Politics of the show fucking blows, but imo, the worst thing the show does is Korra.
Korra has a problem in that the show sells her as a competent badass with a small oversight in her abilities in being unable to airbend, and achieve the actual avatar state. But throughout the first book she's constantly losing every fight, unable to bring her mix of bending abilities to bear in an interesting way and achieve victory. All she has to do at any time is win one fight, or merely have the enemy escape from her. But for the sake of plot and being a fighting show, the writing becomes contrived so she must fight and have a scene where she loses.
Contrast this with atla, where Aang's significant ability to airbend leaves him a capable and experienced fighter, but airbending is a pacifistic art that relies on pushing your opponent back. And in atla Aang isnt concerned with stopping some big bad immediately, all he really ever needs to do is live to fight another day. Aang primarily relies on his airbending for this reason, even when he has the other bending abilities he doesnt need to incapicate anyone by dropping rocks on their head or fireball anyone.
Korra never gets past this key writing problem. Around halfway of book 2 you will realize Korra never wins a fight that isnt relevant to the plot (season finales) or where shes heaped out of it by whatever bullshit of the season. Even after mastering all the elements, she still never activates the avatar state and wins fights. I also really hated the death of the avatar spirit in book 2, it felt like a huge fuck you and loss of the remembered cultures of the world since man conquered the elements. Korra just really sucks ass. She isnt the avatar, she has none of the spiritual connection and neither the ability or competence to protect it even after being trained as a child to do the job.
I also really hated the death of the avatar spirit in book 2, it felt like a huge fuck you and loss of the remembered cultures of the world since man conquered the elements. Korra just really sucks ass. She isnt the avatar, she has none of the spiritual connection and neither the ability or competence to protect it even after being trained as a child to do the job.
I 100% agree with you on this part. Especially with the newer novels. The spiritual aspect of the avatar as a reincarnated being that has spent hundreds if not thousands of lifetimes solving spirit and human problems is highlighted and become so important for many of the plot points of the book. In Yangchen's novel she is basically going partly mad from her powerful spiritual connection where the gets triggered flashbacks to other lives at the weirdest times, but she also bears the brunt of those joys and traumas. One moment she could be walking down the street and the smell of street food trigger a deeply recessed avatar memory, and the next moment she could be witnessing her own death over and over again. It's so fucking good and they fucked that up with Korra.
Politics of the show fucking blows, but imo, the worst thing the show does is Korra.
Korra has a problem in that the show sells her as a competent badass with a small oversight in her abilities in being unable to airbend, and achieve the actual avatar state. But throughout the first book she's constantly losing every fight, unable to bring her mix of bending abilities to bear in an interesting way and achieve victory. All she has to do at any time is win one fight, or merely have the enemy escape from her. But for the sake of plot and being a fighting show, the writing becomes contrived so she must fight and have a scene where she loses.
Contrast this with atla, where Aang's significant ability to airbend leaves him a capable and experienced fighter, but airbending is a pacifistic art that relies on pushing your opponent back. And in atla Aang isnt concerned with stopping some big bad immediately, all he really ever needs to do is live to fight another day. Aang primarily relies on his airbending for this reason, even when he has the other bending abilities he doesnt need to incapicate anyone by dropping rocks on their head or fireball anyone.
Korra never gets past this key writing problem. Around halfway of book 2 you will realize Korra never wins a fight that isnt relevant to the plot (season finales) or where shes heaped out of it by whatever bullshit of the season. Even after mastering all the elements, she still never activates the avatar state and wins fights. I also really hated the death of the avatar spirit in book 2, it felt like a huge fuck you and loss of the remembered cultures of the world since man conquered the elements. Korra just really sucks ass. She isnt the avatar, she has none of the spiritual connection and neither the ability or competence to protect it even after being trained as a child to do the job.
terrible show, the fights suck, 2/10
I 100% agree with you on this part. Especially with the newer novels. The spiritual aspect of the avatar as a reincarnated being that has spent hundreds if not thousands of lifetimes solving spirit and human problems is highlighted and become so important for many of the plot points of the book. In Yangchen's novel she is basically going partly mad from her powerful spiritual connection where the gets triggered flashbacks to other lives at the weirdest times, but she also bears the brunt of those joys and traumas. One moment she could be walking down the street and the smell of street food trigger a deeply recessed avatar memory, and the next moment she could be witnessing her own death over and over again. It's so fucking good and they fucked that up with Korra.