The KORRA Reaction

Book One ended with its final two chapters, 11- Skeleton in the Closet and 12- The Endgame, together in a one-hour season finale during the previous weekend. The entire fandom fell into a mad scramble, with the majority feeling disappointed, claiming the ending of the season to be “half-baked”, rushed or underwhelming.

Everyone I knew was on the edge of their seats waiting for Korra to go into Avatar State, just like how Aang did in ATLA during Siege of the North. However, if you’ve watched the finale already, you’d know that it never happened. Personally, I still can’t get over that ending. And it feels like I want to throw the television off the same cliff Korra was contemplating at.

I don’t intend to spoil people about the ending if they haven’t watched it yet, so let me warn you that the next things I am about to say will discuss the ending in its entirety. If you haven’t yet (which is unacceptable–you HAVE to watch it), go to avatarchapters.tv before you read on.

Now that you’ve done that,

DO YOU FEEL MY PAIN?

So many fans complained about that season finale, and almost every LoK blog out there criticized Bryke for it. But tumblr fandom blog polarbeardog and its followers blogged as a response to the bashing that everyone should be thankful for Nickelodeon even releasing a sequel to ATLA, and just savor every moment of it. Of course, this spurred an incredulous debate, sending a good number of disappointed fans off into the world of fan-fiction. Online writing community Figment.com changed its front page just yesterday to showcase the Legend of Korra fanfiction available in their library.

NOW THEN. Among the top things that ruined it would be Mako’s confession of love and being a general douchebag, and arguably even the Avatars coming in to save Korra at her lowest point–it didn’t make sense. And Tarlokk just blowing up the boat he and his brother were escaping in. Though we’re all relieved that our favorite Lin Beifong got her bending back, it really didn’t keep me completely satisfied.

And again, Mako, you ruined the ending.

Seriously.

A LONG NICKELODEON RANT YOU DON’T NEED TO READ:

I won’t complain about the story being rushed, because it is, and I’m pretty sure Bryke knew about that. They even admitted before that there were no filler episodes–which are, unfortunately, great for character development. CliqueClack, in a review by Julia Hash, sums up this argument quite nicely. You should go read it because I have no intention of reiterating her points.

We all have to understand that Nickelodeon can’t spend that much money for extra episodes. Having lost their team of writers for Spongebob Squarepants to Disney’s Phineas and Ferb series in the past years, and losing some of their best talents, and being unable to produce a decent Butch Hartman cartoon (I have a lot of heartbreaking feelings for Nickelodeon right now) I can imagine that Nick is on a steep descent. Imagine the cost of 20+ episodes–for them to bank on Korra would be a huge risk, one that Nickelodeon’s finances cannot take, especially without the reassurance that it would live up to the first series. Especially with the ATLA Live-Action Film being a flop in the fandom, if Nick Studios invested in that, I can imagine a good deal of money being lost.

Okay, so I’m basically assuming that Nickelodeon is keeping tight finances–it might not be true, so don’t take my word for it. But that’s how I see things. I don’t think Big Time Rush or Korra or Tuff Puppy are keeping them as stable as before. I don’t think Nickelodeon can take risks right now, and if what I’m thinking is true–well, then.

SO BASICALLY, that’s why I’m not complaining about how rushed everything is. Bryke gave me twelve episodes–I gladly took those twelve episodes.

Before we continue, can we just take a moment to appreciate Liu, the true hero of the revolution?

NOW ABOUT THAT ENDING

We all know that Tarlokk killed off himself and his brother in the sea. But I have no reason to believe that he’s actually dead. Let’s all remember that Korra and the others never knew he died, and will most likely try to look for him or prepare for his return when the second season comes back up. It looks as if Bryke made the episode look pretty damn conclusive to surprise anyone. And if I’m right, then I’m sorry for ruining the surprise. Just please, if it does happen, take the liberty of imagining me saying “I told you so”.

One of the hints to this comes from the advertisement for the season finale. After having watched Chapter 10 Turning the Tides, they aired an ad for the season finale, saying, “Korra and Amon will go head-to-head for what is possibly the last time.” FOR WHAT IS POSSIBLY THE LAST TIME, and what is arguably a plot device.

