Korra

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Re: Korra

Postby Mongrel » Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:34 pm

Pretty good overall. Much better that I'd thought it would go at this point.

Büge wrote:And so, the ship sails into the sunset.

And how!

EDIT: On further reflection, it's interesting how completely safe they played it. I'm not sure that it's even something to be disappointed about, but it's noteworthy at least.

EDIT2: Also, while it's a clear theme throughout both Avatar series that no conflict or disagreement is irreconcilable and that with goodwill and understanding any dispute could be worked out, it's interesting that they chose NOT do this with Fire Lord Ozai, but did choose to do this with MAGIC HITLER CHIANG KAI-SHEK. Then again, Ozai was always presented much more consistently as an absolutist card-carrying villain, whereas Kuvira's characterization sort of flails around between sympathetic and MUAHAHAHA.
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Re: Korra

Postby Mongrel » Fri Dec 19, 2014 9:48 pm

Overall, I think my opinion of the series has remained about the same when comparing it to TLA: TLoK tries to reach farther but fails harder. It's still a watchable show, and decent, but the what-might-have-been factor is murder.
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Re: Korra

Postby Büge » Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:39 pm

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Re: Korra

Postby Mongrel » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:40 am

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE FACE OF MERCY?!

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loool
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Re: Korra

Postby IGNORE ME » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:31 am

All the way up to the parting shot I was still going with the sweet friendship thing, but that was pretty much "No, seriously, this Avatar is as gay as the network is going to let us make her. Deal with it."

Which is neat.

This sendoff did pull up hard in much the same way Season 2 did, but it does do some aggravating things, like, uh, are we supposed to just forget that Varrick is supposed to be in prison? It doesn't sound like they're going to send him back after that.

Prince Wu has a much better shining moment and I'm jazzed about that, because I always liked the character and just not practically everything he ever said or did up to this. But then he drops that bit of political commentary at the end and it's like, okay, just cram that right in there I guess.

Mako proves that you can look really cool doing a thing and still be boring.

And that's the end I guess. I'm going to go forward with a probably vain hope that we'll get a new Avatar saga after this. The future is full of surprises.

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Re: Korra

Postby Disposable Ninja » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:52 am

I'm hoping at some point we see some prequel stories. Like, an Avatar after Wan but before Yangchen.
For the White Witch!

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Re: Korra

Postby Mongrel » Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:30 am

I think Verrick gets a pass on the basis of President Raiko's recruiting him, Dirty Dozen-style. I mean, that seemed dealt with and I didn't see it as an oversight. Top scientists getting a get-out-of-jail-free card when they switch to the winning side has a long and storied history in warfare anyway.

Besides, he was arguably the best and strongest character this season, so of course the guy's gonna get his day. Every minute he was on screen in season 4 was just great.

Brentai wrote:Prince Wu has a much better shining moment and I'm jazzed about that, because I always liked the character and just not practically everything he ever said or did up to this. But then he drops that bit of political commentary at the end and it's like, okay, just cram that right in there I guess.


Prince Wu was something of a disaster. Very few of his roles, actions, or lines from episode to episode link up at all. I like where they had him end up in the abstract - it was a nice subversion of type - but there was basically no basis for it whatsoever; it's a complete fucking ass-pull. He was just this... sackful of odd lines that never formed a coherent character or even a consistent personality (okay, maybe the first couple episodes were consistent, but from the middle of the season on, it's just "Huhwha?").

Mako proves that you can look really cool doing a thing and still be boring.

Oh brother, preach it. At least Bolin managed to avoid any excruciating moments this episode! Wow! A whole 40 minutes!

Also, it's sort of heartbreaking that Lin's last moment on screen is her alone, staring bitterly (sadly? angrily?) into the distance, kebab awkwardly in hand.

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I'm also quite sad that Bumi basically VANISHED this season. Even when they allowed him on the Bataar Jr. rescue, he didn't even get a line. And I may have missed it in the heat of the action, but I didn't even see him with the airbender attack team (they put the hipster airbender in, but not Bumi?! BAH.)
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Re: Korra

Postby Blossom » Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:06 pm

Varrick was arrested, but he was quite specific that he was never convicted. I'd imagine that, yeah, after his work in the war effort, the charges got dismissed.

