We share similar thoughts. I enjoy Korra for what it is, but I really really want Korra et al to really examine their privilege as benders and how it must feel to be a non-bender. It's a good dramatic twist that Amon was a bender who genuinely thought bending was evil and destructive, but still. What about the actual non-benders? I have great hope Asami might be a part of that storyline next season, as the BAMF non-bender who fought HER OWN FATHER because she realized being terrorists for freedom! wasn't the right approach. She has the respect of benders -and- the perspective of someone who could have been an equalist.
Yeah, this is something they never really go into properly. Maybe with more time? Excuses, excuses. The council is all bender -- but wasn't, when Sokka was on it. And the fact that it seems to be appointees from outside governments rather than local electees seems at least as problematic, as does Tenzin having a seat to represent the Air nomads, aka himself.
Benders are thugs, street rats, or hobos, not just an elite. Non-benders are elite industrialists. Apart from the Council, and the ease with which it passed a non-bender curfew, the presence of bender privilege was frankly non-obvious. Sure, superpowers, but both this series and the first one have shown non-benders can have the superpower of running up fast and kicking you in the solar plexus, or crazy ass archery. Bending's been one way to be cool
Not just the council i.e. the top tier of city government, but also the police force? Just because some benders are hobos doesn't negate the fact that benders as a class have privilege in that society. Sato's motive for becoming an elite industrialist was to develop tech & weaponry that could pose a threat to benders and their dominance.
Haven't seen the first series yet so I can't comment on anything portrayed there; just going by what I see in Korra.
Yeah, after catching up on my LJ flist I've seen how very redundant my thoughts are. Hive mind, oh well. An Asami storyline like that would be cool--she could make a great leader and organizer.
Somebody on my tumblr dash was calling the show misogynist, due to Mako being a dumbass and getting away with it, and I was like HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT ABOUT THE SHOW THAT GIVES US LIN BEIFONG. HOW?! But I would do better to direct my capslock toward the actual accuser orz.
Lin is the greatest thing but I especially like her as a complement to Korra--I appreciate that within the same series we have two versions of lady action hero. Not just for variety's sake, but because Lin gives the impression she got where she is by out-manning the men around her, having ovaries of solid steel, showing no vulnerability etc.--and when that model (i.e. performing masculinity to succeed in a realm where masculinity reigns) is the only model for a female action hero it's disappointing--but here's it's not the only model, or even the central model, because there's Korra who wears her heart & vulnerabilities on her sleeve. It's like...Lin as metaphor for second-wave feminism ahaha.
"Which author was it who says she thinks of the worst thing she could do to her characters, and then does it? (Bujold?)"
Yeah, Lois Bujold. Though there's an implicit "worst thing they could survive".
I liked it, though it did feel too packed and tight, and the romance was just klutzy. "Korra must have boy".
Compare to the ending episode of the third arc of 12K, which felt like a masterpiece jewel of short cuts that say a lot, creating an episode that feels twice as long as it is, in a good way.
I've seen a lot of complaints about the romance! I agree it could've been done better, but I didn't think it was as ham-fisted as many people seem to feel. Certainly I didn't find it unwelcome or feel it was totally inorganic to the series. Some viewers seem to have noses out of joint simply because they didn't expect/want an outright romance plot or relationship drama getting all up in their action-adventure cartoon. I thumb my nose at those viewers. Sometimes I think media fans in general are getting so used to generating romance content themselves through fanwork that they get unduly resentful when the text itself takes up that task, like it's treading on their toes or something.
Anyway, why shouldn't Korra have boy; it's good for young female viewers to see that a character like Korra can be heroic and wear clothes that mostly cover her body and also have a love life if she wants one. (Leaving Mako's personal merits or lack thereof aside for now.)
Yeah, but it's also good for a girl to not need a boy to be complete. Especially when they seem forced together just so she'll have a boy. "Have Avatar state and boyfriend! The first one you fell for, even!"
At least we didn't get Asami turning to the dark side because of lost boy.
See, I never got the sense that the trajectory was forced, particularly toward the end when they'd been through a lot of intense personal danger together. OTOH what you say re: message is true; sadly my taste runs to works that include love stories so I have a tough time agitating for their removal.
At least we didn't get Asami turning to the dark side because of lost boy.
Still haven't seen the season finale so am averting my eyes from part II of your post...
1) The episode where Korra ends up supporting the ralliers because Tarlock is going too far in his containment methods made me really, really happy. Just seeing the hero on the side of protesters on the street felt significant.
