There are some feelings that can only be described in acronyms that have been run through the hard decay of slang. “ZOMG” expresses how I feel about the start of the new season of The Legend of Korra. I’ve missed doing these Korra discussion posts almost as much as I’ve missed watching the show! The new season, “Book Two: Spirits” started off with a bang, with an explosion of Dark Spirits and religious tensions in the Water Tribe, with a host of new characters and new directions for the story—and I’m eager to follow the yellow brick road to see where it goes. We got to see two episodes, “Rebel Spirit” and “Southern Lights,” in the hour long premiere, and the dominoes have already started to topple.
So I’ve been thinking about Korra a lot since last summer, and I’ve decided to just ignore the haters. You know how many episodes The Legend of Korra had in the first season? Twelve. Yet people keep trying to judge it by the yardstick of the full three seasons—sixty-one episodes—of Avatar: the Last Airbender. That isn’t fair; a far better comparison would be to the first dozen Last Airbender episodes, which is to say we’d just have gotten past “The Great Divide.” We would have just gotten Zuko’s backstory, but not seen his behavior change, because “The Blue Spirit” hasn’t aired yet. We wouldn’t have seen romance start to bloom, because “The Fortuneteller” or “The Cave of Two Lovers” haven’t happened.
You think Korra’s stubborn tendency towards aggression is a character flaw? How about that time Aang stole the letter from Katara and Sokka’s long lost father? Well, that would still be in the future, in “Bato of the Water Tribe.” What I’m saying is, people need to take a chill pill. Especially people hating on Korra and Mako as a couple; let’s see what happens? I didn’t watch Avatar: the Last Airbender till after it had aired, so I missed the wars between the “Zutara” and “Kataang” ’shippers, but let’s not have a redux of that. Just sit back and enjoy the show. Let’s give them a chance to convince us…or not. Anyhow, that’s my philosophy. But enough of that, let’s talk about the two new episodes!
First off, let’s talk about big political arc, let’s talk about Unalaq and Tonraq. Here is my prediction for the season: Unalaq is not wrong. Or to put it another way, Unalaq is not Amon or Tarrlok. I don’t think Unalaq is secretly summoning the Dark Spirits in order to inflate his influence; I think he appears so sinister to disguise the fact that he has a point. That said, rolling into the South with a fleet of warships definitely points to him not being “good.” Like everything in the world of Avatar, it is organic, a mixed bag of virtues and vices, flaws and strengths. My long-term guess? Unalaq’s spiritual side is stronger than his real world side, and Tonraq’s real world side is stronger than his spiritual side; Korra will have to bring the brothers into balance to save them and the Water Tribe, to prevent them from being Tarrlok and Noatak.
Okay, I’ve waited long enough; I wanna squee about the characters. First off, Katara and Aang’s kids, eeeee, they are the best. Tenzin was probably my favorite character from the first season, and to see him whipping out that goofy map of his boring dad vacation is like, my favorite. Then to see him interact with goofy big brother Bumi and sly big sister Kya? Really great; they are a pleasure whenever they are on screen. and did I say Tenzin was my favorite? I misspoke; Jinora is my actual favorite. The bookish fantasy nerd, who could’ve guessed; seeing her sleepwalk up to (presumably) the First Avatar’s statue in the Air Temple gave me goose bumps; I’m eager for her to have an expanded role and I’m still hoping that—much like Toph invented “advanced earthbending” in the form of metalbending, and firebending has lightning while waterbending has blood- and plant-bending—Jinora will invent a new kind of advanced airbending. Also, the Air Acolytes falling all over themselves for the airbenders? Cracking up about it still.
Desna and Eska are, of course, the new darlings, and not just because they give ’shippers all kinds of new combinations to throw into the mix. Aubrey Plaza! When that was announced I definitely had a picture in my head of how Eska would roll, when the show came back, and now that we’ve seen it, I’m not disappointed. The verdict is still out on Desna, but I sort of expect the twins to be split up, to choose opposite sides in the coming conflict; sibling rivalry seems to be a theme for The Legend of Korra—well, for the whole Avatar setting, what with Zuko and Azula, Sokka and Katara—and this seems like another future hot spot to me. Mai is one of my favorite characters from the last series, and I would like to see Eska expand into a similar position, or a bigger one, though I also wonder if Bolin and Asami might become a “thing.”
