Thoughts on the Avatar: Korra Finale
I posted the knee jerk reaction on Facebook. Now, here's something that's a little bit more thought out.
I really enjoyed Korra. It was nice to have a Team Avatar that was grown up and much more mature. I did like the series' darker tones and the consistency that it treats it's viewers that they have a brain. I'm a fan of the original Avatar series. I got into it late in in the game, but I really enjoyed the world and it was something different.
I will say that Korra is still better than most new anime that's out. At the end of the day, we had two interesting female leads - Korra and Asami - and an adventure story that kept us intrigued. I will take Asami over the new Fujiko garbage.
If you liked the ending, that's cool and I can respect that. I was fine with the confrontation between Amon and Korra. I was also fine with the self sacrifice / suicide. I can accept that.
It's the last five minutes that had me in for an exorcist style headspin.
So, let's take a look about what went wrong in the last five minutes.
1. Pairings and Shippings
I can ignore episode 5 happened. It was pointless filler. Sure we had some fun Bolin moments, but for the most part, it just made things complicated and certain characters far less respectable. I don't have problems with shippings, but I really felt that the writers were playing the teenage drama arc to the shipping audience. They KNOW that Avatar has a huge shipping following. Don't believe me? Look up "Book 4: Air Comic Con 2008" on YouTube. They know we eat this stuff like candy.
I really wanted to like Makkora. I just felt this was too forced. It also makes Mako less respectable because I felt that he did not resolve anything with Asami. Sure, one may argue that he's a teenage guy that's just being indecisive. However, I hold Mako to a higher standard because he had to grow up fast to raise himself and his brother.
So, he just goes out and is all "I Love You" to Korra? Right. And Korra all of a sudden returns the feelings when she gets her powers back? Okay...
I'm just not a fan where story is driven by pairings and shippings. Tell me a story and let me headcanon fangirling do the rest.
However, this is not my main problem with the ending.
2. Korra gets her powers back
This was too much of a Deus Ex Machina ending. Did the creators know that there was going to be a Season 2? I really felt that Korra's journey really wasn't up there with Aang's spiritual quest. One of the series' flaws is that it's paced too fast. I know we're already familiar with the world of Avatar, but would it hurt to flesh out the characters more?
So, Korra sheds a tear and Aang appears and grants her powers back. Thus, she has the ability to grant others their powers.
It's just that, I don't think Korra is worthy to gain the Avatar state. Compare Aang going into Avatar state and Korra's drama. Aang went through so much more crap than Korra. Not to say that Korra went through crap, but Aang had more lessons to learn about himself. I'm not one of those people who critique that Korra should have fought in the Avatar state, but rather, it should have been saved for season 2.
In the end, it felt like it was too much of a quick 'n easy fix and I expected more from the writers.
3. So, what is there to expect?
Because of the cure-all angle the writers went for the conclusion, what is there to look forward to in season 2? While I'm kinda curious where this is going to go, the first series always gave us something to look forward to or an approaching villain. Going into Season 2, we know the following:
- Korra and Mako are an item
- Future Industries is kaput
- Korra has her powers back
- No more Amon or Tarloc
- Uncle Bumi exists
The ending was too squeaky clean for my taste. Again, just my opinion.
4. Okay, V...how would you have ended it?
All right, imagination GO!
- Korra is alone, contemplating and being emo.
- Korra sheds a tear.
- Tear falls midway and Korra notices that it stops in mid air
- Korra realizes she can still water bend and can relearn
- Korra starts feeling hopeful again.
- Tenzin and friends hear the commotion and rush to Korra
- Korra realizes that she has to relearn fire, water, and earth.
- Everyone is happy for her. HUGS!
- Aang's ghost looks upon the crowd and says, "Now her real training has begun."
- Credits
Okay, so the whole formula of Korra re-learning / re-mastering the elements sounds too much like the first series, but I can deal with a formula as long as it's executed well. This opens up the world outside Republic City. Team Avatar can visit the other nations that we've seen and how they have developed. Maybe Korra visits the Western Air Temple, the brothers learn about their roots by visiting the Fire Nation, we get to see some more of the original cast's descendants and legacies, etc.
Again, the above is my opinion. I just hold these guys to a higher standard because the first series was great. I'm not asking to re-introduce the world, but rather, experience the new world in a different time.
And character-specific episodes would be nice too!
