Legend of Korra: 1.1 & 1.2 Reaction

[wishfulclicking]

Anything major is going beneath the cut but some generalities before I go into details:

If you are unfamiliar with Avatar: the last airbender, I believe you can still enjoy this show without being knowledgeable about its full origins. The opening episode does a good enough job of introducing the basics and you may miss some of the nods to the previous season but it shouldn't hamper your enjoyment. If you're into female protagonists getting up to adventures, going through coming of age stories, assuming leadership, enjoying being physical, being good at fighting, a diverse cast when it comes to gender, comedy, and fantasies based on different cultures instead of the dominant one employed in most, if not all, popular fantasy works in Western media culture, then give this show a chance. Based on the previous show's track record this show will consider the weight of violence and present multiple view points and doesn't actually deal in complete black and white morality.

Did I mention the show is fun?

* The first episode was a bit clunky, just like the first episode(s) of ATLA were, so it's a tradition.

* Another tradition seems to be heavy handed romance foreshadowing if the Korra/Mako vibes are anything to go by. I don't mind being wrong, and it's not about preferring Bolin over Mako or pairing, but I do hope there's more subtlety when it comes to the pairing (if any) involving Korra; much like the way Sokka and Suki or Mai and Zuko were handled.

* I will forever be a bit saddened that so far Sokka and Aang and (others) are confirmed to be dead. I want at least one surprise cameo from the first generation (Azula, the kid in the flying wheel chair, Toph).

* Kudos to having a woman in the White Lotus Society.

* Was there anything ever definitive about different kinds of benders coming from one family? Mako firebends and Bolin earthbends? Is that a new thing with them coming together or are Mako and Bolin a created family, like they grew up near each other and decided to bond and fight their way out of poverty.

* Bolin and Mako remind be on the surface with their apparent mannerisms of Sokka and Zuko, respectively. I do expect to be surprised with both of them at some point: perhaps if Bolin is more inclined towards explosive anger and Mako has a gentleness or serenity about him.

* Tenzin and his family are just the cutest. I see so much Katara in him and so much Aang in his children.

* Korra. Brash, strong, daring, honorable, adventure-seeking, she is definitely a different kind of protagonist found in the genre of show A:LOK is in--and I love it. She's similar to Aang--sheltered from the outside world, open to the world, averse to bending and things that don't come easily to her--without being the same as Aang. At some point I really want to dwell on how the nature of the Avatar cycle deprives the avatar of the one physical person who can truly relate and help guide them while growing up; sure, they can contact the previous spirits but it's not as if they are a constant presence. Also, Korra has been sheltered in another way that has recreated this spirit where she expects a certain level of adulation in being the Avatar when New Republic City (is that the name?) has different simmering feelings.

* The world intrigues me. Here is this world post-war, a capital that would never have existed before the war, and LOK is showing this more modern culture while still remembering its origins. There's only twelve episodes this season but, hopefully, LOK is renewed and they can show more of the world because New Republic seems more like an anomaly than the norm when it comes to cultures merging; and I can't wait to see how they deal with the Bender v Non-Bender question.

Icons for the show

Streaming now (maybe only to US residents and I do not have a link to a dl but I know one exists)

Comments

[torachan]

I assume that Mako and Bolin's parents were Earth and Fire, so that's why they're one of each. In the first series, the nations were so separated that it's not surprising we didn't see any mixing, but now everyone's all intermingling, so I think mixed-bending families will be more common.

[wishfulclicking]

That makes complete sense. I do remember part of A:TLA where Aang had to learn the method of learning each type of bending and there were different stances, but they also had Zuko adapting waterbending techniques with his fire (I think) when he was learning from Iroh. There's just so much fanon around the nature of bending that I wasn't sure if there were rules like Earth and Air don't mix, or exposure to other elements have to be present to afford a chance of gaining that ability. I do hope we see more blended families in this series.

[alexseanchai]

I figure there were enough Fire Nation people living in Earth Kingdom territory that some interbreeding occurred, especially in the decades after the war ended when tensions had simmered down some, so Mako and Bolin are descended from Fire Nation colonists and Earth Kingdom natives.

[wishfulclicking]

That makes complete sense. I hadn't given much thought about bending genetics during the A:TLA run and Mako and Bolin are the first siblings I've seen with two different kinds of bending, I do hope they show more families like theirs.