Reviews WesternAnimation / The Legend Of Korra

God, there are so many reviews! Is the show really that controversial?

Yes, unfortunately, that's why I made this one.

Eh, I don't mind the pairing. It was subtly built up in my opinion to be honest (though it could be better) and even though I was oblivious to it at first, I still think its alright whether you look at it from a friendship or relationship standpoint.

A bisexual lead is not a bad thing in and of itself. BUT -

If Asami was a guy, and the show ended with the pair getting together, fans would be calling for the writer's heads, calling the writing hackneyed and straight out of left field.

That's not true at all. Varrick and Zhu Li went from one-sided crush to marriage in two episodes. No one cared.

Beatman1:

I would be speaking for the fans this time around, but with my experiences with the fandom....I don't really know how to reply to this.

I can't tell if I agree or disagree.

425599167:

Yeah...the development for that paring was waaay to fast. It didn't come out of nowhere at all...it just developed faster than it should have. If they gradually developed it, I wouldn't have much of a problem with it.

Rushed or not, it's still better than either of them being with Mako. Cool guy usually, but what a douchy partner.

Mr Mallard:

Oh dear lord don't even get me started on that poorly written disaster.

Ryochi Mayeabara: My point, and this was in the actual review, is that it's ridiculous for so many people to be critical of one pairing but not the other. Personally, I'm not too concerned by Varrick and Zhu Li considering how odd their relationship probably was to begin with. I'm just sick of the hypocrisy, and the feeble attempts to justify it.

Mr Mallard: Agreed, and that is exactly why I like this pairing so much. No love-induced idiocy, and it got the taste of that love triangle out of my mouth.

435599167:

Why is this pairing even a problem? Its not even that big of a focus and its only really implied.

Are you talking about Korrasami or something else?

Yeah I'm talking about Korrasami.

Word of God confirms it. It is not merely implied. It is not a problem, I love this relationship. The problem is people attempting to dismiss for ridiculous, illogical, or insulting reasons which I will dismantle in no uncertain terms.

It being implied isn't the problem. The fact that it's playing the "If you don't like it, you're homophobic" card is.

Again, if she was a male, people would not be anywhere near as happy about the development given. It's a gimmick, which any relationship, gay, straight, or otherwise, really shouldn't be. It also confirms just how terrible Mike and Bryan are at romance in general (and one of Last Airbender's advantages over Korra is that romance isn't really a major focus outside of a few episodes while in Korra it was a near constant).

Beatman1 That accusation is part of the "shipping war" problems I specifically avoided in the review. I'm aware that condemning people as homophobic for rejecting the pairing is common. I'm also aware people rejecting the pairing is commonly the result of homophobia. That's not what I'm discussing or have discussed in any of my posts.

People are happy partially because it is a same-sex relationship. This is true. They have every right to be. For a pairing like this to be present in what is ostensibly a children's cartoon as critically acclaimed as this is a game changer for the entire industry. Their relationship, chemistry, and characters are still wonderful. Representation is a bonus, not a keystone. And it does not diminish their legitimacy or writing quality.

Have you heard of "queer baiting"? It's when a non-hetero relationship is frequently implied to attract LGBT+ viewers, but never outright confirmed. THAT is a gimmick, a trick to draw attention without doing anything substantial. This is a step forward.

Still think that Wu and Mako make more sense as a couple than those two. I am in favor of LGBT relationships, but my problem is how the romance was handled than anything else. It was so subtle that it took strength of a good fictional romance, which was hindered by the characters not interacting with each other in comparison to others.

Now, Wu and Mako helped each other character development. How many times Mako kept telling the prince to stop being so irresponsible? And more importantly, Wu listened. His growth was tied to Mako. He also hugged Mako a lot during the story. Wu not only made Mako admit he was being a jerk in the past, but he also got close to his family. Not only that, Mako even was willing to teach Wu on how to fight AND complimented him when he did good work. If you wanna go far with this, the fact that Mako was his bodyguard only added a sense of Princeling and Knight (which is funny when you think about Mako red scarf could be a reference to the Lady's Favour).

To the OP: could you please post the reason you really like this paring on a more specific scale (like, Asami did this, and Korra did that) so I can see why people think it works? Because I really can't, although I did enjoy the ending scene.

Ranwulf: Well, Asami is my favorite character (I'm a sucker for the Gadgeteer Genius Badass Normal), and I like Korra and her arc. After all the crap they've both been through, seeing them become closer throughout the show was great. They both obviously care a great deal about each other and their actions reflected that, regardless of whether it's romantic or platonic. As for specific examples, the letter exchange, complimenting each others' appearances, and training together were all very touching. Especially the letters; they miss each other, and Korra opened up more to Asami than to anyone else. Plus viewing their fight scenes together as though they were a Battle Couple is pretty fun.

I perfectly understand that the relationship may not seem very strong because they didn't interact much. But everyone critical of it cries about how little buildup there was, calling it "rushed" or "forced". That strikes me as absurd, since their relationship had only right then become romantic after forming what was clearly a very close bond. You don't need much buildup to go on a first date, or to realize an attraction.

It's also partially what isn't there. As I explained, I'm sick beyond description of dumb romance tropes. Neither Korra nor Asami picks up the Idiot Ball while interacting with each other, their attraction is mutual, the love triangle is gone, and the relationship actually moved forward.

I enjoyed Korra and Asami getting together. Same-sex relationships weren't something I'd seen often in Western Animation, the two of them have good chemistry and they have a fair bit of history together.

There's one issue I have with their relationship however, and I consider it one of the main reasons people dislike this pairing, besides homophobia and Die for Our Ship. While both women are shown to be very close to each other throughout the series, their interactions before the final scene can be interpreted as being either romantic or strictly platonic, since the show never makes it clear that they're falling in love until that end scene. I don't consider this a fault of the creators though: in my experience, an overt same-sex relationship wasn't something that could be shown in a cartoon at the time.

jaydude: That's true, but it isn't so much people not liking the pairing so much as them not going as far with it as some would have preferred. The issue was (for most people, I think, including myself) resolved with confirmation by the writers. People like the relationship, they just don't like the ambiguity.

OP: I think I can see why people believe it, even if I don't. But now that you pointed out, it may be in fact that their relationship up until the end was not romantic in nature, but after it they may be willing to do it. Could also explain the non-kiss, since their vacation would be like how Mako and Asami dated in Season 1, so it could happen after that they could be 'testing the waters'.

I will be honest, I usually prefer romances where the parties help each other in character development (like Aang and Katara), which is why I also don't think Korra and Mako worked (because neither was willing to do the development). However now I think I would like to see Korra and Asami dating, at least just to see how would work, and like you, quite glad that there were no stupid love triangle and dumb romance tropes, since between these and a more subtle approach to the relationshop, I prefer the latter.

On Korrasami's supposed "rushedness"... Korra and Mako: Kiss after knowing each other for 4 episodes Bolin and Eska: Become boyfriend and girlfriend after 1 episode Bolin and Opal: Says he likes her after 1 episode Korra and Asami: Hold hands after knowing each other for 49 episodes

Credit to Dragonmouth on Channel Awesome for bringing up this comparison.

^

This only reinforces what I've been saying for a while, that Mike and Bryan are terrible at writing romance, regardless of orientation.

