The Legend of Korra

There were definite hints before the finale, I picked up on it when watching season 3 and 4 in isolation, but using the fan's reactions doesn't say much since they were being shipped ever since they entered the same room together.

The sheer lack of development makes me wonder if it was worth it. I get that it was a necessity to hide it, but in the end that still neans no development.

I also liked Makorra from early season 2. It was nice seeing them putting effort into the relationship and struggling. Everything about the amnesia was just ugggh and it annoys me that the creators decided to just stop attempting to write romance instead of learning from the criticism.

After season 1 ended I pretty much stopped caring about any ship involving Korra herself.

See, from what I understand, they mostly did Makorra in Book 1 because they only thought they were getting one season, and thought the fans would like it.

By the time they started doing Book 2, I think it was at least somewhat clear that Makorra was very divisive among the fandom, and I don't think they cared for it much themselves.

I'm not going to fault them for getting rid of a pairing they decided that they didn't much care for.

edited 3rd Oct '16 8:27:56 PM by KarkatTheDalek

Yep, that sounds about right.

I personally really like that they showed a relationship not working out, then working past the awkward stage and back into friends.

I liked that too. It's rare to see a relationship end on civil terms in fiction. Usually, one of two scenarios happens:

1. The characters start out unattached to each other and find their way to loving each other by the story's end. The emotional climax is when they actually get together and the story ends there, because writers don't know how to write couples.
2. The characters start out attached to each other and then break apart because one of them is the evil partner, sinisterly abusing and manipulating and controlling his or her partner. The story is about the victim partner escaping from this terrible horror relationship, usually into the arms of another character who, as in example 1, he or she will officially get together with in the emotional climax just in time for credits to roll.

edited 3rd Oct '16 10:32:37 PM by TobiasDrake

Yeah, it was nice (If strange) to see a romantic relationship fail just because both halves are fucking terrible at interpersonal everything.

For me, the thing about Korrasami is like reverse Die for Our Ship. I could never like the ship because I don't care about Asami, at all. She's one of the least interesting characters on the show. That, and its fandom could get quite grating at times.

As for Makorra, I actually liked the troubles in Season 2, but I would've preferred if they'd got back together, obviously. As much as you don't get to see couples breaking up civilly much, you also don't get couples who get serious problems and work through them. Instead it was "oh well, you guys aren't Destined To Be Together (tm), better luck next time".

It actually was quite a trope in the 90s where you had divorced couples end up back together after whatever plot shenanigans rekindled their feelings

Makorra never escaped the "backup Zutara" stigma it gave off to me, so I'm glad it ended in season 2.

Yeah, "couples work through their problems" doesn't seem, at least to me, to be a thing that never happens in fiction. Maybe it's not necessarily handled well or realistically, but I think it does happen.

And let's be honest, you don't see all that many same-sex couples, especially on kid's shows.

Same, really. I mean, I was willing to see it work, but it does kind of seem like it was the "safe" option.

edited 4th Oct '16 8:55:29 AM by KarkatTheDalek

It was still a last second thing. Which is brilliant in a cynical marketing ploy kind of way. Rather than be remembered for bad pacing, a lead who was outright unlikable, and wasted potential, they get to be remembered for being progressive.

And again, I don't think that those are fair criticisms at all, at least by the time the show finished.

Maybe the pacing could have been better, but I liked Korra just fine by the end, and I thought plenty of the show's potential was played out well, even if there's some stuff I would have done differently.

I felt that Book 4 was a pretty big letdown after how awesome Book 3 was. The only thing I really liked was Korra's recovery arc, and even then I could've used some more explicit closure on Dark Korra.

I Hype Backlash 'd myself, honestly.

I liked it fine. Would have done some things different, and I didn't think it was as good as Book 3 was, but I thought it was a good conclusion to the series.

I would have given each season 15 episodes, I think - let them flesh out some of the secondary characters and engage in a bit more worldbuilding (though Book 2's problems go beyond needing a few more episodes, I think). Some might call it Filler, but I don't have a problem with filler if it's interesting, and Korra's easily could be.

ATLA had a lot of filler and most of it was better alone than a majority of series.

It still comes up here and there. Generally, if a couple is introduced as being divorced, you can expect to see them resolve their differences, fall back in love, and get back together by the end credits. It's not only cliché, but it's one of many things about fictional romances that creates unrealistic, horrible expectations in the minds of young males about how to interact with women.

Unless one part is supposed to be the villain of the relationship, fictional breakups are never final. The two were destined to be together, their One True Love is ordained in the stars, they're just going through a rough patch, etc.

So it was quite refreshing when Makorra dissolved and they were just like, "Yeah. We're a bad fit, it's over, moving on with my life."

That's okay, I did that too. I was expecting some follow-up on the Red Lotus. Zaheer was still alive^Hey! That was shocking to me in and of itself. Everyone else in his crew died, and they had a golden opportunity to kill him off too. When the tornado begins and Korra wraps the chain around his leg to pull him down, I thought for sure it was going to go around his neck instead. God knows the season was bloody enough for it. and the ending of Season 3 ominously warns that the rest of the Red Lotus is still out there somewhere.

And then I guess they got mopped up in the timeskip because not a single f*ck was ever given about them again, with the exception of Zaheer's brief role in season 4.

edited 4th Oct '16 10:31:50 AM by TobiasDrake

I thought what they did with Zaheer was interesting, so I'm fine with him living. I'm surprised they would have talked up the Red Lotus still being out there if they weren't going to do anything with them, though. Remember when we all thought that Kuvira was a Red Lotus mole? I mean, I like the angle they went with her (you don't see too many female militaristic dictators), but it was still an odd choice.

Another thing - giving her ominous music and a close-up after when she told Tonraq her name was kind of a tip-off that she would be a bad guy. I mean, it still worked, but I personally think it would have been interesting to have established as a secondary character earlier, along with her relation to Suyin - it would have made her betrayal sting that much harder, and would have made the Time Skip an even bigger Wham Episode.

Like I said, I feel like the show did use a lot of its potential, but there are definitely places where it could have been even better.

Now we know what the comic will be about. In almost a year.

Looks like Bolin also became a cop.

My question is why?

I mean, damn, Bolin could've been anything, why'd he want to go back into his brother's shadow?

Aww, it takes place after they return from the Spirit World?

I wanted to see Korra and Asami's Spirit World vacation.

edited 4th Oct '16 3:31:04 PM by TobiasDrake

Maybe we'll get flashbacks.

x3 Well he found his calling trying to help people in Kuvira's army, perhaps he just wants to be able to do something like that again.

Also Bolin has Story-Breaker Power because of Lavabending, Mako (And most other benders really) would be in his shadow at this point at least on the power scale.

edited 4th Oct '16 4:03:11 PM by lycropath

Korra and Asasmi's Spirit World vacation would be a fantastic series.

Mako's good at his job, but I wonder if Bolin might be better at certain aspects of it. Being good at dealing with the public, which Bolin is, has been the start of many a successful police career.

edited 4th Oct '16 4:06:18 PM by Unsung