Meta: Random Musings

Unless you’ve been paying no attention whatsoever (and hey, maybe you weren’t, there is a pandemic and police riots going on) you’ll know that the fifth and final season of She Ra dropped on Netflix last month, a season which just happened to coincide with the seventh episode of the second season of DC’s animated Harley Quinn.

Both shows revolve around the intense relationships that exist between their two (rather damaged) female leads, and on May 15th, both culminated in a Big Damn Kiss.

Ecstatic by the success of their escape from a giant prison-pit, Harley and Ivy spontaneously kissed each other before recoiling in shock, while over on She Ra, Adora receives (and returns) a kiss from her long-time rival/childhood friend/mortal enemy/love interest Catra while on the verge of death.

Two very different contexts for two same-sex kisses, but as you can imagine: there was much rejoicing.

Naturally comparisons have been made to The Legend of Korra, whose final episode depicted Korra and Asami walking off into the spirit world together, but also the most recent Star Wars film in regards to the way the two leads spend most of their screen-time on opposite sides of a conflict, with the latter going through a redemption arc before they eventually reconcile. Naturally I have stuff to say about all this, as most of the discourse (that dreaded word) has sparked reactions ranging from bemusement to irritation to “what the hell are these guys talking about??”

But it’s a fascinating time we live in, and so below the cut are some random musings on the intersectionality of redemption, enemies-to-lovers arcs, and Sapphic love…

(Warning: I'm gonna talk more shit about Star Wars, so if you're sick of that, best give this a miss...)

Review: Republic City Hustle

Just when I was feeling a little glum over having transferred all my The Legend of Korra reviews from Livejournal to this blog (it makes it feel like the show has finally come to an end, and there's still a wait until the comic books arrive) I remembered there was one little story left to tell: Republic City Hustle!

This was originally released on-line as a three-part animated short that explored Mako and Bolin's lives a couple of years before meeting Korra. It's pretty slight; it probably clocks in at just under fifteen minutes, but it's a nice little glimpse into the background of the brothers and how they came to live at the Pro-bending Arena.

The Legend of Korra: Darkness Falls and A Light in the Dark

Here's my final review for the last episodes of The Legend of Korra's second season, as written back when it first aired. It's fun looking back at what I made of it before the ship righted itself with Book Three, and before I became a fully-fledged Korrasami shipper (at this point I thought Mako/Asami was the better option!)

Now I can really start looking forward to the comic book in June!

The Legend of Korra: Night of a Thousand Stars and Harmonic Convergence

So we're definitely heading towards end-game now, which actually took me by surprise as I (embarrassingly) assumed we were only about halfway through this season. Why I thought that I have no idea, but it was a bit of a shock when it became apparent there were only four episodes left. On consideration, maybe it's because this season only really kicked into gear after the Beginnings two-parter.

You can see the writers setting up the board for the final conflict, marking off the checklist that allocates each character a chance to shine, and foregoing the more plot-driven parts of the story in order to focus on pure action. Korra once again takes a backseat in Night of a Thousand Stars so that subplots in the South Pole and Republic City can be brought to their logical conclusion; first with Tonraq and his allies trying to win back the city from Unaloq, and secondly with Bolin becoming a hero in rescuing President Raiko from kidnapping.

2016 in a Single Cinematic Moment

I'm hoping to have my Rogue One review up by tomorrow, but before then I just wanted to remind myself of a post I made at the beginning of this year. Namely, that 2014 ended with this:

And 2015 ended with this:

And that if this pattern kept up, I might not survive the end of 2016. Whelp, here's the iconic image that closed off this year:

SPOILERS FOR ROGUE ONE

The Legend of Korra: The Guide and A New Spiritual Age

As always, I watched these two episodes back-to-back, and I'm glad I did. It means delaying my Korra fix for a week, but you end up getting a much juicier story as a result. But I was particularly nervous this time around given the dramatic improvement in the show and my hopes that the quality would remain high. I was nearly about to call it quits only for The Sting to end up surpassing my expectations, followed by the Beginnings two-parter, which completely blew me away. So I had my fingers crossed that these two episodes would continue to buck the trend. And they did!

Even better, I was completely unspoiled for the appearance of Iroh. These days, spoilers are well-nigh impossible to avoid. There are articles and interviews and promotional material that seem determined to give away every tiny surprise and plot-twist before it airs, and even if you manage to avoid all that, there's always the (good) chance that if you delay watching even for a single day, you'll accidentally end up seeing or hearing what happened on-line.

Spoilers are the bane of my existence, simply because I think they're the bane of storytelling's existence, but that's a rant for another day. Suffice to say that when Iroh appeared out of the darkness, I was genuinely and whole-heartedly surprised, not only at his appearance, but at the fact I didn't know it was going to happen. And I can't remember the last time that I was allowed to be totally unaware of where a story was heading. It was such a nice feeling.