No, Beatman, it doesn't. There is nothing wrong with the rates these relationships progressed at, whether quickly or very slowly, as real-life relationships can develop at varying rates depending on the couple. What matters is the chemistry between the characters involved, which in this case, I found to be charming. It highlights how people will decry Korra and Asami's relationship as moving too fast without holding any other relationship to the same standard even if they they developed even faster. Because every romance on this show developed faster, yet no one complains.

But I have been complaining. In fact, one of the main reasons that I find The Last Airbender to be significantly better than Korra is the fact that it focuses on romance a lot less.

Honestly, I was a Borra shipper, ergo I opposed Makorra from the beginning. Made worse in that all of Bolin's girlfriends were suspiciously similar to Korra in many respects (Opal resembled Korra with the haircut and Eska was Korra's cousin). It seems like after Bolin and Korra finally dated, and showed a lot of chemistry, the writers went out of their way to separate them (or only put them in group situations) in favor of their other ships. In book 4 this was reflected in Bolin's detailed, almost romantic, letter to Korra compared to Mako's awkward one and Asami's casual one. I think the writers were aware of this chemistry, but it wasn't as visually pleasing as Makorra or Korrasami.

Makorra and Korrasami are very similar to me. Both of them involve the pairings start with some resistance before becoming romantic. Makorra was rushed and seemed to emphasize one-sided attraction. Korrasami was problematic because apparently a lot of the bonding took place off screen when Korra was being nursed and via letters. It reeks of a poor Wild Mass Guessing/Fan Fiction entry. And, of course, there is the social justice field of protection. I cosign on the statement that if Asami were male, it would be treated as poor writing from everyone accept those who thought it was a "cute" pairing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blind to actual LGBT chemistry (should I bring up a list?). Mako and Wu did show more chemistry than Korra and Asami who came off as more platonic with all the evidence (Word of God or not). The difference between Wuko and Korrasami is that the latter ***looks*** better. The fanart and fan fiction was largely crass and overly sexual, with Asami ravenously lusting after Korra and being very OOC. Is this how the LGBT community wants to be represented? This part of the fan base deserves to get what they want? This is how we establish equal rights and representation? After the second book, Bryke also stated that there wasn't going to be anymore relationship subplots. But decided that this pairing was more important than any of the show's countless dangling threads.

Yeah, I'm not pleased with how the show ended. I find it insulting more so than anything else.

I love the ending. The Avatar shows are great at picturing romance.. And strange characters. We have Toph, who shows affection by punching someone (multiple times over the series), and hasn't quite figured relationships out even after having 2 children. We have Zuko|Mai, a couple of sociopathic Fiancees, who nevertheless really love each other. We have Aang|Korra, the embodiment of vanilla - and everyone's shock and disgust over seeing their constant lovey-dovey antics. Sokka|Suki, a more-or-less battle couple, where Sokka's disgust with aforementioned lovey-dovey doesn't stop him from being hypocritically head over heels for Suki.

In Korra we have Tenzin's love triangle where family has won ever career. Bolin's struggles, then sadistic girlfriend, then a nicer girlfriend... And others. And among those nice relationships, we have a horrible nightmare of badly-written drama, which is Mako - and his constant switching between two great beatiful women who love him. It's awful, and painful to watch. So, when they have resolved the love triangle by kicking out the unneded angle - the unfaithful guy -it was awesome. Then they added friendship between Korra and Asami, which wasn't as possible before, while they were love rivals of sorts or something..

And then they added everyone discussing how bad Mako was, including Mako gatting his lesson and asking himself "What am I actually by myself, without a girlfriend", followed by a friendship-ending between him and Korra. And it's a nice addition.

Sorry, I don't know any LGBT communities. And I don't read slash fics. And I don't judge a movie by its fandom. Here is my opinion on the work itself.

son: Your complaint about Makorra being one-sided also applies to Borra. She's not interested in him. Same problem with what was going on with Mako and Wu, cute and funny as it may be, Wu irritates Mako endlessly. Korra and Asami actually like each other and had for a long time, and the only reason they weren't friends from the start is Mako. Which they both got over pretty quickly.

"Romantic" letter from Bolin? He explicitly referred to their friendship accompanied by crude crayon drawings, while dating Opal at the time. Asami voiced how much she missed Korra, that things weren't the same with her gone, and hoped she was feeling better.

Eska being Korra's cousin does not make her "suspiciously similar". They're completely different both in appearance and personality. He doesn't even like her. And the hair thing with Korra and Opal is coincidental, Bolin dated Opal years before Korra's haircut.

Fan-made content is irrelevant to LGBT representation, only what happens on the show matters.

Not to mention, the idea that Korrasami is popular because of the fanservice - it wouldn't be totally untrue, but coming from someone who's seen some Sweet Dreams Fuel comics about Korra and Asami dating and Asami getting a betrothal necklace from Korra, the idea that the ship is grounded in sex appeal is ridiculous. The pair is hella sweet together, regardless of personal appearance.

And opinions are opinions and all, but people really seem to be reaching to knock this pairing. True, Bryan and Mike don't do romance very well (SEASON 1 OF KORRA) but it seems like they tried harder to make a connection between Korra and Asami than between Mako and Korra. From friends and team-mates to wangsting and UST, versus friendship and support to a possible shot at romance - the latter sounds infinitely preferable to me.

I can only really speak for what I've seen - a perfectly nice fanbase of sweet people who make sweet things. That's just Korrasami shippers mind you, I think the Avatar fandom as a whole is kind of messed up and inbred. What do I know about the pair beyond the first season? Not much. I do know that I like the sound of how Korra and Asami were set up - ex-lovers to a douchebag who grew from dislike to being friends, and taking care of each other. I also know that I like the idea of representation in such a tour-de-force, well-known franchise. So it's subtle - better than being Strangled By The Red Scarf.

Fight amongst yourselves if you must, but from an outside point of view the ship sounds pretty good. The knowledge that they finally move off from Mako and end up interested in each other is enough to get me interested in the seasons that I missed.

I don't think the problem is they don't do romance well, (Bolin/Opal and Katara/Aang usually worked well in my opinion) they don't do love triangles well. Because no one does. They're horrible.

By the way, Mr Mallard, I highly recommend watching the series past season 1. Season 2 is pretty uneven, but 3 and 4 are a worthy successor to ATLA. People criticize them regardless due to things like unresolved plot threads, which isn't entirely untrue, but it seems like a case of Franchise Original Sin since ATLA had similar problems. I found them enthralling, and after a brief conversation in the beginning of season 3, the love triangle only gets brought up as a Take That, Scrappy! to Mako.

I will say that you can't hold the amount of pornography and hentai that a fanbase makes against the actual story. That isn't the writer's fault. If it was, there are a lot of writers I would hold accountable for some horrible, horrible things.

But the story doesn't make the romance work. Or make any romance work, to be honest. That is the fault of the writers.

How would you improve the incorporation of the romance into the story, Beatman? What's the exact failing?

For me the reason korrasami works is that while their interaction are few, they are cute and nice, they two have chemestry and show they are great friend who can be something else(as eventually happen).

Mako and Wu? they got nothing, Wu annoy Mako from most part until him(and only him) devolpt in any way, aside from that the only other argument is "they look cute!" which annoy the hell out of me.