2) If this had been a 12 ep mini series as originally planned, I bet Tarlock and Amon would have been revealed to be the same person.
3) Since they are not the same person, I predict that Amon is also a blood bender and that's how he takes away people's powers. (Double supported since he was able to stop Tarlock from using blood bending on him.)
4) Not so happy the producers are taking Korra a perfectly fine but very different show from Avatar, and trying to make it more Avatar-like by setting Korra & pals up as a group outside the law (with a sibling pair no less!) who must fight against the power structure. Especially since Tarlock appears to represent all of the evil of the power structure, in a single person
( ... )
When Jinora said "leave my dad's ex-girlfriend alone!" I somehow didn't hear "dad" the first time. And it sparked this great idea of Jinora like three years ago meeting Lin at family gatherings and, in the style of (some) young children, making Lin her imaginary girlfriend.
SOOOOOO Jinora + 6 years = adorable underage girlfriend? Take it or leave it, the age difference is on the wide side of acceptable to me but the "mom, dad, this is my girlfriend" part would be AMAAAAAAZING
Jinora is sensible and badass but also clearly has a (somewhat twisted?) romantic side, so I have no problems seeing her pursue Lin, who at first is all like "kid you don't know what you're doing" but eventually they have some sort of adventure together and save each other's lives and consumate their love and I am thinking too much about this now
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Benders are thugs, street rats, or hobos, not just an elite. Non-benders are elite industrialists. Apart from the Council, and the ease with which it passed a non-bender curfew, the presence of bender privilege was frankly non-obvious. Sure, superpowers, but both this series and the first one have shown non-benders can have the superpower of running up fast and kicking you in the solar plexus, or crazy ass archery. Bending's been one way to be cool
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Haven't seen the first series yet so I can't comment on anything portrayed there; just going by what I see in Korra.
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But: Liiiiiiin. Every scene in which Lin appears is the best.
Um. Yeah.
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Lin is the greatest thing but I especially like her as a complement to Korra--I appreciate that within the same series we have two versions of lady action hero. Not just for variety's sake, but because Lin gives the impression she got where she is by out-manning the men around her, having ovaries of solid steel, showing no vulnerability etc.--and when that model (i.e. performing masculinity to succeed in a realm where masculinity reigns) is the only model for a female action hero it's disappointing--but here's it's not the only model, or even the central model, because there's Korra who wears her heart & vulnerabilities on her sleeve. It's like...Lin as metaphor for second-wave feminism ahaha.
Reply
Yeah, Lois Bujold. Though there's an implicit "worst thing they could survive".
I liked it, though it did feel too packed and tight, and the romance was just klutzy. "Korra must have boy".
Compare to the ending episode of the third arc of 12K, which felt like a masterpiece jewel of short cuts that say a lot, creating an episode that feels twice as long as it is, in a good way.
Reply
Anyway, why shouldn't Korra have boy; it's good for young female viewers to see that a character like Korra can be heroic and wear clothes that mostly cover her body and also have a love life if she wants one. (Leaving Mako's personal merits or lack thereof aside for now.)
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At least we didn't get Asami turning to the dark side because of lost boy.
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At least we didn't get Asami turning to the dark side because of lost boy.
Yet.
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1) The episode where Korra ends up supporting the ralliers because Tarlock is going too far in his containment methods made me really, really happy. Just seeing the hero on the side of protesters on the street felt significant.
2) If this had been a 12 ep mini series as originally planned, I bet Tarlock and Amon would have been revealed to be the same person.
3) Since they are not the same person, I predict that Amon is also a blood bender and that's how he takes away people's powers. (Double supported since he was able to stop Tarlock from using blood bending on him.)
4) Not so happy the producers are taking Korra a perfectly fine but very different show from Avatar, and trying to make it more Avatar-like by setting Korra & pals up as a group outside the law (with a sibling pair no less!) who must fight against the power structure. Especially since Tarlock appears to represent all of the evil of the power structure, in a single person ( ... )
Reply
When Jinora said "leave my dad's ex-girlfriend alone!" I somehow didn't hear "dad" the first time. And it sparked this great idea of Jinora like three years ago meeting Lin at family gatherings and, in the style of (some) young children, making Lin her imaginary girlfriend.
SOOOOOO Jinora + 6 years = adorable underage girlfriend? Take it or leave it, the age difference is on the wide side of acceptable to me but the "mom, dad, this is my girlfriend" part would be AMAAAAAAZING
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APPROVED
Most gloriously inappropriate underage girlfriend possible?! "Linora" ffffahahaha even the namesmush is dreamy
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