   Two men who were abused as children grow up still ensnared in the emotional ramifications of that abuse, do horrible things and then when there is even the slightest chance of them finding happiness (or for Noatok, redemption) one kills the other and himself. 

I understand why Tarrlok did it and I think his disbelief in his brother's ability to ever truly be saved is understandable.  But it is such a tragic and fatalistic ending to their stores.  Even if the show did somehow take it back and show that one of the brother's survive, it would feel cheap due to how strong the emotions in that scene were.


*Also, did anyone notice that no one seems to care about comforting Asami?  I know she's keeping quiet about her hurt due to the lives lost in the battle and Korra's loss of bending having important ramifications for the entire world, but geez.  Her own father tried to kill her.  She still loved him, but he tried to kill her.  Twice, I think.  Just.  Not injure, or banish, or disown.... kill.  The most we get is Bolin pelting his asshole face with some rocks and telling him what a horrible father he is, which I found oddly touching coming from Bolin who probably barely remembers his own dad and is instead comparing Hiroshi to Mako or disgusted that someone would waste and try to destroy what family connections that they have left.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (06-24-2012 02:31:19 PM)

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#56 | Back to Top06-24-2012 03:44:09 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

@Hiraku

I agree that this series and the one before it explore how important parental influence is on people. I think that other than Amon trying to one up his dad, that he started the Equalists because he did believe that bending was evil. I think he does have some sort of internalized hatred of himself thanks to his bending, but is okay with bloodbending as a last resort and obviously to take bending away from other people. I also think that Amon may believe that bending is ever, because if he and his brothers weren't waterbenders, then they probably would've had a better relationship with their dad, instead of Yakone training them as tools for his revenge.

@OnlyInThisLight

The murder-suicide was pretty depressing, but I guess that's why the LOK is supposed to be a darker series. I don't have any objections to them including that, but it was still pretty sad. I guess we'll wait and see if they're really dead or if they'll come back next season.

I noticed that about Asami too. She definitely needs some comfort, considering that her father tried to kill her and her ex-boyfriend is a jerkface that can't even break up with her properly. I think the reason that no one seemed to care about her feelings is because the series has an annoying tenancy to sideline people if it will make the Makorra happen faster.

Yes, Korra losing her bending has major repercussions for the world, but a least her parents love her. I guess we can pretend that someone comforted Asami off-screen, but I think that overall the show has a general disregard for her feelings.

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#57 | Back to Top06-24-2012 07:06:43 PM

Lightice
Azure Paleontologist
From: Finland
Registered: 10-21-2006
Posts: 1255

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I really wish that this series would have had one or two more episodes to really build up the tension of Korra's de-bending. The only, but rather major complaint I have about the finale is that it crams way too much stuff into far too short time. The United Forces apparently get decimated so badly that General Iroh is the only one left in fighting shape, even though the waterbenders shouldn't have had that hard time getting out of those sinking ships and taking fight to the city for example, but we never get to see even a glimpse of that. And we really missed out on seeing Korra at her most vulnerable. They could have built up Amon a bit more, too. The bloodbending plot was an excellent way to tie all the loose ends together, but it does still leave questions like what's going to happen to the Equalist movement now? Their legitimate grievances are still unanswered, charismatic leader or no.

That being said, I do understand why they went for the happy ending, in the end. For one thing, a second season was only a hope when the first was written, but also because it comes off as a genuine surprise after all the very dark stuff that we go through in the episodes. And it worked out perfectly with its emotional impact.

Now, for the speculation:

It's pretty much given that Book 2 is going to be Spirit or Energy, and deal with Korra's newfound energybending abilities. And the conflict is likely to be spiritual in nature to reflect that. We had Amon tease us about the possibility that someone could challenge the Avatar as the mediator between the mortal and spirit worlds, but although he wasn't truthful, the second season might make true about the possibility. There's a pretty obvious plot-thread hanging between heavy industrialization and environmental destruction; we might see Hei Bai-style phenomenon in a massive scale, and with some luck, get a proper environmentalist story which gives proper respect both to technology and progress and the natural world. At least I feel that that kind of story would fit perfectly in LoK's world.


Hei! Aa-Shanta 'Nygh!

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#58 | Back to Top06-24-2012 08:44:07 PM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

Also perfect plastic surgery.


What?

