I say the sports announcer is the son of the cabbage merchant. Bets?

[amanuensis1]

While I sit here gnawing my arm waiting for The Avengers, I gotta say, the most recent episode of The Legend of Korra, "The Spirit of Competition," is one of the most perfect pieces of storytelling I've encountered in a less-than-half-hour episode. That? Coulda been a freaking season on another show. An agonizing, why-are-you-stretching-it-out-this-way season.

I think one of the things that delights me so about the Avatar TLA universe is that it refuses to get caught in the "If Only Those Characters Had Talked About What They'd Seen For Just Fifteen Seconds We'd Have Got Past That Misunderstanding And Could Have Avoided That Whole Plot" cliché. (I'm sure there's a shorter TV Trope name for it.) ATLA refuses to do that. People see something, they misunderstand, but are shortly talking about it and working it out so that we can get on with better story.


I really can't recall an "Underdog Sports Plot" where the heroes were allowed to look competent and kick some opposing team butt first off. I was gaping! When do we ever get that sort of thing?

Bolin! I love you, Bolin. Sure, Korra isn't feeling the romantic vibes for you, but I think the two of you can get married anyway and she can fall in love with you after you've built up a marriage based on respect, common ground, stability, and devotion. It would work.

Having said that, I love Korra's thing for Mako and Mako's for Korra. Mako's such a gentleman. Yes, I said that and meant it. He's with another girl right now, a splendid girl whom he shouldn't take lightly, and he's not about to let that go just yet nor is he going to run around behind her back. I'm quite happy to sit back and watch how that's going to develop.

I love Korra taking romantic advice from pre-pubescent girls whose sources of wisdom are the ATLA universe's equivalent of Tolkien and My Little Pony. I love Bolin competently stepping up to take charge of the face-off, unafraid to make the decision when his big brother is having an off game. I love Mako swallowing his pride and telling Korra the complicated truth about how he feels, and I love Bolin's sobbing reaction--not angry, not seething, but honest miserable blubbering. I love the Nickelodeon-friendly show having Bolin carb-bloated on noodles instead of inebriated so that it amounts to the same effect. I love Pabu waddling his fat little belly out the door. I love how Mako and Bolin aren't just brothers, they're guys, and how resolution sometimes is as simple as admitting, "Girls. Sheesh." And I love Korra being allowed the plotly honor of a last-second one-woman knockout comeback--it's her show, after all!

I just kept saying, "This is perfect," with every new shift in that story. It really was.

Comments

[elsajeni.livejournal.com]

IT WAS SO GREAT! This was the first episode of Korra that has actually made me yell out loud at the TV, which I had set as my measure of "Is this show living up to the original yet?"

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Anything in particular you were yelling? :D Or yelling at?

[elsajeni.livejournal.com]

When she set her jaw and went off to confess her love to Mako! I believe what I yelled was "NO DON'T."

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I thought to myself, well, at least there will be honesty between them, even if it all ends in tears. ^_^

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

I could have hated this episode so much, but I loved it. Characters screwed up in plausibly teenager-ish ways, learned things, communicated, figured out that the spirit of competition that serves them well in the bending arena is not applicable to romance, and things got sorted out early on instead of being drawn out over the season.

Also, I now kind of want to write Toza/Tahno for absolutely no canonically supported reason.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Squee, I saw your post about this episode shortly after I posted mine, and I was all, "She said what I said! She did she did!" (I couldn't get into your DW post to comment, though.) Bolin! Isn't he delightful? He's not using his position to become a jerk, he's not seething, he's just sad 'cos the girl doesn't love him that way.

And everyone communicates. It blows my mind in the best way.

*goes to look up those character names (I can't remember everyone yet DON'T BE MAD.)*

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Huh, I thought that if I had granted access to someone's LJ account, they would be able to comment on a locked DW post, but this is the second time that's failed, so I was obviously wrong. Anyhow, I've added your DW account if that helps.

And Bolin is such an absolute sweetheart. His flailing arms. His comfort-eating binge. His tears, and his kickassery, and his admission that his feelings were hurt and now he needs some praise ... the show has gotten some well-deserved praise for writing non-stereotypical female characters, but it deserves just as much for writing non-stereotypical male characters too.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*looks up characters, laughs like loon* Your Snilch is showing! I would absolutely adore seeing what you do with that.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Your Snilch is showing!