It's not so much that the fandom produces a ton of porn, because honestly that's every fandom. It's more like the fandom has a habit of being very defensive, hardheaded and unfriendly.

I have particular experience with the Kataang tag on Tumblr - a newbie says something misguided about zutara, and everyone in a half-mile radius craps themself and throws crap for a week. Mind you, it was like this in 2013 - a full 5 years after the first show ended. And hell, it's always been like that - Avatar was my first fandom, and I've seen and even taken part in the unfriendliness.

Porn is nothing - a collective inability to be nice to each other is something else. Sure enough that's almost all fandoms as well, but it just cuts a bit deeper personally.

...

I don't think I've been looking at the same fanart as the rest of you.

Wait, why did this get flagged??? This isn't even as terrible as Eagal's review!

Or terrible, at all.

I have no idea who Eagal is, but thank you.

Flagged? Oh great, more butthurt over an opinion.

I really dislike how reviewers that share their thoughts on a subject sometimes get flagged for no reason, but apparently garbage reviews are allowed to stay.

"Making romance work" is strictly each person's own opinion, and differing tastes say nothing about quality of the work.

Wu|Mako is somewhere near Bruce Wayne|Alfred. Yes, they do work together, but the idea is kind of horrible.

While "if Asami was a guy (it would be totally left field)" is a great idea. So, if Asami was a gay guy competing with the female main character over other male character, and then he forgot that male character and start dating Korra instead, it would be really sudden, but funny as hell.

The argument that the pairing wouldn't be as popular is Asami was male falls apart when you think about it. Assuming the censorship was the same, the romance between Asami and Mako wouldn't have happened, which would have completely altered the story and the development of all three of them and the final result of the series, and the differences would be even more severe if being a male character made Asami less feminine, which is a significant part of her personality. It's a moot point. Like saying Portal wouldn't be as fun if Chell talked, or no one would like Superman if he couldn't fly. "This wouldn't be nearly as popular if it was radically different!"

^^^ Gee, it's almost as if there's a subset of Fan Dumb that cannot tolerate dissenting opinions or even the mere possibility that their OTP could maybe, just maybe, be rush or halfassed?...unfortunately this is also the subset that sucks at malign reviews 90% of the time?

Morningstar1337:

Are you referring to me on the malign reviews part? Cause I think I was one of the few people who actually took the time to look at the show critically (yeah there were a few nitpicks and my reviews weren't exactly the best structured. But at least I looked at it critically and shared my thoughts on a controversial subject (If it weren't controversial there wouldn't be so many reviews))

By the way, there is a subset of Fan Dumb on this site. It is (for the most part) not on the commenting thread, but based on what I researched...its somewhere on the discussions page. Its possible that whoever is there....is now coming here.....and flagging reviews for no reason.

Of course that's all purely hypothetical. As with my other ideas, feel free to ignore it if it makes no sense to you.

And yes, I am kinda talking bad about this fandom (specifically in TV Tropes). I'm sorry to the reasonable ones, but passing off everything as a nitpick then saying that nobody cares about my opinion kind of changes my opinion on the fandom in this site. It doesn't seem as bad now, but personally I feel that I should AT LEAST get some kind of respect for my review (not the REALLY early ones they were awful) since I actually used the word counter as much as I can and sharing my honest opinion rather than typing up gibberish and saying how great the damn thing is (Doesn't happen here as much but I bet if you look around the site you will find a few like this) and not conveying their thoughts correctly. (It literally gets brushed away (yes even the ones with comments) while the actual critical reviews could possibly get flagged and even deleted even if they are talking about the EXACT SAME SUBJECT but better structured and more thought out.

And this isn't just in this section, it happens in most of TV Tropes. I just feel that its absolutely disrespectful when it comes to sharing an opinion on a specific subject of the franchise (story, characters, animation, fandom, etc.) and get your review flagged and possibly deleted for vague or even no reason. While reviews that do the EXACT SAME THING but even more poorly structured are allowed to stay without even getting flagged.

Sigh, sorry for that rant. This subject just really pisses me off.

Dude, don't make it sound like its a tv tropes fandom issue. There is literally fandumb on all sites. Its just something you're going to have to get used to. The only reason your review is being flagged is because the people doing it are either children or homophobes, so don't include intelligent tropers like myself in the same category as that garbage.

qtjinla15:

Sorry about that. I just lost it there.

Heh, garbage indeed...well maybe not the children.....

... ... So, how's everybody feeling?

......good......

@Ryochi Mayeabara I was refereeing to the malign reviews and the flagging.

Morningstar I think we all know how this ends. The LCD is going to keep flagging this review. If anything I'm glad this review is still up, it shows that the staff on doing has hopefully seen it and realized the people flagging reviews like this shouldn't have computers because they lake objectivity and higher brain functions.

What are the consequences of flagging a review, exactly? Nothing seems to have been affected by this. And what's the LCD?

From context I'd go with "Least Common Denominator", which can be further translated to "bloody idiots".

And as far as I can tell flagging a review only tells the mods that they need to take a closer look.

As far as I'm concerned, it's worth defending even if you don't buy it, feel that it was poorly handled or rushed, whatever, because what it represents is ultimately more important than how well it was executed.

Try searching youtube for "Korrasami reaction" sometime - the ending meant the world to so many people, because it was something they NEVER saw in media aimed at kids, and...well, it's a milestone. Whether you think the ending was set up well or not, it's been a huge source of support for many people and it's a step towards better, and more, LGBT+ representation in media. That makes it worth defending even if you think the pairing itself was terribly handled, if you ask me.

To the risk of repeating myself, I plain don't care about that couple; my only problem with it is that they chose to focus the final scene on this when there were tons of more important things to deal with.

I think a happy ending is worth a couple minutes.

you're acting like it's a real couple and real people. If they were real, fine, real people make their own decisions. But this wasn't real. It was fiction, it was a story. It was writing, and it was really, really badly written. plain and simple. This isn't an issue about homophobia, this is an issue of awful writing.

I don't know, this couple minute could have been used for something that would have made the overall ending happier rather than just this damn couple issue. Like, you know, show how things move on after that. Or Kuvira's final fate.

@Theokal3

without a doubt. They could have had a really powerful ending where Korra addresses all of Republic City and everyone who fought beside her. She could have looked out at the ruins of the city and promised that it was an opportunity to rebuild, stronger than ever before. Really connected it to Korra's PTSD and ended the series on Korra stronger and better than she ever was, as a leader, avatar, and person.

But nope! Much better to have an OOC vacation with the girlfriend while Republic City is a smoldering ruin. That's muuuuuuch better.

@Theokal3 If your main concern is time allocation, cutting the Zhurrick wedding would have saved more time for other scenes.

@baijiru pretty much identified the core of this and from what I've seen, every Korrasami argument. Does its perceived importance as a LBGTQ relationship mean more or less than the story, the narrative? That seems to be the crux of both the pro and the anti sides.

baijiru's idea isn't better, just different. Being more direct is fine, but the ending already had all the characters together, Korra was stronger and better, and the narrative is still effective.

Besides, RC was damaged, but it wasn't a smoldering ruin that they abandoned. Kuvira wasn't trying to destroy the place, after all. The wedding presumably took place after all the fires had been put out, and Korra and Asami didn't go right to the portal after it was over. Things were stable.