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#59 | Back to Top06-24-2012 09:41:55 PM

Katzenklavier
Wondrous Sexual Eggplant.
From: Back of your thoughts.
Registered: 09-13-2008
Posts: 1120

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

Lightice wrote:

I really wish that this series would have had one or two more episodes to really build up the tension of Korra's de-bending. The only, but rather major complaint I have about the finale is that it crams way too much stuff into far too short time.

Agreed, but aaaahhh...if only that were the only major issue.

I'm truly sorry for entering this discussion with a rant, but that finale sucked more than a newbie gay porn star.

To put it in far more analytic terms, there were very few aspects of the writing that worked. First of all, the pacing was off. Previously, the whole season was carefully constructed, with each episode exploring a new dynamic and upping the stakes. Some of the concepts were amazing. It presented an interesting and complicated question: is the existence of bending, which is innate rather than earned, truly fair? How does technological innovation match up against primal elemental energy?

There was so much potential, but it was clear the writers wanted to wrap up a nice neat little package. So all the extensive foreplay was wasted on a self-conscious nervously hurried climax. BUT. That alone wouldn't make me want to attempt seppuku with my pen. It's as if every existent problem with the writing was grotesquely magnified. Instead of character development and growth, FLASHING ACTION SCENES!!! The majority of the characters' interactions, unfortunately, revolve around the writers' groping for fanshipping. In the process, interesting and crucial interactions like that of Asami and her father get sidelined.

I get that it's a different series. You can't sell redundancy to an increasingly mature audience. But even despite the lackluster inter- and intrapersonal development, the finale culminated in breaking the logical system the first carefully established. In doing so, it failed to address even the most basic of character dilemmas. Korra's main weaknesses are her bullheaded pride and the impulsive force of her emotions. In stark opposition to Aang, she listens to her gut way too much, sacrificing patience and forethought. Therefore, her most challenging element to master is air.

How is this problem resolved? BY HER DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. How does bursting into a rally and forcing confrontation show any growth? Why would seeing Mako in danger yet again induce a different reaction than before? How does a huge sudden outburst address ANY of the needed qualities for air mastery?

That alone wouldn't be so offensive. Hell, it set up something pretty clever; a much less powerful Korra having to rely on her newest weakest element to win. But oh no. In a move that would make Sailor Moon cringe at the sheer corniness, her MAGICAL TEARS summon the Avatar state. And then Jesus!Aang SOMEHOW both returns her full power AND gives her energybending. I dunno, as an extra crackerjack prize.

Energybending. The power the first series took the WHOLE FUCKING SERIES to work up too. Do the writers remember that they established bending the spirit is incredibly dangerous? That, if there is a speck of doubt or hesitation in the bender's soul, they'll be overwhelmed and destroyed? So Korra, who didn't learn a single lesson, develops this in five seconds out of nowhere. And then she goes around restoring bending SOMEHOW - just as bloodbending done SOMEHOW during the day can SOMEHOW take it away - in the process completely eliminating all the stakes the series had built up.

Okay. Finally. I didn't want to go here, but...isn't it kind of insultingly Twilight-ish to have the heroine's big climactic moment revolve around getting her man? The man she actively worked to steal from a friend who sacrificed home and family for her cause? Without a single regard to her other teammates in general?

Let's see...self-absorbed ultra-powerful character who others dote on unrealistically, who develops unheard of powers through no development of her own. This episode committed the most heinous crime: turning Korra into an unrepentant Mary Sue. Which is a damn shame because I think there is so so so much potential. Shows often take awhile to find their footing. Hence, I'm enthusiastically vouching for a second season. I just was really really disappointed in this and hope that the next installment will improve.

Last edited by Katzenklavier (06-24-2012 11:37:19 PM)


We must go forward, not backward. Upward, not forward. And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.

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#60 | Back to Top06-24-2012 11:25:57 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

OnlyInThisLight wrote:

Also perfect plastic surgery.


What?

Well, plastic surgery has been around since 800 b.c. in India and since LOK and A:TLA are based on Asian culture, it could be possible that they advanced in plastic surgery faster than the United States did in the real world.

@Katzenklavier

That quote that you had at the top of your post was by Lightice, not me.

