unforum

[TheJoker]

And now I got this image of an ancient man deciding that he wants to have one last hurrah before he dies and resuming his killings, this time becoming a terrifying 90-year-old serial killer.

[Serum]

[Jordan]

Well, I just finished watching the first two episodes of Korra! (I would have bought the whole series, but sadly funds are low at the moment)

Well, firstly, this is a much, much more self-assured series then Avatar: The Last Airbender ever was. As I said before, there was a self-conciousness to Avatar which drove me. The premise and the characters were intresting, but the creators hammered, in fear we'd missed the point. Katra wasn't just sad about her Mother's death, she was SAD IN CAPITAL LETTERS AND EXCLAMIATION MARK, we never just got a cool action scene, you could practically feel the creators screaming when cool stuff was happening: "This is cool, this is cool, do you get it, do you get it?"

Seeing got me to see if the creators ever did get over this,

But as much as I love Avatar: The Last Airbender's final season, you could still feel this self-conciousness at time coming through in nearly every moment, despite being a lot more subduded. From the fight scenes, to and the,

albiet a lot more subduded from everything from the plot, the characters and the humor.

Korra thankfully, has none of that. When your launching a new season in a well-loved franchise in which the protraganist and most of your regular cast has been long and dead, you've got to take risks. Korra isn't any vaugely near a retread of the original series, it doesn't try to say that, it just annouces, loudly and brashly as Korra does. Time has marched on, and this is the world of Avatar right now. This second.

(Which can I just say, I just love the scene where Korra is introduced. It's directed to that segement of fandom who will undobutly hate on Korra regardless and it just says: "Fuck it. This is Avatar now.")

And the death of isn't nearly as depressing. I actually kind of love the approach Korra takes to death, but the life you lead still has an impact on people and lasting. It's a refreshng and quite life affirming.


That's not to say that the show doesn't make the appropiate and loving notes to the past, of course it does, but also ruthlessly throws us into the world of Avatar as it right now. Aang is dead, Sokka is dead (NO!), as is Zuko (SOBBING). Their stories are over. Katara's story will soon be over - and that's just the way it is.

I actually kind of love Korra's attiude to death: death is inevitable, history marches on and leaves lives in the dust, but every life and the connections one made, no matter how meagure, affects people. I find that rather life affirming.


I love Korra. Yes, she's brash and determined, but it's because of her upbringing (and the knowledge that the previous Avatar, Aang save the world!) and being locked away at the South Pole for so long. She's not Aang. Yes, there's a whole lot, but there's also a geninue compassion and. Yes, this is going to conflict at some point. Her whole attiude: "I'm going to do a THING and I'm going to do it now!" is actually and a nice message to send to the little girls who are watching. (She actually kind of reminds me of Barbara Gordon) The series never overplays any of these cards, she's a human being with a whole mix of emotions, and it captures the feeling of being a teenager perfectly - and she's allowed to be.

I love Tenzin, he's so different to Aang they set up his family life perfectly - and isn't it nice to see parenting being displayed as being complicated and difficult? Tenza's wife loves her family, but finds them difficult at time and the series doesn't skirt around the fact that raising children is a difficult bussiness. I really love Tenzin and Korra's difficult relationship and can't wait to see it develop.

Of course, part of his reaction to Korra is the fact she is the reincarnation of his Father and steering her away isn't just, by seeing her, he has to accept that his Father really is dead which is a horrific position for anyone. Of course, he attempts to trace back some aspect of his Father to Korra and is trying to bring that out of her, but that's inevitable -and dear God, do I love his family. His daughters are adorable. Also, there's a nice nod that training Korra will actually make him more appreciative of his family, as his son doesn't appear to be very much like Tenzin at all, despite his attempts to mould him.

The whole anti-bending plot is rather intriguing - and I guess, from the trailer to the series, that they have some way of shutting off a bender's powers tempoary and eventurally permeantly. I actually love that not everything, that people saw what Firelord Trozan did, and he conquered and that tried to DESTORY AN ENTIRE NATION. That's not something people are liable to forget anytime soon, and what's to say, that for some, the fear that the lives they've made and that they haven't passed those fears onto their children?

