The Legend Of Korra Book 2 Discussion Thread

[Wintrale]

While it would've been nice for them to not just, y'know, completely drop the first season off a cliff (just because Amon was shown to be a fraud shouldn't mean all the Equalist unrest he provoked would just go away and if Republic City is still having Equalist trouble, they could have shown that instead of Mako chasing down Benders), I actually liked the new episodes. The lack of Lin was a bit sad, but the comedy was there and the new threat is actually something only Korra can deal with.

My only real gripe is how Waterbending is doing everything in The Legend of Korra. As if Icebending and Bloodbending wasn't enough, now it can Spiritbend too? I thought that sort of thing would've been reserved for the Airbenders (which would have been an awesome reason not only for the spirits being unhappy since Aang was the last Airbender and him not learning Spiritbending would have been understandable given the events of The Legend of Aang, but also because it would mean Korra learned Airbending for a reason).

I'm happy that Korra is acting the way she is, though. The Southern Water Tribe having given up on spirituality explains Korra's own lacking in that area and the way the White Lotus have screwed up Korra's own growth is pretty neat. Aang mastered the elements much sooner than Korra did and he went out of his way to get guidance from the past Avatars because he had nobody else to turn to. So, in a way, Korra has been held back a lot both physically and spiritually by the people who thought they could interfere with the way an Avatar is supposed to grow up.

 

[Gahars]

As far as I know.
Guild and Gahars loved avatar, and were some of the most pro Legend of Aang/Korra tempers i've seen.
So to see them so disappointed is worrying.

I'll watch it when its out and form my view then, I hope it isnt a complete crash out :/

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

 

[Black-Ice]

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Hope...
Is all I have left

 

[Jamstruth]

Can I just say that I liked it?
Animation gripers get the hell out. I mean it. It was damned beautiful even if it "wasn't as beautiful as Season 1". You guys compared it to AtLA? Yeah, it's beautiful.

I'm fine with them sweeping the government stuff under the rug, why? It would be damned boring. I agree the council being abolished is weird and I hope there's more to it than just the President but it's nice that Tenzin's got some time off for the family gripes.

The plot. I agree Unaloq is so obviously bad but Korra has good reasons to go with him. He was actually willing to teach her and was clearly the person who could do it the quickest. Tenzin and her father are just being overprotective. Tenzin still wants to teach her his way and is loath to hand her over before he can teach her about spirituality the Air Nomad way and her father hates his brother's guts (for stupid reasons).

My main issue is with Korra's dad's backstory. What the hell were "barbarians" doing attacking the Northern Water Tribe? An entire Fire Nation battalion fought tooth and nail to get in their but a band of barbarians armed with clubs just get in and torch the place? Bullshit. Who the hell were they anyway? How did they get there? THE HELL WAS GOING ON?!

Unaloq is a lot like Amon in his delivery and general tactics (figurehead of brainwashed masses? CHECK! Except this time it's religion!) which is sad but I'm holding out for him being a red herring at this stage. It's the first episode. This plotline could easily be resolved in an episode or so considering the United Forces and Republic City will likely take issue.

 

[EthanObi]

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Heheh The Serpent's Pass reference
Anyways... I Enjoyed how book 2 started

 

[gokujr1000]

Holy shit Korra is back. Why am I always so late?

 

[porkiewpyne]

I thought it was pretty alright. BolinXAsami 4 lyf ;O;

 

[Jamstruth]

I thought it was pretty alright. BolinXAsami 4 lyf ;O;

Eska takes issue with this.

Spoiler

This weeks episode was pretty cool. Korra's impatience continues but there's a slight issue with it. All her life she's been told she's the Avatar and she expects to be able to be a perfect Avatar straight out of the gate despite what everyone else tells her. This might be why she's inclined to go along with Unalaq so much. He keeps telling her that he believes in her and that she will be the best Avatar ever while everyone else tells her she's needs more training and that she should know her limits.