Still, I agree that Makorra is Twilight-esque, which is probably why I don't like that ship. I didn't really have too much of a problem with Aang resoting Korra's bending, but you do make a lot of good points about how some of Korra's character flaws, like her rash behavior aren't addressed, so I'm hoping they'll deal with that more next season.

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#61 | Back to Top06-25-2012 12:04:11 AM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

Well, it wasn't her tears that summoned Aang.  The tear was a visual device to show that Korra was contemplating throwing herself off of the cliff.  What summoned Aang was Korra calling for help at her lowest point.  And that's what most suicide attempts are -cries for help. For Korra its a big deal because one of things she struggles with is admitting weakness, or more specifically vulnerability and dealing with failure.  While I agree that the way she learned airbending was bogus, I do still like that she maintained her headstrong, lets end this shit-ness in dealing with Amon.  It would be kinda lame to just have her develop... into Aang.  She goes into battle charging, but now she knows why -she knows the risks and stakes and its not just her being fearless and brash.  It's her doing what she knows and feels she must do.  And she tempers this desire to confront Amon with more experience and forethought -choosing to sneak into the rally and reveal him for a fraud after talking to Tarrlok- as opposed to calling him out over the radio for a pissing match.

Now, suddenly seeing every other Avatar and mastering energybending was a little much -even Aang, who was a spiritual prodigy, needed time and special circumstances to do anything like that.  But I assumed that she didn't learn energybending, what she was doing was summoning the Avatar State in order to do it.  After all, Aang struggled with summoning the Avatar state due to his pacifism and fear of what it could do, the knowledge that he would not be himself also making him fear the loss of control.   Korra is lot more gung ho and not as afraid of it, so I can see it not being a difficult thing for her to summon once she had established a spiritual connection.  It's also only dangerous to energybend if you are attempting to bend that person's energy against their will, which pits your will against theirs. 

Plus, energybending wasn't built up very much at all in A:TLA.  Aang has an ethical crisis for two episodes and then a LionTurtle just gives him the ability. What.

I agree on most other stuff (except Korra being a Mary-sue.  Her flaws are too well established and repeated to her by numerous characters, and she exists within a canon that has schmillions of awesome, super powerful female and male characters, and she's the Avatar, so her being awesome is kinda expected*) that the sudden airbending was bogus, the pacing absolutely awful and so much important stuff being sidelined (doesn't Iroh care about his slaughtered troops?).  I mean, you spend ten episodes setting up Amon as this intimidating villain rising to power, and then find out the twist ending in one weird shot and he is defeated and defaced soon after, all of that build up kinda doing nothing. 

And at least the flashy action scenes upped the stakes a bit by introducing more violence?  Holy shit Sato you murderous fucking fuckity fuck.  FUCK. 

*Plus, if any one is the Stu, as much as I like him, it's Mako.  None of his flaws are truly condemned in the show, except by Asami but lets face it, are any characters actually listening to her?  It seems like she talks to herself a lot.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (06-25-2012 12:13:29 AM)

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#62 | Back to Top06-25-2012 12:52:31 AM

Katzenklavier
Wondrous Sexual Eggplant.
From: Back of your thoughts.
Registered: 09-13-2008
Posts: 1120

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

OiTL wrote:

Well, it wasn't her tears that summoned Aang.  The tear was a visual device to show that Korra was contemplating throwing herself off of the cliff.

...Well, that's something I didn't really consider. I don't really accept it as canon, as this is a kids' show. But hell, if they got away with a murder-suicide, it's not an unlikely theory.

OiTL wrote:

And she tempers this desire to confront Amon with more experience and forethought -choosing to sneak into the rally and reveal him for a fraud after talking to Tarrlok- as opposed to calling him out over the radio for a pissing match.

That's a good point, as she does demonstrate some strategy in this instance. But whether this truly an established part of her development is conjecture. With Aang, they did a phenomenal job in integrating a seamless and effective narrative. Now, Korra isn't Aang, and the point isn't for her to become him. The writers, however, deliberately set her up as the polar opposite. Therefore, his strengths are her weaknesses and vice versa. Korra's development with these flaws was underplayed in the finale in favor of HOLY SHIT ROMANCE. It was a cheap way to end.

It's also only dangerous to energybend if you are attempting to bend that person's energy against their will, which pits your will against theirs.