Besides, what self-respecting writer would kill off such a brilliantly thought out antagonist? A blood-bender who doesn’t need to channel the power of the full moon, can control beings without even having to lift a finger–a bender who started a revolution against bending. THE MAN IS HITLER, believing his purpose to be justifiable, if not noble, and does it in the most totalitarian way possible. Although, Tarlokk might represent the coward half of Hitler who decided on dying instead. But then Cersei Lannister-Baratheon almost took that position during Blackwater.

I really do think that Amon will return in one way or another, and Bryke just made it to seem like this arc of the story is dead. However, I think there’s someone bigger than Amon–someone above him. He’ll come back, but he’s not our main antagonist. He could even jump ship and turn into a good person, ala Zuko becoming an ally to Team Avatar.

TO NITPICK AT THE BAD WRITING

I did just say that I thought that horribly and unnaturally conclusive ending might mean for a surprise in season two. But why did they have to give Korra’s bending back?! WHY? Or at least, not in that way–not in a way where she just cries, a tear falls off a cliff and then, like magic, every Avatar reincarnation comes back to return her powers. What, is this Disney’s Tangled? You cry on Flynn Rider’s face and it makes everything better? “It is at our lowest point that we are open to the greatest change,” Aang said. BUT WE DIDN’T SEE KORRA IN HER LOWEST POINT, THAT’S MY PROBLEM, BRYKE.

I didn’t see her gather the lost benders, and talk to their families, and all of them coming together to think of a way to get by with their lives. I didn’t see her in danger of some sort, trying to protect herself solely by airbending when she couldn’t even master it. I didn’t see her run and fumble in the snow, crying in anger and frustration that she lost the only thing she dedicated her life to. I wanted her to scream in the pain of loss and know that no matter how much she called out for her bending, it wouldn’t come back. I wanted her to be so desperately lost, even spiritually, that she couldn’t get herself to talk to Aang–to feel forsaken and betrayed by her own past lives. I wanted Mako to try to hug her while she was in agony, or hold her back from running off, or try to get her to calm down after she’s been so angry at the world–but fail at it. I wanted Mako to ask himself what it is he can do for Korra, and I wanted him to realize that there isn’t anything at all.

I didn’t see her go home to visit her parents to tell them what happened. I didn’t see a point in her life when she felt so numb about not having her bending. I didn’t see her look at water and be unable to bend it, to look at her blue tribal clothes and rip it off and say, “I’m a water bender that can’t bend water.” If Aang was the last airbender, Korra’s last bending was air.

And then I wanted her to watch that water she no longer have no control over, and surrender to it.

And while she’s drowning, asphyxiated by the pressure of the water on her, I wanted her to enter the spirit world–because returning to that water, she was at peace. And I want her to find out for herself how she can come back.

It is at our lowest point that we are open to the greatest change.

Then she just will.

And that’s how I thought it should have gone, even if they just cut off the season with her losing the bending, and then start the next season with her spiritual journey to find it again.

That’s all.

Turning the Tides: Legend of Korra 1-10

Turning the Tides may be the most appropriate title for this episode, because Legend of Korra has finally turned it around for us. I am very happy to say that I have underestimated the potential of Avatar: The Legend of Korra. The series has developed so well, and so perfectly–and if you thought it wasn’t going to live up to expectations before, now is your chance to change your opinion.

If you haven’t seen the latest episode, you can watch it here before you read on:

92837429873 from Ayame on Vimeo
If the video asks for a password, just type in: avatarchapterstv.

We begin our episode with Avatar Korra, asleep after the entire kidnap scenario from the night before. Watching over her is Mako. And watching Mako from the door is his girlfriend, Asami.

All this peacefulness is soon shattered once the councilmen are captured by the Equalists. Tenzin manages to dodge electrocution attacks because of his beard.

Other highlights of this episode include:

• Korra’s bad parking skills
• Mechtanks
• Meelo’s Fart Bending
• The AsaMaKorra love triangle
• The PemaTenLin love triangle
• The Last Airbenders
• A baby
• Plenty of Beifong Feels
• And Zuko gets reincarnated

This episode comes just in time to celebrate Father’s Day, with Tenzin and his family getting a new baby coming in, right when the air ships start to attack Air Temple Island.

