Legend of Korra 2.09 - "The Guide"
Nov. 2nd, 2013 03:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizbeeI nearly locked and filtered this post, because I discovered the other week ("Beginnings") that LoK is way more fun when I pretend fandom doesn't exist. It's like a Blanket Fort of Squee, but there's only room for one.
But then I realised that I like being able to go back and see what I thought about things, and I might as well do it publicly, because otherwise it's just navelgazing? IDK. If a fangirl squees in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does her flail count? Chew on THAT, Tenzin!
So this was Studio Pierrot's last week, THANK GOD, and they didn't do too badly. I mean, the animation wasn't great, but at no point was I actively disliking it. Although I tend not to notice background stuff until my second viewing.
Plotwise, I airpunched a LOT at Korra and Tenzin being reunited, and at Jinora's ties to the spirit world, and Eska having interactions that aren't entirely unhealthy, ie, defying Unalaq to help Desna.
I also have some feelings about Lin and Mako and Varrick's ENORMOUSLY PREDICTABLE set-up. Most of my feelings are that police corruption was rife in the 1920s -- I was going to say universal, and it probably was and is to an extent, but my actual examples are Sydney, Shanghai and the entire United States of America -- so I can't blame her for having Starsky and Hutch arrest Mako. Given the extent of triad activities in Republic City, it's probably a safe bet that at least some of the RCPD is corrupt. Or at least, such is my headcanon, and it makes sense.
(It also makes sense that Lin isn't buddy-buddy mentor to Mako just because she knows him slightly and he's the Avatar's now-ex-boyfriend. Aside from the fact that she's not that cuddly, it would be kind of inconsistent with her treatment of everyone else, and the extremely hierarchical nature of the RCPD.)
(I keep telling myself this to reinforce that there is no good plot-related reason for Lin to be featured heavily in this season. Eventually I'm sure I'll believe it and stop sulking.)
Also, I am quite pleased that Mako's PROFOUND STUPIDITY in making a deal with the Triple Threats has rebounded back on him. Because that was QUITE STUPID, and I say that while being firm in my belief that Mako is right about most things. His superpower is a complete inability to be right without also being a jerk. I'm starting to find it charming.
Apparently Asami does also? I wish we had a better idea of where she's at in terms of her feelings for Mako. Except that, as she said in her first episode, she feels safe with him, and she's very vulnerable this season. I was pleased that Mako's accusing Varrick didn't lead to any kind of stupid conflict between them, because that's always annoying and kind of artificial. Well, maybe there was conflict where Bolin's concerned; I tend to tune out when he's around.
MEANWHILE, KORRA. (Another aside about Mako, though -- I'm rather charmed that he's the one who can't seem to go too long without a girlfriend, while Korra and Asami get by quite fine being single and getting on with things. It's a neat wee inversion of the 'teenage girl has no identity without a boyfriend' business, which annoys me as much in fiction as it did in real life.)
Korra seems pretty mellow at the moment. Either there are lingering effects of the spirit water, or the Fire Sage gave her some really good tea. She knows she has a deadline, but she's accepted her fault, recognised the challenge and is getting on with things. I kind of hope she's back to punching the universe soon, but having spent a lot of the season watching her flailing and out of her depth, it's cool that she's back in charge.
Tenzin ... not so much. I'm entirely unshocked that he's tried and failed to reach the spirit world, because he's ... actually not that spiritual? Like, he's full to the brim with the theory, but he's too much like Katara -- solid, physical, nurturing, connected -- to be the perfect Air Nomad he wants to be. I feel like Aang might have had better luck teaching Kya to enter the spirit world, although she too is very earthy. For a waterbender, I mean.
Jinora, though, although she's very much a normal kid, has always seemed a little bit lighter in her presence than the rest of her family. Maybe because we haven't seen her bond with any animals other than the spirits? ANYWAY, I am 100% in favour of Jinora and Korra leading each other through the spirit world.
Unalaq! Still not sure what he's about. If he's working for Vaatu, how is he able to spiritbend? Is it a case of the devil citing scripture? Or does he have delusions that he and Korra will be able to destroy Vaatu, or imprison him so tightly that the spirit portals can remain open?
The only thing I'm certain of where Unalaq's concerned is that he's a pretty terrible dad. Like, not the worst dad in the series ever, but only because Azulon, Ozai, Yakone, Lau Bei Fong and Mai's dad set the bar so high. I'd put him maybe a notch below Toph's dad, actually, but I'm prepared to move him.
But then I realised that I like being able to go back and see what I thought about things, and I might as well do it publicly, because otherwise it's just navelgazing? IDK. If a fangirl squees in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does her flail count? Chew on THAT, Tenzin!
So this was Studio Pierrot's last week, THANK GOD, and they didn't do too badly. I mean, the animation wasn't great, but at no point was I actively disliking it. Although I tend not to notice background stuff until my second viewing.
Plotwise, I airpunched a LOT at Korra and Tenzin being reunited, and at Jinora's ties to the spirit world, and Eska having interactions that aren't entirely unhealthy, ie, defying Unalaq to help Desna.