Energybending is the most dangerous and misunderstood of the elemental powers. It's incredibly dangerous in any capacity. The Lion Turtle stated that only the pure of heart could touch hatred without being harmed. Unless Korra is using some kind of reverse bullshit!bloodbending, there is no way she could be able to restore lost abilities without energybending. And for the level of skill and development that the ability requires, it just didn't make sense.

Plus, energybending wasn't built up very much at all in A:TLA.  Aang has an ethical crisis for two episodes and then a LionTurtle just gives him the ability. What.

The Lion Turtle was a blatant MacGuffin, but at least it was one that symbolized a conflict that was consistent throughout the entire show. Aang was always polarized between necessity and his moral compass. Plus, the Lion Turtle made more sense in a setting frequently populated by mystical spirits. Jesus!Aang in a fantasy Jazz Age Chicago...meh.

Her flaws are too well established and repeated to her by numerous characters, and she exists within a canon that has schmillions of awesome, super powerful female and male characters, and she's the Avatar, so her being awesome is kinda expected.

Except every single one of these characters quickly converts. Tenzin forgives her quickly and becomes supportive, Bolin forgives despite being lied to, Asami respects despite being doubly lied to, Mako falls for his ONE TRUE LUUURVE, Lin sees the Avatar is awesomesauce, blah blah blah. To be fair, there was some truly great growth in episode 4, with some vague hints thereafter. But in the case of this finale, her flaws were the equivalent of Bella's clumsiness: adorable but harmless character quirks.

So I'd still say that: a) mastering airbending, b) reaching Avatar state, c) obtaining airbending, d) getting the unconditional love of Gary Stu, and finally e) saving the freaking day all make her pretty Mary Suish in this episode.

I still think she and the show have a ton of potential.

Plus, if any one is the Stu, as much as I like him, it's Mako.

A. GUH. REED.


We must go forward, not backward. Upward, not forward. And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.

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#63 | Back to Top06-25-2012 01:20:20 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

Re: Tarlok's murder-suicide, the consensus on 4chan is that Noatak's remark that "It'll be just like old times" was his way of acknowledging that they'd both become their father, that they both had tried and failed to take over Republic City and been defeated by the Avatar, and that if they walked away from the boat, they would begin the cycle again. Noatak knew that Tarrlok was going to kill them both and allowed him to do it so that the cycle could end.

4chan has a lot of drek, but occasionally, they come up with something genius.

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#64 | Back to Top06-25-2012 02:08:21 PM

KillerxXxQueen
Snowdrop Lover
From: North Augusta, SC
Registered: 04-22-2009
Posts: 1760

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

@ bullshit!airbending

The only concession I make to the fact that super of-a-sudden airbending occurred at all comes from episode two where she is similarly of-a-sudden able to perform the evasive style of airbending so impressively that Tenzin about shits a chicken. It was something that "clicked" when it just really shouldn't have at all. Having proven that common sense need not apply and Korra just makes shit happen when it has to, I believe this is where it became okay for her to just be able to airbend when she needed to, bullshit or not.

But yeah, it was still crap when it happened in episode two.


"Reason I know is only a drug and, as such, its effects are never permanent."
                                                         --Hope Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist

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#65 | Back to Top06-25-2012 02:18:49 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

@OnlyInThisLight

You make a lot of good points and yes, Mako is such a Gary-Stu. It is disappointing because I had high hopes for him turning out to be a decent character. And yes, poor Asami is always talking to herself.

I think what you said about energy-bending made sense. Aang had to energy-bend Ozai against his will whereas when Korra was energy-bending Lin, Lin was totally fine with it, which probably made it less dangerous.

I heard rumors that season two will actually have the full writing staff, or at least more people besides Bryke. I'm really hoping they fix some of the issues that were present in the first season in regards to pacing and the shitty romance. (I also have the secret hope that Mako will fall for someone besides Korra and end up treating her the same way he did to Asami and then Korra will go avatar state on his ass.)

Different topic: Are you guys familiar with the church of Tahno? http://churchoftahno.tumblr.com/

Their tumblr has some interesting things, including "Holy Texts" so it's definitely worth a look around. And is it just me, but has anyone else noticed that Tahno fans are some of the funnest people in the fandom? It's like they're always having a virtual party.