Speaking of Asami and Bolin, I find Korra to be increasingly Ghibli-esque. The tensions between a modernizing world and a strange spirit world, I mean. How Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away can you get? In fact, you’ve got Korra to do the Mononoke storyline and Jinora to do the Spirited Away one! And Varrick seems to me to be one of the Miyazaki clowns, like Jigo from Princess Mononoke or Donald Curtis from Porco Rosso—characters that have a buffoonish side but aren’t simply one dimensional. I’ve got my eye on him. Not to mention that I find the references to Sallie Gardner at a Gallop and Le Coucher de la Mariée to be really interesting; I wonder if we’ll meet a counterpart to The Mechanist in the form of a Legend of Korra-fied Georges Méliès.
I’m really excited The Legend of Korra is back. What was one thing we were hoping for? A chance to see more of the world, how it has changed since the last series? Well, we’ve seen the Southern Water Tribe, we’ve seen the Everstorm, we’ve seen people and troops from the Northern Water Tribe, we’ve seen the refurbished Southern Air Temple…I’m really excited to see what else the show has in store, both in the mortal world and the spirit world. I know last season I guessed that Koh the Face Stealer was behind everything, and I was wrong, so in that same “fat chance” vein, I’ll make a prediction: Korra will bring Koh back “into balance,” making him less of a Dark Spirit. I’m probably just whistling in the dark, here, but I might as well take a swing at it. My backup theory is that Wan Shi Tong is the final antagonist, that he’s gone Dark since his library sunk. Just wild guesses; what are yours?
Mordicai Knode was super happy to see the cosplayers show up again but his favorite line from both episodes was Bumi saying “Mom already invited me!” to Tenzin. Find more Mordicai on Twitter and Tumblr.
Wan’s statue, by the way? Note the weird “spirit calming” helix.
I too loved this opening set of episodes and also hope that
Unalaq is not quite the sinister villain he seems to be. I agree that he seems to be right, and it will be interesting to see how Korra deals with a situation where there is conflict and neither side is bad/evil persay.
It seems this season is going to spend a lot of time in the Water Tribe, which isn’t a bad thing, but I do hope we haven’t seen the end of the Equalist Movement. Though Amon is gone, the Equalists did have a lot of good points. And I’m really curious as to how this “Republic City has a president” thing is going to turn out. Is the President a Bender? A non-Bender? Here’s hoping we have one or two episodes in Republic City.
Also I love Road-Trip-Dad Tenzin. That was adorable.
So, do we think that spirit calming is an Energybending technique?
2. MandyP12
Over in Entertainment Weekly the creators talk about President Raiko a little!
3. CarlEngle-Laird
Man, I don’t know! I guess what I think is– well, the Water Tribe has some of the longest traditions, right? Fire Nation experienced upheavel & shifted paradigms– see the Sun Warriors versus the imperialist Fire Lords– & the Air Nomads are obviously just getting past the brink of extinction. So the question is…waterbending, energybending, or water-flavoured-energy-bending or what? I don’t know; I’m especially curious on account of, well, we had the “secret waterbending techniques” arc last season, right? So either this isn’t a secret waterbending technique…or secret waterbending techniques are going to be a Thing.
people are already hating on Korra and Mako? but but.. he’s got a career of his own! and he’s supportive! (trying to figure out shit, sure. but resolutely supportive) and so far he isn’t whining about being second fiddle or not the chosen one or anything else you’d expect! it’s refreshing!
I admit I didn’t like Mako’s idiocy last season, and how he really just went around making all the people who cared about him feel like crap without ever really having to face up to consequences of his actions. That said, he seems a much less frustrating character here, and I like how his usual stoic exterior is slipping into goofiness around Korra now that they’ve been together long enough to grow comfortable with the relationship. He’s also got a penchant for saying the right thing at the right time, which is good because otherwise Korra would have probably blown up at him undeservedly given how “my side or theirs” she’s been in the opening episodes.