I never said the same problem didn't apply to Zhurrick.

Oh, okay. It just seemed like you were singling out K/A. Anyway, I get what you're saying about wanting other threads to be taken care of, but Korra still had a lot of great stuff and a limited amount of time. I'll never hold it against a work for having so many good ideas it can't do all of them.

Korra was NOT stronger at the end. Her last scene with Tenzin is one of the most depressing things I've ever seen. Korra was soft-spoken, unsure of herself, diminutive, and flat out saying she NEEDED to be tortured and abused to learn compassion.

I fell in love with Korra the moment her little 5 year old self popped up and proclaimed, "I'm the avatar, you gotta deal with it!" To see that little girl, so full of hope and energy and life, beaten down and humiliated to the point she thinks she DESERVED it, I will never forgive Bryke for that.

In her scene with Tenzin, he stated she was full of hope again after what had happened. She didn't think she deserved it, she believed she'd grown to be a better person, which is as much a criticism of Buddhism than the show. I didn't like how they put it, but that one sentence isn't a deal breaker. She wasn't unsure of herself, she's just calm and contemplative. She went through an arc, grew, and changed.

I agree with Talisguy in that the Korrasami ending made a lot of people happy, and pushed a boundary in western animation that got them taken off the air and denigated to online-only, and I think the positivity of what they did is an important thing regardless of how it might have affected the story. I can't speak for the quality of the writing, but I agree with what Bryke did on principle.

If it did leave a bunch of story stuff unanswered, then it wouldn't be the first time. Avatar: The Last Airbender cut off the Ursa storyline for a comic, released a few years after the show ended, in favor of a Big Damn Kiss. Those comics also turned the Kataang ship into something that felt in-the-way apparently - like I'll maintain that the show was building up that ship from season one, but the comics apparently wore it out very easily. After that fiasco and the season one finale of Korra, it was easy to see that Bryke had lost their touch. A relationship that wasn't built up from day one and was more muted/confusing than previous romances is something I can see them doing, for better or worse.

Even if it wasn't the best thing ever, which considering their efforts after A:TLA isn't a farfetched concept, I appreciate them going out of their way to do what they did. It sucks if it affects the story significantly - but hey, is it as bad as season one's Deus ex Machina, where everything is tied up in a pretty bow in ten minutes, including game-changing things that took place earlier in that same episode? Like sure, you might miss out on a few plot points, but is that really as bad as literally everything getting jammed in for an "everything's A-OK!" ending where nothing gets the weight it deserves?

What I'm trying to say is that I honestly don't have a high opinion of Bryke after The Last Airbender, due to season one of Korra's rushed-ass ending and the not entirely great Last Airbender post-canon stories, and I at least appreciate them doing something like making one of the big gay ships a reality (and canonizing it when people tried to pull a "gal pal" instead of acknowledging the possibility of a gay/bi Korra). I don't think they're great creators, I think they hit a slump as they expanded/milked their most popular series, but at least they had the guts to stick to something that big - and yeah, in western animation, it's almost unheard of for it to be canonized or even acknowledged beyond a few blink-and-you-miss-it signs - to the point of getting taken off the air. Conceptually, I think they could have done worse.

Of course, this is mostly me talking out of my ass. I'll have to do my own review when I experience the ending for myself.

I think Beatman1 really got to the heart of the issue. What's more important to you, representation or story structure?

425599167, I'm really glad you liked the ending. I'm glad it brought you joy. I'm glad it brought joy to everyone who enjoyed it. But the simple fact is that a lot of people didn't like, will never like it, and feel they had their investment in the show betrayed. It's a controversial ending, and it's controversial for good reason.

I haven't prioritized anything, I consider Korra to have both a good story and diverse characters. That's what you don't accept. You think that fans must be ignoring flaws in the show only because we like the pairing, but that isn't the case. I understand in complete detail why I enjoy the series for a variety of other reasons, Korrasami is merely the one I chose to defend in this review because it was at the heart of the debate. Any point you care to mention, I can talk about.

You made claims about what had happened in the story, and how they meant it wasn't well told. I refuted your assertions, and explained why. If you never will like it, or aren't interested in continuing, please don't restart the discussion.

Let's be honest, this "debate" and "refutement" is me saying one thing, you saying 'nuh-uh,' me saying 'uh-huh', then you coming back with 'nuh-uh.' It's a circlejerk of hate we're both culpable for. You don't need to be so defensive.

Then why did you start this?

I've said my piece

And this goes back to the comments about attacking people who disliked the ending.

At this point though, the argument is circular. No one is going to convince the other that they're wrong.

If you're going to go the route of "we are all at fault", I'd argue that people who defend something they enjoy have the moral high ground over those who just can't stop coming back to deride it.

No, you don't. You don't have the moral high ground, because it's not like people are going "I hate this show! I'm looking for every excuse I can to rag on it!" No, what happened is that they wanted to like the show, but that they found something which kept them from doing so. And they want to share that reasoning, that frustration. That they handled things the wrong way, that they prioritized the wrong thing, or that they used this couple as a smokescreen to hide fundamental deficiencies in the writing without any narrative buildup. And people are complaining because this was a sequel to a very well liked show, and it dropped the ball. Hopefully by telling people what the show did wrong, other writers and directors can avoid those pitfalls.

After all, those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, as the saying goes.

I've already dealt with your "reasons". You substitute word like "execution" and "characterization" in place of actual analysis. And you present your opinion as if it's the only logical one.

Let's compare your review with the one by iowaforever, which was critical, but I did not feel the need to counter it because their opinion was just their reaction:

"I did not feel the same level of urgency and tension that I did from Sozin's Comet."

"I did not get any hints that Korra and Asami would get a Relationship Upgrade,"

"There were parts I enjoyed, but they were dragged down by the flaws."

Whereas with you, and others like you:

"Korra is less a character than she is a stereotype buster."

"She also has no real character outside of being the opposite of what the stereotypes that the creators of the show want to attack are."

"And the end result is that Korra is not a good story."

See the difference? You don't present your opinions as your own viewpoint, but as fact. All you do is repeat the same generic criticisms while being unable to defend you points, because you have none. When you actually provided examples, I countered them, and I will continue to do so.

Except I didn't find any merit in your argument, and find you overly defensive. You know why? Because Korrasami is nothing but a smokescreen to hide the fact that the finale was rushed, Kuvira's sudden feelings of guilt and familial complex came straight the hell out of nowhere and ran counter to her actions during the entirety of the season, several characters become insufferable, namely Bolin and Opal (If you REALLY like me, you'll go risk your life to save my mom. My mom who was stupid enough to walk into a trap and get captured.), the Colossus itself had numerous design flaws especially when it's established Korra has the ability to fight it on equal ground (although that arguably would be a rehash of the Korra vs. Vaatu fight) and Mako's descent into irrelevancy after two seasons of making the audience hate him. Because if they didn't, you can bet he would have ended up with Korra, but alas, an audible needed to be called because of how badly the reaction to the love triangle went.

I wrote that review a few days after the finale. Was it perfect? No, and I admit that. But it is my opinion. It's a review. My interpretation of the quality of the work, and the same comes from everyone who doesn't like Korrasami. Does it warrant you freaking out every time people say they don't like Korrasami? No.

"Kuvira's sudden feelings of guilt and familial complex came straight the hell out of nowhere and ran counter to her actions during the entirety of the season."