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#66 | Back to Top06-25-2012 03:44:12 PM

Melancholic_Soul
Dancer Romancer
From: VA
Registered: 04-28-2009
Posts: 1514

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

KillerxXxQueen wrote:

@ bullshit!airbending

The only concession I make to the fact that super of-a-sudden airbending occurred at all comes from episode two where she is similarly of-a-sudden able to perform the evasive style of airbending so impressively that Tenzin about shits a chicken. It was something that "clicked" when it just really shouldn't have at all. Having proven that common sense need not apply and Korra just makes shit happen when it has to, I believe this is where it became okay for her to just be able to airbend when she needed to, bullshit or not.

But yeah, it was still crap when it happened in episode two.

Agree!

What was that? I mean she's been in tough spots before, but suddenly at that very moment she could airbend... My friend over here says that once her bending was blocked her sense of airbending got stronger... but I'm still calling bullshit on that too... I really dislike that once it happened she went passed being surprised about it. Korra took a little too much time to exclaim that she could airbend to amon. Let's be honest, that was a dumb and unnecessary move.


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#67 | Back to Top06-26-2012 01:09:54 AM

PrettyPeopleWithSwords
Rose Smilee
Registered: 05-26-2010
Posts: 131

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I finally got around to watching the finale . . . I feel mixed but mostly good about it. I think the main things that bothered me were Tarlokk and the surprise airbending. I wish they would've better explained how Tarlokk went from being a gentle, anti-airbending child to a power-hungry asshole adult. Again, they were probably short on time.

The surprise airbending was just kind of dumb. Aang said something about your lowest point making you more spiritual, maybe that's how she did it? Either way, pretty silly. Amon waterbending a giant column in front of everyone to save himself was also kind of silly but I guess if I was panicked and drowning I would probably make some stupid decisions too.

Tarlokk's murder-suicide was pretty fucking crazy! I really hope they're both gone for real or that scene would really lose its impact.

I called it about Korra learning how to reverse bending removal although they had me second guessing for a bit there. Aang showing up and fixing everything was a little deus ex machina-y but then again, I can't see the Avatar force thing allowing an Avatar to really lose most of her bending permanently since that kind of defeats the Avatar's goal of bringing balance to the world.

Also Aang seems like a much more proactive Avatar-ghost than Roku. Roku let poor Aang hang out in that ice ball for 100 years and didn't do shit! I guess they saw how badly that turned out and didn't want it to happen again? emot-biggrin

Korra being able to fix everything is pretty cheesy but seeing Lin get her bending back made me happy nonetheless. emot-keke Especially after the Airbender family got caught anyway!

Makorra . . . Yeah I dunno. I liked Mako at first but he just didn't get enough development for me to care much about him. Maybe next season? At least he finally picked a girl instead of leading them both on.

Anyway, this season wasn't perfect but I enjoyed the show and I'm looking forward to next season. The nerd rage from some people is amazing, I'm glad I don't feel the way they do. I hope they focus more on character development now that they've got their big main story out of the way.

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#68 | Back to Top06-26-2012 06:20:54 AM

Syora
Presidential Accoster
From: Under Northern Lights
Registered: 06-07-2009
Posts: 1866

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I had pretty much the same questions as the rest of you. Another is, how exactly do energy-bending and blood-bending work in the context of affecting one's ability to bend? Korra being able to restore bending DID make sense until I read up on energy-bending. With regards to Amon taking away bending, Tenzin said, "What? That's something only the Avatar should be able to do." But it sounds like energy bending can be taught, and that back in the day, people did it quite often. I really wish they would have gotten into the mechanics of how bending works, because they are martial-arts plus science plus magic and learning about that is how they make it so interesting.

And holy batman, I can't believe Amon wanted to take away air-bending, public execution style. It makes me wonder how repressive Republic City actually is: what issues are there that make the citizens so responsive to Amon's cause? Are Amon's claims legitimate, and to what extent? Is technology a mode of equalizing power between people because it can be purchased or created? Or is it just similar to bending in that only those with access to it can take advantage of it? I feel like in every society, there will be a concentration of power, and bending is only one avenue with which one procures that power.

I winced in pain when Mako was all like, "Sup, I love you babe." LIKE COME ON. What happened to, "Hey Asami, can't we deal with this another time when there are less important things going on?" She's having an identity crisis, albeit a tokenistic one. I get he's just trying to make her feel better, but it's insulting for them to imply that your problems go away simply because some dude thinks you're hot shit.