I also have some feelings about Lin and Mako and Varrick's ENORMOUSLY PREDICTABLE set-up. Most of my feelings are that police corruption was rife in the 1920s -- I was going to say universal, and it probably was and is to an extent, but my actual examples are Sydney, Shanghai and the entire United States of America -- so I can't blame her for having Starsky and Hutch arrest Mako. Given the extent of triad activities in Republic City, it's probably a safe bet that at least some of the RCPD is corrupt. Or at least, such is my headcanon, and it makes sense.
(It also makes sense that Lin isn't buddy-buddy mentor to Mako just because she knows him slightly and he's the Avatar's now-ex-boyfriend. Aside from the fact that she's not that cuddly, it would be kind of inconsistent with her treatment of everyone else, and the extremely hierarchical nature of the RCPD.)
(I keep telling myself this to reinforce that there is no good plot-related reason for Lin to be featured heavily in this season. Eventually I'm sure I'll believe it and stop sulking.)
Also, I am quite pleased that Mako's PROFOUND STUPIDITY in making a deal with the Triple Threats has rebounded back on him. Because that was QUITE STUPID, and I say that while being firm in my belief that Mako is right about most things. His superpower is a complete inability to be right without also being a jerk. I'm starting to find it charming.
Apparently Asami does also? I wish we had a better idea of where she's at in terms of her feelings for Mako. Except that, as she said in her first episode, she feels safe with him, and she's very vulnerable this season. I was pleased that Mako's accusing Varrick didn't lead to any kind of stupid conflict between them, because that's always annoying and kind of artificial. Well, maybe there was conflict where Bolin's concerned; I tend to tune out when he's around.
MEANWHILE, KORRA. (Another aside about Mako, though -- I'm rather charmed that he's the one who can't seem to go too long without a girlfriend, while Korra and Asami get by quite fine being single and getting on with things. It's a neat wee inversion of the 'teenage girl has no identity without a boyfriend' business, which annoys me as much in fiction as it did in real life.)
Korra seems pretty mellow at the moment. Either there are lingering effects of the spirit water, or the Fire Sage gave her some really good tea. She knows she has a deadline, but she's accepted her fault, recognised the challenge and is getting on with things. I kind of hope she's back to punching the universe soon, but having spent a lot of the season watching her flailing and out of her depth, it's cool that she's back in charge.
Tenzin ... not so much. I'm entirely unshocked that he's tried and failed to reach the spirit world, because he's ... actually not that spiritual? Like, he's full to the brim with the theory, but he's too much like Katara -- solid, physical, nurturing, connected -- to be the perfect Air Nomad he wants to be. I feel like Aang might have had better luck teaching Kya to enter the spirit world, although she too is very earthy. For a waterbender, I mean.
Jinora, though, although she's very much a normal kid, has always seemed a little bit lighter in her presence than the rest of her family. Maybe because we haven't seen her bond with any animals other than the spirits? ANYWAY, I am 100% in favour of Jinora and Korra leading each other through the spirit world.
Unalaq! Still not sure what he's about. If he's working for Vaatu, how is he able to spiritbend? Is it a case of the devil citing scripture? Or does he have delusions that he and Korra will be able to destroy Vaatu, or imprison him so tightly that the spirit portals can remain open?
The only thing I'm certain of where Unalaq's concerned is that he's a pretty terrible dad. Like, not the worst dad in the series ever, but only because Azulon, Ozai, Yakone, Lau Bei Fong and Mai's dad set the bar so high. I'd put him maybe a notch below Toph's dad, actually, but I'm prepared to move him.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-02 11:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-02 02:21 pm (UTC)(I'm not saying I'm upset that Aang didn't get it all right, because perfection is dull and unrealistic and it's natural he would gravitate to Tenzin considering that he was literally the Only Other Airbender in the world. And he was still better than nearly all the other ones, except for Uncle Iroh who is the Best Dad Ever, including to people that aren't even his kids. IROOOH.)
The other thing I desperately want to believe is that Lin has known all along there is corruption in her department and is cunningly ferreting it out by pretending to be on board with Starsky and Hutch until she can draw the noose around them. PLEASE LET ME HAVE THIS, BRYKE.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-02 02:21 pm (UTC)YES. I remember being shocked in that episode that he would do something that dumb, and while it rebounded on him at the time, it makes sense that there would be continued repercussions.
Unalaq! Still not sure what he's about. If he's working for Vaatu, how is he able to spiritbend?
I hadn't considered that question before now, and I had to go back to the LoK wiki to remind myself how Unalaq learned spirit-bending in the first place: likely as part of his spiritual studies before conning Tonraq into pissing off the spirits and ultimately getting himself banished.
Another possibility is that Unalaq's first encounter with Vaatu was years ago, before Tonraq was banished, and that the banishment plan was all part of Vaatu's long game. Vaatu could have taught Unalaq to spirit-bend as part of that, perhaps even sensing that spirit-bending could be a way to gain the attention and trust of a future Avatar.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-03 01:25 am (UTC)