Not true. Nothing about Kuvira was out of left-field. Her familial connection with Su was first mentioned near the end of Book 3, when she introduced herself to Tonraq. And Su mentioned it herself during Book 4, when she told Korra that Kuvira had been like a daughter to her, which is why she couldn't believe what Kuvira was doing.

Also, Kuvira never said anything about feeling guilt. While they were in the Spirit World, she told Korra why she had taken matters into her own hands, Korra empathized with her, but still said the way Kuvira had gone about it was wrong. Kuvira conceded and turned herself in.

Also, Korra can’t just transform into a giant spirit at a moment’s notice, that was a one-time Harmonic Convergence thing.

@Beatman1: Scratch the part about Kuvira's introduction scene in Book 3. I rewatched the scene and had it wrong. The rest is accurate though.

Man, you guys really need to cool it.

No one troper in particular, just... all of it. I have my own ideas about the last twenty comments, I've picked my "side" in an earlier comment and let my biases be known, but it all needs to stop. This petty in-fighting is pathetic.

This whole controversy had healed up nicely, some buttplug made a troll review and vandalized the wiki, and the backlash from that comment section spread onto here. To anyone re-opening old wounds: knock it off, the only thing coming out of it is bile.

While the wording of her final talk with Tenzin...yeah, it's very iffy, but to me, it rang true. Katara's talk about Aang choosing to find meaning in his suffering, and Korra saying she needed the experience to become more compassionate? That's an actual coping mechanism used by real-world trauma victims. For many people, it's easier to deal with these things if they view them as a learning experience, change the context to argue that they were ultimately beneficial to them as people. Nobody else tells Korra she deserved it or needed it. She never forgives Zaheer. Nobody else insinuates that the poisoning itself was helpful or necessary. It's how KORRA has chosen to cope with it.

And she's not remotely sad or beaten down while talking to Tenzin. She's tired, but, ultimately, she's shown to be content, confident, and ready to get back to her Avatar duties...after the holiday, of course.

Also, I can't understand people liking the Book 4 resolution less than Book 1's - Book 4 has Korra gradually rebuilding herself and finishing the series whole again, and Book 1 literally has "depression unlocked the Avatar State and gave me superpowers". To me, the latter is far, FAR worse and more disempowering than the former.

Can someone tell me what the emotional heart of the show was? It definitely wasn't Korra and Asami, and you're fooling yourself if you honestly think it was. Asami played no role at all in Korra's growth and development (and don't you dare try to use the tea scene as an argument. Asami utterly failed to make Korra feel better and Tenzin had to step in.) But what WAS the emotional heart?

First season it was probably Mako and Korra, but that obviously didn't last. Second season was Korra and Tenzin. Third season was...look, third season was great, but Korra had no arc to speak of. Season 3 Korra is the 'best' Korra, and the writers didn't know what to do with that, so they traumatized her so we could go through the same character arc for the THIRD time. Season 4 was...Korra and Toph? Korra and Zaheer? If Asami was so important, why didn't she lead the search for Korra? Why didn't she accompany Korra to see Zaheer? Why didn't she show concern when Korra went missing in the spirit portal? Mako got to do those two last things. So again, what WAS the emotional core of the show?

I think it should have been Korra and Tenzin, from beginning to end. But Tenzin damn near disappeared in season 4. I don't think the writers ever knew what the core was, and that's the single biggest factor in the unfocused mess the series became.

"Can someone tell me what the emotional heart of the show was?"

Korra. She was the emotional heart. That's always been consistent. Korra and her fear, confidence, strengths, weaknesses, doubts, successes, struggles and relationships.

And Asami DID, in fact, have a role in Korra's development and recovery - she's the only regular to offer her unconditional emotional support whenever she needs it, without inadvertently making things worse. Mako was an unreliable source of support, due to his problems with interpersonal relationships, and Tenzin made her feel like she was being replaced when she was wheelchair-bound, oblivious to the effect it was having on her. Bolin tried, but had a variable success rate. Asami's the only one to consistently provide her emotional support when she needs it - and the tea scene wasn't a failure at all, Asami was giving Korra space to vent.

And the centre of Book 3? Korra and Asami. I mean, that should be obvious. They spend almost the entire season together, working as a pair, bonding, playing off each other.

She was dealing with Raiko when Korra went to see Zaheer, and if you look at the scene just after Korra goes missing in the portal again...look at Asami. She's in shock. Standing perfectly still, thousand-yard stare, look of utter despair, just...completely done, emotionally.

The thing is Asami is such a flat background character that her bits don't really do anything. She's hardly the emotional core of the series.

To clarify that so it doesn't seem like character bashing (not my intention) Asami's arc ends at season 1 and doesn't really come back till Season 4. Other than that, she's predominantly a background character, a clear result of the fact she wasn't supposed to last beyond Season 1 (working for her dad and likely serving as a temptress who meets a fitting end). Once that audible was called, it took a while for her to do something.

That's always been my criticism of Asami IMO. She's flat and takes two seasons to get a proper resolution to her one arc.

Everything people like about Asami is pure head-cannon. There's NOTHING in the show, so you fill in all the blanks with what makes you happy. But your imagination doesn't make up for bad writing.

Asami is a flat, boring, background character and I AM character bashing her. After season 1, she never should have been seen again.

Even if I don't agree with Beatman, I don't see his writing as outright vitriol. Whether it's his opinions or how he words it, I'm not supportive of the opinion itself but I'm content with letting the guy be. He at least tries to back his opinion up - he has some weight to what he's saying. But detective... you really have a bee in your bonnet. I understand being disappointed by cartoons and shows and stuff that are usually written of as "not important", but your behavior has been cantankerous.

You are really set on dragging this show for some reason - you must be incensed to cause all those grumpy wiki deletions and straight-up admit that you're character bashing. And even though I just said I get the whole cartoon ranting disappointment thing... why are you this focused on being a wet blanket? Does one disappointing cartoon fill you with this much negativity when there are so many other good things to watch?

I'm not against criticism of Korra, when something is released for the entertainment of others then it's liable for criticism. But there's something about comparing a disappointing show to being waterboarded that just doesn't sit right with me. Why stay so vitriolic, going as far as to vandalize a wiki and to throw hot coals on an ongoing fire (that I feel was reignited by your review)? Why are you so angry?

I'm asking for two reasons. The first is that for all the anger I've seen from you I've only seen a few blanket statements stated as fact rather than your insight or personal reasoning. If I'm going to consider what you have to say - even if it looks clear that I've picked a side already - I want more than "this is crap, this character sucks, being waterboarded is better than watching this".

The second reason is because it honestly confuses me how being disappointed leads people into being warring assbuckets. You've gone so far out of your way to be a wet blanket, why? Why fill your life with that much negativity about something you love? I assume you're a cartoon fan, you could just be a troll or just really like The Last Airbender or any number of other things - but even then, why spend so much time and energy hating something?

I don't like doing callout comments like this, I did them a lot just a few months back and I feel like an assbucket myself. But I'm honestly curious about what brings you back, detective27, when it looks like you hate this show. I don't get the all-out negativity, or how it keeps bringing you back to something you don't like.

