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The Legend of Korra


Mal
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Starting a topic so the folks who watch it here can chat about it.

 

With that, go watch the first two episodes if you haven't watched the leak earlier:

http://www.korranation.com/

 

So far I like it. Korra is more aggressive than Aang and his buddies so that is a change. There is also the huge Republic City so there are new places to see. Overall, I got a good first impression.

Now to wait what... two weeks or more for the next episode? :\

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I just watched the second episode, and I thought it was better than the first.

 

One thing that kinda bugs me is that philosophically Korra seems more like an earth bender than a water bender, what with her difficulty of mastering air and the way she seems to like to confront problems head-on. I think the premise could have been slightly altered to, at least in the first season, centering around her difficulties mastering fire bending, without it really negatively affecting the rest of the setting.

 

The first two episodes air on Nickelodeon on April 14, which is almost 3 weeks from now, which means we'll have to wait at least 4 weeks before we get a new episode. :(

 

*Edit* - Korra's character design didn't bother me in the second episode the way it did in the first, so that's good too.

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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Double Post of Justice!

 

Straight off the bat I love this series! The first half of Book One: Water in The Last Airbender was difficult to swallow because it was focused on applying only to kids. Can't really blame them because the show was on Nickelodeon, but a cartoon series can easily rise above that single focus. Eventually it got intense with some serious business and that's when I began to watch The Last Airbender any time I could on television.

 

It probably helps that the characters introduced thus far apply to each cartoon viewing demographic. Korra and those dudes (forgot their names already) are teenaged, but can appeal to an older demographic. It was a smart decision to feature those airbending kids as they'll appeal to the younger ones. Quite frankly, I've gotten a lot of laughs out of them too.

 

Oh, and Ethan, in this series they explain the "difficulty in X bending" as a personality trait. Last series did, as I remember it, chalk it up to opposing styles of bending, but I think what was planned is that Korra needs to face an obstacle/challenge. Something for the plot to focus on other than "gettin' air powers, kickin' butt." In a way, she was able to instantly use three types of bending. Not perfectly mind you, but then again Aang couldn't handle Earth and Fire too well.

 

Only gripe I've had thus far is how some chronology (you're so and so, etc) comes off a bit forced. It's nice for the fans, but it kinda rubbed me the wrong way when Korra was like, "Oh, hey, you're Toph's daughter!" Though I gotta admit, I loved when they trolled us about Zuko's mother. :lol:

 

EDIT: Oh, I kinda like how Korra doesn't straight out say she's the Avatar. I remember Aang would always be like, "Never fear, the Avatar is here!" It's probably more of an age thing since Korra does eventually reveal herself... after toying with the subject.

Edited by Atomsk88
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I found it to be odd that Korra wasn't able to do air bending. My reasoning is that air and water act very similar to each other. They are both very flow-y, and have both gentle and aggressive stages. The only major difference I can think of is when it comes to relaxing and I have accepted as the reason: Breath. Nice and steady. Korra during the match relaxed and kind of went with the flow which win. Notice how she rushes into things before. I suppose putting her in a bind helps her relaxes like for some folks.

 

So yeah, personality trait.

 

Lastly, I feel like one of the brothers will die... Then again, its a Nickelodeon show.

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I don't like that they retconned it into a personality trait rather than an effect of what their "native" bending style is. In The Last Airbender it's explained by Avatar Roku that the Avatar always has the most trouble with their opposite, which in this case would be fire. I also think it would have been fairly easy to make it that way without affecting too much of the rest of the premise: you just have her training under Zuko's son, who could even be good friends with Tenzin if they wanted. Then it wouldn't have them messing with established lore.

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While I get where you're coming from, there's a simple answer.

 

Airbending training/exposure!

 

We had a large focus on firebending with the last season of The Last Airbender, to the point Aang and Zuko went to learn from dragons.

 

dragons.gif

 

Considering we have progressed in the timeline decades later, obviously airbending is making its comeback (as little as it may be at first). It isn't discussed yet, but more flying bison (Oogi, Ep. 1) were found and while Momo is a winged lemur, Aang later found the ring-tailed winged lemur (Ep. 2) species. Book One: Air of Legend of Korra is going to settle this early on without the need to sidetrack to, "Such and such, and that is what happened with Aang."