6. DarthRachel
Oh man people HATE Mako & Korra. Which…like, yeah, their relationship isn’t perfect? Because…stories are driven by conflict? Which I guess is my whole thesis for the h8rs. We’re not even in the MIDDLE of the story, we’re at the BEGINNING of it, let’s ride it out!
I was really disappointed by these two episodes. Don’t worry, this is coming from someone who adored the first season, but everything in this episode seemed like a textbook example of plot driving characters, not characters driving plot as well as a big case of “tell, don’t show”. We have Korra doing all these things because someone just tells her to do them. We don’t have any context for any of these things…why there’s the Everstorm, if her uncle is even telling the truth, why just touching the portal instantly makes everything A-OK…yeah. I enjoyed some of the character work, but the fact that Korra instantly relapsed into her instant mistrust of Tenzin after all the work and growth she had with him in the first season made me sad that they chose that path. All this definitely could be redeemed as the season goes on, but I am not a big fan of these two episodes.
On a side note, my wife and I have been going through the anime “Attack On Titan” (Shingeki no Kyojin), and the character work has been phenomenal. The action is insane as well. There was just a dichotomy going from Attack on Titan to these two episodes, and I was not expecting to feel that since Avatar and The Legend of Korra have held that honor among animated shows. Has anyone else been watching Attack on Titan?
First of all, I think the Equalist movement story-line in the first season of Korra was a more compelling storyline that anything in the original series.
Second of all, to the best of my knowledge, the second season doesn’t start until October 5th in Canada. Which, sigh………
What does the Z in ZOMG stand for? Zounds?
Korra has haters? I’m sorry, I’m having trouble wrapping my head around that concept. Sure, the writing in the back half of Book 1 was less than perfect, and some things were underdeveloped or glossed over. I still don’t get how Korra, Mako, and Amon were able to be heard without microphones in the bending arena in episode 12 when earlier episodes had made it clear that mikes were needed. And I’m not crazy about the way the lingering bender/nonbender tensions in Republic City, the ones that enabled the Equalists to gain a following in the first place, seem to have been swept under the rug in the Shiro Shinobi recap narration in “Rebel Spirit.” But nothing is perfect, and TLoK is still the best animated show (and best-animated show) on TV today. If people are actually hating it based on a few imperfections, it just goes to show how fandom today seems to have become an excuse for indulging in hate and hostility. (Whatever happened to the good old days when being a fan meant liking things?)
Unalaq sure seems like the bad guy. If he can tame spirits, it follows that he can enrage them, and the spirit attacks do have a way of getting him what he wants (leading to Tonraq’s banishment so Unalaq became chief, and now leading Korra to choose him as her advisor). But I hope you’re right that it’s a red herring and they’re doing something less obvious.
I’ve occasionally tried to imagine what an advanced form of airbending might be. The one thing I’ve come up with is soundbending. Sound is vibrations in air, after all. Although it’s also transmitted through any medium, so water and earthbenders should be able to do it too.
And yes, I am getting Bolin/Asami “ship” vibes from their interaction in “Rebel Spirit.” Eska is kind of creepy and I doubt she’d be good for Bolin.
9. hihosilver28
See, & that is why I think…actually Korra was right to choose Unalaq? Not in how she did it, but…I mean, he IS the only one who can deal with the spirits, & she IS the link to the spirit world. Her father DID decieve her, & he DIDN’T believe in her. You know? & the Everstorm WAS replaced by the Southern Lights. So…I think Korra made a hard choice, perhaps not gracefully, but there really is something to be said, there.
I really should watch Attack on Titan.
10. qbe_64
I sympathize; Nickleodeon isn’t very good at getting their content out to folks. No Hulu, no Netflix, sheesh. That said, I think both episodes are up on the website; but does being a Canuk prevent you from even watching those?
11. ChristopherLBennett
That is the power of the Avatar: it doesn’t stand for ANYTHING!
Anyhow, there is your no-prize; Korra must have been instinctively SOUNDBENDING in the arena! Jokes. Anyhow, I agree that soundbending would be a airbending trick, but like…that is pretty…weaksauce, compared to lightning or metalbending, or bloodbending.