You know it’s funny that there are all these fans that say that Korrasami is forced and came out of nowhere, (bullshit), and yet none of those same fans seem to have a problem when couples who are heterosexual suddenly decided to start a relationship after knowing one another for about 5 minutes. For the record I actually like all the couples I am about to list, (minus Makorra/Masami), all I am saying is that these couples had less screen time and far less build up then Korra and Asami did.

Zuko and Mai, while Mai was shown to have feelings for Zuko it was very brief and was only onscreen for a few minutes and we only saw a crush from Mai\'s side and nothing from Zuko. Then, in the first episode of Fire Zuko and Mai are now suddenly a couple and act like they have been that way since the start. Sokka and BOTH his love interest, in both episodes Sokka only knew Yue and Suki for a day and he managed to form a romantic relationship with both of them. And then finally we have Bolin and Opal, who spend about 1 minute and 37 seconds with each other before boom, their not only in love but are now a couple. And I don\'t mean they just have feelings for each other I mean they are in a full on relationship and make no attempt to hide it.

Hell Mako showed no real interest in Korra until Spirit of Competition where, after showing basically being rather indifferent to her, he suddenly has feelings for her and is torn between both her and Asami. Who he also only knew for a day before starting a relationship now that I think about it.

I just find it interesting that with all these couples who are now suddenly in love and yet no one has a problem with it. But Korra and Asami starting a relationship after knowing each other for the whole series? Well that\'s just forced and came completely out without any build up! Ignoring the fact that, aside from Aang and Katara, Korra and Asami have the most buildup in a relationship within the entire series and said relationship has the most natural development. And the fact that they are the ONLY couple to go from friends to lovers and the fact that they have repeatedly shown that they have absolute trust in each other. And that Asami is the only member of Team Avatar who has never betrayed Korra in ANY way shape or form. And that Asami is always the first person to come to Korra\'s add when she needs it the most without any prompting. Even if you ignore ALL that...

No actually I think just covered everything? IT DOESN\'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE! They have some of the most natural chemistry like all the other couples I just listed, (again, not counting Makorra/Masami). The grew to love each other instead of just going through the motions.

Now for those of you who just wanted to see them as friends without them becoming a couple. I get I felt the same way about Kim and Ron in Kim Possible. I wanted to see a show, especially a Disney show, where two friends of the opposite sex would remain just friends. However, while I\'ll admit that would have preferred Kim to have ended up with Felix or Shego, I do agree that Kim and Ron are indeed a good couple much for the same reasons that I like Korrasami.

All I am saying is this. If you say that Korrasami doesn\'t work because it comes in without buildup, then you have to include EVERY other couple in the show! You can\'t have it both ways! Either all the couples are weak because they have little to no buildup or Korrasami is just as good as those other relationships I listed.

• "while Mai was shown to have feelings for Zuko it was very brief and only onscreen for a few minutes"

Come again...?

Mai's feelings for Zuko were established as early as the "Omashu" episode, when Ty Lee teased her about possibly seeing Zuko again. It was alluded to again during the flashback in "Zuko Alone", which showed her sitting by herself under a tree, until she saw Zuko and his mother pass by. Mai smiled shyly to herself and blushed, which is when Azula and Ty Lee first realuzed she had a crush on him.

Azula arranged for them to go on a date between Books 2&3 (the "Gong Home" comic) to convince Zuko to return to the FN with her. And throughout Book 3, we saw them cozying up to each other and making out several times (''"The Headband", "The Beach" "The Ember Island Players" "The Boiling Rock Pt.2" and during the series finale).

That was much more than "a few minutes".

• "we only saw a crush from Mai's side and nothing from Zuko"

I take it you forgot about Zuko's date with her, where he said she was beautiful when she hated the world, and made out with her afterwards? Or the part where they spent the evening snuggling on his couch, or the part where Azula offhandedly implied they were knocking boots offscreen?

Or the part where Zuko and Sokka talked about how they both missed their girlfriends on their way to the Boiling Rock? And later told Mai he broke up with her because he didn't want to cause trouble for her, since he was defecting to the Avatar's side. And their reunion kiss during the finale?

Their relationship was given nearly as much focus as Aang's and Katara's.

• "Sokka only knew Yue and Suki for a day"

True, and Yue died all of an episode later. However, his relationship with Suki lasted longer, though they weren't able to see each other often, because of her duties as a Kyoshi Warrior. In "The Serpent's Pass" episode, she explained they were busy and that she she couldn't just up and abandon her duty for him.

But they made up for lost time during Book 3, after he saved her from the Boiling Rock. It was even implied that Sokka and Suki had sex the night before Katara and Zuko set off to find Yon Rah.

For example: Aang made his feelings for Katara clear when he kissed her, just before leaving to confront Ozai during the eclipse. They also openly discussed their feelings for each other during the "Ember Island Players".

Mai and Zuko, Sokka and Suki, same deal. There was no doubt that they were romantically involved with one another, because it was repeatedly shown onscreen.

With Korrasami, we got nothing. Not so much as a 'we need to talk' (about us). There wasn't much to indicate they were anything more than friends until the final five minutes of the series.

By contrast, compare that to say: Heather and Marilyn's relationship in "Spinnerette" which has been ongoing for the last two years (our time - about 4-5 months in-universe). During which, they've discussed their feelings several times.

So have Faith and Tiffany, who're still at the Will They or Won't They? phase in "Magick Chicks" (noted in both their sections of the character sheet); complete with confirmation from the comic's editor.

That's two same sex pairings from two different webcomics, but hopefully, you see my point. The issue isn't that Korrasami is same sex, it's that for a lot of fans, it seemed to come out of nowhere, because there was no discernible buildup to it.

I agree with you on everything else, but let\'s not get crazy here. Moving on, I didn\'t get pass the first few episodes of Korra. I found that I had my fill already with the original series, however, my understanding from what I\'ve heard is that you\'re correct, Korra Sami came out of nowhere and at the very end. Which is actually the root of the criticism, it feels cheap, like it was just thrown in to fill an LGBT pro-message checkmark. Steven Universe is a great example of a show that pulls off gay relationships well both explicit (Ruby <=> Saphire, Pearl => Rose) and implicit (Lapis <=> Jasper) and in different forms, from mutual, to unrequired, to unhealthy.

Not a review.

The franchise was never that good at romance. Mai and Zuko got together rather hurriedly, but I came to accept it because they worked well as a couple. Aang and Katara felt token, a sort of genre obligation, I preferred Varrick and Zhu Li without overt romance, I could never take Bolin\'s relationships seriously, and the Korra-Mako-Asami triangle dragged out in the first two season of Korra was the worst. Sokka and Suki was done fairly well.

Korra-Asami did have hints, but not ones the audience were primed to see. That it was done so surreptitiously may be down to censorship, but might also come from how much audiences disliked the love triangle. As someone not too into shipping, I don\'t care much how they ended up but I\'m glad the final season was not weighed down by relationship-building.

I have to agree that there is a double standard here. Aang-Katara had about as much romance as a portion of running time but audiences accepted it fine.

@Reymma: The first inklings of Aang and Katara's relationship was seen in Book 1, when Sokka noted Aang was crushing on his sister (i.e. "smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love") in "The Fortune Teller" episode. It was alluded to again, when General Fong targetted Katara specifically because of Aang's feelings for her, in order to force him into the Avatar state.