AND WHAT ABOUT ASAMI'S DAD. What did they do with him after they tied him up? I think that the scene with her father was well done, or at least had a really good concept. Again, it has the pacing issues that plagues the entire season, but the fact that he was so consumed with vengeance and hate that he would have been just as terrible as the person who killed his wife... LoK really does try to drive the nail home about how revenge and hatred are cyclical and keep coming back to bite you in the ass.

I think Asami is a fantastic character, and just like the rest of the cast, has so much potential. I feel like we are watching a 13 episode pilot, not an actual series. They basically just need to redo the entire first season from top to bottom with a full staff in three books instead of one. I'm sure Nickolodeon will get right on that. emot-rolleyes

Last edited by Syora (06-26-2012 06:50:19 AM)

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#69 | Back to Top06-26-2012 12:11:34 PM

KillerxXxQueen
Snowdrop Lover
From: North Augusta, SC
Registered: 04-22-2009
Posts: 1760

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

I have some more questions that sort of tie into this idea that bending "isn't the answer." We are shown Mako using lightning in an assembly line with other firebenders when he's short on cash. With the "Tour Republic City" thingymahoosit on the nick.com site, this--or something just like it--is actually revealed to be a part of Future Industries' assembly line (you kinda have to look for it). It's one of the few times that bending is shown to be used for something other than terrifying civilians or kicking the crap out of someone (there's pretty much that and then the waterbenders' healing). How much of Republic City is reliant on bending in its industry? Agriculture? Other things? Could there be unseen adverse effects from having all of the benders expunged that Amon and the Equalists didn't consider?


"Reason I know is only a drug and, as such, its effects are never permanent."
                                                         --Hope Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist

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#70 | Back to Top06-26-2012 01:25:17 PM

Melancholic_Soul
Dancer Romancer
From: VA
Registered: 04-28-2009
Posts: 1514

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

KillerxXxQueen wrote:

I have some more questions that sort of tie into this idea that bending "isn't the answer." We are shown Mako using lightning in an assembly line with other firebenders when he's short on cash. With the "Tour Republic City" thingymahoosit on the nick.com site, this--or something just like it--is actually revealed to be a part of Future Industries' assembly line (you kinda have to look for it). It's one of the few times that bending is shown to be used for something other than terrifying civilians or kicking the crap out of someone (there's pretty much that and then the waterbenders' healing). How much of Republic City is reliant on bending in its industry? Agriculture? Other things? Could there be unseen adverse effects from having all of the benders expunged that Amon and the Equalists didn't consider?

This. I think that benders and non-benders are able to coexist without civil war. The social landscape of LoK reminds me of the X-Men comics. There are people out there who are honestly concerned about the power benders have. Those people who were subjects of crimes committed by benders, and want to get back at them. There are people who wish to manipulate the non-benders for power, and those who want to explain that benders are 'just like you'. We haven't seen any Bender retaliation outside of Team Avatar, in good terms or bad. I wonder if the Equalists will continue on, spawning extremists from the bender community.

>>In relation to the quoted post, I wanted to say there seem to be jobs that are suited for benders and benders alone. I think it might be tough to find work outside of your bending if you were a bender. If an employer had a choice between a bender who'd bending is more a liability than an asset and a non bender, I think the non-bender would walk away with the job. Not to mention shop owners worrying about bender youths being associated with the Triads and such.

I wonder about the development of computer chips and mother boards. a fire bender can direct electricity in a pre-calculated way. I noticed how well Sato's mechs worked and wondered if he came up with an advanced system that would have taken others (or those who rely on benders) years to engineer or even imagine. Sato seems to be quite the engineering genius at the end of the day. I wonder if the development of such a system was the direct result of wanting to live in a world where he didn't need benders, where no one relied on benders.

As far as jobs in Republic City, I have the distinct impression that waterbenders are responsible for clean water and random plumbing throughout the city, and somewhere in the hills Earthbenders are responsible for the hard work of a rock quarry. That reminds me of coal mining, which I am also assuming earthbenders do.


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#71 | Back to Top06-26-2012 06:03:33 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

Yeah it seems to me that there are quite a lot of jobs that rely on bending. I think that the lightning bending to generate power is pretty cool since it seems like a renewable, nonpolluting source of energy. Also, in A:TLA they showed the Gaang using waterbending and earthbending to clean that river in the Fire Nation, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is how Republic City gets purified water.