@12: Airbending is a subtle art. It’s not about brute force. You could do all sorts of things with soundbending. For instance, how well could a general command his troops if they couldn’t hear his orders? Or how could they hear your own forces approaching if your side was totally silent? How could an enemy bender concentrate enough to bend if they had an annoying sound blaring in their ears at every moment?
And if you do want something more forceful, think about the sonic weapons the military is developing today, weapons that can deafen, disorient, create incapacitating nausea, and the like.
Many of Korra‘s issues in Book 1 definitely stemmed from Executive Meddling (don’t click that unless you want to lose your day) which a lot of people seem to forget. Was it a different style of strytelling than ATLA? In some ways, yes. And that’s not a bad thing. You see it a lot in video game sequels too, where people hate on later entries from a company because it’s not the same as a previous game (the “everything can’t be Baldur’s Gate” argument for example). And like said in the article, comparing a completed series to a new ongoing one with shorter seasons so far is really silly.
That said, my impressions:
I could have used more Asami! Bolin could get more character development as more than the comic relief, but he may get lost in a too-large cast for that. Mako is still very teenage boy (which was a large part of his problem last season), but he’s learning from his mistakes in how to deal with his significant other. One friend contends that Mako is a creator’s pet, and I agree to an extent; they were very surprised by how much people disliked Mako last season, and they have a lot of work to do to redeem him. Actually showing his breakup with Asami would have smoothed a lot of ruffled feathers; instead, due to timing issues (see above), they left it implied and it caused problems.
I’m anxious to see a bit more Varrick, in small doses; high-energy characters like that are best used sparingly. The twins could be interesting, though may be riding on Plaza’s popularity to start. Eska seems like Mai cranked to 11, which can be amusing–in the right way. Someone on the TLA subreddit pointed out “why are you iniating physical contact with another woman?” was played for comedy but would be considered creepy and controlling if a man did that to a woman, so there could be some problems.
I think Unalaq means well, but is careening toward disaster in his well-intentioned extremist methods. I think bringing the brothers into balance is a good hypothesis; the physical and spiritual divide is exemplified in Korra’s own family, and she’s got to make that right too.
Korra herself does seem to take after her father in a lot of ways; her affinity for the physical over the spiritual, her hastiness, and her stubborness, all reflect Tonraq’s own actions. That sense of “I’m good at what I do, I know it, I will do this” is evident in both young General Tonraq and young Avatar Korra. Tenzin and Tonraq have both made mistakes as Korra’s parental figures, and still flush off her victory over Amon, she’s feeling entitled. She’s never had Aang’s humilty and indecision; Korra’s a very different person and Avatar.
She may need to relearn the lessons of the last Water Tribe Avatar though, before she repeats the mistakes of the past.
I’m eager to see Jinora’s plotline; from the previews and trailers, the speculation is she might be Korra’s actual spirit teacher. Seeing more of Tenzin and his siblings will be fantastic (they are setting up some explosive dynamics there, with the put-upon little brother to compensate for the older sibs’ insecurities over not being Airbenders), and I think splitting the main cast is a great idea; it worked well in ATLA with Zuko & Iroh on their own for much of the series. I am worried about Katara though. Someone on the subreddit brought up the prophecy Katara was given in the original series, and the looks she was giving her own children, and her insistence they be together, seems foreshadowing.
Overall, I’m happy with the premiere, and looking forward to more and how the story and characters develop!
@12, @13 Soundbending could work for subterfuge, too, by *changing* the words/sounds. That’s more surgical than muting/blaring, but it could be possible.
Airbending could also provide visual tricks, like mirages. Again, subtle and not all that impressive with other bending around, but the subtlety of it can be a boon in that context. When crazy fantastic magic happens regularly, it’s easier to be fooled by simple tricks. The threshold of disbelief is different.