Time for a shot with Daddy Tenzin!

Tenzin and Pema with Rohan

But of course, we can’t let Daddy Tenzin do all the work. Here we see ten-year-old big sister Jinora, setting aside her childhood to protect her family. And Lin Beifong.

Jinora: “Stay away from my father’s ex-girlfriend!”

Lin Beifong’s concerned face.

I honestly think that this is the most beautiful shot we’ve had of Lin’s face so far.

But Lin Beifong doesn’t like staying out of trouble, and as her act of preservation for the Last Airbenders, she jumps on to an air ship, like her mother once did, and tries to sabotage them.

As if Amon would let that happen to one of Sato’s creations.

What is dead may never die, Lin Beifong.

Lin Beifong paid the Iron Price.

Lin Beifong in what seems to be the most painful thing I could ever see in an animated series.

Some of the last and most painful frames with Lin Beifong.

SO MANY FEELS.

The only consolation is the family she tried to save–a family that isn’t even her own; a family she could have had but didn’t.

Let’s look back at said family.

The Airbender Family celebrating Father’s Day with the birth of Rohan, the newest Airbender, with Pema, Meelo, Ikee, Jinora and Tenzin huddled together around him.

And somehow, it doesn’t seem fair. But we’ve got to remember that the family she saved tried to save her too.

And, she saved this little guy, Baby Rohan.

On behalf of the fandom, Meelo says, “That lady is my hero.”

We could only hope that a new hero will help us save her and the rest of Republic City.

Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

But this time, it’s a good thing, becase we have Uncle2.0: General Iroh.

The Fire Nation’s being all Lannister-y this time, trying to save everyone at the very last minute with a huge fleet. And it’s kind of odd hearing Dante Basco’s voice, not because I’m used to it being Zuko’s, but because his voice is so young sounding. And General Iroh definitely doesn’t look like a teen. If anything, he looks like Superman.

I think he’s the old Uncle Iroh who time traveled to the future as a young man.

I don’t know what Iroh’s gonna be able to do for us now, but this definitely makes up for all the previous episodes. It’s good to see that they weren’t just wasting frames, lacking story, and that every moment spent was actually for some important character development. This just turns the tides completely, and I’d have to change my original ranking to an 8.5.

Next week’s going to be the one-hour season finale, and I don’t know how I’d be able to live through that.

Legend of Korra is a worthy sequel and now I feel like I have to run off to tumblr and cry out all my Beifong Feels.

Happy Father’s Day, everyone!

The Legend Continues; Avatar: The Legend of Korra

[UPDATES:]

• Season 2 Previews from Comic Con 2012

• Season 1 Finale Rant

• Favorite Episode Review + Stills: Turning the Tides (1-10)

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then all of that changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all the four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new avatar, An Air Bender named Aang. And although his air bending skills were great, he has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone.

But I believe, Aang can save the world.

Cue ominous music and paper parchment with inked calligraphy. Book number. Chapter. Title of Episode. Bamboo flute sound.

Everyone who’s been around long enough has grown to know the voice of Katara, the humble southern tribe female water bender that discovered the missing child-Avatar, helped him complete his training, and ultimately defeat the Fire Lord Ozai, restoring peace to the four nations after the Hundred Year War.

Now, Aang and the rest of Team Avatar is dead. It’s been seventy years since we last saw them, and only Katara is left in her old age to tell the story. We reunite with Katara in the first episode, finding her in the Southern Water Tribe where the teenage Avatar, Korra, stays to train. She has now mastered water, earth and fire. Katara and Aang’s son, the only air bending master, Tenzin, comes to the area to announce that he will not be able to stay teach Korra, and she would have to postpone her air bending training.

Tenzin is a councilman at the capital of the republic of the four nations, where Avatar Aang centralized his efforts to reunite the nations in rebuilding the peace. There has been trouble recently with the Equalists, a propagandist group of non-benders who advocate against bending. Their leader, Amon, says that benders have used their unnatural advantage over non-benders to abuse, overpower and oppress them. After Tenzin postpones Korra’s training, he returns to republic city to address the situation, but Korra follows him to Air Temple Island, located outside of Republic City, where he resides.

And so the story begins there.