The Legend of Korra: Beginnings Part I and II

Let me rave about Beginnings.

Only ... I don’t even know where to start really. These two episodes not only revealed the origins of the Avatar, but fleshed out nearly every single story note that the show has ever had. Re-watching the original series will be a brand new experience, as now the viewer is armed with backstory that sheds light on everything from the lion turtles to the nature of bending to humanity's relationship with the spirits to the cosmic forces that shape the world. I’m still reeling a little bit from just how expansive and inclusive it all was.

The entire thing is framed by Korra’s experience as a survivor of a spirit attack that left her washed up on the shores of the Fire Nation, bereft of her memories. Thankfully, instead of something that’s going to be wrung out over the rest of the season for maximum angst, this Easy Amnesia is cleared up by the end of the two-parter, rendering it a simple plot device that provides the narrative excuse for her to float back in time to her very first incarnation.

The Legend of Korra: Peacekeepers and The Sting

So just when I was about to call it quits on The Legend of Korra, the show churns out a couple of really intriguing episodes. There were a few dodgy bits (don’t worry, I’ll get to those), but what I was starting to enjoy in The Sting was the wide sense of scope and newfound emphasis on the ensemble.

I didn’t even realize until the final few minutes that Korra only had one scene in this episode – instead the focus was on Asami and Mako, and though I don’t have a problem with Korra in the way others seem to, I liked that she played a much smaller part. It gave me the feeling that the story is branching out; that this was only a small piece of a much larger tapestry. I think splitting up the gang and following only a select few around at a time was a good idea.

Or perhaps I was just happy to see Lin Bei Fong back again. The whole show just seemed to perk up at her presence.

The Legend of Korra: Civil Wars Part I and II

Yeah, I’m just not feeling this season. And I hate that, because I really, really want to love this show, but there’s just something missing. As such, I only have a small list of observations instead of a proper review…

The Legend of Korra: Rebel Spirits and The Southern Lights

Hey guys, I know it's been dead around here lately, but I'm currently swamped with assignments, work, bad weather and a lingering illness. Fun times. So in order to keep this blog relevant until I can return my full attention to the last three episodes of The Musketeers and all the other half-finished posts that have been stagnating on Microsoft Word, I've delved into my now-defunct LiveJournal and resurrected some reviews that I originally made there.

Back in 2012 I reviewed the entirety of The Legend of Korra's first season, and continued with the second season in two-part instalments, being a little lukewarm on the show after the somewhat confusing Book: Air.  But the fact that it was called Spirits reeled me in, and I ended up enjoying it immensely by its second half – in fact, I like it more than Air, even though it seems to be ranked last by most fans of the franchise.

I rewatched the whole thing on DVD recently and found that most of my thoughts and feelings about season two remain the same as they did back in 2013, so I'm cut-and-pasting the posts I wrote at the time here for posterity (and having done so, my reviews for all four seasons of the show will be on this blog).

Review: The Legend of Korra: Book One: Air

This weekend I took the opportunity to rewatch the first season of The Legend of Korra, and wow – who can deny it was a discouraging beginning? Naturally expectations were high after the success of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and with the exception of a few overzealous Zutara shippers who seemed convinced that developments such as Aang/Katara marrying and having children was a direct pot-shot at them, most people were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next Avatar.

It didn't quite work out the way we expected. Character development was stilted, the storyline was resolved with a hat-trick of deus ex machinas, and too much time was wasted on that tedious love triangle. (Why are writers convinced that audiences want love triangles? Is it because of Twilight? Is that what's to blame?)

But by looking back in hindsight from the vantage point of all four seasons, I found myself warming up a little to Book One. Yes, there were some missteps, and no, nobody cared about Pro-Bending, but for the most part these issues were ironed out in subsequent seasons. Reading back through the post I made just after the season finale aired, it was obvious that I was disappointed but still hopeful – and I'm very grateful that I hung in there for the duration of the entire show.

So here it is, the review I wrote back in July 2012, reblogged here for the sake of posterity. I found it interesting that many of my initial complaints were dealt with across the duration of season two (though the show didn't really hit its stride until season three), and maybe you'll recognize some of your own disgruntlement after Book One wrapped up.

Top Twelve Best Scenes in The Legend of Korra

Despite the title of this post, the following list admittedly encompasses my favourite scenes of The Legend of Korra rather than any objective attempt to rank "the best" moments on narrative or artistic merit. It's just asking for trouble to claim the definitive opinion on any given subject, so consider this disclaimer my insurance policy against potential "NO YOU'RE WRONG" comments.  