@mordicai
Yes, Unalaq was correct in telling Korra the opening the portal would quiet the Everstorm and bring back the lights…but none of that was telegraphed, or informed by character choice. It all happened because the plot needed it to happen. I mean, this episode was the first we had ever even heard of the Everstorm. You’d think that someone would have mentioned it before this and things being out of balance. It just felt very different from “The Spirit World” & “Avatar Roku” two-parter of Book:Water where all the decisions regarding Aang, Sokka, and Katara regarding the Spirit World are very much based out of character than the plot just rising up. But once again, I’m more than willing to eat crow if this turned out to be a deeper and more nuanced take than I thought once more of this season airs.
Oh, and you totally should check out Attack on Titan. I think you would really dig it.
13. ChristopherLBennett
Oh I’m not saying that ain’t cool or that it isn’t useful! I’m just saying it seems like an airbending technique rather than a substantially different advanced technique, to qualify as its own discipline, knameen? (Also I think we just figured out that Meelo can create the infamous “brown note”…)
14. LynMars
Yeah! I mean, Sokka was a bit of a misogynist pratt when the series started, but he…grew! Katara was a bit of a stick in the mud…but she grew! Aang was someone who ran away from his problems…but he grew! So yeah, I have high hopes for…well, everything you say, for Korra & Mako & Bolin & the rest of the characters to…well…grow!
15. Tesh
Mirages! Illusion! That is a pretty good angle!
16. hihosilver28
Yeah, I have been seeing like, cosplays & people talking about it on Teh Tumblr, I keep meaning to look for it! Heck, the wife & I have a quiet evening planned on the couch tonight; maybe I’ll pitch it to her (though she’s not much of a cartoon nerd, she does like Korra & Ghibli stuff, so I’ll pitch it more that way…)
In regards to an advanced technique of airbending, I’ve always wondered why airbenders have never seemed able to do anything with weather. Aang manipulated clouds in the episode with the seer, but how about actually creating weather. I’m picturing something like Storm from the X-Men.
18. Bladrak
Oh, that is a good one too! I’m curious to see what happens to the Air Nomads– in my heart of hearts, I hope that we see the NEXT Avatar, & the one after THAT, a full cycle– as they evolve in a new society.
@18: It was Aang and Katara together who manipulated the clouds, since clouds are made of water. That’s the key. Weather isn’t just about air, it’s about air, moisture, and heat. So altering the weather would probably take at least an airbender and a waterbender working together (since waterbenders can convert water to ice or steam and thus do have control over heat), or an Avatar.
Indeed, given how vast weather systems are and how much energy they contain (a large thunderstorm is more powerful than the a nuclear bomb), it might take Avatar State power levels to control the weather on anything but a very, very localized scale.
@18 Honestly, I’ve always thought lightning should be an Airbending technique, a function of atmospheric static (and for that matter, controlling the speed and pressure of air means controlling its temperature). Pegging it as a Fire tech, drawing from a bender’s chi, always struck me as kinda arbitrary… almost like game development, where Fire needed an advanced technique, and it needed to be offensive.
20. ChristopherLBennett
&
21. Tesh
I profoundly disagree with both of your axioms! I mean, the scientific paradigm doesn’t apply wholesale to the Avatar-verse. The Southern & Northern Lights are caused by spirits, not solar winds bouncing off the magnetosphere, after all.
@22: Well, remember Uncle Iroh’ s explanation to Zuko of how to channel lightning through the body? How it’s about the flow between areas of negative and positive chi? That was clearly inspired by the physics of lightning as a current flowing between areas of negative and positive charge.
And it’s an in-universe fact that it took Aang and Katara working together to bend clouds. True, there’s no reason an airbender couldn’t push clouds around, but it’s part of the established rules of the universe that it takes a waterbender to control them more directly.
Oh, just noticed this:
@3: “So, do we think that spirit calming is an Energybending technique?”
I think only Avatars can energy-bend. Spirit-calming was something Unalaq did with glowing bands of water, suggesting it’s related to waterbenders’ healing techniques. Which makes sense, since in Eastern medicine, healing the body entails bringing the spirit/chi back into balance.
23. & 24 ChristopherLBennett
Unless there was some…new advanced technique! I’m just saying the lines of science & alchemy are still blurry, & I don’t want to get too caught up in scientific schemas, when bending is clearly…other. Your point about waterbending & healing is really noted! Good call; that is totally “Avatar logic.” I was thinking it was more hypnosis.
