THE LEGEND OF KORRA (and other fandoms)
Having more free time this summer has given me a chance to get back into fandom. I devoured the six episodes of BBC's Sherlock, then moved on to Doctor Who. It's an awesome show and I'm really enjoying it. I've watched everything from series 1 to the start of series 6. I think the Tenth Doctor is my favorite (though I enjoy the other two) and an interesting character.
Then I felt nostalgic for Avatar: The Last Airbender and checked out The Legend of Korra. I liked it so much that I watched all ten episodes in two days. Korra feels like a more developed protagonist than Aang. Her personality reminds me of a combination of Katara and Zuko (if, in an alternate storyline, Zutara happened, I can see her as their daughter). Considering that Katara and Zuko were my favorite characters in the original, this makes her my favorite character (and I don't normally find protagonists to be very interesting). I like Mako and Bolin decently enough, though my second favorite character is Lin. She's as badass as her mother. Tenzin is also a great mentor who isn't always right but tries his best. Kudos to Bryke for pointing out that girly girls aren't necessarily prissy or weak with Asami, and kudos to them as well for this show's romance being a little more realistic than the original's.
I also love the gray morality and political themes of this show. It feels more involved and intricate than the dilemma of the original show. I want to rave about how great Amon is compared to Ozai. He's actually scary (Korra being terrified of him is really effective and adds depth to her character), intelligent, and mysterious. He's completely worthy of Magnificent Bastard status, and I like that his motives fit in a weird gray area of morality. Though my guess is that he will end up being truly evil. At least he has more genuinely evil and scary presence than Ozai. Any scene involving Amon and Korra is much more interesting to watch than Aang's conflict with Ozai, which I think is partly explained by Korra being older and having access to a greater range of emotions.
I have to give the writers credit for making me curious about Amon's backstory. I don't trust his version of events as regards to why he hates benders. He moves with all the evasive speed and agility of an airbender, but his eyes are Firenation gold. I'm looking forward to some revelations.
Then I felt nostalgic for Avatar: The Last Airbender and checked out The Legend of Korra. I liked it so much that I watched all ten episodes in two days. Korra feels like a more developed protagonist than Aang. Her personality reminds me of a combination of Katara and Zuko (if, in an alternate storyline, Zutara happened, I can see her as their daughter). Considering that Katara and Zuko were my favorite characters in the original, this makes her my favorite character (and I don't normally find protagonists to be very interesting). I like Mako and Bolin decently enough, though my second favorite character is Lin. She's as badass as her mother. Tenzin is also a great mentor who isn't always right but tries his best. Kudos to Bryke for pointing out that girly girls aren't necessarily prissy or weak with Asami, and kudos to them as well for this show's romance being a little more realistic than the original's.
I also love the gray morality and political themes of this show. It feels more involved and intricate than the dilemma of the original show. I want to rave about how great Amon is compared to Ozai. He's actually scary (Korra being terrified of him is really effective and adds depth to her character), intelligent, and mysterious. He's completely worthy of Magnificent Bastard status, and I like that his motives fit in a weird gray area of morality. Though my guess is that he will end up being truly evil. At least he has more genuinely evil and scary presence than Ozai. Any scene involving Amon and Korra is much more interesting to watch than Aang's conflict with Ozai, which I think is partly explained by Korra being older and having access to a greater range of emotions.
I have to give the writers credit for making me curious about Amon's backstory. I don't trust his version of events as regards to why he hates benders. He moves with all the evasive speed and agility of an airbender, but his eyes are Firenation gold. I'm looking forward to some revelations.