So, at the top I have to say, I was a big Avatar: The Last Airbender fan. But I mean, who wasn’t? The show premiered when I was in middle school, and I took to it right away. The characters, the world, the villains, it was all great. But if you’re reading this, you don’t need me to tell you how great it is, you know. So when Korra was announced, I was excited to return to the world that had been a big part of my middle school life, and it remains the one thing I liked from that time that I’m not embarrassed about.
So when the first season of Korra premiered, I eagerly watched it. Now, I wasn’t a middle schooler. I was in college. And I woke up early on a Saturday to watch each episode. Now let that sink in. A college student. Waking up early. But that’s how much I loved the show.
Now here comes the kicker.
I found the first season to be a bit…lacking. There were elements that I absolutely adored. I loved Republic City. So much of the old series had taken place in these large, sprawling landscapes, I liked the decision to focus on one area. That was well done. I also loved the score. That roaring 20s jazz track was amazing, and perfectly accented the feel and tone of the show. The characters were also a lot of fun, specifically Lin Bei Fong, Tenzin and Bolin. And Amon was without a doubt one of the coolest animated villains I’d ever seen.
What fell flat with me was Korra, though I chalked that up to first season character development issues, and the love triangle. Now, let me go on the record as saying I don’t hate love triangles. I think they can work, if they aren’t forced, or overly dramatic. That being said, I was not a fan of the Mako Korra Asumi triangle. I felt it distracted from the cooler elements of the story, like the bending spots, the Amon mystery, and kinda took away from Korra as a character. But all in all, I could live with the season.
Season Two shared much of what I disliked. The love triangle was back, and it was painful. Korra didn’t lean any lessons from the last season. And the villain was way too obvious. Like. Dude. Come one. At least try not to be that obvious.
But there was still some good. Mako got some development which I liked(even though it was kinda ruined by the love triangle resolution), and they really expanded the mythology with Avatar Wan, which was a glorious two part episode. So honestly I was doing ok. I even liked the storyline, with the spirits invading our world, and the ideas of balance that the show was building.
And then there was the ending. Dear god, that deus ex machina ending. It just left me feeling cheated.
So it was with some hesitation that I went in to this new season of Korra. Like a former heir to the fire nation throne, I’d been burned before.
That had to be done. You guys wouldn’t respect me if I didn’t make that joke.
But I’ve been watching the first three episodes and I gotta say guys. This is pretty sweet.
So, There are going to be spoilers if you haven’t already guessed. And I’m going to break this down in a good vs. bad format, with bullet points. So let’s get the bad out of the way first.
The Bad:
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Awkward Mako. Mako is my favorite character, because of the potential he has. He’s a firebender who has to wrestle with the fact that a firebender killed his parents. He has that same destructive power and he fears it, much like Aang feared his power after burning Katara in The Last Airbender. I feel like the show doesn’t give that detail enough attention, and just shoving him into the “Awkward boyfriend” role does a disservice to him as a character. He’s 17. He made a mistake in his love life. Move on.
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Bolin as comedicrelief: This is just a pet peeve, but I feel like Bolin being the resident butt monkey is getting old. He’s an accomplished bender, and I feel like he’s not being given enough credit for that.
The Good:
And now for the good:
- First off: New Airbenders. I love the fact that there are new Airbenders, and that not all of them want to become nomads like Tenzin. The life of an Airbender is not a glamorous one. It requires a lot of sacrifice and dedication, and it’s a lot to ask someone to just give that up, and become a monk. I do like that three episodes in we don’t have an answer as to why this is happening, and I especially love the fact that we have our first Airbender villain. Which brings me too…
- The villains. Oh lawdy these villains. First off, there are four. That’s new. Second, They involve the order of the White Lotus, which is just interesting to me. Plus, they have a bender who doesn’t have arms. That’s cool. I sense great things coming.
- Evil Earth Queen making an Airbending army. What is up with the Earth Kingdom? Why they so sketchy? Either way it makes for some damn good TV.
- Mako and Bolin finding their grandmother. That was just feel on feels.
- Zuko talking about hiring a hitman to kill Aang. Nuff said.
So yeah. There’s a lot I’m really excited for. As long as Korra actually learns her lesson from last season, and Mako and Bolin get some development, we should be OK.
This really looks like it’ll be a season of change. Let’s hope it keeps up.
The World of Movies and Media Seen Through the Lens of a Token Black Guy. 