Avatar: Korra

[Personamanx]

What episodes are you talking about if I may ask? As for the less is more thing.. I just don't want it to go on forever but as long as Bryke have a story to tell with Korra and her buddies I am all for it.

Really just "The Spirit Of Competition" I was very much not fond of it. Granted I usually like it when Bryke and the gang acknowledge the fandom in the series I just felt that it was just for the shippers and in general just a poor episode. In fact I've not been a fan of any of the romantic elements of the show so far. I just think it's been incredibly poorly handled for the sake of pleasing a very small portion of the show's audience. Granted the show is almost perfect on a technical level but that just makes the odd poor episode stand out even more.

I can agree with the last statement. If they have story they want to tell I'm game. I just think that if the franchise continues it should eventually move on to the avatar after Korra.

[Theozilla]

Really just "The Spirit Of Competition" I was very much not fond of it. Granted I usually like it when Bryke and the gang acknowledge the fandom in the series I just felt that it was just for the shippers and in general just a poor episode. In fact I've not been a fan of any of the romantic elements of the show so far. I just think it's been incredibly poorly handled for the sake of pleasing a very small portion of the show's audience. Granted the show is almost perfect on a technical level but that just makes the odd poor episode stand out even more.

I can agree with the last statement. If they have story they want to tell I'm game. I just think that if the franchise continues it should eventually move on to the avatar after Korra.

I don't think episode 5 was pandering to shippers, I think it was more they wanted to get through a large amount of the romance and tournament plot at once (I personally thought it was a very fun episode) and create a "breather" episode before episode 6.

[Personamanx]

I'd rather not get too in depth here. There are a few funny moments with Bolin and Pabu but for most of it I would have rather watched the great divide. It was just a ridiculously poorly planned episode as far as character development goes. Made me really lose respect for Korra and Mako. Asami might have been pretty bland in her first few appearances but I at least saw the chemistry between the two characters. Mako and Korra... What is there beyond a one sided crush that was used to create unneeded drama? Mako's interest came out of almost no where and hell I can even deal with that. But they both handled it pretty darn poorly and neither come off of it for the better.

Really I was just not fond of it. Unless during the finale they all realize how stupid it would be for any of them to be in a relationship at the moment and "The Spirit Of Competition" was just foreshadowing it I would call the episode a very poorly done mess.

And Dammit Bolin just do something of significance in the finale. You're seriously the most likeable character on the show. For all the wrong that episode did to Mako and Korra it really pushed Bolin up.

[Theozilla]

I'd rather not get too in depth here. There are a few funny moments with Bolin and Pabu but for most of it I would have rather watched the great divide. It was just a ridiculously poorly planned episode as far as character development goes. Made me really lose respect for Korra and Mako. Asami might have been pretty bland in her first few appearances but I at least saw the chemistry between the two characters. Mako and Korra... What is there beyond a one sided crush that was used to create unneeded drama? Mako's interest came out of almost no where and hell I can even deal with that. But they both handled it pretty darn poorly and neither come off of it for the better.

Really I was just not fond of it. Unless during the finale they all realize how stupid it would be for any of them to be in a relationship at the moment and "The Spirit Of Competition" was just foreshadowing it I would call the episode a very poorly done mess.

And Dammit Bolin just do something of significance in the finale. You're seriously the most likeable character on the show. For all the wrong that episode did to Mako and Korra it really pushed Bolin up.

Eh, let's just agree to disagree on this point then, IMO I thought it portrayed teenage relationships pretty realistically. People make mistakes in love and it can get very messy. And Bryke had stated from the beginning they were going to have a cheesy love triangle in the show.

[Personamanx]

Okay, never heard anything of a cheesy romance in interviews before the show but if they were intentionally going for a horrible relationship triangle they succeeded. It barely makes the episode more enjoyable and has still seriously affected my view of the characters.

Realism isn't the issue. You can make it realistic, doomed to failure, and still have the characters act at least somewhat likeable. Instead you have two people who just don't work that well together making things awkward between eachother and Asami being nothing but a victim. She kind of told Mako off last episode but honestly she really should just call out both of them.