*laughs* Exactly! You (or rather I) just know that he's a bratty little sub at heart who hangs around the gym antagonizing Toza until he gets spanked.

I think this world is going to be fun to write in once it's a little further along. As a side-character and setting fan, I found there wasn't quite as much to play with in ATLA because it dealt with the travels of the protagonists through different locales each week. Whereas with Korra, you have the whole fascinating city and a well-rounded cast of recurring characters.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes, I had thought that, too! "Love triangle? Between kids? UGH!", but this show made it work and I loved it. :D

[effie-chan.livejournal.com]

I still don't understand how that show can be so perfect. I mean how is it possible that a show that is supposedly for kids has such amazingly developed characters with first-class story-telling and pacing, great plot with fun twists and not a single drop of misogyny. Just, ugh, so good.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

and not a single drop of misogyny

Women in positions of power and strength ALL over the place. In Korra it's even more common than it was in Avatar--Sokka's sexist attitude the first time he hits Kiyoshi island probably wouldn't even have happened in Korra's day, you think?

[effie-chan.livejournal.com]

Probably not, as things seem to have changed quite a bit. I mean, just look at Bolin's reaction to Korra saving him. He isn't sullen or humiliated because a ~girl saved him. Instead, he thanks her sincerely by bringing her a cupcake and a flower. That just blew my mind.

Of course, when I said there wasn't misogyny, I didn't necessarily mean that none of the characters have sexist attitudes. But when they do it is pointed out and shown to be wrong-headed.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Man, you said everything I would have! I loved all of that. I love the whole show.

The tiny, tiny, tiny thing I don't like is the "Previously..." at the beginning of each ep. Did ATLA do that every single ep? Maybe it was easier to ignore then, since it wasn't in the news format. (Which totally fits and I love! It's so fun! But I don't feel like I need a Previously... so early on in the series.)

Also, the leader of the champion team (Wolfbats, I think it was?), did you notice he wears a white belt? Does that mean he's an airbender? Eee!

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I can see how they might need the "Previously..." because this is the first show I've followed in a while where a lot of people who are really into it nonetheless don't seem to be understanding what's going on. I don't know if it's the younger audience, but...yeah.

Also, I'm pretty sure Tahno from the Wolfbats is a Waterbender—the colouring on his belt is just a little light. *coughs* It would make me so happy if it turns out he's a Swampbender, in fact.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I rewound a few times, trying to see if his belt was really white or not. (Then spent a while wondering if belt colors were set-in-stone tied to bending...) It looked like white, but it could have been the lighting for sure.

I guess it's better for them to use a Previously... than risk some folks being lost. I'd be happier without it, but it's only a few seconds, so I can cope.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Hm, interesting. It seemed obviously blue to me because I've been looking at screenshots on Tumblr, where people tend to crank up the saturation. Going back to the original, I can see how it's ambiguous, but if you watch where he's first coming through the locker room, his belt is definitely more blue than it looks in the next scene, and you can see the blue on his helmet.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay, drat. I hadn't gone back beyond that last few seconds of the ep, when he was walking.

So excited for next week's ep! Arg, a whole week away!

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Having another Airbender sprung on us would have been interesting, especially since we now know that Tenzin was in a serious relationship before marrying Pema (and I'm pretty sure that's the only way there could be another Airbender), but I was kind of pleased to have Tahno revealed as a Waterbender rather than a Firebender, as people were initially speculating.

And ugh, I'm used to watching shows in great big gluts once they're already out on DVD. The weekly wait is killing me!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes! I watched ATLA in five days total, and it was great. Watching it week by week makes it last longer, but I think I like watching it at my own pace better.

And man, yes, for sure. I'm much much much happier having Tahno be a waterbender than a firebender. Airbender would have been really interesting, but anything is better than fire. I do love them best, but we don't need more bad guy firebenders.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

As much as I like the announcer, I can see why the "Previously..." might feel a bit much in that format. They did have scene-displayed "Previously, on Avatar..." recaps at the begining of ATLA, but maybe they felt less...tailored?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think it was likely easier to ignore, too. The announcer's voice was calm and cool, it didn't grab hold and demand my attention. The Korra announcer is all PREVIOUSLY! ON KORRA! .