I think that Amon wanting to destroy airbending is a way of showing how extreme he was and that there were serious power imbalance problems in the city.

@Syora I agree that pacing was a huge problem for the first season and it probably didn't help that they didn't have a full writing staff. Here is a diagram that shows a lot of the problems with LOK: http://avatarluffy.tumblr.com/post/2586 … ntation-of

I think the lack of a full writing staff means that their was a lack of peer review going on, which meant issues with pacing and the stupid love triangle. I don't think that Amon's storyline would necessarily need three seasons to work, but maybe twenty episodes would have been better instead of twelve.

I wish we knew more about what happened to Asami's dad, but sadly her feeling and problems got shafted in making the forced, obligatory Makorra happen. The depressing thing is that I actually liked the romance in A:TLA but with the exception of Mako and Asami getting together in episode four, all of the romance in this series makes me cringe because it was so badly written. And I gradually started to dislike Masami too because of Mako's behavior. Also, I didn't like that Asami, who turned out to be one of my favorite characters and who actually experienced more character development than Korra, spend the first three episodes she was in basically doing nothing but being Mako's arm candy.

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#72 | Back to Top06-26-2012 07:57:15 PM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

The only thing I dislike about Asami's character is how she was disliked by Korra because she was assumed to be "prissy."  It wasn't until she showed more 'masculine' traits (cars and fighting) and was not merely 'feminine' (make-up, I guess.  She wears make-up and is pretty) that she was accepted by Korra (and in the way, the show) as cool.  The lesson should have been that feminine does not equate to weak, and even though you can argue Korra's reservations may have had more to do with her own jealousy or distaste for excessive wealth rather than femininity, it still rings as a misfire at feminism (you write strong female characters by writing masculine ones) in an otherwise surprisingly progressive and gender positive show.  I've seen this whole, "no, it's alright, she also has masculine traits!" thing too often.

You know who they didn't do this to, and that's part of why she's so beloved?  Katara.  It was never once implied that Katara or her blatant femininity was a weakness or undesirable.  She fought, yes, and that was coo' but all of her strengths were valued, the masculine and feminine and the ones that aren't ascribed to either gender.  The same holds true for Aang.

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#73 | Back to Top06-26-2012 08:38:23 PM

Epee_724
Polar Prince
From: Come find me
Registered: 12-01-2008
Posts: 1813

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

OnlyInThisLight wrote:

*Plus, if any one is the Stu, as much as I like him, it's Mako.  None of his flaws are truly condemned in the show, except by Asami but lets face it, are any characters actually listening to her?  It seems like she talks to herself a lot.

I've been calling her "Doormat" since episode 7. She herself skirted the issue and let Mako bully her into dropping it altogether. Pemma's labor didn't require either of their presences they could have had it out right there. She let Mako put her in his back pocket like some kind of back up plan with great hair.  Mako is ok guy but he's got this raging self-entitlement-on that was never called out or reprimanded. Woobie backstory aside, he didn't go through anything. By the end of this season he's stolen Korra from Bolin and treated Asami like a speed bump on his way to Korra and his karmic return was to get cheated out of the Bending Championship and to losing the arena.
I didn't wan't his life ruined but would have been nice to see the writers acknowledge how much of an asshat he is. Once I realized Amon's blocking was reversible, I wanted him to take Mako's bending.


Whatever you find worthwhile in life, is worth fighting for!

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#74 | Back to Top06-26-2012 09:10:52 PM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

Hey, what do you all want to see in the next season?

My wishlist:

Bolin and Asami bromance.  Not romance, bromance.  Mako jelly. 

Lin teaching Bolin earthbending.

The two above leading Mako to deal with Bolin's growing independence much like a parent would.

Gay sex.

Asami dealing with her father, and her father's estate.  Maybe repaying the kindness all the homeless in Republic City showed her and the Team in some way.

Korra's parents becoming more involved. 

More time spent on Tenzin and Korra's relationship.

Tahno joins the team or becomes a recurring character.  Hits on everybody.  Especially Lin.  He and Asami bond over awesome hair.

Dealing with the aftermath of the Equalists in Republic City.  All Korra showed was that Amon was a bender and a traitor to the cause, not that there was anything wrong with the cause itself.  She also revealed that bloodbending can remove a person's bending.  I wonder if that will come back to bite her.