The Civil War in the South begins, both sides have valid points but neither will negotiate. The North really shouldn't have blocked the harbour, it serves no real purpose except intimidation. I like that Korra's dad is acting with the best interests of the entire tribe. He knows that trying to kidnap Unalaq will just make things worse. I imagine he tried to talk them down but in the end merely refused to be party to it. I wonder what Unalaq's reasoning for arresting him will be. I imagine Varrick fingered him as the true mastermind behind it all (after all Varrick's such a fop how could he organise a guerilla operation like this?)

The Civil War at the Air Temple is a little more low key. Tenzin almost certainly appeared to be favoured by Aang to Bumi and Kaa even if he wouldn't have seen it that way. In the years between Aang's death and Jinora being born Tenzin was the last Airbender in existence. He carries the burden of an entire culture in a way that the Acolytes cannot quite lessen. Aang spent time with Tenzin to teach him all he could so that the styles were not lost but in doing so accidentally gave an impression of favouritism. Kaa and Bumi would obviously hold resentment for this, anything they did would not be as "great" as Tenzin's actions because they're not the savior of an entire race of people. The results? One man-child non-bender who tries constantly to prove himself worthy of his dad's legacy but will always be the failed first try for an airbender and a waterbender who was never sure of her place in the world. Then again as interesting as the family dynamic is I WANT PAYOFF FOR THAT STATUE JINORA SAW GODDAMMIT!

 

[GameWinner]

How was the episode anyway? I ended up missing it. I'll have to wait for a rerun.

 

[tenkai_2.0]

I wish in season one they ended it with her losing ALL her bending and build her on another focus, like maybe have her travel in the spirit realm to get new abilities. Abilities like what anng had at the end of the last airbender. But whats really bothering me about this whole series is korra's personality. all she seems to do is get angry and jump head first into things. That and the fact that she thinks she can do anything and stop anyone. As well as she just seems to be going on fetch quests and that's it. How is it that anng was younger then her yet seems much more mature. One thing they are doing right is bolin. hes the best of the cast so far because who doesn't like the comic relief guy

 

[joeyjoey396]

"First you want my support and now you wanna know what I think? Make up your mind!"

 

[FAST6191]

The third episode was better than the double it opened with, if only by virtue of not having an awful lot happen. Many of the issues remained and I am getting the impression that they are trying to cram in many different plot lines into this series, something I would ordinarily love from a TV show, but not storyboarding it the best. Korra's attitudes seem completely out of nowhere but instead I shall call it the most accurate depiction of being a teenager since Kevin the Teenager (you may have seen the film Kevin and Perry go large which it culminated in), though my feelings on unintentional greatness are still those of suspicion and distrust.

The only thing I am slightly surprised in is that they not yet done an exposition dump on the last 50 years, though the cynic in me wonders if it is now going to be the domain of the comics they have been warned off rather than exercising restraint.

 

[Gahars]

One thing they are doing right is bolin. hes the best of the cast so far because who doesn't like the comic relief guy

Yo.

To be fair, I liked Bolin, but ever since episode 5 last season he's become entirely useless. The guy doesn't contribute anything at all besides pratfalls and goofy faces ad nauseam. He could have died after his breakup with Korra and nothing would have changed.

Sokka was comic relief, too, but there was a balance there. He could be a goofball, sure, but that didn't solely define him; he was actually an essential part of the team.

 

[Black-Ice]

Should I start watching this yet or wait until its further in?

 

[FAST6191]

Should I start watching this yet or wait until its further in?

I do not think this is going to be a last series of scrubs affair but it might be worth considering. If nothing else as long as you are not too pressed for something to watch then it also means you can marathon it and/or not have to wait.

 

[tenkai_2.0]

Yo.

To be fair, I liked Bolin, but ever since episode 5 last season he's become entirely useless. The guy doesn't contribute anything at all besides pratfalls and goofy faces ad nauseam. He could have died after his breakup with Korra and nothing would have changed.

Sokka was comic relief, too, but there was a balance there. He could be a goofball, sure, but that didn't solely define him; he was actually an essential part of the team.

Very well said! i wish he did do more stuff. Not surprisingly Sokka was my fav. in the first series.