Bolin kick some ass in the finale.

[ImpulseUCF]

To each his own, but the relationship elements in this show are just fine by me. Of course it's awkward and unwise and poorly handled - they're teenagers! Teenage romance is awkward and stupid and cheesy. I think it works just fine and adds to the character development and interactions, not subtracts. I don't think it's a morality/strength of character issue. I think it's that these are teenagers being teenagers.

I would love to see a third season. Personally, my only complain with LoK is how rushed the overall arc seems to me. It seems like it started off slow the first few episodes, and now they're rushing to make up for it. I feel like there should be 3 -5 more episodes this season, but whatever. I'm still loving it.

[Theozilla]

To each his own, but the relationship elements in this show are just fine by me. Of course it's awkward and unwise and poorly handled - they're teenagers! Teenage romance is awkward and stupid and cheesy. I think it works just fine and adds to the character development and interactions, not subtracts. I don't think it's a morality/strength of character issue. I think it's that these are teenagers being teenagers.

Yeah, that is how I feel as well.

I would love to see a third season. Personally, my only complain with LoK is how rushed the overall arc seems to me. It seems like it started off slow the first few episodes, and now they're rushing to make up for it. I feel like there should be 3 -5 more episodes this season, but whatever. I'm still loving it.

As for The Legend of Korra's pacing, I again think Emily Guendelsberger (a reviewer from the A.V. Club) comments on it really well.

Avatar: The Last Airbender had the luxury of a loose master plot spread out over 61 episodes, giving the characters a lot of leeway to meander around doing things not specifically related to the plot. Team Avatar’s nomadic lifestyle also was helpful in limiting the recurring characters the audience had to get to know; in the first season, at least, we were hanging out primarily with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Iroh. (Arguments could be made for Zhao and Yue.) Most everybody else walks onstage, then off again.

Korra’s static setting means pretty much everyone is a recurring character: For starters, there’s Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Tenzin, Lin, Amon, and Tarlokk. (Arguments could be made for the four members of Tenzin’s family and Hiroshi Sato.) The first season of A:TLA, then, aimed to establish five characters in 20 episodes, and they didn’t really transcend their jerky-loving, hissy-throwing, hope-speechifying origins, parodied so well in The Ember Island Players, until mid-second season. Korra went to establish an ambitious eight characters in 12 episodes, plus fitting in a much more compact plot, plus a brand-new sport, plus makeouts. No wonder Bolin’s just shouting stuff from the backseat.

It’s a really ballsy thing for the writers to attempt, and so far I’ve found the pace exhilarating rather than off-putting — I enjoy shows that know where they’re going and pull me along at Maglev speeds. It’s a different show from the original in tone and production circumstance, and expecting the exact same things out of it is setting yourself up for disappointment.

I basically feel identical about the pacing, I find the pacing exhilarating rather than off-putting and I think I prefer it to A:TLA's pacing. And it is foolish to expect that it would be the same as A:TLA.

[Personamanx]

Well like I said, realistic or not I just think it reflects poorly on all characters involved. My Opinion of course.

The series has had serious pacing problems for a while. Wrapping things up too quickly, or not quickly enough. Plot threads that converge that throw off the entire thematic feel of the episode... I love the show, it does a lot well. Nothing but talent goes into it but they've made a lot of more than questionable decisions that only get worse the farther you dig.

[Personamanx]

Hmm, but now that I think of it pacing... good or bad is really noticed in hindsight once the entire series/season is complete. Maybe it'll all work out.

[ImpulseUCF]

It’s a really ballsy thing for the writers to attempt, and so far I’ve found the pace exhilarating rather than off-putting — I enjoy shows that know where they’re going and pull me along at Maglev speeds.

I basically feel identical about the pacing, I find the pacing exhilarating rather than off-putting and I think I prefer it to A:TLA's pacing. And it is foolish to expect that it would be the same as A:TLA.