I’ve mastered the elements a thousand times in a thousand lives before, and now I’m here to do it again.

Our new Avatar, Korra, is possibly everything Aang was not. She is feisty, rebellious, impatient, hot headed, and talented from the very beginning. She was found by the White Lotus, tasked by Aang to search and protect the Avatar after he passes away. In her earlier years, she can already bend water, earth and air, and only needed the training to refine her skills. Air, however, was something she was never capable of bending.

She’s Katara, minus the skirt, plus a little more boy.

She’s Katara, minus the Aang, plus a little more Zuko.

It feels as if Korra was meant to be the reincarnation of the Zutara shipping, one of the most popular ships of the first series. Like how CLAMP made Tomoyo and Sakura end up together because their mothers didn’t. Now, Korra gets into a little love trouble with an orphaned fire bender, Makko, who looks a lot like Zuko with a decent hair cut with no scar and no cash.

Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist reincarnated into a different universe.

Yes, love. Makko is a pro-bending athlete with his earth bending younger brother Bolin in the team with him. Also, in the same triangle with Korra.

Love? Seriously? This is what the new series is about? A young adult rom-com of a rebellious young Avatar?

Nope. Well, at least I hope not. Well okay, you’ll see a lot of it, but there’s more to the story. The Legend of Korra centers on governance, politics and society, and the power of modern technology and its potential, if not already manifested, hazards on humanity , the “death” or societal disregard for spiritual rites and traditions and old culture.

Top to Bottom: Bolin, Makko & Korra. “The Fire Ferrets” Pro-Bending Team.

Where bending is now even less of an art, and more of a sport.

With the world of Avatar completely evolving, there is no more war. There are no kings or separate nations. The only enemy that attacks the unified nation now is its own citizens. Much like how in world history, the kings and the wars didn’t last forever. But soon after, we hear about civil wars, and coups, and evil dictators. And revolutions where the poor are angry at the rich for oppressing them—and maybe non-benders going against the benders. (Come to think of it, why is there no non-bending representative seated at the Council? Where is the justice!) Avatar: Legend of Korra, no longer plays bad guy-good guy. There is no evil Fire Lord. Just a man named Amon, and a group of people who believe they deserve freedom. And it sounds entirely legit if not for what Amon plots to do, which you will find out when you watch the series. Because you will watch the series.

As the world of Avatar has evolved totally seventy years after the previous series, the entire setting now introduces new technology like cars called “Satomobiles” designed and manufactured by now millionaire Engineer Sato. Bending is now a sport, and a huge arena with a gym serves as a setting for pro-bending matches. The police task force is now headed by Toph Beifong’s daughter, Chief Lin Beifong, who must have inherited the role of keeping the school of metal bending. The police are now Metal Benders and patrol the city via air ships. And the Equalists use chi-blocking techniques, stun guns, gas bombs and other technology to keep themselves competent against the benders. I swear, the only thing you wouldn’t see here now is an iPhone 4S.

It’s all great that they tried to stir away from the past Avatar, and it’s absolutely inspired that they managed to let that universe grow and show how much potential and just how flexible it can be. But I’d have to admit, I miss all the spiritual-ish oldies Asian culture stuff. The hidden underground libraries with talking owls and giant sun-dials, the koi fish ponds, the boating water-way streets of the Northern Water Tribe—it was why Avatar was special, because it was an American produced “anime” series, if you’re one of the people who freely call it that, that perfectly combined all the traditional Asian elements. The Earth Kingdom was China, the Fire Nation was Japan, the Water Tribes were Malaysia/Indonesia/India/Philippines and the brown races, and the Air Nomads were like Thailand. The bending techniques all came from a sort of Asian martial art. And the concept of the Avatar itself was a Hindu belief.

It made Avatar huge, and by modernizing it, it makes it feel like it was shrunken down. But I guess they wanted us to feel that, how Asia, having some of the richest cultures in the world, is now the most technologically advanced—especially Japan! And I’d suppose they wanted us to feel that in the Avatar universe too. We have bartered our wisdom for knowledge, our tradition for trade. We have killed our gods and built new ones with iron and steel. I don’t know if that was the point, or if that was all I saw with the transformation of the setting. I mean, the Avatar couldn’t even meditate. She always just wants more action and never sits down to listen to the spirits.