It was given more focus throughout Book 2, particularly in "The Guru" episode, when Phatnik told Aang he'd have to let go of his attachment to Katara in order to achieve mastery of the Avatar state. But he refused because he sensed Katara was in danger, at that moment. And the "The Cave of Two Lovers" episode started with Aang gazing at Katara, and featured their first kiss near the end.

And in Book 3, it was further seen in "The Headband" (i.e. Katara's jealousy over Aang dancing with Onji, the Kataango sequence), "The Eclipse", and "The Ember Island Players" when Aang specifically asked Katara how she felt about him and whether they would ever be together. Katara replied that she didn't know and said she needed time to think about it.

It was at the forefront for nearly the entire series. How anyone can say their relationship received little focus is beyond me. There's no double standard being applied.

@Miin U I going on the assumption that you didn't read most of what I wrote, because if you did then you'll note that I said, "Zuko and Mai, while Mai was shown to have feelings for Zuko it was very brief and was only onscreen for a few minutes and we only saw a crush from Mai's side and nothing from Zuko. Then, in the first episode of Fire Zuko and Mai are now suddenly a couple and act like they have been that way since the start."

In Return to Omashu Ty Lee says that it will be nice to see Zuko again and Mai smiles. In Zuko Alone, we see that Mai as a crush on Zuko and we see nothing from him. Yeah he runs into to save her from the... Birthday candle size flame, (what?) but that doesn't mean that he had a crush on Mai. And that was it, for the whole season, that is all the buildup we get for Mai and Zuko's romance, which amounts to a a few minutes. And no I didn't read Going Home before watching Fire. And the reason I didn't read it was because the book story that is close by, nor any of the comic book stores I visit had a copy of the comic and further more, I shouldn't need to read the comics to understand the story in front of me. I was able to understand what was going on In Dragon Age: Inquisition without having to play the first two games, or read any of the tie in comics/books. A Show, Movie, Game, Novel and Comic Book should be able to stand on it's own, if I need to do homework to understand what's going on, then the story has got a problem.

Back to my former point, Yes Mai and Zuko were in a relationship during Fire and as I said before, I like all the couples I listed except for Makorra and Masami. I didn't say that they spent only a few minutes of screen time together throughout the series, I said that before Fire, there was no sign that Zuko and feelings for Mai and that there was next to no buildup and that at the start of Fire they where suddenly in a relationship and acted like they have been in a relationship the whole time.

As for Korra and Asami, I most certainly do not agree that there was nothing building up to this relationship. As 425599167 pointed out, the Hoy Yay page was mostly about their interactions and that many saw a number of their scenes as ship teases. Most of Korra and Asami's screen time was spent together in Change and by the end I do think it started to become more romantic towards the end of the series and there were even some romantic undertones to a number of their scenes throughout the season IMHO.

Actually it's funny, right before Change was released there where one or two images of Korra and Asami put on line and fans being fans began shipping them because they where standing next to each other.

I had even posted a comment going over how it was never going to happen, that even if Bryke wanted to do it Nick would never allow it. That we wouldn't so much see them hold hands, let alone have any scene that could be considered even remotely romantic. However, right from the start with their first scene together I felt that they were a much better couple then Either girl ever was with Mako.

First scene we see them together is at the press conference is Asami being supportive of Korra and telling her that they will figure something out. Now this may not seem like much but take a closer look at this scene WITHOUT the hetero goggles on. It's not super romantic but the scene is actually rather intimate, Korra and Asami are very close to one another, the music has a subtle romantic tone to it and both Korra and Asami's voices become much softer when they speak to each other. It's not the biggest thing but right here we see that they are comfortable with each other.

And then we have the car scene. Now this isn't the moment I became a Korrasami shipper, but it is the moment that got me seriously considering the idea of them being a couple. First we have the animation which does something that Makorra and Masami was SERIOUSLY lacking which is, as odd as it may sound, body language.

To better explain this we need to go back and look at some of Mako and Korra's interactions during their first few episodes together.

[1] [2] [3]

Notice that throughout most of these episodes Mako and Korra aren't very close to one another and that they are often kept at a distance, half the time their not even in the same frame together. Also look at how they hold themselves, stiff, ridged, often keeping their arms to their side or crossed and this is how they often interact with each other throughout the series.

In contrast Korra and Asami are often very close to each other and are less stiff as shown here,

[4]

Throughout this entire scene Korra and Asami are very relaxed with around each other, joking around and teasing each other and are very close to one another, they are in a car after all, and giving each other these rather sweet side long glances.

And it doesn't stop here, because from this point on we see Korra and Asami are always hanging out with one another. Training together, fighting together, sitting next to each other while they eat and are shown to almost always be next to each other when they are just moving around.

About midway through Change I had completely changed, (no pun intended), my position on the idea of Korra and Asami becoming a couple I was now a hardcore Korrasami shipper all the way. They had a sort of chemistry that I had NEVER really seen in this show, which does have some rather good couples but nothing like this.

Now just before the end of Change I thought that maybe the reason I was becoming such a Korrasami fan was because the romance in the first two seasons was so bad that I was willing to look at ANY romantic over the love triangle nonsense. And then came that last scene between Korra and Asami towards the end of Change.

To better explain this here's a link from another Korrasami shipper who covers pretty much everything.

[5]

So in short, yes pretty much every couple had, at most, one episodes worth of buildup, or in the case of Zuko and Mai, one comic with the only exception being Aang and Katara which is undermined by the fact that Aang fell for Katara the moment he saw her and Katara showed little interest in Aang with the only a few episodes that show her romantic interest in Aang, (The Fortuneteller, The Cave of Two Lovers, The Desert and The Ember Island Players).

@TheMasquerade: Wow, that's a lot of ground to cover. But nonetheless...

• RE: Mai and Zuko

First, in regards to "Going Home": I read it online though I forget which site it was on (we're talking years ago), but it shouldn't be hard to find. That said while it might've been better to include it in the series proper, I saw nothing wrong with it being released independently since I look it as supplemental material.

"Going Home" aside, I'd argue that the flashback in "Zuko Alone" and Ty Lee's comment in the "Omashu" episode were sufficient enough to make it clear that Zuko and Mai were an item. The reason we didn't see much more beyond that is obvious, due to Zuko being in exile. Once they reunited (after 3 years of separation), they made up for the lost time.

• RE: Hints of Korrasami

I'd be lying if I said much of what you're presenting as evidence didn't seem largely interpretive. Such as the scene after the press conference you mentioned. "We'll work something out," is something friends and family also say to each other. It hardly denotes romance.

The same can be said of the scene in the car. Korra's exact words were: "I've never had a girl friend to hang out with before." Notice she said "hang out with" rather than "go out with". Friends hang, lovers date. So really, there wasn't anything that gave the impression that Korra meant it as anything beyond them being friends, at that time.

By contrast, I'll use an excerpt from one of the counter examples I mentioned previously.

• Faith: (to Tiffany) "There's only other person I respect as a peer, he's my boyfriend. That makes you the only one worthy to be my official girlfriend. We could be quite a pair... You can keep making me better. I can make you stronger. Think the offer over "Old Enemy". For you, my door window is always open."

So we're clear, I'm not saying Korra had to be as candid as Faith. But she made her feelings and her intentions towards Tiffany clear, in no uncertain terms. As did Aang when he asked Katara how she felt about him and the possibility of them being together.