LOL, well I completely disagree, and why on earth do you think it's foolish to expect a similar pace? Quite the contrary, I would expect the specifics to change, but not the high level structural element when these elements were strengths in the original, i.e. close-knit core cast, sense of humor, rich sense of atmosphere and immersion, more metered pacing. While A:TLA may have had a little filler occasionally, for the most part their time wasn't wasted and focused on furthering some element of character development, character interaction, or adding to the richness and depth of their world.

I feel like Korra is missing these. The show is suffering from the breakneck speed. We barely know any characters outside of Korra, Mako and Bolin, and there has been very little shown of Korra's efforts and progress toward air bending and the Avatar state. The political tensions with the council and Tarlokk have been rushed over, and air temple island and Tenzin's family were basically a setting only until this past episode. It feels like the show dragged the first few episodes and now they're rushing prematurely to closing the season. It's like they only just got started! It's like act 1 dragged, act 2 was missing, and we're racing to the end of act 3.

Again, to each his own, but I couldn't disagree more. What you see as lean and daring I see as empty and abridged. Where is the rich character interaction? The senes of the world they lived in? The heart? The ethos? I want to get to know these characters and this world, not just watch them play sports and get electrocuted. :P

[Omegastorm]

Lin's sacrifice made me really wanna cry. I do understand why she made that choice, I just wish there was some other way. But like they said, drama at it's finest.

And I certainly hope there is a third season. God be good, I hope there's even a fourth.

It's the best show on Television, who wouldn't want that?

o

[Theozilla]

http://www.avatardestinyportal.com/i..._from=&ucat=1&
Some Avatar/Korra fan website did a nice summary of P.J. Bryne's (Bolin's voice actor) Q&A on Twitter today:

You asked questions and P.J. (Bolin) responded! Here are a few things we got from the session:

• Byrne watches Legend of Korra when he gets the chance and "feels 10% stronger" when Bolin kicks butt
• He eats lots of noodles and jellybeans to channel Bolin's sassy and funny character
• He was a fan of Avatar before working on Legend of Korra
Pabu or Naga? Byrne replies: "Pabu. All day and all night."
• His favourite Bolin line: (to Naga) "I want to be on your back."
• Byrne would want to play Bolin if there was a live action movie of Legend of Korra. He comments: "Fo Sho! Need to hit the gym beforehand, though."
• Byrne has 11 Red Pandas (fire ferrets)
• Bolin will get more character development in Book 2
• Byrne doesn't feel that Bolin has been taken a backseat in the last few episodes, he replies: "Not at all! WE are team avatar!"
• His favourite part of Legend of Korra is hanging with the cast and us fans
• He would call his pro-bending team "Bo-Nasties" if he had one
• Byrne gets emotional after watching Legend of Korra episodes
• "Do you think we'll get a big surprise saturday?" Byrne replies: "Does yes start with the letter "y""
• Byrne loves all animals, even bugs.
• Byrne identifies a lot with Bolin, and if there was one thing he could want from Bolin that he doesn't have is Bolin's hair

[JayBee]

http://www.avatardestinyportal.com/i..._from=&ucat=1&
Some Avatar/Korra fan website did a nice summary of P.J. Bryne's (Bolin's voice actor) Q&A on Twitter today:

haha awesome.

[RoyalTailor]

I can't believe that Hiroshi Soto was corrupt. He came off as being a nice Theodore Roosevelt grandfatherly type. The show is really heating things up and I like that. On a side note the episode 'The Aftermath' felt a bit Bioshock-esque.

[Theozilla]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/...-it-like-bolin
The Legend of Korra: Bend It Like Bolin
The Legend of Korra's P.J. Byrne talks about his character, Bolin.

Interview summary/prompt

Since its debut back in April, The Legend of Korra has been making huge waves, not only in the Avatar universe but among the fan community as well. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have definitely proven that its new cast of characters resonate just as much as their Last Airbender predecessors.

With the Season 1 finale just a few days away, IGN recently got a chance to speak with P.J. Byrne, the voice behind Bolin on the show. As one of the three main players on the new Team Avatar (alongside Korra's Janet Varney and Mako's David Faustino), Byrne discussed his approach to developing an animated character, his deep appreciation of the material and even offered some insight into what the series has in store for Season 2...