I like that the end was juuuuuust ambiguous enough to technically be ambiguous, while being in no way actually ambiguous.
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Re: Korra

Postby beatbandito » Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:52 pm

Thoughts on the finale:

Mako's last stand was terrible. Again, the first episode of Korra showed that basically all firebenders can control lightning. Last season he got a partial pass because he was able to produce lightning on his own, which may be a rare trait, but this time he was just back to controlling it and he didn't even do a good job of it.

Opal died I guess? We saw her get knocked out and everyone run to her side, but we never see her wake up (or for the rest of the episode) that I noticed.

We have Korrasami going on here. The final shot was clearly Nick's way of letting us know that's as gay as any of the primary characters are allowed to outwardly express.

Even though I never liked the fart jokes I was incredibly disappointed that Meelo didn't save Tenzin with a last-second airbending fart. That's just missing potential there.

Kuvira continues to make no sense. Her turn-around and lack of Vaatu possession completely kill any chance of her actions having meaning. She's not a character, just an obstacle for Korra to measure her spiritual growth against.
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Re: Korra

Postby Mongrel » Sun Dec 21, 2014 11:12 pm

Man, the more I talk about season four with people, the less I like it.

I don't think Opal's dead, I just think they fucked up with loose ends and poor endings like they did for almost all the secondary characters.

Granted, Opal was so pathetically one-dimensional for her entire tenure, I'm not sure who would miss her.
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Re: Korra

Postby Mothra » Mon Dec 22, 2014 12:27 am

Saw the finale. Really loved it.

Very satisfying end to the series.

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Re: Korra

Postby Mothra » Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:15 pm

Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding was basically everything I wanted from this season, but never dared hope for. Obviously, it would've been great to get more episodes in before it happened, but honestly, what we got was perfect.

YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' I DO

As for the action, every fight we got was hugely entertaining and genuinely intense. I love the fact that the first two assaults on the mech were complete fucking failures, forcing them to regroup and re-plan their attack over and over. Bolin and the earthbenders dropping a dang building on the thing was also awesome.

And I kinda went nuts at the sight of BOLIN USING GHAZAN'S LAVA SAW TECHNIQUE FUCK YES

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Re: Korra

Postby Mongrel » Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:57 pm

Combat was good! I may seem like I'm griping excessively, but I've got zero disagreement there.
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Re: Korra

Postby Mothra » Mon Dec 22, 2014 3:39 pm

beatbandito wrote:Opal died I guess? We saw her get knocked out and everyone run to her side, but we never see her wake up (or for the rest of the episode) that I noticed.

Nah, she was at the wedding. I think she even danced.

Wiki says that she was "carried to safety by Bolin" but I don't remember that.

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Re: Korra

Postby beatbandito » Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:30 pm

Yeah, I didn't really think she bit it there. It was just a little confusing that they draw so much attention to her taking the hit and... that's it.

I also forgot about Wu's super dumb political statement at the end. "You know, we may all be teenagers, and the only political systems I've actually seen in action are a crushing totalitarian military dictatorship and useless president. But I think this is the perfect time to decide, on my own, to dissolve the most fluid and longest standing government in all of world history. Oh how far I've come since my old selfish and ignorant ways from two months ago."

Not that it's necessarily a bad idea. Just, like, take a few years of actually living in your kingdom and repairing damages to plan it all out instead of declaring it a done deal on the spot?
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Re: Korra

Postby IGNORE ME » Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:42 pm

Also he doesn't have to abdicate in order to do any of that. Like I said, he's a perfect fit for a constitutional monarchy, which is exactly the sort of system Raiko was already planning to implement.

Poor Raiko is probably one of the complex characters in the series - at every single god damned turn he's shown making the best decision he can under the circumstances, and every single time it turns out to be the wrong one. I'd like to see some scenes of him getting drunk and complaining about how the world seems designed such that only teenagers can ever be effective.

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Re: Korra

Postby Blossom » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:56 pm

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Re: Korra

Postby Büge » Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:45 pm

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Re: Korra

Postby Esperath » Tue Dec 23, 2014 10:33 am

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pisa katto

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pisa katto

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Re: Korra

Postby Mothra » Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:25 pm

Yesssssss

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