 

I don't mind it, especially since we're getting to actually see the fundamentals of airbending. Aang was a natural at airbending to the point he could think it, then do it. It's what set him apart to where, you know, his masters knew then he was the Avatar.

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Well then make it so that this is two cycles after Aang, and she's a native earth bender. You could still have Tenzin be her master, he'd just have to be older. And honestly it being longer would make more sense given the amount of technological development that's happened.

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I know it's not impossible, I just think it would be more believable if it had been longer. I mean, in 1860 they had steam powered trains, telegraphs, photography, etc, whereas during The Last Airbender the Fire Nation was the most advanced nation technologically and while they had steam powered ironclad ships they'd had those for at least 100 years with no sign of further advancement, and there's no hint of anything that could conceivably lead to widespread use of radio or electric lighting. Like I say, not impossible, but I think it would have worked better to make her an earth bender and setting it one cycle later. Also provides an explanation for her difficulties with air bending and her head-on attitude to solving problems that's consistent with established lore.

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The impression I get, as far as a relative era is somewhere between the 30's and 40's. Radios, phonographs, and newspapers are the highest media technology, which would help explain if someone doesn't recognize Korra as the Avatar right away (Ep. 2) given that you'd have to see a single BW image from any newspaper.

 

There are even sequences where the music resembles (big band) jazz. We have gangsters, along with freaking zeppelins! Yeah, they were war machines in the last series, but now it's like Gotham City with patrol units in the sky. Of course, who's to say we won't have a WTF technology moment like in The Last Airbender?

 

Remember how the Fire Nation had some pretty advanced tanks, even by our standards. Tanks were probably one of the most difficult land vehicles to design, but they were there and they were beasts. Of course, the concept of... you know, I'll let the video say it.

 

 

(I ain't spoilin' it with an embed!)

Edited by Atomsk88
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Regarding the opposing element thing, I think Aang's difficulties in earthbending arose more from the kind of personality needed to master it as opposed to the element itself. Aang wasn't very headstrong or assertive (unyielding like stone) whereas Korra isn't very calm or spiritual (flowing like air). Unlike Aang, Korra obviously likes being the avatar very much, and so far she's been shown trying to overcome adversity using raw power, which just isn't what air is about.

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That would make sense, except they explicitly explain at one point in The Last Airbender that the Avatar's most difficult element is always the element opposite their natural one.

 

*Edit* - As I said, Korra's philosophy/approach to problems seems more like that of an earth bender.

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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I like the personality aspect though because not everyone is going to act the same based on their bending ability. I wouldn't think Haru to be similar to Toph or any of the more assertive Earthbenders. It kinda eliminates the stereotypes of the last series because now, with Empire City, we have mixed teams and gangs of benders.

 

I say "kinda" because obviously there are different cultures, traditions, even genetics much like how Bolin was perplexed at how Korra was an "earthbender" though see was the striking image of a young water tribe female.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So watching Avatar, finished Book of Water this morning. Loving General Iroh n all their side of things.

 

Question:

1. Why can't the Avatar teach himself? He picks things up pretty quick by just being shown stuff in action, and he's now seen all the elements and plenty of moves used in them to have surely picked up a fair bit.

2. Why do the firebenders insist on capturing and chaining up Aang, despite his inevitable and continuously escapes, when they could just kill him?

3. Did anyone making this realise how fucking hilarious it is when they're telling the "benders" to do stuff? It's not so bad when it's the full title, i.e "fire-bender" "water-bender" etc, but "bender" on its own is kinda funny. "Wow I didn't realise Aang was such a powerful bender" :P

 

The bit where Sokka just threw an engine into a gas seem was a bit :/ Also the Water nation jsut letting their town, made of ice and water, be torn apart was also kidna silly too when they'd show they can control it all pretty damn well. Just use water bending to fill in any holes again.

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2. Why do the firebenders insist on capturing and chaining up Aang, despite his inevitable and continuously escapes, when they could just kill him?

 

Because if they kill him the next Avatar will be born in the Water tribe and they'll have to start the search all over again.

 

*Edit* - And "bender" doesn't mean the same thing over here, so that thought never occurred to me.

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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