I dunno if only Avatars can bend. I mean– dragon turtles, too, right? & the gurus are into energy in a way; I wonder if someone in their order could energybend? I dunno, it is a big world!
@25: In “The Revelation,” when Korra heard Amon’s claim that he could take a person’s bending away, she said, “That’s impossible. There’s no way.” When she later told Tenzin what she’d seen Amon do, he said, “That’s impossible. Only the Avatar has ever possessed that ability.” And of course, Amon’s “spirit-bending” was faked with bloodbending.
Granted, yes, dragon-turtles can energy-bend, but among humans, that ability is limited to Avatars. Guru Pathik was able to advise Aang in how to focus his own chi, but that’s not bending, just teaching.
I was unsure about the treatment of the spirit world. I hope it is explained why things are so different than in Winter Solstice. In Winter Solstice, the panda spirit was out of balance, so it lumbered around and destroyed things. The spirits in Korra run up and steal the group’s supplies. Seemed odd to me, too purposeful. We’ll see how things shape up, I guess.
26. ChristopherLBennett
Oh, right on, you’re right! I have ideas about how bending might evolve in future generations, like maybe people will move to a Eastern alchemy, Wuxing, forget about airbending & think metalbending is a seperate thing– & maybe it is, maybe it is all cultural– but I am uh, just whistling in the dark. Given the prominance of airbenders I doubt it will really happen.
27. JennB
Oh yeah, there is definitely a Thing.
My wild guess is that the spirit of the first Avatar is going to be this Book’s true villain.
I have mixed feelings about this premiere. On the one hand I was dissapointed with the first season. I disliked how certain characters were treated or even under-treated. I also don’t relate as well to Korra as I did to Aang. However, as has been mentioned, this show is just starting. I’m more than willing to give the new season a go. Besides, it’s about my favourite aspect of ATLA: spirits!
I’m still finding it hard to relate to Korra. Yes, I know that she’s being ‘accurately portrayed as a teenager’ but I’m not very fond of that type of brash, angry character (Zuko was my least favourite character in the first series. Shock, horror, I know). I’m unsure of the changes in Mako but it seems alright so far. I like that Korra and Mako mellow each other out. The first two episodes alone have done wonders to improve their relationship for me.
Varick looks like fun and Bolin and Asami’s little side story with him was enjoyable. And yay for Aubrey Plaza!
Tenzin and his family (air babies included) remain my favourite thing in this new series. Jinora is wonderful :)
It’s too bad, then, that Unalaq and his brother’s arguments come off heavy-handed and forced. I’m not impressed with that so far, which is a shame because it seems the main story of the new season.
Will keep watching but so far it’s alright. Not great but good.
29. MynameisDrake
I mean, those swirls on Wan’s statue’s backpiece DO look like Dark Spirit eyes…
…but personally I hope there is no “villain.” Just like, you know, people, making good or bad choices, doing good or bad things, not like, “bad guys.”
30. Djinn
I guess my point in the post is…everyone is under-treated, because it just started! Like what you say about Mako & Korra, yeah, we’re seeing it happen! I do agree with your point that “grouchy teenagers” are dumb even when they have verisimilitude (see also: Harry Potter 5) but I don’t know, I have a soft spot for someone whose solution to everything is “punch it.”
If we want to get topical, I see Unalaq’s argument as being…well, in line with arguments for military intervention in places like Vietnam, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, Syria. Or heck, better comparisons might be post-war Germany, or carpetbaggers after the Civil War. Not to make things political but just to note that…well, it is an ongoing discussion in the real world, so I have hopes for nuance in the fictional world.
Could breathbending be analogous to airbending in the same way bloodbending is related to waterbending?
@32: Well, in the sense that you could use airbending to suffocate someone, yes, it would be a perversion of the art; but beyond that I don’t see much similarity, since it doesn’t give you control over a person, and it’s still just bending air, while bloodbending involves bending a fluid that’s more complicated than water. I’d say that “breathbending” would be a lot easier for any given airbender to achieve, except that they’d be morally opposed to using airbending to kill or torture.
Although I suppose there could be a subtler application which would just reduce someone’s oxygen levels enough to render them unconscious.
