final thoughts on the first book of korra
I haven't posted about Avatar: The Legend of Korra in a while. The last few weeks have been crazy in this fandom, and I found myself caught up in shipping wars, character hate, and endless statements of dissatisfaction with something or other. So I decided to just spend this day - because I'm sick yet again and have to stay at home - marathoning all the episodes and forming my final thoughts. This show deserves to be given a second look. And a third. And a fourth.
Almost six hours later, I've decided that I want to marry LoK and have babies with it. Guys, this is a wonderful show. If you haven't watched LoK and/or its parent show Avatar: The Last Airbender yet, I urge you to do so. I assure you that both are worth your time.
I ship Makorra and I will ship it in hell. Haters, please GTFO.
I've decided that LoK (and Avatar, for that matter) is better marathoned than watched weekly. It's easier on the mind and (my poor shipper) heart, and the marathon enabled me to gain a firmer grasp on certain characters that formerly pissed me off (*cough*Mako*cough*) or were generally dubbed as "sidelined" (Bolin).
I'm going to get my only major criticism out of the way first. The Asami/Mako/Korra love triangle was unnecessary. Look, I'm very happy that Makorra is endgame, and in general I'm happy with the Makorra I saw onscreen. I love their partnership, how they understand each other and how seamlessly they work together. But the love triangle prevented the Korrasami friendship from having more depth, and in a way it tainted the group dynamic of Team Avatar 2.0. I wish all four of them, Bolin included, had really gelled together as friends first before hormones got in the way. There are a myriad ways to introduce the badass nonbender that is Asami without making her Korra's love rival. I don't hate the love triangle with a burning passion like many people do, but I wish Bryke hadn't gone down that rabbit hole.
The entire romance subplot is less painful on rewatch, though, and on the whole it takes up less of the overall story than the fandom makes it out to be (except in the last two episodes, which are full of Makorra). I love that despite the hormones and confused feelings, these four work very well together and have their priorities straight.
Also, for the record, I love Mako. I don't approve of many of his actions, but I see where he's coming from, how confused he is, and why he's always on the defensive. Of the four, he is the most flawed, but he's also the most caring and protective. He reminds me of Katara in a way: both of them are mean to people who they think are hurting the ones they love, and sometimes they're mean even to the people they care about. But at the end of the day, Mako pulled through and was BADASS about it. He shot lightning at Amon while being bloodbent. If that doesn't make him worthy of being on Team Avatar, I don't know what will.
HOWEVER, I do wish an episode had been spent building up Mako and Bolin's childhood on the streets. One of the disadvantages of the miniseries format is that there's only so much room for character-centered moments, and honestly many of the love triangle moments could've been spent on character development outside of romance. On the whole, I feel like the brothers' characters were less developed than I would've liked but still were more so than what the fandom makes it out to be.
Sheesh, was the Avatar fandom so vicious back then?
Now let me squish this show to my chest and melt in a puddle of fangirly feelings for a few moments.
*coughs*
Thoughts on the Finale
Loved it SO DAMN MUCH. It's not (just) because my ship is endgame and all their scenes together are beautifully done. It's because the last two episodes pulled me into the depths of despair and horror (OMG WE HAVE AN ONSCREEN MURDER-SUICIDE), and gave me that wonderful feeling of pride and triumph as Korra FINALLY enters the Avatar State. The whole sequence, from Aang appearing to Korra up to her demonstrating her regained bending powers, was just so AWESOME. It stirred my soul, and the music, oh God the old Avatar theme help me I'm drowning in my own tears
I've loved Aang ever since he was just a little kid freshly rescued from that iceberg who doesn't even know how to be the Avatar, and to see him standing shoulder to shoulder with all the other Avatars was just... excuse me.
This is why you should watch the first Avatar series first. It makes the whole Korra experience richer, moments like this more meaningful. The moment where Korra herself goes into the superpowered Avatar State is the moment where it hits home that she really is the Avatar, the current incarnation of the spirit of the planet. All of these people, Aang included, are inside her, and she is never truly alone. She is finally one of them; she can talk to them and learn from them, and channel their collective experience when the need arises. The scenes where Aang was in the Avatar State have always been one of the more awe-inspiring moments in the first series, and it's no different with Korra. Like Aang before her, who first entered the Avatar State after being threatened with separation from his beloved teacher, and then running away and almost drowning in a storm, Korra truly connects with her past lives at her lowest point. The moment when she rises up and becomes one with her past lives is truly awesome to behold.
MOAR thoughts
1. At first, it was weird that the mid-20-something Iroh II sounds exactly like 16-year-old Zuko, but it gets less jarring.
2. Hiroshi is a horrible father, but Yakone and Ozai are worse.
3. I wish the whole brotherhood thing was more prominent on the show. We have two sets of brothers featured prominently: Amon/Noatak and Tarrlok, and Mako and Bolin. I wish the protagonist brothers had as much sympathetic development as the villainous ones.
4. The air family is my favorite Avatar family. All of its members are my favorite characters, even Pema, whose pout makes the almighty Master Tenzin shrug helplessly (and a little guiltily).
5. The animation is flawless. Seriously, check this show out even if for the animation alone.
6. I know a lot of people are dissatisfied with how the whole Equalist thing played out, but I'm okay with it. Having a second season gives Bryke the chance to pursue the conflict AND include the mystical aspects of Avatarhood that I've missed so much this season.