There is also no set theme to the entries on this list – these are scenes that could be described as heart-warming, tear-jerking, or just plain awesome. Some are lengthy sequences; others are brief moments that I thought were neat. The only thing they have in common is the impact they had on me: these are the bits that made me clutch my heart, gasp out loud, get a little misty-eyed, or any of the other embarrassing things you do when you're watching a TV show by yourself.

They're in no particular order beyond a rough "least to foremost" ranking, so don't take the placement of these examples too seriously.

Meta: Why Korrasami Works (oh who am I kidding, this is a shipping manifesto)

A part of me can't believe I'm doing this, but it would seem I still haven't run out of things to say about Korrasami – not by a long shot.

It's been over two months now since Korra and Asami walked off into the proverbial sunset together, and there's been feedback from all quarters. Although I've been hanging out in circles where giddy euphoria is the norm, there have been other reactions too, and the negative responses seem to come down to one of three things (though there's likely some overlap between them).

There's the homophobic stance, and unfortunately I've seen at least one vile rant directed at Mike and Bryan for their decision to make Korra/Asami an official couple (I'm not going to provide a link; it doesn't deserve to be seen and I'm sorry I saw it at all).

Then there's the Mako/Korra shippers, many of whom are feeling dejected enough to construct their own alternative endings that suggest a post-show Makorra hook-up. The erasure of a same-sex couple is grating, but for the most part the ongoing arguments over shipping preferences is not a battle I'm willing to get too embroiled in (especially when canon is on my side). Ship and let ship, people.

But among other detractors of the Korrasami ship, there seems to be a fixation on the idea that their relationship wasn't built up enough. That it came out of left-field. That there was no foreshadowing; that it was shoehorned in – you get the drift. The Avatar.Spirit forum is flooded with posters holding this opinion, and in the wake of the finale I was witness to a rather extraordinary debate on Fandom Secrets in which a poster devoted a lot of time and energy into insisting that Korrasami was badly written and that everyone who liked it was stupid.

There's an articulate reviewer that I used to follow regularly (before the overwhelming negativity of his reviews became too tedious) who also took the stance that the confirmation of Korra/Asami as a couple had no resonance because of the lack of build-up in their relationship. (Again, I'm not going to link to his site as I'm not interested in dogpiling). Everywhere you look it seems that the go-to excuse for not liking Korrasami is "not enough build-up".

But my response to the "no build-up" line of reasoning is that I don't have enough hands with which to face-palm.

Obviously everyone is going to have a different response to every story under the sun, but I thought Korrasami was handled beautifully, so much so that it's worth defending against those that think otherwise.

So yes, it would appear that for the first time in my life, I'm writing a shipper manifesto. I'm even using portmanteau names, so help me.

The Legend of Korra: Top 12 Funniest Gags

Just for fun, I thought I'd gather together all the moments strewn throughout The Legend of Korra that made me laugh. As in, really laugh. No one ever believes it when people type "LOL" all over the place, but I can promise you that beneath the cut are the twelve times Korra truly did make me laugh out loud.

(They're listed in chronological order, as it's rather impossible to rank hilarity).

Women of the Month: Avatar Korra and Asami Sato

Korra and Asami from The Legend of Korra

When I first began this little project, I established some rules for myself – namely that I would pick only one female character per book/show/film to focus on each month.

Well, rules are made to be broken, because there's no way I can choose between Korra and Asami at this stage. And the best thing about The Legend of Korra is there were plenty of other candidates to choose from: Lin or Suyin Beifong, Jinora or Ikki, Kya or Kuvira, Opal or Pema, even Katara or Toph. Any one of these ladies could have easily filled this slot.

But I'm going with Korra and Asami, for reasons that should be quite obvious by now. This is a long one, so it's going under the cut...

Link Roundup: Korrasami

It's been over a week now since the finale of The Legend of Korra aired, and the tributes, metas and articles are still coming in thick and fast. Most of them focus on those last three minutes, but there's been an outpouring of love and appreciation for the series as a whole. Here are some of my favourite links:

First of all, confirmation of Korrasami as an Official Couple from Bryan Konietzko and Mike di Martino.

This compilation of reaction videos, which actually made me more teary than the episode itself!

The ones worth watching in their entirety are from Seanimenet (you can tell he knows something is about to happen, but he can't quite figure out what) and from Kristronuovo (shipper joy personified).

This fantastic run-down (pre-confirmation) of how the final three minutes of the show were structured, comparing it to the ordering of final bows on the stage (the least important cast members go first, the most important go last), and what it says about how Korrasami was telegraphed.

An adorable comic that shows Varrick's side of his "hang-gliding off the tower" idea.

A woman with a gay son shares her feelings over the finale and what it means to her family.

The Vanity Fair article which talks about the subversive and progressive elements of the show (not the official VF website, but for some reason it's not loading for me).

