Legend of Korra: Book 2, Chapters 8-14
The second half of LoK Book 2 did some really interesting things story-wise, including telling the story of the first Avatar and providing an ending with real consequences, one that set the stage for the next and arguably the best season of the show. There were some weaknesses in the buildup that I think undercut the conclusion, but overall I was okay with the season. I could see its flaws, but I had fun watching and certainly I wasn't enraged by the end, which is always a plus.
The two "Beginnings" episodes about the first Avatar built up some mythology for the world. I liked this arc, and I thought the characterization was particularly strong. Wan is an enjoyable and well-drawn character, with his trickster ways and good heart. The episodes had both the feel of a fable and the believable character arc of drama.
The art helped the feeling of mythology and surrealism, too. Am I the only one who was happy throughout that Mir was back? The stylized art for the backgrounds and Lion Turtles was an interesting choice, and I really appreciated by the smooth animations and well-drawn characters.
As for the remainder of Book 2, it was okay. It felt like a single action move rather than discrete episodes, with plans, counter-plans, reversals, and reveals all over the place. The remaining episodes brought a satisfying conclusion to the metaphysical conflict set up in "Beginnings," and to an extent the physical one (between the North and South Poles) that had been brewing from the start.
That said, Book 2 didn't strike me as much more than an action movie (or shall we say "mover"). Don't get me wrong, the action was fun and the Kojira/Unavaatu fight was something to see. However, the story didn't grab me much deeper than that because the opposition was just plain weak in the supposedly central conflict between spirituality and secularism, and between order and chaos. This ultimately weakened the conclusion where Korra made her pivotal choice.
The two main missed opportunities were in the character of Unalaq and the "Beginnings" arc. If there was to be a valid conflict between spirituality and modern life, we should have been shown the beauty and meaning in Unalaq's connection to the spirits so that he had actual motivation and the conflict had two sides. And if Korra were to have a basis for thinking the separation of the human and spirit worlds by Wan was a mistake, that seed should have been planted in "Beginnings," and in Unalaq's characterization, too. With little indication that Wan had separated the two worlds for suspect reasons or that the decision had negative consequences, or that Unalaq might have a point, Korra's decision to keep the spirit portals open didn't click for me.
Without a strong opposition the conflict effectively only has one side, and imparts little more meaning than beating up on the bad guys. This has obvious entertainment value, but Book 2 wasn't trying to be just a slugfest. It set up, or gave indications it was setting up, a deeper story about spirituality and tradition, and failed to deliver. This is why the season ultimately didn't work for me.
For all its imperfections, however, the ending of Book 2 made lasting changes to the world--something Book 1 miserably failed at--and set up the events of Book 3: Changes. For that reason I think of it as a bridge season, and the Book 1 that should have been.
Dreamwidth entry URL: http://ljlee.dreamwidth.org/58550.html
The two "Beginnings" episodes about the first Avatar built up some mythology for the world. I liked this arc, and I thought the characterization was particularly strong. Wan is an enjoyable and well-drawn character, with his trickster ways and good heart. The episodes had both the feel of a fable and the believable character arc of drama.
The art helped the feeling of mythology and surrealism, too. Am I the only one who was happy throughout that Mir was back? The stylized art for the backgrounds and Lion Turtles was an interesting choice, and I really appreciated by the smooth animations and well-drawn characters.
As for the remainder of Book 2, it was okay. It felt like a single action move rather than discrete episodes, with plans, counter-plans, reversals, and reveals all over the place. The remaining episodes brought a satisfying conclusion to the metaphysical conflict set up in "Beginnings," and to an extent the physical one (between the North and South Poles) that had been brewing from the start.
That said, Book 2 didn't strike me as much more than an action movie (or shall we say "mover"). Don't get me wrong, the action was fun and the Kojira/Unavaatu fight was something to see. However, the story didn't grab me much deeper than that because the opposition was just plain weak in the supposedly central conflict between spirituality and secularism, and between order and chaos. This ultimately weakened the conclusion where Korra made her pivotal choice.
The two main missed opportunities were in the character of Unalaq and the "Beginnings" arc. If there was to be a valid conflict between spirituality and modern life, we should have been shown the beauty and meaning in Unalaq's connection to the spirits so that he had actual motivation and the conflict had two sides. And if Korra were to have a basis for thinking the separation of the human and spirit worlds by Wan was a mistake, that seed should have been planted in "Beginnings," and in Unalaq's characterization, too. With little indication that Wan had separated the two worlds for suspect reasons or that the decision had negative consequences, or that Unalaq might have a point, Korra's decision to keep the spirit portals open didn't click for me.
Without a strong opposition the conflict effectively only has one side, and imparts little more meaning than beating up on the bad guys. This has obvious entertainment value, but Book 2 wasn't trying to be just a slugfest. It set up, or gave indications it was setting up, a deeper story about spirituality and tradition, and failed to deliver. This is why the season ultimately didn't work for me.
For all its imperfections, however, the ending of Book 2 made lasting changes to the world--something Book 1 miserably failed at--and set up the events of Book 3: Changes. For that reason I think of it as a bridge season, and the Book 1 that should have been.
Dreamwidth entry URL: http://ljlee.dreamwidth.org/58550.html