I think our parents felt this way watching us grow up in a time where technology suddenly blasted out from the nothingness.

L-R: Bolin, Korra and Makko, being insufficient reincarnations / replacements. I’m sorry.

For the casting of voice actors, none of them were as iconic or as memorable as the first. Korra’s voice actor was okay but not as “I will perpetually recite the opening sequence in your head” as Katara. But I also couldn’t think of any other voice that will fit Korra anyway, so what the hell. For Makko, I think they really were trying to find a voice that would sound near to Dante Basco’s, but a bit less angry and a lot more chill. (Did you hear? Dante Basco will return for a role in the series.) And Bolin, trying to be the comedic relief of the pack cannot and never will be as memorable as the voice of Jack De Cena’s Sokka. Bolin’s voice was made to be a lot smoother and deeper, which made it easily funny when he says something stupid, and truly believable when he says something nice.

It’s both a good thing and a bad thing that they made the character design more mature for this season to keep up with its fanbase growing older. It’s well thought out that people may be bored if the heroine were to be another twelve-year-old, or something the fans could no longer relate to. However, giving you Alfred from Ghost Fighter, Roy Mustang and a tanned Winry Rockbell from Fullmetal Alchemist doesn’t help.  But the risk is that it centers less now on adventure. I think it’s a huge compromise. I don’t know. I’m unsatisfied.

But as much as we will miss the first series, simply because it is an unmatched masterpiece that even the original creators cannot keep up with, they did manage to have replacements that actually fit. Warm fuzzy animals. Our Avatar’s animal guide is a Polarbeardog. YES. A polarbeardog. A polar bear, with the head of a dog. But it’s a polar bear! WITH THE HEAD OF A DOG! And it’s huge and fluffy and strong and always hungry and loveable. IT’S A POLARBEARDOG. They could have been more creative, because the flying Bisen couldn’t be beaten. BUT IT WAS A POLARBEARDOG. And I think that it would be enough. (Maybe they watched an episode of iCarly and saw the Pandapig.) And for Momo, we have Pabu, a red Mozilla firefox. I mean ferret. It’s a ferret that looks like a red raccoon.

And it does circus tricks. In terms of coolness and originality factor, they lose to the mascots of the first series. But in terms of absolute manifestations of extreme fluff and adorableness? Avatar 2 wins, hands down.

It’s also a disappointment to know that Avatar 2 won’t be travelling much around the world now, as they did before. That means, we don’t get to see how the rest of the world evolved, and if the places outside Republic City maintained their oldies vibe. Or if they’re just living in poverty because of capitalism. Also, less beautiful city designs and costumes and differing cultures. It’s all just Republic City.

And although it’s been seventy years, we all still can’t help but miss the original Avatar series. Avatar: The Legend of Korra is expected to have 26 episodes, which is an ideal length. But six episodes into the series, and it’s still a bit bland, throwing out the love story too early into the game. In a list of analogies, Avatar and its sequel are like Darker Than Black seasons one and two. Or to be more accurate, Avatar 1 would be Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood with compact but creative and thrilling adventures leading up a big finale. Avatar 2 would be Blue Exorcist, turning into a semi-shoujo anime from a shounen manga and wasting episodes with plotless events to kill time and get viewers.

That’s how it feels like so far.

But you will watch the series.

“For the greater good of mankind,” Amon says. “You will watch The Legend of Korra!”

Why? Because Nickelodeon Studios has to feel that Avatar: The Legend of Korra is so huge that they will have to add in more episodes which could allow for a more intricate plot, and hopefully would encourage them to invest more in the production.

So far, I am torn in between great love and great disappointment. I am in love with what they’ve written, but the production feels underwhelming, especially after Avatar: The Last Airbender. (It’s like DiMartino and the writers are the only ones truly passionate enough to get Avatar back out there. It feels frustrating! Feel my frustration with these keyboard smashes a;ksldhja;lksdjf;klsajdfl;kasjdf;l;;;;;!!!)

So for the first fourth of the series released thus far, I’d give a rating on 7.5/10. Good enough, but giving it any higher would be a shame to the entire franchise.