And if you review each of the other couples, there always came a point where they hashed things out, as far as where things stood between them. Including Bolin when he reached the point of wanting to call off his relationship with Eska. He openly discussed it with her because he wanted to know if they were on the same page (which they weren't).

Which is part of what I meant by there not being any lead up to Korra and Asami's relationship. Neither one ever said anything about hooking up. They just did in the last few minutes of the series.

Bolin fell for Korra, Eska, and Opal each at the drop of a dime, but at least we knew he was interested. 'cuz as soon as he laid eyes on each of them, he started turning on the charm. With Korra and Asami, we didn't get that either. They just hung out together.

By contrast ("Magick Chicks" again), when Faith wanted to get with Tiffany, she said so. And from that point onwards, she started macking her: private rooftop luncheon for two, later she arranged for a day at the spa, private texts, etc. She went all-in.

Again, I'm not saying Asami had to be that straightforward about it, but I didn't see much of anything to suggest they were headed in that direction.

@Miin U

If one to two minutes of Mai showing signs that she has a crush on Zuko is enough for them why can't bits like this [1] this [2] and this [3] be enough for Korra and Asami? In these scenes, which most diffidently have a bit more of a romantic undertone along with the letter Korra sends to Asami, we see that their relationship has grown from friends to something more, sure their not kissing in their first scene together after a minute or so of screen time together in a flashback.

And in regards to the whole, "Friends hang, lovers date." well yeah, they weren't lovers at the time, they were friends. I don't think Korra was romantically interested in Asami at the time, through I do think she trusted Asami more then any other member of Team Avatar or even Tenzin. Consider this, Asami has always supported Korra in one form or another even before the two even met and Asami is the only member of Team Avatar who has never betrayed Korra in any way shape or form. She helped fund the Fire Ferrets, during the Pro-Bending Tournament, She agreed to smuggle weapons to the Southern Water Tribe to help in their war against the North and was there for Korra during her lowest moment where it's implied that she has become Korra's personal care taker for two weeks after her fight with Zaheer.

It's no wonder that Korra choose to write to Asami instead of Mako or Bolin and it 's likely that it these are the reasons Korra start to fall for her during the three years they were apart. And as to why we never saw the two in a more romantic light until Balance well, Asami was rebuilding her relationship with her father and Korra was dealing with her PTSD. And, to paraphrase you, once they reunited (after 3 years of separation), they started to make up for lost time.

I will say that I am convinced that Asami had more then likely figured out that she was in love with Korra when Korra had almost died at the end of Change. Note where they placed Asami in that scene, in front of Mako and that she looked far more devastated then anyone besides Korra's father. This along with that final scene together is when fans started to wonder if it was possible that there was an actual chance of Korrasami becoming canon. Look at how this scene is framed, they are very close to one another, we focus on Asami taking Korra's hand in her own and along with the dialogue, "I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you ever want to talk, or anything."

Add to that the fact that Asami was willing to go all the way to the Southern Water Tribe just to keep Korra company and likely would have stayed with her for even long if she knew just how broken Korra really was. To me, that suggests that Asami sees Korra as more then her best friend, she is in love with her and was willing to stay by her side and help her heal even, though there was nothing she could really do, and knowing Asami she likely would have done so even if Korra never returned her feelings. And that is the most purest form of Love, giving up all one has knowing that you will receive nothing in return. And as we see those feelings are in the end not one sided as Korra Does return those feelings and puts her trust in her by confessing to Asami about her fears and nightmares and trusts her not to tell anyone and Asami does keep that secret.

Again I like most of the couples in this show. Were they often rushed, yes but they had chemistry and you could see what they saw in each other. Its the same thing here, only instead of falling for one another at first sight it took them time to get to this point. Their also the only couple in this series who don't kiss before their first date.

• RE: to Asami making up for 'lost time'.

What lost time? Korra and Asami weren't together before Korra left, so Asami hadn't lost anything. Korra even kept correspondence with her.

Zuko did lose something when he was exiled by his father, because it meant being separated from his girlfriend (as in, no contact, no communication) until and unless he returned with the Avatar dead, or as his prisoner. Which was basically a snipe hunt and he knew it, because no one knew if the Avatar had even been reborn yet. So when he finally reunited with Mai, he had lost time to make up for.

• RE: to Korra's letters to Asami

Korra needed someone to confide in and chose her best friend. Who hasn't done that? Guys do it all the time, 'cuz sometimes, you just need to vent and when that time comes, they either choose their best friend, or the person closest to them (such as a relative).

Likewise, best friends keep each other's secrets, because of the bond of trust between them. Hence, why they're closer to each other than anyone else. It doesn't have to imply romantic feelings and it usually doesn't.

It'd be different had Korra been writing her love letters, or simply writing to say she'd been thinking about Asami and how she felt about her. Instead, Korra had a lot on her mind and needed someone she could talk too, who wouldn't tell her parents. By process of elimination:

• She was using Tenzin as her alibi, without his knowledge or consent. So obviously, she wasn't gonna tell him, 'cuz her cover would've been blown.
• Lin would've flat-out told her she was wrong for what she was doing and hauled her *** back home again. So Korra wasn't gonna tell her either.
• Talking to Mako would've been like talking to Lin at that point, especially now that he was working for her. Plus, he was her ex.
• And Bolin can't keep a secret worth sh*t, by his own admission. Which we saw happen twice.

Which left Asami as her only option, 'cuz she had no one else.

• RE: to visual hints at Korrasami

That's still largely interpretive and much of it is tainted by shipping goggles, by your own admission. The rest could be hindsight bias.

However, I'll admit that if there were any such indicators I clearly failed to notice, because I saw nothing of their interaction that implied they were anything other than two good friends. Had Aang suddenly hooked up with Sokka in the last moments of the final episode, people would be saying the same thing:

"Where'd THAT come from??"

Just commenting because jeez, this review is like a historical record of my online self. I\'ve commented on it at least once every year since 2014, and it\'s interesting to see where I go every time it comes back up. Oct 02 2015 is especially obnoxious, I had just seen a video about an unmentionable topic and I was like fully in the mindset that the video was made in. I\'ve changed a lot since then, it\'s one of two posts that make me cringe.

Funnily enough, I still haven\'t watched past season one of Korra. I just really like internet drama, and form a bunch of my opinions using secondhand sources and my interpretation of them.

@MrMallard: Going by secondhand knowledge is rarely a good idea (if ever).

I almost missed out on two good series that way, because of all the negative reviews and criticisms they were getting, \'til I finally had to see if they were really as bad as everyone was making them out to be. And (surprise, surprise) they weren\'t.

So by the time I finally picked up \"Paranormal Mystery Squad\" (which had already merged with \"Vampire Cheerleaders\" by then), it was only months away from its conclusion. And it hurt to think of all the forum discussion I had missed out on because I let my opinion of the comic be tainted by other people, rather than trust my own judgement.

The same was true, albeit to a lesser extent, with \"Highschool of the Dead\".

@Miin U Can we agree to disagree?

@TheMasquerade: Fair enough.

Jesus, 100 comments?! People are passionated over this ship.

Holy shit, my OTP nuked the internet. *smiles devilishly*

Why would you bump a four-year-old review of you have nothing constructive to say?