Korra practicing hand to hand and weapons combat with Asami.  She needs to learn modern forms of fighting, and that involves technology.

It is revealed that Mako killed his parents in an accident, or in some way carries guilt for their deaths via his actions.  It is because of this that he is both self-destructive in his romantic endeavors and drawn to people he can protect.  He was smitten with Asami after knowing her vulnerabilities, and when the war became more and more dangerous, Korra, kidnapped, made a target of Amon's and required by her status to be on the frontlines became the person most at risk and the one he needed to protect, so romantic feelings were transferred to her.  He has to deal with this.  Don't care who he ends up with.  Just wanna see this.

Seeing Zuko and the rest of Aang's kids.

Bolin plotline?  I love funny Bolin, but c'mon.  C'MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON.

A non-bending council member is chosen.  It's Suki (or has it been confirmed she dead?)

Exotic animals!  More of them!  Big ones!

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#75 | Back to Top06-26-2012 10:11:42 PM

CausalityStar
Caretaker
From: Idaho
Registered: 09-12-2010
Posts: 215

Re: The Legend of Korra Thread

@OnlyInThisLight

Yeah, I didn't like that Korra assumed that Asami was prissy at first either. Even if it was only because Korra was jealous of her, it still can send the wrong message.


I love your ideas for the second season of LOK. Especially the part where Tahno hits on Lin. Oh, I'd love to see him hit on Tenzin too and then for Pema to get annoyed, only for Tahno to come onto her too. I also like that joining Team Avatar part and the part where he and Asami have awesome hair.

I like the idea of Asami and Bolin bromance. I have nothing against shipping these two together, but usually the way that ship is handled is a "pair the spares" situation and if they get together, it should because they like each other not because they're settling for each other because Mako and Korra are unavailable. But I would prefer friendship in the show because LOK doesn't need more romance drama.

I need to see Asami dealing with her father too. I like the idea of her being generous with her wealth too, because it seems like something that she would do. (And she did get her dad to sponsor the Fire Ferrets, which was very generous even though it turned out that her dad had an evil ulterior motive.)

I love the idea of more mentor-ships with Lin and Bolin as well as Korra and Tenzin. I think it would be cool if Lin also taught Korra and Bolin how to metalbend. I like the idea of Korra's parents being around more too, just because I want to know more what it's like for the parents if your daughter is the Avatar.

I think that they really need to show that the Equalists had valid concerns in season two of LOK. Otherwise season one might as well have ended as, "And then Korra's bending was restored and then she and her friends (except Asami) were able to live happily ever after with their bending and bending privilege without addressing some serious social inequalities forever."

I like your ideas about Mako. I think that the idea of Mako killing his parents accidentally or him feeling guilt over his parents death could be used as an excellent way to make him more sympathetic. If he didn't kill his parents, maybe he feels guilty about slacking off on learning firebending and feels that if he had been better at it, he would have been able to protect his parents. That could also explain how he got good at firebending too. He could have slacked off during firebending lessons and then as a result became obsessed in achieving perfection in firebending so that he could always protect the people he cared about. I think that any guilt about his parents giving Mako a white knight complex would make a lot of sense, especially because he already has the white knight complex. So yes please, I'd love for the show to address Mako's character flaws and some angsty back-story is always good. Because the main problem with Mako isn't that he has flaws, it's that he has them and everyone is oblivious to them except Asami and no one listens to her.

I'd love for Kya and Bumi to be an important part of the plot and to troll the hell out of Tenzin. And it would be cool to see Zuko's daughter.

I'd like for Bolin to get more of a role than comic-relief too. I'd also like to see more of his sibling bond with Mako and Mako dealing with Bolin becoming an adult like you said. Katara and Sokka's sibling relationship was really important in A:TLA, so I'm disappointed that Mako and Bolin's relationship barely gets any screen-time.


I would like the gay sex too! Or at least, some gay characters. Everything is so heteronormative it hurts. (Seriously, the Avatar has lived a thousand lifetimes and in every single one, I'm supposed to believe that she or he is always heterosexual? C'mon.)

At the same time though, I would be a little worried if my favorite ship, Korrasami became canon just because of the mess that they made out of Makorra and Masami. Right now, I don't trust the writers with my OTP.

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