But, I guess I do have a problem with just how comically that scene in the park is played. Yes, we're meant to take anti-bending in for an alleorgy for racism, homophobia and sexism and the comedy - and that the dialogue which is as comically absurd ("Your oppressing yourself") is a wonderful moment, but it's also problematic within the context of the larger narrative. It is funny. I laughed. But, the alleorgy is also problematic because people who do fear what will happen if a powerful Bender just decided to destory the world again is legemite. This wasn't what the creators were going for, I get that - we're going to see the Anti-Bending organisation be a terrifying threat. We're going to see them manipulate Korra's naivety and inexperience. We'll probably even see them cut off the abbilities of some Benders, in time, I guess. We'll see shades of Nazism all over again. But, it's kind of problematic when people do have legimiate fear about Benders and it's played as an alleorgy for fear of The Other - and as a gay man, I kind of have a problem with that.

I also love that sports here is just presented as fun. I'm not a sports person, but do I get rather sick of seeing things in sci/fi fantasy narratives in which sport is the domain for the stupid aggressive jerks or throwbacks.

THANK YOU KORRA FOR BREAKING DOWN STEROTYPES.



- I could see Toph being a tough Mother. On the otherhand, it's possible Toph was a little too hands free with her daughter and it's lead to a whole lot of resemenment.
- Did Toph die an early death?
- God, Toph's dead. I AM SO SAD.
- WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED?
- I. MEAN. WHY?

Good god, I'm fascinated by Mako. I'm guessing he go his brother and friend out of the gutter and that bending sport is the only way he can do it. On the otherhand, he's kind of a jerk and I can see where his resenment of Korra does kick in, but there's no reason for him being such a jerk about it. Obviously, he and Korra are going end up as a couple at some point (and I doubt they'll drag it on even half as long as they did with Avatar and Katara), but I'm guessing they'll break up, just not to repeat The Last Airbender. If the series ends with Korra actually alone and happy with her lot in life or able to find happiness in what doom-stradden world the antagonist leaves it in by herself, I'll be pleased.

Other guessess:

- The Anti-bending plot will be the focus of this series, but will be subduded somewhat in the next and will take full throttle in the third series.



I haven't read The Promise or The Search yet, so please, no spoilers (WHY IS MY COMIC SHOP TAKING SO LONG? WHHHY?)

[TheJoker]

Quick comments:

-Glad to see you're enjoying it so far. I don't entirely agree with your beef with ATLA, but nevermind that right now. Personally, I thought the pacing was a little awkward in these first two episodes, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on what comes next, because for me I really got sold on Korra as of the third and fourth episodes.

-Zuko isn't dead. He hasn't appeared thus far as of "Peacekeepers", and he's stepped down from the Fire Lord's throne, but he is in fact alive, or so the creators have said.

-You made some excellent comments and predictions about the anti-bending plot, but you're misreading it if you're viewing it as a straight-up allegory for "fear of the Other". Although it's sadly not explored in as much depth as I'd have liked, the fact that bender oppression is real and a genuine problem is explored occasionally (particularly in a certain episode later in the season).

[Jordan]

[twistedpuppet]

I'm just going to comment here on what I've been reading in the in game twitter thread because what I want to say is pretty much off topic anyway.


The TTA video doesn't mean that we will get a new entry soon. It means that the timer for a new video has been reset. Sometimes it will alternate like that. One time you get a main channel entry. The next time you get a TTA video.

So, don't be surprised if it's another two weeks before we get a new entry.

[TheOperator]

I would be surprised, since that'd be the second longest mid-season wait for an entry ever and Trospehim clearly weren't happy with the over a month waits this season. TTA is often used to just make a long wait more bearable. Entry within 48 hours I'll estimate (I'm hoping sooner but can't be sure).

[TheJoker]

[Gold Knight]

[TheJoker]

I had thought of that, actually. Whenever the reveal comes, it's possible there will be a delay for that particular entry, depending on who they're revealed to be.

[Ztakk]

This is going to be the reveal

[Hazman]

Spider-Walt as Walt Disney now owns Marvel, but couldn't get the Spiderman licence

[TheJoker]

[hachiman]

Where do the japanese come up with this stuff?

[Jordan]

[quote="TheJoker"]