However, I think we can all agree that this is still better than the god awful live action movie.
I really enjoyed Korra. It was nice to have a Team Avatar that was grown up and much more mature. I did like the series' darker tones and the consistency that it treats it's viewers that they have a brain. I'm a fan of the original Avatar series. I got into it late in in the game, but I really enjoyed the world and it was something different.
I will say that Korra is still better than most new anime that's out. At the end of the day, we had two interesting female leads - Korra and Asami - and an adventure story that kept us intrigued. I will take Asami over the new Fujiko garbage.
If you liked the ending, that's cool and I can respect that. I was fine with the confrontation between Amon and Korra. I was also fine with the self sacrifice / suicide. I can accept that.
It's the last five minutes that had me in for an exorcist style headspin.
So, let's take a look about what went wrong in the last five minutes.
1. Pairings and Shippings
I can ignore episode 5 happened. It was pointless filler. Sure we had some fun Bolin moments, but for the most part, it just made things complicated and certain characters far less respectable. I don't have problems with shippings, but I really felt that the writers were playing the teenage drama arc to the shipping audience. They KNOW that Avatar has a huge shipping following. Don't believe me? Look up "Book 4: Air Comic Con 2008" on YouTube. They know we eat this stuff like candy.
I really wanted to like Makkora. I just felt this was too forced. It also makes Mako less respectable because I felt that he did not resolve anything with Asami. Sure, one may argue that he's a teenage guy that's just being indecisive. However, I hold Mako to a higher standard because he had to grow up fast to raise himself and his brother.
So, he just goes out and is all "I Love You" to Korra? Right. And Korra all of a sudden returns the feelings when she gets her powers back? Okay...
I'm just not a fan where story is driven by pairings and shippings. Tell me a story and let me headcanon fangirling do the rest.
However, this is not my main problem with the ending.
2. Korra gets her powers back
This was too much of a Deus Ex Machina ending. Did the creators know that there was going to be a Season 2? I really felt that Korra's journey really wasn't up there with Aang's spiritual quest. One of the series' flaws is that it's paced too fast. I know we're already familiar with the world of Avatar, but would it hurt to flesh out the characters more?
So, Korra sheds a tear and Aang appears and grants her powers back. Thus, she has the ability to grant others their powers.
It's just that, I don't think Korra is worthy to gain the Avatar state. Compare Aang going into Avatar state and Korra's drama. Aang went through so much more crap than Korra. Not to say that Korra went through crap, but Aang had more lessons to learn about himself. I'm not one of those people who critique that Korra should have fought in the Avatar state, but rather, it should have been saved for season 2.
In the end, it felt like it was too much of a quick 'n easy fix and I expected more from the writers.
3. So, what is there to expect?
Because of the cure-all angle the writers went for the conclusion, what is there to look forward to in season 2? While I'm kinda curious where this is going to go, the first series always gave us something to look forward to or an approaching villain. Going into Season 2, we know the following:
- Korra and Mako are an item
- Future Industries is kaput
- Korra has her powers back
- No more Amon or Tarloc
- Uncle Bumi exists
The ending was too squeaky clean for my taste. Again, just my opinion.
4. Okay, V...how would you have ended it?
All right, imagination GO!
- Korra is alone, contemplating and being emo.
- Korra sheds a tear.
- Tear falls midway and Korra notices that it stops in mid air
- Korra realizes she can still water bend and can relearn
- Korra starts feeling hopeful again.
- Tenzin and friends hear the commotion and rush to Korra
- Korra realizes that she has to relearn fire, water, and earth.
- Everyone is happy for her. HUGS!
- Aang's ghost looks upon the crowd and says, "Now her real training has begun."
- Credits
Okay, so the whole formula of Korra re-learning / re-mastering the elements sounds too much like the first series, but I can deal with a formula as long as it's executed well. This opens up the world outside Republic City. Team Avatar can visit the other nations that we've seen and how they have developed. Maybe Korra visits the Western Air Temple, the brothers learn about their roots by visiting the Fire Nation, we get to see some more of the original cast's descendants and legacies, etc.
Again, the above is my opinion. I just hold these guys to a higher standard because the first series was great. I'm not asking to re-introduce the world, but rather, experience the new world in a different time.
And character-specific episodes would be nice too!
However, I think we can all agree that this is still better than the god awful live action movie.