 

[porkiewpyne]

Yo.

To be fair, I liked Bolin, but ever since episode 5 last season he's become entirely useless. The guy doesn't contribute anything at all besides pratfalls and goofy faces ad nauseam. He could have died after his breakup with Korra and nothing would have changed.

I blame Makorra for that. ;O;

 

[KingVamp]

So, no one going to comment on these laughs.

 

[Warrior522]

Okay, obvious villain was obvious, Korra is not only still bitchy, but she's acting unbelievably stupid on top of it. To be fair, the idiot populace aren't helping at all with some of the worst "forced misinterpretation" dialouge i've ever heard; "So you're on their side?" SHE JUST SAID THAT BOTH OF YOU NEED TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN, ARE YOU DEAF? Bolin is still worthless, but at least he serves as a device for the Twins to amuse me with. I'm liking the Twins to my own surprise, and hope they get some further development, because right now they're just mildly entertaining. Mako may as well be a new character, all his hot-bloodedness is gone, replaced by useless submissive pandering to his girlfriend's eternal PMS attack. Tenzin is so utterly spineless it's almost painful to watch, and Bumi is a terrible attempt at funny/serious, for which I blame the mood whiplash...

The episode's one major sin, though, comes not from Korra's adventures in being a villain, but in Team Fuckup's Vacation Disaster. Legend of Korra, I don't care what you want to try to say or do in regards to our dearly departed original cast, but do not, DO NOT DEMEAN AANG'S CHARACTER WITHOUT EVEN A BIAS-NEUTRAL FLASHBACK. Look, I know he didn't have parents of his own, I know he probably wasn't a perfect father, but for all three off his children to think equally badly of him, and at such old ages too, comes off as nothing short of an assault on the very character of Aang, and that is unacceptable for a series so far removed in every way from it's predecessor. Oh, and Kya complaining about having to support her mother? BITCH, SHE, TOPH, AANG, SOKKA, SUKI, AND ZUKO LITERALLY STOPPED THE MOTHERFUCKING APOCALYPSE. THAT IS THE LEAST YOU CAN DO FOR HER. The only way I can see this redeemed is if they DO flashback and establish that Aang's early mistakes resulted in Bumi being so fucked up, which would honestly redeem his annoying character into a much more deeply and darkly screwed up person. After all, this show loves it's grimdark...

On an unrelated note... ...am I the only one still rooting for Tokka?

anyone?

dammit.

 

[FAST6191]

The episode's one major sin, though, comes not from Korra's adventures in being a villain, but in Team Fuckup's Vacation Disaster. Legend of Korra, I don't care what you want to try to say or do in regards to our dearly departed original cast, but do not, DO NOT DEMEAN AANG'S CHARACTER WITHOUT EVEN A BIAS-NEUTRAL FLASHBACK. Look, I know he didn't have parents of his own, I know he probably wasn't a perfect father, but for all three off his children to think equally badly of him, and at such old ages too, comes off as nothing short of an assault on the very character of Aang, and that is unacceptable for a series so far removed in every way from it's predecessor. Oh, and Kya complaining about having to support her mother? BITCH, SHE, TOPH, AANG, SOKKA, SUKI, AND ZUKO LITERALLY STOPPED THE MOTHERFUCKING APOCALYPSE. THAT IS THE LEAST YOU CAN DO FOR HER. The only way I can see this redeemed is if they DO flashback and establish that Aang's early mistakes resulted in Bumi being so fucked up, which would honestly redeem his annoying character into a much more deeply and darkly screwed up person. After all, this show loves it's grimdark...

Hmm my reply is probably going to fall somewhere between "no", "I actually thought that showed admirable restraint" and "since when do past actions earn a reprieve?". Indeed that was mainly what I was thinking of when I said I was surprised by a lack of an exposition dump/flashback and as such was probably my favourite and most praiseworthy part of the episode.

On grimdark, now I looked up the term anyway, I am not seeing it compared to a lot of older cartoons. Certainly it has a distinct edge over a lot of modern American cartoons but in the pantheon of cartoons not so much.