7. I admit I've had a rocky relationship with Makorra, especially after episode 7. In fact, at that point I pretty much wanted Korra to just strike out on her own and get over Mako. And then the next episodes happened. I couldn't be happier to have boarded this ship. Next season, Mako and Korra will be a badass battle couple who can be corny at times. IT WILL BE CANON.
Almost six hours later, I've decided that I want to marry LoK and have babies with it. Guys, this is a wonderful show. If you haven't watched LoK and/or its parent show Avatar: The Last Airbender yet, I urge you to do so. I assure you that both are worth your time.
I ship Makorra and I will ship it in hell. Haters, please GTFO.
I've decided that LoK (and Avatar, for that matter) is better marathoned than watched weekly. It's easier on the mind and (my poor shipper) heart, and the marathon enabled me to gain a firmer grasp on certain characters that formerly pissed me off (*cough*Mako*cough*) or were generally dubbed as "sidelined" (Bolin).
I'm going to get my only major criticism out of the way first. The Asami/Mako/Korra love triangle was unnecessary. Look, I'm very happy that Makorra is endgame, and in general I'm happy with the Makorra I saw onscreen. I love their partnership, how they understand each other and how seamlessly they work together. But the love triangle prevented the Korrasami friendship from having more depth, and in a way it tainted the group dynamic of Team Avatar 2.0. I wish all four of them, Bolin included, had really gelled together as friends first before hormones got in the way. There are a myriad ways to introduce the badass nonbender that is Asami without making her Korra's love rival. I don't hate the love triangle with a burning passion like many people do, but I wish Bryke hadn't gone down that rabbit hole.
The entire romance subplot is less painful on rewatch, though, and on the whole it takes up less of the overall story than the fandom makes it out to be (except in the last two episodes, which are full of Makorra). I love that despite the hormones and confused feelings, these four work very well together and have their priorities straight.
Also, for the record, I love Mako. I don't approve of many of his actions, but I see where he's coming from, how confused he is, and why he's always on the defensive. Of the four, he is the most flawed, but he's also the most caring and protective. He reminds me of Katara in a way: both of them are mean to people who they think are hurting the ones they love, and sometimes they're mean even to the people they care about. But at the end of the day, Mako pulled through and was BADASS about it. He shot lightning at Amon while being bloodbent. If that doesn't make him worthy of being on Team Avatar, I don't know what will.
HOWEVER, I do wish an episode had been spent building up Mako and Bolin's childhood on the streets. One of the disadvantages of the miniseries format is that there's only so much room for character-centered moments, and honestly many of the love triangle moments could've been spent on character development outside of romance. On the whole, I feel like the brothers' characters were less developed than I would've liked but still were more so than what the fandom makes it out to be.
Sheesh, was the Avatar fandom so vicious back then?
Now let me squish this show to my chest and melt in a puddle of fangirly feelings for a few moments.
*coughs*
Thoughts on the Finale
Loved it SO DAMN MUCH. It's not (just) because my ship is endgame and all their scenes together are beautifully done. It's because the last two episodes pulled me into the depths of despair and horror (OMG WE HAVE AN ONSCREEN MURDER-SUICIDE), and gave me that wonderful feeling of pride and triumph as Korra FINALLY enters the Avatar State. The whole sequence, from Aang appearing to Korra up to her demonstrating her regained bending powers, was just so AWESOME. It stirred my soul, and the music, oh God the old Avatar theme help me I'm drowning in my own tears
I've loved Aang ever since he was just a little kid freshly rescued from that iceberg who doesn't even know how to be the Avatar, and to see him standing shoulder to shoulder with all the other Avatars was just... excuse me.
This is why you should watch the first Avatar series first. It makes the whole Korra experience richer, moments like this more meaningful. The moment where Korra herself goes into the superpowered Avatar State is the moment where it hits home that she really is the Avatar, the current incarnation of the spirit of the planet. All of these people, Aang included, are inside her, and she is never truly alone. She is finally one of them; she can talk to them and learn from them, and channel their collective experience when the need arises. The scenes where Aang was in the Avatar State have always been one of the more awe-inspiring moments in the first series, and it's no different with Korra. Like Aang before her, who first entered the Avatar State after being threatened with separation from his beloved teacher, and then running away and almost drowning in a storm, Korra truly connects with her past lives at her lowest point. The moment when she rises up and becomes one with her past lives is truly awesome to behold.
MOAR thoughts
1. At first, it was weird that the mid-20-something Iroh II sounds exactly like 16-year-old Zuko, but it gets less jarring.
2. Hiroshi is a horrible father, but Yakone and Ozai are worse.
3. I wish the whole brotherhood thing was more prominent on the show. We have two sets of brothers featured prominently: Amon/Noatak and Tarrlok, and Mako and Bolin. I wish the protagonist brothers had as much sympathetic development as the villainous ones.
4. The air family is my favorite Avatar family. All of its members are my favorite characters, even Pema, whose pout makes the almighty Master Tenzin shrug helplessly (and a little guiltily).
5. The animation is flawless. Seriously, check this show out even if for the animation alone.
6. I know a lot of people are dissatisfied with how the whole Equalist thing played out, but I'm okay with it. Having a second season gives Bryke the chance to pursue the conflict AND include the mystical aspects of Avatarhood that I've missed so much this season.
7. I admit I've had a rocky relationship with Makorra, especially after episode 7. In fact, at that point I pretty much wanted Korra to just strike out on her own and get over Mako. And then the next episodes happened. I couldn't be happier to have boarded this ship. Next season, Mako and Korra will be a badass battle couple who can be corny at times. IT WILL BE CANON.