The AV Club review, which concentrates on the feminist themes of the show in its entirety.

The Mary Sue comments on both the Korrasami endgame and the Korra's relationships with women.

I09 has a hilarious and poignant recap/commentary of the final episode.

About a month (maybe two) before the finale aired, a couple of Korrasami-themed secrets (here and here) popped up on Fandom Secrets. Let's all take a moment to appreciate the delicious, delicious irony in the comments. Warning: the second one gets a little wanky, but it's worth it for the snotty comments that insist Korrasami is never going to happen.

Which also gives me the perfect excuse to pop out my favourite GIF!

"They said it would never happen!"

A TV tropes review called "In Defence of Korrasami" is worth a quick read. Unfortunately the comments inevitably spiral into wank, but the initial review captures my personal views on why the ship works so perfectly and why the myriad of excuses for calling it "out of left field" or "pandering" are complete bullshit.

This adorable Korrasami video.

This fan-art (safe for work). And this one (also safe).

A retrospective of the entire series.

Another pre-confirmation meta that lists evidence for Korrasami, and points out some details that I had missed.

Tor rips apart the "just fan pandering" nonsense right here.

This great meta on why Korra apologises to Asami for her absence, and not Mako/Bolin.

For reasons that are beyond me, I delved into the comments section of the Internet Movie Database, but amidst the homophobia and other related garbage, there was this rather lovely comment (which I'll repost here, as I won't blame you if you want to avoid IMDB):

I feel the way Korra and Asami interacted in episode seven made it very clear that they liked each other and felt some tension, with Korra blushing at Asami's compliment and Asami acting somewhat angry she had been gone for so long. It had been two years. Feelings for people can boil up even in time they're apart. Korra felt she could trust Asami with her fiery emotions when she was out of control, and it was clear to me in season three that Asami cared for Korra. In episode seven, there was not a single question in my mind that at least Korra liked Asami that way. I just didn't know if anything was going to come of it. It was subtle, while I actually perceive the three pairings you mention as a bit overdone/overemphasized.

As for the final scene itself, the way I see it is it's not a blatant thing, and that's half the beauty of it. Neither of them confesses love. It's kind of a sneaky, sudden, somewhat crazy situation where Korra's just like, "Hey, what if I ask her on vacation alone, just the two of us?" If you are interested in a same-sex friend and neither of you has made explicit potential sexual interest in the same gender, this is exactly the sort of way it goes down in real life--at least that's my opinion. So I thought it was really cute that both of them, probably a bit nervous, feelings somewhat apparent but completely unconfirmed, were heading into the spiritual world together, probably hoping to move into being more than friends sometime during their vacation.

Had the two of them made interest more clear, I feel these last few moments of the show would have robbed of their passion and beauty. Love can move impetuously, in jolts and sudden accelerations. This development suits Korra's personality well. That Korra and Asami's metaphorical dance was quick and timid, in my opinion, was much more charming than any long, lovelorn gazes at the moon or bold declarations of love. To me, it was a humble and ironically unambitious pairing. And I know I could get a lot of flack for saying this, but personally it was the most realistic romance for me in either series.

Ditto.

The Legend of Korra: Day of the Colossus and The Last Stand

It's over.

And yet it hasn't really sunk in that this was the last time I'll be seeing these characters in a brand new episode – it's all reruns from here on out. I suppose there's a chance of a comic book continuation (Korra and Asami exploring the spirit world together? GIVE IT TO ME NOW) but for all intents and purposes, this was it. The end.

So how did this fare as not only a seasonal finale, but as the Grand Finale of the show itself?

The Legend of Korra: Kuvira's Gambit

We all knew it was coming: the moment when Kuvira crosses the line. Arguably this has already happened, what with her detainment camps, kidnapping of the Beifongs and creation of a superweapon, but this time (as they say) it was personal. This time she sacrifices something she loves in order to achieve her goal of conquering Republic City.

Which is poor old Bataar Junior. But I'll get to that.

The Legend of Korra: Operation: Beifong

Things are certainly heading toward the grand finale now, with the Beifong clan reunited (and reconciled) and Kuvira demonstrating the power of her super-weapon. Once again Korra takes a bit of a backseat, with most of the action focused on Lin, Suyin, Toph, Opal, and other assorted Beifongs.

The Legend of Korra: Beyond the Wilds

We all survived last week's clip show, so let's get straight back to the important stuff: PLOT.

This felt like another transitional episode, a story in which nothing really gets resolved, but is mostly setup for later developments. By the end of this episode Korra has taken another step on the path to healing, Lin and Opal prepare for a rescue mission, and Varrick and Bolin return to Republic City, only to be almost instantly paired up with other characters in preparation for the next episode: Varrick with Asami and Bolin with Opal.