32. Scarlett Bearsdale
&
33. ChristopherLBennett
Yeah, I’m inclined to agree; I think an “evil airbender” could suffocate someone but I don’t think they’d even need to try super hard. Similarly, a waterbender could put like, a globe of water around your head, or whatever.
Now, “breathbending” as a way of messing up chi…maybe.
On the vein of Airbending’s lethal potential, I always look back to the Last Airbender episode “The Southern Air Temple”. Specfically, Gyatso’s corpse, surronded by Fire Nation corpses. And that happened while Sozin’s Comet was powering up the Firebenders. Not sure exactly what he did, but he kicked some serious butt.
Fire still needs air to burn.
And breathbending wouldn’t need to be an offensive thing; imagine it being used to help drowning or choking victims.
@36: I don’t think it would help drowning or choking victims much, because the problem there is that there’s something blocking the air from getting where it needs to go. We’ve seen waterbending used to pull water out of the lungs of a person who nearly drowned, and that would be necessary before air could be bent into their lungs. As for choking, if it’s on food, again you’d probably need a waterbender, since most food has some moisture in it.
36. Cybersnark
I again want to say: are we sure of that? That fire needs oxygen in the Avatar world?
When we get flashbacks of Avatar Roku & Firelord Sozin working together at the volcano, i’ve always wondered whether some of the things we see Roku do there were firebending or airbending.
In another note, I’m enjoying the fact that, so far, most of the benders we see in Korra are significantly more advanced in their art than comparable characters in the original series. I’m sure this is partly just to keep things fresh and show new developments in an ongoing series, but these two episodes especially showcased a lot of advanced waterbending by several different people of a sort rarely seen in secondary characters during the first three seasons.
@39: I see the spread of advanced techniques like metalbending and lightningbending (which only a few Fire Nation royals could do in A:TLA but which Mako, Lightning Bolt Zolt, and a bunch power plant workers have been shown doing in TLoK) as analogous to the rise of modern education letting formerly specialized skills like literacy become more common knowledge. Those skills may have only been taught in the past by a specialized few teachers, but in the transition to a modern era you’d get more of an institutionalized educational system that could spread knowledge more widely. This is actually shown in The Promise, the first of the post-A:TLA comics, wherein we see Toph establish the Beifong Metalbending Academy to propagate what she knows. That may have been the beginning of a whole new form of education, public bending academies for teaching the advanced arts.
I didn’t even know to expect Aubrey Plaza and did a huge spit take when I heard her voice.
Everybody’s talking about Aubrey Plaza like she’s some huge star. I have no idea who she is. And I find her performance unpleasantly robotic. I know that’s the intent, but there are subtler ways of doing that.
@13 This is what I was thinking too, at one end of the scale. At the other end, a sound bender could create sounds and vibrations and resonant frequencies that could bring down buildings, city walls, rupture hulls… Pretty much any mechanical or physical thing could be destroyed by the right sound.
Air bending is mostly a soft, passive, practical style. It has offensive uses, but it’s more dissuasive rather than destructive (pushing things around or flipping them over rather than burning/breaking/etc). Sound bending could be its destructive application. Having said that, it’s not nearly as exciting as something like lightning.
Other than that, I know Korra is supposed to meet the first avatar, but I’m hoping she has more interaction with Aang as well. I’m also hoping Old Man Zuko makes an appearance.
41. David Moran
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42. ChristopherLBennett
Oh man Plaza is the best. I’m a big Parks & Rec nerd, plus with her performance in Scott Pilgrim…yeah, she’s my homegirl.
43. Arashikage
Wait a minute…wasn’t exponential feedback waves…Tesla’s big thing? Is advanced airbending…Tesla’s teleforce beam of disintigration?!
@43-44: Except that’s more about vibrations in solid material. Tesla’s device, as I understand it, wasn’t a “beam,” but a resonator that was placed within a structure and imparted vibrations to it directly through physical contact. So shaking apart a building with sound would be more of an Earthbender thing, depending on the building’s composition. As I said, that’s the problem with my idea of soundbending as an airbending variant — air is not the only medium that transmits sound.